meate and drynke wherewith he feedeth theim that come thereto as they ought do is his owne very fleshe and bloud They that come thereto muste occupye their myndes in consideryng howe his bodye was broken for them and his bloud shed for their redempcion and so ought they to approche to this heauenly table with all humblenes of heart and godlynes of mynde as to the table wherein Christ himselfe is geuen And they that come otherwyse to this holy table they come vnworthely and do not eat drynke Christes fleshe and bloud but eate drynke their owne damnacion because they do not duely consider Christes very fleshe bloud whiche be offered there spiritually to bee eaten dronken but dispisyng Christes most holy supper do come therto as it were to other meates drynkes without regarde of the Lordes body whiche is the spiritual meate of that table Therfore let a maÌ„ as sainct Paule sayth examine himselfe and so eate of the bread and drynke of the cuppe for he that eateth and drynketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnacion not desernyng the Lordes body Euil persons do not eaâ—e the body of Christ Thyrdly we can not deny but that both the good and bad do eate and drynke the sacramental bread and wine but besides the sacramentes the good eateth euerlastyng life the euil and wicked membres of the deuil euerlastyng death For they do not eate and drynke the body blud of Christ but as sainct Paule sayth they are gyltie of the body bloud of the Lord and eate drynke their owne damnacion Fourthly it is necessary that we knowe wherevnto this sacrament profiteth and what vtilitee coÌ„meth to vs by it and what is the power of it And this can no maÌ„ learne better any where then of the very wordes wherewith this sacrament was instituted whiche say This is my body geuen for you vnto the remission of synnes Christe ordayned this sacrament of his body and bloud in bread and wine to preache vnto vs that as our bodies be fed norished and preserued with meate drynke so are our hungry soules fed norished and preserued by the body bloud of Christ This same spiritual eatyng and drinkyng of the sayd body and bloud of Christ is not receiued in the mouthe digested in the stomacke but it is receyued with a pure heart a syncere fayth beleuyng that Christe gaue his body to death shed his bloud vpon the crosse for vs that he doth so ioyne and incorporate himself to vs that he is our heade and we his membres hauyng him dwellyng in vs wee in him What thyng can bee more comfortable to vs than to eat this meate and drynke this drynke For he sayth himselfe Iohn 6 He that eateth me shal liue by me Wherfore in this sacrameÌ„t receiued with a true fayth we are assured that our synnes be forgeuen whiche thing when we fele in our heates at the receiuyng of the Lordes supper what thyng can be more ioyfull more pleasaunt or more comfortable vnto vs Remission of sinnes is the highest treasure that can be in the worlde Who is it that would not apply his whole study cast in his mynde day night yea go though it were neuer so long a iourney so that he might attaine this treasure Suppose you there bee any ryches in this worlde lyke vnto this Naye verely Why so For the goodes of this worlde be they neuer so excellent neuer so precious great in value neuer so pleasant beautifull yet they ebbe flowe they fall as leaues and thei passe away although in this life onely they comfort man much yea and rather vexe trouble him But this treasure of forgeuenes of synnes when by fayth it is obtained found and set hande vpon it bringeth with it no incertaine deceiuable nor transitory life but a continuall euerlasting and perpetual lyfe also it causeth peace ioye in the holy ghost which shall last for euer Wherefore yt is very necessarye that we with al diligence and studiouse mind serch for this treasure There ar some that are so minded that they thinke that when they haue the worde it is not verye necessary nor maketh no great matter whether they come vnto the sacrament or no and that it is in their liberty whether they wyll take part of the lords table or no. All men ar bouÌ„d to receiue the Sacrament But I deny that liberty lai that al meÌ„ are so sore bound to remembre this benefite receiued of God through Christ as the apostels wer and often to reuolue it in heart and to giue thanks for it For though I neither can nor will bynd meÌ„ vnto a certaine prescript or peculier time to receiue this sacrament yet it is necessarye that wee consider the commaundement of Christe and that oftentymes we accomplishe and in deede fulfyll it Furthermore it is a trewth and can not bee denied but that by the woorde there is offered vnto vs the remission of sinnes And in the same worde is this sacrament commaunded and comprehended so that the one can not bee in onye wise deuided frome the other Fiftely considre nowe who these be that vse this sacrament accordyngly The vse of the lordes supper Douteles that are such as beleue Ther is a promise in the lordes supper that Christ wold giue his owne body vnto death for vs that he wold shed his blud to wash away our sinnes And in this promise there is no douting But what profiteth this promise vnto me excepte I receiue take hold vpon it by faith But yet if I wil be partaker of these thinges it is necessary that I come in faith For euery promise of God is receiued by faith So likewise teacheth the senteÌ„ces in the gospell of Iohn Ioh. 6. He that eateth this bread shal liue eternally Item The breade which I wil giue it ys my flesh for the lyfe of the world Item He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud continueth in me and I in him c. Al these sentences ar spoken of faith Now who so cometh vnto the communion of the lordes supper not hauing this faithe then not only hee eateth it not vnto his health and eternall life but muche rather he taketh part of this sacrameÌ„t vnto eternal coÌ„demnacioÌ„ as S. Paul in the epistle to the Cor. sufficiently sheweth and teacheth 1 Co. 11. Therfore if thou feele thy sinnes knowest them woldest right gladly be delyuered from them desirest to growe increase and waxe strong in faith well make hast come to this supê‘ For in it thou shalt find not only forgiuenes of sinnes that bi the word but also thou shalt feed thy soul with the body blud of Iesu Christ a great coÌ„forting to thi faith Furthermore this sacrament shuld moue stir vs to friendship to liue quietly in peace vnitie concord to put away all hatred variance
Christ that Iudas shuld betray him and deliuer him into the handes of the Iewes Surely no man But he beinge very god that searcheth the hertes raines of al men knew it neither nedeth he any man to shewe him suche things Now that hys clemency goodnes long suffering in all thinges might appeare therfore he handleth him that shuld betray him with such mercy friendly or familiare dealing calleth him vnto penance after that fashion that he vtereth him not by name but onlye with his worde toucheth his conscience Called not hee him sufficiently vnto repentaunce when hee sayde vnto him Woo to that manne by whome the sonne of man is betrayed It had been better for that man that he had neuer been borne Doubtles whom so great mercy of Christ as in this place is shewed vnto the traytour also offered vnto him prouoketh not vnto repentance fayth surely I say that man must nedes haue an indurate blinded hert as had Iudas For Christ could hādle him no better nor with more mercyful kyndnes Rom. 2. This great paciēce of god and Christ cōsidered S. Paule saiyng Dyspisest thou the ryches of his goodnes paciēce lōg sufferyng Knowest thou not that the louyng kyndnes of God leadeth the to repentance Of this now it foloweth that not Christ but we our selues are the cause of our own destruction Osee 13 as the prophet Oseas wytnesseth saiyng O Israel thy distruccion cōmeth of thy self But Christ offereth vnto vs grace and his spirite yea that very liberally in many places of the gospel Therfore whosoeuer now wyl not do penance that mā must nedes fal into like daunger with the Iewes which would not knowe the tyme of theyr visitacion Iudas heard what he ought to haue done what doubtles should folow vpō that his betraiyng and what rewarde he might surely trust vnto except he forsoke that euil mischeuous enterpryse that he had taken in hand But dyd he repent or dyd this any thyng moue him Naye forsoth But as the serpent stoppeth his eares that he heare not the voyce of the enchanter Iudas an ensāple to the impenitent euen so Iudas stoppeth his eares shut out al the admonicions of Christ Wherfore it came to passe that by his own sinne he is dāpned perpetually And also he is set furth as a synguler ensāple to all that are impenitēt But the God of mercy and father of our Lorde Iesus Christ vouchesafe of his great and tender mercyful goodnes to kepe and preserue vs al from suche impenitent heartes and desperate myndes Secondarily after that Christ with suche frendly wordes although in vaine had called Iudas to repentance and with his welbeloued Apostles had eaten that Easter lambe he ordained and instituted the remembraunce and commemoracion of our redempcion whiche here in this place of the newe testamēt is aswel expressed and declared by figures figuratiue speaches as it was in the olde testamēt For as the pure Paschal lambe without spotte The paschal lābe signified Christ The effusion of the lambes bloud signified the effusion of Christes bloud And the saluacion of the children of Israel frō temporal death by the Lambes bloud signifyed oure saluacion from eternal death by Christes bloud And as almightie God passyng through Egypt kylled all the Egiptians heyres in euery house and left not one aliue neuerthelesse he passed by the children of Israels houses where he sawe the Lambes bloud vpon the doores and hurted none of them but saued them al by the meanes of the Lambes bloud so likewyse at the last iudgement of the whole worlde none shall be passed ouer and saued but that shall be founde marked with the bloud of that moste pure and immaculate lambe Iesus Christ And for asmuch as the sheddyng of that lambes bloud was a token and figure of the sheddyng of Christes bloud then to come The lordes supper and forasmuche also as all the sacramentes and figures of the olde testament ceassed and had an ende in Christe lest by our great vnkyndnes we shuld peraduēture be forgetfull of the great benefite of Christ therfore at his last supper when he toke his leaue of his Apostles to depart out of the world he did make a newe wylle testament wherin he bequeathed vnto vs cleane remission of all our synnes and the euerlastyng inheritaunce of heauen And the same he confirmed the next day with his owne bloud and death And lest we should forget the same he ordayned not a yerely memorye as the Paschal Lambe was eatē but ones euery yere out a dayly remembrance he ordained therof in bread wyne sanctified dedicated to that purpose Mat. 26 saiyng This is my body This cuppe is my bloud whiche is shed for the remission of synnes Do this in the remembraunce of me Admonishyng vs by these woordes spoken at the makyng of his last wyll and testament at his departyng out of the worlde because thei should be the better remembred that whensoeuer wee do eate the bread in his holy supper drinke of that cuppe wee should remembre how muche Christ hath done for vs and howe he dyed for oure sakes Therfore sayth sainct Paule 1 Cor. 11 As oftē as you shal eate of this bread and drynke the cuppe you shall shewe furth the Lordes death vntyll he come And forasmuche as this holy bread broken and the wyne deuided do represent vnto vs the death of Christe nowe passed as the killyng of the Paschal Lambe did represent the same yet to come therfore our sauiour Christ vsed thesame maner of speche of the bread wyne as God before vsed of the Paschal lambe For as in the olde testament God sayd Exo. 12. This is the Lordes Passeby or Passeouer euen so sayth Christ in the newe testament This is my body Ma. 26 This is my bloud But in the old mistery and sacrament the Lambe was not the Lordes very Passeouer or passyng by but it was a figure whiche represented his passyng by So likewise in the newe testament the bread and wyne bee not Christes very body and bloud but they be figures whiche by Christes institucion bee vnto the godly receiuers therof sacramentes tokens significacions and represētacions of his very fleshe bloud instructyng their fayth that as the bread and wyne feede theim corporally and continue this temporal life so the very fleshe bloud of Christ feedeth theim spiritually geueth them euerlastyng life For vnto the faythful Christ is at his owne holy table present with his mightie spirite and grace and is of them more fruitfully receyued than if corporally they should receiue him bodily presēt And therfore they that shal worthely come to this Goddes borde muste after due trial of themselues consider fyrst who ordained this table also what meate and drynke they shall haue that come thereto and howe they ought to behaue them selues thereat He that prepared the table is Christ himselfe The
death but the ende shewed that it was but the purpose of a man The cuppe and baptisme of Christ in this place are taken for his passion and persecucion that he suffered as it is also in the Prophete Psal I wyll take to me sayth he the cuppe of saluacion and I wyll call vpon the name of the Lorde Of this baptisme Christ himselfe sayth I must be baptised with a baptisme and what pangues suffre I tyll it be fulfylled To drynke this cuppe and to be baptized with this baptisme is not in euery mans power but there longeth to it an especial connyng But what is that Forsoth the same commyng that is wrought in vs only by the holy ghost For where soeuer he cometh there must it needes be wrought that in tribulaciō they shall haue paciens But on the other part where the holy ghost is not there are men none otherwise mynded than Peter was when he did strike of the Bishops seruauntes eare And truly these disciples whiche at this tyme were thus presumptuous knewe but litle what the crosse and baptism ment But did god therfore cast thē of No forsoth But he beareth theyr weaknesse and suffereth it very gentelye And also promyseth thme that they shall drinke his cup and suffre wyth him many tribulacions so by many tribulacions at the laste enter into the kingdome of heauen and perpetually raygne with hym Therfore if Christe cast not of his disciples The weak ar to be boren with all bicause of their weakenes but beareth with them with all humanitie and gentlenes tyll they might come to the trewe vnderstanding doubtles no more becometh it vs to condemn those that are weake but muche rather it is our deuty to instructe teache them and to bring them vnto better knowledge Thirdly for as much as these disciples required to sit in Christes kingdome that thei estemed to be a temporall raygne one on the ryghte hande and an other vppon the lefte Christe denayeth not his heauenly kingdome to them only shewing to them of whose hande they shall receiue it To sitte at my right hand saith he or at my lefte hand it pertaineth not to me to giue Christe speaketh some times as a mā and somtyme as God but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father Here note diligently that Christ speaketh sometimes as a man and sometime as god For this is very necessarye to bee obserued and noted if we will at the least vnderstand the scriptures In the gospel of sainct Ihon Christ sayth As the father rayseth vp the dead and geueth life euen so the sonne geueth life to whō he wyll Here Christ maketh himself in all thynges equal with the father Therfore nedes must this place be vnderstand of the godly nature of Christ In this presēt gospel Christ sayth that onely the father and not he geueth to syt on the right hand or on the left Except this be vnderstand of Christes humayne nature I pray you howe shal these two so contrary sentences els agre Wherfore it is very necessary to note diligently as we before admonished when Christ speaketh as mā and whē he speaketh as God And also furthermore note this that vnto the kyngdome of Christ vnto that ioy that is euerlasting none can bryng vs but God only which prepared it for vs from the beginnyng of the worlde This is altogether in his power to geue it vnto whom he wyll Nowe if this power bee all in him where are then oure woorkes where is our vertue righteousnesse or holynes Doubtles we are bound to do good workes ye and to be vertuous righteous holy for Christes wyll is that oure light should shyne before menne to the glory of our heauenly father This is very truth who can deny it But here must wee diligently take hede that vnto our iustificacion no mannes worke or merite be ioyned with al for that cōmeth onely of fayth wherin also the grace goodnes and mercy of God worketh altogether whiche onely is apprehended by fayth And where as this fayth is there is also forgeuenes of synnes righteousnes eternall saluacion is Then folowe good workes as the fruites tokens and argumētes of true fayth But this haue we sufficiently treated vpon before Only the Lord God geue vs grace to perceiue it and retaine it in our heartes Amen The gospel on sainct Bartholomewes day the Apostle Luc. 22. ANd there was a strife among thē whiche of them should seme to bee the greatest And he sayd vnto thē The kinges of nacions raigne ouer them and they that haue authoritee vpō them are called gracious Lordes but ye shall not be so Mat. 20 But he that is greatest among you shal be as the younger And he that is chief shall be as he that doth minister For whether is greatter he that sytteth at meate or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth at meate But I am among you as he that ministreth Ye are they whiche haue bydden with me in my temptacions And I appoint vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table im my kyngdome and Mat. 19 syttee on seates iudgyng the xii tribes of Israel THE EXPOSITION The ignorance of the Apostles THis Gospel againe setteth out to vs an ensample of the ignorance and infirmitie that was in the Apostles And surely a mā might wel meruaile that the Apostles whiche had heard Christ so long yet had obtayned no more vnderstādyng of the spiritual kyngdome of Christ and of spiritual thynges Yea and if we consider at what tyme this strife and contencion was surely the infirmitee of the Apostles shal appeare farre more and greater then if it had chaunced at some other tyme. When then chaunced thys contention By and by after that laste supper wherein Christ had said that his Traytours hand was with him at his table and that the son of man shuld passe as it was writtē of him The which wordes suerly should rather haue stricken the Apostels into feare and made them heuy and pensiue seyng that Christ shewed them with these wordes so openly that he shuld suffre yet begin they to striue whiche of them shuld be highest in reputacion Iho. 13 Didde not Christe a lyttle before tell them that a seruaunt is not greater then his lorde Nowe wher did Christe their lord euer desire great dominiōs of this worlde or the great pompes of it Didde not he flye Iohn 6 when the Iewes woulde haue taken hym and made hym kynge Did not he before shew them Mat. 10 that he would send them as sheepe among wolues When was it euer seene that sheepe bare rule as Emperoures amonge wolues But truth it is although this bee preached tyll menne leesse their voice for wearines yet is fleshe flesh still and so continneth excepte the spyrite of God come to yt and lighten it Iohn 2 1. Co. 15 So that
continually therfore is it nedeful that we may haue contynually remission of synnes in the Churche of Christ and the christian ought to knowe that these wordes Thy synnes are forgeuen thee are wordes for all tymes that neuer shal be disanulled but contynue for euer Thyrdly Hypocrites alwayes murmur against God this gospel cōtaineth the grudgynges of the Phariseys against Christ whiche ryse vpon this occasion that Christ receyued the synful womā and forgaue her all her synnes The cheife of theim was Symon whiche sayd wtin himselfe If he were a Prophete surely he should knowe who and what woman it is that toucheth him for she is a synner Of these cogitacions a man may perceyue what is the nature of hypocrisy Nowe this is the nature of hypocrisy Nowe this is the nature of hypocrites to esteme them selues highly to boast crake theyr owne merytes to set vp their owne righteousnes to contempne all other as we may see in many examples of the holy gospell And doubtles this hypocrisy is a thyng borne within all menne yea so soore rooted that it can not bee plucked out tyll the holy ghost come newe create that olde Adam makyng him a newe creature ◠9. as Esaias sayth For all they are wicked and hypocrites and all their mouthes haue spokē foly But Christ in this place could not ouerpasse it but he telleth Symon his hypocrisye Thou sayeth he gauest me not water for my feete as the custome is of this countrey when I came into thy house thou gauest me no kysse thou enbalmedst not my head with oyle But this synner hath done al this yea that with suche diligence that I can not cast her from me for it is done of fayth and loue Thou lothest her as a synner but I for the faythe 's sake that she hath in me do receyue her as a doughter and inheritour of God And thoughe before tymes her sinnes were great Fayth makes vs children of God yet nowe is the loue greater that she hath to me By like maner Christ stopped the mouthes of the other Phariseys that sat at meate with him so that they sayd within theim selfes What is this he that also forgeueth sinnes For Christ by by addeth to this Thy fayth hath made the safe go thy way in peace As who sayth You wonder are offended that I am not offended toward this poore woman but knowe you that I not onely wyll receyue her but also wyll make her more righteous then you are For why she beleueth in me and setteth her whole fayth vpō me Therfore wyll I forgeue her all her synnes obtayne her peace in conscience afore God that she shall nomore be accused for her synnes How thynke you sounded these wordes in the Iewes eares Yet were they made neuer the better by these wordes They were hypocrites hypocrytes they continued euen as we all shuld do if the holy spirit of God bryng vs not frō our hypocrisy vnto his truth God through Christ graunt that we may attaine vnto it Amen The gospel on sainct Iames day the Apostle Mathew 20. THen came to him the mother of zebedes children with her sōnes Mar. 10 worshippyng him desiryng a certaine thyng of him And he sayth vnto her What wylt thou She sayd vnto him Graunt that these my two sonnes may sytte the one on thy right hand and the other on the lefte in thy kyndome But Iesus answered sayd Ye wote not what ye aske Are ye able to drynke of the cuppe that I shal drinke of and to be baptised with the baptisme that I am baptised with They say vnto him we are He sayd vnto them Ye shal drinke in dede of my cuppe and be baptised with the baptisme that I am baptised with But to syt on my right hand and on my left is not myne to geue But it shall chaunce vnto them that it is Mat. 25 prepared for of my father THE EXPOSITION FYrst we see here in this gospel the ignorance of the Apostles Iames Ihon whiche had often heard of Christ although thei did not receiue it nor printed it in their memory that Christes kingdome shuld be a spiritual kyngdom euen within them Yea they were yet so ignoraunt that they thought they should without any crosse at all been wholly promoted and made great Lordes and so reigne with Christe accordyng to the pompe and glorye of this worlde But these so fond imaginacions dare they them selues not vtter vnto Christe althoughe they set not a litle by these but moued their mother to go to Christ to proue whether she might obtayn that they desired But what was their request Forsoth that in the kyngdome of Christe whiche they thought a worldely kyngdome one might haue his seate vpō the right hand another vpon the lefte hand and so to enioy the honor of this worlde Here it had been the mothers duetye to bryng her sonnes from this purpose mynde to haue enstructed them muche better But in these matters that appertayne to the kyndome of Christ the mother is as blynde ignorant as her sonnes She would gladly haue had her sonnes promoted and made great men euen as customably many mothers boast the pompe ryches with their children But the kyngdome of Christ is not so ordered to haue in it muche pōpe boasting but as it is a spirituall kyngdome euen so it hath onely a spiritual scepter namely the worde and the holy gospel And nowe this worde is suche a worde that it bringeth with it not a pleasant lyfe but contradiction persecucion 1. Cor. 1 insomuche that S. Paule calleth it the worde of the crosse saiyng The worde of the crosse is to them that perishe folye but to vs that obtayne health it is the power of God If then it be the worde of the crosse how can we haue in the kyngdome of Christe other pleasure pompe or honours of this worlde It is not to be loked for but nedes must wee here suffre by many tribulacions we must entre into the kyngdome of God as sainct Luke testifyeth of Christ also Luc. 24 Esa 53. that he must needes suffre and ryse agayne from the dead so to entre into his glorye But as yet Iames and Ihon vnderstoode not this therefore they iudged it should bee in the kyngdome of Christe as it was in other ciuyl kyngdomes And surely as these Apostles were then ignoraunt of the kyngdome of Christ so doubtles are wee excepte wee bee lightened by the holy ghost Secondarily The presūpcion of man wee haue here also an example of the presumpcion of manne For besydes theyr peticion whiche was against God they dare also saye that they were able to drynke the cuppe whiche the Lorde should drynke and to bee baptised with the baptisme whiche the Lorde should be baptised in What iudge you of this presumpcion Euen so sayd Peter to Christe that he would go with him into