of the lord should be giuen to infantes For it was chieflye instituted to acknoweledge the loue of Christe towarde vs and to strengthen our fayth in tentacions But infantes whyche be graffed into Christe thorowe Baptisme althoughe they haue fayth after their certayne maner so also after theyr fashion eate the fleshe of Christ and ◅ryncke his bloude that is euen after that manner whych Christe requireth in thys sermon yet neyther do they vnderstande fayeth nor the tentacions of fayeth Wherefore the vse of the supper of the Lord is not necessarye to theym But nowe to retourne agayne to our purpose the wordes of Christ whych in this place be spoken of eatynge of hys fleshe and drinckynge of his bloud must not be vnderstande of any out warde eatynge and drynckyng but of the verye fayeth in Christe whiche in thys sermon Metaphorically or by a translacion is called eatynge and drynckynge For whan Christe had take in hande thys sermon by occasion of that breade wherewyth he fedde more then fiue thousande menne in deserte and suche as they soughte for whyche came to hym into Capernaum he vseth also the name of breade for hys fleshe and the name of dryncke for hys bloude So by occasion of thys Metaphore or translacion he vseth the worde of eatynge and drynckynge for the worde of beleuynge as wh◅ he sayeth excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of manne and dryncke hys blud you haue not lyfe in you Thys is hys true meanyng except you beleue in me whyche wyll gyue my Ceshe for the lyfe of the worlde and wyl shede my bloude to put awaye the synnes thereof you shall not gette true health and in verye dede Christe by thys Metaphore doeth vnderstande playnelye the same thynge that before he sayed simplye All men that se the sonne and beleueth in him haue lyfe euerlastynge And after wardes Uerylye verylye I saye vnto you he that trusteth to me hathe lyfe euerlastynge For it is manyfeste that Chryste thinketh this eatynge and this drinkinge whiche he requireth in thys place to be necessarye to lyfe and saluation sayinge Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloude ye haue not lyfe in you But if we shulde saye as trueth is none other thynge is symplye necessarye to vs for oure health then fayeth in Christe Good worckes also after their manner be necessarye But we nowe speake of that thynge by the whyche we are iustified and be saued before God But we be iustified by Christ only and by faith onelye by the whyche we receyue Chryst yea rather we be receaued of hym and as I might say be our selfes in corporate vnto hym The iuste man saith the Prophet liueth by hys faith And Paule sayth we thynke that mā is iustified by faith withoute the worckes of the lawe And agayne We knowe that man is not iustyfyed by the worckes of y ◠lawe but by faith of Iesus christ Wherfore it is also manyfest that Chryste by the eatynge of hys flesh and drynckynge of hys bloude in this place vnderstandeth none other thyng than faith which is to be had of his fleshe his bloude y t is y t we beleue his fleshe to be giuē to death for vs that we may haue life hys bloud to be shed to y ◠remissiō of our synnes For so to eate the fleshe of Christ to drinke his bloud y t is to beleue in Christ is playnely necessa ry to our helth saluaciō And ther was neuer mā w tout this eatinge drinking which eyther hath gotten before or euer shal get saluaciō Adā him selfe the first man althoughe in y ◠time of his lyfe christ was not yet come yet eate he his fleshe dranke his bloude because he beleued that Christ shoulde come whiche by hys fleshe bloud y t is by his death put ged our synnes Noe also Abraham the other patriarckes prophets did eate the flesh of Christ drinke his bloud because they beleued that the◅ should get saluacion by Christ which shuld suffer in fleshe for their sines put away their iniquities by his bloud So also al good mē whiche after Christes cōming liue here in this world althoughe thei do not alwaies take y e supper of y e lord yet alwaies they eate the fleshe of christ drinke his bloud because they beleue y t Christe hath put away theire synnes by hys bloude death But let vs here now for what cause this eating drinckyng whych is fayth in Chryst doth bryng vnto vs or if you list so to saye receiueth lyfe and saluacion It foloweth For my fleshe is verely meate my bloud is verely drincke He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloude he tarieth in me and I in hym Thys is the comparacion of meate and dryncke wyth the fleshe and bloude of Christe And the comparacion is made partelye by a dyssimilitude and partly by a lykelyhode The dyssimilitude is that althoughe corporal meate drinke noryshe the man and substayne hys lyfe yet are they not the meate and dryncke whych kepe man for euer but for a whyle in thys corporall and fadyng lyfe But the fleshe and bloude of Christe if they be receyued in fayth that is if ye beleue the fleshe of Christ to haue bene gyuen to death for oure synnes and hys bloude to haue bene shed for the remission of synnes are meate and dryncke in dede bycause they kepe man in lyfe perpetuall For he that beleueth in Christ he semeth in dede to dye as other men but hys death is no death but a slepe because that hys lyfe is hyd wyth Christe and kept of Christe vntyll he be raysed agayne in the last daye And the similitude is that as the iuyce of corporal meate and drinke is sent into all the partes of man and turneth the hauioure of hys bodye into hys nature as if a manne vse to moyste mea◅ ▪ the body also is made moyst if he vse could meate the body is also made coulde so also the fleshe bloude of Christe turne hym that taketh them that is the beleuer into their nature He that eateth sayeth he my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym that is we be made one fleshe one bloude And the same nature that my fleshe and my bloud hathe the same also getteth he that eateth me And the fleshe of Christe is lyfe I wyl gyue my fleshe sayeth he for the life of the worlde The fleshe also of Christe coulde not peryshe in death but rose agayne from death And the bloude of Christe putteth awaye synnes because it is iust and innocent bloud Wherefore he that eateth thys meate and dryncke as he is counted iuste before God ▪ so al so is he made alyue that he dye not in death but ryse agayne and haue lyfe euerlastynge And what canne come to man eyther more profitable or more holsome thā this meate and dryncke which
Althoughe Christe haue suche greate autoritye that all hys sayinges althoughe they haue no profe ioyned to theim must be taken and kepte for heauenly reuelacions yet in thys place he bringeth out for wytnes the sayinges of the Prophetes sayinge in the Prophetes it is wryten all shall be taughte of God All therefore that haue hearde of my father and hath learned commeth to me Let vs seke nowe in what Prophetes thys is written And it is playne in verye dede that thys saying is contained in the. xlv Chapter of Esaie For whan the Prophet dyd discribe the kyngdom of Messias and rekened vp hys benefites whyche be geuen to those y t be subiectes of hys kyngdom amonge other he reherseth vp thys also that al they that pertayne to thys kyngedome are taughte of god and are lightened by the holye goost I wyll sayeth he make all thy children the Dysciples of the Lord For god hym selfe shal be their teacher And the holye goost shal teach theym that both they shall knoweledge the true Messias and obtaine the true benefits of Messias With thys sayinge agreeth thys also that the same prophete wryteth of in an other place All nacions shall slowe sayeth he vnto the mountayne of the lorde that is to wyt whan the kyngedome of Christe is opened and much people shall go and saye Come lette vs go vp to the mountayne of the Lorde and the howse of the god of Iacob and he shall teache vs hys wayes The Lorde hym selfe sayeth he shall teach vs that all maye be taughte of the Lorde To thys agreeth also Hierimye in hys xxxi Chapter after those dayes sayeth the Lorde I wyl gyue my lawe in theyr bowels and I wyll wryghte theym in theyr herte and I wyll be theyr GOD and they shall be my people And a manne shall no more teache hys neyghboure nor a manne hys brother sayinge knowe the Lorde For all shall know me from the lest to the hiest Uerely thys is it y t Esaias had sayed also before Al shal be taughte of god There be also some thynges or places in the wrytynges of the E◅angelistes and Apostles y t agre w t these sayinges of the Prophetes ▪ and by whyche it is playnelye shewed y t as al that pertayne to y ◠king dome of Messias should be taught by God so no mā can acknowledge or cōfesse Messias except he be ligh tened wyth heau◅nlye doctryne In Mathewe Christe sayeth no man knoweth the son but the father nor no mā the father but the son and he to whome the sonne wyll open it And a litell after whan Peter dyd confesse of Iesus boeth in hys own name and in the name of the other Apostles sayinge thou arte that Christ the sonne of the l◅uyng god Iesus answered hym Fleshe and bloude hath not opened thys vnto the but my father that is in heauen Here it is openlye sayde that the knoweledge of Messias whyche is oure true health and as Christ him selfe sayeth euerlastynge lyfe depe◅ deth not by mannes reason or industrye nor of mans merites but onely of the heauenlye doctryne and free mercy of God It is not saieth Paule in the wyllar nor in y e tunnet but in God that hathe mercye And it is sayde to Moyses I wyll haue mercye of whom so euer I wil haue mercye and I wyll shewe mer cye to whom so euer I list There be manye also suche lyke sayinges of Scripture whych testifye that men can get the knoweledge of Messias and theyr saluacion onely by the fre mercye of God whyche wyll drawe by hys holye spirite whome so euer he wyll and lyst Here nowe ryseth a great sorte of questions and as wel the ignoraunte as the connynge the good as the badde may dyspute in thys mater For some say If nedes al men muste be taught of god what nede we to heare sermōs made by men to what profiteth the outwarde preachynge of the Gospel I wil thā heare no more what any mā sayeth vnto me but I wyll loke for reuelacion from heauen to be lyght ned by the holy goost Other make obieccion If no man may come vnto Christe excepte he be drawen by God the father the faulte of vnbeliefe shall not be in the man whych if he were drawen must nedes obey whā God draweth because his vertue is omnipotent For why doeth not god drawe all menne seynge he is hable to do it Why drewe he Ia cob and not Esau Why drewe he Paule and not Caiphas Other thynke If mans saluacion depend onlye of the fre mercye of God whiche choseth whom he wyl what and if thou werte not in the number of them that are chosen by God what if God had caste the awaye whan he chose hys at the begynnynge he those hys before the foundacions of the world were layed These and many other thynges are wonte to be reasoned of by mē whē ther heate that no man cōmeth to Christe nor getteth saluacion excepte he be chosen of god be drawen taught by god Fyrst therefore you must hold vndoutedlye that all the hole scripture in the whyche thys thinge also of gods predestinaciō is contained is inspired of God put in writing for this vse purpose to shew vnto vs Christ to teach Christ to set out Christ to stir vp kyndle strēgth and kepe our faith that is in Christ. It is playne that Moyses whyche is the fyrste and chiefest minister of holy scripture sendeth the people awaye from hym selfe to Christe say inge The Lorde GOD shal rayse vppe vnto the a Prophete of thy people and of thy brethren ◅ym thou shalte heare And Peter sayeth all the Prophetes from Sa muell and after as many as spake hath also shewed of these daies For there is none other name vnder hea uen gyuen amonge men in the whiwe must be saued Wherefore what soeuer place of Scripture semeth vnto vs eyther to take Christ away or to weaken and breake y ◠fayth in Christe we muste thyncke that eyther we do not vnderstand it ryghtlye or that it is the tentacion of the spirite of the diuyll For it cannot be that it shoulde be the holye Gost that doeth leade awaye men from Christe and the fayeth whiche is in hym Furthermore where Christe sayeth That no man commeth to hym excepte he be drawen of God the father And Esaye that all be taughte of GOD It putteth not awaye the outwarde ministery of the preachynge of the Gospell but rather confyrmeth it For whome the father draweth those he draweth by preachynge of the Gospell And those whome God teacheth those he teacheth by the outwarde or as we be wonte by the vocal worde Go you sayeth Christ into y ◠vniuersall worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures Why woulde Christe so sadly and wyth so greate ieopardye also of hys Apostles ordayne thorowe the whole world the open preachynge of hys Gospell if it serued not to learne true godlines and to get
Iewes sawe a miracle a litle before whych Christe had shewed in the deserte of fyue loues and two fyshes and they confessed that he was the very prophet whych the stripture promised should come but nowe for a worde or two as they thoughte in dede not worthy to be hearde farre oute of tune they iudged hym a very foole and a madde man What can be more folyshe or more impudente Wherefore whan Iesus sawe theire so greate rudenes he went not strayght waye aboute thys to declare hys wordes whyche semed obscure vnto theym and far out of the waye but he continued to speake styll that semed far more out of tune y ◠theyr folishnes myght iustlye be punyshed and that after the Prophet the herte of the people shoulde be made more blynde and theire eares more harde to heate and their eyes stopped because that those thynges whyche if they had take good hede thei might playnelye haue vnderstande they hadde rather lewdely interpretate and set naught by then to learne thē wel For whan Iesus before had resoned of the eatynge of his fleshe as thoughe it had bene a thinge indifferent and at theire libertye to eate hys fleshe or not eate it nowe he requyreth the eatynge as a thynge necessarye to get true lyfe and saluacion For Iesus sayd vnto them Verely ◅erely I saye vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys bloude you haue no lyfe in you He that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll raise hym vp in the daye You se wyth what asseueracion he doeth affyrme the eatynge of hys fleshe to be necessarye and the drynkynge of hys bloude He sayeth not simply except you eate and drynke but he addeth an othe Uerelye verely I saye vnto you y ◠not so much the trueth of thys sayinge maye be confirmed as the necessitye of eatyng and drinckyng signified And because no man shuld dout of what lyfe he speaketh straightwaie he expoundeth it more playnely saying he that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge For he speaketh of true and eternall life not of thys transitorye and mortal lyfe where vpon he sayeth more And I wyll rayse hym in the last day for althoughe they that eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud seme in the eyes of men to die yet before god they are kept in dede in thys life whych also shall be opened by resurreccion Youre life sayeth Paule is hyd w t Christ in god Whansoeuer Christ shal be made o pen which is our life than shal you also be shewed openly wyth hym in glory But ther be some whych haue wrythē thys saying of Christ of the eatynge of his eshe and drynkyng of hys bloude to the takinge of the Lordes Supper and because they sawe that by thys sayinge of Christ that the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckynge of hys bloude was necessarye to haue lyfe therefore they decreed that the supper ought to be gyuen vnto infauntes also But Christe in thys place speaketh nothynge at all of the eatynge of that supper whyche afterwardes he ordained for a remembraunce of hys death For thys eatyng of Christes fleshe drinking of his bloud y t we speake of nowe is plainly necessary to saluaciō Uerely verely sayeth he vnto you except ye shal eate y ◠fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys blud ye haue not life in you What can be spoken more playnely of the necessytye of thys eating and drinckyng But the eatyng of the lordes supper is not simplye necessarye to saluacion In dede great is the pro fit of that supper and in dede whan you maye muste be taken and that after the institucion of Christe and in very dede great thankes must be gyuen vnto the Lorde for this gift but the vse of it is not simply necessary For Christ sayth in Paule do thys as often as you shal drinke in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not except you shal eat this bread drynke this wine you cannot haue saluacion but he sayeth as often as you shal do in dede signifiyng y t the church ought in dede to vse this sa cramēt euen vntil his last cōming but not y ◠the vse of it is so greate y ◠except a man take it he may not tho rowe fayth in Christ get saluacion Infantes at thys tyme vse not this sacrament Shal thei thē if thei die in thier infācie ◅e al dāned althogh thei be graffed into Christ thorowe baptisme What can more vniustly or more cruelly be thoughte of these infāts And what if one of a good age Baptised into Christ should be led of hys enemies into Turkye or euer he receyued the Supper of the Lorde and beynge yet euen in the myddes of Turkye kepte styll hys fayeth towarde Christe and yet coulde neuer vse thys sacramente shoulde we iudge hym to hel Certaynely if the vse of thys sacrament were necessarye symply to saltion it could not be y t he that neuer vsed it should haue lyfe And true health is set in Christ hym selfe and in fayeth that is had in hym not in the outwarde receauyng of the lordes supper There is sayeth Peter health in none other Neyther is there any other name gyuen vnder heauen amonge men in the whych we muste be saued For althoughe in the supper of the Lorde the body of Christe and his blud is distributed yet hath not Christe so bounde hym selfe wyth hys body and bloud to his supper that he cannot be taken but in supper for he is receyued also in the preachynge of hys Gospell yea excepte the preachynge of the gospell be ioyned to the supper there shuld be no distribucion of the body and bloude of Christe He is receyued also in ba◅tisme For who soeuer as Paule sayth be baptised in Christe ye haue put on Christe These thynges be spoken not for thys entent that we shoulde not often and obedientelye vse the supper of the Lorde For vnto a good man and that is troubled wyth diuers calamities as it is much pleasaunt so is it also very profitable to comfort and hold vp hys conscience by the vse of thys Supper but therefore they be rehearsed that we may knowe the sayinge of Christe that he rehearseth in the sermon of thys syxte Chapter of the eatyng of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud not to be vnderstande of the taking of the Supper of the Lorde and that we maye knowe that there is a greate dyfference betwixt Christe hym selfe whyche onelye i◅ oure health and hys Supper whyche is in dede a profitable but not an onely meane whereby we maye receyue Christe And as touchynge Infauntes althoughe it be manifest that in the tyme of Ciprian and Augustine the supper of the Lorde was gyuen vnto Infantes that this dede of holy fathers ought not rashly to be condēned yet we ought not to thincke y t it is necessarye that the supper
is Christe hym selfe receiued by fayth But I praie the whence hath the fleshe bloude of Christ so much strength that thei make the eater alyue kepe hym in perpetual life Of this thing christ hymselfe preacheth thus As the linynge father hath sent me and I fyue for my father so he that shall eate me he also shal lyue thorowe me A sayinge worthy to be marked by the whyche Christe not onelye sheweth the cause for the whyche hys fleshe and bloude doeth brynge to hym that doth eate that is doth beleue in him true lyfe and saluacion but also doeth shewe howe greate the maiestye is of them that beleue in hym My father sayeth he hath sente me into thys world therefore am I made the sonne of man and very man hauyng flesh and bloud And my father hath not onely sente me but I lyue also for my father y â— is not onely am I the sonne of man and man but I am also the sonne of God and verye God hauynge the nature of the diuinitye I am â—…ome in dede into thys world as man as a seruaunte as a Messenger yet neuerthelesse I lyue for my father I haue God my father of whome I am begoten verye GOD from euerlastyng After the same maner he that eateth me â–ª or beleueth in me he also lyueth for me For as I because I am borne from euerlastyng of GOD my father lyue for my father and am the verye Sonne of GOD and GOD hym selfe so they â–ª also that beleue in me bycause they be boorne agayne in me thorow sayth they lyâ—…e also for me and 〈◊〉 not men 〈◊〉 but they be made also the sonnes of god and goddes in dede theym â—…es What shall we saye then to these thynges Doth he that beleueth in Christe so lyue for Christe that he hym selfe also thorowe Christe is made a god Than shal there be as many goddes as there be beleuers We accuse the Ethnikes for y â— wyckednes because they haue fayned manye gods now we make many more But it is well we folow not y â— wickednes of y â— heathen but christiaÌ„ godlines For they that beleue in Christe be made suche goddes as is theyr state and condicion They are not made naturall goddes whyche haue bene from euerlastynge for so there be three persons and but one God but they be goddes by choyse and adopcion For as in the order of princes some be princes by natiuitye and byrth and some by thosynge whych a man maye call made goddes so amonge the sonnes of God there is but one natural sonne of God from euerlastynge and the other be made the sonnes of God by â—…synge and by adopcion whome also thou mayst call the made sonnes of God As many sayeth he as haue receyued hym he hath gyuen vnto theim that they maye be made the sonnes of God to theim whiche hadde beleued in hys name And he that is the sonne of God certes is God For as he that is the son of a man must nedes be man so must he nedes be God that is the sonne of God That y â— is borne of the flesh is flesh TheÌ„ that y â— is borne of god is God Was not man made-euen so from the begynnynge that he shuld be God not in dede â–ª vncreate but â—…reate For God sayed let vs make man to oure ymage and similitude This verely is to deliberate of makyng or creating of god And if maÌ„ had continued in obedience stil in goodnes in the which he was made you shulde haue seen him gone in y â— earth as a god But now this maie stie is lost thorowe sinne disobedience But it is recouered to meÌ„ thorow Christ y â— as many as beleue in him shuld receiue a diuine maiestie and be made the sonnes of god y â— is gods them selues I sayd sayth the Psalme ye be gods al y â— children of y â— hie one What shuld we do theÌ„ Are the beleuynge garnyshed wyth so greate maiestye and nobilitye that carnallye puffed wyth pryde they shoulde dysdayne al other men despightfully in comparison of theÌ„ selues â–ª Uerelye nothynge lesse But that they shoulde learne to vse that excellencye agaynste the dyuell and synne and kepe the health that is gyuen theym in Christe For fyrste we must vse the consideracion of thys maiestye to put awaye the assautes of the dyuel in al our most greuous tentacions For we acknoweledge in oure conscience that we haue done manye and greate synnes and we fele in verye dede that synne stycketh faste styll to our fleshe and therefore the iudgemente of GOD opened in vs we se oure damnacion we se the fyer of hell redye kyndelynge to deuoure vs and the dyuyl moueth vs to dyspaire of oure saluacion Whyther shall we tourne vs then in such straightnes Our maie stye muste be considered thorowe â—…ayeth that thorowe Christe we be chosen in to Goddes And goddes haue no synne And the fyer of hell hathe no power vpon Goddes The contrarye in dede appereth in â–ª vs. And therefore muste we iudge rather after the trueth of our adopcion than after our outward sensible syghte of thynges And the trueth is that the true and eternall God â–ª knoweledgeth vs for hys sonnes thorowe Christ that is goddes our selfe Wherefore althoughe the iudgemente of synnes be greuous vnto vs â–ª yet can it brynge no hurtâ—… vnto vs because of Christ. Ther be some whome pouertye greueth or sycknes or some other calamitye in thys worlde They are wonte to thynke that these calamities shalbe â–ª euer hurteful vnto theym and therfore are maruaylouslye troubled What shoulde they do than Let theym consider theyr maiestye that they be made gods thorow Christ And goddes cannot in anye wyse be hurte by these bodily calamities â–ª Wherfore let them be of good chere whatsoeuer shal happen it shall rather bâ—… an helpe thaÌ„ an hurt Some so quake at death that they thynckâ—… hy death they shoulde go into eternall darcknes and tormentes Whe ther shoulde they than runne for succoure The surest saÌ„ctuary is if they runne to the consideracion of theyr owne maiestye For thorowe Christ they are chosen into goddes And death hath no power vpoÌ„ god ds For they be immortal and leade a lyfe that is blessed for euer We must truste therefore that death in those men whych beleue in Christe is not the way to dystruccioÌ„ but rather the way to lyfe which w t Christ we must leade blessedlye for euer And further we muste vse the consideracion of thys maiestye to styrre vp and kepe in vs the obedience to warde God and to leade an honestâ—… lyfe For if we be made the sonnes of God thorowe Christe we oughte not to leade our lyfe as the soÌ„nes of Satan or as Satan hym selfe but â—…s it becommeth the sonnes of god or goddes For as it is a shame if the Prynce do those thynges that be vnmete for a Prynce so it is muche more
shame if beynge the sonne of God he do these thynges that be vnmete for the sonne of god to do But what nede manye wordes Se what God hath forbyd by hys worde To vse dyspighte towarde God to iudge God a lyer to hate thy â–ª neyghboure to enuye thy neyghbour to studye to begyle to be aglotten and many other such thynges Those thynges in dede be vnmete for the Sonnes of god and he that folowethe these thynges leadeth not hys lyfe as the Sonne of GOD or GOD but as the sonne of the dyuyll or the dyuyll hym selfe For these be the workes of the diuel whiche he that doeth he must nedes â—…e of the dyuel his father Whâ—…â—…ore the worckes of the dyuell must be eschewed and the workes of god muste be folowed that the maiestye wyche we haue gotten in Chryste thorowe fayeth the same also we maye kepe stil finallye y t Christe ad deth This is the bread which descended froÌ„ heauen not as pour fathers haue eaten Man na and be dead He that shall eate this breade shall spue for euer is the conclusyon of thys sermon In the whichâ—… conclusyon Christe repeteth the principal state of his sermon almost eueÌ„ with the same wordes wyth the whyche he set it out before For seing Christ is the verye meate and drynke and is not onelye the sonne of manne but also of God whyche lyueth for hys father and is lyfe it selfe it is manyfest that thys breade is farre more excellente then Manna in deserte the whyche althoughe thâ—… fathers dyd eate yet died they but thys Iesus Christe is suche bread that he that eateth of it or in hym beleueth neuer shoulde dye but lyue for euer These thynges seynge they be largelye ynoughe declared before it is but in vayne to speake lenger of them wherefore let vs regarde nothynge more then in thys moost myserable honger of goodnes of oure lyfe we receyue thorowe fayth this bread whyche is Iesus oure lyfe gyuer GOD euen wyth the father and the holy goost blessed for euer Amen ☞ ☞ The tenthe Homilye THe Sermon that christ hath made of the eatynge of his flesh drincking of his blod as muche as per tayneth to oure purpose I thyncke we haue made playne by oure interpretacion For the principal state or poynte of this sermon is that not Moses but Iesus Christe is oure true sauioure and that he that beleueth in Iesus Christe for that is to eate his fleshe and dryncke hys bloude doeth get true and euerlastyng lyfe Thys is the summe of all Christes Gospell which seing it is ofteÌ„ times vereli much repeted in other places of this Euangelist whoÌ„ we haue takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ vs to expound we wyl not tary any lenger in thys part but we wyl run ouer those thynges whyche Iohn discribed after the Sermon saying These thynges Iesus sâ—…yde in the 〈◊〉 â–ª teachyng in â—…apernaum The Euangelist not only described the sermon of Christe but he addeth also the place in the which this sermon was made that is in Capernaum the chiefeste citye of Galilea and in the sinagoge that is in the most frequeÌ„ted place of the city By whych dyscripcion the Euangeliste not onely signifieth thys sermon to be spokeÌ„ in dede but setteth forth al so the veritie of Christes doctryne For those thynges y â— Christ taught he did not wyth a fewe onelye in secrete places whyche heretikes and sedicious persons are wonte to do which when they perceyue them selues that their teachyng is false they hate the lyghte but he taught those thynges openlie in the scholes and in the temple Let vs se then howe the hearers of Christe toke this sermon And in thys place is set forthe a great dyfference of hearers they are deuided into two partes For some and they very fewe that is to â—…ete twelue onely take the sermon wyth a contented mynde and tarye stil in hearynge his doctryne as it foloweth a litle after But other and those the greatest parte of hys chiefe hearers abhorre his sermon and fall from Christe Manye sayeth the Euangelist of his dysciples when they hadde hearde these thynges sayde Thys is an harde sayinge who is able to heare hym The thinges that they were offended wythall that were rehearsed before by them selfe nowe are rehersed together For there be two thynges wherewyth the hearers were offended in this sermon The one is that Iesus had sayed that he was come downe from heauen wherby he sygnified that he was the sonne of god and verye god hym selfe In other is that he had sayde hys â—…eshe shoulde be eaten and hys bloud dronken Those thinges ther fore at whyche seuerallye the hearers hadde murmured before wyth theym selfes nowe they repete togither and saye These be hard words he bosteth him self to become doune froÌ„ heaueÌ„ that is that he is god but we se knowe him to be a maÌ„ of meÌ„ what shulde then become of vs if we shulde folowe him teachynge so blasphemous thynges Uerelye we shulde brynge our selues into parel and ieopardye not only of oure corporall lyfe but also of euerlastinge healthe For there is a lawe If ther ryse amonge you a prophet and do shewe before of a signe or woÌ„derous token and it come to passe that he hath spoken and he say vnto the let vs go and folow straunge goddes whyche thou knowest not and let vs serue them thou shalt not heare the wordes of that Prophet but let the Prophet be kylled Seyng ther fore that thys Iesus hath shewed in dede manye and great miracles and thrusteth forth hym selfe to vs for a God whyche knowledge not but one god the maker of heauen earth go to nowe frindes let vs â—…tie farre from thys teacher that not on lye we heare not so blasphemous thynges but also that we be not kil led of our nacioÌ„ euen together with hym Thys also is harde that he re quyreth of vs the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud What Goeth he aboute our lawes beynge abrogated to ordayne the maners of the Scithians or of the Indians in oure common wealth They say there be people not farre from Schithia whyche of eatynge mans flesh be called Anthropophagi that is deuourers of men And in Inde they saye there is a nacion in the whych it is a coÌ„mon vsed thing that the children shoulde kyll theyr fathers and slâ—…a them as it were for sacrifice and after wardes eate their fleshe which is counted among the not crueltye but godlines Seynge therefore that Iesus doeth byd vs eate his fleshe wyll he make vs of the Iewes Indians and Scitâ—…iaÌ„s of the Israelites And that he reher seth of the drynckyng of his bloude is nolesse to be abhorred than very perillous For say they as far as we can iudge he signifieth by this drin kyng y â— he requireth of vs a couenauÌ„t of coÌ„iuracion for in diuers na cions ther be diuers facions of makynge a couenaunte Among the Arabians one is set
Iewes as gentiles and in dede that he sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD and heareth rul◅ in the myddes of hys enemies and iustifieth and maketh alyue al that beleue in hym For these be certayne and suar argumentes by whyche the diuyne maiestye of Christe hath bene shewed and proued Therefore whan he sayeth When you shall se the sonne of man ascendynge thyther where he was before thys is the meanynge I sayde vnto you that I was descended from heauen Be not therfore so offended w t thys worde to fall awaye from me For that that I sayed in worde I wyll proue in dede I wyl ascend againe thether where I was before and I wyll reuele myne heauenlye and dyuyne maiestye that you maye playnelye knowe that my learnyng is true and that I verelye am descended frō heauen that is haue taken man vpon me in dede and to be God in dede To thys also appertayneth y ◠Iesus in an other place whan he was axed by Caiphas before the Councell whether he was Christe the sonne of GOD he answered hereafter sayeth he you shall se the sonne of man sittyng on the ryght of the myghtye and commynge in the cloudes of heauen y ◠is I seme in dede nowe in youre syghte to be an abiecte and captiue but after thys tyme I wyl so shewe my maiestye that I wyll playnely proue that I am not onelye true Messias or Christe but also verye God euen of the same beynge and power wyth God And of thys in dede that Iesus sayde that he was come downe frō heauen thus much haue we sayde Let vs heare now al so of y ◠he sayed hys fl◅she should be eaten and hys bloude shoulde be droncken This sayth he offendeth you because I haue bydde you eate my fleshe and dryncke my bloude You thyncke peraduenture that I by thys doctryne do ordayne an eatyng of man or a tearynge of mans fleshe or a mutuall conspiracye to inuade the empires of thys worlde And therefore ye are afearde leaste by raysynge of sedicion I cast you by my doctryne into extreme ieoperdies of youre lyfe But be of good chere If you se me ascending thyther where I was before ▪ you shal proue in dede that my doctrine wyll do you no hu◅te For I wyll declare by my goynge vp into heauen that my kyngdome is not worldelye but an heauenlye kingedome Wherefore ye nede not to feare sedicion whereby I wyll inuade worldelye kingdomes Nor it is not to be feared least my doctrine shoulde brynge anye distruccion to you Do no more but stande and abyde still you shall fele in dede that you by my doctryne shall receyue lyfe and saluacion Let vs se than howe Iesus proueth hys doctrine to be more healthful than hu◅tfull and that he is rather the authour of life than of death It is the spirite sayeth he that gyueth life The fleshe profiteth nothynge The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe ▪ Thys place some vnderstande one wayes some an other but we wyll folowe the verye playne sentence and that the thynge it selfe declareth For if we wyl consider in what estate this controuersie doeth stand which is risen bewixt Christ and the Iewes it is manifest that this contencion is of the doctryne of Christ wherewyth the Iewes in dede be of ◅ended and the which they reproue but Christe defended it But Christ also hym selfe whan he sayeth The wordes whyche I speake vnto you are spirite playnely sygnifieth that here he speaketh of hys doctryne◅ and expoundeth what hys doctryne is For the Iewes dyd fear least if they continued to be hearers and folowers of Christe they shoulde by hys doctryne be caste into all kynde of troubles yea into death it selfe But thys f◅ar Christe refuteth and he teacheth hys doctryne not to brynge deathe but to brynge lyfe not to brynge destrucci on but saluacion For the spirite in thys manner of speakynge is taken for spiritual heauenlye and diuyne doctryne Therefore the maner of reasonyng is shorte in dede but worthy to be marked sayinge the spirite that is the spiritual and heauenly doctrine gyueth lyfe But the fleshe that is carnall and humayne doctryne as is the doctryne of the Phariseis or of sedicious persons profiteth no thynge bycause it bringeth distruccion and death But my wordes be spirite that is be spiritual doctrine and not carnal wherfore thei be life and bryng not death or destruccion as you iudge You haue the reasonynge of Christe Let vs nowe run ouer his partes spiritual heauēly learnyng sayth he gyueth lyfe and bringeth saluacion But carnal and humayne doctryne bryngeth dysstruccion and death What shal we saye than of the lawe of the Lorde whyche althoughe it be spirituall and heauenlye doctryne yet bryngeth it death or as Paule sayeth kylleth What shall we saye also of doctrines of men of conscience Ma thematicall of Physicke and other artes whiche partelye be profitable for mannes lyfe yea and partly after theyr facion necessarye also Shall we saye that they also profite nothynge but rather brynge men to destruccion Of the lawe of god therfore thus must we thinke that it mortifieth in dede and kylleth man but that is not thorowe the faut of the lawe but of the man For if we should speake of the selfe nature of goddes lawe verelye because it is a spirituall and heauenlye doctrine it hath also the nature of giuing life and bringing saluacion Kepe saieth he my lawes and iudgementes whyche the man that doth shal lyue in them They bring therefore of theyr owne nature life And when Moyses had made an ende of the ministerye of makynge a lawe he sayde Consider that nowe I haue set in thy syghte lyfe and good Christe also sayeth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes of God And Paulle the lawe is holye and the precepte is holye iuste and good Stephen also sayeth Moyses sayeth he toke the lyuelye wordes to gyue theym to vs. Wherefore as muche as pertayneth to hys nature as it is spirituall and heauenlye doctrine so it bryngeth also spirituall and heauenlye life But because men be carnal soulde vnder synne therefore it commeth to passe that the doctryne of the lawe bringeth rather deathe than lyfe and rather damnacyon than saluacion whyche thynge sith it is not imputed to the lawe but vnto manne and vnto hys synne it doeth yet remayne suer and stedfaste that spirituall learnynge dooeth gyue lyfe And as touchynge mans sciences whyche be profitable in thys world to kepe the lyfe of man here we speake not For thys earthelye and corporall healthe is one and the spirituall and heauenlye healthe is an other If we shoulde speake of thys bodelye and worldelye healthe there be manye and dyuers doctrynes whyche profyte verye muche Physicke profitteth to conserue and recouer the good healthe of y ◠body Mathematical profiteth to knowe the marueylous mocions of the bodyes celestiall and to measure the yearthe Housbandrye profitteth to the tyllynge of
the ground and who can in fewe wordes rehearse vp the profite of al the sciences of men But if we shoulde speake of true spiritual heauenly and euerlasting health verelye none other doctrine doth profit saue spirituall and hea uenlye Al carnal doctrynes be they neuer so profitable are pernicious and deadely if they be iudged to be a perfit waie to get heauēly health Amonge carnall teachinge most of all be deadelye the ▪ teachynges of y ◠Pharasies and of sedicious men The Pharisies do teache that men maye satisfye the lawe of God by outwarde worckes and that they do deserue by their obediēce iustice and lyfe euerlastynge before God Thys is in dede a carnal doctryne whyche leadeth men into perpetual distruccion The sedicious men do teach that tributes must not be gyuen to the Emperour of Rome and that we muste make batell agaynst the Romaynes that the Iewes the Romaynes beynge cast out of their countrye maye bryuge them selues into libertye and also subdue vnto thē other kingdomes of the world Thys is verye carnal doctrin whiche leadeth men into the ieoperdye of al their ryches goodes Since ther is therfore two maner of teach ynges one spirituall that gyueth lyfe saueth an other carnall that bryngeth death and dystroyeth I praye you in what kynd is the doctrine of Christ comprehended My wordes sayeth he that I speake vnto you are spirit My doctrine is not flesh nor is not carnal but it is spirit it is spiritual It is manifest therfore y ◠it is also life I sayd s◅ply he y ◠beleueth in me hath lyfe euerla stinge Thys is spiritual doctryne heauenly and diuine Wherfore he that receiueth it receiueth also life I spake Metaphorically but in the same sence I am the liuynge bread whyche am come downe from heauen If any man eate of thys bread he shall lyue for euer And agayne Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his bloude ye haue not life in you Thys doctrine also is spiritual diuine It remaineth therfore that it is life and that it giueth life that it saueth mē that receyue it that they may get euerlastyng saluaciō But why do we not rehearse thoughe in fewe wordes the kindes of the doctrine of Christ that we maie knowe the true vse of it For fyrst Christe did sometimes expounde the lawe of GOD as in Mathe the. v. and the. vi and as it is writen in other places of the Euāgelists To this braunch or kind do pertayne the threteninges the re bukinges and the prophesies of the euyls that are to come Thys doctryne is not in dede the proper doctryne of Christe but of Moses yet is it sayde that it doeth gyue lyfe be cause that shewynge the greatenes and greuousnes of synne it styreth men vp to seke for iustice and life in Chryste oure onelye sauioure Also it hathe taughte that saluacyon doeth not depend vpon mannes merites but by goddes elec◅ion No man sayeth he can come vnto me except my father that hath sente me shall drawe hym And agayne you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Thys learnynge also gyueth lyfe if a manne can vnderstande it well for it doeth strengthen theyr fayeth whyche beleue in Christe that they may haue their saluacion certayne and thorowlye knowen For if oure saluacion should stand vpon mannes merites we coulde neuer be in a suer mynde because that the merites of man as they are vnperfite so are they vnsure And in the Psalme it is spoken playnelye In thy syghte shall not be iustified all liuynge creatures But nowe because it dependeth of the onely and free mercye of God whych in his lonne Christ not only is opened but also confyrmed hys saluacion cānot be vncertayne that beleueth in Christ. The mountains sayeth he shalbe moued the hilles shal tremble but my mercy shal not go from you the couenant of my peace shal not be moued sayde thy mercifull lorde Wherefore seynge this doctrine taketh out y ◠dou◅yng of hys saluaciō from the hert of the beleuer it is manifest that it quyke neth him with a spiritual recreaciō saueth hym that he dispaire not dye euerlastyngly Finally Christ taughte hys Gospell that he was come into thys worlde to reconcile men wyth God the father that all that beleue in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlastinge This is the doctrine that properly belongeth vnto Christ. And this is the doctrin that giueth life in dede There be diuers kyndes of affliccions and death among men One is vexed almost dieth for hys great nede pouertie but if he haue taken thys doctrine of the gospel know ledgeth that God is merciful vnto him thorow Christ it cannot be but he must be so made aliue y t he maye manifestlye perceyue that he is in y ◠number of thē that Paule speaketh of as pore men yet enrichinge many as hauing nothing and yet possessyng althing An other is trobled with the knoweledge of synne and in maner dieth for the greatnes of the iudgement of it But if he gyue credit to the gospel of Christ knoweth hys synne to be forgyuen thorowe Christ he go◅th so from death to life y t he whyche before as one y t was deade durst not because of hys sinne lift vp his eies to heauē now dare boldly and cherefully come to the throne of goddes maiestye An other is striken wyth the feare of death and hel and thinketh he shal be damned for euer But if he wyll harcke to the Gospel of Christ and beleue in Christe that he is the victor of death and hel and the redemer of al that trust in hym not only is he saued in death but he shall be ◅aysed in the last daye that he maye receyue euen wyth Christ the hereditaunce of alheauenly ioye and felicitye Wherefore lette vs bestowe all oure cares and thoughtes vpon thys thyng to receyue wyth obediente fayeth the doctrine of the gospell of Christ ▪ Wherby in all kynd of tribulacion and death we maye be made quicke and alyue And althoughe Christe do playnely shewe that hys doctryne is not hurtefull ne deadely as thei iudged but to be spirituall and wholesome yet seeth he that it taketh no place among◅ y ◠greatest of hys hear◅ts therfore sayth further There be some of you that do not beleue For Iesus knewe frō y t begynuing who were y t vnbeleuers and who shold betr◅ye hym And sayed Therefore haue I ◅ould you that no man can come vnto me excerte it be gyuen hym of my father Christ doth prophecy of the falling away of his hearers of the treasō also of Iudas Ischariot Of y ◠whi che thyng because Iesus wil warne his dysciples agayne in the ende of this Chap. we wil let alone till that place what soeuer shal be thought mete to be spokē of this thing And here he repeteth agayne y ◠cause of vnbelife whiche he rrehersed before
he did thankes the other saye He blessed for by the doinge of thanckes the. v. loues and two fishes were so blessed increasid and multiplied that by thē not onlye v. thousande men euen w t women children were aboundant ly fed but also there was gathered xii cophins ful of fragmentes So in y e laste supper Iesus toke bread that one Euangelist sayth he gaue thanckes y t an other saith he blessed for bi this giuing thāckes Christ so blessed y ◠bread the cup of his supper y t to them that beleued in Christ not only thei wer meat drincke for the bodi to kepe the corporal life but also meat drincke to y ◠soule yea of the whole man to kepe his lyfe spiritualli eternalli wherfore to giue God thanckes for his benefites gyuen shewed is to bles his benifits offered vnto vs to make them fortu nate to encrease them and multiplie them and therfore he that doth desier to encrease and multipli the good thinges which he hathe receiued by the fauour of god cā not do it more godly nor more hādsōly thē if being content w tthe benefit y t he hath be it neuer so litle he geue thākes to god as he mai do shew kindnes again These things must diligētly be mar ked y t we may learne a true godly wai to encrese our riches or other be nefites of god For mē thorow their corrupt nature be so minded y t what soeuer benefite thei haue receiued of god thei thinke it les thē it shuld be Wherfore in al their thought dili gence they bend thē vpō this studie to encrease that y t they haue takē if not godly iustly yet vngodly and vniustli bi what meanes so euer thei may so y t they may encrease it But by this meanes the benefite y t they haue takē is rather cursed thē blessed more diminished thē encreased for the scripture saith If y u hear not the voyce of thy Lorde to kepe do al his cōmaundemētes cursed be thi barne cursed be al that thou leauest behind the. And among the cōmaun dementes this also is cōteined thou shalte not steale Wherby are all deceites forbidden with the which mē are wonte to encrease their ryches And againe shal I iustifie the wicked balaunce the deceitful waight of the bagge by the which ryche ▪ mē are fylled w t iniquitie Thou shalt eate shalt not be filled thy humi liaciō shalbe in y ◠midste of thi selfe Wherefore crafte and deceytes in marchandise is not that waye wherby ryches are truely blessed and encreased but to do that ryghtely we must learne of the exāple of Christ. Christ toke v ▪ loues two fishes into hys hādes although this meate semed nothynge to be sufficiente for so greate a multitude yet for thys beynge very litle he gaue thanckes to God hys father By which thankes gyuyng it came to passe that so many thousandes were filled of this very litle meate Let vs also do like wyse Let vs take those fewe thynges whiche God hath gyuen in our handes wyth a faythfull mynde let vs be cotent with these yea thoughe they be verye fewe let vs acknoweledge that thorowe our owne goodnes we haue not deserued theym but that we haue gotten them of the liberall mercy of God and gyue thākes for them both in wordes and dedes For so it shal come to pas y t these oure thynges be they neuer so fewe shalbe encreased may be sufficiēte both to oure selues to our familie But thou wylt say I am not Christ which by my power can so multiply eyther bread or other thinges nor I haue not the gyfte to do miracles Thou sayest well Thou arte nor Christe but if thou beleue in Christ thou art a member of Christ. Thinkest thou y t no blessing cōmeth from the head into y ◠member Is not the head the mēber so ioyned together that they haue a common vertue Wylt thou not multiplie thy bread by thankes geuynge wyth some externall and visible but by heauenly and spiritual encrease Lo sayeth he thy seruauntes shall eate and you shall hunger they shall drincke and you shall thriste they shall be glad and you shall be confounded And agayne God shall not ponishe wyth hongar the soule of the iust Wherfore if by thanckes gyuynge thy breade shalbe encreased so that thou dye not for hongar but obtayne in dede euerlastynge lyfe perpetuallye what canne be more plentifull more profitable than thys encrease But lette vs go forthe wythe the reste And assone as they were fylled he sayed to hys Dysciples Gather together the fragmētes that be lefte that nothyng be loste So thei gathered together and filled xii cophēs of the fragmentes of fyue barley loues which were left by them that had eaten What meaneth this Some Sicophante woulde saye Is not thys couetousnes that Christe commaun deth to gather together the fragmentes so carefullye Is he also care full for to morowe That that Christe doeth is no couetousnes or wycked carefulnes neuer did syn neither in hys mouth was founde anye deceite but it is a greate wysdome and worthy to be marked For fyrst he commaundeth the fragmentes to be gathered toge ther that the trueth of the miracle maye be the more sene and better tried for if he had not multiplied fyue loues wyth very bread and had not fed so many men in very dede suerlye they coulde not haue gathered so manye fragmentes but the Iuglynge woulde haue bene perceyued in very dede But nowe the fragmētes be gathered together and in very dede are good to be eaten Wherfore it is playne that ther was a miracle done in ded◅ Further Christe teacheth that we shoulde not abuse the gyftes that GOD gyueth vs here and that it is lawfull for vs in dede to take the fruite of theym as far as necessitye requireth and yet not to tread vnder our fete that that ◅s left of thē as for example of corne ◅f wyne and of riches And the lea◅ynges of corne and wyne and of ◅uch other thinges are troden vnder ◅ur fete not onlye when they be tro◅en wyth mennes fete vpon y ◠groūd wythout regarde but when men deuoure them glotouously whan they ◅owle vppe cuppes of dryncke who ◅aye do mooste and whan they spende in waste the ryches that they haue receiued of their fathers This ◅erely is a treadinge vnder our fete which when we do the anger of God cōmeth vpō vs inobediēt chyldrē to ◅e punyshed wyth batayles an scarcitye of all thynges Wo sayeth the prophet to you that ryse erlye in the morning to folow dronckennes and ◅o swyll tyll it be nyghte to boile in ◅yne Harpe lute timpane ◅eute ◅nd wyne be in your festes ye loke ◅ot vpon the worke of God nor you do not cōsider the workes of his hādes Therfore is my people led captiue because they had
was come thither they testifye that they dyd knoweledge the maiestie of hys power and maruayle much at him But Iesus answered theym farre other wyse than they had thought For he saide Verely verely I say vnto you ye seke me not because you haue sene y ◠miracles but bycause you haue eate of y ◠bread and are fylled Thys is a sore and earnest rebuke y t they shulde abuse y ◠miracle I haue shewed a miracle sayeth he wyth v loues and two fyshes not for thys purpose to shewe that I woulde be a worldly kynge and brynge vnto those that folow me felicitie of thys corporall lyfe and fede theym ydle and sluggish but that by this signe and miracle they beynge stirred vp shoulde knowledge the truth of my doctryne and seke for the meate of true and euerlastynge life But you folowe me not because ye se the miracles that is not to vse the miracles ryghtely and seke for in me the meate of euerlastyng life but to fat your bodies wyth idelnes and sluggishnes you seke not for iustice but for surfettes you care not for heauen but youre belye Get ye hence therefore and youre belies to I desier to haue fa◅ other folowers than suche as care for nothinge but their belies What would you than haue vs to do It foloweth Worcke not the meate that perisheth but that abydeth stil into euerlastynge lyfe whyche the sonne of man wyl gyue you For god the father hath sealed hym ▪ Thys is a necessarye admonicion For men be so corrupte wythe synne that they take muche greater care to nouryshe the bealye than to nouryshe the mynde and more folowe after the corporall breade and that whyche shall peryshe than the heauenlye and euerlastynge bread But thys is the preposterous and peruerse care for thynges For man is made not after the similitude of oxen swyne or other beastes whyche studye onelye for the bealy and do nothynge but this to folowe after corporall meate but he is made after the Image and similitude of GOD that is to knowe God and studye for diuine thynges and that shall laste for euer For whether ye behold mannes bodye or his mind we be monished by the nature and syghte of these thynges that we seke not for corporall meate onelye after the manner of beastes Other creatures gyuen to the bealye loke downewardes to the grownd but mans body is vpryght to loks vpon heauen Man therfore ought to care for heauenlye thynges not yearthlye And of the mynde what shoulde we saye more It is the chie fest parte ōf man whyche in verye dede is not preserued by bodilye su stenaunce but by other that is farre more excellent that is heauenly of God Wherefore whither ye cōsider eyther the body or the minde of mā it is mete by no reason that a man should studye chiefelye and special ly of al to saue and trim the bodye And if mā had not synned he shuld haue led suche a lyfe as shuld haue bene troubled wyth no affliccions at all and shoulde so haue vsed his corporal meate that for al that with all hys mynd and thought he shuld haue bene in the contemplacion of heauenlye and Godlye thynges Thys shoulde haue bene the lyfe in Paradise But after that man had synned for synne he was cast out of Paradise into this woful wretched life not to tary in it foreuer but for a tyme as it were in a prisonne and dongen because he should conceiue a desiar to be deliuered and should thyncke to recouer the happines y t he had lost But he that drowneth hym selfe wholly in the cares of cor poral and earthly thynges I praie you what other thynge doth he thā if a man thrust and shutte in to an horyble prison woulde not laboure for thys to be deliuered out but rather to tarye longe ther and delight in fylthynes stinke What thyng should be more folysh or more mad than thys And yet the same playne ly do they whyche neglectinge and despising heauenly thinges droune theim selues altogether vpon these earthely But marke thou me what the fyrste and chiefe commaundement of God meaneth I sayeth he am thy Lorde God Thou shalt not haue any other goddes in my sight And agayne Thou shalte loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy herte with al thy mynd with al thy strength Althoughe no man in thys worlde can perfectelye fulfyll thys commaundemente yet doeth it put euerye man in remembraunce of hys dutye that he shoulde knowe what he oughte to do to hys true Lorde God For it techeth y t this is the office of man not that he shuld make of his bely a GOD and serue only for hys bealy profit as swine do but that he shoulde worshyppe the true omnipotente and heauenlye God our lord and seke for heauenlye and Godlye thynges wyth all hys herte Thys seruyce we owe to God fyrst for hys creacion because he hath made vs menne after hys owne Image and similitude and after because he hathe made vs agayne by an other creaciō hath redemed vs by hys only sōne our lord Iesus Christe by whom he hath de liuered vs from the power of darknes borne vs vp to his kingdō What is thā more fowle or shameful than despisynge God and neglectynge the seruice that we owe vn to God to folowe onely after manny she bodily and earthly thynges Well go to we woll counte some part of the tyme of our lyfe and we wyll compare wyth that our study that it maye be playne howe greate our sluggyshenes and dulnes is in learnynge and considerynge those thynges which pertayne to our very hauenly and euerlasting health One weke is made of seuen dayes and one naturall daye is of xxiiii houres Nowe number the howres of one weke and thou hast an hundred lx and right howres What is done now There is commonly among men so greate negligence of heauenly thinges that in so many howers of one weke they take not an hour or two in the whiche earnestly they thinke of theyr heauenlye saluacion But let vs speake also of the yere One of oure common yeares is made of three hundreth threscore and fyue dayes And where euerye daye is of xxiiii howers there are numbered in one yere eyght thousande seuen hundred and threescore howres And you shall fynde some that in so manye thousande howers wyll not take theym three or foure in the whyeh with al their minde and all theyr thoughte they wyll talke of heauenlye thynges eyther wyth them selues or wyll heare them talked of openlye of the ministers of the church yet for al that bestowe all theyr howres in slepe in meate in handy laboure in feastes in bathes in talke of mooste vayne thynges in walkyng abrode in iorneis in beinge and sellinge of marchaūdise and who is hable to reherce vp all bodilye mens occupacions Is not thys not onelye a verye foule thynge but also a mooste perilous thynge The hystorye Ecclesiasticall
doth declare that one Pambus are Heremite dyd come at Athanasius desiar from the wyldernes to Alexandria He whan he had seene there a woman as men saye muche lyke a player decked wyth muche gold and precious stones he wept Beynge axed why he dyd so Two thynges sayth he moued me That one the death of thys woman The other because I do not so much studye to please God my sauioure as she to please vngracious mē Pambus in dede sayed verye godly But thys is wyth earneste teares to be wepte for that not onelye one or two womē but almost al the whole sorte of men watche with great care and al their thoughes only for this to serue the bealy y ◠whiche what other thynge is it than to go to hys owne presente death destruccion Meates sayth Paule are appoynted for the bealy the bealy for the meates And god wyll destroie both the one the other And againe ma ny walke of the which I haue often shewed you and nowe I speake againe wepinge that be the enemyes of Christes crosse whose end is destruccion and their bealie their God and the glori shalbe to their shame that ca◅e for earthlye thynges And Christ sayeth what profitteth it mā if he wynne al the world haue the losse of his sole Likewise what pro fitteth it to haue your body ful of al kind of diliciouse meates for all y ◠to let youre mynde pyne awaye for lacke of hauēly meate which saueth you for euer For I praye you cōs◅der me what y t ende of these studyes is For if thou worke as Christ speketh or only folow after that meate that perisheth that is to saye bodily and earthly thou semeste in dede to saue thy body for a tyme that nothinge longe but shortly after thou shalt lese euen together w t the life of thy bodye thy whole euerlastinge health And so both the bodye the sole be lost together But if y ◠worke the meate which abideth still into euerlasting life than althoughe thy body be somtyme hungry yea I say more die also yet is thy soule saued And thy soule beynge saued the bodye also is saued thorowe the Lord Iesus Christ which wil transforme our yearthly bodye to make it lyke vnto his glorious body accordyng to that hys myghtye power in workynge by the whyche he maketh all thynges subiecte vnto hym Wherfore let this be our onely studye care let thys be our thought to worcke meate that remayneth ◅n to euerlastynge lyfe But I saye muste we do nothynge els in thys world is it not lawful to seke for bo dilye meate So thoughte certaine folyshe Hypocrites whyche after they had shut thē selues vp in their celles than toke meat of other men ydellye Christe doth not teache vs this For when he biddeth vs praie giue vs thys daye our dayly bread he sheweth plainlye that we ought to seke also for bodilie meate after the facion in dede that-we shoulde seke And Paule also when we were w tyou saith he we gaue you this cō maundement that if any man wold not worke he shuld not eate nether And it foloweth We heare say that some men order them selues among you inordinatelie doinge no worke but lyue curiousli To those that be such we commaund you and we desier you thorowe our Lorde Iesus Christ that worcking quietlye they wold eate their owne breade What meaneth this than y t Christ sayeth worke not the meate that perisheth He doeth not condemne an honest waye to seke for bodily fode but he condemneth the lewde and bacward studye of men Men are wonte to haue a greater regarde of bodilye fode than spirituall and they more care for the health of the body than of the soule But these thynges you must nedes do and not leaue the other vndone That you shoulde be kepte to heauenly and euerlastyng lyfe it is necessarye if you wyl be sa ued But that you should be kept in thys mortal lyfe it is not necessary Fyrst sayeth he seke for the kyngdome of God and all these thynges shall be caste vnto you And man doth lyue not by breade onelye but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of god Thys worlde is not our very countrie but a straūge land in the whyche we go in pilgrimage And likewise as if a man iorneied forth in farre countreyes he knoweth that this he shuld do only that whan he hath done his busines for the whych he went out he shuld come home agayne assone as might be and although that in the meane tyme he tourne in sometyme to his frendes houses and behold the buil dynges of other Cities yet thys is hys chiefe purpose to come home agayne to hys owne so whan we go on pylgrimage in thys lyfe that we shoulde come agayne to oure heauenly countrye althoughe we may seke for oure bodilye meate as it were in oure Inne yet moste of all the heauenly meate is to be sought for by whyche we maye be s◅ued to euerlastynge lyfe For thys our iorney is takē for that cause But thou wilte say what is y ◠meate y t bydeth for euer vnto euerlastynge lyfe I sayth Christ am y ◠heauēly Bread whyche am come downe from heauen If anye manne eate of thys breade he shall lyue for euer Of the whyche thynge because we wyl speake more at large hereafter we wyll not nowe tarye longe but wyl go forth wyth that we haue nowe in hande and we wyll se who can gyue vnto vs thys meate or bread For Christe addeth the whych the sonne of man shall gyue you For GOD the father hath sealed hym vp That these be spoken by an Antithesis those thynges wyll playnelye shewe which anon after shal folow For the son of man which is Messi◅ as is set agaynste the Patriarckes Moses the Prophetes circumcision and al the lawe and thys is the meanynge Neyther the Patriarekes nor Moses nor the Prophetes are that personne for whose sake men be iustified and made aly◅e Neyther circumcision nor all the lawe be those thynges for the whyche men obtayne iustice before God and euerlastyng lyfe But onely the sonne of man whyche is Messias Iesus Christe oure Lorde is that person and thynge for the whyche men are saued that is are counted iuste before God and receyue euerlastynge health In dede the patriarckes serue for greate purposes so do the prophetes and the law But onely Messias is the true health Abraham was a verye holye patriarcke and verie worthy prayse and yet for Abrahams sake no man ob tayned pardon of hys synnes Moses was a verye good lawe maker and a valiaunt Duke of the Istaelites but for Moses sake no man is saued whan he dieth The Prophetes were verie wel learned and verye holye preachers of the worde of God but for the prophetes sake no man obtained the heauenlye kyngdom Circumcision was a very profitable sacrament but no man had eternal saluacion
not I receyue theym not that in thys worlde they shoulde haue none affliccion or that they shoulde not be ouerthrowen wyth death but that althoughe they be troubled and seeme to dye yet they shoulde not peryshe but be saued wyth euerlastynge lyfe For I wyll rayse theym vp agayne in the laste daye that they may liue eternallye wyth me in ioye in my heauenlye kyngdome This is the meaning of the sermon of Christe Nowe wyll we touche a lytel the partes therof And fyrste Chryste teacheth that he hathe not come into this world to take and en crease hys kyngedome wyth outewarde corporall and violente power For the Iewes looked for suche a Messyas or Chryste whyche ioynynge vnto hym an armye of the Iewes shuld beare about harnesse thorowe all contreyes and subdue vnto hym all nacyons whyther they woulde or not as eyther Cyrus or Alexander Magnus or some other greate kyng was Men that haue no knowledge mar uayle also howe it happeneth that when Christ is endued with diuine maiesty he bryngeth not to passe by hys omnipotent power y t al his ad uersaryes blasphemers agaynst hys name either be not slayne wyth lyghtenynge or be maruelouslye drawen to beleue and obey Christ. But Christe in thys place doeth refute the vayne expectacion of the Iewes and a reason why he wyll compel no man violently to submit hymself vnto hym telleth he saying Al y t my father giueth me shal come vnto me and hym y ◠shal come vnto me I wil not cast out that is I am not come into this worlde to make men vnder me by violente power but I loke vpon the hande of God my father and I hange vpon hys wyll Whom soeuer he shall gyue vnto me and whom that he shall raise vp by his spirite thorowe my Gospell to confesse acknoweledge me he receyueth me and I wyll receiue and kepe hym agayne And what is the cause that thou doest not cōpell men by thy kyngly power to knowledge the and submit thē selues vnto the Because I am come downe sayeth he not to do my wyll but the wyl of hym that hath sente me I am come downe from heauen not as a master but as a seruaunt And it is the dutye of a seruaunte to applye hym selfe not after hys owne wyll but after the wyl and becke of his master I am come downe from heauen not as a cheyfe Lorde and Emperoure but as a messanger or one that is sente And it is his office that is sente to do and perfourme not hys owne opynyons but the commaundements of him that hath sente hym Wherefore in thys myne Embassye it is not lawefull for me to do anye thynge besyde the wyll of my father whose Messengare I am Tell vs than I praye the what is the wil of thy father Thys saythe he is the wyll of my father that hath sente me that I lose not annye of those menne whyche he hath gyuen me but rayse them vp in the later daye It is not my fathers wyll that I shoulde take vpon me the rule of a kynge in thys world and by stronge hande to subdue men vnto me but that I should saue theym whyche he by hys holye spirite hath broughte vnto me and that I shoulde kepe them that they perish not but although they shuld seme to dye yet that they be raysed vp agayne and lyue a ioyfull lyfe for euer To thys pertayneth also that Christe sayeth in another place of hys owne offyce The sonne of man is come not that he shoulde be serued but to serue hym selfe and to gyue hys lyfe a redempcion for manie that is Christ came not that horsemen and soldiars should fight for him shuld get for him by their lyfe and their bloude victorie that he after the maner of a kyng should beare rule in y ◠world as an Emperours armie shedeth theyr bloud y ◠Emperour may be defended may haue the victorye of hys enemyes hym selfe beynge safe but he came that he hym selfe shoulde gyue hys soule and his lyfe and shed out his owne bloud that they that acknow ledge hym myghte be redemed and saued from theyr enemies And in an other place when the Dysciples exhorted Christe to be reuenged vp on theim that set lyght by him with fire from heauen he answered You can not tel of whose spirite you are The sonne of manne is not come to destroye the soules of men but to saue theim Wherefore it is an obedience of goddes vocacion that he wyl not subdue men by kyngly and stronge power But thou wylt say Christ is ascended nowe into heauē hath layed awaye the fourme of a seruaunte and sytteth in the glory of God hys father why than doeth he nowe suffer blasphemers why now that he is in such maiesty doth he not compel violentlye or by hys almyghty power the inobediente to the obedience of his gospel Of this thing Peter preacheth thus Iesus Christe muste nedes take heauen euen vntyll the tyme of restitucion of al thynges whiche God spake by the mouth of al sayntes euen frō the tyme of the Prophetes For although that Chryst sit at the right hande of God and hathe hys omnipotent maiestie yet wyl he not shew that maiesti openli before the world before y ◠last day but he will gather together hys churche by hys Gospell thorowe oute all the worlde vntyll the laste daye do come in the whyche he wyll come openlye wyl so in dede caste vnder hys ennemies y ◠they shall be thruste downe into perpetuall prysones and neuer be let oute but hys fryndes and those that beleue in hym he wyll axate vnto perpetual kingdom and ioye He muste sayeth Paulle raigne vntyll he hath put al his ennemies vnder hys fete And then shall all be put vnder his fete whan death which is the last enemie shal be put awaye Wherfore as longe as thys worlde shal stande and that Christ shall not apere manifestlye for he shal not appere so til the last day he doeth not compell menne vnto the obedience of ◅ayeth by worldelye power but he calleth theym by preachynge hys Gospell that as manye as beynge moued vppe by the holye Gooste do receyue hym maye be saued What shall wee saye than of the offycer and master of an howseholde Bycause Christe doeth not by violente hand subdue men vnto hym is it not therfore the offyce of a good magistrat to cōpel hys subiectes to lyue an honest ly◅e and to heare the Gospell of God Is it not also the duetye of a good housekeper to enstruct wyth threatnynges and roddes his seruauntes whither they wyll or no in the instrucciō of Christen learning God forbyd for as touchinge this purpose y e vocaciō of christ is noe thing and an offycer or housekeper is an other For Christe came not into thys worlde to vse an outewarde offyce So he sent not hys Apostels also into the worlde to take vpon them externall gouernaunce
For to eate Christe or the breade 〈◊〉 Christe in thys place is to beleue in Christe as it foloweth afterwardes Therfore when he sayth This 〈◊〉 the breade descendynge from hea â—…n because that no man shoulde â—…rstande thys sayinge neyther of that breade wherewyth Iesus a lytell before had fedde fyue thouâ—…â—…en or of anye other earthely and corporall breade anone he sayeth further I am the liuynge bread whych am come downe 〈◊〉 heauen that we maye playnely vnderstande hym that he speaketh of hym selfe And when he sayeth after wardes y â— a man may eate of it and dye not straight waies he doeth expounde what to dye meaneth and sayeth if any maÌ„ eate of thys bread he shall lyue euerlastyngly For not to dye is to liue euerlastigly What shall we saye then to these thinges If in thys comparynge together of Manna wyth Christe the communicacioÌ„ is of a spiritual and heauen lye lyfe how shal thys that is sayd your fathers haue eaten Manna in deserte and be deade be true of Mo ses Aaron Phinees Iosue Calib and manye other good Israelites which theym selues also haue eaten MaÌ„na w t the rest yet be not dead spiritually but as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob lyue before god so do those liue also And if this speaking be of corporall and earthely death Howe can thys sayinge if a man eate of thys breade he shall not dye but lyue for euer be true of Iohn Baptist and afterwardes of Peter and of the other Apostles and Dysciples of Christe Dyd not all these eate â–ª of Christe that is beleue in Christe and yet be deade not onely â–ª corporallye but also were cruellye kylled of theyr aduersaryes What â—…eth it than that is sayed the fathers that haue eaten Manna be deade but he that eateth this bread dyeth not but shall lyue for euer Fyrste here in the begynnynge we wyll speake of Moyses and other good men that eate Manna in deserte For these in dede were preserued in death and lyue before God but they were not saued nor lyue not for Manna whyche they eate but for Iesus Christ in whom they did beleue whan they eate Manna by the promises that were spoken of Christe For excepte they had eaten hym together wyth Manna vnder Manna truly they also them selues had died by death euen wyth the vngodly of whome Paule spea keth All dyd eate that spirituall meate and al did drincke that spiritual drynke for they dranke of that spiritual rocke that folowed them and the rocke was Christe But God dyd not allowe many of them For they were ouerthrowen in the wyldernes And nowe because Mo ses and other good men in eatynge of Manna beleued also in Christe that was promised therefore thorowe Christe they were saued in death and got euerlastynge lyfe That that we haue spokeÌ„ of Manna the same muste we thyncke oâ—… the Supper of the Lorde For the bread and wyne of the Lordes supper are heauenly meat and dryncke because they be halowed and sanctified by the lordes institucion thâ—… they maye be hys bodye and bloud And althoughe al eate of the Supper of the Lord yet are not al saued in death nor haue euerlasting ioye For some in dede eate the supper of the Lorde and yet beleue not verelye in Christe they truste not in the bodye and bloude of Christe which they receyue in the sacramente Wherefore as to the wycked the ea tynge of Manna nothynge profited so to the vnbeleuynge and vnâ—…epentaunt the eatyng of y â— supper of the Lorde nothyng profiteth Other not onelye eate of the Lordes supper but beleue verely y â— Christe hath gyuen his bodye for their sinnes and hath shed hys bloude that they myghte be made cleane from theyr sinnes before god These ther fore be saued in the houre of death and lyue for euer not in dede for y â— selfe eatynge of the supper but thorow Christ in whom they verely beleue in whose â—…ayeth they be streÌ„g thened by y â— sacrameÌ„t of the supper For Christ only by â—…ayeth thorowe the gospel taken eyther with the sacramentes or w tout the sacraments is he thorowe whom men get true euerlasting helth The sacramentes haue in dede theyr vse in confirmynge the faieth of him y â— receiueth theÌ„ and must diligently be taken obediently but our health is not set in y â— self taking of the sacramentes but in Iesus Christe only receiued thorowe â—…ayeth For thys is the lyuing bred coÌ„ming downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ y â— who so euer shal eate of him or beleue in him should not dye but liue euerlastinglye Furthermore wher it is saied of the death of Iohn bap tist and y â— Apostles of other good mâ—… that beleued in Christe we must thinke y â— althoughe they be killed 〈◊〉 to men to be dead yet are they dead before god for before hym thei lyue yet styll For theyr soule is not loste because Christe Keapeth it neither perisheth theyr bodye For althoughe it turne agayne to duste yet shall it be raysed agayne in the laste daye into lyfe euerlastynge Therefore when Christ sayeth that the fathers be dead althoughe they haue eaten Manna but those that beleue in hym not to dye he sygnifieth and teacheth that the carynge of Manna did not bryng of it selfe lyfe and healthe no not to Moses and other good men for if they had eaten Manna only they also theym selues euen wyth the other vngodlye shoulde haue bene deade for euer but that onely he hym selfe that is true Mâ—…ssias receyued in fayeth to be the author and gyuer of lyfe and health But because Christ calleth hym selfe the breade of lyfe he sheweth the manoure also howe he is made breade that is our lyfe and health and sayeth The breade whyche I wyll gyue you is my flesh whych I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the worlde Hytherto I haue made mencion of my breade and haue promised lyfe vnto him that eateth of this bread Wherefore because you should not care and looke for of me for suche breade as Moyses hath geuen vnto you in deserte or suche as you hadde a litell before when wyth that and two fyshes I fedde more than fyue thousande men Go to I wyll declare vnto you playnelye what I vnderstande by bread For the breade whych I speake of now is my fleshe whyche I wyl gyue to get lyfe vnto the worlde I came in to thys worlde I toke man vpon me and I toke also all the infyrmi ties of man not to synne as manne dyd but y â— thorowe my passion and death I woulde put awaye the synnes of men and reconcile men wyth God the father that they might get not onelye pardon of theyr synnes but also lyfe euerlastyng Therfore my passion whyche I shall take in fleshe or after my humanitye is the deliueraunce of the worlde and my death whyche I shall suffer is the lyfe of the worlde that as manye as beleue in me maye be saued and lyue
in the myddes amongest theym that wyll make the leage whych fyrst doeth cut wyth a sharpe stone the palme of the hande that is nexte the thombe than takyng a shred of either of theyr garmentes he anoyntethe wythe the bloude stones that be set in the middes before theym By the which custome you maye se that couenauntes and bondes wer not made suar wythout the bloude of those y ◠were confederate or ioyned together In some other countreis it was a common maner in makynge couenauntes not onely to shede bloud but also to dryncke it For they that came into y t felowship together be wonte to bynde theyr ryghte handes and their thombs together wyth a knot and thā to let out wyth a litle stroke and to licke the bloud that was ga thered at the later ende of the rybbes That bonde was counted a secreate and very sure bonde because it was consecrated and halowed wyth eche others bloude The Romayne hystorye doeth testifye in the sedicion of Cateline howe y t it was vsed that Cateline the begynner of the sedicion bare aboute in greate boles the bloud of mās body ming led with wine dyd to dryncke of it al that knewe of y ◠conspiracye that by thys dryncke the othe made amongeste theym shoulde be confyrmed and to be more fayethfull amonge them selues You haue now that the drynckynge of mans bloud was vsed in makyng bondes or couenauntes and in doynge treason Wherefore when the Capernaites hearde Iesus preache of the drynckynge of hys bloude I doute not but they thoughte vpon suche a custome and thoughte that Iesus required of theim such a bond whereby they shoulde so bynde theim selues wyth hym that onely thei shuld healpe him to get a worldely dominion thorowe out al the worlde not onely by venturyng all their goods but theyr liues also And althoughe the Iewes were verye desirous and soughte principallye for thys thynge in theyr Messias that they shoulde beare rule in thys worlde yet because they thoughte that Iesus dyd thys thynge not that they liuynge in rest and wythout the arrowe shot he woulde get worldlye felicitye they abhorred hys sermon and toke councell to go awaye What Say they we thought that seyng he prophesied hym selfe to be Messias he woulde haue made vs happye in thys worlde wyth out all oure losse or hurte But nowe bycause we perceyue that he goeth aboute a conspiracye to make vs sworne to hym by drynckynge hys bloude and that he wyll cause vnto vs most extreme ieoperdi who cā be hys scholar or folowe hym For he sayeth He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in hym What other thynge is thys than if he sayde that we oughte so to bynde oure selfe wyth hym that we shoulde sticke vnto hym and neuer go awaye but folowe hym whyther soeuer be it thorowe sworde or fyarre he shall leade vs whither it be to the besigeynge of the citye of Hierusalem or the citye of Rome Let vs fly therefore and let vs leaue hym and hys bloud to least euen wyth hym as it hath chaūsed to other sedicious persons we lese also oure owne bloude and oure lyfe You se here a greate prudēce in dede of the Capernaites but a naughtie and carnal wit For prudence is not to be partaker of an other mans wyckednes and not to make anye bonde wyth sedicious personnes but it is wyckednes that whom they did knowe to haue the wytnes of Iohn Baptiste a verye holy man and whome they sawe to haue the authoritye of hys doctryne confyrmed wyth so manye miracles they dyd not giue so great credence vnto hym to beleue that hys Sermon was true althoughe they vnderstode it not and woulde not vouchesafe to gyue hym so muche honoure to axe reuerentelye of the meanynge of thys Sermon Wherefore they are worthye not onelye of a verye greate rebuke but also of a sore punyshemente And yet Christe accordynge to hys Gentilnes handleth theym Gentilye For Iesus knowynge wyth hym selfe that hys Dysciples murmured for thys thynge ◅e sayde vnto theym Doeth thys offend you If then you se the sonne of manne ascendyng vp thither where he was before we must vnderstand you shal perceyue in dede y ◠I haue sayd trueth In this pla◅e fyrst is signified that the secretes of menne be knowen to Christe oure Lorde For althoughe hys hea◅ers dyd not obiecte vnto hym manifestlye the absurditye of hys sermon but priuilye murmured wythin theym selues yet he seeth and hereth their thoughtes and theyr murmurynges We are warned therefore that before the maiestye of Chryst wherwith nowe heauen and earth is filled not onely we do nothynge but not once thyncke anye thynge fylthilye and synfullye Also Christe sygnifieth that he wyl proue in dede hys sermon to be true He sayde that he was come downe from heauen Why sayeth he doeth that offend you so greatelye that you wyll fal from me But be contente That that I haue spoken in wordes I wyl proue in dede For there is no man that ascendeth into heauen but he that dyscended from heauen as it is sayed before But I wyll ascende into heauen Wherefore if you shall se me ascendynge into heauen than you shall proue in dede that I dyscended from heauen But that we may ryghtelye vnderstande that that is sayed of commynge downe from heauen and goynge vp to heauen we muste marcke that in thys sermon to come downe from heauen is t◅◅aue of hys owne nature an hea◅enlye and diuyne begynnynge that is to be verye God For except thys were the meanynge of the com mynge downe from heauen howe shoulde the Iewes haue bene offended They woulde not haue bene offended if they hadde vnderstande that Iesus hadde so come downe from heauen that he hadde an heauenly vocacion as was the vocacion of Moyses or Elias or of the other Prophetes And whan by thys speach they were so greatelye offended yea they fel awaye from Iesu there is no doubte but that they vn derstode Iesus by these wordes to attribute vnto him selfe a diuinitie whyche thynge whan they iudged to be vngodly blasphemous they thoughte nothynge to be more for theyr saftye than to forsake Christe euen wyth his doctrine And to ascend into heauen in thys place is not to be vnderstande of suche a go yng vp as Elias went into heauen nor of that ascencion only of Christ whyche was made in the mount O liuete the. xl daye after his resurreccion but thys assencion of the whyche we speake now comprehendeth al thinges wherewyth Christe dyd proue hys diuynitye that is that he rose the thirde daye from the deade that he ascended the xl daye after hys resureccion into heauen that he sente the holye spirite that he shewed in hys name manye and greate miracles by hys Apostles y ◠he hath spread by the ministrye of hys Apostles hys Gospell into the whole worlde and hath defended it in the myddes of the pe◅sequutors aswell