the redemer shold spring notwithstandinge we knowe that from the defection and fall of the fyrst man he was necessary to all mē euen as he was then ordeyned appoynted to the whole world This was don by the wonderfull wisedom of God that Luke shoulde describe declare vnto vs that Christ was the sonne of Adam and that Mathewe should include him in the stock and kinred of Abraham For it should haue nothing profited vs that Christ was geuē and appoynted of the father to be the redemer and author of saluation except he had perteined generally to al men alike Furthermore the sayinge of the Apostel should not be true that he was to daye and to morrowe and for euer excepte his grace and goodnesse had ben powred out apon al ages from the creation of the worlde Let vs therfore know for a suertie that saluation by Iesus Christ is made manifest geuen to all mankind for so muche as not without cause he is called the sonne of Noe the sonne of Adam Notwithstandinge because he must be sought for in the worde of God the spirite dothe not rashely or without good consideration call vs backe by this oure Euangelist Mathewe to the holye stocke and kynred of Abraham where the treasure of euerlastinge lyfe wyth Christ was layed vp for a tyme. As touchinge the thirde difference there is not doubt but that Mathewe obserueth an other maner of order then doth Luke for the one hath Salamon the sonne of Dauid and the other hath Nathan the sonne of Dauid wherupon it euidently appereth that there are dyuerse lyniall descentes appoynted The best and most cunning interpretours do thus vnite and reconcile this shewe and apparance of discorde namely that Mathew leauinge the naturall lyne and stocke which Luke followeth doth reherse the legall genealogy or petegrewe And wee interprete that to be the legall genealogye by the whiche it was ordeyned that the right of the kingdome shoulde come to Salathiell And where as Eusebius in his fyrst booke of his Ecclesiasticall hystorie calleth the genealogy which is described of Luke a legall petegrewe it commeth all to one effecte For he meaneth nothinge elles then that the same kingedome whiche by lawful right was stablished in the person of Solomon came at the length to Salathiell But more trewly and parfectlye a great deale do they speake which saye that the legall petegrew was set forth of Mathew because he naminge Solomon streight after Dauid doth not al together by order still obserue of whō Christ cam as touching the fleshe but howe he descēded and sprange out of Solomon and other kinges that he might be the lawful successour in whose hande the eternitie of the kingdome should be stablished accordinge to the couenant and promise of god For their opinion is probable and likely which think that the stocke of Solomon ended by the death of Ochozias As touching that which many allege out of the cōmentaries of the Iewes how that it was cōmaunded of Dauid that if at any time the issue of Solomon should decay or want that thē the kingdome shulde come to the posteritie of Nathan we leaue vnspoken and we take that onely whiche is certayne namely that the successiō of the kingdome was not confounded but that the degres therof were distinct Now where as the sacred historie doth shewe that after the deathe of Ochozias the kyngedome was taken of his mother Athalia all the kinges séede destroyed it is very euident plaine that those horrible and wicked slaughters were procured of a woman ambitious and desirous of rule least shée being brought to a priuate estate and meane condition of lyfe shoulde see the kingedome remoued and taken away Therefore if the sonne of Ochozias hadde bene alyue Athalia the grandmother shoulde quietly haue raygned vnder the collour of protectiō without enuy or daūger But the reason why Ioas is sayd to be the sonne of Ochozias is this because he was the next of kinne or bloud they called him so to the end he might in dede be thought to be the trewe and naturall heire of the kingedome For if Athalia had ben the grandmother of Ioas in déede he beinge an infant shée woulde neuer wyllingly haue so muche abused his titel againe what man of indifferent iudgement wil thincke it likely that the naturall sonne of the kynge coulde be so priuyly hydden by Ioiada the priest that the grandmother by diligent care and serche shuld not finde him out But rather if a man waye all thynges wisely he shall finde that the next heyre of the kingedome was of an other stocke And that is the meaninge of the woordes of Ioiada the priest when he sayde the kinges sonne shall raigne accordinge to the couenant of the lorde with Dauid as who shuld say it was an execrable thing for a woman beinge a straunger to take by violence vnto her the which God wold haue stande in the house of Dauid Wherefore it is no absurditie if Luke bring the stocke of Christe from Nathan because it mighte be that the stock of Solomon as perteining to the succession of the kingdome myght decaye Now if any do obiect that Iesus Christ can not be known to be the Messias whiche was promised but by the posteritie of Solomon who without all doubte was a figure of Christe we answere that al though he sprāg not naturally from Solomon yet notwithstāding by the legall order he ought to be coūted thought his sonne because he tooke his originall and beginninge of kinges But so great dyuersitie in names troubleth many very muche For from Dauid to Ioseph there semeth to be no agrement at al betwene the twoo Euangelistes sauing onely betwene Zorobabell and Salathiell This difference is sayde to come because the Iewes for the most part had two names but this excuse of some is not well lyked But truely for so much as the maner order of bringing placing genealogies petegrewes is not well knowne to vs now adayes the whiche order Mathew kept and folowed it is no marueile if we be ignorant knowe not howe bothe of them do agree or differ in euerye name and yet not withstandinge it can not be doubted but that frō the tyme of the exile of Babilō they rekned certain men by diuers names and yet the selfe and same men But in Salathiel and Zorobabel bothe the names were kept still peraduenture for the altered state of the people because then the kingely throne and maiestie was cleane extinguyshed put out And that small and thyn shadowe of domination and rule being left as a remnant there apered a marueylous chāge whiche change shoulde admonishe all the faithful to hope for a more excellēt kingdome then the vysible kingdome of Salomon whiche for a short time onely florished This also is now worthy the notinge namely that it is no absurdytie for Luke in his Cataloge or rehersall to recken vp more then Mathew when
is Iechonias of Melchi Ioachim and the rest we haue spoken at large in the first verse before 14 Azor begat Sadoc Sadoc begat Achim Achim begat Eliud 15 Eliud begat Eleazar Eleazar begat Mathan Mathan begat Iacob M. As concerning these there is no mēcion in scripture yet it is lykely that the posteritie of Dauid was diligently comcomprehended and kepte in certaine volumes of the whiche nothing pertaineth vnto vs. 16 Iacob begat Ioseph the husbande of Mary of whome was borne Iesus which is called Christe Iacob begat Ioseph B. Luke placeth Heli for the father of Ioseph as also he differeth from Mathew in the whole genealogie both in name and nombre euen as it is saide already The husband of Mary M. For the coniunction in wedlocke or mariage Ioseph is called the husband of Mary not for carnal copulation neither did he know her according to wedlock as we shall heare in that whiche foloweth B. And because the genealogies are ioyned to the Hebrewes only by the enumeration of men Mathew could not shewe the stocke of Mary except he had shewed Ioseph him selfe her husband to be of the tribe of Iuda for she could not mary but to a man of her owne tribe as we haue declared aboue in the first verse Of vvhom vvas borne Iesus M. Speakinge in the foeminine gender for Iesus was not borne of Ioseph but of Mary the virgin VVhiche is called Christe C. The Euāgelist in the syrname doth declare the office that the readers may knowe him not to be a priuate mā but diuinely annointed by the power of God to fulfill the office of a redemer As touching that which pertaineth to this worde Christe this is to be noted that after the kingdome was abolished and taken away it began to be referred soly to him from whom a full perfecte renuing and restoring of the lost helth was hoped for to come For so long as any maiestie florished in the house of Dauid the kyngs wer wont to be called Christi whiche signifieth anoynted But truely least the foule destruction which folowed should bring the myndes of the godly into dispayre discourage them God would haue this name made proper to the only redemer as it appeareth out of the .ix. chapter of Daniel The Euāgelical historie doth shewe in diuers places that it was then the common kyndof speaking when the sonne of God was manifested in the fleshe as in Mathew .16 Iohn .1.4 and .10 chapters for it is plain and manifest that Iesus is annointed to be our kyng prophete and hie priest euen as the kinges prophetes priests in tymes paste were wonte to be anoynted As concerning which anointing read the .45 Psalme and the first to the Hebrewes By the name of the which anointing is vnderstode the fulnes of the grace of the holy ghoste For to this Christe is the spirite geuen not according to mesure as to the rest of the sainctes but most aboundātly so that it behoueth al saintes to receiue of the fulnes of the same 17 Therefore all the generations from Abraham to Dauid are .14 generations and from Dauid to the captiuitie of Babylon are .14 generatiōs and from the captiuitie of Babylon vnto Christe are .14 generations Therfore all the generations A. That is they whiche were begotten or whiche lyued from Abraham to Dauid are .xiiij. generations so is it saide in the first booke of Moyses Noe being a iust man was perfecte in his generation He hath deuided the generations of the people of Israell into thrée orders and cōditions and hath ascribed the sure and certaine nomber of the generations to euery one of them because he sawe that the state of the people must be chaunged fourtene generations being thrise complete and ended They were from Abraham to Dauid vnder the rule of Iudges from Dauid vntyll the captiuitie of Babylon vnder kinges and from the captiuitie of Babylon they were vnder hie priestes The xiiij laste generations therefore frō the captiuitie of Babilon vnto Christ being ended the maner and disposition of the tymes did greatly require that the state and gouernment of the hie priestes shuld be taken away that the alteration of the same shuld be made by the cōming of Christ so that this people at that time should be neither vnder Iudges neither vnder kinges nor vnder hie priestes but rather that the harde harted and vnbeleuing should be subiecte to princes of straunge nacions as we sée this daye and that the faithfull should be taken vp into the kingdome of the true Iudge king and hie priest And from Dauid to the captiuitie B. In this seconde degrée there are reade only xiij excepte the name of Iechonias should be put twyse that in him the head of the third generation myght be appointed euen as it is before noted of vs in the sixt verse of this chapter 18 The birth of Iesu Christ was on this wise VVhen his mother Mary was maried to Ioseph before they came to dwel together she was founde with childe by the holy ghoste The birth of Iesu Christ vvas on this vvyse C. Mathew as yet doth not expounde or declare where or howe Christe was borne but how his heauenly generatian doth belonge to Ioseph M. The Euangelist therefore meaneth to declare that Christ Iesus was not the sonne of Ioseph as commonly the Iewes thought but that he was conceiued of the holy ghoste and borne of his mother Mary notwithstanding she a virgin But because this was altogether newe and neuer harde of before it semeth good vnto him not to geue it forthe simply but to adioyne certaine testimonies by the which he myghte proue these three thynges namely that Iesus was not borne of the seede of Ioseph that he was conceiued of the holy ghost and thirdely that he was not only conceiued of a virgin but also borne of a virgin VVhen she vvas betrothed B. Betrothed not yet gouerned or scarse touched of her spouse Luke dothe more plainly set forth the same saying The aungell Gabriell was sent of God into a citie of Galilae named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man Therefore a virgyn was the mother of our lorde Before they came to dvvell together C. The woorde which the Euangeliste doth here vse doth denote the honeste lying togetogether in the way of generation or els simplely it is taken for to dwel together that the man wife may make one house and family So the sence is this that the virgin was not geuen into the handes of Ioseph by her parentes as yet but lyued stil in their custody and keping A. But certaine expounde this according to the other signification of the woorde as conconcerning the intermedling of the husband with the wife folowyng their opinion which thought Mary to be the wife of Ioseph long before from whom he abstained for the vowe of virginitie of the whiche thing no doubt they dreame She vvas founde vvith childe E. This the
them both For wée haue declared already that Christ sate vppon the coulte onely And the Euangelist Marke hath these woordes And they brought the coulte to Iesus and layde their garmentes vppon him and he sate theron B. Our sauiour Christ thought good to make this shew of his kingdome vnto the people before he should suffer that thereby hée might confirme the good in the faythe towardes him and mighte make the wicked voyde of excuse It was a great pompe therefore very kinglye if wée haue respect to the desier of the people and to their reioysinge and to the vertue and power also by the which hée cast the byers and sellers out of the temple and made himselfe to be feared of his cruell ennemies C. Furthermore the Iewes themselues are constrayned to expound the Prophesy of Zacharye which was then fulfilled of the Messias notwithstanding they deride vs iudginge vs to be deluded vnder the shadowe of the Asse because wee attribute the honor of the Messias to the sonne of Mary But our fayth is not only grounded vppon this place of the Prophete but vpon far greater testimonies Moreouer wheÌ„ we say affirme that Iesus is Christe wée take not the grâ—…unde ther of vpon this that he entered into Hierusalem rydinge vppon an Asse But herevppon wée ground the same because hee made the blind to sée the deafe to here the lame to walke and the dead to rise out of their graues because he raysed himself to life being put to death the third daye Yet notwithstanding this confirmation of the base enterance of Christ into HierusaleÌ„ must not be despised because the almighty did foreshew by the mouth of the Prophete Zachary the same thinge that men might knowe that the kingdome of his sonne was disagréeing with the pompe glory power of this world and that it was also rather spirituall 8. And many of the people spred their garmentes in the waye Other cutte downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the waye And many of the people C. Here the EuaÌ„gelistes do declare that Christ was knowen of the people to be a king M. Surely the counsel and purpose of God in this was wonderfull that hee vseth the rude simple and abiecte sort of people and not the great Cittizenes of Hierusalem the Scribes Phariseis and hye Priestes to receiue his sonne and to set forth the beginning of his kingdome and so styrreth vp their minds and maketh them so ioyfull that setting all feare asyde of the hyer powers and of excommunication they proclaime him with open crye to be their kinge and the Lordes annointed and so condemned their elders And that these men were not Cittizenes of Hierusalem but suche as came from farre by reason of the feast daye wée maye gather by the woordes of Iohn who sayth On the next daye much people that were come to the feast when they heard that Iesus should come to Hierusalem toke braunches of Palme trees and wente forthe to méete him and cryed It might séeme truly a Maygame or iesting matter for the rude multitude cuttinge downe bowes and spreading their garments in the way to geue vnto Christ the vaine title of a king notwithstanding as they did this in good earnest and did faithfullye declare their mindes euen so Christe thoughte them méete and worthye proclaymers of his kingdome Neither is there any cause why we should maruaile at any such beginning when as he sitting at this daye at the right hand of his father doth sende obscure and base men from his heauenly throne of whom his maiesty is cellebrated in a most contemptible maner Other cut dovvne braunches C. Manye coniecture that the cutting of the braunches of the Palme trees came of an auncient and solemne custome of the day as concerninge the which matter we may read much in the thrée and twenty Chapter of Leuiticus but it is a greate deale more probable that this honor was geuen vnto Christe at a sodaine by the motion of the spirit first in the Disciples who had premeditated of no suche thinge than in the multitude which was set one by the Disciples as may be gathered by the wordes of Luke where hee sayth And when hée was nowe come nye to the goinge downe of mount Oliuet the whole multitude of the Disciples began to reioyce and to praise God with a loude voyce for all the myracles that they had séene sayinge Blessed be the kinge that commeth in the name of the Lord. 9. Moreouer the people that wente before and they that came after cryed saying Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde Hosanna in the hyest Moreouer the people B. This acclamation and crye is taken out of the hundreth and eightene Psalme wher other thinges properly aunswering and agreeing to the presente pompe of the Lorde it is thus red The same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone in the corner This was the Lords doing it is marueilous in our eyes This is the day which the Lord hath made wee will reioyce and be glad in it Helpe nowe O Lord O Lord sende vs now prosperity Blessed be hee that commeth in the name of the Lord c. This verce Helpe now O Lord O Lorde sende vs nowe prosperitye was applyed of them vnto Christ whereby it is euidente that the Psalmes were then vsed C. Also the Euangelist Mathew doth not withoute good cause resite the Hebrewe wordes that we might know that these acclamations and ioyful cryes were not rashely geuen vnto Christe and that the petitions and woordes of the Disciples were not spokeÌ„ without consideration but that they reuerentlye followed the order of prayer which the holye ghost had committed to the whole Churche by the mouthe of the Prophete For although hee do there speake as concerninge the kingedome yet notwithstandinge there is no doubte but that hee himselfe hath speciallye respecte and would that others also shoulde haue regarde to the eternall and euerlastinge succession which the Lorde had promised vnto him For hée framed gaue vnto the Church a perpetuall law of praying which notwithstanding that the riches of the kingdom were decayed was in vse And so the custome preuayled and grew that oftentimes they made their prayers as concerning the promised redemption in these woordes Also it was the purpose of Mathewe as wee touched euen now to recite the verse in Hebrewe to the ende hée might teache the Christ was knowen to the people to be the Messias and redemer E. This shoute therefore of the people was a wisshinge of prosperity and a prosperous crye eueÌ„ as wée in these dayes when anye Maiestrate is newlye chosen into his office shoute and wishe him good successe After the same maner this people was affectioned towards Christ they thought now that his corporall kingdome should begin and prosper therefore they prayed and wished that all things might happen vnto him luckelye For
in the houses wherin ye are And whē I sée the bloud I will pase ouer you and the plage shall not be vpon you to destroe you when I smite the lande of Egipte And this day shal be vnto you a remembrance and ye shall keepe it holy daye vnto the Lorde for euer M. Christ saith not here simplely after two dayes the sonne of man shal be deliuered vp c But he saith After two dayes shal be Easter the soone of man c To the ende he might declare that the time of Easter was the appointed time in the which he should be crucified Furthermore that he mighte declare that he was the true Paseouer which must be offered for the redemption of the world the tipe figure wherof was the Paseouer which the Iewes celebrated euery yere The Euangeliste Marke in stede of Ye knowe that after two dayes shal be Easter write After two daies was Easter and the dayes of swete breade that is according to the wordes of S. Luke The feaste of swete breade drewe nye whiche is called Easter that is to say the eating of the Paschall lambe and the vnleauened bread For in the fore said chapter of Exodus where it was commanded as concerning the celebration of paseouer it is strayght waye added Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleauened breade And the Sonne of man C. Nowe Christe confirmeth that againe which wee haue hearde him so often foreshewed vnto his Disciples but this laste forewarnynge doth more plainly shewe how willing he was to offer him selfe to the death and it was necessary because God could not be pleased but by the Sacrifice of obediēce He ment also to preuent the offēce least the Disciples thinkinge that he was cōstrained by necessitye to be deliuered to death shoulde quayle and faynte in the faythe And so the vse of this sentence was twoo maner of wayes Firste that it mighte be declared that the Sonne of God of his owne accorde deliuered hym selfe to death that he mighte reconcile the worlde to his Father because otherwise he coulde not satisfye for the gylte of synne or purchase vnto vs righteousnes Secondly that he was not oppressed to dye as by a violent death whiche he coulde not auoyde but because he did wilingly offer himselfe to the death He dothe therefore here openlye declare that he commeth to Hierusalem with good aduisement that he might there suffer death For he hauing liberty to go backe againe and in quiete retourne to ouerpasse that time yet notwithstandinge euen in the very moment and tyme conuenient he goeth with good aduisement and deliberation into the midest of his enemys And although it did then nothynge profite the Disciples to be admonished of the obedience whiche he shewed towardes his Father yet notwithstandinge afterwarde their faythe was not a lyttel builded by this doctrine Euen as also at this daye wee receyue no small profite thereby because as it were in a lyuelye glasse the willinge sacrifice is set forth vnto vs by the which all the transgressions of the worlde are wypped awaye and wee do beholde and see the Sonne of God in goinge boldlye and withoute feare to his deathe to bee nowe the conquerer of death Shal be deliuered vp to be crucifyed Bu. Namely by Iudas to the hye Priestes of these he shal be deliuered to Pontius Pilate and of hym to the tormenters to be crucifyed In this shorte sentence he comprehendeth manye thinges Reade the twenty chapter goinge before 3. Then assembled together the chiefe priestes and the Scribes and the elders of the people vnto the palace of the hye prieste which was called Cayphas Then assembled together the C. The Euangeliste Mathewe meaneth not that they were gathered together euen in the second daye or within the compas of two dayes but he bringeth in this history to shewe that Christe as he was a manne was not able to appointe anye certaine time of his death For what might moue him thus to coniecture when as his enemies were fullye determined to differre the tyme The sence and meaninge therefore is this that he spake by the spirit of prophesy of his death seing that no man coulde suspecte that it was so nye at hande M. For althoughe the deathe of Christe was ordained by God and depended vppon the secrete counsell and purpose of God and not of men yet neuertheles the narration of the history did require that it shoulde be described by what and whose practises the same was wrought to the ende we may know that there is no one sorte of men more hurteful to the kingdome of Christ than they which raigne and exercise tyranny against the people of god vnder the shew of Godlines But note who they be whiche are sayd here to come together they truelye whiche had the name of the Churche what one innocente woulde haue beene afrayed of the assemblely of these men Vnto the pallace of the hye Prieste M. Here was the heade of the priestely kyngdome the matter was now about the authoritye hereof They had all one scope namely to defende and preserue that priestely kingedome VVhiche vvas called Cayphas B. This Cayphas had also to name Iosephus whiche succeded in the priesthoode the sonne of Symon Canithus beinge made hie priest of Gratus then presidente whom Pilate succeded Hee was also remoued againe from the priesthoode by Vitellius the proconsull of Syria Ionathas the sonne of Anna being placed in his steede Reade Iosephus for this matter For al thinges yea deuyne offices throughe couetousenesse and ambition of the priestes were bestowed amis by the Romaines Bu. This Cayphas was a man corrupted with couetousenes with luste with pryde and one that swelled with ambition beinge called by no lawfull ordinance to the dignity of the hye priesthode but for bribes and fauoure of the wicked presidentes which were Ethnixes was taken from the fylthy puddell and set in the dignitie of the hie priest Behold this chiefetaine in the counsell of the prestes 4 And helde a counsel that they might take Iesus by subtiltie and kyll him And helde a counsell Bu. The Euangelist sayth here that they helde a counsell that they might take Iesus by subtiltie or deceyte that is not openlye neyther by force but by some pretence the whiche Iudas brought to passe whiche fayning friendeshippe betraied him with a kisse What this counsel was S. Iohn describeth at large saying Then gathered the hie priestes and Pharisetes a counsayle and saide What do we For this man doth many miracles If we let him scape thus all men wyll beleeue on hym and the Romaines shall come and take away bothe our rome and the people And one of them named Cayphas beinge the hye preeste the same yere saide vnto theym Ye perceyue nothinge at all nor consyder that it is expediente for vs that one man dye for the people and not that all the people peryshe 5 But they saide not on the holy daye least there be
onely from this curse but also he wolde haue her to be his mother Looke in the historie of Iosua Booz begat Obed of Ruthe M. This womaÌ„ was of the cuntrey of the Moabites who afterward by diuine inspiratioÌ„ leauinge her countrey and kynred came with her mother in law an Hebrues to the Israelites and being taken to wife of Booz is made the mother of kinges B. that we may therby see howe louing Christe is to euery one but specially to the desolate gentell and mercifull 6 Iesse begat Dauid the king Dauid the king begat Salomon of her whiche was the wyfe of Vri. Iesse begat Dauid the king C. Only Dauid is described with this title of honour because God hath set forth in his persone the type of the Messias and captayne to come Firste the kingdome beganne of Saule But because this happened by the tumult and vnhonest desires of the people the alteration and chaunge was at laste thought lawfull in Dauid specially as pertaining to the league and couenaunt of God in the whiche he promised that he would be a gouernour of his seruauntes for euer For when the people the yoke of God being shaken of required to haue a king he gaue them by and by Saul But God straightwayes â—…tablished his kingdome which was the pledge of true blessednes in the hands of Dauid Therfore let vs here vnderstande that the seconde state of the people is here noted as it was ordained of the lorde M. But the father of Dauid was of no high bloude but vnknowen and of smal reputation Whervpon also Dauid in despite and coÌ„tempt was called of Saule the sonne of Isai Besides Dauid was the yongest least of his brethren and contemned And yet afterwardes he was not onely chosen to the kingdome but also into this dignitie that he should be specially nominated among the aunceters of Christe yea to whom the promise as coÌ„cerning Christ was renewed That we may learne how that God dothe not cast of those that are humble but leauing the proude doth extolle those that are abiectes and despised Dauid the king begat Salomon of her cet C. Nowe is added of the Euangeliste the humane shame and reproche which after a sorte myghte pollute and defile that glory of the heauenly benediction wherof we spake eueÌ„ now that is to say because Dauid begat Salomon of Beersabe whom wickedly by violence he toke from her husbaÌ„d and to th ende he might vse her still deceitfully he betrayed the giltles man and caused him to be slayne of the enemy This filthines in the beginning of the kingdom might make the Iewes not to glory in the flesh For God would haue it knowen and sure that he in appointing that kingdom did nothing regarde or waie mans merites furthermore to the ende Mathew might more specially admonishe vs that sinners are not reiected of Christ because he thought no scorne to haue his aunceters as concerning the fleshe he rather chose to call her the wife of Vrias then by her proper name Beersabe H. It is to be noted therefore in the geneallogie of Christ that none of the holy women are taken but those whom the scripture doth reprehende that he whiche came for sinners being borne of sinners might cleane put away the sinnes of all men 7 Salomon begat Roboam Roboam begat Abia Abia begat Asa Salomon begat Roboam A. In the beginning of this chapter it was shewed why Luke bringeth from this place the generation of Christe not by Salomon but by Nathan the other sonne of Dauid and his posteritie also euen vntill the time of the captiuitie of Babilon M. The scripture maketh mention of RoboaÌ„ that he was euill whose harte was not righte with god His mothers name was Naama an Amonnites WheÌ„ this man raigned Iuda was stricken vanquished and the gould of the temple caried away by Pharao kinge of Egypte also in this mans tyme the tenne tribes rebelled Note therfore here that both the good bad kinges are set forth by the Euangelist RoboaÌ„ begat Abia. M. This maÌ„ also was euill his harte being tourned from god Notwithstanding this man being kyng God had mercy vpon Iuda so that he suffered them not to be geueÌ„ into the hands of Iheroboam king of Israell He had fourtene wyues of whiche he begat .xxij. sonnes and .xvi. daughters Abia begat Asa This man was good and sought the lorde with all his harte euen as did Dauid his father sauing that in the .xxx. yeare of his reigne when that Baasa king of Israel came against him to fight he fled not vnto the lorde but to the king of Sirria and craued his helpe for the whiche being reprehended of the prophet Ananias was displeased and commaunded the prophete to be set in stockes Againe in the .xxxix. yeare of his reigne being sicke he cried not vnto the lorde but rather trusted to the phisitions By this example we are admonished with howe great diligence we ought to praye vnto the lorde that he will giue vs sound and true godlines euen to the ende For it is written The righteousnes of the righteous shall not saue him whensoeuer he turneth away vnfaithfully 8 Asa begat Iosaphat Iosaphat begat Ioram Ioram begat Ozias Asa begat Iosaphat M. This man also followed the footesteps of his father Dauid sought the lorde with a pure harte notwithstanding in this he sinned that euen at the first he entred into league with the wicked king Achab and assisted him in battayle for the whiche he was sharpely blamed of Iehu the prophete with the whiche being nothing moued after Achab also he was at peace with his sonne Ochosias for the whiche also he was againe reprehended of the prophet Eliezer the sonne of Dodan of Maresa As concerning the which loke in the .ij. booke of Chronicles cap. 17.18.19 20. So that we may se nothing to be perfecte no not in holy men A. Wherfore with the greater carefulnesse we must wishe that the continuall fauour of God may abide with vs to amende our corrupte and vitious nature Iosaphat begat Ioram A. This man followed the wickednes of the house of Achab and made Iuda and Hierusalem to swarue from the lord their god Moreouer he killed all his brethren the sonnes of Iosaphat when that he was stablished in his kingdome whiche wickednes and crueltie the lord suffered not to scape vnpunished Loke in the 21. chap. of the second booke of Chronicles So that many tymes we sée of honest and godly auncestours and elders to spring a wicked posteritie Ioram begat Osias C. In this successioÌ„ whiche Mathew describeth there are thrée kinges omitted as appeareth by the sacred history M. For IoraÌ„ did not beget Hozias but Ochozias Ochozias begat Ioas Ioas Amazias and Amazias begat Hozias otherwise Azarias C. They whiche affirme that these thrée were of Mathewe by obliuion omitted are not to be harde neither is their reason to be
allowed whiche saye that they were vnworthy to haue place in the genology of Christe For many other also were vnworthy whom notwithstanding Mathew placeth indifferently with the godly Therefore it is more trewe that when he woulde make a Catalogue or rehersal of fourtene kinges he was not greatly curious in hauing of choyse because hée counted it sufficient to sette the order of the genealogie before the readers eyes euen from the beginning to the ende of the kyngdome But wheras in some bookes thirtene are only red it is likely that it came to passe by the false and negligence of the wryter of the booke Epiphanius in his first booke against heresies sheweth the cause namely that whereas the name of Iechonias is put twyse the vnlearned are so bould as to put it out of the second place as a thing superfluous The whiche he saith ought not to haue ben done because Ioachim the sonne of king Ioachim had the same name that his sonne Iechonias had Loke in the .iij. chap. of the .i of the Chronicles the second of the Chronicle .xxxvi. chap. 9 Ozias begat Ioatham Ioatham begat Achaz Achaz begat Ezechias Ozias begat Ioatham M. It is wrytten that this Ioatham was good and permanent in the lawe of god A. He made the sonnes of Ammon after he had ouercome thē in battaile to be tributary vnto him As concerning the whiche reade in the .27 chap. of the second of Chronicles Ioatham begat Achas This man was euil and walked in the wayes of the kynges of Israell be made molten Images for Baalym he offered incense in the valley of the sonne of Himnon and burnte his children in fier after the abhominations of the Heathen whom the lord cast out before the children of Israell He offered also and burnt incēce in hilaultars and on mountaynes and vnder euery grene trée to be brief the true God being forsaken he liued very wickedly Here therfore we haue an example of false religion with the whiche also we haue to note howe euill and perniciouse a thing it is to the people to haue ouer thē a superstitious and wicked kyng Achas begat EZechias A. This was a godly king whose earnest zeale against the worshipping of Images is fully described and set forth in the .xviij. chap. of the second booke of kynges 10 Ezechias begat Manasses Manasses begat Amon Amon begat Iosias EZechias begat Manasses M. This man was so euill and vngodly that he exceaded all his elders and kinges of Israell yea the very Heathē in malice and vngodlines at length notwithstanding being in extremitie he was moued with repentaunce tourned to the Lorde of whome he obteined mercy and grace Reade of him in the .xxxiij. chap. of the second booke of Chronicles We haue therfore in this kyng a worthy example of repentance of the diuine grace Manasses begat Amon. This man exceded his father in wickednes but he folowed not his repentaunce Amon begat Iosias This man was godly after the example of Ezechias In his time the booke of the Diuine lawe which was geuen by the hande of Moyses was founde being hidden in the temple of the Lorde whiche the king receaued in the feare of the lorde and commaunded the lorde to be intreated prayed vnto that he would tourne awaye his anger from Israel which had neglected the wordes of the Diuine lawe By the which example we sée what is in the ende to be loked for where wicked kinges reigne and are nothing touched with the worde of god For so long Israel fel from the feare of the lorde that the booke of the lawe it self was hidden of a lōg time not regarded 11 Iosias begat Iechonias and his brethren about that time that they were brought to Babylon Bu. This Iechonias differeth from him that came next after For this is called Ioachim Eliachim as appeareth 2. King. 23. 24. and .2 Chron. 36. But he that foloweth being the sonne of the former Iechonias and the father of Salathiel is called Ioachim and Iechonias as in .1 Paralip 3. It is not red in any place that Iosias begat any whose name was Iechonias that had brethren but it is red that Iechonias was borne to Ioachim whiche was the originall of the captiuitie of Babylon But in a certaine auncient Greke booke we reade thus Iosias begat Ioachim Ioachim begat Iechonias and rightly it may so be saide as we haue shewed before About the time that they vvere brought to Babylon C. That is when the Iewes were brought into captiuitie For the Euangelist doth shewe that then the posteritie of Dauid were of kinges made seruauntes banished men into bondage But where as this captiuitie was a certaine kynde of destructiō it was brought to passe by the wonderfull working and prouidēce of God that the Iewes should not only increase and gather together in one body but also that some remnaunt of rule principalitie kyngdome should abyde in the house of Dauid For they whiche retourned home againe did willingly submitte them selues to the rule of Zorobabel without cohertion and constrainte The remnant therfore or fragmentes as it were of the kyngly scepter indured after this sorte euen till the comming of Christ according to the prophecie of Iacob when he saide The scepter shall not departe from Iuda nor a captaine from his thigh vntill he come whiche must be sente And euen in that miserable and sorowfull discipation of the people the sparkes of the grace of God ceased not to shine A. But where as it is saide about the tyme that they were brought to Babylon It is not to be vnderstoode so that Iosias begat his sonnes in the exile of Babylon when as he sawe not the same being by death preuented but that his posteritie was brought into the same C. For the Iewes were constrained to wander out of their countrey that they might leade their lyues in an other place as pylgrymes and straungers 12 And after they were brought to Babylon Iechonias begat Salathiel Salathiel begat Zorobabel C. That is after the Iewes were brought into captiuitie or els after their demigration or wandring into Babylon for euen in the very exile Iechonias begat Salathiel and his brethren M. It is sayde that he begat them after the exyle because the Euangelist semeth to reken or reherse his generation and posteritie whiche immediatly foloweth the exile Finally it is saide that Asir Salathiel Melchiram Phedaia Senneser Iechmias Hosamai and Nadabia wer the sonnes of Iechonias 13 Zorobabel begat Abiud Abiud begat Eliachim Eliachim begat Azor. Bu. In this thirde and laste degrée the kinges are not rehersed or nombred but the captaines and chief and as Iacob the Patriarche doth name them the lawegeuers and headmen in the common wealth of Israel But they whiche folow Salathiel in Luke are thought to be of two names according to the opinion of Philo euen vnto Simeon so that Neri whiche Luke maketh mention 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
brought the wise menne to his sonne as it were the fyrste fruites of the Gentiles but also because he wolde celebrate the kingedome of his sonne as wel by the witnessing of them as of the starre to the profitynge of oure faythe leaste that the wycked and euyll despite of his countrey shuld haue made him contemptible and despised vnto vs B. These wyse men that the Euangelist maketh here mention of were commonly so called of the Chaldeis Percians and Grekes and of the Latins Astrologi that is suche as vsed the speculation of coelestiall or heauenly motions These were specially amonge the Percians in great price honour and veneration so that no publique matters were moued without their councel neyther was any thing thought to be done lawfully without their consente had approued and allowed the same From the Easte C. It may easely be gathered that these men came out of Persia But how many they were in number because the Euangeliste dothe not expresse it better it is to omitte it then to affirme that for a certainty whiche is doubtfull A folishe opinion and childishe errour caused the papistes to fayne and immagin them to be thrée for certaine and no mo because that Mathewe as hereafter foloweth in the leuenth verse sayth that they offered Goolde Myrre and Frankensence As thoughe he shoulde assigne to euerye one his proper gyfte distinctly and not rather to expresse these three thynges to be offered of them generally and cōmonly There are some whiche affirme that there were fowertene of theim whiche fonde immagination notwithstandinge hath no more lykelyhode then the other excepte peraduenture it come of the tradition of the fathers which thing neuerthelsse hath no certaintie But oure fond and ridiculous papistes can not be sufficiently derided whiche inuent and make vnto them selues kynges because they reade in an other place that it is foreshewed that kinges of Tharsis of the Iles and of Saba should come and offer giftes vnto the lorde Forsoth these are witty and artificiall craftesmen who to the ende they mighte gyue a newe forme shape vnto menne they haue taken it from the conuersion and turninge of the worlde For of the South the West parte also they haue made the East Thus we may sée howe they are blynded and no doubt by the iust iudgement of God that their grose ignoraunce and dull folyshenes might moue worthy occasion of laughter to all men with whom it was no relygion but counted a tryfle to counterfait the truth of God to turne the same into a lie To Hierusalem M. They came to Hierusalem because it was the chiefe citie and also that it might be a shame and reproche to the Iewes that straungers should come from so farre to worship and they to neglecte the same 2. Saying where is he that is borne king of the Iewes for we haue sene his starr in the East and are come to worship hym Saying vvhere is he that is borne C. They doe signifie by this manner of speache that this king was lately borne and as yet an infante that they myghte distinguish and make him to differ from a kynge of sufficient age and holdynge gouernment of the people For straightwaye they adde that they were stryrred therunto not by the same of his valeant actes or by his present manifest greatnesse but rather by the signe and token of his heuenly kingdome King of the Ievves M They call him kynge of the Iewes beinge ignorante as yet that he shoulde be the kynge and lorde of all the whole earth They dyd beleue that he should be some wyse mighty and a more excellente man then the rest For vve haue seene his Starre in the Easte Question C. Fyrste here it may be demaunded whether this starre was one of the number of those starres whiche God created in the beginning for the adorning furniture of the elemente Besydes whether the reason of Astrology broughte the wyse men hither that thereby they might conceyue in theyr minde the birth of Christe Althoughe we may not rage or braule contentiously about these thinges yet notwithstanding by the wordes of Mathew it maye be gathered that it was not a natural but a strange and extraordinary starre Neyther was it accordinge to the order of nature that certaine times it vanisheth out of syght and sodeinely againe it wolde shyne Then because it went directly towardes Bethleem and at lengthe it abode fixed ouer the house where Chryste was of the whiche thinges nothing doth parteyne and agree to natural starres it is more probable that it was rather a Comet thē a starre and more lykely to be seene in the ayre then in the firmament And yet no absurditie that Mathewe speakynge accordinge to the maner of the common people doth call it a starre improperlye Hereby the aunswere of the second question is almost gathered For in so much as it is certaine that Astrology is conteined in the lymittes of nature they could not onely by the leading therof come so far as Christ Therfore they must nedes be holpen by the secret reuelation of the spirite Notwithstandinge it cannot be denyed but that they hadde some inkelyng and knowledge by arte yet it was necessarye that the same by a newe and extraordinary reuelation shulde be holpen But for somuche as the sight of the starre did so much preuaile with the wise men that by the same they came from farre to Christ Woe vnto our sluggishnes whiche so slowely and coldely seeke after Christ being made knowē vnto vs M. We must note in this place the maner and reason of the deuine dispensation howe she doth submit her selfe to the capacitie of mortall men in reuealynge of the trueth It might haue pleased God to teache these wyse menne the byrthe of Christ by sending to them an Aungell as he did to the shepherdes but he thought it better to appoint and shew vnto them a star by the syght whereof they might be instructed of the same matter But werefore did he rather leade them by a starre then by any other thynge Question Because they were men geuen to the obseruinge and markinge of starres he vsed that signe as a thynge wherewith they were most accustomed and familiar that by the same he might bring them to the knowledge of the natiuitie of Christ By this example we are admonished and taught that in instructing and winning men vnto Chryst we vse those thynges that are familiar vnto them and soo by thinges known to bring them to vnderstande thinges more harde vnknowne And vve are come to vvorship him C. To this ende and purpose the starre was shewed to the wise men to bryng thē into Iewry that they shoulde be wytnesses and proclaymers of the newe king But as parteyninge to them selues they came not to worshippe Christe with that godly worship whiche apperteyneth to the son of God but according to the maner of the Persians they came to salute
hym as the most excellent kinge Neyther dyd they thinck more of him thā that he was endewed with a singuler power dygnitie wherby he might make all peple to haue him in worthy admiration and reuerēce It may be also that they came vnto him before the tyme to obteyne his fauoure wherby he might be fauourable and ientle vnto theym if by chaunce it came to passe that he myght gette the dominion of the East parte vnto him 3. VVhen Herode the kinge had harde these thinges he was troubled and all Hierusalem with him VVhē Herode had heard these thinges B. It was no marueyle if the kynge were pricked and troubled in conscience when that he heard that a king was born to the Iewes The forewarninges of the Prophetes were not vnknowne to Herode by the whiche a kynge was promised to the Iewes whiche shoulde restore those that were afflicted and ouerwhelmed into a blessed and happy state For he was brought vp of a child in that coūtrey had lerned those things familiarly Admitte that this rumour was publyshed a broade by little and lyttle that the people dwellyng there aboutes myghte knowe it Notwithstanding he is troubled as with some newe and vnwonted thing And that because hée abrogating Faith from God his promises thought that a redemer was looked for in vayne specially when as he had perswaded him selfe with foolishe trust and confidence as lofty and proude men are wōt to do that his kyngdome was stablyshed for euer to him and his posteritie But wheras at the fyrste he beinge druncke as it were and ouercom with his felicitie and happy state did carelesly despise the prophetes is nowe made sodeinely afraide with the remembraunce of them Neyther wolde he haue ben so greatly moued with the symple talke of the wyse men excepte the deuine oracles had come into his minde whiche before seemed ridiculous vnto him and of no force Euen so the lord after he hath suffered the vnfaithfull for a time to sleepe dothe at a soden wake them and stirre them vp from the same M. Also in this place we muste note howe that this kinge Christ came to geue heauenly kingdoms to the faithfull not to take awaye from those that rayne in this world their earthly kingdomes very rashely therefore was Herode troubled about this rumour of him that should be borne king of the Iewes For he was troubled with the sinister wronge opinion that he had of Christe After the very same maner is the truthe of God despysed in this worlde of those that are mighty and beare rule because they are afrayde that theyr kingedomes shal be taken from them when as his doctrine doth not take away the rule of this worlde but dothe confyrme them by the word of God and doth direct them to the glory of god Peraduenture also the seditiouse braine of the Iewes gaue great occasion to Herode to be troubled But thereby his impietie and vngodlinesse is not excused whiche he shewed towardes Christ beinge borne For howe seditiouse so euer this people had ben notwithstandinge all thinges being attempted he was fayne to go vnder the yoke and to submit him selfe in the whiche thing sufficiently the wyll of the lorde is declared because he wold in no wise moue and helpe forwarde the seditiouse pretence of the Iewes Whereby he myghte easely haue taken occasion to putte awaye this feare if he had had any reason or vnderstandinge of the iudgementes workes of God. In lyke maner the prynces and maiestrates in our tymes can not be excused whiche go about to opresse the doctrine of the truethe as if it were a seditiouse doctrine For although not a few seditiouse spirites haue gonne about to trouble the state of the common wealth yet neuerthelesse it is euidently enough declared that the prouidēce of God doth not fauour their indeuoures which hath made al their doings hitherto voyde and of none effect that they myghte haue no iust occasion of resistinge the doctrine of the trueth And all Hierusalem vvith hym C. This maye be expounded twoo maner of wayes eyther that the citezens were troublously as it were with a tumulte styrred by the suddeyne noueltie of the matter although willingly they receyued the glad tydinges of the kynge that was borne vnto them or elles because they beinge accustomed to euill kinges for their longe pacience the sore being ouerlayed they feared a chaunge leaste that afterward ther should come a greater destruction and calamytie For they were so worne weried with continuall warres and almost consumed that myserable and cruell seruitude ioyned to them with peace was not onely tollerable but also of them desyred and wished for Whereby it is euidente howe euyll they profited vnder the correctiō of god For they were made so dul with abashement and vnsensiblenes that euen now the promised redemption and health after a sorte stancke and was odiouse vnto thē And it is not to be doubted but that Mathew goeth about to note their ingratitude because they beinge discouraged with the tediousenesse of euyll men dyd caste from them all hope and desier of the grace whiche was promysed vnto them Very few that beleued were at that time at Hierusalem so that almost all of them did rather couet a worldly peace and quietnesse whiche dureth but a tyme then the euerlastinge tranquillitie and kingdome of Chryste they were so troubled so sone as they hearde that a newe kynge was borne vnto them And so of that whereof they should haue most reioyced they most lamented and sorowed 4. And when he had gathered all the chiefe pristes and scribes of the people together he demaunded of them where Christ should be borne C. We haue hearde the trouble of Herode nowe let vs here his crafte and hypocrisie Althoughe there was greate silence small talke of Christ in the kings courte yet notwithstandynge a rumour of the kynge was spred abroade by the wyse men whiche made the prophesies to be remembred where as before they were quite forgotten Wherfore Herode dyd by and by coniecture that the kynge wherof the wise men made inquiry was the Messias which long before was promised And hereby agayne it appereth that Herode was afraide in good earnest since that so carefully he inquireth no maruaile For so muche as all tyrantes are afrayde and their owne crueltie and tyranny bringeth more feare vnto them then it doth to any other Herode coulde not chose but be more afrayde then any other whiche knewe that he raigned agaynst the will of God. All the chiefe priestes E. These chiefe pristes weare the chiefe prelates amonge the priestes both for their holy lyfe and wysedome and also for their skyll in other matters whiche were of great power before that Herode bare rule wherby they were as yet in greate authorytie among the common people And scribes Bu. S. Luke calleth these scrybes lawyers These gaue aunsweres out of
doubte but that they brought these gyftes as a present of the beste thynges that they had in theyr countrey But note here that euery one brought not his seueral proper gyft as one to bring Gold an other frankensēce and the third Myrrhe but they broughte these three seuerall thynges as parteyninge to euerye man alike They chose these three thinges as principall among others Goulde Frankensence and Myrrhe The profyte whereof dyd much enryche the East part After this maner we may reade that Iacob dyd sende of preciouse fruites of the lande into Aegypt Lykewise the quéene of Saba broughte gyftes vnto Salomon the kynge It was vsuall amonge the Persians to haue some gift in theyr hande so often as they saluted their king For by such oblation and offeringe of gyftes they declare the good affection and good wyl that they beare to theyr kyng But where as the wyse men worshippinge the king according to the maner of the Persians whose kyngdome they thoughte to be earthely and of this worlde offered the fruites of the earthe it is our parte to offer spiritual thynges and to worshyppe him spiritually seing that we ar fully perswaded that his kingdome is heauenly Therefore the fyrste kinde of worshipping is the study of doctrine and Fayth and the second is inuocation For so he is trewly worshypped not when wee geue but when we aske After this there followeth not only bodely afflictions but also the craftye assaultes of the deuyl by the which faith is exercysed and tryed To conclude this is the laufull and trewe worshyppinge whiche he requireth to geue our bodies a holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto him 12 And after they were warned of God in sleepe that they shoulde not go agayne to Herode they returned into their owne countreye an other waye And after they vvere vvarned B The wyse men coulde not perceyue the deceyte of Herode So symple alwaies is godlines that it measureth other men by it selfe The oracles therefore of God is at hand whiche taketh awaye all daunger from them maketh them to retourne home againe in safetie M. God wolde not haue these good sincere and innocente men retourne to the wicked tyrant lest that they for lacke of knowledge shoulde haue ben made against their willes ministers of his mallice And meter it was that they obeied the commaundement of God then the crafty and deceytfull petition of Herode B. These thinges were done and wrytten for oure instruction to teache vs that our simplicitie wyl neuer deceiue vs and that God doth continually care for vs. So that he wyll soner send his aungel if occasion shuld serue then he wyll suffer vs to peryshe in any daunger accordynge to the sayinge of the Prophete Who so dwelleth vnder the defence of the moste highe shal abide vnder the shaddowe of the almyghtie Yea almoste all the Psalmes and the whole Scripture being written for our consolation do often inculcate the same matter that God in all thynges dothe defende those that feare him althoughe he do not declare the same by manifest reuelations 13 VVhen they were departed beholde the aungell of the lorde appeared to Ioseph in slepe saying arise and take the childe and his mother and flie into Egipte and be thou there till I bring the worde For it will come to passe that Herode shall seke the child to destroye it VVhen they vvere departed C. How many dayes it was from the departure of the wyse men vntill the time that Ioseph was commaunded to flie into Egipte it is not knowen neither maketh it any matter saying that it is probable that the lorde spared Mary vntill she was recouered of her childbyrth that she might be able to take that iourney This was the wonderfull counsayle of God whiche woulde saue his sonne by sleynge from one place to an other M. But this is an other temptation and trybulation of Ioseph in this cause of Chryste C. There is no doubte but his mynde was assaulted with verye daungerouse temptations when as there appered no hope but in running awaye besyde this it was very vnlikely that he which shuld be the sauiour of al mē could be saued by no other meanes then by the worke and industry of mortall man But God vsed this moderatiō in preseruing his sonne that he might geue some signes of his heauenly power neither did God make this so manifest but that it laye hid vnder the shewe of infirmitie For the full tyme of the glorifiyng of Christe openly was not yet come And flye into Aegipte M. Why into Aegipt Could he not flye into Iury and be priuely kept in some place there I aunswer in Aegypt Herode had no power or libertie to searche where the childe was hidde because it was in an other mans dominion but in Iuda he had Furthermore this was done by the iust iudgement of God to declare that it should come to passe that the kingdom of God should be taken from the Iewes caried to the Gentiles And beside this Aegypt being nere vnto Palestine was more proffitable to flie vnto Moreouer it was necessary that the scripture whiche the Euangeliste resisteth here should be fulfilled It is very well therefore If Iury dryue away Christe Aegypt will receiue him Euen so if our kinsmen if our frendes yea if our countrey dryue vs and expulse vs awaye yet let vs not dispayre for we shal haue place and frendship among straungers If Europe do banishe vs Asia will receiue vs Dauid being expulsed Iuda was receiued and entertained in Palestine Ioseph being solde of his brethren in Aegipte was greatly exalted Elias being driuen from the company of men was nourished of Rauens And after that he was kept by the widowe of Sarephta By this therefore we are tought that God doth not always preserue those that are his by one kynde of meane but sometimes mightely he declareth his power and some tymes again very obscurely he sheweth forth the same Nowe this wonderfull meane of sauing and preseruing vnder the crosse of the sonne of God teacheth vs that they do very wickedly and ill whiche will prescribe vnto God any meane or waye of deliueraunce Let vs suffer therefore our health to be wrought of him by vnlikely meanes Neither let vs refuse to humble our selues whereby the better he may shewe forth his glory But specially we must take hede that we flie not from the crosse with the whiche he hath exercised his sonne from his infancy For this flight is a parte of the folishenes of the crosse and yet the same excelleth all the wysdome in the world That the Sauiour of Iury may come forth and shewe him selfe in dewe tyme he is constrayned to flie out of the same Aegipt nourisheth him out of the whiche nothing came at the firste but that whiche was cruell and hurtefull Who therefore is not amased at the worke of God so farre beyond mans expectation And be
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
pretermitte with silence the shorte space of that tyme because as yet the race of Iohn was not ended that is the preparation to receyue the Gospell of Christe And trewely althoughe Christe had done the office of a teacher within that tyme yet notwithstanding he began not properly the preachinge of the Gospell vntill he had succeded Iohn Wherfore the three Euangelistes do graunt and assigne not absurdly that tyme to the mynistery of Iohn by the whiche he prepared disciples vnto Christe as if they should haue saide the morning geuing place the sonne ariseth 13 And left Nazareth and went dwelt in Capernaum whiche is a Citie vppon the sea coastes in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalym And lefte Nazareth M. Why did Christ leauing his own countrey go to Capernaum Luke in his .4 chapt shewethe The ingratitude of the countrey droue away Christe the Nazarytes dyd not beleue Christ because he was known vnto them Furthermore they were offended with him because he reproue them and therfore they went about to cast him downe hedlong He therefore him selfe truely saythe of them A prophete is not accepted in his own countrey This dissease hath ben of longe time as Chryste taught by the examples of Elias and Elizeus and we our selues also haue experience of the same For those thynges whiche are best cōmon auncient plentiful and familiar are dogge cheape as we say and of no reputation This hapned not to the prophetes Christ alone but to all the giftes of god Suche is our wickednes which deserueth to be depriued of the gyftes of God til such time we be more destrous of the. Therfore by this example of Christ we are taught to departe for a time if we maye when that the furor of the wicked rageth againste the ministers of god A. For as before our lorde auoyded the outragious crueltie of Herode so nowe he escheweth the rage and madnes of the Nazarytes And dvvelt in Capernaum M. That is oftē tymes he abode there Wherefore being reiected of the Nazarytes the Capernaites receyue him So that we see there wanteth no place to those which are banished for the trueth of god This cittie gat a wonderfull gifte and a great prerogatiue aboue all other citties beside this a singular cōmoditie for the knowledge of God by the presence of Chryste But it vsed not this gift well as we shal se anone VVhich is a cittie vpon the sea coastes M. The Hebreus call the metynge and gathering together of many waters the sea and therfore the lakes and marishes by them are called the sea So the lake of Genefar is called the sea and Caparnaum a cittie bordering vpō the sea coastes because it is nere vnto that water where the endes and borders of Zabulon and Nephthalym do meete or elles Nazareth shoulde be nerer to the sea Mediterrane then Capernaū least some shuld thinke that the citie was for that cause sayde to border vpon the sea 14. That it myghte be fulfylled whiche was spoken by the prophete saying Question That it might be full M. Why did Christ returne out of Iewrye into Galile and for what cause leauinge Nazareth came he to Capernaum What is that therfore that Mathewe saith he lefte Nazareth came to Capernaum that the sayinge of the prophete might be fulfilled The answere It is no rare or vnwonted thing that those thinges which are done by deuine power ar done for certain humain causes For it was so appoynted of God that in this region Christ shuld set forth his light First because when Iohn was taken he went into Galile then because of the ingratitude of the Nazarites he left his countrey and wente into Capernaū But as concerning the fulfyllinge of the scripture we haue spoken before 15 The land of Zabulon and Nephthalim by the way of the sea beiond Iordan Galile of the Gentyles The lande of Zabulon A. This place is taken out of the .9 of Esay C. But Mathewe semeth to abuse the testimonye of the prophete in an other sence yet if we waye and consider the true meanynge of the prophete the appliynge of the same to this present place shal be very apt and easy For after that Esay had spoken of the great calamitie and destructiō of the people to comforte them againe and to adioyne ioye with sorrowe he promiseth that when they ar brought to extremitie there shall a deliuerance com which shal driue away the darkenesse most vncomfortable and restore vnto them agayne the parfecte lighte of lyfe The woordes of the prophets are these Out of such aduersitie he shall not escape Euen like as in tyme past it hath ben well seene that the land of Zabulon the land of Nephthaly where throughe the sea way goeth ouer Iordane into the lande of Galile was at the first in lyttle trouble but afterwarde soore vexed The people that walk in darkenes haue sene great light At this time the people of Israel were in double calamitie and bothe the waies oppressed Firste whereas they were broughte into exyle by Tyglath peleser beinge in nomber .3 tribes or there aboutes Then whereas Salmanasar cut of the whole kingedome of Israell The thirde calamitie remayneth in the latter ende of the .8 chap. whiche the prophete saith shulde be most cruell of all Nowe in the wordes whiche we haue rehersed there followeth a mittigation namely because God will stretch out his arme ouer his people to defend thē deathe shal be now more tolerable then the disseases at the first saith he although al the people shall be destroyed yet notwithstandinge the shyninge lighte of grace shall bring to passe that ther shal be lesse darknes in this later destruction then in the double ruine and destructiō of the tenne tribes Forasmuch as therefore he doth promise the instauration and reedicting of the whole churche it must needes followe that he comprehendeth the land of Zabulon and the land of Nepthalim and Galile of the Gentiles in the nomber of them whose darkenes of deathe is to be chaunged into the lighte of life The beginning of this light was as it were the dawninge of the peoples retourne out of Babilon At the length arose Christe beinge the sonne of righteousenesse with parfecte brightnes which wholly abolyshed the darckenes of deathe by his comming Therfore Paule sheweth vs that the same whiche was spoken by the prophetes was fulfilled in hym saying Awake thou that slepest Christ shal geue thee lighte Nowe since we knowe that the kingdome of Christ is spiritual it is necessary that the lighte of his saluation whiche he offereth and what helpe so euer we haue at his handes should be according to his nature Whereby it followeth that our soules are ouerwhelmed in the shadowe of euerlasting death vntill he doth illuminat thē with his grace But as concerning the destruction of the Gentiles the prophet sufficiently sheweth But what the state and condition of mankinde was vntyll the
the Samari The Samaritanes and the Gentiles were all one sauing that the Samaritanes receiued outwardly the lawe of Moyses Of these we may reade in the seuentene chapter of the fourthe booke of Kynges Reade also the fourth chapter of Iohn 6 But go ye rather to the loste shepe of the house of Israell C. The firste place he assigneth to the Iewes because thei were the first begotten yea because God counted them only of his houshold all others as straungers and foreners He calleth them also loste shepe both that the Apostels being touched with mercy shold the more spedely and with more earnest study seke to helpe them And also that they myghte knowe that euen nowe they had plentifull occasion ministered vnto them to worke The Iewes which were nere vnto God and the promised seede and lawfull heyres of eternall lyfe are sayde notwithstanding to be loste vntyll they had recouered health in Christe What then to vs remayneth whiche in honoure and dignitie are not to be compared vnto thē M. Christe teacheth vs therefore wherin perdition consisteth and in what saluation also standeth They to whome he sente his Apostels were not loste corporally but spiritually because they were out of the feding and custody of Christe C. Moreouer Christe gaue the name of sheepe to the reprobate whiche properly were not of the flocke of Christe because the adoption pertained to all people As in an other place he calleth them sonnes or the children of the kyngdome whiche afterwarde for their vnbeliefes sake shal be caste out into vtter darknes To be short by the name of shepe Christ commendeth the Iewes to his Apostels to the ende they might bestowe their labour vppon them because none can be counted of the flocke of God but they whiche are gathered into the shepefolde 7 Go and preache saying the kingdom of heauen is at hande Go and preache Bu. Now he geueth them cōmaundement what they shall preache namely that they referre all their Sermons to the kyngdome of god R. This kynde of preaching hath a certayne similitude of the voyce of a crier whose parte is to declare and proclayme the comming of the kyng that thereby the myndes of the people may be prepared to receyue their kyng ioyfully C. Euen so by this proclamation of the Gospell Christe would haue the myndes of the people cōforted with the hope of the redemption at hande The kyngdome of heauen is at hande M. Luke saith the kyngdome of God is at hande but in the same sence and meaning namely that the Iewes myght know that firste of all they are restored by the power of God and not by the benefite ayde of men Then that their state and condition shal be happy vnder God theyr kyng Thirdly that no earthly or corruptible felicitie is promysed vnto them but suche an heauenly ioye as neuer shall haue ende Bu. To the same effecte and purpose all they whiche preache in the churche of God at this daye ought to dyrecte their Sermons namely that they teache truly what the kingdom of Christ is howe and after what sorte it reigneth here in vs and how we shall reigne with the same in heauen 8 Heale the sycke clense the Lepers rayse the dead caste out deuels frely ye haue receiued geue frely Heale the sycke C. As he armed and endewed them with power so he commaundeth them to be his faithfull and liberall ministers and he forbiddeth thē to hyde that whiche was committed vnto them for the health of all men A. He commaundeth to heale the sicke to clense the Leprous and to rayse the dead that therby the hearers may more easely receyue the doctrine of the Gospell C. Moreouer by these miracles he declareth wherfore he was sent of his father and what is the ende also of his Gospell These miracles therefore haue a certaine analogy and similitude with the office of Christe that we may knowe that he came to vs being the authour of all good thinges to deliuer vs from the tyranny of Sathan from the stynge of death and the curse of the lawe and to helpe to cleare vs from all synne diseases and myseries Frely ye haue receiued M. Christ knew that this Ambassage might helpe thē to great gayne For what would not the sicke mā geue to receyue his healthe What coste woulde the parentes spare to haue their children beinge dead raysed agayne to lyfe Therefore by expresse wordes he commaundeth them to bestowe that liberalitie frely whiche frely was also geuen vnto them C. Signifying that they were not endewed with those giftes for their owne glory and praise but that thei should be as it were conducte pypes for the grace and mercy of God to passe by as if he should haue sayde Consider from whence this power came vnto you euen as it came not vnto you through youre owne merytes or deseruing but by the mere grace of God euen so see that without any rewarde therefore ye geue frely agayne We knowe by experience howe lothe all men are to part from that which they thinke to be proper to theim selues or their owne good And how lusty euery man is if he perceiue that in hym selfe whiche is wantinge in his brother and howe ready by and by he is to despyse hym The which being forsene of Christ he geueth them a precise cōmaundement to geue frely to euery one that wylyngly seketh for the same Nowe Christe hath in his ministers exhibited his grace according to the prophecie of Esayas sayinge Come to the waters al ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money Come bye wyne and mylke without money or money worthe He sheweth also here that non can be sincere ministers of his word and dispensators of his grace but such as can be contented to bestowe their worke and trauayle frely but as for all hierlinges they do but corrupte and profane the office of teaching M. But how odious to God this turpe lucrum is this selling of his giftes it appeareth by many places of scripture As by the exāple of Gihezi by the example of Symon Magus and by the example of the biers and sellers which were scourged out of the temple The whiche examples I woulde to God were well examined and indifferently wayed by the byshops of Rome whiche do nothinge but make marchaundise of al that euer they haue yea they are as peltinge pedlers with pouling packs and in dede to speake the truthe they are in no poynte for honestie and true dealing to be compared vnto them Also this prohibiteth not Preachers godly ministers which frely and willingly serue Christe to be nourished and maintayned with publike stypendes according to saint Paule who sayth If we sowe amonge you spirituall thinges thinke it not muche if we reape your corporall and carnll thynges 9 Possesse not goulde nor syluer nor brasse in your pursses E. The Greeke woorde signifieth rather to prepare and prouide that whiche we haue not
no tyme the worde of God was preached there neyther was any myracles wrought for them to beholde to worke repentaunce But in the citties of Galilae whiche Christe rebuked there was exceding obstinacie in despising the miracles whiche he wrought often times among them by the power of god In effect the wordes of Christ tende to no other ende then to shewe that Chorazin and Bethsaida dyd excell Tyre and Sydon in mallice in the incurable contempte of god M And yet notwithstandinge there is no cause why we shoulde contende with God because he neglecteth those of whō there mighte be hope and sheweth hys power to contemners For he leaueth al those iustely to destruction to whom he vouchsafeth not to shewe his mercy Nowe if it be his wyll in taking awaye his woorde from some to haue them peryshe And in offerynge the same to other to exhort them to repentance who hath any thynge at all thereby to accuse hym of parcialitie and vnrighteousenes Therefore we knowynge our owne infyrmitie let vs learne to beholde this altitude and highnesse For their prowde curiositie is not tollerable which cannot abide to geue the glory prayse of ryghteousenes to God but so farre as theyr vnderstandinge is able to comprehende the same In sackecloth and asshes C. Those that were wonte in tyme past to mourne and repente were wont to be apparelled with sackeclothe and asshes Sackclothe and ashes were externall signes whiche were vsed in solempne repentance whē the people had offended which made the people the more earnest affected in repētyng theyr sinnes C. Therfore repentance in this place is descrybed by externall signes of the which there was then a solēpne vse and custome in the churche of God not that Christ doth stande vpon this parte but because hee bendeth hym selfe to the capacitie of the common people We do knowe that repentance was not required of the faythfull onely for a fewe dayes but it was requyred to the ende they shoulde meditate in the same and exercise it euen to the deathe Nowe if these externall signes shoulde stil continue then must we weare euerye daye and euery hower sackecloth then muste we continually sprinkel our selues with ashes because we oughte neuer to ceasse from repentance Therefore this externall profession of repentaunce muste not alwayes be vsed but onely when men aryse from some greate fall and haynous cryme and tourne vnto God with a sorrowfull harte for the same And trewly sackcloth and ashes are signes of offēce to pacifie the wrathe of the iudge and therfore they do properly pertaine to the begynnyng of the conuersion Nowe seinge men do testifie by this ceremony and declare theyr sorrowe and griefe it is necessary that the hate of sin the feare of God and the mortifycatyon of the fleshe do go before accordinge to the sayinge of the Prophete Rent your hartes and not your garmentes and so forthe And now we see wherfore Christ ioyneth sackeclothe and ashes to repentance when he maketh mention of Tyre and Sydon to whose inhabitauntes the Gospell coulde not be preached without the condemnation of theyr lyfe past and the exhortation to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe 22 Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shal be easyer for Tyre and Sydon in the day of iudgement then for you Bu. Nowe he declareth by a comparison the greate and greuouse ponishement of those Citties whiche haue reiected the grace of God offered vnto them M. Let those citties therefore stande in feare to whom the trewth of the Gospel hath ben preached more then to other vnles they shew forth the fruit of the same in theyr lyfe and conuersation A For truely the contempte of the woorde of God can not escape longe vnponyshed In the daye of iudgemente C. There are som whiche vnderstande by the day of iudgement that tyme in the which God ponyshed the land of Iewry but some a graet deale better referre it to the day of iudgmente which shall be after the consummation of the worlde as before in the tenthe chapter 23 And thou Capernaū which art lyfte vp vnto heauen shalt be cast downe into hell For if the myracles whiche haue ben done in thee had bene shewed in Sodome they had remayned vnto this daye And thou Capernaum Bu. This Apostrophe or conuersion hath a wonderful Emphasis as if a man should reprehende a company of wicked persons and at the length forsakinge al other shoulde conuerte and turne his reprehensiō to some one notorious wicked person and say Ye haue all committed iniquitie wherfore ye shall al accordinge to your desertes be ponysshed and plagued but thou perniciouse and wycked fellowe aboue all other whiche haste commytted so haynouss offence that no man in wickednes is like vnto thee thou I say shalt haue farre greatter ponishement then the rest C. Euen so Christe namely aboue all others reprehendeth Capernaum because he was in no place more conuersante then there B. This cittie Capernaum was the most famous cittie of Galilae bothe because it was the publyque and common place of marchādise all thinges necessary beinge there bought and solde and also because that Christe had wrought many of his excellent miracles in the same as it is said before C. This trewely was such a dignitie as none might be compared to the same that the sonne of God chose this citie in stede of his pallace and sanctuary in the which he mighte begin his kyngedome and priesthode But surely it was so ouerwhelmed and drowned in fylthynes as it no droppe or sparke of Goddes grace had once ben sene or hard of in the same and therfore Chryst pronounceth that the more goddes benefytes were bestowed vppon theim the more horryble ponishement was at hande prepared for them VVhiche art lyft vp A. In two olde greke bokes it is red with an interrogation as readeth it also the olde interpretoure sayinge Shalte thou be lyfted vp to heauen Shalte be throvven dovvne that is thy fame shall haue a fall thou shalte be despoyled of thy glory and thou shalte vtterly be destroyed Because if the myracles had ben done in So. M. He terrefyeth theim by the exaumple of the Sodomites because if they hadde not so great a consideration of the iudgement to come as they shoulde haue that then he mighte moue them to the same Wee se here also that as some sinnes are gretter then other some so one ponishmente shall be greater then an other least that we shoulde rashely heape one synne vppon an other For this cause Christ saith therefore ye shall receyue the greatter dampnation And S. Paule saith Accordinge to thy harte beinge harde and impenitent thou heapest to thy selfe a treasure of wrathe agaynst the daye of wrath and of the openynge of the ryghteouse iudgement of god They had remayned vnto Before wee declared that Chryste spake accordinge to the capacitie of manne not foreshewinge what shoulde haue come if he had sent a prophete to the Sodomites
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
simili M. As in the parable going before our sauiour Christ declared that we must not loke that al the hearers of the gospel shoulde be bringers forth fruit of the same because the greater parte sholde here the same in vain that those which bring forth fruit sholde not be alike in fertillitie euē so in this parable all are admonished lest that the mindes of the godly by tediouse ircksomnes sholde quaile fainte when they beholde a cōfused mixture with the good the euil For although Christ purifyed made clene his church with his blud so preciouse that it might be without spot or wrincle yet notwithstandinge he suffereth it to haue many vyces Wee speake not here of the infirmities which remain in the fleshe to the whiche euerye one of the faythefull are subiecte after that they be regenerate by the spyrite of God but so soone as Chryste hath congregated and gathered to hym selfe his small flocke many Hypocrites insinuate them selues many peruerse men crepe in and many wycked personnes intrude theim selues and so it commeth to passe that this holy company and flocke of Christe whiche he hath segregated to hym selfe is defyled and stayned with many spotts But this seemeth absurde to many that vngodlye prophane and wycked men shoulde be nourysshed as it were in the bosome of the Churche There are some whiche vnder the coullour of zeale being more waywarde curiouse and frowarde then nedeth excepte all thynges be framed accordynge to theyr mynde which because absolute and perfecte puritie appereth no wheare eyther troublelousy departe from the Churche orelles do ouerthrow and destroy the same with importunate rygoure Wherefore this is the symple scope and meaning of the parable that loke howe longe the churche of God hath his abode and contynuaunce in earthe soo longe shall good and syncere men be myngled with wicked ones and hypocrytes to the ende the chyldren of God myghte arme them selues with paciēce might holde fast the constancie of faith among so many stombling blocks and offences with the which they myght be troubled The kingedome of heauen is lyke vnto a man. A. That is to say The heauenly kyng and Messias is like vnto him which sowed good seede in his fyelde Or thus The like happened to the Messias which some tymes happeneth to the husebande man when he soweth his seede Some thincke it a greate deale better that the Gospell be called the kingedome of heauen as if he shoulde saye The like happeneth to the preacher of the Gospell whiche some times happened to him that sowed good seede 25 But while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares amonge the wheate and went his way But vvhile men slepte B. Christ in this parable hath rehearsed certaine thinges whiche in his exposition in the .37 verse and in the other folowinge he hath not repeated at all as this whyle men slepte the seruauntes asked the master of the house Diddest thou not sow good seede in thy field wilt thou that we go and wede them vp and suche like that herby they myght be taught exhorted which preache and publyshe the wordes of Chryst vnto others that they wolde not be more subtil curiouse then Christ both in other places of Scripture and specially in parables but to count it sufficient for them to bestowe and cōmit that to their herers which they se Christ wold haue cōmitted and let such so handell parables that they onelye take that thing for the which they are broughte The which thing Chrisostome also more vnderstoode then he shewed and in dede declared Such truely are al the parables of Christ that if thou wilt geue to euery part his exposition thou shalt do nothing els by that thy subtill curiositie but omyt let passe both that whych Chryste specially wolde haue obserued and also bring thy selfe to mere triffels curiositie confoundinge it selfe As shal in the xx and .xxv. chapters herafter following more plainely apere but specially in certaine parables of Luke But because the fathers haue handled those thynges whiche were not expressed of Christ the aduersaries of the truth also haue vsurped those thinges to defend theyr errours as expressing the sentences of Christ somthinge shall be spoken here not without cause for to profyte the busines woorke of the trueth His ennemy came C. The deuyl is saide to sowe when we be a slepe to the ende he mighte craftely corrupte spoile our labours that if any com in the night he might not be sene but may depart no mā knowing what he hath done The deuyll also is not knowne when as he doth transforme him selfe into an angell of lyght M. By this kynde of speaking therfore the crafts deceites of sathan are signified with the whiche by a collour of Hypocrisie he dothe so obscure and hyde the sowing of his tares that ye cannot perceiue any one print of his fote steps so warely doth he work his deceit C. Notwithstanding wee must here se what Christ vnderstandeth by the wheat and what he meaneth by the tares This can not be expoūded of the doctrine as if he should haue said when the Gospell is sowne it is strayght way corrupted by wicked inuentions imaginatiōs for Christ wold neuer haue forbidden to be diligent in purging such corruption For we maye not suffer those wicked errours which do infect the puritie of faith so or in such wise as those vices whiche concerne pertayne to the manners of men and can not be corrected are to be borne withall Furthermore Christ saying by name that the children of the wicked are tares taketh away all doubte Notwithstanding we must note farther that this can not simplely be vnderstoode of the persons of men as thoughe God in his creation dyd sowe good men and the deuyll euyll men The which thinge we therefore admonishe you of because by this place the Maniches were abused But truely we knowe that what faulte so euer it be that is as well in the deuill as in men it is the corruption of nature nothing elles As God therfore maketh not his elect whiche are infected with originall synne good seede by creation but regenerateth thē by the grace of his spirite So the deuill doth not create euyll men but beinge created of God he depraueth them and soweth them in the fielde of the lord to corrupt vitiate and defile the pure seede 26 But when the blade was spronge vp and had brought forthe fruite there appered the tares also M. Here we are taught that in the beginnynge of the sowing of the Gospell and the tares that is of the electe the reprobate the puritie goodnes of the field is not by and by knowne because the difference betwene the chyldren of God the wicked is not known vntil they be somwhat sprong vp grown For the reprobate according to the maner of tares are not much vnlike in the beginning to the elect at the first sight
we iudge well of him with our harte but he also requyreth that we confesse hym with the mouthe He sayth not whom do ye beleue me to be but he saith whom say ye that I am when as therefore Christ ment to sende his Apostels into the world as witnesses of him to whom it was not enoughe to thincke well of him but also to teach openly that they thought wel of him this I say considered he dothe iustely require the confession of the light otherwise he was not ignorant what they wold iudge of him Bu Therfore all other thinges ouerpassed and set aparte speciallye when as to be wise after the manner of the common sorte of people is to be foolishe lette vs knowe that it is not sufficient to confesse Christe after the opinion of the cōmon multitude 16 Symon Peter aunswered and sayde Thou arte Christ the sonne of the liuynge God. Symon Peter aunsvvered B. Peter aunswereth for all the rest because as the Gospel testifieth he was alwaies more feruent ready to put forth hym selfe then the rest So in another place when Iesus sayde will yee go away Then Symon Peter in the name of all the reste aunswered and sayd Lord to whō shall wée go thou haste the wordes of eternall lyfe and wée beleue and are sure that thou art Christe the sonne of the lyuinge God. How Symon was called Peter reade the first Chapter of Iohn and there yée may sée Thou art Christ C. A short confession of Peter yet notwithstandinge such a confession as contayneth the whole summe of our saluation For vnder the name and tytle of Christ both the euerlasting kingdome and Priesthoode is contayned that oure sinnes beinge put awaye by the sacrifyce of his death hée might reconcyle vs vnto God and purchase vnto vs perfecte righteousnes And that wée beinge receyued into his safegarde and defence hée might inriche vs and bestowe vppon vs all kinde of blessinges The Euangeliste Marke hath thou art Christ But Luke hath thou art the Christ of God. Yet both of them spake in one sence for in times paste kinges were called the Christes of God that is to say the anoynted of god And this manner of speache Luke vseth in another place saying that Symeon had receyued an aunsweare of the holy ghost that hée should not sée death except hée first sawe the Lordes Christe For it was in deede the deuyne redemption which God offered by the hand of his sonne It was necessarye therefore for him which should be the redemer to come famous and excellente from Heauen by the annoyntinge of god Reade the .16 verce of the first Chapter goynge before This oure Euangeliste doth more plainly then the other two expresse Christ to be The sonne of the lyuinge God For although Peter as yet did not peraduenture vnderstand so distinctly how Christ shoulde be begotten of God yet notwithstanding hee did beléeue him to be of such excellencye the he had his originall and beginninge of God not as other men but that the true and liuely deytye dwelte in hys flesh M. Furthermore hee calleth him the lyuinge God because hée onelye hauinge life in himselfe quickeneth all thinges and because in hym wee lyue moue and haue our beinge C. There is therfore a difference betwene the true God and the deadde Idoles whiche are nothinge B. Peter trewly in this confession cōfesseth the father and the sonne in the knowledge of whom consisteth euerlastinge lyfe It followeth therefore 17 And Iesus aunswered and saide vnto hym Happye art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for fleshe and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And Iesus aunsvvered and saide vnto M. These woordes declare with what thanckefull affection our Sauiour Christe receyued the aunswere of Peter by the which also we see how greate loue he beareth towardes those that are his and how much he reioyceth ouer our felicitie He dothe not reiecte the aunswere of Peter but confirmeth it C. and pronounceth hym to be blessed in dede whiche vnfaynedly with harte and minde confesseth the like Bu. I say with harte and mind we must confesse for the deuyll also confesseth but not with his harte C. But Chryste spake not this onely to Peter but he ment to declare wherin the onely felycitie of the whole worlde consisted And to the ende all men with the more earnest affection may aspire come to the same fyrst of all we must note that all men by nature are myserable and accursed vntyll they fynde remedye at the handes of Christe Then whosoeuer hath gotten Christ nothing pertayninge to parfecte blessednesse can be wantinge to him seinge that we can wyshe for nothing better then the euerlasting glory of God to the possession of the which glory Christe bringeth vs. Happy art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas The latten texte hath Symon Bar-Iona whiche is as muche to say as Symon the sonne of Ionas or the sonne of Iohn as maye appere by this place where it is sayde Symon Iohanna loueste thou mee more then these Ionas is here put for Iohanna by contraction for in that age they dyd commonly vse the Chaldee tongue vnlesse peraduenture his father had two names Iona and Iohanna Notwithstādyng al the auncient Greeke bokes with one consente reade it Ionas sauinge one onely and here in this place of our Euāgelist and in the fyrst and .xxi. chapters of Iohn wee reade Ionas in the latten texte Iona Bar-Iona in the latten text is put in steede of the syrname the whiche the Hebrewes haue not Because fleshe and bloudde hath not opened A. As if hee shoulde haue saide Man hath not reuealed this vnto thee according to the common phrase of the Scripture where often times fleshe and bloudde is put for man As in the prophesie of Esay The glory of the lord shal appere and al fleshe shal at once se it And the Apostel Paule saith I comuned not of the matter with fleshe and bloud c. Agayne we stryue not against fleshe and bloud but against rule againste power c. Also S. Iohn saith that they which beleue in the name of Christe are not begotten of bloud or by the wyll of the fleshe but by the wyll of god C. Christ therefore in this place vnder the person of one mā admonisheth all men to aske faith of his father and to attribute vnto hym the dew praise of his grace Wherby we gather that the mindes of men do want that vnderstandinge by the whiche they mighte perceyue and knowe the misteries of heauenlye wysedome hidden in Christ yea all the sences of men do quayle in this parte vntil suche time as God dothe open oure eyes that we may see his glory in Christ Let no man therefore proudely burst forthe trustinge to his wyt and vnderstanding but let vs humbly suffer our selues to be taughte in oure hartes by the father of lightes that his spirite alone maye illuminate our
we must knowe that a sicle was a pece of money in value worthe fouer grotes equiualent with that whiche is called Stater wherefore the halfe parte of this sicle is two grotes that is to say the fifth part of a frenche crowne as they went in Fraunce as very exactely declareth the learned maister VVilliam Budeus in his booke de Asse Because therefore euery man was leuied and ceassed at twoo grotes the receyuers of the same asked Peter whether his master payed the same sayinge Dothe your master pay tribute M. C It is lykely that these exactours of trybute did aske the disciple as concernyng his master for some subtill deceit and euyl intente to see if they coulde fyshe out that matter whiche the Scribes and Phariseies angled for in the .xxii. chapter followinge namely whether he wolde deny the aucthoritie of Cesar Christ therefore was here sharply reproued by the exactours of trybute as thoughe he had denied the cōmon right But as those kind of men were contumeliouse so opprobriously they execute their office For Christ hauinge no certaine restinge place they come vnto him and demanded whether he wyll answere to the lawes he goinge from place to place as an vncertayne gueste for euery man was appoynted to pay tribute in his owne Cittie But the answere of Peter very modestly excuseth the matter to please and contente them 25 He saide yea And when he was com into the house Iesus preuented him saying VVhat thinkest thou Symō of whom do the kinges of the earthe take tribute or tolle of their children or of strangers He sayde yea C. Hee paieth and wil pay sayth Peter Wherby we may gather that Christ before accordinge to the maner and custome payed tribute because Peter promyseth the same as a thinge vndoubted A. And it is lykely that Christe came to Capernaum as to his owne cittie to pay tribute as it is sayde before to declare his volūtary submission C. But wheras they demaunde it of Peter rather thā of any other of the disciples wee Iudge that it was done because Christ dwelte with him for if they hadde ben all of one house the exaction had ben comō to them all The Papistes therefore very fondely vppon this place affirme that Peter was equall in dignitie with Christ Hee chose him say they to be his viccar and gaue him due honoure whom in payinge tribute he made equal to him selfe Trewly by this reason they make all the vycars of Christe to be swineherdes and all swyneheardes to be Christes vycars for they payed trybute as well as Peter or Christe But if the dignitie and supremacie of Peter appered in payinge tribute how commeth it to passe that the Pope being Peters successour refuseth to pay tribute and why dothe hee make Cesar to paye trybute vnto hym Thus trewely dothe their foolishenes declare it selfe whiche according to their owne affections depraue the Scriptures And vvhen he vvas come into the house M. Som thyncke that this howse belonged vnto Christ whose opinion is refuted by the wordes of Christ him self saying Foxes haue holes the foules of the ayre haue neastes but the sonne of man hathe not where to rest his heade It is more credible therfore that this was Peters house For it is euident by the eight chapter goinge before that Peter had a house with Andrew his brother in this Citie Capernaum Iesus preuented him sayinge It is lyke that Peter was about to speake vnto Iesu as concerninge this matter but hee not taryinge for Peters talke preuenteth hym C. In the whiche Christ shewed a playne token of his diuinitie declaringe that nothinge was hidden from him Of their chyldren or of strangers E. Christe putteth not this worde Children for subiecttes least he shoulde saye in vayne Then are the children free by the whiche wordes he teacheth that he is a kinges sonne 26 Peter saith vnto him of Strangers Iesus saith vnto him Then are the children free Of Strangers A. That is of those which pertaine not to the honour of the kynges maiestie or which are not so nere of bloudde to kinges Then are the children free C. To what ende do the woords of Christ here tende Doth he speake this to the ende he might make hym and his free from subiection of the law So some do expounde it that christians are free by ryght but notwithstādinge to be subiecte to common politike gouernment because otherwise humane societie cā not be maintained But there is yet an other more symple meaninge of this place For because it was daungerouse least the disciples should thinke that Christ came in vaine because in paiinge of trybute he did after a sort take awaye the hope of delyueraunce he dothe symplelye affyrme that he doth therefore paye trybute because he wolde willingly abstayne from his owne right and power Whereby it may be gathered that nothinge of his kingedome was diminyshed Bu. For thus he semeth to argue All kinges sonnes are free from paying of trybutes But I am a kinges sonne my father beinge the heauenly kynge of kinges accordinge to my deuine nature and according to my humain nature the sonne of Dauid the gloriouse kynge Therefore I am free from the tributes of kinges Question But why doth he not openly chalenge that which is his owne seing that his maiestie was vnknowen to the demaunders of trybute For although his kingedome were spirituall and hee the sonne of God yet notwithstandinge hee was the heyre of the whole world vnder whose feete al thinges were put It may be answered That kynges were not set in authoritie neyther lawes ordeined by God that he which is the sonne of God should be in the same bondage that other men are in notwithstandinge he of hys owne free will tyl the glory of his kingdome was reuealed became as a seruant and was obediente in all thinges This place hath the Pope very folishly abused to the ende he might make his clergy frée frō the lawes As though truely the shauinge of their crownes made theim the sonnes of God and free from tribute and tolle But truely the purpose of Christe was nothinge elles than to challenge to him selfe the honour of a kynges sonne to the ende he might be priuileged free from the common lawe Wherefore the Anabaptistes also very ignorātly wreste these woordes of our Sauiour to take awaye pollitike order and gouernement 27 Notwithstanding least we should offende them go thou to the sea and caste an angle and take the fishe that first commeth vp and whē thou hast opened his mouthe thou shalte finde a pece of twenty pence that take and geue vnto them for me and thee Notvvithstandinge least vve offend M. It may be demaunded in what thinge they shold offende Question Surely leaste they shoulde geue occasion of suspition of rebellion and sedition and be as it were the authours of troubling the kingdome For otherwise the Iewes woulde not willingely haue borne that seruitude of
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
yet notwithstanding the sauce of the grace of God is so swete that their condition is more pleasaunte desiered then the delights of kinges M. For they shal be so farre from loosing the ayde helpe of kinsfolkes that they shall gette many more in my kyngdome than they had before and of greater fidellity and trust For loke how many fellowes they shall finde partakers of theyr fayth so many bretheren so many sisters so many fathers and mothers so manye children so many kinsfolkes and frends they shall finde For they are our Parēts sisters bretherene father and mother which heare the word of God and kepe it B. When hée sayth therefore An hundered foulde hee meaneth that wee shal haue a more infinite deale of pleasure in vsinge that small quantity in persecution which the Lord hath geuē vs for this present life than wee had with the abundaunce of those thinges which wee enioyed before wee knewe the Gospell For the children of God esteeme so much of the knowledge thereof that they will not chaūge the same for the whole world Furthermore because they that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good and to them that séeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnes thereof all thinges needefull shal be geuen although Christians are banished from their house and are lefte destitute of thinges necessary yet notwithstanding nothinge shal be wanting vnto them the vse whereof might either be profitable vnto them or necessary In the meane time they haue learned of S. Paule to be content with those thinges that they haue they knowe howe to be low and howe to excéede they know how to be full and how to be hungrye both to haue plentie and to suffer néede And shall inherite euerlasting life Bu. This truely is the greatest comfort of al to be the heyre of God and coheyre with Christ that is to be partaker of the graces of god A So in another place our Sauiour Christe doth call those that are his to the bearing of the crosse manfully by the consideration of this excéeding benefite saying Be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heauen 30. But many that are firste shal be last and the last shal be first But many that are first BV. This sentence teacheth vs that modestie becommeth those that are Saints Z. Because Peter very ambitiously had sayde Behold we haue forsaken all folowed thée what reward shall we haue therfore the Lord fore shewed that it woulde come to passe that many in the Church shold conceiue a great opinion of thē selues by reason of their works and merits for the which they think that eternall life is due vnto thē for the which they should glory and boast thē selues to be most acceptable vnto God Such were the Scribes Pharises in Christes time such are the Scribes and Pharises in these our dayes I mean the Papistes whom our Sauiour Christ pronounceth here to be last or farthest from the kingdome of heauen that is to say such as shal be excluded and shut out of the kingdom of heauen This sentence therefore serueth greatly to driue away the slouthfulnes of the fleshe For our Sauiour Christe here sheweth that they which are neuer so forward in their race except they go on still and continue to the ende shall not obteyne According to S. Paule which sayth that all which runne do not obteyne the game And in another place he exhorteth by his owne example to forget those thinges whiche are behinde and to séeke to gette those thinges which are before according to the marke appoynted But where as he saith And the last shal be first he taketh awai all desperation from the greatest sinner whom the goodman of the house may call into his vineyard to be a laborer when he will and geue him eternall life as to the thiefe hanging on the crosse which deserued no such thing Do we not see that the Iewes boasting them selues to be the first in the lawe to be made last and to be reiected that the Gentiles which were last are nowe become firste and most acceptable vnto God to whom he hath geuen repentaunce vnto life The whiche thing our Sauiour Christe doth more largely declare in the Chapter folowing The .xx. Chapter FOr the kingdom of heauen is like vnto a manne that is an housholder vvhich vvent out earlye in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard For the kingdome of heauen Bu. Here our Sauiour Christe according to his maner to make the matter more euident and playne taketh a parable by the which he might make manifest his sētence which went before Many that are first shal be last and the last shal be first C. But we must sée howe this similitude maye be made apt and applied to the purpose Certaine interpreters coniecture this to be the summe and effect Because the heauenly inheritaunce is not gotten by the merites of workes but is geuen fréelye that therfore the glory of all men shal be alike But truely Christ doth not here dispute of the equalitie of the heauenlye glory or of the state and condition of the godly that shal be but hée onlye sheeweth that there is no cause why they shoulde glory or boast more thē other which are first or excell by reason of time because the Lorde so often as it shall please him may call those whom hée might séeme to neglecte for a time and so eyther make them equall or preferre thē before those that were first If any man go aboute to discusse exactlye euerye parte of this parable hée shal shewe himselfe to curious Therefore wée muste searche no farther then the counsell and purpose of oure sauiour Christ But wée said a little before that hée had no other respecte than that he mighte continually styrre vp his Apostels to go forward Wée do knowe that slouthfulnes doth aryse moste commonlye of to much trust and so it commeth to passe that many as it were in the running of a race do faint and fall downe in the middest of the waye Therefore Paule commaundeth vs to forget those things that are behinde that wée consideringe what remayneth vnto vs maye with a good courage prepare oure selues to runne The kingdome of heauen is like A. To know what the kingdome of Heauen is reade the fower twentye verce of the thirtene Chapter going before C. The sence and meaninge is that the maner of the deuine callinge is euen as if a man should hyer workemen early in the morning at a certaine price to dresse his Vineyarde and afterwarde shoulde send other labourers without couenant or gréement to whom notwithstanding hée should geue the same rewarde But hée therefore maketh mencion of the kingdome of Heauen because hee compareth a spirituall kinde of life to that which is earthy and the rewarde also of eternall life to moneye by the which men doe reward those that worke for them
teacheth that ambitioÌ„ or some other vice is alwayes wrapped in a right and godly zeale in somuch that they which followe Christ haue respect vnto that which they ought not For they go farre beside the marke which being not content with Christ alone seeke for this and that without Christ and his promises Neyther is it enoughe in the beginning to addicte the minde simplely vnto Christe excepte the same maner of purity continue alwayes because oftentimes wicked affections crepe in in the middest of the race by the which we are drawen a parte For it is likely that the two sonnes of Zebede did geue themselues seuerely at the first vnto Christ but when they see that they are in so small fauour with him heare mencion made of the kingdome at hand they are by and by caryed to a wicked desier If this thing happened to two of the chiefe Disciples how carefully and circumspectly oughte wée to walke if we meane not to decline from the right waye specially when as any plausible occasion doth offer it selfe wee muste take heede least the desier of honor do infecte the affection of piety and godlines The Euangeliste Mathewe saythe that the wife of Zebede came and desired that her two sonnes mighte sit in the hyest seates of the kingdome of Christ Marke sayth that the two sonnes themselues made this petition His woords are these And Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebede came vnto him saying Master wée woulde that thou shouldest do for vs whatsoeuer wée desier Hée saide vnto them what would yee that I shoulde do for you They sayd vnto him grauÌ„t vnto vs c. C. But it is likely that their mother made this petition because they were ashamed to do it But it may be gathered that this was their desier because Christe made the answeare vnto them and not vnto the mother VVorshipping him and desiring C. In that the mother as a suter declareth that shée woulde demaunde somewhat before shée declareth her minde and the sonnes themselues as appeareth by Marke do after a sort condition that hée shall graunte whatsoeuer they aske they declare by this fearefull and doubtinge insinuation that their owne conscience doth accuse them of an vnlawful demaunde It is manifest therefore that the Euangelist studiouslye and wyselye wente aboute to describe the rashnes of the two sonnes of Zebede not onelye in the petition it selfe but also in the maner and forme of making the petition First of all they go aboute as it were to blinde the Lorde by makinge a promise sayinge wee will that thou do for vs whatsoeuer wee aske They shew not what they will demaunde but they demaunde the assente and agréemente of Christe to their petitioÌ„ before they make it because afterward it should not be lawful for him deny And because they saye not simplely That which wée are about to demauÌ„d but whatsoeuer wee shall demaunde Christ therefore aunswereth What wil ye haue mée to do for you not allowinge their rashnes but biddinge them to declare what they demaunde As if hee should haue saide It may be vnreasonable and not to be graunted which ye go about to aske 21. And hee saythe vnto her what wilte thou She saide vnto him graunte that these my two sonnes may sit the one on the right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdome And hee sayth vnto her A. Namely to the mother of Iohn and Iames whom Mathewe reporteth to make the petition Graunt that these C. This was worthy of praise in the sonnes of Zebede to hope for the kingdome of Christe no parte whereof as yet appeared They sée that hée is contemptible vnder the base forme of a seruaunt yea they sée that hée is despised of the world and subiecte to manye reproches yet notwithstandinge they perswade themselues that in shorte time he shal be a king of great power because hée had so taughte them M. They had heard that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were promised vnto Peter then that the twelue Apostles shoulde sit vppon twelue seates to iudge the twelue tribes of Israell and that the resurrection of the Lord should be shortly after the which they thought that the maiestye of his kingdome should follow insomuch that they thought that the time was now come to seke for superioritye in the kingdome of heauen A. the which kingdome as they dreamed should be carnal of this world M. To sit at the righte or lefte hande of Christ in the kingdome is nothinge els than to haue superiority in his kingdom Wée haue here truly and excellent example of fayth but hereby we perceiue how casâ—…y the pure séede so soone as it is sowne in our hartes is corrupted because they imagined to themselues an earthly kingdome and were by and by foolishly fallen to couet the chiefest seates in the same Therfore seiÌ„g this wicked desire did flow of the generall beginning of fayth which of it selfe deserued not a little praise wee must pray vnto the Lord that he will not only opeÌ„ the eyes of our minde but also that hée will alwayes direct them and make them behold the true marke Wée must praye also that he will not onlye geue vs saith but also that hée will kepe the same from all mirsture 22. But Iesus aunswered and said ye wot not what yee aske Are yee able to drinke of the cup that I shall drinke of and to be baptised with the baptim that I am baptized with They said vnto him wee are But Iesus aunsvvered and said M. Christe here after a sort condemneth their ambition by the which they desired more then became them and also their foolishe imagination of a carnall and earthlye kingdome C. For in stede of the heauenly kingdome of Christ they had conceyued a vaine opinion As touching the first that is to say ambition whosoeuer being not content with the frée grace of God desâ—…ereth to excell goeth beyond his boundes and rashlye intrudeth himselfe farther than it doth become him the same is vnthanckefull vnto god It is nowe to absurde and peruerse a thinge to measure the spirituall kingdome of Christe according to our fleshly sence and imaginatioÌ„ And truly loke howe much the more vaine speculations do please the nature of maÌ„ so much the more they ought to be auoyded euen as wee see the Bookes of subtill deceiuers to be replenished wyth such vaine and fayned imaginacions B. These two Disciples craued temporal dignitye which lasteth but for a time to whom a spirituall and euerlastinge dignity was promised but not withoute the sufferinge of persecution For it is not méete that the seruaunte shoulde be in better case than the maister but it is necessarye that they which will reigne with Christ that they also dye with him Are ye able to drinke of the cup that I shal drinke of B. The Greeke text for this woord cup vnderstandeth all manner of drinkinge vessels by a more generall woorde E. Nowe oure sauiour
secretly reprehende them wée gather that seinge they were ashamed of theyr desyer that they did not openlye complaine but that there was a secrete murmuring amongest them and that euery man priuily did preferre himselfe before another Ye knovve that the Princes C. The Lorde according to his accustomed goodnes and mercye dooth not altogether reiecte and condemne the Disciples striuing for the superiority but beareth with their infirmity so much as might be The which example Paule also commendeth vnto vs sayinge Wée which are strong ought to beare the infirmity of those that are weake and not to please our selues But hee caryeth them from those base thinges to things more excellēt takinge from them both the error and affection also of ambition And the Disciples for their parte do very wel harken to the counsell of the Lord that in them also they might haue an example of perfection to follow which alwayes alleage for their excuse the errors and infirmities of the Apostles For so doth the infirmity of the Apostles please some but let also their aptnes to be taught and obedience please them in like maner Moreouer Christ doth not in this place generally shewe how deadlye and pestiferous a disease ambitiō is but doth simplely admonish that there is nothing more foolish than to contend for nothing For hee shéeweth that there was no superiority which was the cause of their contencion in his kingdome They are deceiued therefore which extende this sayinge without exception to all the godlye whē as Christ only by the matter it selfe teacheth that the Apostles were ridiculous which disputed about the degree and excellency of power and honor in their order because the office of teachinge to the which they were appointed hath no affinitye with the Empyres of the worlde Wée graunt truly that this doctrine doth extende it selfe aswell to priuate men as to Kinges and Magistrates because no mā is worthy to be counted of the flocke of Christe but hee which hath so profited vnder the master of humillitye that hee will arrogate nothinge to himselfe but submitteth himselfe altogether to embrace brotherly loue This is certainlye true but the purpose of Christe as wee sayd before was to make a difference betweene the spirituall regimente of his Church and the Empyres of this world least the Apostles should bring vnto thē selues Courtlike graces For all men as they are peerelesse and are loued of Kinges so they come to wealth and honour But Christe hath put the pastors of his Churche in aucthoritye not they which rule but they which minister B. as if Christ should haue sayd You which are Apostles are called that ye might declare and shewe foorth the kingdome of Heauen this your state and condition is not like vnto the state of the Princes of this worlde Excellent is the dignitye of kings but there is a great difference betweene my mynisters and kinges Kings truly do serue neither ought they to be of a proude minde but to submit themselues vnto the Lorde But they differ in condition of life boothe of them oughte to be humble but the kingdome must otherwise be gouerned than that spirituall gouernemente of the Churche A. of the which you are made ministers C. And thus the opinion of the Anabaptistes is confuted which abolishe kinges Magistrates from the Church because Christ sayth that his Disciples shall not be like vnto them when as the comparison is not here made betweene kinges prophane mē but betwene their duties Moreouer Christ had not respect so much to the persons of men as hée had to the state of the Church For it might be that hée which was Lord and ruler of a towne or Cittye might also for necessities sake take vpon him the office of teaching But the purpose of Christ was to declare what the office of the Apostles would beare what was contrary to the same Question notwithstandinge it maye be demaunded whye Christ which appointed distincte orders in the Church taketh away in this place all degrees For hee séemeth so to directe all mē or at least so to make them equal that one of them shoulde not excell another wheras the reason of nature is farre otherwise And S. Paule describing the gouernmente of the Churche doth so reherse diuers ministeries that he maketh the dignity of the Apostellship to excell the office of a pastor And no doubt hée commaundeth Tymothe and Titus by the commaundemente of God to gouerne others with authoritye Wée aunswere that if euery thinge be wayed wholy we shall finde that kinges do not rayne iustlye and lawfullye excepte they serue in this notwithstandinge the Apostolicall office differeth from woorldlye gouernment that Kinges and Magistrates are not by their seruitude let to rule and gouerne or to raine with great pompe and maiesty ouer their subiectes and to excell them So Dauid Ezechias and others like vnto these being the voluntary seruaunts of all men yet notwithstanding they were adorned and beutifyed with the Scepter with the Diademe and Throne and with other excellent thinges appertayning to kinges and Princes But the gouernment of the Church wil admit no suche thinge because Christe will haue Pastors to do nothinge els but minister and to abstaine altogether from Lordship Here also wée must note that hee speaketh more of the matter it selfe than of the affection Christ seperateth his Apostles from the maner and order of kinges because there is a greate difference betwene the Kingly state and the Apostolical office Therefore seing it becommeth bothe of them to be humble the Apostles must alwayes haue regarde and sée what manner of gouerninge of the Church the Lord hath appointed B. To be short Christ did not here commaunde that there shoulde be no Kinge or Magistrate as many falsely haue interpreted this place but hée exhorteth those that are the ministers of his woord to beware of ambition C. As touchinge the letter Mathew our Euangelist hath They that are greate men exercise authoritye ouer them and Luke hath They that haue authoritye are called gracious yet notwithstandinge all in one sence as if hee should haue said that Kinges had plenty and aboundance of all thinges and that they haue greate riches insomuche that they may be gracious and liberall Whervppon they are called in the Hebrewe tonge Nediuim of geuing liberally to all men because tribute is payed them to no other ende than to maintayne their honor Certaine kings also of Egipte vsurped this word and were called Euergetes for they delighted much to be gracious and beneficiall And the Apostle Paule sayde The Magistrate is the mynister of God for thy wealth Therefore the Magistrates office is to rule and in rulinge to do good namely to maintaine the innocente and to punishe the giltye and malefactor 26. It shall not be so amonge you But whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your minister It shall not be so amonge you C. There
their miserye as appeareth in the thirty verse going before and now the Euangelist sheweth that Christ was not only led by his free grace goodnes to heale them but also by the compassion that he had of their misery As concerning this coÌ„passion reade the ninth chapter going before And touched their eyes A. Marke saith that Christe added farther sayinge Get thee hence thy faith hath made thee safe And Luke hath receiue thy syghte thy faith hath saued thée C. Where by the name of fayth not only the sure trust of the recoueringe of their sighte is vnderstood but also a farther persuasion namely that Iesus was the Messias promised of god For the blynde man did not rashely or without good coÌ„sideration adde vnto Christe the name of the sonne of Dauid Christ ascribeth the receiuing of the syghte to the faythe of the blynde men because although the power glory of Christ doth pearce eueÌ„ to the vnbeleuing somtimes yet notwithstandinge no man doth truely and profitably enioy his benefits but he which by Faythe apprehendeth the same yea to the vnbeleuing the vse of Gods gyftes is so farre froÌ„ doing them good that it is very hurteful vnto them Wherfore the health of the Christ speaketh here is not restrained to the externall health but it comprehendeth a whole and safe mynde also as if Christ should haue saide that the blind man obtained by fayth his desyere at the merciful handes of God. Wherefore if God bestoed his grace vppon the blynde man for his fayth it followeth that Iustification commeth by fayth And by and by they receyued theire sighte Bu. In that that they receiue their sight so soone the power and great verte we of Christe is declared And they follovved him C. This is a signe of greate thankefulnes that the blinde men woulde wayte vppon Christe And although it be vncertayne whether they continued with him anye long time or no yet notwithstandyng it was a great argument of their thankefulnes that they followed Christ to sett forth his grace and power thoughe but for a time The Euangelist Luke hath And they followed hym glorifying God For to this ende we are illuminated of Christ that wee should followe him the true lighte and the author of the same A. And certainly so many as haue truly â—…elâ—…e the redemption of Christe they can not chose but followe their Sauior and glorify God in all thinges which by his only grace hath brought them therevnto C. Luke also addeth that the people gaue the glory vnto God which maketh not a littel to proue the certainty of the miracle The xxi Chapter AND when they drewe nie to HierusaleÌ„ and were com to Bethphage vnto mount Oliuete then sent Iesus twoo of his Disciples And vvhen they drevv nye to Hierusalem Bu. Hytherto oure Euangeliste Matthewe hath described What the Lorde dyd in Galilee and in his Iorneye coÌ„myng from Galile to Hierusalem and now he declareth what he did in that holye and kingly City it self And the nerer that he approched to his death crosse the more liuelye he declareth his power vertue and strengthe For nowe he entring into that holy Citty with a newe and ease kynde of pompe declareth him selfe to be the promised king and deliuerer which the Israelits had long looked for C. Oure sauiour Christe therfore dothe not sende his Disciples for an Asse because he was werye of his Iorney but to an other ende and purpose For seynge the tyme of his deathe was at hande he mente to shewe after a solemne maner what the nature of hys Kyngdome was The whiche thynge treuly he begane to doe euen from the tyme of his Baptisme but this shewe remaineth for hym to sette for the euen in the ende of his callynge and if a man mighte so speake it was the laste pageante he hadde to playe For why did he hetherto abstayne from the name of a Kynge and nowe geueth libertye to haue hymselfe proclaymed a Kynge but onely because he was not farre from the ende of his race Therefore when his Assention into heauen was at hande he woulde haue his Kyngdome openly proclaymed in earthe This hadde bene a foolishe kynde of pompe and verye ridiculouse hadde it not bene that Zachary hadde before Prophesyed of the same To the ende Christe mighte take vnto hym selfe the honor of a Kynge he entereth into Hierusalem rydynge vppon an Asse a worthye pompe in deede to declare a Kynge Moreouer the beaste which he rode vppon was not so rude and base as the forniture that belongeth vnto it was For the Disciples for wante of a saddell were fayne to laye they re clothes vppon the Asses backe which was a token of greate pouertye and nedines We graunt that he wanted no waytinge men for a greate multitude followed hym But what surely suche as came oute of poore villages in the waye as he wente Ioyfull shoutes and cryes are made but of whome surelye of poore men and the contemned sorte of the people Therfore he might seme to do all that he could to make hymselfe a Iestinge stocke to all men But because there were twoo thinges adioyned vnto hym to bee done namely to shew som document or example of his kyngdome and to teache that it was not like vnto terrene or earthlye Empyres he vsed this base estat in ryding to Hierusalem Howbeit this also mighte peraduenture seeme vnsauory and without reason were it not that God had longe before witnessed the same by his Prophete namely that his Kynge which shoulde come to restore saluation to his people shoulde ryde after the maner that oure Euangelist maketh mencion here Therefore leaste the contemptible and base estate of Christe doe hinder vs from the beholding in this spectacle the spirituall Kingdome of Christe let vs laye before oure eyes the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of his Prophete by the which God vnder that deformitye of a beggar doth more beautify his son than if he should shyne in all the maiesticall robes of a king Without this sauce this history will neuer be sauory or pleasuant vnto vs Wherefore the woordes of our Euangelist Mathewe are of great force when he saith that in this the saying of the Prophete is fulfilled because he seing that men which are to much addicted vnto pompe and glorious shewes could not by the naturall sence and vnderstanding of the fleshe gather any profit by the history bringeth them from the bare beholding of the thing to the consideratioÌ„ of the Prophesy as we shal heare anon And vvere come to Beth. M. This Bethphage was a litle village at the bottome or foote of the mounte of Oliues which was nere to the Citty of Hierusalem being distant from the same not aboue two myles as we may reade in the first chapter of the Actes He sent tvvo of his Disciples A. What the names of these twoo Disciples were none of the Euangelistes make mencioÌ„ 2. Saying vnto them Go into the
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
in the meane time God blesseth their laboure and finisheth his woorke begon contrary to the expectation of all men Bu. All the worlde is stricken and amased at the preachinge of Chryste as the Actes of the Apostelles do testifie but neuerthelesse the kinge of kinges is receyued of the fainctes howe so euer the worlde dothe rage And here specially the power of God is perceiued in weakenesse VVho is this M. This is marueylouse that this princelike and excellente cittie in the whiche the worshyp of God dyd dwell and in the whiche the authorytie of the priestes was greate was so ignorante of Christ promised in the prophetes and declared by so many miracles that nowe at the last it asketh who this is whom the cittie seeth to enter with so greate honoure of the moultitude and with suche publyque consente So vnknowne likewise is the trueth of Christ at this day and that in those places where the saynctuary of the worlde and priestly obstinacie do dwell rayne that they say euen as these dyd at the herynge of the worde of Christe what doctrine is this 11 And the people saide this is Iesus a prophet of Nazareth a citie of Galile And the people saide S. Oure Euangelist saythe here that the multitude made answere to the demaunde This confession is the effect of the word of God wonderfully working in the multitude it is also the effecte of faythe whiche is not offended at the basenesse of the person This is Iesus a Prophete S. By this woorde Iesus the people make a dyfference betwene hym and the other prophetes For all other proclaymers and preachers of the worde among the Iewes were prophetes but not Iesuses that is to say sauiours Moreouer by this worde Iesus the multitude confesse the bothe that the promised Messias was now present and also his proper office which is to saue M. The people therfore vnderstand that prophete of whom Moyses wright thus sayinge A prophete shal the lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethern lyke vnto mee hym shall you heare The which place Peter and Steuen both do interprete of Chryste of Nazareth a Cittie of Galile A. Where Christe was nourished and brought vp 12 And Iesus wente into the Temple of God and cast out all them that solde and bought in the temple and ouerthrewe the tables of the money changers and the seates of them that solde dooues And Iesus vvent into the temple Bu. It was the manner of kynges in olde tyme beinge receiued of the people to restore and amend those thinges which were deprauid and corrupted eyther by the neclygence orels by the mallice of other princes For so Dauid beinge setled and establyshed in the kingedome exercised and restored iudegement and righteousenes whiche had bene neglected in the time of Saules gouernement After the same manner therefore oure kynge and lorde Iesus Christ being receyued of the people and acknowleged to be theyr kynge wente straight waye into the temple A to the ende he mighte correcte and amende the greate abuse which was there admitted B. And trewly these thinges were done euen the selfe same day vpon the whiche he entered into Hierusalem ryding on an Asse and the people shoutinge vnto hym as playnely may be gathered both by our Euangelist Mathew and Luke also althoughe Marke seeme to wryte otherwise C. For he saythe simplely that Christ the same daye of his enterance into the citie behelde al thinges and that hee caste the byers and sellers out of the temple the day following But thus these places may be recōciled Marke hauynge not spoken of the purginge of the temple bringethe in the same at the last but out of order place He declareth that the fyrst daye hee came into the temple there behelde al thinges But to what ende dyd hee thus behoulde theym but onely to correcte that whiche was amisse For seinge that hee had oftē times before beheld and viewed the temple it cannot be thought that he was moued by the newenes of the sight But when Marke should haue by order added by and by that they which bought and soulde were caste out of the temple he then sayth that Christ went out of the cittie But that whiche he omitted worthy of mention he rehearseth afterward Peraduenture some man wyll saye that Marke obserued that tyme whiche was neglected of the other two but this whiche we haue already noted is more probable a greate deale For it is lykely that this shewe of Christes power was sette forthe in the presence of the people But who so euer dothe dyligently marke and consider howe lyttell the Euangelystes obserued the notynge of tymes this dyuersitie of wrytinge shall not offende And cast out all them that soulde Bu. Here we must acknowledge the office of Chryste that he was the hye priest of the temple hauynge power in the temple Furthermore we must acknowledge hym to be a kynge but spirituall yea the trewthe of the temple being endewed with great power to take away offences and stombling blockes C. But for all this hee oftentimes comminge into the temple and seinge these abuses before his face dydde but twise onely moue his hande to correcte theim once in the begynnynge of his imbassage and nowe agayne in the ende of the same But seinge there was then an vtter confusion of all thynges and the temple with the sacryfices thereof beinge brought to vtter decaye Christe thoughte it sufficiente openly to reprehende the same twise onely When that therefore he had declared hym selfe to be a teacher and a prophet sent of God to styrre vp the Iewes and to make thē more attentiue he toke in hand to purge the temple And the Euangeliste Iohn onely in his second chapter toucheth this former history But nowe towarde the ende of his rase he takyng the same power againe to hym selfe admonyshethe the Iewes as concernyng the pollutyng defyling the temple and dothe also shew that there is a new reformation at hand In the meane tyme notwithstandynge there is no doubte but that hee testifyed hym selfe to be bothe a kynge and also a hyghe priest as wee towched euen now and the chiefe gouernour of the worship of the temple But this pertayneth not to euery pryuate personne but the zeale with the which Chryst was moued to do these thynges belongeth to all the godly For leaste any man rashely rushe oute beyonde his boundes vnder the pretence of Imitation he must fyrst se how farre his vocation will extend it selfe If there be any abuses crepte into the Churche of God it becommeth all the sonnes of God to be greued But because God hath not geuen power aucthoritie to euery man those whiche are priuate personnes let them sighe vntill suche tyme as it shall please God to sende a remedy We grāte certainely that they are worse than incēsible blockes whiche are nothynge moued and not displeased at the defylynge of the temple neither is it sufficient
euyll and vniuste personnes are worthy of destruction But when they vnderstode that this parable was spoken against them they retracted and denyed their former sentence sayinge God forbyd that the wicked shoulde be destroied and that we shoulde kyll the Messias And this is alwayes the manner of the wicked when other mennes matters are in hande they wyll streight waye define geue Iudgement against them but yf the case toutche thē selues they are soone chaunged into an other mynde And vvyl let out his vineyarde C. They dyd not onely geue sentence againste theym selues being deceiued by the parable but also they pronounced that the Gentyles shoulde iustely in their steede be receiued into the grace and fauour of the Gospel and that they shoulde by Faythe a greate deale better order the vyneyarde then they them selues dyd The whiche thyng Christe a lyttel after confirmeth saying The kingedome of God shall be taken frō you and geuē to a nation that shal bring forthe more fruite M. This therfore is to be noted that the lord of the house wil let out his vineyarde to other husebande men For althoughe he shall destroy the wicked yet notwithstanding he wil not neglecte his vineyard but wyll alwaies haue a regarde to his Churche and wyll not suffer it to lye waste but wyll committe it to the charge of other men who also stande in the lyke danger and peryll of destruction if they followe the stepps of their predecessours A. As touching the yeldinge of fruite indewe time that pertayneth to stewardes and dispensatours that they maye be founde faithful 42 Iesus saith vnto them did ye neuer reade in the Scriptures The stone whiche the builders refused the same is become the headde of the corner this is the lordes doinge and it is meruaylouse in our eies Dyd ye neuer reade M. Because they wold not admit the parable in that the wycked shoulde be destroyed and in that the son of God the lorde of the vineyarde should be destroyed of them for they wolde not be counted such which shoulde kil Christ promised of the prophetes and comming into his vineyarde he bringeth in a most euidente place of Scripture oute of the prophete whiche euidently teacheth that Christ shall be reiected of his owne and that he beinge reiected shal be by the wōderfull counsell and power of the Lorde the prince and heade of the house of God and that with the greate admiration of al men C But this interrogation hath a greate Emphasis and force in it as if he had sayde You counte it a very absurde thinge that it shoulde come to passe that the labourers of the vineyarde shoulde wickedly conspyre againste the sonne of god But I praye you Dothe the scripture make mention that he should be receyued fauourably with gladnes or doth it not rather declare that the chyefe rulers shall be his ennemies The stone vvhiche the buylders refused M. As before the Churche was compared to a vineyarde euenso nowe it is also compared to a buildinge Christ is the stone the priestes maiestrates and seniours of the people are the builders For so saith the Apostel Peter This is the stone whiche was cast asyde of you buylders whiche is nowe become the head stone in the corner To builde in the Scripture is oftentimes vsurped for to teache But this place which our sauiour Christ here alleageth is takē out of the same psalme out of the which the prosperouse cry that the people made to Christ when they cried Hosanna was taken And that it is a prophesie of the kingdome of the Messias it is hereby euidente that Dauid was made kinge vpon this condition that his seate shoulde stande for euer so long as the sonne and Moone endured and that the decayed kingedome shoulde come againe by the grace of God into his former state Seing therefore that psalme doth contayne a description of Dauiddes kingedome there is a perpetuitie and a restitution also annexed to the same If the Prophete had spoken there of any temporall kingedome Christ should very improperly haue drawne the same to him self but we must alwaies note what kingedome God erected and set vp in the personne of Dauid surely that which he mente to stablishe in the trewe Messias euen to the ende of the worlde For that auncient custome of anointing was but a shaddowe Whereby it is gathered that that whiche was done in the personne of Dauid was a foreshewing and figure of Christe M. The priestes and Scribes therfore could not denie this Scripture and say vnto it God forbyd For they cōfessed that this Psalme was made of the Messias and at that tyme also the crye of the people and the crye of the chyldren shoutinge and sayinge Hosiah-na blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde c. dyd declare what vnderstanding and knoweledge the common sorte of people had of the Messias the whiche cries and shoutes as we said before were taken out of this psalme C. Nowe let vs com to the wordes of the psalme The priestes Scribes thought it incredible that Christ should be reiected of the chief rulers of the Churche But he proueth by the psalme that he muste be placed in his seate by the wonderful power of God in despight of men the which thing was prefygured in Dauid who beinge reiected of the rulers of the people was receyued of God to the ende he myght declare what he wolde do at lengthe in his Christ And the prophete taketh the metaphor of building For seing the church was the holy place of God Christ in whō the same was builded was worthely called the corner stone that is to saye that parte whiche holdeth vp the whole buildinge For the similitude shoulde agree in all poyntes if any man woulde apply euery parte thereof vnto Christe but in this it dothe excellently well agree because the sauinge healthe of the whole Churche resteth in hym and he houldeth vp the state thereof And therefore other prophetes also tooke herevppon occasion to followe the same manner of speache as Esaias and Daniell But Esa◅as commeth nerer to this place speaking in the person of almyghty God thus Beholde I laye in Sion for a foundation a stone euen a tryed stone a preciouse corner stone a sure foundation at the whiche bothe the houses of Israell shall stomble Also this selfe same manner of speaking is often tymes founde in the newe testament Therfore the somme of this place is that the kingdome of God must be built vpon that stone which the builders them selues reiecte as a cast awaye and good for nothing and the sence and meaning is this that the Messias shall not be chosen by the common consent of men but when God wyll wonderfully aduaunce hym by his secrete power and vnloked for then shal the princes set them selues against hym to whom the charge of buildinge was commytted Bu. It is manifest therfore by this testimonie of scripture and by the iudgemente of
the Phariseies were gathered together Iesus asked them sayinge VVhile the Phariseis vvere gathered together M. The Phariseies were nowe gathered together to suborne and craftelye to set forthe some one whiche by puttynge forthe a question mighte tempte and intangle Christe the whiche thinge they went about a littell before to brynge to passe by the Lawyer of whom we spake euen now but in vayne When as therfore the Phariseies were gathered together whiche tooke vnto them selues the knoweledge of the lawe and the prophetes and yet were ignorante of the comminge of Christe because they dyd not greately desyer the same neyther vnderstode his maiestie and glory it is not without cause yf Chryste demaunde of them sayinge 42 VVhat think ye of Christ VVhose sonne is hee They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid VVhat think ye of Christ B. This is thought to be the laste talke that our Sauyoure Christ had with the Phariseies and his aduersaries by the whiche he wente about to prouoke them to knowe him except those thinges whiche he aunswered them to when he was taken of them By these wordes therefore he wente about to stirre vp theyr mindes and to admonishe them of his kingedome if so be that there were any amongest them which were curable the they might loke for Chryst to be greater than the carnall kinge yea and more excellente than Dauid his father For those that were carnal hoped for nothing but carnal things VVhose son is he C. The Euangelistes Marke Luke do more plainely expresse why Christ demaunded this question namely because a wicked opinion preuayleth among the Scribes that the promised redemer sholde be one of the sonnes successors of Dauid which shold bring nothing with him more excelent than the humaine nature For by by at the beginning Sathan by all meanes possible wente about to supplante some false fayned Christ whiche shoulde not be the true mediatour of God and man And because God had so often times promised that Christ should come of the séede and sprynge out of the loynes of Dauid this perswasion was so depely rooted in the hartes of al men among the Iewes that they coulde in no wise abide to haue him depriued of the humaine nature Sathan therfore suffered Christ to be acknowledged to be a trew man and the sonne of Dauid because he sholde in vaine haue gone about to take away this part of fayth being so euident common amōg al men but that which was worse he spoyled him of his deitie as though he should be some one of the sonnes of Adā And after this sorte the hope of the euerlasting life to come spiritual righteousnes was abolished But so sone as Christ was declared vnto the worlde the Heretiques went about by many subtil meanes deceites to ouerthrowe one while his humaine nature an other while his diuine nature least that he should either haue full power to saue vs or elles least we shold haue familiar accesse vnto him But because the houre of his deathe was at hande the lorde hym selfe thoughte good to make his deitie Godhed known that the trust of al the godly might be reposed in him without all feare or doubting For if he were onely a man it were neither lawefull for vs to glory in hym nor yet to hope for saluatiō by him Now let vs note that his purpose and intente was not so much for his owne sake to declare him selfe to be the sonne of God as it was to ground our faith vpon his heauenly power For as the infirmitie of the fleshe by the whiche hee made him selfe nere of kynne vnto vs dothe incourage vs that we should not doubt to come vnto him euen so if we sholde haue onely respect vnto the same we shall be rather filled with feare and desperation than with any god trust and confidence Notwithstanding we must note that the Scribes are not reprehēded because they did teach Christ to be the sonne of Dauid but because they immagined him to be a mere man which should come from heauen to put vpon him the nature and person of a man Neither doth the Lord altogether speake of himselfe but simplely sheweth that the Scribes do wickedlye erre in that they loked that the redemer should come onely of the earth and humaine progeny And althoughe it was an olde opinion amonge them yet notwithstandinge wee gather by this our Euangelist Mathewe that they were asked before the people what they thought They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid Bu. It was euident by many promises of Scripture that Christ should come of the seede of Dauid A. but they which dayly redde these promises and interpreted them to the people loked for nothinge to be more in the person of Christ then a man Therefore they make aunswere vnto Christe whiche was most common and vsuall amongest them namely that the Messias was the sonne of Dauid 43 Hee saide vnto them howe then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lorde sayinge Hovve then doth Dauid M. Christ our sauiour doth not reprehende the Phariseis as we said euē now because they cōfessed him to be the sonne of Dauid but because men commonlye denied him whiche shoulde be the Messias to be nothyng elles but an earthlye kinge which should bringe the people of God into a certaine earthly libertye and that he should so inlarge the tereene and transitory kingdome that it should extēd it selfe euen to the endes of the worlde that hee shoulde be of the tribe of Dauid for this cause I say he thought good in the presence of some to geue them occasiō to haue a farther cōsideration of his glory maiesty namely that he was not the sonne of Dauid according to the flesh but also the sonne of Dauid Dauids lord For in respect that he toke fleshe of the virgin Mary his is the sonne of Dauid in respecte that hee was conceiued by the holye ghoste he is the sonne of God and Dauids lord Therfore this is no new or late inuented error For this impietie raigned among the phariseis long before be came into the worlde So that the deuill hath soughte frō the beginning as it is saide already to take awaye the deitie godheade from Christ that by that meanes al the saluation of mankind might be vtterly quite ouerthrowen In spirite The Euangelist Marke hath Inspired with the holye ghoste And the Euāgelist Luke in stede of both these hath In his boke of Psalmes C. But Christ declareth that Dauiddyd speake in the spirit expresly with great emphasis and force For he opposeth and setteth the prophesie of the thing to com against the testimony of the thing presēt And the cauill by the which the Iewes at this day excuse thē selues is this They say that by this prophesye the kingedome of Dauid is celebrated as though he apointing God to be the author of his raygne wolde rise against the mad enterprises beastly practises of his enemies
should denie thē to profite any thing at al without the permission of god Least that the Scribes should obiecte some such thyng Christ foresheweth that the psalme was not made of the persō of Dauid but that he was inspired with the spirite of Prophesie to describe the kyngdome of Christe to come euen as also we may gather easely by the text that those thinges which are there red do neither belonge to Dauid nor to no earthly king els For there it bringeth in Dauid the kynge to be adorned with a new priesthode by the whiche it was necessary that the old figures and shadowes of the law shuld be abrogated Nowe we must se how hee proueth that Christ shuld be of more excelencie thā if he sprang only of the sede of Dauid namely because hee calleth hym selfe the lorde which was the king head of the people Wherupō it followeth that there was in him somwhat more thā in a man notwithstanding it semeth to be a weke slender reason because it maye be obiected that when he gaue the psalme to the peple to be song not hauing respecte to his person be attributed the rule gouernemente to Christ ouer others but we answere on the contrary part that seing he was one of the members of the churche there was nothing more vnmete thā that he should depriue him selfe of the comon doctryne Here he commandeth al the sonnes of the God of heauē and of the inuincible king to glory as it were and reioyce with one voyce that they by his helpe and ayde are in safegarde If he be seperated from the body of the church he shal not be partaker of the promised saluatiō in Christ if this were the voyce of a fewe the rule and lordship of Christ would not extende it selfe euen till Dauid But now neyther he nor any other can make himselfe free from his subiection but he must fall from the hope of eternal saluatiō Therfore seing there was nothinge better to the prophete Dauid than to be comprehended in the Churche hee applyed this Psalme no lesse to him selfe than to the rest of the people In fyne by this titell Christ is made the chiefe and only king by the whiche he maye excell amonge the faithfull Neither oughte there any exception to be admitted but so sone as the redemer is made head of the churche all mē ought to submit thē selues vnto him Wherfore there is no doubt but that Dauid submitteth him selfe to his domination and rule that he might be reckened among the people of god But here another questiō may be demanded whether god could not extol some one man which should be the redemer to be Dauids lord although he were his son For here the substancial name of God is not put but the name of lord only which oftentimes pertaineth to men also We answere that Christ taketh this for a graunt that hee which is taken frō among men and is so exalted to honor that he is the head of the Church is not a meere man but indued also with the maiestie of God. For the eternal God which challengeth this thing to him selfe with an othe that euery kne shulde bowe before him doth also swere that he wil not geue his glory to another But trewly as the Apostell Paule witnesseth when Christe was ascended into heauen established in the kingdome he had a name geuē to him aboue al names that before him euery knee should bowe And althoughe Paule had neuer spoken this yet notwithstandynge the matter standeth so that Christe was therefore made Dauids lord and the head of other kinges also because he excelleth angels the which thing cannot belong to a mortall man except the same were God manifested in the fleshe We graunt truely that his diuine essence is not here expressed accordinge to the woorde but a man may easely thereuppon gather that the same is God whiche is exalted aboue all other creatures M. Whereuppon we may note that there are twoo natures in Christe Iesus For he is perfecte God perfect man as he is God he is like vnto the father and equall vnto him in all thinges and as he is man hee is inferyour to the father He which iudgeth not of Christ according to bothe natures affirmethe hym eyther to be God onely or man onely the whiche many heretiques do and haue done 44 The lord said vnto my lord sit thou on my right hande till I make thine ennemies thy footestoole The Lorde saide to my lorde B. The Hebrew texte for this worde Lorde in the firste place hath Iehouah and for Lorde in the seconde place Adonai As if it had bene sayde The eternall God sayde vnto my Christe Our sauiour Christe woulde be knowne to be more excellente than Dauid in this that Dauid him selfe calleth him his Lorde For the father wolde not haue called the sonne Lorde excepte hee had knowne him to be greater than him selfe C. Therefore here the holy ghost hath set downe and commytted to all the children of God a verse of tryumph that they might boldly scorne at Sathan and all his mynisters and deryde theyr furor because they go aboute to cast downe Christe from his throne Least therefore men beholdinge great busines and trouble in the earthe shoulde quake feare they are commaunded to set againste all the practises of men the holy and inuiolable decrée of god The sence therfore and meaninge of the place is this That althoughe men do rage and swell yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer they shall take in hand to destroy the kingdom of Christ shal be voide because the same being erected set vp by the power of God and not by the will of man is stayed and vpholden of hym for euer So often therefore as we se this kingdome assalted with violence let vs remember this heauenly diuine sentēce of the holy ghost For certainely this promise was putte into the handes of Christe that all the faithefull might applye the same to their vse For God is neither inconstant nor deceitfull that he shuld alter the thing that is gone out of his lyppes Sit thou on my right hand C. The sittinge at the right hand of God is here taken metaphorically for the seconde or next degree which belongeth to the vicar of god Wherefore it is euen as much as to obtaine his rule and power in the name of God euen as we know the God cōmitted to his only begotten son his partes and portions that by his hand he might gouerne his Church B. Therfore to sit at the right hande of God is to raigne in his name so that hee myght be thought iustly to holde the same power that wherefore so euer he did raigne hee might be thought to sustaine the power of god For as the legate and embassadoure doth represent and sustain the person of the kinge euen so God gouerneth all thinges by the handes of his Chryste C. So that this manner of speakynge doth
this kingdome And that there shoulde be manye false Christes whiche shoulde promyse outwarde and worldelye happinesse but falsely and therby also shold turne their followers from the spirytuall and euerlastinge felicitie and that therfore they ought to take hede of all those which promise the externall kyngedome of God in this world or do tye the same to any certaine place whiche because it is deuine spirituall can not be tyed These thinges also are more manifest to be seene in Luke by the aunswere of our sauioure Christ geuen to the Phariseies For they demaunding of hym when the kingdome of God should come we reade that Christ answered there thus The kingdome of God shall not come with waitynge for neyther shall they saye Lo here or Lo there for beholde the kingedome of God is within you What other thing is this than to saye The kyngedome of God is not carnal as you thincke that it might be shewed in any certayne place For either it is comprehended in fayth and is neuer seene and althoughe it bryngeth forthe plentifully his fruites wheresoeuer it be yet notwithstandyng it is with greate persecution and afflyction of the fleshe Or elles it wyll be so manifestlye presente to the whole worlde that it shal not nede to be wayted for or marked or that men shoulde saye Lo here is Christ or lo he is there For he is nowe among you you haue the kynge of that kyngedome present already ye haue the trewe cittezens thereof namely my disciples But these thynges whiche appertayne vnto vs seme vnto you contrary and disagreing with the kyngdome of God and glory of the Messias yet notwithstanding it is so ordained of God that I must fyrste suffer many thynges and be reiected of this nation before that I shall raygne in glory Hereuppon commethe that my humillitie and base shewe of glory whiche so greatly offendeth you Let the reader way diligently the wordes of Luke Hereby nowe it is euident who are properly noted by the true christ to be false Christs what they were whō we mentioned before with many others which all had their false Prophetes their signes and wonders But we must diligently note that a false christ is one an Antechrist is an other There haue ben many Antechristes from the beginning of Christes kyngedome vnto this daye namely all they whiche haue taughte at any tyme any thinge whereby menne might be seduced from Christ and from the faythe of our lorde Iesus leaste they shoulde be perswaded that by his onely deathe they haue euerlastynge lyfe of this reade in the seconde chapter of the fyrst epistell of S Iohn But they were properly false Christes whiche boasted them selues to be Christ as some which came to the Iewes Others which were the authors of errors are more rightely called false prophetes than false Christs Where as some do nowe bringe in this place against the seducing doctrine of the Papistes and Mahomett they do verye well because when Christe testified in this place that the kingdome of God doth consist in him by fayth and that it is not adicted to any certain place in this world these notwithstandinge haue taughte to seeke the kingedome of God in externall thinges But yet no man maye trewely teach that Christ in this place did speake of these men There are other places as concerninge these as the first chapter of sainte Paule in his second epistell to the Thessalonians and the third of the secōde to Tymothe the fyrste and thirde also of the seconde of Peter For the Pope dyd neuer saye that he was Christ that is to say that restorer of lybertie and all felycitie whiche wolde exhibite and offer in this present life al those thinges that the Prophetes had foreshewed as touchinge the Messias But Mahomett came more neere to this abhomination 24 For there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shew great myracles and wonders In so muche that if it were possible the very electe shoulde be deceiued For there shall arise false Christes A. Euen as the trewe Christ had his preachers of the truethe namely the Apostelles other disciples which may be called prophetes that is faithful interpreters of holy thinges euen so the false Christes wil haue their false prophetes that is to saye the masters of lies whiche maye leade men from the sincere doctrine of the trewthe to a lye And shall shevve greate myracles C. Christe admonysheth that suche deceyuers shall bringe with them no small deceites to deceyue withall but greate signes and wonders which shal astonishe the myndes of suche as are weake and make them amased For seinge that God dothe testifie and declare the presence of his power by miracles and that therfore they maye be seales as it were of trewe doctrine it is no meruaile if they bring reuerence and credite to deceiuers And by suche kynde of illusion dothe God reuenge ponishe the ingratitude of men that they may beleue lies whiche haue reiected the trueth and that they maye be more and more in darknesse which haue shut their eies against the trueth lighte offered vnto them Howbeit he doth therwith exercise the constancie of those that are his whiche doth more playnely shew forthe it selfe when they geue place to no deceites B. And as deceitfull doctryne hath alwaies her signes and wonders by the whiche they that woulde not beleeue the trueth might be seduced to beleue a lie and as no age wanteth his false prophetes agayne as all superstition hath his originall and beginning of the flesh and dothe frame and applie it selfe to the commodity and profite of the fleshe euen so there is nothing of those things wherof Christe hath spoken which accordyng to their maner do not offer them selues vnto vs Whereuppon trewly all men oughte dilygentelye to waye these forewarninges of the Lorde and to keepe them in mynde For althoughe there be none at this daye whiche doo openlye professe them selues to be Christes yet notwithstandinge there are manye false Prophetes and Antechristes who go about to drawe the mindes of men frō the true and only Christ to their workes to their Masses to their dirges and trentals to their owne fastings and choyse of meates and of apparell and to such kind of nedeful elements and necessary creatures of the worlde and also to the merits and intercessions of saints being in this pointe like vnto false Prophets and false Christes of whome Christ properly in this place forewarned his Disciples that they do seduce men frō the trueth to a lye and do falsely promise a Carnal Christe a carnall worhsip and external felicity For they do teache men to seeke for saluation by other meanes than by a lyuely faith in Christ and do suffer men to liue after their owne pleasure promisinge furthemore by theyr Masses and other lyes of the like leuen that men shal haue remission of theyr sinnes and recōcilliation betwene God and them Hereby therfore we
Paule sayth that he careth not for mans iudgemēt but that his onely care is to be founde faithfull of the Lorde M. These thinges may be more playnly vnderstode if they be cōferred with that whiche followeth of the euell seruaunte 47 Verely I saye vnto you that he shall make him ruler ouer all his goodes M. By this parte of the similitude he only goeth about to shewe that the minister of Christe whiche is faithfull shall haue great honour and be made equall almost with his Lorde For when Ioseph was made ruler ouer all the kinges treasure in Aegipte he was reuerenced aboue all the kyng excepted And the Lorde hym selfe saythe I appointe vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drynke at my table in the kyngdome and syt on seates iudgeing the twelue tribes of Israell And the Apostle Paule speaketh thus of hym selfe I haue fought a good fighte I haue rōne my race I haue kept the faith and there is laide vp for me a crown of righteousnes which the lorde being aiust iudge shall geue to me at that daye And what the happynes of this faythfull seruaunt shal be the eye hath not sene the eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the harte of mā C. Therefore let all those hereby learne whiche are called to an honourable office that the greater their office is the more thei are bounde with all their study and industry to discharge the same For seing it is the dutie of the common sorte of seruauntes to finishe the woorke committed vnto them stewardes must bee muche more dilligent to whome it pertaineth to haue a care of the whole housholde Otherwise Christe reproueth thē of ingratitude because they being chosen before al others frame not thē selues according to their honour For to what ende should the Lorde preferre thē before others but only because they should excel all others in faithe and wysdome A dilligent and sober attention is inioyned to all men alyke but yet for all that negligence and slouth is more vnsemely and lesse excusable in pastors and gouernours of the people Furthermore the hope also of the rewarde ought to kyndell a dilligence in them A. For they ought to be certainly perswaded that their paineful trauaile in their calling is moste acceptable vnto the Lorde and that he wyll requyte the same with a large rewarde 48 But and if that euell seruaunt saye in his harte my lorde wil be long a comming But and if the euell seruaunt saye Bu. Nowe of the contrary part he threateneth destruction to those ministers and others whiche being aduaunced to some degree of honour do not consider that they are made rulers ouer their fellowe seruauntes and that they must geue accompte vnto Christ but first of all do consume their Lordes substaunce and afterwarde shewe tyrannye against them In his harte M. This is spoken according to the māner of the Hebrues For a certaine secrete perswasiō of that minde So it is sayde in the Psalme The vngodly hath sayd in his harte there is no God that is he is fully perswaded that it is but vayne whiche is spoken of god C. Therefore Christe teacheth in these woordes howe it commeth to passe that the euell seruauntes are so secure or careles surely because they bearing themselues bolde vpon his long tariance do imagine that the daye will neuer come in the which they shall geue accompt M. Of suche the Apostell semeth to speake saying This firste vnderstande that there shall come in the last dayes mockers in deceitfulnes whiche wyll walke after their own lustes say where is the promise of his cōming for since the fathers died al things continue in the same estate that they were in the beginning Wherfore vnder the pretēce of Christes absence they promyse to them selues that they shall escape vnpunished For it can not bee but that the looking for him so often as it commeth in our myndes must put away all slouthfulnes restraine the fleshly affections least we be wickedly caried So that there can be no exhortacion more sharpe and of greater force to pricke vs forwarde than when we be put in minde of that tribunall seate whiche no man can auoyde Wherfore that euery one of vs may watche and seke to discharge oure duties and that we maye dilligently and modestly kepe our selues within our boundes let vs call to mynde that sodayne comming of our Lorde from aboue the whiche the reprobate wickedly contemne 49 And so beginne to smite his fellowes yea and to eate and drinke with the dronken M. This is the frute of the euell seruaunte whiche he bryngeth forthe by the false perswasion of the slackenes of his Lordes comming He dothe all thynges at his pleasure without feare Christe therfore by the waye sheweth howe easy a thing it is for bouldnes to increase when a man hauing once loused the raynes geueth hym selfe to synne Neither dothe Christe onely here make mēcion of a dissolute and wicked seruaunte but also of suche a one whiche obstinately seketh to disturbe the whole house and peruersely abuseth the power committed vnto hym exerciseth crueltie towardes his fellowe seruauntes and riotously speadeth his maisters goodes to his reproche This is the image and picture of a secure and careles seruaunte To the whiche if you compare the Pope the Cardinalles the Bishops Abbottes Priors Clarkes with the reste of the clergy and layitie also whiche serue Antechriste you wyll say that they are moste lyke of all other to that sluggishe careles seruaunt For these had rather syt to eate drinke with the dronken thā to repente at the preaching of the Gospell But thīke you that thei shal so do vnpunished no truly For harken to what followeth 50 The same seruauntes Lorde shal come in a day when he loketh not for him and in an hower that he is not ware of The same seruauntes Lorde shall come A. Beholde the payne and punishement of the wycked seruaunt Bu. Firste of all he shal be deceiued of his hope and expectation For when he saythe my lorde wylbe longe a comming the lorde shall come in a daye when he looketh not for hym and so the sodayne comminge of his maister shall bryng the greater terrour and feare A. And then shall followe greuous punishement For it followeth 51 And shall hewe him in pieces and geue hym his porcion with hypocrites there shall be weapynge and gnasshing of teethe And hevve hym in peeces Bu. It was the manner of those of oulde tyme to cutte the bodyes of them in pieces whiche had broken faythe and couenaunt with them Of the whiche matter we maye reade a long discourse in Aulus Gellius C. Here therfore a horrible punishement is added to terrifie the wicked seruaunt because suche vnbrydeled wyckednes deserueth the greater vengeaunce And geue him his portion vvith hypocrites B. He vsurpeth this worde portion or parte for
slouthfull seruaunte thou knewest that I reape where I sowed not and gather where I haue not strawed His Lord aunsvvered Bu. Here the iust iudgement of God against ypocrites is plentifully declared besyde the sharpe reprehension of the wicked facte and equall ponishment Thou euil and slouthful seruaunt M. In that he calleth him euill and slouthfull he sheeweth that he ceased from worke not so muche by the feare of his seueritye as by his owne slouthfulnes and negligence 27. Thou oughtest therefore to haue deliuered my moneye to the exchaungers and then at my cōminge should I haue receiued my owne wyth vauntage Bu. The Euangeliste Luke bringeth in before these woords Of thine owne mouthe will I condemne thee Hee is cōdemned of his owne mouth by turning that against him which he alleaged for his excuse As if he should saye Thou knewest that I was a straite requyrer of gaine why then diddest thou not for feare of my seueritye geue my money to the exchangers I which seeke for gaine there where I bestowed no cost should shortlye come require my money with vantage that is to say that I would reape there where I sowed not The stocke and chaūce therof was mine not thine thou diddest owe the duty of a seruant to the Lord. 28 Take therefore the talent from him and geue it vnto him which hath ten talentes Question It may be demaunded what maner of sayinge is this For then all workinge shall cease Wee aunsweare that we must remember that which wee sayde before that they do erre which scrupulouslye stande vppon euery word of parables But the true and natural sence hereof is this the although now slouthfull and vnprofitable seruantes haue the giftes of the spirite yet notwithstanding at the lengthe they shall be stripped out of all that their nakednes and reprochfull neede may turne to the glory of the good Christe sayth that these are slouthfull or that they do digge their talent or pounde vnder the earthe because they seeking altogether for ease and pleasure will suffer no trouble at all euen as we see very many while they are whollye addicted to their priuate commodities do let passe all the duties of charitye and haue no regarde of the common buildinge So that wee may easlye gather by this parable that there is no kinde of life more acceptable before God than that by the whiche there commeth some profite to the society of men 29. For vnto euery one that hath shal be geuen and he shall haue aboundance But hee that hath not from him shal be taken awaye euen that which hee hath C. Hee sayth to him that hath shal be geuē For they do truly possesse the giftes of God which do rightly vse them The couetouse men are rather possessed of theyr money because they know not the right vse of possessing Euen so of spirituall giftes hee which according to his abillity promoteth the glorye of God is rightlye sayd to haue Hee meaneth thereof that God doth requight rewarde the righte vse of the giftes of the godly with the latter graces but notwithstandinge wee must acknowledge him to be the geuer and author of these thinges both of that wee receiue and also of the righte vse of those thinges that wee do receiue For the rewarde is suche that it commeth freely For hee oweth nothing vnto vs nay wee are rather detters vnto him A. Insomuche that when wee haue done all that euer wee can yet ought wee to say that wee remayne vnprofitable seruauntes and that wee haue not done that which was our dutye to do C. This is also a great consolation to the faithfull when they here God to be so beneficiall vnto them hitherto that hee will still enriche them with newe treasure And this promise ought to kindle earnest study and diligence in the godly that so muche as they can they seeke to bringe profite not to themselues but to the Lorde As touching the reste which pertayneth to the exposition of this verse read the 13. goinge before 30. And cast the vnprofitable seruaunte into vtter darkenes there shal be weepinge and gnashinge of teeth And cast the vnprofitable seruaunt M. This is to be noted that hee is not onely an vnprofitable seruaunt which wasteth his maisters goodes and tourneth them to his owne vse but hee also whiche hydeth his maysters goodes in a corner whiche hee receiued to occupye Euen as that is not called an euill tree onlye which bringeth forth euill frute but that also which bringeth forth no frute Into vtter darkenes Reade the eight Chapter going before C. For there we taught that vtter darkenes was set agaynste the Domesticall light Christe meaneth here that they whiche are caste oute of the kingdome of GOD are caste into extreame darkenes 31. VVhen the sonne of man commeth in his glorye and all the Angels with him then shall hee sit vppon the seate of his glorye VVhen the sonne of man commeth B. The Euangelist Mathew procedeth on still in expoundinge the question as concerninge the consumation and ende of the worlde and of the Iudge and Iudgemente to come For hither by the occasion thereof Christ exhorted by some parables to watching and perseuerance C. That therefore whiche before hee described in parables hee nowe plainlye declareth withoute figures The summe and effecte is that the faythfull shoulde prepare themselues to the studye of a holye and godlye life in hauinge respecte with the eyes of fayth to the Heauenly lyfe whiche beinge now hidde shal be at the last reuealed in the comminge of Christe For in sayinge that hee shall then sit in the seate of hys glorye when hee shall come wythe Angelles hee opposeth or setteth this laste reuelation against the confused vnperfect cogitacions of the earthly warre ▪ as if hee should haue sayde that hee did not therefore appeare that hee should straighte way establishe his kingdome and therefore hee sheweth that hope and pacience is nedefull least the longe delaye should make his Dysciples weake Whereuppon we gather that this was also added that the Disciples beinge exempte from the error of the present and sodaine felicity might suspend their mindes vntill the seconde comminge of Christ in the meane time that they should not faint or fall away through his absence and therefore hee sayth that at that time he shal be glorious by the name of a kinge For althoughe hee began his kingdome in earthe and sitteth now at the righte hande of the father that hee might gouerne both Heauen and earth with greate power yet notwithstandinge that seate is not yet erected and set vp in the sight of men whereby wee may note that his deuyne maiestye shall much more brightlye shine in the laste daye than nowe For then wee shall see the perfecte effect of that glorye of the whiche wee haue now but a taste onelye Christe therefore nowe sitteth in hys Heauenlye throne because it is necessarye that hee raigne to bridle his ennemyes and to
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
persecute Wee are the chiefe priestes and louers of the law and Dysciples of Moyses let this our authority be sufficient to content thee Thinkest thou that wee do erre Behould here howe these wicked ones whom God hath aduaunced to a hye degree of honour beinge blinded as it were with their excellencye do geue liberty to them selues to do what they liste Behoulde also what swellinge pride remayned in them They would haue Christ to be thought an euill doer because they accuse him but truly if the matter had bene handeled in deede what should his euill deedes haue beene founde to bee but onely the healinge of the sicke the castinge of deuils out of men the makinge of those that were sicke of the palsey to stand the restoringe of sight to the blinde the makinge of the deaffe to heare the restoring of life to the deade The matter truly was thus and they were sufficiently conuinced but as we sayd euen now there is nothing more hard than to make men that are droncke with pride to Iudge with a sounde and vprighte minde Pilate therefore sayth vnto them Take yee him and Iudge him after your owne law There is no doubt but that Pilate beinge offended at their rudenes violence casteth in their teeth that order of condemnation which they vrged to be contrarye to the cōmon Lawe of all Nations and to abhorre the sence of man And therewith also hee secretelye reprehendeth them because they bosted that they had the Lawe geuen vnto them of god Hee speaketh Ironice when he sayth Take ye him For he ment not to suffer them to execute Iudgement of life and death vppon him but his wordes are thus much in effect If the power were yours hee shoulde sodainelye be drawne vnto death his cause not hearde is this therefore the equitye of your lawe to condemne a man for no faulte Euen so the wicked falselye pretendinge the name of God do submit his holy doctrine to the sclaūder and reproche of the ennemyes and occasion geuen to the world to speake euill The Iewes therefore sayd vnto him It is not lawful for vs to put any man to deathe They are deceiued whiche thincke that the Iewes refused that whiche Pilate offered vnto them but rather when they knewe that it was sayd to them by a mocke Take you him they aunswere It is not lawfull for vs to put any mā to death as if they should saye Thou wouldest not suffer this therefore seing thou arte a Iudge execute thine office That the sayinge of Iesus might be fulfilled which hee spake signifyinge what death he should dye At the length Saint Iohn addeth that it ought so to be that the same might be fulfilled which was foreshewed of Christe sayinge The sonne of man shal be deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles C. Pilate therefore would not by by accomplishe and satisfye the request wickedlye made of the Iewes neither deliuer and innocent to death at their pleasure And therefore the Euangelist Luke sayth And they beganne to accuse him sayinge Wee founde this fellowe peruerting the people and forbiddinge tribute to be payed vnto Caesar sayinge that hee is Christe a kinge M. This is that accusation by the whiche they desyered to styrre vp the minde of the debity against the Lord and that not without craft For although they went aboute to ouerthrow Christ with many and sondry faultes yet notwithstandinge it is certaine that this accusation that hee desyered the name of a king was very wickedlye put vp against him to the ende they mighte thereby cause Pilate to enuye him And therefore they do expreslye saye that they founde him alteringe the state of thinges peruertinge the people and forbiddinge tribute to be geuen to Caesar This trulye of all other faultes was most odious vnto Pilate who cared for nothinge more than to defende and maintaine the quiet state of the people and gouernment M. The Iewes also knew that a prophane man would be much moued if they should say Wee found this man speakinge blasphemye against God to be a despiser of our Temple But they knew that Pilate and such as hee was coūted sedition a greuous faulte and not tolleble if anye man shoulde forbid tribute to be geuē to Caesar and a most greuous hatred if any man should make himselfe a kinge in the Romaine Empire A. Wherefore they do chieflye stande vppon this as vppon the special part of the whole accusation namely that they mighte make Christe giltye of ambicious desyer of the kingdome Euen as at this day also Sathan by this pretence goeth about to make the Gospell hated and suspected as though Christe in erectinge settinge vp his kingdome would destroye all the gouernementes of the world and abolishe the rightes and lawes of kinges magistrates And truly suche is the blinde pride oftentimes of kinges that they thincke Christe cannot raigne withoute the losse of their power Therfore that action seemeth vnto them alwayes plausible and right by the which Christ is once vniustlye burthened M. For this cause both the Prophetes in the olde Testamente and also the Apostles and so many as at anye time in the newe haue sincerely preached the worde of God were not only accused of eronious doctrine but also of seditions and are at this day also And for this cause wee do see many princes to abhorre out of measure the doctrine of the truth as thoughe it were a seditious doctrine But let vs retourne to our Euangelist Iesus sayth hee stoode before the Debitye C. Although this were a disordered and vnsemelye sighte farre from the dignitye of the sonne of God that hee should be drawne to the Iudgement seate of a Heathen man to pleade his cause for life in bonds as though hee had beene an euill doer yet notwithstandinge wee muste remember that in the doctrine of the Crosse which is folishnes to the Greekes and a stomblinge blocke to the Iewes there is contayned plentyfull saluation For the sonne of God woulde be brought bounde before a earthly Iudge there be made subiect to the Iudgement of deathe that hee beinge desolued from giltines of sinne may come bouldly and freelye to the celestiall throne of god Therefore if wee consider what profite wee receyued by the Iudgement of Christ vnder Pilate the reproche of such vndeserued subiection shal by and by be put away And truly the condemninge of Christ offendeth none but onlye eyther proude hypocrites or els insensible and grose contemners of God who are not ashamed of their owne iniquity Christ therefore stoode as one gilty before a mortall man and suffered himselfe there to be accused and condemned that wee mighte stande before God voyde of all feare His ennemyes truly wente about to put him to perpetuall reproche and shame but wee must rather consider the ende to the whiche the prouidence of God doth directe vs For if we call to minde how terrible and fearefull the Iudgemente seate of God is
and that wee coulde not be deliuered from the same except Christ should haue bene made giltye in earthe wee will neuer be ashamed to glorye and reioyce in bondes Moreouer so often as we heare that Christ stode in sorrowfull and base forme before Pilate let vs thereby gather occasion to beleeue the bearing our selues bould of the intercessor wee maye come into the presence of God with cherefulnes To the same ende also it pertayneth which followeth by and by as concerninge his sylence Christ helde his peace when the hye Priestes vrged him on euerye syde that by his sylence hee might open our mouthes For herevppon commeth that power vnto vs whereby wee crye Abba father And the Debitye asked him saying Art thou the kinge of the Iewes Howbeit it is probable that there were manye things spoken on both sides whereof the Euangelistes make no mencion not withstandinge all other thinges set a part Pilate chieflye standeth vpon the matter of seditiō because if he had founde Christe in any point to be a troubler of the common state hee woulde haue condemned him without delaye This is the cause why hee asked if he were a kinge M. S. Iohn sayth Then Pilate entered into the Iudgement haule againe and called Iesus and sayd vnto him Arte thou the kinge of the Iewes Nothinge coulde be done withoute tumulte because they were seditiouslye bente Hee entereth therefore into the Iudgement haule And truly his purpose is to absolue set Christe at liberty but Christ himselfe that he mighte obey his father offereth himselfe to be condemned and this is the cause that hee aunswereth so sparinglye For seinge hee had a Iudge so gentle an fauourable and whiche hearde him willingly it was an easye matter for him to defende his cause but he considereth to what ende hee came into the worlde and wherefore hee is now called of the father Therefore hee willinglye houldeth his peace least he should escape death And as concerninge this question whiche Pilate demaunded here of Christ namelye whether hee were a kinge it was done by the procurement of the Iewes who burthened him with the same faulte But he did make this demaunde as concerninge the kyngdome of Christ because if hee coulde cleare himselfe of that matter hee would set him at libertye Iesus sayth vnto him thou sayest In S. Iohns Gospell Christ maketh this aunsweare Speakest thou this of thy selfe or hath some other toulde it thee of mee The which aunsweee tendeth to this ende that there is no cooller in that accusation So that it contayneth an ouerthwarte refutacion as if hee shoulde saye This faulte is vndescretely obiected to mee seing there is no likelyhoode thereof whereby I might iustlye he suspected But Pilate seemeth not to take it well that Christe shoulde demaunde why hee suspected him And therefore in displeasure and reproche hee sayth that if any thinge were amisse it was longe of his owne nation I saith he sit a Iudge straungers do not accuse thee but thine owne country men there is no cause therefore why thou shouldest make me partaker of your discorde and contencion By mee and the Romaines ye mighte liue quietlye but ye wearye and trouble your selues yet I accordinge to my office which I am cōstrayned to take muste see that peace and quietnes be maintained Thy hye Priestes accuse thee what hast thou done A. A horrible sighte to behoulde Christe standeth bounde before the Iudge beinge striken with fistes spitted vppon lookinge for nothinge but the sentence of death and yet notwithstanding what hee had done it was not knowne Whereby wee leane that there was nothinge true or had any likelyhoode of truthe that coulde be layed to Christes charge and yet for all that the vniuste and most wicked sentence of death was pronoūced against him Iesus aunswereth My kingdome is not of this worlde By these woordes hee confesseth that hee is a kinge but he putteth awaye and pourgeth the reproche so muche as was sufficient to proue his innocensye For he affirmeth that his kingedome doth not withstande pollitique order as if hee should saye I am falselye accused to be a troubler of thinges and to renue matters in the publique state I preached of the kingdome of God but that is spirituall therefore there is no cause why yee shoulde haue mee in suspicion of desieringe a kingdome But this defence of Christ was before Pilate but the same is a profitable doctrine to all the godlye to the ende of the world For if the kingdome of Christ were earthly it shoulde be vnstable and transitory because the fashion of this world passeth away but now seinge it is sayde to be Heauenly it proueth that the same shall abyde for euer Euenso if it shoulde come to passe that the whole worlde should be destroyed and that there shoulde be before oure eyes horrible motions and earthquakes yet let our mindes hauinge respect vnto the kingdome of Christ abyde firme and stable If wee be cruelly vexed of the wicked yet notwithstandinge there abydeth for vs perfect saluation in the kingdome of Christ which is not subiecte to the pleasure of men Furthermore wee are taughte what the nature of this kingdome is For if it shoulde make vs blessed accordinge to the fleshe and shoulde bringe vnto vs riches pleasures and whatsoeuer could be wished for the vse of this present life it woulde be but earthly and of this worlde which hath but a time but now although to loke vnto oure estate be myserable yet notwithstandinge our perfect felicitye doth abyde for euer Hereby also wee learne who they are which pertaine vnto this kingdome namelye they whiche are renued by the spirite of God and do meditate a heauenly life in holynes and righteousnes Howbeit we must also note that it is not denyed but that the kingdome of Christ is in this world For wee know that it hath the proper abydinge place in our minds euen as Christ also sheweth in another place The kingdome of God is within you But to speake properlye the kingdome of God dwellinge in vs passeth throughoute the whole worlde because the conditiō thereof is altogether diuers Christ addeth If my kingdome were of this worlde then woulde my mynisters surely fight that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes but now is my kingdome not from hence Hee proueth that hee desyereth not an earthlye kingdome because no man made any tumulte nor toke any weapon in hande For if any priuate man vsurpe vnto himselfe a kingdome it is necessary that hee get power and force by factious men In the kingdome of Christe there is no suche thinge it followeth therefore that he is no earthly kinge Question But it may be demaunded in this place whether it be not lawful to defende the kingdome of Christe with weapons For when the Princes are commaunded to kisse the sonne of God they are not onelye commaunded to submit themselues priuately to his imperye and power but also to bende all theyr force to defende
the Churche and maintayne godlynes First of all wee aunswere that they do vnaptly and amisse which inferre this consequence that the doctrine of the Gospell and the pure worship of God ought not to be defended by the sworde because Christe is not then defended in his owne person For Christ onely proueth by the present deede how friuolus and vaine it was whiche the Iewes slaunderouslye brought against him Furthermore although godly kings do defende the kingdome of Christ with the sword yet notwithstanding this is done after another maner than earthlye kingdomes are defended For the kingdome of Christe as it is syirituall so it must be grounded in the doctrine and power of the spirite After the same maner also his buildinge is broughte to passe for neyther lawes nor edictes of men neither punishmentes do reache so far as to the conscience Notwithstandinge this doth not let but that Princes by accidens maye defende the kingdome of Christ partly when they do appoynt externall discipline and partly whē they do apply their defence to the Churche against the wicked But the wickednes of the world bringeth to passe that the kingdome of Christ is more established by the bloud of martyres than by the defence of weapons Pilate therefore sayd vnto him Art thou then a kinge Iesus aunsweared Thou sayest that I am a kinge For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I might beare witnes to the truth Althoughe alreadye Pilate vnderstoode by the former aunsweare that hee challenged some one kingdome to himselfe Christ notwithstandinge doth nowe affyrme the same againe and not content therewith hee addeth another sentence which might be a confirmation and seale of that other sayinge Whereby wee gather that the doctrine which concerneth the kingdome of Christ is not common seing hee sayeth that the same is worthy of so great asseueration or affyrmance For it is a general sentence For this cause was I borne that I might beare witnes of the truthe notwithstandinge it must speciallye be applyed to the circomstance of this place But the wordes signify thus much that it naturally belongeth vnto Christ to he true and also that for this cause he was sente of the father Wherefore there is no daunger or feare that if wee beleeue in him wee shall be deceyued betause it is impossible that hee should set forth any thinge but that whiche is true to whom the office of teachinge and maintayninge truthe was committed from aboue Whosoeuer is of the truth heareth my voyce This sentence Christ added not so much to exhort Pilate because hee knewe hee should not profite as hee did it to set his doctrine free from vndeserued reproches and slaunders to the which it was subiecte as if hee should haue sayde This is counted a fault in mee that I haue professed my selfe to be a kinge but truly this is an vndoubted truth the which they receiue reuerently withoute controuersy which are of a right Iudgement and sounde vnderstandidge Howbeit hee sayth that they are of the truthe not which naturallye behoulde that whiche is true but in respecte that they are gouerned by the spirite of god A. Christ preached these thinges as concerninge his kingdome before Pontius Pilate the Debitye as witnesseth S. Iohn But the other three Euangelistes saye that Christe aunsweared thus Thou sayest it C. The which aunswere is very ambiguous and doubtfull yet notwithstandinge it maye be gathered oute of Iohn that Christe confessed freelye that which was obiected agaynste him but yet that hee did therewith put away the fault when hee denyeth himselfe to be an earthly kinge But because hee did not greatlye seeke to purge himselfe euen as those that are giltye are wont to do the Euangelistes do set downe vnto vs his halfe aunsweare as if they should say that he denyed not but that hee was a kinge yet notwithstandinge that hee ouerthwartlye noted the slaunder wyth the whiche the ennemyes burthened him without a cause Pilate sayth vnto him What thinge is truthe It seemeth to some that Pilate curiouslye enquired as commonlye Heathen men do whiche greedelye desyer the knowledge of secrete thinges and beinge notwythstandinge ignoraunte whye they desyer this For they onlye seeke to feede their eares But rather this voyce seemeth to proceede of disdayne For Pilate thoughte that it was no small iniurye done vnto him that Christ should depriue him of all knowledge of truthe Nowe let vs behoulde in Pilate the common disease of men for althoughe oure owne consciences do beare testimonye vnto vs of oure ignoraunce yet notwithstandinge there are very fewe which can abyde to confesse the same And herevppon it commeth that the greater parte do reiecte the true doctrine Afterwarde the Lorde whiche is the teacher of the humble in blindynge the proude geeueth them the punishmente that they deserue Oute of the same pryde commeth that disdayne whiche wyll in no wise submitte it selfe to learne because euery man seemeth wyse in his owne conceyte The matter is thought to be an oulde truthe But God on the contrarye parte affyrmeth that it farre exceedeth the capascitye of mans minde The like also happeneth in other matters The speciall pointes of deuinitye consiste of these namelye of the corrupte nature of the mortification of the fleshe of the renouation of life of the free reconcilliation by the onelye sacrifyce of the imputaon of righteousnes by the whiche a sinner is accepted of God and of the illumination of the spirite Nowe because euerye one of these is a Paradox the common sence and reason of men doth contemptuouslye reiecte them Very fewe therefore do profite in the schole of God because there is scarce one amonge tenne whiche taketh anye heede to his first rules and principles And howe commeth this to passe but onelye because they measure the secrete wysedome of God by their owne vnderstandinge And that Pilate spake in derison it maye appeare by this that hee wente foorthe by and by To be shorte hee is angerye and displeased wyth Christe because hee bosteth that hee bringeth forthe the truthe whiche before was hidde Yet notwithstandynge this hys displeasure doth declare that the wicked do neuer so frowardlye reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel but that they are touched with some force of the same For althoughe Pilate came not so farre as to shewe hymselfe apte to be taughte yet notwithstandinge he is constrayned to feele some pricke of conscience within him These thinges beinge ended S. Iohn and S. Luke saye thus And when he had spoken these thinges hee came foorthe agayne to the Iewes to the hye Priestes and to al the multitude and said vnto them I finde not cause at all in him A. Althoughe Pilate were a wicked and vniuste man yet notwythstandinge hee woulde not adiudge an innocente to death so longe as his fame or office were in no perill Moreouer as the Euangelistes do dilligentlye describe that Christe wente not to hys deathe by externall force
the Iewes directly but toucheth Pilate ouerwthartly whiche fulfilled their desier And from thence forth sought Pilate meanes to loose him Although Pilate behaueth him selfe not bouldly is more led by ambition than by the loue of righteousnes therfore is in miserable doubte yet notwithstanding his modestie is to be praised that being seuerely reprehended of Christe he is not angery nay he seketh the more to deliuer him He is a Iudge and yet notwithstāding he suffereth the prysoner with a lowely mynde to be his correcter One truely amongest a hondred shall scarse be founde whiche wyll beare so quietly a reprehentiō of his equal But the Iewes cried saying if thou let him go thou arte not Caesars friende for euery one whiche maketh him selfe a kynge is an enemy to Caesar A. With this crie they ronne through Pilate and with this voyce onely ouerwhelme all his vertues C. For they do force him by threatening to condēne Christe Neyther coulde they obiecte any thyng more odious or that could more terrefie than when they vrge him with treason and falsehode against Caesar Thou saye they shewest thy selfe to haue no care for the gouernemēt of Caesar if thou louse him whiche goeth about to trouble the whole multitude This their wycked perswasion preuayled and brake the minde of Pilate whiche was onely beaten before with violēt cries Neyther truely doth S. Iohn prosecute and inculcate these circomstāces so diligētly in vaine because it pertaineth greatly to our profite to knowe that Christe was not cōdemned of Pilate before that he was absolued thre or fower times of his mouth that we might thereby gather that he was not condemned for his owne sake but for our sinnes And certainly by this his obedience he brought to passe that his deathe was a sacrifice of a swete sauour vnto God to put away our sinnes After these things howe greatly the people the chief priestes required the death of Christe S. Luke declareth saying And they cried with loude voyces requiring that he might be crucefied And the voices of them of the hygh priestes preuayled R. Beholde here the vnspeakeable madnes of the Iewes against Christ that we may knowe howe that Sathan desyreth nothyng more vehemently than that Christe may peryshe Wee must also note the wonderfull patience of Christe to the ende we may knowe that the more Sathan doth rage against hym the more mightely he is ouerthrowen by his patiēce S. Iohn moreouer addeth Whē Pilate heard that saying he brought Iesus foorthe and sate downe to geue sentence in a place that is called the pauement but in the Hebrewe tongue Gabatha Hereby it appeareth how diuersly Pilate was distracted euē as if one player should play twoo partes He sitteth downe in the Iudgement seate that according to the manner he might pronoūce sentence of death against Christe and yet he plainly declareth that he dothe it againste his wyll and conscience It was the preparing daye of the Easter about the syxte hower The Euangelistes in notyng the time do seme to disagree The other three Euangelistes saye that it was darke from the syxt hower when as Christ dyd hange on the Crosse And S. Marke playnely saythe that it was the thyrde hower when Iudgement was geuen vpon hym C. But if wee consyder that whiche may bee gathered by other places namely that the day was deuided into fower partes and that euery parte had his name from that firste hower of his begynninge wee may easely reconcile them All the myddel tyme from the rysing of the Sunne vntyll the seconde parte was called by them the fyrste hower The second part vntill noone was called among them the thirde hower The syxte hower begynnynge at noone contynewed vntyll the thyrde or fourthe hower after noone When the Iewes therefore sawe that Pilate prolonged the tyme and that nowe noone was at hande Saint Iohn saythe that they made the more haste and cryed more vehemently least all the daye should bee spente But this is no lette or staye but that the Lorde myght bee crucefyed about the ende of the thyrde hower For it is euident enough to bee seene that so soone as hee was condemned hee was sodaynly caried away So great a desyer had the Iewes to haue hym destroyd Therefore Marke speaketh not of the beginning but of the end of the third hower And this is more lykely that Christe dyd hange on the Crosse not aboue three howers But betweene the syxe and nynthe hower it began to waxe darke whiche continued vntyll the nynthe hower in the whiche Christe dyed And hee saythe vnto the Iewes beholde your kyng Christe is called a kyng here by Pilate Ironice meanyng that it was a friuolous and vayne sclaunder with the whiche the Iewes burthened Christe As if he shoulde saye You contende that this man made hym selfe your kynge Notwithstandyng beholde hym and marke hym well if hee beare any suche countenaunce They cryed awaye with hym awaye with hym A. Truthe obtayneth no mercy A murtherer dothe sooner obtayne pardone of the worlde than a syncere minister of Gods woorde Away with this monsterouse fellowe saye they it is not mete that hee shoulde lyue Euen so the Iewes cryed out against Paule saying Awaye with suche a fellowe from of the earthe It is not meete that hee shoulde lyue Crucifye hym This kynde of punyshement pleased thē well that the name of Christe shoulde bee extinguyshed and defamed with the ignominie and shame of the Crosse But that whiche they counted the greatest ignomie and reproche is to the electe in stede of the greatest glory Pylate saythe vnto them Shall I crucifie your kynge Pilate deryding their obstinate madnes saythe Shall I brynge so greate reproache vnto your kynge as to nayle him to the Crosse This will be a great shame vnto you The hyghe priestes aunswered we haue no king but Caesar Here truelye their horrible furor and madnes bewrayeth it selfe that the hye Priestes whiche oughte to haue beene exercised in the lawe do reiecte the Messias in whome the saluation of all the people was included of whome all the promises did depende and in whome all Religion was grounded Certainly they depriued them selues of the grace of GOD and of all goodnes in reiectinge Christe Let vs see therefore howe greatlye they were oute of their wittes Let vs Imagine that Christe was not Christe yet notwithstandynge they haue no excuse because they acknowledge no kinge but Cesar For firste of all they fall from the spirituall kyngedome of God. Secondly they do preferre the tyrannye of the Romane Empire before the iuste gouernement whiche was promised of god Euenso the wycked to flye from Christe doe not onelye depriue them selues of euerlastynge lyfe but also brynge vnto them selues all kynde of misery This people truely of the Iewes dyd manifestlye forsake the frendeshipp and louinge kyndenes of God their maker and regarded not the God of theyr saluation Miserable men had rather haue a manlie to raygne
they put on him not a crowne of golde but of thornes and in stede of a kingely Scepter they geue vnto him a rede and wyth theire salutation they spitt in his face and buffete hym By this Image it is set foorth howe the Kyngdome of Christe shoulde be derided in this worlde But wee muste note the singuler example of patience in Christe 29. And platted a crowne of thornes and put it on his heade and a reede in his righte hande and bowed the knee before him and mocked hym saying Haile kinge of the Iewes M. Wee doe see here that Christe suffered those thinges whiche those that were condemned commonly suffered And they vexed hym with these tormēts all the time that his crosse was a preparinge whiche was not then made specially to deryde his kingedome Of the whiche kyngdome wee muste not iudge accordinge to the outwarde shewe nor yet accordinge to the opinion of menne For what is more contemptible 30. And when they had spitted vppon hym they tooke the reede and smote him on the heade And vvhen they had spitted C. In that God did suffer his onelye begotten sonne to abyde all kynde of reproche we must knowe that it was no vayne Ieste or pastime Firste of all therfore it shall be good for vs to waye what wee haue deserued and then the satisfaction made by Christ wyl erecte vs and bring vs to a good and perfecte hope Suche is our vncleanes that God doth abhorre it and all the Angells lothe it But to the ende Christe mighte bringe us into the sighte of his father pure and vndefyled he would haue hym selfe to be spitted vppon and to be defyled withall kynde of reproches Wherefore that deformitye whiche hee once suffered in earthe dothe nowe get vnto vs grace in heauen and dothe also renewe the Image of God whiche was not onelye defyled wyth the spottes of synne but all most cleane blotted oute Hereuppon also it commeth to passe that the inestimable goodnes of GOD doth shyne vnto vs because he suffered his onelye begotten Sonne to be thus wyse abased for oure sakes By this documente Christe hath declared his wonderfull loue towarde vs because he refused no kynde of ignominye and reproche for our saluation But these thinges do wante rather a secrete meditation and pondrynge in the minde than the eloquence of wordes And by the waye wee are taughte not to esteme and Iudge of the kingedome of Christe accordynge to sence and reason of the fleshe but by the Iudgement of fayth and the spirite For so longe as wee haue a worldely Iudgement therof it will not onelye seme vnto vs contemptible but full also of shamefull reproches Wherefore if the worlde at this daye do mocke and deride Christe let vs learne to ouercome suche offences with the excelencye of faythe Neyther let vs care what reproches the wycked geue vnto Christe but rather haue regarde to that excellent dignitye whiche the Father geueth vnto hym that he myghte not onelye excell men but all the Angels also 31. And after that they hadde mocked hym they tooke the robe of hym againe and put his owne rayment on him and led him awaye to crucifye hym Bu. The matter was gouerned by the prouidence of GOD that the soldiers afterwarde deuided the garmentes of oure Sauioure Christe accordynge to the prophesy For it is a common thinge and oftentimes sene in the Iudmentes of God that the wycked are constrayned to do all thynges that the trueth of Goddes woorde maye be fulfilled and that specially when they resiste the purpose of God. They seme also to doe these thynges that all menne mighte knowe but speciallye they whiche imbraced his doctrine and estemed hym as a singuler teacher that he was condemned as an heretique or a seditiouse persone and therefore caryed to his deathe and so to terrifye them from his doctrine and fellowship 32. And as they came out they founde a manne of Cyreen named Symon and hym they compelled to beare his crosse And as they came oute M. Saincte Iohn hath And they tooke Iesus and led him awaye and he bare his crosse and wente foorthe into a place whiche is called the place of deads mens sculles But in Hebrewe Golgotha After these thynges it followeth in our Euangeliste Sainct Matthewe And as they came oute they founde a manne of Cyren named Symon Sainct Iohn saythe in this place that wee haue cited that Christe bare hys crosse The other three saye that Symon of Cyren beinge constrained bare his crosse in the whiche is expressed the extreame crueltye as well of the people of the Iewes as of the soldiers There is no doubte but that they which were offenders and condemned to dye were wonte to carye their owne crosses to the place of punishemente but none were able to cary this burthen but suche theues as were stronge in bodye But the weakenes of Christes bodye beinge not able to bare the crosse dyd plainly declare that a lambe shouldde offered And it maye be that the whyppynge of his bodye and the oppressynge of hym with iniury did make hym to faynte vnder the burthen of the crosse M. Leaste therefore they shoulde bee constrained to staye and lynger the time in the waye they constrayned this Symon whiche came oute of the féelde and passed by to beare his crosse after hym For there was no manne that woulde so muche as toucthe the crosse of suche ignominy was the deathe thereof vnto them A man of Cyren This manne semeth to be a Iewe be inge a good and simple man a Disciple of Christe whose father perhappes came out of Cirenia to Hierusalem For the Actes of the Apostels do testify that the Iewes were dispersed into Lybia and vnto Cyrene Named Symon S Marke and Luke adde saying comming out of the felde the father of Alexander and Rufus by the whiche wordes it semeth that he was about some rusticall busines C. But this man beinge chosen by the wicked Iewes to so vile an office is now made noble by the prouidence of God in so muche that hee is commended in the Gospell for euer Neither is it superflouse that the Euangelistes do not onlye make mencion of his name but also of his countrye and sonnes By the whiche the Lorde dothe admonishe vs that althoughe wee bee of no estimation and pryce yet notwithstandynge wee shall haue dignity and same by the crosse of his son Him they compelled to bare his crosse Bu. Sainct Luke saythe And on hym layed they the crosse that he mighte bare it after Iesus Symon therefore commynge behinde and bearinge the burthen with Christ as some saye helped the Lorde whiche wente before But where as Symon dothe not carye the crosse of his owne frée will but constrained he beareth the Image of our fleshe whiche neuer submitteth it selfe wyllingly to the crosse of Christe but continuallye striueth againste the same Sainct Luke saythe that muche people and manye wemen followed hym as he wente by the waye whiche cryed and lamented for
beastlye crueltye and proude contempte of God by the proper instincte and motion of the fleshe and so came to his repentaunce but hee was brought thereunto by the hande of God euen as also the whole Scripture teacheth that repentaunce is his worke And this grace excelled so muche the more because it happened contracye to the expectacion of all menne For who would euer haue thoughte that a theefe beinge nowe at the laste caste shoulde bee not onelye a true worshipper of God but also an excellent mayster of fayth and godlynes to the whole worlde insomuche that wee also may be glad to fetche the rule of true and lawfull confession from his mouthe And firste of all truely he brought forth this fruite of repentaunce because with seuere correction he stayed the wicked rage of his fellowe Secondely he humbled hym selfe by a trewe confession of his wickednesse and attributed vnto Christ the due praise of righteousenes After that he declared a wonderfull faith committynge himselfe and his saluation wholly vnto the defence of Christe whom notwithstandinge he sawe hangyng on the crosse and nere vnto deathe Fearest thou not God seinge thou arâ—…e in the same dampnation C. As if he shoulde haue sayde What a thinge is this that this damnation constrayneth thee not to feare God For hereupon the these doth exaggerate and make the obstinacie of his fellowe more haynouse that beinge broughte to extremitie and the last pange beginneth not for all that to feare God. Hereby let vs gather that theye are desperate and altogether voyde of the feare of GOD which are amended nothing at all by punishementes Wee are righteously punished for we receyue accordinge to our deedes but this man hath done no euyll As if he had sayde There is greate difference betwene this mannes punishment and oures for the punishemente whiche thou and I suffer is due vnto vs for our euyll dedes but as for Christe he hathe done no euyll whereby he should be punished nay rather hee is put to death by the mallice and crueltie of his enemies Here let vs note that the theefe hath geuen vs the same lesson of repentaunce whiche God requireth of vs all when he confessed that hee receyued a iuste rewarde for his deedes But this is specially to be noted that the crueltie of the punishement did staye hym nothinge at all from the pacient suffering of the bitter tormentes Wherfore if we be truely sory for our synnes let vs learne willyngely to vncouer them without dissymulation when neede requirethe and not to flee from the ignominye whiche we haue deserued For this is the onely meane by the which we bury our sinnes before God and his Angelles if wee go not about to colloure them before men And he sayde vnto Iesus Lord remember mee when thou commeste into thye kyngedome This prayer contayneth a testimony of faythe and repentaunce The Euangeliste Luke briefelye declareth this matter whiche is so excellente that it cannot sufficientely be set forthe accordynge to the worthynesse thereof For trewely this example of faythe is so notable that the like hath beene sildome seene sence the beginning of the worlde The theefe whiche was not onely vnlerned in the schole of Christe but also geuinge him selfe to murther had gone about to extinguishe all feling and vnderstandinge of that whiche was right doth now at a sodayne assende hyer than al the Apostels and rest of the disciples in teaching and instructing of whom the lorde him selfe had spente so muche tyme and bestowed so greate laboure and not only this but also he worshipeth Christe as a kinge hanginge on the crosse he celebrateth his kingedome whiche semed altogether miserable and deformed and he pronounceth him to be the auctour of life whiche laye then a dyinge What excellencie what dignitie or what life did hée perceiue to be in Christe that he should thus thinke of his kingdome This truely was euen as if one should assend from the deepe goulfe of hell to the toppe of heauen He calleth Christ lorde and maketh mention of his kingdome whom he seeth to be condempned despised and reiected of all men Who woulde not haâ—…e sayde that he had bene out of his wyttes C. This certaynelye was rydiculouse and a fable to fleshe and bloude to attrybute a kyngedome more noble than all earthely empires to a condempned and abiecte persone Hereby wee maye gather what parfecte and quicke sight the eyes of theyr myndes haue who can beholde lyfe in deathe strengthe in weakenesse glorye in reproche victorye in destruction and a kyngedome in bondage Faythe was almoste decayed in all men there was no man but hee was discouraged onely the theefe standeth to the battayle openlye The Apostelles were dombe theyr faythe saye hydde but the faythe of the theefe declareth it selfe agaynste all impedymentes Wherfore let vs not be ashamed to learn of this scholemaster mortification of the fleshe pacience the depenesse of faythe the constancie of hope the desire of godlines whom the lord hath made our teacher to beate downe the pride of fleshe For the more diligently we follow hym the nerer wee approche vnto Christe A. This also is to be noted that hee dyd not onely beleeue in Christe but did also call vpon him whersoeuer therfore faith is there is coÌ„monly inuocation also And Iesus said vnto him Verely I say vnto thée to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice We do se here that the thefe praied not in vaine for he was hearde neyther was Christ onely mindefull of him but also perfourmed his promise Wherfore if Christe dyd drawe the theefe vnto him when hee was vpon the crosse howe muche more now shall he heare vs from his heauenly throne vpon the which hée sitteth his ennemies beinge ouercome Whosoeuer therfore when he is a dying committeth the custody of his soule with a trew faith vnto Christ hee shall not be long differred to laÌ„guishe in extremitie but shal haue his desire the same mercy granted vnto him which Christ granted to the théefe vpon the crosse Away therfore with that fonde and folishe immagination of Sophisters Papistes as concernyng the reteyning of punishement when the faâ—…te is remitted because wee do see that Christe doth also deliuer hym from punishement whom hee absolueth from sinne Let vs also note with what keyes the gates of the kingdome of heauen were opened vnto the théefe For there is no mention made here of popishe confession nor of satisfactioÌ„s but Christ is contente to receyue those that come willingly vnto him with fayth and repeÌ„taunce Furthermore we do hereby gather that as the deathe of Christe dyd by and by bring forth his fruite euen so our soules so sone as they parte from the body do liue otherwise the promise whiche our sauioure Christe made here vnto the théefe with an othe were but vayne In Paradice C. As touching the name of Paradice we do knowe that the glory of God is described vnto vs vnder the
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