conuenient for him to help this woman of Canane seyng that he was not sent but to the loste shepe of the house of Israell And this answere in a manner is more bitter and harder then was hys fyrste sylence Yet the woman doth not so dispayr we oughte not to apoynte tyme place to Christe but as she alwayes dydde truste in the goodnesse of Christ and woulde not in anye wyse be ryd from him so likewyse she wold not prescribe or appoint the tyme and place or any thinge else wherein shee wold that Christ shuld help her hauiÌ„g a perfit trust hope that yet at the last he wold help her how difficulte hard so euer he did shewe himselfe vnto her And yet she leueth not of but cometh again and falleth downe to his feete saith Lord helpe me And what then Christ doth not only persist in his firste senteÌ„ce but now he calleth her a dog as though she were vnworthy to be numbered amongest his The constancy of the womaÌ„ And this is a vehemeÌ„t woÌ„derful great temptacioÌ„ and yt is necessary for them that ar lyke tempted to haue a great faith strongly to persist in the same yf they wil not be ouerthrown or brought into desperacion But what saith the womaÌ„ now to this She freely playnly grauÌ„teth the Christ in calling her a dog siÌ„ner said right Nor she doth desire that the bread shuld be takeÌ„ from the children geuen to her but only that she may haue the cruÌ„mes leauyngs that the dogges take which fall vnder theyr maisters table As thoughe she shulde say My most beloued Lorde yf thou wylt consydre and haue respect to my person my dedes my merits and to my sinnes then do I perfectely knowe that I shall get no helpe at thy hand And moreouer I know very wel that I can not be of the numbre of the chyldren yet neuertheles I desyre and couet thy goodnes grace and mercy beseching and praying the that of thy great and abundaunt pity thou wylt loke vpon me a wretch comfort me in this affliction delyuer my doughter from the deuell And bicause I cannot obteyne yt with any of myne owne merytes I desire the for the glory of thy name that thou wylt shew thy mercye vnto me Lo now is the harte of Christ wonne and canne no lenger forbeare Now muste he needs open and shew hys mynd to the woman for he saith on this wyse O woman thy faith is great be it to the as thou wylt And in lyke manner dyd Ioseph in Egypte Ge. 45 after he had long shewed himselfe very harde and cruell towardes hys brethren yet at the laâ—te withe greate teares wepynge he sayde I am your welbeloued brother Ioseph be not afraid c. And this we learne that God in euery temptacion and necessitye will helpe although sometimes he wil defer for a tyme his ayd socoure God helpeth in euery necessitye This alwais consideryng that after the nature custom of fayth we shuld only seeke help and comfort at hym and not to leaue of vntil we shal be harde Exaumple of loue Thirdely is shewed vnto vs in this gospell an example of loue which seketh not her owne but rather the coÌ„modity profyt of her neighboure And that chiefly doth the mother of this mayden when in great wepyng and praying she shewith vnto Christ the necessity of hyr doughter And doth as faruently asâ— help for hyr as though she hyr selfe were vexed of the diuell And so she fulfilleth the commaundement of S. Paule where he saith Ephe. 5. Ye fathers mothers loue wel your childreÌ„ And we se also the same example of loue in the Apostels whiche so diligently did make intercession for this woman that it had beene also great pleasure vnto them yf she had beene hearde of Christ at the first And marke diligently that heere in this place the lyuyng prayeth for the lyuinge that thou mayest learne that the inuocacion of the holy men that be deade is not grounded vpon this place Trewlye yt can not be denied but that the Apostles prayed for this woman but that was doone in theire lyfe tyme not after their death The â—â—tercessioÌ„ of the liueli saints Who dyd euer forbid the to praye for thy neighhour or that in thy mind thou shuldest not beare his necessitye Do wee not alwayes instantly require these workes and saye that such workes onlye be good and christian workes Yea faithe and loue is the whole contente of this gospel that we teache And moreouer wee knowe very well that he lyed not that saide In these two commaundementes Mat. 22 all the lawe and the prophetes do depende Wherfore euerye good christian manne shall knowe that faythe withoute loue and without workes that shuld folowe faith and shuld be done to my neighbour can not stand Or yf such workes folow not Ioh. 2â— that then it ys as S. Iames saith a deade fayth The thyrde sonday in Lente Luc. 11. ANd he was castyng out a diuell and the same was domme and when he had caste oute the dyuell the domine pake and the people wondered But some of theym sayde Mat. 9. Mat. 7 Mat. 6. Mar. 3. He casteth out dyuels through Bâ—lzebub the chiefe of the dyuels And other tempted hym and required of hym a signe come heauen But hee knowynge theyr thougtes sayd vnto them Euery kyngdome deuided agaynste it selfe is desolate and one house doth fall vppon another Yf Sathan also be deuided agaynst himselfe howe shal hys kyngdome endure Bycause ye say that I caste out diuels thorow Belzebub If I by the helpe of Belzebub cast out diuels by whose healpe do your hyldren caste our them Therfore shall they be your iudges But if I wyth the finger of God caste out dyuels no done the kyngdome of God is come vppon you Mat. 12 When a stronge man armed watcheth his house the thynges that he possesseth are in peace But when a stronger then he commeth vppon hym and ouercometh hym he taketh from hym al his harnes wherin he trusted and deuydeth his goodes He that is not with me is agaynste me And he that gathereth not with me scarereth abroade Mat. 12 When the vncleane spit t is gon out of a man he walketh thorow drye places seekynge reste And when he findeth none he sayeth I wyl returne againe vnto my house whence I came out And when he commeth he findeth it swepte and garnished Then goeth he and taketh to hym seuen other spirites worse then himselfe and they entre in and dwell there And the ende of this man is worse then the begynnyng And it fortuned that as he spake these thynges a certayne woman of the company lyfte vp her voyce and sayd vnto hym â—appye is the wombe that bare the and the pappes that gaue the sucke But he sayd Yea happy are they that hear the word of God and keepe it THE
publican was iustified the pharisey counted vniust not righteous Therefore whosoeuer with this sinner choseth him the lowest place knowledgeth his sinne and asketh grace Christ shal set him in the highest place geue hym euerlastinge life Whiche god throughe Christ our sauiour graunt to vs all Amen The gospell of the eightene sonday after trinity sondaye Math. 22. BVt when the Pharisees had hearde that he had put the Saduces to silence they came togither and one of them which was a doctour of lawe asked him a question temptinge him and saying Maister which is the greatest commaundement in the law Iesus sayde vnto him Thou shalte Deut. 6. loue thy god with all thy harte and with all thy soule and with all thy mynd This is the first and greatest commaundement And the second is lyke vnto it Leui. 19 Rom. 13 Galat. 5 Iacob 2 Thou shalte loue thy neighboure as thy selfe In these two commaundements hang al the law the prophetes While the Pharisees were gathered togither Iesus asked theim saying What thynk ye of Christ Whose sonne is he They say vnto hym the sonne of Dauyd He said vnto them Mat. 1◠Psa 11 howe then doth Dauid in spirite call him lorde sayinge The lord sayd vnto my lord Mat. 1◠Psa 11 syt thou on my ryght hand tyl I make thine enemyes thy footstoole If Dauyd then call hym lord how is he then his sonne And no man was able to answere hym any thinge nether durste anye man frome that daye forth aske hym any mo questions THE EXPOSITION FIrst we haue in this gospell of this daye a question of the lawe wherin is to be considered what they be that moue this question and what their intent was The Phariseis were the chieffest and counted the holyest amongest the Iewes people whiche euer boasted of workes and disputed of the same A certaine doctoure of the lawe whome the pharisees had appointed moued this question here bycause they feared lest yt shuld chaunce vnto theim as it did vnto the Saduces Neither was it meruaile thoughe those iustifiers of them selues reasoned of the greatest and chiefest commaundement of the lawe for all their boasting was in woorkes all theyr laboure and dylygence was to bee iustified and blessed and all throughe works Which false opiniō was so growē imprinted in their hartes that the prophetes Christ also the Apostelles endeuoured theym selues greatly to reforme it but it was for the moste parte all in vayne Wherefore the pharisees do here according to the comon saying which also was vsed of Christe in an other place saying Mat. 12 Out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh They vnderstode the vertue of faith Wherfore they must needes fal into hypocrisie which euer is repugnāt vnto faith And hereout it chaunced that thei so stifly with stoode Christe was the true doctoure of faith and truthe They reason with Christe but not of a good zeale as wee maye lightly perceiue in this gospell The text is thus One of them a scribe tempted him c. There is a difference when a mā of ignorance doth question of a thing out of a good intent and for his erudition whan he goth about to tempte a man For he that of a good zeale To tēpt asketh any question he doth it to learne bicause he is ignorant therin And he that tempteth a man he doth it for that intent purpose to trippe him in his saying Wherefore in that the phariseis questioned not with Christ of no good intent Malyce wickednes of our nature but for to tempt him wee maye learne therout the maliciousnes of our nature For that is so rooted and grafte in vs that by no meanes wee can knowledge the truthe or beleue Christe excepte we be transformed into a new creature through the worde the holy ghoste Iohn 3. For yf we wil not perpetually remaine indurate and blind we must be pulled therfrom and learned by the holy ghoste Secondarily considre now this question well also the answer of Christ And although those phariseis did not put forth this question of a good intent yet for all that the doctour of the law was not so styffe necked nor yet so stubborne Surely Chrystes answere and solution did like him so well in so muche that Christe himselfe saide that he was not farre wide from the kingedome of God as sayncte Marke therein testifieth Mar. 12 The question was this Mayster which is the chiefest commaundement in the law Whervnto Christ answered Thou shalte loue the lord thy god with al thy hart with all thy soule and with all thy mynd And addeth This is the fyrst and greatest commaundement And the second is lyke vnto it Deut. 6. Thou shalte loue thy neighboure as thy selfe In these two commaundements hang all the law the prophetes O what an excellent answer if the Pharises could haue vnderstand it For Christ reherseth not here only two commandementes but also teacheth that in them hange the whole lawe and the prophetes Which muste be vnderstande in this wise The lawe as witnesseth S. Paule is spirituall that is Rom. 7 The law is fulfilled with the spirite the lawe cannot be fulfilled with outward works but requireth the affection of the hart Thē if the affectiō of the hart ought to be wholy directed to the loue of god so that wee shuld neither cleaue to workes nor yet to any creature then muste I needes haue faithe This faithe the holy ghost worketh in me throughe the worde And when I haue this true faithe then doo I all thynge wyllyngelye that the lawe asketh of me and not constrained out of loue and not for feare Faythe And I do not onlie that the first table of Moyses requireth of me but also I do that the second commaundeth me For I doo beleue and trust that the lorde my god is he that will saue me throughe Christ of his great mercy and grace without any deseruyng of my partye Furthermore I loue my neighboure as my selfe for I count his pouertye tribulation and misery to be mine and all that he suffreth as thoughe I suffered my selfe Hereout cometh that whā I do what so euer is acceptable vnto mi neighboure and leue the thinge that is preiudyciall and hurtefull vnto him then the fulfillyng of the lawe is adscribed vnto loue And that mayest thou perceaue finde in the epistle to the Romaines where S. Paule writeth Rom. 13 that hee that loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the lawe For thou shalt not be an aduouterer thou shalt not kyll thou shalte not steale thou shalt beare no false witnes thou shalte not desier and yf there be anye other commaundement it is comprehended in this saying Loue thy neighboure as thy selfe And thoughe the lawe bothe requireth faythe and loue yet styll it remaineth a worde of wrath and angre whyle she geueth me not the spirite to doo that shee
world hath euer bene ful of mischiefe gylty of sinne neither is no man in it but nedeth the merites of Christe yet doo not all men vnderstande this nor acknowledge thys And especyallye the indurate and hard hearted Pharaos Pharao and after them the hipocrites acknoweledge it not For the indurate synners leade furth their lyues euen lyke beastes not greatly forsyng whether there bee any other lyfe after this or no or whether there bee any Christ to bryng them to that life or no. But the hypocrites Hypocrittes that leane to their own righteousnes in dede they can talke of the wrath to come yet notwithstandyng they leaue Christ take thus muche vpon theim selues that they trust in their owne good workes to obtaine that lyfe and saluacion I praye you what good can Christe do to suche Yea what shuld he do with suche This fyrst sort of people are stubburne necked hard hearted and thynketh they haue no neede of Christe The other sorte of iusticiaryers forsaketh the meryte of Christ True synners lyke as they would deserue heauen by theyr owne workes Christ seyng and consideryng this leaueth these two sortes ioyneth himselfe to suche as acknowlege them selues sinners and desire and seke for tomforte and helpe And they also with all their heart with true loue and gladnes receiue him and beleue his preachyng Mich 7 they doubte not his promise but they say with the Prophet Mycheas He shal be turned and he wyll haue mercy vpō vs and he wyll caste all oure synnes into the deapth of the seas Euen so must we do Let vs adioyne our selues to Christ as synners shewe to him our synnes and with teares require his mercye If wee do this with a faythfull heart surely in this gospel he hath declared in dede that he is ready to help suche sinners And furthermore with this his deede agreeth also his woordes that here he speaketh vnto the Phariseys saiyng The whole nedeth not the Physician but the sicke Agayne I am not comme to call the righteous but synners to repentaunce Fourthly the Euangelist discrybeth howe the Phariseys murmured against Christ wherein they open and shewe plainly that notable pryde of theyr heartes But wherefore murmure they Because Christ eateth and drynketh with synners O great holynes of these Phariseys Tell me I praye ye O holy hypocrites where is it wrytten that suche as knowlege themselues synners do repent it ought to bee fledde and their company to be eschewed Is not this thinke you a good vertuous dede to seke out agayne the lost stray shepe and to bryng him agayne into the right waye But I see you do the cleane contrary for ye iudge it both wicked and vngodly Surely Christ sayd well of you in the gospel of Mathew Blynd guydes coulyng out the gnat and swolowe the Camel Ma. 27 Ye obserue mennes tradicions would men should esteme you vertuous and godly yet can ye very well awaye with it that your neighbour should continue in synne and be cōdempned Nowe if ye were vertuous in deede ye would surely neuer do so For true righteousnes because it cōmeth of fayth and therfore also loueth his neighbor with all the heart it wisheth that all men might be vertuous righteous blessed Wherfore wyl ye knowe what ye want Ye haue no fayth and therfore can ye not loue your neighbour for in very deede that is the fruite of fayth Nowe because ye lacke fayth and loue ye haue not only no cōpassion vpō them that be loden with synne and would with al their heartes be deliuered from their synnes but also euen as the nature of hypocrites and iusticiariers is ye dispise them and caste them frome you But this your dispising can do you no good in this behalf Ye must neds take an other trade of liuing yf ye wyll be taken for righteous Wyll ye knowe how so Learn what this meaneth that the prophet Oseas said Osee 6. I will mercye and not sacrifice For all these outewarde woorkes all these outewarde sacrifices profyte nothynge at all excepte there bee presente in the hearte a true faythe in God and true loue to your neyghboure Behold thus haue wee here paynted vnto vs the arrogancy and pride of hypocrisy and furthermore howe Christe stoppeth vppe the Phariseys mouthes and confuteth theym by the holye scriptures God graunte that the aduersaryes of the truthe in thys oure presente tyme maye acknowledge hys holye woorde and beecome wyth the chylderen of god partakers of hys heauenly kyngdome through CHRIST our Lorde Amen The gospell vpon S. Mychael the Archangell daye Math. 18. AT the same tyme came the disciples vnto Iesus sayinge Mar 9. Luc. 9. Who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen Iesus called a chylde to hym set hym in the middest of them and said Verely I say vnto you Mar. 10 Except ye turn and become as Luc. 18. Actu 2. children ye shall not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer therfore humbleth himself as this chyld the same is the greatest in the kīgdome of heauen And who so receaueth suche a chyld in my name receiueth me But who so doth offende one of these lytleones Actu 9 Luc. 17 whiche beleue in me it were better for him that a mylstone were hāged about his necke that he were doruned in the depth of the sea Wo vnto the worlde because of offences 1. Co. 11 Necessarye it is that offences come But wo vnto the man by whom the offence commeth Wherfore Mat. 5 if thy hand or thy foote hynder the cutte him of cast it from thee It is better for thee to entre into life halte or maymed rather then thou shouldest hauyng two handes or two feete be cast into euerlastyng fyre And it thyne eye offende thee plucke it out and cast it from thee It is better for thee to entre into life with one eye rather then hauyng two eyes to be cast in to hel fyre Take hede that ye despise not one of these lytleones For I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels do alwayes be holde the face of my father whiche is in heauen THE EXPOSITION of this present gospel WE haue againe here in this gospel an example of the Apostles infirmitee ignorance wherin we see howe paciētly Christ beareth their infirmitee And as the goodnes of Christe appeareth in this Gospell euen so the affection of the Apostles sheweth it selfe to bee exceadyng grosse and rude and full of ignoraunce For consider what they do They came to Christ sayd Who is greattest in the kyngdome of heauē What meane they by these woordes Thynke they that Christe shoulde haue a corporall knogdome in this worlde promote his disciples vnto greate lordships as it is done in worldly princes courtes Heard they euer Christ so teachīg Did not he shew them afore Mat. 5. Ye ar blessed whan men shall rayle vpō you
thoughe any Iewe had done it But he that beleueth that by the onlye meryte of Chryst he ys iustyfyed he shall haue euerlastyng lyfe Ioh. 3. Secondarelye wee learne out of this gospell that Chryste came into thys worlde not onlye for the Iewes but also for the Gentyles And so yt ys declared by these wysemen that seeke Christ that the preachynge of the gospel shulde be taken from the Iewes geuen to the Gentyles The callynge of the HeitheÌ„ And that for thys cause that althogh they hard the gospel fyrst of Chryst afterward of hys dyscyples yet did thei dispyse persecute yt wyth slaunderous wordes reiected it froÌ„ them For I pray you which of all the Iewes ranne to seke this childe although it was openly said that their kyng was theÌ„ at hand and present with theÌ„ The heythen which neuer had god came from the Est seking and enquiring so long for this chyld vntil they had founde him And that the Iewes through their misbilefe be now abiected it is by the iust iudgement of God and it maye bee well of euery man said Ps 118. Lord thou art iust and thi iudgemeÌ„t is ryghteouse And in contrary wise The cause that we miserable hethen be taken and called to the gospell is the very grace and mercy of God And if therefore we did our dutyes we shulde neuer cease from geuinge thankes for the greate clemencye of God that he hath had towarde vs all And that we the wretched sinful gentiles through grace are called to the knowledg of the gospel it apeareth by the wordes of Esai sayeng I am sought of theÌ„ that neuer asked for me Esa 65. am found of theÌ„ that neuer sought me And I haue saide Lo I lo I am found of a nation that neuer called on my name Thou herist that they shall fynde hym that neuer sought hym ys not thys playnly spoken of vs the gentiles Therfore of thys place we may learne and knowe that euerlastyng ioy commeth not by the merytes of oure owne workes but throughe grace and accordyng to the saiyng of saynct Paule Ephe. 2 wee are saued by grace throughe fayth leste we shulde glorye A carnal man Thirdelye we perceyue by thys gospell what a myserable and wretched thyng the carnall man is in whome the same olde Adam through the spyrite and faith is not yet mortified The Kynges come from the east to Ierusalem inquiring for the king of Iewes newly borne and shewe that they sawe his star in the East and that they came to worship him that is to geue to him reuerence and honour Worship Here it had bene meete that the whole citye of Ierusalem shulde with all reuerence and ioye haue sought out this kyng and haue receaued him seiÌ„g that they had loked for his coming so many years before They knew by the prophecy of Iacob GeÌ„ 49 that at the same tyme he should suerly come But what do they Not only Herod was so sore moued therw t when he hadde herde thereof but also all Ierusalem with him that is the more part of the citizins especiallye such as with good Simeon Anna dyd long for the redemptioÌ„ of Israel Wherto now were all the pomises how well do they now remember the prophecy of Iacob And what doth it profit them to be vnder the law of Moyses Herod thinketh he had good and iust cause to be moued therewith although yt was but in vayn not necessary But what cause doth the Iewes preteÌ„d to whome by this kyng sure redemtion was promised The frute of the fleshe Here thou mayst perceyue the nature and custome of the flesh such is oure strength and power The fleshe canne dooe none otherwise yt is subdued to synne and bryngeth forth none other frute then synne whether it bee outwardlye as manifeste offences and crymes or inwardlye as be suche workes that seeme good wherein the fleshe deliteth and flattereth himselfe And alwayes suche thinges as it shulde loue it hateth and those thinges that be to be hated yt loueth And in thinges concernyng Gods honour and our saluacioÌ„ it alwaies foloweth the coÌ„trary And therfore it is necessary that the flesh and nature be renewed in vs through the holy ghost brought to the feare of god and loue of his neighboure or els the fleshe wyll alwayes be fleshe that is hardened and blynded Rom. 8. Fourthly this gospell teacheth vs in that that the wisemeÌ„ were by the aungel admonished to tourn into their couÌ„trey by an other way that God our father in heaueÌ„ wil mercifully coÌ„serue kepe defeÌ„d not only froÌ„ inward spiritual ieoperdies but also froÌ„ the outward bodely periles al such as knoledg honour worship his welbeloued son Iesu Christ setting all their hope and truste in hym afterward by loue thaÌ„kes geuiÌ„g good coÌ„uersacion shew forth declare their faith as these wisemeÌ„ did The aungels seru to the electe of God by their giftes Is not the loue of God towarde vs a great thiÌ„g ye so great that the auÌ„gels must desceÌ„d froÌ„ heaueÌ„ minister to the elect of God in theyr necessities And not onli the angels but other creatures also ar necessary meanes to maÌ„ to the obtainiÌ„g of saluacioÌ„ First of al the sterre is compelled to serue the wisemeÌ„ theÌ„ the priests seniors of the people were coÌ„strayned to serue theÌ„ likewise when they shewed to them wher Christ shuld be born And at last also the aungel waiteth vpon them wil not suffre theÌ„ to reuisite the wicked Herod which not onlye bare an enuious hart toward the child newly borne but also was of a cursed stomack toward the same wise men Hereto may that be applied that is spoken of the aungels in the fyrst epist Hâ—b 1. to the Hebrewes Are they not al ministring spirites sent to minister for theire sakes which shal be the heires of saluacion And in the 33. psal The aungel of God shall come downe in the middest of theÌ„ that feare hym shal deliuer theÌ„ GeÌ„ 19. GeÌ„ 14. And likewise the aungel delyuered Loth froÌ„ the fyer of Sodom And did not the aungel of god also leade forth the children of Israell oute of Egypte Act. 14. And lykewise delyuered Peter out of hys bondes Wherfore yf we wold diligentli geue hede and with those wisemeÌ„ know Christ worship him honour him and offre the sacrifyce of oure lippes to hym as Oseas the prophete sayth Ose 14. Trewly we shuld find also before God the same comfort helpe socoure which not only those wisemeÌ„ but also all gods electe from the beginning of the world hath obtayned in so much that god himselfe wold serue vs by his aungels To whoÌ„ be geueÌ„ all honour c. The fyrst sonday after Epiphany â—ay Luc. 2. ANd when he was twelue yeares old they went vp to Ierusalem after the custom of the feaste daye And when they
bely withe promises and miracles credulitye and conceyue trewe faith in god is gyuen vnto vs of God so many promises confirmed with many noble miracles that needes must he be blinded and geuen into a wrong opinioÌ„ that is not by them sterid to faith can set a parte the carke of the belly And moreouer he suffereth that such promises be shewed to the people in sermones whereby through the remembraunce of them wee maye bee allured to the faithe that is in Iesu Christe Who is so hard or dul harted that caÌ„ not be moued to faithe yf he wyll remembre what greate care Christ toke for this multitude And how he pitied them when there was no mencion made of meat nor drynke Wherein he sheweth that he knoweth what we haue need of before we aske any thing of him And in that he lift vp his eyes as the Euangelist saith and beheld the multitude is signifyed that Christ hath in hys mind compassioÌ„ on vs and that his help shal always be ready at hand for vs. And so must we vnderstaÌ„d wheÌ„ scripture saith that god doth loke vpon vs with his eies that he mercifully wil defeÌ„d vs against al peryls of body soul Psal 10 His eyes loketh vppon the poore And in an othee place Looke vppon me Lorde and haue mercy on me Wherfore seeyng that Christ sheweth in this miracle his such great goodnes clemencye and carefulnesse for vs that mercifully he wyll prouyde for vs both in body and soule It were very vnmete that we our selues shuld take lyke carke not wholy to trust to hym that is able to perform that he hath promysed Nor is this to be vnderstand as thoughe we shuld not care for our helth but rather that before all thinges we considre howe to please God thorow Christ that wee maye be made pertakers of euerlastyng health which Christ in the gospel requireth of vs Mat. 6 and sayth Fyrst seeke the kingdom of god and his righteousnes and al these thinges shal be geuen vnto you As he myghte say It is necessary that ye beleue for and yf ye do not beleue yt is necessary that ye alwayes lack although al the world with al his riches were yours Psa 33 as Dauid saith Rich men haue lacked and haue huÌ„gred Here a man myght withstand and say If the matter be so and that God wyll fede and norish me then wyl I be ydle and wyl no lenger laboure Not so my deare frende ye shall not so do for labour is not forbidde vnto the but the care and carckefulnes therevppon is forbidden Thou shalte eate thy breade in the sweate of thy face but yet shalt thou not put thy trust in thy labour but in God allonly If thou do this thou shalte not neede to care for thy lyuyng Labour diligently and by thy faythe accordinge to thy callynge leaue the care to God and he wyll norishe the throughe Christ Secondaryly we haue here a godlye exaumple of the loue of god in Christe toward vs. Fyrste in that he dyd not only feede the good and iust The example of the loue of God but also the euel men which were not the lesse part amongst this fiue M. And in that also that he so mekely suffered the weaknesse of Philip and thother Apostels hee dothe teache vs that euerye Christiane man shuld shew forth his faith by workes of loue and thereby to prouoke other to doo the same And suche loue muste alwayes bee perfecte Imperfecte loue doth neuer good but to his frendes Gal. 5. whiche the Publicanes and sinners do also for they loue theÌ„ of whoÌ„ they be loued agayn as Christ saith in the 6. chapt of S. Luke our loue muste be perfecte Perfect loue doth not only good to his frends but to his enemys also Wherin we may se the example of Christ and of the heuenly father Mac. 5. which suffereth his sunne to shyne vpon the good and bad and sendeth raine to the iust and vniust Of this perfection of loue Christe speaketh in an other place saiyng Ye shal be perfect as your father in heauen is perfecte In that place Christe commeÌ„deth the loue of his father towardes vs as a moste perfecte loue Wherfore Bycause he hath receyued vs into his fauour and grace Rom. 5. which were yet his enemys and sayth that we also must be perfect in brotherly loue which cometh froÌ„ faith Therfore yf thou be a christian man and wilt with good works manifest thy selfe to haue a Christian mans harte go to then and instructe them that be weak and leaue them not vntil thow haue brought them to the knowledge of the fayth And moreouer dooe good to all men withoute any respecte aswell to thyne enemyes as to thy frendes to the bad as to the good And then thou hast testified with works of loue that thou art a good tree in that thou bringest forth good frute Thirdely this gospell sheweth Geuing oâ— thaÌ„kê to the beneâ—… 〈◊〉 Chriâ—… how Christ dyd not distribute and geue this breade and fisshes to the multitude before that he had giuen thankes in his hart to his heauenly father of whose liberality and plenteousnes all creatures be susteined and norished vp Wherin he teacheth vs that we lykewise shuld gyue hartely thankes for the great henefites both bodely and ghostly that we dailye receaue of God the father through his welbeloued sonne Iesu Christ And yf thow wylt knowe the very trewe thankes geuing What is thaÌ„kê giuinge This it is To knowledg that al that euer we haue cometh of God through Christ of his mere grace and goodnes and not of our selues This is the trew wayes to gyue thanks And for the more parte continuall praise and commendacion foloweth such knowledg By what means can I geue prayse honoure and thankes to God except I knowledge his benefites Nowe yf I haue this faith and knowledge that God throughe Christe hathe destroyed the kyngdome of the diuel made me inheritoure of his heauenly kyngdome doughteles I do also gyue thankes with all Goddes electe for so greate a benefyte as the nature of suche that beleue is sette forthe at large in the 25. chapiter of Esaias the Prophete and in Daniel the seconde chapiter Neither shall I do it once but al dayes of my lyfe withoute ende I shall saye withe Dauyd Psa 145 My sowle prayse the Lorde I shall prayse the Lorde in my lyfe tyme and shall synge vnto the Lorde as long as I shall lyue Psal 33 And I wyll geue prayse to the Lorde at all tymes his praise shall alwayes be in my mouth Lykewise when I knowledge that God in outeward and worldely thinges wyll of his mercyfulnes norish me but so that I must needes labore to then muste I well remembre that it is not to be adscâ—ibed to my laboure but muste gyue harty thankes to God throughe Christe Howe often tymes doth that iuste man Dauyd confesse that
and not vnto the worlde Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto him If a man loue me he wyll keepe my saiynges and my father wyll loue hym and we wyll come vnto hym and dwell with him He that loueth me not keepeth not my sayinges And the worde which ye heare is not myne but the fathers which sente me These thinges haue I spoken vnto you beeynge yet present wythe you But the comforter whyche is the hollye ghoste Ioh. 15. and .16 Act. 2. whome my father wyll sende in my name hee shall teache you all thynges and bringe all things to your remembraunce whatsoeuer I haue sayde vnto you Peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you Not as the world geueth geue I vnto you Let not your hartes be greued neyther feare Ye haue hearde howe I sayde vnto you I go and come againe vnto you Yf ye loued me ye wolde verely reioyse bicause I sayde I go vnto the father For the father is greater then I Ioh. 13 and 16. And nowe haue I shewed you before it come that when it is come to passe ye might beleue Hereafter wyll I not talke many wordes vnto you For the prince of this worlde cometh and Ioh. 12. and .16 hath nought in me But that the worlde maye knowe that I loue the father And as the father gaue me commaundemente euen so do I. THE EXPOSITION THe apostels were euer of that mynd The ignorauÌ„ce of the flesh before the holy ghost was confirmed in them that the kingedome of Christe shulde haue ben temporall and wordly wherin he shuld haue mightely raigned as in times paste did Dauid and Salomon Truly when Iudas not the Iscariot according to this saiyng did aske Christ in his laste supper Lorde what is the cause then that thou wilt shew thy selfe vnto vs not vnto the world Christ did lead him with the other disciples away from this hope and trusting of a temporall kingedome to those thinges that were more necessary which was the fulfillyng of his word And therfore he doth teache in this gospell Fyrste of all hee teachethe heere what the frute of oure loue towarde god is whiche muste needes flowe oute of the harte and cannot stande without faith For how can I loue him Loue towards God of whome I hope and loke for no goodnes For in that I loke for goodnes of Christe that I hope and truste in him and set al my consolacion and comforte in him that faith I say oÌ„ly bringeth to passe which receiueth the worde and thereby knoweth that the father wyll be knowen and glorified in this Christe alone Ioh. 1. And that is the meaninge of this sentence Who so euer beleueth not that he receiueth of his fulnes that by Christe he hathe a mercifull father in heauen and remission of sinnes righteousnes and saluacioÌ„ moreouer that it is God through Christ that keepeth vs and defendeth vs frome the ieopardyes and periles of this worlde hee loueth not Christe but rather his owne propre workes righteousnes and wisedome Moreouer where Christ is neither loued nor knowen there of a suertye is his worde neither obserued nor kepte And contrarye wise Where the same mercifull father with all his benefites done vnto vs is knowen and all oure hope caste in hym by Christ yt is not possible but that there shal be trewe loue towardes Christ Trewe loue wylleth that god willeth lyueth accordinge to his godlye wyll hath greate delyte and pleasure to heare what god desireth of vs and when he heareth it he fulfilleth it in worke And suche faith and loue dyd Moyses require of the people of Israell Deut. 6. saying Heare o Israell the lord our God is one lord onely and thou shalt loue the lord thy god with al thy hart with al thy soule c. Faythe Chieffely here note that Moyses as a lawe gyuer requireth faith and hope of the harte towarde the onlye god that he is the same that kepeth and preserueth the people and wil be to vs a mercifull father And after that he requireth loue towardes god though he cannot giue it by the lawe that we shuld loue god with all our hart with all our soule with all our might And on this wise Moyses draweth vs from all creature and directeth vs to god only Moreouer he desireth such maner of loue Loue towardes God that not constrained but frely and volutarily shal serue god and keepe his commaundementes and fulfyll his wil as the nature of loue is Which more plainly we find in the gospel Mat. 13 that the seed that fell in a good grouÌ„d gaue frute c. Here thou hearest that the word of god taken with the hart through preaching bringeth forth frute By the worde we receiue faith from faith cometh loue toward god our neighboure of loue cometh the fulfilling of godê coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts Finally Faith loue bring a godly a christian coÌ„uersacion lyfe Wherefore Christ in the gospell of this day constraineth no maÌ„ by the law but exhorteth them to faith and loue as they that willyngly wolde kepe his word and fulfyll his comaundment accordinge to sainte Paules saiyng 1. Tim. 1 howe that the lawe is noâ— gâ—uen vnto the righteous but vnto the vngodly disobedient and sinners Secondaryly this gospell teacheth The kiÌ„gdome of god ioin the harts of the faithfull wher Christ will haue his kingedome and dominioÌ„ namely in the harts of the faithfull Likewise he promiseth vs here not onli that if we shew this loue outwardly with the word that the father shal loue vs but also more greater and more excellent thinges that is to saue â–ª that he with the father and the vertue of the holy ghost wyll come vnto vs. O comforte O grace It was out dewty to 〈◊〉 vnto him seing that our nature is so corrupte and wanteth so muche ameÌ„demente But behold God wil come vnto vs. so mercifull is our god that he preuenteth vs and promiseth to come vnto vs by Christ And what will he do with vs He wyll make hym a dwellinge place with vs. If wee considre the disposition of oure nature and firste natiuity we shall fynde that our harte is the dwellyng place of the diuell Which alas is to trewe in so much that S. Paul saith Ephe. 2. that naturally we were the childreÌ„ of wrath euen as well as other And for this originall sinne that is grafte in vs god by right might condempne vs wretched creatures But yet considre how mercifully goodly he handleth vs which not all only forgiueth vs our originall and actuall sinne as they call it so mercifully through Christ but also he geueth vnto vs Christ himselfe And so he giueth him vnto vs that he with him voutchsafeth to dwell in vs whereby Satan is expulsed and driuen away 1 Cor. 6. and our hartes made the dwelling place and temple of the holy ghoste He now that here in this worlde
sondaye after triuitye sondaye Luc. 14. Mat 22 Apo. 16 A Certayne man ordayned a greate supper and bad manye and sente hys seruaunte at supper tyme to saye to them that were bydden come for all thynges are nowe readye And they all at once began to make excuse The fyrst said vnto hym I haue bought afarme and I must go and see it I pray the haue me excused And an other sayd I haue bought fiue yoke of oxen and I go to proue them I praye the haue me excused And an other sayd I haue maried a wyfe and therfore I can not come And the seruante retourned and brought hys mayster worde agayne therof Then was the goodman of the house displeased and sayd to his seruante Go out quickely into the stretes and quarters of the city and bringe in hyther the poore and the feeble and the halt and the blinde And the seruaunt sayde Lord it is done as thou hast commaunded and yet there is roome And the lorde sayd to the seruauÌ„t Go out vnto the hye ways and hedges and Gen. 19 compell them to come in that my house may be filled For I saye vnto you that none of those menne whyche were bydden shall taste of my supper THE EXPOSITION IN this similitude The grace of God fyrste of all is praysed the great godnes grace mercy of god whiche he hath so mightely shewed vs by his sonne Iesus Christe without any deseruing of our workes in that that he compareth it here to a supper For all suppers are moste chiefely prepared and ordained for myrth and not for heuines that a man shulde eate drinke and be merye Lykewise as a supper here vpon earth is ordayned and prepared to make men merye and lighte harted euen so this greate supper of the grace of god and the gospell hath god prepared for our greate consolacion and comfort wherin we shuld reioyse be mery glad For what other thing is the gospell by the which the great goodnes and mercye of god is shewed vs so gentely and sweetly through Christ then a good and mery tidinges The gospell It could be no lye that the aungell shewed vnto the shephardes when Christ was borne saying Beholde Luce. 2. I bringe you tidinges of greate ioye whiche shall happen vnto all people Neither doth the prophete Dauid monish vs with out cause to reioyse in these dayes of grace saying This is the day which the lord hath made Ps 117 let vs reioyse and be gladde in it Nowe seing that god our mercifull father hath so louingely prepared for vs this supper Supper through Christ without any deseruing of our part Without dout it is a tokeÌ„ of his great loue toward vs specially if we considre that not allonly the Iewes but also al the heitheÌ„ publicans siners ar called hervnto And therfore Christ might wel say Ioh. 3. The loue of god That god so loued the world that he gaue his only son Here thou hearest that alloÌ„ly loue moued god by Christe to prepare this supper of the grace of the gospel Then if loue moued him to prepare this supper so it is a greater token of loue that he hath called vs therunto For what shulde it auayle me that this greate supper is highely praysed coÌ„mended yf I were fayne to sit without the dore were not called nor letten in And that we shuld peâ—ceaue that Christ hath not allonly prepared this supper but hath bidde al men thervnto the euaÌ„geliste saieth here that the lord of the supper sent his seruauÌ„t to them that were bidden to tell them that it was supper tyme and to byd them come for all was readye This seruante signifieth thapostels whiche Christe firste of all sent to preach to the Iewes and after when they hadde despised the preaching of the gospel and made them vnworthy thereof they were sent to the Gentyls Thappostels calleth vs to this supper And what did they preach They said Al things are redy now come Christ hath shewed vs the will of the father Christe hath suffered death for our sinnes is risen for our rightousnes asceÌ„ded vp into heaueÌ„ hath gotteÌ„ vs the holy ghost wherfore al thingê pertaining to our saluacion are ready This did the holy apostels so diligeÌ„tly prech so that Esaias did not speake in vain of them when he said Esai 52 O how bewtiful are the feet of thembassadour that briÌ„geth good tidings precheth helth What caÌ„ we desire any more Helth is obtained vs of meer grace Bi grace we be called vnto saluacioÌ„ This alloÌ„ly is now required of vs that we come Therfore let vs not dispise this supper but rather let vs hast vs to Christe that we may get righteousnes saluacion Secondarily Firste the gospell was preched vnto the Iewes Mat. 15 we se in this similitude the calling of the Iewes to the grace of the gospell and in what wyse they be reiected for ther incredulite For they were the first that shulde be called as Christe hymselfe witnesseth saiyng I am not sent but vnto the loste sheepe of the house of Israell And Paule withe Barnabas in the actes of thapostles sayde Act. 13. It behoued first the word of god to be spoken vnto you c. But how did the Iewes heare the callyng They begon all to excuse theÌ„ contrary to the counsel of the prophet Dauid saiyng Ps 49. To day yf you wil heare his voyce harden not you hartes They wyll not folowe this faithfull counsaile but they excuse themselues wil not come The first saithe The Iewes in obedience and incredulitye I haue bought a farme and muste nedes go forth to looke vpon it I praye the holde me excused The other said I haue boughte a yoke of oxen and muste go forthe to proue them I praye the holde me excused The third sayd I haue maried a wyfe and I caÌ„not come as though he could not be a maried maÌ„ and a christian but this it is From the beginning hath the Iews euer beÌ„ stubborn disobedieÌ„t wretches How ofteÌ„ times I pray you did thei murmur agaiÌ„st god iÌ„ the wildernes How ofteÌ„ did thei prouoke god vnto angre Act. 7. doth not s SteueÌ„ bear witnes that the Iews wer both the betrayers and murtherers of Christ sayiÌ„g Yee stiffe necked ye haue alwayes resisted the holye ghost Now yf he that bought the farme set more by the farme than he didde by the supper for bying of the farme he shulde haue bene damned For he that hath much riches is not damned but he whose hart is set vppon riches â— Co. 6. For as Paule saith we shulde be as hauing nothing yet possessing all thyngs AbrahaÌ„ bought a pece of land of the childreÌ„ of Heth for hys sepulchre and other vses Ge. 24 was he damned for so doinge No For to bye lande and oxen or other cattel pertayneth not to the kiÌ„gdom of Christ but
then if Christ taketh away synne through his owne merites and deseruyng how can our workes do it then Further more thapostles teacheth vs so likewse iin the Actes Act. 4. where they treate of this article say There is no other name geuē to mē wherin we must be saued c. And here on this parable we haue howe the kyng of great mercy and compassion forgaue this debt Thirdly this seruant should haue been myndful of the great benefite whiche was shewed vpon him and by right should haue had pacience with him that was in his debte forasmuche as fayth whiche comprehēdeth remission of synnes in Christ is euer wont accustomably to come vnto light and breake furth through charitee But as an vnthankefull forgetfull man of suche great goodnes done vnto him he would haue no pacience with his companiō whiche ought him an hundreth pence Doth this mā seme vnto the a christiā mā although his synne afore was dimitted him No surely For a christian mā knoweth that of mere grace through Christ his synnes bee forgeuen him and knoweth also that in like maner he should handle his neighbor Therfore in that I apprehende forgeuenes of synne by fayth in Christ and for Christes sake serue and forgeue my neighbour in so doyng and cōtinuyng in the same I am a christian man Whiche if I do not I am no christian man Mat. 22 For the scripture witnesseth that all the lawe and the Prophetes hang and consist in the loue of God and my neighbour as in two of the principal cōmaundemētes Luc. 6. Wherfore Christ in another place saith Forgeue and you shal be forgeuen Whiche thou mayst not vnderstande as though thou couldest deserue remission of synnes throug thy forgeuyng The fyrst part of this knowlege is the preachyng of repentaunce declaryng vnto the what thou oughtest to do with thy neighbour namely to forgeue him And the second parte is a promise that thy synnes shal be forgeuen the in Christ by grace and mercy And hereto pertayneth our dayly prayer wherin we say Remitte nobis debita nostra c. Forgeue vs oure dettes as we forgeue oure detters Wherfore if thou haue pleasure to do good workes to testifie by charitie that thy fayth is a right a true fayth in Christe serue thy neighbor as God by his sonne hath serued the. For by this shall euery man knowe that ye are the disciples of Christ if you haue loue one to another as Christ sayth in the xiiii chapiter of Ihon. Iho. 14. Fourthly we see in the fourth part of this parable howe God shall punishe those that leaue departe from the fayth forget the charitee and loue The punishmēt of those that do fall from fayth that they owe to their neighbor For assone as the kyng had heard howe extremely the seruaunt to whom he had forgeuen his debt had handled his companion he was very wrothe Wherfore he called him before him and rigorously rebuked him and deliuered him to the iaylours vntyll he payed all that he ought This worde Vntyl signfieth here tyme without ende As though the kyng would saye Of my great mercye and grace I forgaue thee all thy synnes that thou beyng myndefull of this great benefite shouldest haue likewise hādled thy debter But forsomuche as thou arte so vnthankefull and hast vtterly forgotten charitee thou shalt be dampned euerlastyngly Out of all these thynges consider howe euery thyng ought to bee done in the kyngdome of Christ Fyrst we ought to knowlege our selfe to be synners and that we cannot be iustified in the sight of God by workes And that is the fyrst parte of this parable Secondarily we must knowe that oure synnes bee forgeuen vs of grace through Christ and that teacheth the second parte of this parable And thyrdly wee are here taught that when we haue receiued remission of synne by fayth it is needefull that we by charitee testifie to haue this fayth Fourthly wee bee here taught that if wee do not these foresayd thynges wee shall be dampned without mercy that is the last parte of this parable Geue thankes vnto God The Gospel on the xxiii sonday after Trinitee sonday Mathewe 22. THen went the Phariseys Mat. 12 and toke counsell howe they might tangle him in his wordes And they sēt out vnto him their disciples with Herodes seruauntes saiyng Luc. 20. Mayster we knowe that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the outwarde apparaunce of men Tell vs therfore Howe thynkest thou Is it lawfull that tribute be geuen vnto Cesar or not But Iesus perceiuyng their wickednes sayd Why tempte ye me ye hypocrites Shewe me the tribute money And they toke him a peny And he sayd vnto theim Whose is this ymage and superscripcion They say vnto him Cesars Then sayd he vnto thē Ma. 17 Ro. 13. Geue therfore vnto Cesar the thynges that are Cesars and vnto God those thynges that are Gods THE EXPOSITION WE haue in this Gospell a very subtill and crafty inuented question of the Phariseys wherwith they went about to take Christ in some tryp in his wordes wherby they might haue brought him in some slaunder Whiche question diligently considered we shall fynde that the children of this worlde in their kynde to bee no fooles but neuerthelesse their wysedome craft subtiltie euer beyng clothed and myxt with great maliciousnes and blyndnes Therfore fyrst of all the Phariseys tooke counsayl But at what thyng Certainly of an euil matter For when they could fynd no occasion nor meanes wherby to hurt Christ they toke counsayl and with one consent did al agree determyne to take trippe Christ craftely in his speakyng Whereout we may consider the Phariseis to be of that sort of whom the Prophete Dauid had before spoken saiyng Psal 2. The kynges of the yearth stande vp and the rulers are come together against the Lorde and against his annoynted But whereof do they treate in their counsail and what do they conclude They conclude to sende their ministers with thofficers of kyng Herode to aske and demaunde of Christ whether it were mete to pay tribute to the Emperour or not For herein he was cōstrained either to say yea or nay If he had sayd no it was not lawful to paye tribute vnto themperour straight were the officers ready to accuse him before Herode as a sedicious person And if he had sayd and affirmed that they should haue payed tribute then should he haue lost the fauoure of the people because he spake against the liberty of the Iewes so beyng out of fauour in great displeasure thought by that meanes he might be deliuered into their handes This was a subtill deceiptful deuilishe pollice And without a christian mā had not the wisedome of Serpētes The wisdom of the serpētes Mat. 10 whiche was cōmaunded also to the Apostles to haue who could withstand
suche subtyl obiections Here out it cōmeth that whiche Dauid the Prophet complayneth of these wicked persons Psal 20 saiyng Lo they haue bent their bowes made ready their arrowes in the quiuer that they may priuily shote at thē which are true in heart So likewyse do these Phariseys here they go to counsel howe they might take Iesus in his saiynges euen the same that they cōcluded they cōmaund their disciples instructyng thē how what they should say vnto him namely this Mayster we know that thou art true teachest the way of God truly carest for no man For thou regardest not the outwarde apparance of men c. Howe goodly are these wolues drest with shepes garmēt They cal Christ a maister al for to constrain him with suche flatteryng wordes to make answer vnto them yet be not they of suche disposicion to become his disciples although ther had been taught neuer so much goodnes vnto thē Furthermore thei adde that he is true teacheth the worde of God truely This is not euil spoken of Christe Iho. 14 For he teacheth not only Gods worde truly but also he is the truth himselfe And this is required of al preachers that they so endeuor them selfes that these wordes may be truly spoken of thē For it is our office to be true to teache Gods word truly Furthermore that thei say Thou carest for no mā nor regardest the outward apparance of men partaineth vnto vs also For the truth is not to be hidden for no mans pleasure but faythfully to bee preached teached yea although his distructiō shuld folow should be put to death as S. Ihon Baptist was And although Christ is excellently described vnto vs by these wordes yet they that were sent did speake it with a false fainyng dissemblyng heart Wherout we may learne the disposiciō of those hypocrites which persecute the word of god Thei omit the head the principal of the thing and bryng in vnprofitable questions They speake nothing with the heart But whatsoeuer thei speake is for that purpose that they may take and tryp the innocētes and good men in their communicacion Secondarily after that the Phariseys had put furth their subtill deuised question Christ knowyng that thei did it to tempt him so he did answer them that it was not spoken in vayne of the wyse man Pro. 21. saiyng There is no wysedome there is no vnderstādyng there is no counsail against the Lord. Therfore he calleth them hypocrites And that thei might wel vnderstand that he knewe their malicious thoughtes he added Why do ye tempte me Whiche wordes by right should haue reuoked the Phariseys and the ministers from their maliciousnes and deceit and caused them to haue amended their liues But they were blynde remayned styll blynd Yet notwtstādyng Christ bad them to shewe him their tribute money and sayd Whose is this ymage superscripcion They sayd vnto him The Emperours Then sayd he vnto them Geue therfore vnto the Emperour that whiche is the Emperours and geue vnto God that whiche is Gods As though he would saye Forasmuche as you are come therto that for your synne you are brought vnder the yoke of the Emperour of Rome you must nedes geue as vnto your head highest lorde here vpon yearth vnder God that whiche belōgeth vnto him Here is to be noted the difference that Christ maketh betwene the kyngdome of God and this worlde For he doth not onely approue and allowe this high power and polliticke life The kīgdome of Christ but also confermeth it For the kyngdome of God or of Christ is spiritual whiche consisteth in the spirite fayth and truth wherfore it commeth not with outwarde doynges but it must be inwardly in vs. Now because that it is a spiritual kyngdome God requireth and wyll be worshypped in spirite Luc. 17 Ihon. 4 and in the trueth as Christ sayth in the fourth chapiter of sainct Ihon. The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirite and in truthe But to worship God in spirite and truth is to loue him with all thy heart Deut. 6. with all thy power and to truste in him For suche fayth and loue geueth God his honor and kepeth his cōmaundementes as Christ sayeth in an other place He that loueth me shall keepe my woorde Ioh. 14 Wherefore when I put my whole truste in god the father through Christe and loue him aboue all creatures then doo I gyue god that pertaineth to god and pull from him none of his honour And herevnto pertaineth the fruteful admonicion of the prophete Dauid saying Psal 28. Adscribe vnto the Lorde O yee mighty ascribe vnto the Lord worshyp strength And contrary wise Cesars kingedō the kyngdome of the Emperour is worldly it is visible in the which the Emperour him selfe gouerneth and beareth rule mightely with hys lordes and prynces as the scripture witnesseth in an other place sayinge Luc. 22. The Kynges of the worlde haue dominion ouer the people and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious lordes Neuertheles that kingdome is of god Rom. 13 and stablished by goddes ordinaunce in suche wise that he that resisteth this ordinaunce resisteth god him selfe Thinkest thou that princes and greate lordes in the scripture are called goddes in vaine and withoute a cause For if they bee goddes Psa 8◠and are made by god partakers of his magnificence then muste they needes be in goddes steed whose roome they beare Therfore seyng they rule in gods steed it is both meete and conuenient to giue theim that wee are bounde to giue theim But what are those thinges S. Paule setteth them furthe and sayth Geue vnto euery man his dutie Ro 13. Tribute to whom tribute belōgeth Custome to whō custome is due Feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom honour pertayneth Here thou hearest what thou art bound to geue vnto highe powers But paraduenture thou wilt say Shall I geue obedience vnto a tyrant an vngracious prince or Lord Yea truly thou art bound both to geue obey him For what hast thou to do with his tyranny If the magistrate doth naught contrary to equitie he hath a iudge whom he must answere in that appointed day Iudgement is not here graunted vnto thee except he constrayneth thee to do any thyng against God Then thou mayst say with the Apostles Act. 5. We ought more to obay God then men But if he cōstrayneth the do nothyng against God then hast thou here the sentence of Christe Geue to Cesar that belongeth vnto him and to God that is Gods Whiche answere is so good and godly that they that were sent of the Phariseys meruailed at it And for because they could say nothyng against it They wēt their wayes God graunt vs his grace The gospel on the .xxiiii. sonday after Trinitee sonday Math. 9. WHyles he thus spake vnto them Mat. 5. Luc. 8.
whole worlde And they whiche afore tyme wolde not heare Christe and his Apostels in the name of god afterward were constrained to heare the Romaines in the dyuels name I praye god the father The ingratitud and vnthākfulnes of thē that haue the worde of god that wee be not ones constrained to learne what a thynge it is so manyfestly to dispise forbidde and driue awaye by forse goddes worde and in no wise to giue place to the truthe The word of god shineth so clere amongst vs the yt cā not be denied but be confessed to be the very trew worde And on the other syde our ingratitude and maliciousnes is so great that it is not vnknowen Wherfore I thynke that suche punishment as pleaseth God shall folowe yet I knowe not what God purposeth to do but I knowe what I am bound to feare and to be afrayde of Neuerthelesse lette vs aske for grace and he of his goodnes shall turne his wrath from vs. Amen The Gospel on sainct Ihon his day the and Apostle Euangelist Ihon. 21. IESVS sayd vnto Peter Folowe me Peter turned him aboute and sawe the disciple Iohn 13 19. 20. whom Iesus loued folowyng whiche also leaned on his brest at supper and sayd Lorde which is he that betrayeth thee When Peter therfore sawe him he sayth to Iesus Lorde what shall he here do Iesus sayeth vnto him If I wyll haue him to tarye tyll I come what is that to thee folowe thou me Then went this saiyng abrode among the brethren that the disciple should not dye yet Iesus sayd not to him he shall not dye but if I wyll that he tary tyll I come what is that to thee The same disciple is he whiche testifyed of these thynges and wrote these thynges And we knowe that his testimony true THE EXPOSITION IN the last chapiter of the Gospel of sainct Ihon Christ demaūdeth thre tymes of Peter if that he loued him At the whiche demaunde Peter answered thre tymes and sayd that he loued him And because that Peter should not lacke an occasion to declare his loue to proue it in dede Christ goeth to and declareth vnto him wherwith he might gratifie and serue him namely if he loued him he shuld feade his shepe To feade is to teache Psal 22. To feade is as muche to say as to teache and preache And so taketh it Dauid when he sayth The Lorde is my shepeherd I can want nothyng He feadeth me in a grene pasture ledeth me to a freshe water He calleth the shepe Shepe Iho. 10 his electe christians as he sayeth in the .x. chapiter of Ihon My shepe heareth my voyce And in the Gospell of Mathew Christe sayeth Mat. 10 Beholde I send you as shepe in the myddes of Wolfes As though Christ would say vnto Peter My Peter I haue bought my shepe that is my christians dearly with an vnestimable price wherfore I would not see any of them neither neglected nor yet lost Therfore if thou louest me as thou hast spoken thou shalt vnderstād that there can be nothing more acceptable vnto me then that my sheepe haue good feadyng That is that they be diligently taught instructed in the worde of God Howe Peter should folowe Christ And if thou wilt know whō thou shouldest folowe in this office of preachyng herken to this saiyng Folow me For thou knowest and hast sene in what wyse I haue behaued my selfe herein c. Nowe that in this place Peter is commaunded to folowe Christ I thynke that the same commaundement and precept partayneth not onely vnto Peter but generally vnto all christian menne For synce we be named christians take our name of Christ whō should we folowe but Christ who sayth here Folowe me But there hath been in the world and is yet vnto this hour diuers sondry ways prescribed vs to folow For this foloweth S. Francys the other S. Benedict the third S. Dominick the fowerth foloweth S. Bruno as a moste suer rule of his lyuing And as touching this thing there hath been amongst christen men so variable sondry opinions ways to folow that who so euer wil note thē wel it can not be but he must needs be sore greued in his hart at them in so muche that they be all fained made repugnaunt to the manifest word of Christ For who of the fathers can be found that dare avow say of thē selues He that foloweth me in my rule walketh not in darknes Though in need yt is not euel if we folow our fathers In what wise wee shulde to lowe the Fathers 1 Cor. 4 but it is needefull thē that we do it in such form as S. Paul describeth it sayīg Be ye my folowers wher he doth adde as I folow Christ Wherfore yt is needful that this cōmaūdemēt of Christ shuld moue stere vs not to thīk that it was geuē only to Peter but also vnto al christen mē nameli vnto those that glorify thēselues of Christ therfore shuld thei lykewise folow hī of whō thei bear the name For it is Christ ōly that dare auowe and sai Iohn 8 He that foloweth me walketh not in darknes Secōdarily forasmuch as we haue heard learned that ther is no suerer thīg in this life thē to folow Christ therfore it is necessary that we learne how in what maner of wise it is needful that we folow him that is that euery mā must folow Christ in his callīg For this presēt gospell teacheth vs that in Peter that whē he heard Christ say Folow me he tourned him selfe aboute and sawe the disciple whome Christe loued and sayd vnto Iesus Lorde but what shall he do Peter had a commaundement of Christ to folowe him and that in his callyng whiche was before declared vnto him Euery manne folowe Christ in his callyng namely in feadyng Christ his shepe And forbecause he had so sone forgotte it lookyng to another he is here reproued of Christe with these woordes what is that to the And agayne he heareth Folowe thou me But this was not only done for Peter but for vs also that wee should not charge our selues with other cares busynes but with good aduisement counsail beyng diligent in our owne busynesses should endeuor our selfe to do faithfully with a christiā mynde that thing whervnto wee are called For truely if euery man in his degre would diligently endeuor them selfes to do that thyng whervnto they are ordained called of God and not to set so litle by it as they do wtout doubt or should fynd him selfe so charged that he should sone forget to remembre what other men had to do And take an example The office of prechīg If I am called to the office of preachyng to be a minister of the worde of God so is it very necessarye that I do the same with all diligence in preachyng readyng rebukyng comfortyng and prouidyng for the poore
in one heape gathered together the merites of all sainctes that euer were since the beginnyng of the worlde For in this matter that pertayneth to remission of synne iustificacion and eternal health it is not required to worke The Euagelist allege the scripture but to beleue Obserue also and note diligently that the Euangelistes describyng the passion of Christ howe the Iewes entreated him thei many tymes haue respect vnto the scripture which shewed before the selfe same thinges the which scripture thei also alege as in this place where thei shewe howe he was crucified betwene ii theues Also howee the souldiers cast lotte for his garmentes c. Neither do they this for any other purpose but to admonishe vs to direct our eyes vnto the scriptures and euer more in matter appertainyng vnto saluacion to waygh them direct oure iudgement accordyng to the same Fourthly Christ hangyng vpon the crosse doth excedyngly set furth that his moste heartie loue toward vs in this Christ is careful for his elect that he cōmendeth his most derely beloued mother to the Apostle Ihon againe Ihō vnto his mother that he might be to her as a defender and comfortable patrone in that her extreme necessite and trouble For as he nowe is careful for his mother prouideth for her euen so is he careful and prouideth for al that loue his name receiue his gospel and through faith repose it in their heartes and so furthermore shewe it furth of theyr heartes doyng the workes of it through loue And that we might ascertainly chalenge to our selues suche clemency and goodnes in Christ therefore he sayth in another place Who is my mother Luc. 8. or who are my brethren Truely whosoeuer dothe the wylle of my father that is in heauē he is my brother and syster and mother Christes mother By these woordes thou mayest well perceyue that Christ wyll take thee for his brother syster yea and for his mother also wyl euen so acknowlege thee if thou beleue in him and not onely will he defende and surely kepe thee in this life but also he wyll conserue the into eternal life Only let this be thy heartie study to do the will of his father that is in heauen But what calleth he the wyll of his father This is the will of him that hath sēt me Ihon. 6 euen the fathers that euery man that seeth the sōne and beleueth in him should haue life eternal and I wyl againe rayse him in the last day In this place he playnly euidently sayth We must be armed with the scripture against temptacion that he that beleueth in him doth the wyll of his father And truely it is very necessary for vs earnestly to considre those examples that sheweth what mynde Christe beareth vnto vs. For the tyme wyll come yea it is all ready at hand that these places of scripture shall do vs excedyng muche good and singularly comforte vs in all oure necessitee and troubles But if persecucion fynde me here vnarmed sure it is that I shal not cōtinue constant but sodenly forgette God and seeke helpe and cōforte at creatures And what shal then chaunce to me Truly this that for mine vnthākefulnes God wyll forsake me and because I am not armed with his worde therfore wyll he withdrawe his hand from me and forsake me so that I shal fal into destruction and for euer perishe bothe in body and soule Fyftly we see that Christe when he nowe knewe that al thynges were finished and he had tasted the vyneger and had sayd It is ended He bowed his head gaue vp the spirit That he cryed I thrust and by and by vyneger is geuen him to drynke Psa 69 it was done for this cause that we should beleue seyng that all thynges done in this passion agree so wel with the scriture that this mā without doubt is the same Christe whom the holy fathers haue so long tyme before wayted for And that before he dyed he cryed It is ended This is so excellent a worde and so precious All our saluaciō in Christ onely that not onely it is be grauē in oure heartes by fayth but also bee in all places written euen with letters of golde before our eyes Wyll you knowe why Herken We were by nature the children of wrath condempnacion so burthened in synne vnfaythfulnes that wee should perpetually haue perished if wee had not been succoured and helped Therfore onely this Iesus Christe our Lorde assisted vs with his helpe and comforte And bicause afore the heauēly father we could find no fauour or grace without oblation and sacrifice therfore Christ offered him selfe vpon the crosse for vs reconciled his father with his owne blud and obtained of him for vs fauour forgiuenes righteousnes and eternall life Heb. 11. as the epistle to the Hebrues saith With one offering hath he made perfect for euer those that are sanctified I besech you what could we more desier or what greater benefites may be done vnto vs Sin is conquered death is conquered the diuel hel are conquered so that we may now freely sai 1 Co. 15. Death is swalowed into victory Death wher is thy sting Hel wher is thy victory But thankes to god that hath gyuen vs the victory by our lord Iesus Christ Christs glorye must be giuen hym ōly This now is our dueti that we remembre to giue to Christ only this his glory honor to knowledg him for our high Byshop which offered him self for vs and so by his passion and death finished and brought to perfecte ende all our saluacion For if we nowe giue to hym this his honor as our duty is and stedfastly beleue that al this that was done was done altogither for vs and for our saluacion douteles we shall so haue it that this his merite shall not be taken as vaine or frustrate but of most greatest strength efficacy for vs. On the other party if we wyl not giue vnto him this his glorye but rather wyll ascribe to our owne deseruinge merites and workes that thing which cost him that so great and inestimable price that is the effusion and sheding of his moste precious and holy bloud then truly we make our selues vnworthy to haue this passiō and inerite of Christ gyuen vnto vs neither are we lyke except we repent to haue ony other fauoure at Christes iudgement then the Iewes that crucified him The whiche thing the almighty god kepe farre from vs for his greate mercy and goodnes thorow the merites of Iesus Christe our Lorde Amen The syxte sermon on the Passion Ioh. xix THe Iewes therefore bycause it was the preparyng day of the Sabboth that the bodyes shoulde not remaine on the crosse on the Sabboth daye for the Sabboth day was an hyghe day besought Pylate that their legges might ve broken that they myght be taken doune Then came the souldiers and brake the legges
nor the thinge that is holy Mat. 7 may not be cast before him but only must it be communicate to those that despair of their owne workes and strengthes that knowledg that they need the help and comfort of Christ We beleue rem ssion of sins Therfore also we confesse in our Crede that ther is forgiuenes of sins which we must needs beleue Now if we obtain remission of sinnes by the sheding of the blud of Christ as the blud flowing from hys syde testifyeth where is then the bragging of our workes wher ar our merites They are shut out excluded by the deathe passion of Christ Note how workes are cōcluded not that good works ought not to be doone but that they may not be ioyned with iustification which onli cometh by faith We muste in this behalfe giue Christe his own honor wholy perfectly apprehend his merite by faith so shall it come to passe that neyther synne nor death nor dyuel nor hel shal hurte the. And those good workes the fayth doth as in deed it ought to do good woorkes take them as frutes of fayth wherby the faith and sure trust of our hearts toward god is declared In like maner the water The water that flowed frō Christs syde declareth that Christe after his resurreccion would send his holy spirit that water of life wher with it is nedeful that the heartes of all the elect be purifyed And of this water dyd all the Prophetes prophecye especially Esaias when he sayd Esa 44 I wyll power water vpō the thyrsty streames vpō the dry ground I will power my spirit vpō thy seede my blessyng vpon thy braunche and they shall spryng burgenyng among the herbes as the salowes that grewe by the syde of the ryuer Accordyng to this Christ also crieth in the gospel of S. Ihon Who so thursteth let him come to me drynke Ioh. 7. He that beleueth on me as the scripture sayth stremes of water of life shall flowe out frō his belly And the Euāgelist himself expoūdeth this shewyng that it is ment of the holy gost for he sayth This spake Iesus of the spirit which those that beleue in him should receiue Christ loueth vs. He then that hath by theffusion of his most precious bloud obtayned for vs remission of all our synnes deliuered vs frō eternal death reconciled vs into the fauor of god his father that wtout any of our merites or deseruinges also hath promised to sēd his holy ghost whiche maye leede our heartes into the knowledge fayth of God thynke you he dothe not very heartely loue vs would our welfare Nowe seyng that he thus heartely wylleth oure welfare why should we not beleue in him why should we not acknowledge this so great loue Yet are there mē foūd the more pitie it is that ascribe more to their own merites then to Christ and therfore they cannot be thākeful whō doubtles at that day Christ shal therfore punishe according to their owne deseruynges Thirdly we haue here described who they were that buried Christ with what reuerence his dead body was brought vnto the earth Some man perchance would meruaile that Ioseph Nicodemus nowe dare aske of Pylate the deade bodye of Iesu whiche yet when Iesus lyued they durst not come at him The death of Christe begynning to conquer scant by night But nowe the frutes and vtility of Christes passion somwhat openeth it self she winge what shulde ensue the passion and deathe of Christ when a litle and a litle it comech to mennes knowledg both what manner a man Christ is and also how innocently and vndeseruedly he was persecuted by the Iewes condemned vnto the crosse And these two doubtles came after the true knowledge of god and his sonne Iesu Christ which now so manifestly do this humanitie vnto Christ contemned and crucified hauinge no respect that hee was so hated of the Iewes For that they here do it cometh of an imperfecte faith for they were yet far from the perfection that Paul speaketh of Rom. 1 saying I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of god vnto saluacion to euery man that beleueth But that they exhibited to Christ such reuerence honor that thei take him doune from the crosse and enbalmed hym with Myrre and Aloe with such spice they winde vp his body laye it gloriously in the sepulture it is an humane and gentle affection done according to the custome of the Iewes The estimation of the worlde of Christes deth sepulchre Deu. 21 And here note howe the deathe and sepulture of Christe is esteemed afore the worlde bothe his death and buriall are ignominious and shamefull For it is written in the lawe He is accursed that hāgeth vpon a tree Besydes this the blynde Iewes had none other opinion of Christ neither by his life nor in his death as it is euident vnto this day But before God this death buryall is honest and precious as also it is estemed amōg al that beleue whiche know assuredly that by that dispised death the beleuers are delyuered from synne death deuil and hel Doth not S. Paule say often tyme 1. Cor. 2 I haue knowen no man but Christ and euen the same that was crucifyed And this is an vndoubted trueth Note this earnestly gentle reader take awaye this contemptible death and buryal of Christ and you shal perceyue that all men must be compelled to dispayre and to fall into the daunger of the deuil On the other part set before your eyes the passion death and buryal of Christ apprehendyng them by true fayth as most precious iewels deuine treasures done for thee and thou shalt fynd thy cōscience able to resyst against all the assaultes of Sathan and also of synne And as Ioseph and Nycodemus by fayth shewed this humanitee vnto Christ so endeuor thy selfe by fayth that vnto sinne thou may bee dead buryed with Christ Rom. 6. and after agayne ryse through fayth with him For surely this pleaseth Christ and is necessary and very profytable vnto thy saluacion Fourthly we see howe contemtuously Pylate delyuereth Christ to be buryed forsyng not for him nothyng regardyng that he should ryse agayne the thyrd day The sentence of Infidels In this mynde are al the enemyes of the gospel and truth of God When they haue slayne the ministers of the worde then they thynke all thyng very well safe and all whyst as they would haue it Exo. 1.2.3 Euen so did Pharao with intollerable burthens oppresse the chyldren of Israel thynkyng by that meanes to stoppe the ordynaunce of God that the Israelites should not so much growe and increase but the more they were oppressed so muche more they grewe and multiplyed and at the laste by his owne crueltee he was his owne destruccion Euen so chaunsed it to Pylate and
into heauen with the approue confirmacion of the same For thus sayth the texte And the Lorde after that he had spoken vnto them he was taken vppe into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God c. Hetherto Christ had preached and taught after that he was crucifyed and rysen agayn the thyrd daye from the dead and truely after his resurrection he had muche a do with the incredulitee of his Apostles to whom also at the last he shewed what he would theim to do And after he had all this doone Mar 16 he ascended into heauen and sytteth on the right hand of God that is he taketh to himselfe a newe kyngdome that he perpetually with his father beyng Lord on heauen and yearth may and shal reigne in equal power with God his father What it is to syt on the right hand of God for to conserue gouerne maintayn and defend all that are his from all euils For this to do is to syt on the right hand of God Furthermore lest his assencion into heauen should be without an euident vtilitee and profyte he would sende from heauen his holy ghost which might confirme his in the fayth make them strong in all their troubles and persecucions and defende comfort them against their threttes that hated the word euen as the Prophet did testifi Ps 67. saiyng Hee ascended into the highth and hath ledde captiuitee capteiue and hath geuen gyftes to men Oh deare brethren is not this a mightie Lord that hath coÌ„quered and deliuered vs from the captiuitee of Sathan hath geuen frely to vs his worde and spirit and lastly by this meanes hath made vs the sonnes of God Surely he that wyll not beleue and put his confidence in this god and suche a Lorde doubtlesse his vnbelif shal turne briÌ„g him vnto perpetual dampnacion and losse bothe of body and soule The whiche God vouchesafe to turne froÌ„ vs for his great infinite grace through Iesu Christ our Lorde Amen The gospel on the Monday after Witsondaye Ioh. 3. FOr God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life Luce. 19 For God sent not his sonne into the world to condemn the worlde but that the worlde through hym myght be saued Hee that beleueth on hym is not condemned But hee that beleueth not is condemned already bycause he hath not beleued in the name of the onlye begotten son of god And thys is the coÌ„demnacioÌ„ Iohn 1 and. 12. the lyght is come into the world and men loued darkenes more then lyght bycause their deedes were euel For ♣ Eph. 5 euery one that euell dooeth hateth the lyght neither commeth to the lyght least hys dedes shuld be reproued But he that doth truthe commeth to the lyghte that hys deedes maye bee knowen howe they are wrought in God After these thynges came Iesus and hys disciples into the land of Iewrye and there he taryed with them Ioh. 4. Mat. 3. Mar. 1. Luc. 3. Mar. 4 and baptized And Iohn also baptized in EnnoÌ„ besyds Salim bicause ther was muche water there and they came and were baptized For Ihon was not yet put in pryson THE EXPOSITION IN this gospell CHRIST setteth out highly The loue of God toward vs that excedinge loue and charitye of oure heauenly father that he euer hath borne vnto man kâ—nde And this loue doth Christe so highly extoll and magnifye that he affirmeth that loue to haue beene the chiefe principall and onlye cause wherfore hee wolde giue his onlye begotten sonne into this worlde Lette vs therefore with most herty attentioÌ„ coÌ„sider this praise wherwith Christ setteth out the loue of his heaueÌ„ly father For in it we shal plainely perceiue what moued god to redeme vs and by whome he would worke our redemtion And what moued the heauenly father to doo thys Dyd men obtaine it with their good works Or deserued they it by theyr honest conuersacion Truly if that time that Christ came into to the worlde he wold haue iudged men accordinge to their merites and workes it was to be feared least as it happein the tyme of Noe he shulde haue drowned all the worlde with water for doubteles at that tyme ther were not very many good in al the world For euen the Iewes which receiued the law prophets and therfore ought to haue been more holier and better then the other nacions these I say were a fewe except more wretched and abhominable then anye other Then needes must ther be a far other cause of our redemtioÌ„ Out of loue and grace ar we saued then the merites of man What is it then Christe answereth God so loued the worlde Do not you heare now that our redemtion dependeth and consisteth vpon mere loue grace compassion and mercy And this loue ought well to styrre vs vp and to bringe vs to faithe For if we wel consider and weye this loue in our hearts it wil sufficiently teach vs how high ye vnspeakable it is For suerly we had deserued by vnbeliefe and our sinnes perpetual damnacioÌ„ god mought most rightfully haue shed vpon vs his terrible wrath furor and indignacion and haue condemnd vs vnto ê‘petual daÌ„nacion but what dyd he So mighty nowe was not his wrathe but his loue that not only he saued vs froÌ„ destruction but also made vs free safe froÌ„ synne death dyuel and hell But howe did he this or by what meane or mediator Wold he do this by his angels or by any other mediator or mean Nay verily But to do this he sent gaue freely his only begotten son Here againe that excedyng loue is glorified which was the cause the god would redeme vs. For truely all that euer god giueth that giueth he of grace no merites goyng before With this agreeth the saying of S Paul If when we wer enemies we were recoÌ„ciled to god by the death of his son much more now that we be reconcyled we shal be saued by his life Here also in this saying the apostell coÌ„fesseth that god receiued vs of grace ye when we were yet his enemies Finally God hath deliuered vs from our sins from hel hath giuen to vs eternall life by free grace loue that hath he done by his beloued and only begotteÌ„ sonne Iesus Christe Secondarily althogh our saluacion be gotten made perfect by Christ only yet this must we learn to knowe how men maye obtaine it And thys also doth Christe manifestly shew in this gospell That euery man saith he the beleueth in him shuld not perishe but shoulde haue lyfe eaternall You heare in these wordes whether saluacion gotten by Christe may be receiued by works or apprehended by faith Without doubte our workes do nothinge in this matter But here muste needes be a true faith and an assured confidence and beliefe in god But wheÌ„ is that beliefe and faithe trewe Fayth When
learne to distrust of our selues and our owne strengthes and to seke righteousnes and health otherwhere then at our selues or in our owne workes But where shuld it be sought Forsoth at him that opened vnto the Apostles that excellent cōfession of Christ that is to say at the heauenly father of whom Christ also sayth in another place Noman knoweth the father but onely the sonne and noman knoweth the sōne but the father only and he to whom the father will open him Thyrdly A promise geuen vnto the churche wee haue in this Gospell a promyse of Christ geuen to the churche that is this That the gates of hell that is Sathan and all power wysedome of the worlde shal not preuayle against it Nowe note vpō what foundacion this church must be buylded to whom this excellent promise pertayneth Christ sayth Thou art Peter that is stonye that is thou standest stedfast in thy confession as doth the stony rocke For thou cōfessest and beleuest that I am Christ the sonne of the liuyng God that is thou beleuest that I am the sauiour and redemer of the whole worlde Wherfore nowe suche fayth shal be in my church that hath respect to me my worde and only dependeth vpon me and stand sure firme in the same confession as thou hast done nowe And vpon suche a fayth as only putteth confidence vpō my word I wyll buyld my church so strongly that not the gates of hel that is what so euer be against me other in hel or in earth shal preuaile against it Doubtles persecution shal arise and Sathan him selfe shall not cease by thousand meanes to tempte The gates of hel if it may any way be possible to take away the word frō my church But he shal not obtain his purpose but spend his labour in vaine And why For I my selfe will be protector and defender of it A like saying hath Christ in Mat. Whosoeuer heareth of me these wordes doth them Mat. 7 I wil liken him to a wise man that hath buylt his house vpon a rocky stone and the rayne came downe and the fluddes arose and the windes blew they fel with violence vpon that house it was not ouerthrowē for it was builded vpon a stony rock Now seing that Christ hath with this his so rich excellent a promise prouided for his church With out the trwe churche is no saluaciō Ephe. 5 I pray you who wil be so mad to seperate him selfe from christes church I say again frō Christs church for the which as S. Paul saith he hath giuē him self to death to sanctify it clense it in the fountaine of water by the word to make it vnto him self a glorious congregacion hauing no spot nor wrinkell nor any suche thinge but that it shuld be holy and without blame Fourthly we se to whom Christ hath cōmitted the power of the keies how far the same power extendeth it self It was said afore that Peter answered in the name of al the Apostels that Christs words were to Peter to al the other Apostels Seing it is so nedes must we confesse that power autorite to lose binde was not giuen to Peter alone but generally to al the Apostels Now if any wyll be contencious hold opiniō that the power was giuē to Peter only yet is his mouthe stopped with these places of Math. Iohn where Christ saide to his Apostles Mat 18 Ioh. 20 Whose sins so euer ye forgiue they be forgiuē and whose sins so euer ye retaine they are retained Although it be without questiō that those that dispute stryue by the swords as they saye for the power of Peter thei take vpon them those disputacions not for Peters sake but ōli to flatter therwith their Roman Antichrist But truth it is that the gates of hell haue so sore preuailed against him that euery child may perceiue easily that this promise ought not to be wrested falsly applied to the Roman seat Besides that what with his false doctrine his diuelishe pride he hath so sore ouerthrowen him self that his estimacion hath but smal place in the hertes of those that beleue But nowe what is the power of the keyes Truly nothing els but the administracion of the word sacraments For Christ hath giuen this his word and sacraments vnto his churche And the churche committeth the same power vnto the ministers of the word which execute this office in the name of the whol church Therfore whersoeuer the worde is preched receiued beleued there also without doubt is remission of sinnes and that is it that here is vnderstād by losyng To lose and bynde And whersoeuer the word of god is preached men beleue it not surely ther remaineth perpetual cōdemnaciō ther is no remissiō of sins that same is here vnderstād by binding For doutles the promise stādeth here stedfastly assuredly that what so euer the ministers of the worde lose vpō earth in the name of the whole congregacion the same is losed also in earthe And what so euer thei bind vppon earth the same is bounde also in heauen And doubteles this power is not to bee contemned for that the minister or priest dothe in this matter hee doothe it not of himselfe but god himselfe doothe it whyche for the same intente hathe gyuen vnto vs hys woorde and Sacramentes To whome with the sonne and the holy ghost be all honor and prayse worlde without ende Amen The gospell on sainct Mary Magdalenes daye Luc. 7. When the Pharesey which had bydden hym sawe hee spake within him selfe saying If thys man were a prophete he wold suerly knowe who and what maner of woman this is that toucheth hym for shee is a sinner And Iesus answered and sayde vnto hym Symon I haue somewhat to saye vnto the. And he sayde Maister saye on There was a certaine lender which had two detters the one oughte fyue hundreth pence and the other fyfty When they hadde nothynge to pay he forgaue them both Tell me therfore whyche of theim wyll loue him most Symon answered and sayd I suppose that he to whom he forgaue most And he saide vnto him Thou hast truely iudged And he turned to the woman sayd vnto Symō Seest thou this woman I entred into thy house thou gauest me no water for my feete but she hath washed my feete with teares wyped them with the heere 's of her head Thou gauest me no kysse but she sence the tyme I came in hath not ceassed to kysse my feete Myne head with oyle thou dyddest not annoynt but she hath annoynted my feete with oyntment Wherfore I say vnto thee many synnes are forgeuen her for she loued muche To whom lesse is forgeuen thesame doth lesse loue And he sayd vnto her thy synnes are forgeuen thee And they that satte at meate with him began to say within thē selues who is this which forgeueh synnes also And
he sayd to the woman Mat. 5. Thy fayth hath saued thee Go in peace THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell deare Christians is fyrst descrybed a poore synner whiche not onely was come to the knowledge of her synnes but also by fayth obtained remissioÌ„ of theÌ„ Wherfore it is a verye necessarye thyng that this worde A synfull woman A sinner be well coÌ„sidered and wayed in our heartes that by it we may put a true difference betwene an indurate blynde synner as was the Pharisey a synner that acknowlegeth his myserye synnes For there are synners whiche are doubtlesse blynded and deliuered into a reprouable sence as was Pharao of whom the scripture sayth that his heart was hardened Exo. 14 There are also some that are synners only afore God and not afore the worlde as the hypocrites of whoÌ„ the scrip sayth sayth Luc. 16. You are those that iustifye your selues afore men Notwithstandyng God knoweth your heartes Also there are synners both before God and the world And forasmuche as their synnes displease them and thei acknowlege their synnes therfore especially is the gospell occupyed aboute these afore any other And suche a synner also was this woman that is spoken of in this gospel For she felt her synnes acknowleged that she had broken the lawe and further that she had nede of helpe counsel And therfore maketh she so great hast and deferreth it not when she had heard that Iesus was in the Phariseys house sekyng grace of him that had power and authoritee to remyt sinne Furthermore with weapyng teares annoyntyng washyng and wypyng his feet she testifyeth what strong fayth and loue she bare vnto Christ Faith is an excelleÌ„t thing And nowe ponder it well howe excellent a thyng fayth is that fyrste acknowlegeth her sinnes and after that fleeth vnto Christ This woman beyng a publike open synner knewe right well that she should haue but a syngle welcome into the Phariseys house neither should she escape the rebukes and tauntes of theim yet so great is her loue and fayth toward Christ that neglectyng and contemnynge al their rebukes checkes other contumelyes without feare she hasteth vnto Christe of whom she might obtayne remission of her synnes Wherfore nowe note diligeÌ„tly and coÌ„sider the processe also the successe of this womaÌ„ for doubtles she shal teach both the me how they must be disposed that wyll obtain remission of their syns of god the father through Christ Thus sayth the Euangelist She began to weete his feete with teares Teares are a mooste certayne sygne of a penitent mynde that the synnes displease from the heart But what were suche repentaunce without fayth But this woman hath fayth also RepentaÌ„ce and â—ayth muste be ioyned together Truely it is a great token of fayth in this woman that settyng light the threttes and checkes of the Phariseys she hasteth vnto Christe and that Christe him selfe testifyed saiyng Thy fayth hath made the safe Nowe doubtles this fayth was not idle in this woman but is shed furth it selfe through loue Are not these manyfest sygnes of loue that accordyng to the custome of the region she enbalmeth Christes head with moste precious oyntment weeteth his feete with teares kysseth them and wypeth theim with the heares of her heade Euen so it is expedient that wee bee lyke this woman if at the least wee wyll obtayne eternall health True penaunce Needes muste wee haue a perpetuall penaunce that is to say the knowlege of synne the forsakyng of synne and the hatyng of synne Furthermore wee muste haue fayth whereby wee may take holde vpon the promyse of the Gospell Last of all it is necessarye that wee declare oure fayth with woorkes of loue euen as we here se ensaÌ„ple set surth in this woman Secondarily in this Gospel is Christ descrybed as a good gentle and mercyfull Lorde The goodnes of Christ For he receyueth this woman with so great humanitee and gentlenes nothyng consideryng the murmuryng of the Phariseys so that this receyuyng should well moue and styrre vppe all synners to true fayth Lette vs marke all thynges orderly as they stand and we shal fynde Christ in all thynges merciful gentle and ful of compassion lyke as hee is set forth vnto vs in the scriptures Fyrst Christ suffereth the sinful woman to annoynt him he suffereth her to washe his feete and to wype them he suffereth her to kysse him whiche no Pharisey would haue suffered to bee done especially of suche a woman Furthermore when the Pharisey murmured that he receiued so great a sinner Christ defeÌ„deth this his facte by a similitude of a creditor that had two debters the one ought fiue hundreth pence the other fyfty Now seyng neither of both wer able to pay he forgaue them both And then he asked SymoÌ„ Tel me whether of these twayne shal loue him most Wherfore Christ came in to the worlde Surely with this similitude Christ sheweth wherfore he came into this worlde namely for synners For without doubt we all are his debters And who is it that is not a debter or that wyll deny this debte If we wyll say sayth sainct Ihon that we haue not synne we deceiue our selues the truth is not in vs. Rom. 3. And S. Paule sayeth All haue synned and want the glorye of God What shall I say of the similitude whiche is written in the gospel of sainct Luke To make short wee all are debters of this Lord which way soeuer we turne our selues Luc. 12. And would to God he would geue vs this grace to knowlege our debt to beleue in Christ whiche for geueth it also furthermore that we might find grace as this woman did Doubtles she knowleged her synnes sought grace and found it And inasmuche as fiue hundred pence were forgeueÌ„ her all her iniquite remitted pardoned therfore also she shewed her selfe thankefull and heartely loued him of whoÌ„ she was thus receiued into grace Loue folowed fayth Wherfore if thou also wylte haue remission of thy synnes set thy selfe among these debters that owe fyue hundred pence know thy selfe to be the greatest synner liuyng vpoÌ„ the yearth say with the Publicane I am not worthy to looke vp into the heauen and then aske grace at Christ beleue the woordes of his Gospel If thou thus do doubtles thou shalt obtayne thy request For that swete worde spoken vnto the woman pertayneth also aswell vnto that as vnto her The worde is this Thy synnes are forgeuen thee And this worde ought euer to sounde in a christians eare as oft as our sinnes oppresse vs and we would gladly be deliuered from them as wee say in the confession of our fayth I beleue that in this life there is perpetually forgeuenes of synnes The Churche hath euer synners as the scripture testifyeth The righteous falleth vii tymes in the day ryseth agayne Therfore seyng that we are so weake that we synne
and shoteth beside the marke brustyng his head against this stony rocke of saint Paules wordes Rom. 11 Gala. 3. where he sayth If then righteousnes be of the woorkes of the lawe Christ is dead in vayne Of this fayth I say spryngeth loue Loue. which in this gospel Christ so earnestly cōmaundeth vnto vs. 1. Co. 13 But what doth this loue She forbeareth lōg she is gentle she enuyeth not she is not froward she is not proude she is not ambicious she seeketh not her owne she is not angry she imagyneth not euil she reioyseth not vpō iniquitee she ioyeth wholly in the truth c. 1 Tim. 1 Therfore sayth sainct Paule in an other place also The ende summe of the cōmaundement is loue that commeth of a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfayned fayth Further forasmuch as Christ knoweth that there cōsisteth a great wayghty matter in true loue that spryngeth of fayth therfore in this his last sermon he taught not many preceptes of good workes but only commaundeth this that they should loue one another As he would say If ye haue fayth and loue ye shal also right easely performe all other thynges what soeuer I haue commaunded you to do Secondarily The crosse from whence it commeth forasmuche as Christe had before shewed his disciples that the crosse shuld come vpō theim and had before tolde theim that they should suffre muche aduersitee in this worlde nowe here Christ repeteth the same and also sheweth the cause wherfore If the worlde sayd he hate you knowe you that it hated me fyrst The worlde Christe here calleth all them the worlde that haue not receyued his worde haue not obayed the gospel nor knowen the father in him nor him in the father And breifely whosoeuer they be that want fayth acknowlege not the righteousnes of fayth seme thei neuer so vertuous righteous holy wyse in their owne eyes Christ calleth them all by this one name The worlde declareth them to be his enemyes After this sort doth sainct Ihon vse this worde saiyng Iohn 1 He was in the worlde and the worlde is made by him and the worlde knewe him not Then when Christ sayth If the worlde hate you knowe you that it fyrst hated me Wherwith he semeth to say Wondre not if the wyse and righteous in the worldes estimacion and also the mightie menne in this worlde do resyst you and persecute you for suerly there is no litle cause why they so will do The worlde holdeth and defendeth with to the and nayle the righteousnes of workes but your doctrine shall be cleane repugnant contrary for if ye will purely and sincerely preach my worde ye shall maintayne and defende the righteousnes of faith And if ye wyll do so earnestly as it shall be your duety nedes must ye cast of all that is in the worlde that is all carnall wisedome vertu righteousnes strength freewill as ye knowe that I haue doone How shall ye in so doyng be at vnity with them Ioh. 12. Now is the iudgement of this worlde And furthermore the holye ghoste shal be sente for the same purpose to rebuke the worlde as I haue done Now if for this gentle rebukinge the worlde shall hate you and take all thynges to the worste and imagyne all manner of myschiefe against you knowe you that euen so did the worlde by me If I had approued and alowed their workes as I dyd reproue disalow them I had hadde the high Priestes myne especiall good friendes with the Phariseis and all the Iewes but when I would needes do myne office truly and fully accomplyshe my duty needes must I lose all their frendeshippes and also for that cause suffre so many of their false accusacyons checkes and rebukes Nowe woulde you speede better than I There is also and other cause why the worlde can not loue you For you are not of this worlde If you were of this world the world woulde loue that whiche is his owne but bicause you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therfore the worlde hateth you You heare in this place that if the world hate you it ys an euident argument that you ar not of the world And euen so saith S Paule Gala. 1. Yf I shuld please men I shuld not be Christes seruant And a lyke testimony doth Christ giue his apostels that thei ar not of this world Why so For thei shal rebuke the world reproue and damn the carnal iustice of the world earnestly affirm preach the righteousnes of faith for they ar not of this world that is thei seek not a carnall iustice as the world dothe their confidence is not in their good workes as the worlds is but thei earnestly preach the merits of Christ as the only cause of our righteousnes saluacion Now bycause the world can not bere this ther is mortall warre and contynuall hatred betwene theym and the worlde euen as Christe saithe here agayne in this gospell But all these thinges shall they doo to you for my names sake bicause they knowe not him that hath sente me Fynallye Bycause the worlde knoweth not the father therfore knoweth it not the son And because it knoweth not the son neither knoweth it them whom the sonne hath sent Wherfore seing that the world neither knoweth the father nor the son nor yet the apostels whom the sonne hath sent needes must it then persecute hate and condemn both the truth and also those that preach it Thirdly Christ in this persecutiō Our cōforte in aduersity is in the worde of God which surely is euer annexed to the gospel in this world cōmandeth vs to take sure holde of his woorde as that only comfort whereby Christians in all tribulacions solace them selues Remembre saithe hee my woorde which I haue saide vnto you This text teacheth vs as it semeth that there shal be no nother comfort vpon yearth especially in persecucions except only that worde and doubtlesse it is euen so in dede For what consolacion may bee in that mannes heart which hath refused and put frō his sight the worde of God Cōtrarily what I pray you shal hynder or hurt him that taketh holde vpō the worde and by fayth printeth it in his heart For he doubtles knoweth very well that he must nedes suffre pesecutions and tribulacions that is a very true tale but yet he knoweth also this that persecucion shall shortely haue an ende and at the tyme ordayned of God it shall be chaunged into perpetual ioy Rom. 8. as sainct Paule sayth Surely I thynke that the passions of this tyme are not worthy to bee iudged equal to the glory that shal be reueled among vs. Iho. 16 And of this speaketh Christ saiyng A woman when she trauaileth hath sorowe for her houre is come But when she hath brought furthe her manchylde she nowe remembreth not the pangues for ioy that