in the beginning and this when it is said that that worde was in the beginning For Moses speaketh of the creatures which had their beginning to be at a certaine time But héere S. Iohn speaketh not of any thing but of God which cannot be without his eternitie and euerlastingnes Wherefore we must conclude that this beginning hath not any beginning And héereby wée sée that Iesus Christe hath béen alwaies It is as much then as if Saint Iohn had saide that Iesus Christ is our eternall God who hath appeared béen made manifest vnto vs in the flesh as also Saint Paul speaketh therof Now he addeth afterwards this word was with God as if hee shoulde say you must of necessitie separate and distinguishe him from all creatures Marke the purpose of the Euangelist We must not so much as imagine saith hée that this word had any thing at all like vnto creatures wée must go out of the world wée must ascend aboue the earth heauen A hard question answered when we thinke vpon this word A man might demaund Before there was either heauen or earth was it possible that this word should be in the beginning yea in déede for S. Iohn for a ful answere separateth this worde from all the creatures as if hée should say when I speake vnto you of this worde you must come to God for it is in God Let vs then regard and coÌ„sider it as a certaine eternitie or euerlastingnesse which is not in the creatures neither in the heauen nor in the earth nor in any thing whatsoeuer And notwithstanding all this yet so it is that the Euangelist in this place setteth out vnto vs a distinction betwéene God and his worde The father distincted from the sonne not in essence but in person 1. Cor. 8.4.6 1. Tim. 2.5 And what maner a one is this distinction It is not of their essence for he meaneth alwayes that this word is God wée must conclude séeing that we haue but one onely God and that there is but one simple essence or being in him that Iesus Christ that is to say this eternall word whereof mention is made in this place hath not béene separated or sundred from God his father in respect of essence and yet notwithstanding there is some distinction And howe is that then thus it is because we are not able to comprehend that which is so high aboue al our vnderstanding and reason Howe there are three persons in the Godhead the auncient Doctors haue vsed the word persons haue saide that in God there are thrée persons not as we speake in our common spéeche calling thrée men thrée persons or els as in the Popedome they wil be so bold as to point thrée Puppets or Munkeyes and say Loe the Trinitie but this worde persons in this matter is vsed plainly to expresse and set out the proprieties that are in the essence of God The word substance or as the Gréekes speake Hypostasis is in déede more méete and conuenient because it is a worde of holie scripture and the Apostle vseth it in the first Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 1.3 when hée saieth that Iesus Christ is the liuely image and the brightnesse of the glorie yea the image or ingraued forme of the substance or person of God his Father When he speaketh in that place of the substaunce or person of God hée meaneth not the essence or béeing but hée speaketh of his proprietie which is in the father to wit that he is the fountaine of al things But now let vs looke to their thrée substances or persons as we call them Gods worde onely must be the rule of our faith in all pointes but specially in the article of the Trinitie and marke howe they accord and agrée so farfoorth as God teacheth vs concerning them as I haue alreadie said for we must not at any hand go beyond these bounds and limittes And therefore let vs haue an eye thereto so farfoorth as shal be requisite for the exposition of the place When men speake of God true it is that men of them selues are confounded and knowe not what to thinke or imagine sauing that they goe astraie in their owne cogitations and thoughtes Rom. 1.21 as Saint Paule saieth and therevppon it falleth out that they waxe thereof ouer proude through their owne prudencie and wisedome and therefore GOD also doeth in suche sort punishe them that they intangle them selues in such horrible labyrinthes and mazes that they can not at any hand come out But when we will suffer God to guide vs vnto him selfe by the holie scripture we shall knowe him so farfoorth as shal be necessarie and méete for vs. The Trinitie prooued For we shall come to the father as to the fountaine of all thinges and then wée can not conceiue or think vpon the father without his counsel and eternall wisedome besides there is a certaine vertue power that remaineth in him which we shall also perceiue féele verie well Marke then how we shal finde these 3. proprieties in the essence of God And this is that which S. Iohn meÌ„t to say in this place that that word was with God If there were not some distinction hée could not speake so for that should be to speake vnproperly to say God was with him self So then let vs know that this word hath some distinction and is indéed to be distinguished from the heauenly father for it is that worde Christ begotten from before all beginnings that was begotten from before all time séeing that God alwayes had his counsell and his wisdome And we must not for all that so much as imagine or thinke vpon a beginning for we may not say that God hath at any time béene without his vnderstanding counsell and wisedome So then wée must not set aside and separate from God the proprietie of this word as to say that we could iudge The Trinitie destroieth not the vnitie neither doeth the vnitie infringe the Trinitie Gregor Naziâ—n sermo de sacro Basil that there had béen some certaine time wherein it had not béene with God for this should bée to make an idole of it as it were But as I haue said the thrée persons are but one God yet for all that we must distinguish them because there is a certain assured distinction of them as is in this place declared And withall let vs remember an old Doctours sentence which is verie worthie to be thought vpon because it is excellent I cannot saith he thinke vpoÌ„ these thrée proprieties the are set out vnto me in God but the immediatly my vnderstanding commeth backe againe to one on the other side it is impossible for me to know one only God but that I regard looke vpoÌ„ al the thrée proprieties sée theÌ„ distinguished in mine own vnderstaÌ„ding according to the light which is geueÌ„ me therof in the holy scripture Behold
perceiue how And thus much for this Nowe séeing it was the will of God that his sonne should be put to death let not vs be ashamed of that which hee suffered nor yet think that the wicked did beare the sway that the sonne of God could not haue found meanes to haue defēded himselfe For all came frō the wil vnchangeable decrée of God which he had determined therin And therfore we sée why our Lord Iesus saith in S. Luke Luke 22.53 This is now your very houre the power of darknes As if he shuld haue said what make no great boast of that you haue done For the diuel is your maister ringleader By which he sheweth that they did nothing but by the leaue of God And although the diuel vrged thē thereto yet neither they nor hee coulde haue brought any thing to passe if God had not licēsed them Thus we sée in sūme that our eyes all our senses must be fastened vpon the wil of God and vpō his euerlasting councel when we heare the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ spoken of For he declared that this was the will of God because it is writtē For if Iesus Christ had not had some testimony of the thing which God his father had ordeined he might as yet haue stood in doubt but he knew what his office was And God would not haue sent him downe here below but that hée gaue him forthwith an expresse charge withal It is very true that inasmuch as our Lord Iesus is God eternal that he néeded not to be taught of the scripture but inasmuch as he is our redéemer is clothed with our nature that he might be of right brotherhood it was méet he shuld be taught the holy scripture we sée also that he at no time refused any such instruction So thē because God shewed him wherunto he had called him we sée wherupō he established himselfe we also sée why he behaued himselfe like a prisoner would not start away because he knew that he must fulfil the charge cōmitted vnto him which was to offer himselfe a sacrifice for the redēptiō of vs al And therefore we are to learne that forsomuch as the will of God is secrete incōprehēsible in himselfe we must haue recourse vnto the holy scripture True it is that God determineth of things in his secrete councel which wee thinke to come by chaunce as wee say which is not shewed vnto vs neither haue wee alwaies a speciall reuelatiō that we are able to say that God hath determined either this thing or that And therfore must we suspēd our iudgemēts for we sée why it is that we pray him to heale vs of our sicknes or why we would haue him to deliuer vs from any other affliction whereinto we are fallen And why doe wée so Because wee knowe not what he wil doe In very déed we must not appoint him a law but that this conditiō must alwaies be adioyned that his wil be done But all our prayers ought to tende to this pointe to craue at his handes whatsoeuer he knoweth to be necessary profitable for vs and to leaue vnto himselfe whatsoeuer is laid vp in his secret councel to the end hee might doe that which to his maiesty shall séeme best But whē wee haue a testimony out of the holy scripture that God willeth any thing we must not as I haue already said stand against it Now we are here a great deale better confirmed as touching the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ that hee was not thus cruelly afflicted so shamefully slanderously handled onely as the vngodly wicked men lusted but because God had so decréed it And how appeareth this by the holy scripture For were not the sacrifices in the law ordeined two thousād yeres before Iesus Christ was borne And had not God enspired taught the auncient Fathers how to sacrifice before the law was eyther giuen or written Or could the blood of bruite beastes obtaine remission for sinnes and make men acceptable vnto God No But it was to shew that God should be reconciled by a Redéemer whom he had established and sithens that time he hath set downe an expresse mention and declaration by the scriptures Isaiah 53. 2. We also sée howe the Prophets haue spoken thereof and namely he alledgeth them For when Isaiah saieth That the Redéemer should be disfigured and disdayned deformed and vnbeautifull like a Leaper scourged and beaten by the hande of God that he should be an horrible thing to beholde to be short that his life should be taken from him in what power was this prophecied of was it because God could not withstande Satan and all the rable of the wicked No But it was because he had pronounced by the mouth of Isaiah the thing which he had before appointed Dan. 9. 24. And in Daniell it is a great deale more expresly set downe Séeing then it is so that God hath declared that his onely Sonne must be sacrificed for our redemption and saluation we are nowe much more confirmed in that which I haue alreadie spoken which is we must alwayes sée that it is the hand of God which gouerneth when as we see the Sonne of God to be so subiected to the slaunders and reproches of mortall men Wee see also why Saint Peter namely saieth in the Actes Act. 4 27. That Iudas all the Iewes yea and all the souldiers and Pylate also had done none other thing but that which the hande and Councell of God had determined as hereafter shall more at large be handled And here we sée wherevnto wée must looke when we would not be troubled in our foolish imaginations which is that God hath sent downe here belowe his onely begotten Sonne that he might accept his obedience through his death and passion for the taking away of all our sinnes and iniquities And this is the second point which I haue handled to wit the fruit benefit which commeth to vs by the suffering of our Lorde Iesus For if we knew not why it was we should lose the tast of that which is here recited vnto vs. But whē it is said that he was bound manacled for our deliuerance and that we sée what the state condition of our nature is to wit that Satan holdeth vs vnder the tyranny of sinne and death that wée are very bondslaues so that in stead that we were created after the image of God there must néeds be found in vs nothing but corruptiō and accursednesse must be led into this cursed captiuitie like miserable wretched beastes Now when we know all this and that we on the other side sée that the Sonne of God refused not to be slaunderously bound to the end that al the spiritual bonds of sin death which kéepe vs boūd vnder the bōdage of Satā might be brokē in sunder thē haue we wherefore to glorify God
the Church fellowes with the Apostles and the verie shoppe of the holie Ghost from whence wee must fetch the full exposition of the scriptures and the verie assured resolution of all the pointes of religion yet tell they vs nothing els but vaine and doltish tales either busie them selues about curious questions and ful of Sophistrie besides a thousand other subtleties seruing to no edification in the whole world The other sort of them in stead of the word of God preach nothing els but constitutions and ordinaunces of their owne making for the establishing of the tyrannie of their holie Father the Pope the verie Antechrist and enemy to the truth and the third sort vomit and cast vp arrogant and proude speeches in the Pulpyt against the children of God against all such as Iesus Christ hath reuealed him selfe vnto in these latter dayes calling them Lutherans and seditious persons falsly deuising a thousand leasings against them and in steade of feeding their miserable starued sheepe with the true foode of the worde of God they are faine to moysten their soules with those pestilent kindes of poisons whereas they should be fed with spiritual and heauenly nurriture Wherefore dearely beloued brethren in our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ whensoeuer that God sendeth vnto vs any good and faithfull teacher who sincerely and purely deliuereth vnto his Auditorie the worde of the Lorde wee ought to make a meruellous great account of him for we shal finde verie few such men as will faithfully acquite them selues of their charge and function and we ought amongst other things greatly to reuerence all those whom God hath endowed with speciall graces and the gift of enterpreting Euen as at this day the faithful Pastor and good seruant of God Iohn Caluin hath made that precious talēt which God bestowed vpō him verie profitable whose Sermons yelde vnto vs a good testimony therof which also in the iudgement of indifferēt men were not slightly made nor hastily hudled vp but duely truely premeditated and rightly deliuered vnto the capacitie of his flocke hauing alwayes in open shew the liuely impression of the benefit of the Lord Iesus in their hearts Neither are these like vnto common places caught in a net either yet bosome Sermons which may serue for any text of scripture as a stoole for al feete But are true sincere plaine and meete expositions seruing for the text which he had to treate of neither are they stuffed with friuolous exhortations either yet filled with ambitious inuectiues For as it is verie needful that the superstitions of Poperie shoulde by the worde of God bee daily enueighed against to the ende they might be cleane rinsed and scowred out of our heartes as a strong sauour wherewith we haue beene seasoned euen from our infancie yet if the place which hee handled did not orderly speake against such abuses hee woulde not passe the boundes of his Texte and crye out vpon them as the Papists alwaies and to no purpose like Mastife Curres barke and baye against the Gospell renued in this latter age of the worlde But his manner was to holde a plaine and direct course tending to edification without omitting any thing which might serue and make for the honour of God and instruction of his Auditorie I woulde if it pleased God there were a great many moe his lyke For then I knowe that the Church of Christ should be greatly eased and furthered But it is out of al doubt that our vnthankfulnesse is the cause why God sendeth not moe faithfull Pastours at this present then are for if there bee any that will duetifully discharge their office and deliuer the word of God freely as Saint Paule commaundeth reproouing sinne and setting them selues against iniquitie for the maintenaunce of his honour by whom they are sent they are foorthwith furiously dealt with rayled on and slaundered As questionlesse the partie before saide who for his vprightnesse and great fidelitie by him vsed in the executing of his charge hath gotten such a mightie number of enemies as that they which neuer see nor heard him neither yet euer read two wordes of his woorkes haue wished his death Howbeit God be thanked for it his good conscience and the testimonie which hee had before God his Angelles and the faithful which daily heard him did so assure him that men did him wrong for wishing of him so great hurt as that they encouraged him constantly to pursue the Lordes workes He sawe howe hardly his maister was dealt with and after him the Apostles and therefore it greeued him not to follow their steppes because he knew that God was of power able to defende and keepe his pledge and that they which suffred for his sake should be taken to be worthie of the kingdome of heauen Nowe because all men could not bee of that Church whereby they might be partakers of the heauenly foode which this good shepheard many yeares ceased not to administer and that it was very expedient that they which were newly come to the charge which hee had might see his manner of teaching and so followe it and likewise that they which thought hee did nothing els but speake euill and crye out against the Pope and all his rable of shauelinges thundring against their traditions without any other handling of the Scripture or els that hee went about none other thing but to bring the people vnto a carnal libertie and thereby cast of the obedience and subiection which they ought to Kinges and Princes to the end therefore that they might read his Sermons and thereby see that hee hath great iniurie done vnto him in hauing this blame laide vpon him and cease the yl opinion which they haue conceiued of him many godly honest men determined to prynt a certein of them but especially Lawrence of Normandie whose zeale and godly conuersation is sufficiently wel knowne hath for many yeares bestowed all his studie trauel to prynt bookes for the edifiyng of the Church In verie deede I must needes say thus much as I haue in the preface of the Sermons of the tenne Commaundementes let you before vnderstande that the Authour was not willing nor yet consenting heretoo not that hee woulde hinder the benefite and fruite that hereby might redounde to the Church but wished that his Sermons might passe no further then vnto his owne flocke as well for that they were specially made for his sheepe vnto whose capacitie he framed him selfe the best he could and therefore thought that an other order and disposition were more requisite therin for the publishing them abrode in the view of al the world but as for the ouer looking of them to the ende to polish them ouer and besides that his leasure would not serue him hee would neuer busie himselfe about the matter For if he himselfe had meant to haue put them foorth he intended to haue made new homilies of them and better penned and not to haue published any thing
sodēly spoken by him Neuerthelesse we seeing the great benefite which might come by the putting abrode of these Sermons were not afeard somewhat to displease and disobey him heerein to the end we might make you partakers of those excellent riches which wee possesse in this litle Angle and corner of the world so abhorred and detested howbeit precious in the sight of the Lord. In deede we were so much the bolder by reason of the liberal dealing of our honorable Lords and magistrates who desiring the aduancement of the Church of God haue priuiledged vs to print them Now when we see that we were to make choyse of such a great nūber of collections as were of them we thought it best to set a few of them abrod to the end that as we see them thankefully receiued so also we might goe forward in putting foorth of moe This then is the order which wee haue taken In the first place we haue set downe a congregation vpon the beginning of the Gospell of S. Iohn where is largely handeled the diuinitie of our Lord Iesus Christ Now by this word Congregation I meane a certaine assemble which is made one day in the weeke at the Church where euery Minister in order handleth some text of the scripture more like the maner of a reading then of a preaching that being done if any of the rest vnto whome the spirite of God hath reuealed any thing tending to the better vnderstanding and laying open of that which hath beene spoken hee hath free libertie to speake After that foloweth the Sermon touching the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Next to it wee haue placed the Sermons of his death and passion of his resurrection and ascention of the comming downe of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles Of the first Sermon that Peter made after he had receiued the holy Ghost Last of al we haue set downe a Sermon treating of the last comming of Iesus Christe After we had thus doone and thinking to haue finished this booke it pleased God to graunt vs to come to the hearing of the most excellent sermons that are possibly to be hard or spoken vpon the end of the fiftie two Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah vpon al the fiftie three wherin the mistery of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christe is set foorth and so liuely pictured out that a man would thinke that the holy Ghost meant to set before our eyes Iesus Christ condemned in our name and nayled to the crosse for our sinnes to the end that he suffering the punishmente for them which was due to vs and bearing the wrath and iudgement of God for our sakes hath deliuered vs from eternal death which Sermons doe so agree with the Sermons going before which wee haue heere set downe that wee coulde not choose to ioyne them vnto them because we woulde not bereaue you of so great a benefite Moreouer wee haue had respect to choose out those Sermons aswell as we coulde which were vpon such dayes as the Lordes Supper was administred in this Churche aswell for that that there is a farre greater and more effectuall vehemencie in them as also for that the point of this Sacrament is therein more cleerely shewed for the which at this day is the greatest contention and striefe in the worlde And therefore we haue determined hereafter too deliuer vnto you the Sermons which this godly learned man hath made vpon the tenth and the eleuenth Chapter of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians wherein is manifestly set foorth the true institution of the Supper the corruption and abuse which sithence haue come vnto it liuely refuted Wherefore if wee perceiue that these presents like you wee will vse all the meanes possible that God shal graunt vs to make you partakers of the heauenly riches which he vouchsafeth vpon his seruants heere in this Church In the meane while wee beseech you dearely beloued to follow that blessed coursse and not feare the threats and cruelties of tyrants who thinke at this day to do god high seruice in persecuting Iesus Christ in his members and set before you this incorruptible crowne and euerlasting prepared for you if you constantly perseuere vnto the ende in your holy calling knowing that the sufferings which you abide in this present life are not worthie the glory of the life to come wherevnto wee may attaine through Iesus Christ our Lord. Geneua 1563. A Sermon made by M. Iohn Caluin vpon the beginning of the Gospell according to S. Iohn in which the diuinitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ is excellently prooued 1 In the beginning was that worde and that word was with God and that word was God 2 This same was in the beginning with God 3 All thinges were made by it and without it was nothing made of that which was made 4 In it was life and that life was the light of men 5 And that light shineth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not THis worde Gospel The word Gospell what it meaneth signifieth the declaration that God hath shewed vs of his loue in our Lorde Iesus Christ when hee sent him into the worlde which thing we ought wel to marke because it is verie much to know the vse of the holie Scripture euen in respect of the wordes it vseth It is true that wée ought not to stand simply or onely vpon the words and yet for all that we are not able to comprehend howe excellent Gods doctrine is vnlesse wée knowe the procéeding that it vseth and also what is the style and spéech therof And indéed we are so much the more to marke and weigh this worde because it is a verie common receiued sentence to distinguish the holie Scripture into the law and the Gospell and those that speake thereof in that sort meane Diuision of the Scripture that all the promises which are conteined in the olde Testament ought to bée referred to this word Gospel If any man speake let him speake as the words of God 1. Pet. 4.11 True it is that their meaning is good but for all that the holie Scripture vseth not such manner of spéech and we ought to be sober in that respect and to yéelde such a reuerence to Gods spirite as to kéepe such a manner of speaking as hée him selfe vseth to teach vs withall Behold thus much then concerning the word Gospell which is a publishing that God hath made vnto vs at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ his sonne declaring him selfe a father to all the worlde as also Saint Paule speaketh thereof in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2.19 when hee saieth that Iesus Christ came to preach the Gospel vnto them that were nigh and to those that were farre of from God nigh to wit the Iewes who were alreadie entred into the Couenant with God and farre to wit of the Pagans and Heathen who are as it were farre remooued from his Church Now when wée
how the faithful shal know God knowing the father they wil come to his wisedome who is this word of which there is spokeÌ„ in this place they will come also incoÌ„tineÌ„tly to that vertue power wherof we haue in part said somwhat And wheÌ„ they shall haue once knowne these thrée persons they wil not any more straggle waÌ„der hither thither but they wil come to this one only esseÌ„ce to know that there is no more but one only God yea such a one and only God indéed as hath in such sort created the world that he hath not left vndone any thing of al that which was requisite necessary to accomplish our redeÌ„ption Thus much theÌ„ we are to marke as coÌ„cerning that which is said that this word was with God to wit that the EuaÌ„gelist ment to separate Iesus Christ froÌ„ al creatures The perfection of Gods works and yet notwithstanding to declare vnto vs the distinction which is betwéene him the father Now he addeth that that word was God this he doth the more fully better to expresse the which he meant to wit that Iesus Christ was not a thing created Christ is very God which had had a beginning but that he is our true very God This place hath bin ill vnderstood of some Read this with reuerence and iudgement and they haue also foolishly translated it as to say God was the word for if we should say that God is the worde the father should be no more God the holy Ghost should bee no more God But S. Iohn ment to speake altogether the coÌ„trary to wit the this word is God as if he should say the Iesus Christ in respect of his deitie Godhead is of the same essence with the father So he shutteth not the father out from the deitie but declareth that ther is no more but one only essence in God although there be a distinction betwéene God and his word yet must wee alwayes come backe to this simple plaine trueth that they are one God which we must worship Arius Nestorius c. It is true that the old heretikes trauelled very sore to peruert this place to the end they might not be inforced to confesse that Iesus Christ was our true God But we sée héere that S. Iohn speaketh so plainly of the euerlastingnes and eternitie of this worde that there is no place left either for wrangling or starting into holes Hée addeth afterwarde that this woord was in the beginning with God He had not before spoken these two words together hée had only said This word was in the beginning also It was with God But nowe he ioyneth both of them together Marke then how we â—â—ght in such sort to beholde Iesus Christ that we should continually beléeue that he is verie God and of the same essence with the father Indéede he was created in respect of his manhood Christ in respect of his humanitie a creature but wée must passe further to the ende we may knowe him to be our eternall God who is so indéede our God that withall he is also the wisedome of his father which hath béen with God from before all time Beholde then what is the summe of this place Now if wée shall kéepe and holde fast this exposition as it is simply plainely set downe vnto vs it shal be sufficient for vs to instruct vs to our saluation And this verelie is all that the we are to know touching this point for if we begin here foolishly to dispute that wil fal out vpon vs which in this behalfe is fallen vpon the Papistes as I haue alreadie saide Moreouer let vs note Blessed are they whom other mens harmes make to beware It is a fonde trauaile to confirme diuinitie by Philosophie that this is a certaine foolish studie and indeuour to labour much to confirme that which the Euangelist speaketh in this place by the doctrine of the olde Philosophers as there are certaine people that let and trouble them selues in it It is true that we shall finde in Plato that hée had some vnderstanding of God for when he speaketh of God hée saieth that God alwayes had his vnderstanding in him selfe and almost all other Philosophers speake after this manner Nowe these that are so curious desirous in such sort to make the Philosophers agrée with the holie scripture suppose that they haue much profited the Christian congregation when they are able to say that the Euangelistes who haue spoken after this manner haue not béen alone but that the Pagans and Heathen themselues haue in déed knowne such things Verely this is much to the purpose it is euen as if a man would put a vaile or shadowe before brightnesse or light it selfe Behold God A fit similitude who inlightneth vs by the doctrine of his Gospell and wee will come and put a vaile or shadowe before it and say ho this light and brightnesse will bée more apparant and glitering by that vaile It is verie certayne that God woulde that euen these thinges should be knowne to the Heathen Philosophers Heathen Philosophers had some light and wherefore it was giuen them to make them thereby so much the more inexcusable before his Maiestie but that prooueth not this to wit that his doctrine should be confirmed by that which they haue said for verily we sée that so much the néerer they thought to come nigh vnto God so muche the further off in that respect they remooued them selues Rom. 1.21 And therein was fulfilled this sentence of S. Paule which he vttereth against all mankinde that all they that would be ouer sharpe sighted and subtle witted and did not séeke God in such reuerence and humilitie as they ought are fallen into a bottomlesse depth of errour And certainly this is a iust iudgement of almightie God when wée procéede so farre to defile his doctrine mingling it amongest the foolishe inuentions of men But let vs nowe goe further The Euangelist saieth That all thinges were made by it that without it nothing was made of all that which was made After that he had assured vs of the eternall essence of that word of God he addeth a confirmation thereby to set out vnto vs his eternall deitie to the ende wee may be verie certaine of the whole matter The creation of all things by Christ is a plaine proofe of Christes Godhead Rom. 1.19.20 All thinges saieth hée were made by it The essence of God is knowne to vs not onely by that which wée can conceaue or comprehend therof in our owne vnderstandinges but also when it pleaseth him to declare him selfe vnto vs by his creatures for wheÌ„ the scripture handleth that then doth he make him selfe visible not onely visible but S. Paul passeth yet somewhat further saying that although we were blinde yet we may therby féele him as it were with the hand So then though we had our
eyes shut Act. 17.27.28 yet so it is that we may know this power of God And howe so Because it is here within vs. In whō is it that we liue that we haue our moouing and being It is in God who hath breathed life into vs by whom we subsist or stand This thē is that which S. Iohn sheweth vs saying that all things were made by it By this we know that that worde of God hath béene from the beginning who also is our God God applieth himselfe to our rudenesse And how know we this Certainely we cannot climbe so high and therefore God is come down euen vnto vs God I say with that his word so that we may knowe him And albeit that our vnderstanding stretcheth not it selfe so far neither yet is able to ascende aboue the cloudes yet so it is that wée are constrained to knowe that this worde is truely God And how so Because all things were made by it In it is it then that all thinges haue béen as the Apostle Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues sheweth the same Hebr. 1.2 Hebr. 11.3 Wee confesse saieth hée that the word of God is eternall and euerlasting And why so Because so it is that by this word all thinges were made And this is also the same that S. Paule speaketh in the 17. Chap. of the Actes of the Apostles Act. 17.24 Act. 14.17 that God hath not manifested himself vnto vs without a large testimony witnesse because we may behold him in all his creatures So then in as much as al things were made by his word He meneth Seruetus his adherents as I take it See Institut Lib. 1. Gap 13. Sec. 7.8.23 Ge◠1.3 we must know that he is our eternall God There are certaine Heretiques that suppose that this worde of God had beginning in the creation of the worlde because there was neuer any spéech had of the worde vntill suche time as the worlde was created As Moyses saith God saide let there be light and the light was made c. Nowe they woulde inferre héere vpon that that worde then beganne Is it so we may rather contrariwise by that conclude that that worde is eternall For if a man begin to doe some thing we can not therevppon say that hée was not before that If this be true in creatures what will it be when wée shall come to God So then albeit that worde of God hath not spread abroade and made manifest the power therof before the creation of the world yet none can thervpon conclude that it was not already before that time And this is that which S. Iohn ment to set out declare by this manner of spéech wherin it is said that al things were made by this word Moreouer let vs marke A good 〈◊〉 which ought well to be remembred Rom. 11.36 that when we speake of God the Father and of his worde we say then that God made all thinges whatsoeuer and that by his worde and this word by is attributed onely vnto Iesus Christ True it is that when we speak of God singly and by himselfe and without distinction of the persons we may well say that all thinges are by and from God but when there is a distinction as in this place there is behold then the proprietie which belongeth and agreeth to Iesus Christ to wit that al things were made by him And this is that distinction of persons which I haue alreadie spoken of that is that all things are of God the father but that Iesus Christ is the meane thereof Marke then what S. Iohn ment as if hée should say that God by his worde hath made all things Wherefore God sheweth that hée is the fountaine of them all and that it must néedes bée that hée shoulde make and create all thinges but yet by the meane and power of that his woorde And without it nothing was made of that which was made Saint Iohn commeth héere to repeate the same Sentence Two causes of S. Iohns repetition not onely because it is his custome to repeate one and the selfe same thing after two sorts but also by reason of mens ingratitude vnthankfulnesse For albeit that it is saide vnto them that God made all thinges by his worde yet they doe not at the first conceiue vnderstand or beléeue the same Wée sée that Gods Creatures touch vs not to the quicke and that we are so dull and so blockish in our vnderstanding that we are notable to comprehend these things euen in such plaine and simple sort as they are propounded and set out vnto vs. Wherfore S. Iohn that he might the better expresse the same vnto vs addeth without it nothing was made of that which was made The dulnesse of mans wit in Gods matters should teach vs true humilitie As if he should say Surely we are accursed if we doe not receiue this eternall word of God séeing that by it is that wée haue béene created yea that all the worlde hath béene made the heauen the starres and the earth which bringeth foorth for vs our foode and nourishment to be short that all good thinges haue béen giuen vs by the meanes of this word So then séeing wée perceiue that our life procéedeth from thence wée must wholy kéepe our selues fast thereto and cast from vs all that that men will set before vs to the contrarie This is here a double exposition in respect of the placing of the words not that they are changed but because wée haue diuersly disposed and placed them Our sort read it thus That by that word all thinges were made We must heede◠looke howe woordes and matters are placed in the scripture and that without it nothing was made and ende there their sentence afterwards they adde All that which was made was life in it But this declaration is not aptly set It is true that the sense which they giue is in déede almost all one for they haue in a maner the same exposition that we haue but the maner of speech is verie straunge for it is not saide of the creatures that they are life but that is attributed vnto God Rom. 8.10 as Saint Paule saieth in his Epistle to the Romans that the Spirite is life by reason of the fréedome that hath béene bestowed vpon vs by Iesus Christ To be short though wée shall viewe all the holie Scripture yet wée shall neuer finde that it is saide There is a double life euen in this life Act. 17.28 that wée are life in our selues but that God only hath life and that not onely the spirituall life but euen that life from which all things haue their being and by which wée liue and that we haue life and breath in him as I haue alreadie alleadged out of S. Paules saying And by this we sée the trueth of this sentence to wit that nothing of all that which was made was made without that
worde of God And this is the order of the reading that hath béen found and obserued in all the most old Gréeke Doctors and other expositors The Manichees and their opinion confuted neither was there any but one alone that hath otherwise expounded it Furthermore we haue to note that the Manichees laboured to peruert and wrest this place saying All that was made in him was life to prooue their foolish opinions as that all creatures had life in them and were liuing for example Stones Trées Corne Otes All this in their fantasie was liuing insomuch that they durst not eate bread vnlesse they were sanctified of God before hande And wherefore hée must be good that eateth this woulde they say The Deuill certainly possessed them and yet notwithstanding they would alledge places of Scripture The Deuil and his instrumētes do continually wrest the scriptures and abuse them to prooue their foolish speculations withall Now I ment in déede to touch this by the way to declare that the Deuill hath alwayes indeuoured to peruert wrest and wring the holie Scripture but whatsoeuer it be if wée search and séeke after Gods trueth wée shall finde it pure and simple as it is and the Deuill shall not be able to deuise or perfourme any thing against it or vs to turne vs away from it because it is shewed and set out vnto vs before our eyes and it shall appertaine to none but to vs if wée will beholde it in his puritie and kéepe it in such sort as God hath reuealed the same vnto vs. Then let vs come to the naturall meaning After that Saint Iohn had said That nothing was made of that which was made without this worde Hée addeth That in it was life Nowe héere hée mindeth to set out two diuers thinges that is to say that as all was once created by the power of that worde of God so all thinges continue and are preserued by that power and by the same meane Two thinges worthie to be marked And these are two matters which it behooueth vs wel to consider and way The one that we haue our beginning and life by this word the other that we are vpholden and mainteined therby and that not wée onely but all the worlde Also that the worlde was not onely created at the beginning by this word but also that it should bée no more nor continue any longer vnlesse it were preserued in it owne estate by the same meane And therefore as I haue saide let vs marke and kéepe fast All things in the world are vphelde by Christ these two thinges as they are in this place pointed out vnto vs with the finger by S. Iohn In the first place then hée declareth vnto vs That nothing of that which was made was made without this worde And howe then Mindeth hée to accept I know not what that was not made Séemeth it that he would say that the Angels were not created No no he meaneth no such thing but mindeth to declare that we haue nothing at all which dependeth not wholy of God and hath not it being altogether in him Touching Angels It is true that the Angels haue a very noble and excellent nature but yet notwithstanding they subsist and haue their being by this word and are founded in it otherwise they could not cōtinue and abide As also there is nothing in the world but it is preserued by this verie word Now here we are taught and instructed howe great our pouertie and wretchednesse would be vnlesse that God vphelde vs by his grace And this is it that the Psalmist speaketh that so soone as God shal withdraw his spirit from vs Psal 104 29. beholde we returne to pouder and dust and vanish away altogether It is true that he speaketh in that place of creatures bodely things but so it is that we sée how all the rest also is vpholden by the vertue and power of this word Now euen as we cannot subsist or be but by that word of God so we must likewise marke that it is by the meanes thereof that we haue begun to haue life And who is hée that declareth the same vnto vs The Euangelist This is also the selfe same which the Apostle saith in the first Cap. to the Hebrues that the sonne of God is the brightnesse of the glory Hebr. 1.3 or the image of his substance and person of God his Father and that he vpholdeth all thinges by his worde Hée vseth there the worde worde but yet in such a signification that hée meaneth not onely the power of the sonne of God but also a certaine wonderfull disposition a verie fit and séemely order which hée hath set in the thinges created because he is the wisdom of God we may behold him in al the creatures because he vpholdeth al things by his vertue and power Marke then how we haue life moouing and after the first day of our life we continue in the same to wit because that God preserueth vs Mans life and the continuance thereof is from God alone for in respect of our selues we must néedes perishe euerie minute of an houre if this were not that that word of God mainteineth vs. Behold then in what sense the Euangelist saieth that that word was life that is that not onely all thinges were made by it but that they must of necessitie also be grounded therevpon and that it mainteine them in their being Nowe he addeth afterwards that that life was that light of men And wherefore is it that hée addeth this It is for two causes The first is that after that we haue knowne the might of God and the power of that his word both on high and beneath and euerie where we must then come to our selues for this is good reason that we should and that with a greater diligence beholde that which toucheth vs verie nigh As how I ought to knowe Gods goodnesse in this that hée preserueth Horses and Oxen as Dauid speaketh to vs therof Psal 36.6 Psalm 104.27 Gen. 1 1◠saying that it is hée that giueth nourishment and foode to euerie beast I sée on the other side the Earth which by the commaundement and blessing of God bringeth foorth her fruites If I looke thē vpon beastes I ought to knowe the goodnesse of God which declareth it selfe euen towards Asses Dogs but much more towards mée God commeth to mée that I might inwardly féele his power hée giueth mée bread wherewith I am nourished and ought I not to be touched to the quicke for so many benefits blessinges It is true that I should Besides also when men set out Gods workes they speak expresly of men Gods power appeareth specially in man because that God doth set out his most great excellent power rather in vs then in other creatures God then wil in déed be magnified both in heauen in earth and in all his workes that we sée but
withall he beginneth to prepare vs to that which hee will speake afterward that is to say to what ende this word which is Iesus Christ was sent vs of God his father that is The mysterie of our redemption very great and needfull to the end he might be manifested in the flesh for our saluation He ment then to declare howe greate the mystery of our redemption was and what neede wée had of it in saying that wee haue not comprehended the brightnesse that was in vs as if hee shoulde say It could nothing at all haue profited vs to haue the light that shineth in vs vnlesse we had withall béene redéemed and that this worde had executed and performed the loue of God towarde vs in repairing his image The light of our owne miserie is a good meane to make vs feele the mysterie of our redemption which was defaced in vs through our sinne and wholie disfigured in the first man Marke I say howe Saint Iohn mindeth to prepare vs to know the effect of our redemption and besides hée ment also to shewe vnto vs how that the word of God declareth it selfe in his creatures in as much as all things are preserued by his strength and power And withall hée exhorteth vs to knowe and confesse the graces that God hath bestowed vpon vs more excellent in déede than vpon other creatures to the ende wée might magnifie and prayse him The endes of our light and knowledge moreouer to knowe that séeing hée hath from the beginning imprinted his owne liuely image in vs and hath made vs féele his power it is good reason wée should learne to holde our selues fast to this worde and to confesse both generally and particularly the good thinges that God hath done for mankinde to the ende that the light which hée hath plentifully communicated vnto vs of his grace and goodnesse onely may not be quenched or put out through our malice but that Iesus Christ may in such sort dwell in the middest of vs that being guided and gouerned by the holie Ghost wée may haue such accesse to the father that hée may at the length bring vs into his heauenly glorie Thus I haue handled these thinges as shortly as was possible for mée What men should looke at in expounding the scripture respecting alwayes to touch the marke wherat the Euangelist in this place aimeth notwithstanding if there bee any thing that hath béene omitted because a man can not remember all let euerie one speake thereof that which God shall haue giuen him in that behalfe and if there be any doubt propound the matters to the ende that putting them out they may be made cleare and manifest and that the Church of God may therby bée more and more edified when thinges shall not remaine in doubt but shall be vnderstood according to their true meaning after that wée shall haue disputed and reasoned vpon them as is séemely and according to God and godlinesse A Sermon of the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ Luke Cap. 2. 1 ANd it came to passe in those dayes that there was a commaundement from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed 2 This first taxing was made when Cyrenius was Gouernor of Syria 3 Therefore all went to bee taxed euerie man to his owne Citie 4 And Ioseph also went vp from Galilee out of a Citie called Nazareth into Iudea vnto the Citie of Dauid which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and linage of Dauid 5 To be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with childe 6 And so it fell out that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that shee should be deliuered 7 And she brought foorth her first begotten Sonne wrapped him in swadling cloathes and laide him in a manger because there was no roume for them in the Inne 8 And there were in the same countrey shepheardes abiding in the fielde and keeping watch by night because of their flocke 9 And loe the Angell of the Lorde came vpon them and the glorie of the Lord shoane about them and they were sore afraide 10 Then the Angell saide vnto them be not afraide for behold I bring you tydinges of great ioy that shall be to all people 11 That is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. 12 And hee shall be a signe to you yee shall finde the childe swadled and laide in a Maunger 13 And straightway there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying 14 Glorie be to God in the high heauens peace in earth and towardes men good will WE knowe beloued in the Lorde that all our felicitie ioy peace is this euē to be conioyned knit together with the sonne of God for as he is our head so are we likewise his body and do also receiue from him our life health and all whatsoeuer blessednesse else And beside we see in very déede howe miserable our estate should be if wée can not to him to be preserued vnder his protection But by the way we are neuer able to attaine and reach so high séeing we are scarcely able to crawle vpō the ground without he were alredie come néere vnto vs by reason of his birth who hath taken vpon him our flesh and is therby become our brother Neither could we at this present flye vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God his father 1. Tim. 2. 5. Isaiah 7.14 Math. 1.23 in the glory of the heauens without he had abased himself to become a mortal man his estate condition to become also like vnto ours And here we may likewise sée why the name of man was giuen vnto him whē as hée is called the Mediatour betwéene God and man and so by the selfe fame reason is called Immanuel which is as much to say as God with vs. And therefore as often as wée séeke to be relieued and eased of our miseries by our Lord Iesus Christ and to make him our sure and vndoubted defence wee must first of all begin at his birth Nowe wee are not onely here taught that he was made man like vnto vs but was also so despised and made of so smal account as that he was scarcely taken to be named among the number of men For he was as it were banished denied all harboure and company and was lodged in a Stable and laide in Manger Since thē it is thus let vs here acknowledge that Gods of his goodnesse hath bountifullie spreade abroade his infinite treasures when as hee woulde in this sorte abase his deare Sonne for our sakes And let vs also acknowledge that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath so suffred for vs as that so often as wée séeke him we néede neuer to goe verie farre about to finde him nor yet to vnite our selues truly vnto him For for that cause was he
foorth and take your rest behold the houre is at hande this is as muche as if hée had saide that they shoulde bée soone sodainely set vpon except God watched ouer them And yet by the way hée checked them saying What Doe you sée in what state you stande Beholde the Diuell bendeth all his power for the distruction of mankinde and it must come passe that in mée the kingdome of God must bée recouered or els all creatures must perishe and yet you still sléepe héere Nowe this admonition serued for the present But in the ende the Disciples knewe that they must yéelde all the prayse of saluatiō vnto God yea considering their vnthankefulnes which appeared in so beastly blockishnes And so wée are not admonished as I haue already said that the sonne of God must shew him selfe to bée our redéemer euen himselfe alone without any companion Moreouer let vs eft soones learne that it is néedefull that God shoulde watche ouer vs so long as wée our selues doe sléepe For how often shall it come to passe that the Diuell will oppresse vs an hundred thousande times and what way haue wée to resist him except God hath compassion on vs although hee séeth vs therein to bée as it were like bruite beastes But yet must not this giue vs occasion to goe astray and to leaue our prayers and supplications But wée must rather continually call to minde this saying of the Psalme hée that watcheth ouer Israel neither sléepeth nor slumbereth And therefore let vs for our parts bée watchful according to that exhortation which wée haue heard made vnto vs. And yet let vs vnderstande thus much that how euer wée watch yet must God kéepe a good watche or els our enimies woulde soone haue great aduantage of vs. It followeth that Iesus Christe saide vnto his Disciples Arise let vs goe beholde hee is at hand which betrayeth vs. Hée would not haue them to goe with him as hath béene before said but because hee would haue them sée howe that hee spared not himselfe for them nor yet for all mankinde for hée offered himselfe to receiue all the blowes to frée them that this saying might bée accomplished That hee had lost no whit of all that which his heauenly Father had giuen him and committed vnto his charge and protection Howbeit hée sheweth héereby that hee went willingly to death according to that which wée haue this morning handeled that the Sacrifice of obedience must answere the blotting out of all our rebellions For if our Lorde Iesus Christe had not willingly offered vp himself to appease the wrath of God his Father his death and passion had serued vs to no purpose But hée came to this point and declared howe hee had taken vpon him our nature because hée would accomplishe our redemption and when he was in the principall action hée meant not to giue ouer his office For it is saide in the Story That Iudas had giuen them a token that whomsoeuer hee kissed the same was Iesus and should lay handes on him and when hee was come neere him he kissed him and said vnto him All Haile or God saue thee Maister Nowe let vs note that this was the manner of saluting As wée see that in some Countries they imbrace one another and other some shake handes And the maner of the Iewes was altogether to kisse one another as wée sée by the holy Scripture Moreouer a man would thinke it very strange that Iudas being gone form the cōpany of Iesus Christ but a while before to wit euen the selfesame night before returned and kissed him as if hée had come from some farre iourney But he vsed this maner of curtesie because hée came lyke a man halfe afraide And marke why it is said in the other Gospel That he said Maister God saue thée or all haile Maister hée séemed at that time to be very angrie that his Maister was thus dealt with and when he saw such a company come to take him hée drew néere and kissed Iesus Christe as who shoulde say O my good Maister They séeke for thée see howe thine enimies compasse thée séeking to take away thy life and to cut thée of from amongst men if they once lay hold on the. Nowe this seemed to bée a signe of great compassion in Iudas But it is said soone after that Iesus Christe rebuked him saying Friende Wherefore art thou come Which is asmuch as if he had saide Thou wicked man which hast sitte at my Table with mée and wast as one of my owne body when wee were vnited together as the children of God for as I was your head euen so did I acknowledge you to bée as my members and nowe thou commest be betray mée yea euen with a kisse And héerevpon wee haue to note that the Sonne of God must néedes bee marked that the Scripture might bée the better thought of and beléeued and wée might knowe that GOD had chosen him to bée our redéemer For all this was prefigured in the person of Dauid who was as it were a Mirrour and image of the Sonne of God And againe hee saieth they were no strangers that shewed themselues his open enimies Psal 41.9 But it was saieth hee euen my famyliar friende whome I trusted who eate of my bread that trayterously lifted vp the heele against mee it is hee euen hee that hath circumuented mee and falsly betrayed mée Yea euen the very selfe same man as it is saide in another place which accompanied mee to goe into the house of the Lorde together Psal 55.14 As if hee he shoulde haue saide it was not onely a familiar and gentle kinde of friendship as shoulde bee betweene men that liue in common one with another But also an holy brotherhoode consecrated vnto the name of the Lorde And thus wee see what the meaning of the holy Ghoste is to shewe vs that is that nothing came to passe vnto the Sonne of GOD which was not both spoken of and figured before to the end we might be so much the more confirmed that is hee whom GOD had alwayes established since hee carried with him such and so infallible markes Moreouer wée sée in the person of Iudas that the Church of God shall continually be subiect to much treason True it is that it is verie much to haue Satan and all his furniture against vs and all that which wée haue before spoken of and besides to haue them also our enemies who openly fight against God and séeke altogether the ouerthrow of his Church This I tell you is verie much that wée haue to deale against suche enemies But yet it pleaseth the Lord to proue our patience herein that is that there should bee alwayes amiddest vs home enemies who should be full of treason and disloialtie And although this be an horrible pestilence yet shal the Church neuer be without it nor cleane rid thereof In déed wée ought to looke well vnto it and kéepe vs from it and it is
with opē mouth to triumph in the death passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ Luke 22.51 in his taking wherof mētion here is made Thus we sée what we haue to remēber in this place héervpō the euāgelist saith that our Lord Iesus healed the seruaunt whom Peter hurte not because he was woorthy to be healed but for the saluing of the offence that was geuen For this had béen a defaming of the doctrine of the Gospel and of the redemption of our Lorde Iesus Christ I call that the redemption of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hee purchased for vs if this hurt had not béen healed so that it might haue béene sayde that hée had withstood the Gouernour of the Countrey and all the Priests and that he kept in that place as it were a standing for théeues robbers And this was to haue darkened all the glory of the sonne of God and to haue made the Gospel for euer to haue béene slandered We sée also that this zeale of Peters was diuelishe For the Diuell went about to make Iesus Christe and all his doctrine to be infamous And héere we sée to what end all our painted deuotiō tendeth whē we wil serue God as pleaseth our selues euery mā take leaue to doe whatsoeuer he thinketh best in his owne eyes Wherfore Iesus Christ ment to take away this offence to the end hée would not haue his doctrine to bée slaundered Howbéeit wée may héere sée the abhominable vnthankfulnesse of such as are not mooued by suche a myracle For behold the Souldiers who came to manacle our Lorde Iesus Christ sée what a number of wayes the power of the Spirite of GOD wrought in him For but a little before he had with a woord of his mouth made them turne backe and by and by hée healeth a man who hadd his eare cutte of and yet all this did them no good Wée see then that when the Deuil hath once bewitched vs and bleared our eyes that neyther the graces of GOD nor yet all his power can touch vs but that we will followe and goe on in our furie and rage and haue as it were euen a swines snowte to roote in euerie thing and let God say and doe what he please yet will we continually remayne obstinate which is an horrible thing And therefore we are to beséeche the Lorde to graunt vs wisedome that wée may profite by his graces and be brought to loue him and that we may be also touched when he lifteth vp his hand to shew vs that he is our iudge so that we be not afeard to return vnto him in true repentance And this is in effect the thing that we are to learne hereby But howe euer it was our Lorde Iesus Christ stopped the mouthes of the vngodly when as hee had healed Cayphas seruant Herevpon it is saide that Iesus was led to Cayphas house and was there examined to the ende Iohn 18.13 Nowe for the making shorte of the matter wée wil not speake of that which Saint Iohn writeth of Annas who was Cayphas father in lawe and it may bée that Iesus Christ was led thither for honours sake or els because the way so serued hoping that all were there assembled Well Iesus was ledde to Cayphas house and there examined And it is namely sayde That the high Priestes sought false witnesse against him but they founde none And in the ende That there came twoo false witnesses and sayd That he saide he woulde buylde vp the temple agayne in thrée dayes héere wée say that our Lorde Iesus was charged not that the high priests were moued with any zeale as many times they which persecute innocentes thinke they doe God high seruice for in very déede wée see how Saint Paule was driuen with such a fury 1. Tim. 1.13 as that hée was like vnto a théefe for so he calleth himselfe who wasted and spoyled euery where and yet thought himself to be a very zealous man But it fared not so with Cayphas and his company For what was it that they sought but onely vniustly to ouerthrowe Iesus Christ And thus wée see that it was very ambytion that draue them manifestly to stande agaynst God which is a most horrible thing For Cayphas and all his company were the children of Leui euen an holy Tribe which GOD himselfe had chosen and not menne for God had so appoynted yt by his Lawe In very déede there was a villanous and horrible corruption amongest them because the priesthood was bought at those dayes and whereas it should haue béene an office for tearme of life as God had ordayned it euerye one circumuented his fellow and whosoeuer brought the greatest summe of mony carried away this dignitie Now this was a villanous and detestable corruption that they woulde make them selues lyke vnto théeues and vnlawfull dealers in so holy and honorable an estate neuer the lesse the Priest alwayes continued in the tribe of Leui which God had consecrated to doe him seruice And yet we sée that they became all the enemies of God Satan had made them all drunke yea they were all starke madd against the redéemer of the world who was the ende of the law Let vs therefore héereuppon note that they whiche are in dignitie and in high degrée will not at all times so faithfully doo their duties but that they had néede beware of themselues euen as of those which might become the enemies of God And héerein wee may sée the ouer grosse folly of the Papistes when they rest vpon this title and dignitie of priesthood For put the case that God had commaunded there should be a Pope which neuer was commaunded and that his seat should be at Rome which is yet a lesse matter howbeit if all this were true yet wée sée that in the person of Cayphas and his like as many as haue bene aduaunced to honor may abuse their power and authoritie And therfore let not vs be so foolish as to occupie our heades about maskes neither yet let God lose his authoritie when soeuer any honorable title is geuen vs as we sée the Papists doo when as they forsake all the holy scripture reuerence their idoles Let vs learne then not to lessen the glory of God vnder the coulor of any worldly dignity but let him haue all his soueraigne dominion Psal 118.22 And thus much for this point And as for any offence which we may conceiue in our owne fantasies let vs marke that which is saide in the Psalme as also our Lord Iesus Christ hath before alleaged That hée is the corner stone which the builders forsooke Mat. 21.42 And who were they that were the builders of the house and Church of God forsooth the Priests for it is they that should indéede discharge them selues of that office yet they forsooke the head corner stone which god had laid And although this stone was refused yet was it laide in the chiefe place of the building that
was before And marke why he asked whence art thou and when Iesus Christ helde his peace knowest not thou sayeth he that I haue power to loose and condemne thée Now we sée heere why the Iewes brought in such an accusation against our Lord Iesus Christ In very déede the offence whiche might the rather moue the Gouernour of the Country was because hee tooke vpon him a kingdome But when they sée that their malice was discouered and that Pylat right well knewe that they were but fained leasings they thereupon said we haue a law by which he ought to dye And that they reserued for their priuiledge to the ende they might not reason about religion For the Romaines who were prophane people and serued their idols onely for fashions sake would maintaine their dominion euery man as hée was minded And thereupon they saide hee hath made him selfe the Sonne of God and therefore hath he blasphemed It is true that if our Lorde Iesus had not bene the redéemer of the world hee had bene worthy to haue dyed for callinge of him selfe the onely Sonne of God For we are all the Children of God séeing hée hath adopted vs by his grace and this is the common vaine and phrase of the holy scripture And they which haue receiued any special grace as Princes and magistrates are called the Sonnes of God another way Wherefore by a farre greater reason may Iesus Christ Psal 82. â— who was perfectly anoynted with the graces and vertues of the holy Ghost very well be called the Sonne of God But if hee had not bene the redéemer of the world and had called himselfe for honors sake the onely sonne of God surely it had bene a deadlye offence But how fell it out that the Iewes accused him heereof In the first place we are to note that it was for want of knowledge of the scriptures because they knew not that he which should be the redéemer should be manifested to be the liuing God And therfore because they had no knowledge of the Scripture nor acquainted therewith but were lyke vnto brut beastes by reason of their negligence sée why they were so bould to condemne Iesus Christ The like rashnesse we sée to be in al those which are ignorant For when we shall at this day heare them crye thou hereticke they speake it not because they are able to proue it but the most doltish of them are carried with such a rage as that they wyll forsooth he zealous of the honour of God and yet know why nor wherefore Moreouer they must enquire whether Iesus Christ was the Messias or not howbeit the Iewes refused him without asking any question By this we are to learne that if wee will haue such a zeale as God lyketh of wee must bee ruled by a true knowledge and bee taught by his worde For we may vtter whoat wordes but they shall be but so many of Satan his rages if we speake not like the Schollers of God because hee is the onely competent Iudge and reserueth this office to himselfe to shewe vs what his wyll is Seing then it is so let vs follow the word of God simplye and bee quiet and let our zeale be ruled by it this is it which we are to obserue in the first place But when it is saide That Pylate was more afearde then hee was before when hee hearde the Sonne of God spoken of heere we sée in the person of a wretched pagan that a little séede of religion moued and pricked him and so solycited his conscience as that he knewe not which way to turne him Hée sée Iesus Christ altogether deformed and hee him selfe had caused him to be scourged and he was before that very shamfully vsed with spitting and buffeting in the house of Cayphas to be short a man vtterlye dispised and forsaken of all men and yet the name of God moued Pontius Pilate and engendred in him a meruelous feare What then shall we do whenas we shal become lyke vnto brute beastes For when any man shal speake to vs of God if we be not some way kept in restrained we shal after the example of Pylate be condemned in the latter day we shal at this day sée such deuilish and horrible skorners that if a man say vnto them beholde what God sheweth vs and alleadge his worde and allow of that which they refuse they care not but wyl stoppe their eares hood wynke their eyes and their myndes are otherwyse occupied and so proude as that there is no speaking of giuing eare For thus they please them selues we are at a good poynt say they and so it shall be It is euen so yet looke vpon Pilate who neuer had heard a word of the doctrine of God yea he coÌ„temned the law so that what soeuer the Iewes dyd he thought it to be but a fonde deuised thing and worshipped his Idols yet the name of GOD touched him and hee conteined himselfe thereby whenas hée hard it spoken of And did hée this for any Maiestie or pompe that he sée to bee in Christe Iesus No for the very name of God was it that mooued him to this reuerence What then shall become of them who shall bée condemned by this feare of Pilat so long as they followe their accustomed maner of life so that there can bee nothing wrong from them although a man doe not onely talke vnto them of the name of God and speake as it were sometimes glaunsingly but offereth also both to teache them point theÌ„ out with the finger the testimonies of the Scripture If they vouchsafe not to consider of it nor yet giue any diligent attendance therto must it not néedes bée but that the Diuell hath altogether possessed them and giue vs to vnderstande that they are very monsters who haue quite giuen ouer all the séede of Religion and obstinately set themselues against God in dispite of nature And this is it which we haue to consider of Nowe howeuer it is wée on the contrary part also sée that whatsoeuer feare wée haue and whatsoeuer our mindes and vnderstanding can comprehende for the honouring of God wyll bée like none other thing but as a bright lightning which flasheth in our faces and is soone gone For how did Pilate feare God wee sée that it stande him not but shewed so great crueltie as if God had neuer béene Thus wée sée that they who are not gouerned by the spirite of God shall on the one side bee so possessed with feare as that they shall at sometymes bee made to stoupe But yet they newe giâ—e ouer â—â—ting vp of their hornes quickely forgetting themselues Exo. 8.8.28 9.17 10.17 Ex. 8.19 and dulling theyr consciences to doe wickedly For wée sée that Pharao was many times put in feare when as hée saide I beséech thée pray vnto God for me And when he sée the woâ—de of God so apparantly Surely quoth hée this is the finger of GOD and I
they that passed by reuiled him wagging their heads 40 And saying thou that destroyedst the temple and builded stâ—â— in three dayes saue thy selfe If thou bee the sonne of God come downe from the crosse 41 Likewise also the high Priestes mockinge him with the Scribes and Elders and Pharisees saide 42 Hee saued others but he cannot saue himselfe If hee bee the King of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and wee will beleeue him 43 Hee trusteth in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for he said I am the sonne of God 44 That same also the theeues which were crucified with him cast in his teeth AS concerning the matter which before we haue handeled we must yet a great deale better consider that the kingdom of our Lorde Iesus Christe is not of this worlde For wée sée that he was shamefully dealt withall and made a very iesting stocke and in stéede of a kingly Diademe hée had a crowne of thorne in stéede of a Scepter a Réed and besides whatsoeuer shame might bée deuised against a man it was done to him And therefore if we shal let our senses stay vpoÌ„ the thing which is héere rehearsed it will bée a maruellous obiect of offence as it were to estrange vs from our Lorde Iesus Christe and so consequently from all hope of saluation But wée must looke vpoÌ„ the spiritual kingdom wherof mention hath héere before ben made by faith and then conclude That although wée make a iest at the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe yet doth God and the Angelles estéeme of it according to the worthinesse thereof Yea and we are to call to minde that the sonne of God was after that sort entreated in his owne person to the end hée might take vpon him all the rebuke shame which wée iustly had deserued For how can wée come before the Maiestie of God so long as we are defiled with sinne and iniquitie But because our Lorde Iesus was contented to haue his face spet on to bée buffetted and abide all reproche sée howe wée at this day are acknowledged and allowed to â—e the children of God and herein standeth all our trust and confidence We haue moreouer continually to consider that GOD will cause vs a little better to féele our sinnes and iniquities to the end wée might abhorre and deteâ—â— them when as wée sée that the Sonne of God must repayre and amende them and suffered so muche to purchase vs grace and pardon and the heauenly father also not to spare him for the doyng of it Thus when we sée that our sinnes were such as wrought so great a confusion and shame to the Sonne of God we ought to be humbled and be altogether ashamed of our selues yet notwithstanding we must take a good heart vnto vs and be so fully assured as not once to doubt when we shal come before the Maiestie of God that our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased our pardon seing he was coÌ„tented for our cause to be so lightly regarded For by this mean he hath gotteÌ„ vs glory worship eueÌ„ before God his Angels Now it is here said that our Lorde Iesâ—â— was 〈◊〉 to the place called Golgotha to wit a place of dead mens â—kulles The Hebrue woorde from whence this is deriued signifie thâ— to rowle or bowle Howebeit they then vsed it so because that wheâ— any carcase is through rotted and turned to dust the head is then very drie and like a round bowle Wherefore they called the name of this place Golgotha because that many malefactors 〈◊〉 there punished there their heades remayned And here we are to remember the saying of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 13.11 That our Lorde Iesus Christ was led out of the Towne as the burnt offrings were woont to be whose blood was carries into the Sanctuarie for the wyping away of the sinnes of the people Now it was saide that that sacrifice was as a man wâ—â—â—d say accursed and therfore it was méete it should be carried a great way of Thus we sée that the sonne of God would take vpon him this state and condition that we might in very 〈…〉 to that God hath now fréed and pardoned vs For we are woorthie that GOD should geue vs ouer and powre vpoÌ„ vs his hâ—rrible 〈◊〉 so loÌ„g as he séeth what we are Wherfore there is now other way for vs to obtaine pardoÌ„ but to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ receiue al our succor from him because he discharged vs of a greate burden whenas hee woulde as it were beâ—â—â—e accused and abhorred for our sakes that we might finde fauour before God and so obey his holy will For although Pylate his Iudge had oftentimes iustified him yet for al that must he take vpon him in his owne person al whatsoeuer was requisite for our redemption for hée was our pledge and surety and therefore must wholly answers for vs. So then wheÌ„ we haue vnderstood that our Lord Iesus was thus cast of as one not worthy to be accoÌ„pted amongst the felowship of men yea euen so stinking as that he could not be abidden wheÌ„ we sée al this I say let vs learne to follow him forsake the world as here in this place we are exhorted And if it so fall out that wée must néeds be made iesting stockes and bée cut of as rotten members and bée abhorred and detested Let vs paciently abide al this geare and not sée it vntill such time as that day commeth wherin our sorowes shalbée turned into ioy God shal wype away the teares from our eyes and that the thing which is nowe thought to bée as shameful shall then bée wholly turned to honour and glory For without al doubt looke whatsoeuer wée suffer for the name of Iesus Christ is more honorable before God then all the pompes and glittering shewes of this worlde And this is it which wée are to consider of in this place Nowe the Euangelist goeth on and saieth that they which passed by mocked our Lord Iesus but especially the Priestes the Scribes and such like And what was the matter I beséeche you Forsooth thus they saide If hee bee the Sonne of GOD let him come downe and saue himselfe for hée hath saued others and if hée bée the king of Israel let him nowe shewe himselfe so Héere wée sée howe terrible blinde these wretched people were whom Satan had so possessed as that they had neither féeling nor yet discretion Wée sée also the Priestes who shoulde haue béene the Angels or messengers of GOD for hée had appoynted them for that purpose Malach. to the ende his worde and will might be knowen from their mouthes VVee sée likewise the Scribes who were acquainted with the lawe and yet by thinking to make our Lorde Iesus no bodie declared that they troade vnder foote the Holie Scripture al the Religion whereof they so much bragged For when the Messias was spoken of
and state of life Howbeit it must néedes be that this must be openly séene in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore vineger gall was giuen him that it might be knowne that Dauid was but a figure of him in déed that hée was the true Redéemer promised from the beginning For why was the kingdom aduaunced in the house of Dauid except it had béen promised that it should longer continue then the Sunne and Moone And therefore it was the euerlasting kingdome which was established in the person of the Redéemer For it was méete that these thinges which were shadowed and figured in the person of Dauid should be made perfect in Iesus Christ as here we sée Moreouer as for that which the Euāgelist speaketh of for the théeues that were with our Lord Iesus Christ who mocked him that is set downe as a thing by it selfe Luke 23.39 as appeareth by S. Luke who hath declared these thinges more at large Howbeit this is a common maner of spéech as if a man should say This is spoken as if it were to yong children for if there were but one yet it would bee taken in the plurall number It was méete also that there should be some women amongst And yet there was but one And therfore after this maner it is said that al men set thēselues against him mocked blasphemed him euen the théeues themselues For when a man is hanged betwéene two théeues it is to the end the more to aggrauate this shameful death In déed this was the place where they were wonted to execute malefactors And yet they were not contented that they had put him to this foyle But it must néedes be that he must be estéemed to be worse then the arrandest and strongest théeues of the world when as they were both hanged one each side one to the end it might bée said that hée was the maister théefe amongst them all And heerein as S. Marke saith the saying of the Prophet was verified Mar. 15. 28. that he was accounted amongst the wicked Now and if he had not béen thus accounted of in what case should we at this day stand before the Lord For we could not obteine grace without iustice It is méet that God should hate reiect vs vntill such time as we were made righteous and cleansed of all our sinnes and offences in his sight And that it might be so could God deny himselfe Could he be robbed of his holinesse righteousnesse puritie And therfore whēsoeuer we shal come before him all filthy and besmeared hée must néedes abhorre vs. How should we then be iustified before God except our Lorde Iesus Christ had béen accounted amongst malefactors Wherefore we are exempt out of this ranke God receiueth vs and taketh vs as me according vnto his hearts desire as if we were altogether cleane innocent because our Lord Iesus Christ suffred such shame and slander before men And this is it which in summe we are to consider of touching théeues But to make a full conclusion we must set down the words of S. Luke which is that one of the théeues rebuked his companiō when as he sée him so obstinate What saith he it wil be hie time for thée now or els neuer to stoupe humble thy self For behold the cōdemnation punishment which thou suffrest for thy misdéeds faults thou art a man plunged ouer head and eares in all curses although thou hast bin so beastly as to delight thy selfe all thy life long in thy wickednes yet shouldest thou now begin to sigh and grone For the most dissolute man that is although he wantonly passe his time all his life long and neuer thinketh to come to a reckoning scorneth iustice and setteth himself against it because he thinketh he shal escape vnpunished yet whē he is laid hold on words wil not serue his turn Behold saith he in what great torments thou art and thou seest that both God men do bring thée to an account thy cōscience also telleth thée that it is for thy sins that thou suffrest this wilt thou for all this set thy selfe against God Thus we sée that this saying verie well declareth that this théefe was taught by the spirit of God And although we shal out of all cry as we say sée this verie often yet may we iudge by this saying what a good schoolemaster the spirit of God is when as he so well instructeth those who haue erred and haue become like bruite beasts that they haue not onely acknowledged their offences and submitted them selues for the obteining of grace but also haue béen able eftsoones to talke lyke Doctours and like men which had long time béene acquainted with the holy Scriptures For can we make a better and sounder exhortation to a man that is growne so hard hearted and which neuer ceaseth to storme against God when as hée should yéeld and come to repentaunce then such a one as this wretched théefe hath here made But how euer it is this kind of admonitiō did him no good whom Satan in such sort had possessed but to make him without excuse And although it did him no good to whom it was made yet let it auayle vs at this day And albeit God spareth vs yet let vs learne to feare him But chiefly and aboue all if hée scourgeth vs and will haue vs féele that hée is angrie with vs Let vs then bée the rather touched to groane and constantly and patiently suffer our afflictions as wée sée the poore théefe to haue done and not proudly and outragiously lift vp our selues as the other did Moreouer we sée these two to be as it were the mirrours of all mankinde because we sée in what miseries we are wrapped For this life is euen an hell of all miseries euen the verie fruite of our sinnes because we were depriued of the blessing of God by the fall of Adam And yet this is true that God of his inestimable goodnesse hath surpassed this curse when as hée continually hath shewed him selfe sundrie wayes a Father making vs to féele the gentlenesse and loue which hee beareth vs and the care also which hée hath ouer vs. Howbeit we haue many signes and tokens of our sinnes by which we may perceiue that God curseth vs both in heauen and in earth because that death is common to vs all For when we haue languished in this world and haue béene subiect to many diseases to heate and colde and haue béen gréeued and tormented diuers manner of wayes to be short that we haue suffered infinite miseries what will be the end of all Surely euen this That we must turne into rottennesse and dust Now we sée some whom God so toucheth as that the afflictions which they endure serue them for their benefite and are good helpes vnto them according to that saying of S. Paule Rom. 8.28 And others we sée to waxe worse and in steade of
that he must be tied kept frō doing his duty for feare the people would haue stoned thē all to death for they saw well enough that this malice would stretch it selfe foorth to the whole family kindred And at last behold Iesus Christ was crucified So that thē a man would haue thought the gospel had béen cléerely buried with him the remembrance thereof quite put out Who would haue said that the Apostles had euer béen able thus to haue set foorth the doctrine of the Gospell For marke what simple men they were such as neuer knew what learning meant altogether vnacquainted with the holy scripture vtterly without skill abilitie and besides a refuse people whō no man wold vouchsafe to heare although in very déed they had spokē with the tongues of Angels And what is to be séen herein but euē a very wildernes wher are the honorable shewes preparatiōs that should make kings princes to stoupe to the gospel For sooth heere are none at al. But on the cōtrary part behold naked swordes fire faggot to stop the course therof Wherfore we right wel sée that it was like vnto a smal graffe planted in a barrē land And who would say that it should grow to be a trée to ouershadow all the world vnder the which euery mā might shroud himself who was euer able to immagine this séeing so vnlikely beginnings Therefore it is not wtout cause that the prophet Isaiah declareth that the world which is too too much addicted to glory wil neuer vouchsafe to looke vpon our Lord Iesus Christe but rather despise him because he is like vnto a little twigge science of a trée taken out of a barren land where was neither water moysture substance or yet strength Now this is namely laide before vs to the end we might not bée drawne away through any such offence but be able redily to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore when wee heare after what sort the Gospell shal be preached vnto the world and that we sée the like of it at this day to wit that the church shal be as a small handfull of rascall people and that wée shal be abhorred of all those that beare the greatest sway in the worlde let not vs for al that be faint harted For we sée how our Lord Iesus Christ appeared at the first although his meaning is that his kingdome should bee conserued after this maner at this day yet let not that stay vs from yéelding our obedience vnto him 1. Cor. 1.25 And since we know as S. Paule saith that the foolishnesse of God hath surpassed the wisdom of man let not vs be so arrogantly minded as to set our selues against it But let vs vnderstand that as God his meaning was to make his sonne of no reputation so likewise entended he to exalt him aboue the heauens and let not vs finde fault with that which he hath ordeined in his secrete counsel but therein rest our selues Moreouer let vs well cōsider of these words That he shall sprout vp before him For if we through our pride and disdaine think to tread Iesus Christe vnderfoote kéepe him vnder we deceiue our selues because he shal grow vp in despite of mans incredulitie malice vnthankfulnesse and enmitie but it shall be before God It is true also that he groweth vp aswell before the faithfull because they must obediently worship him acknowledge that the excellēt name which god hath giuē him is worthie to haue euery knée bow vnto it But the Prophet hath namely said that hee shall grow vp before God setting héere a ballance as it were betwéene such mē as goe about to ouerthrow suppresse the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and besides God his father who will giue him his hād wil bring it so to passe as that nothing shal be able to kéepe him frō attaining vnto the fruite of his glory and Maiestie whereunto hee is called Thus wee sée the very naturall and true meaning of these wordes That to the outward shewe our Lorde Iesus is but as a twigge in a dry or barren grounde because there is no meanes in this worlde to make him growe vp and yet bée as be may he shal growe vp But how Forsooth euen before God And therefore let it not dismay vs when wée shall sée men make a iest at the Gospell to become as a flaunderous and shamefull thing by reason of the pride of the faithlesse But when wée shall sée the enimies of the trueth ware to arrogant and lift vp their hornes against our Lorde Iesus Christ and furiously fight against him let vs turne away our faces from it and not be so foolishe as to set light by the sonne of God because it is not the blinde such as Satan possesseth and who are altogether bewitched that doe praise and magnifie him and his worthines but let vs rather looke vnto God and then shall wée be throughly instructed in our faith For since Iesus Christe so groweth vp before God his Father it is good reason that we for our partes shoulde magnifie him and yéelde him the honour that belongeth vnto him To bée short let vs learne to stay our selues wholy vpon god thē we may boldly fréely stand against all the world And although there bee no reckoning made of the word of God yet let vs yéeld our obedience vnto it as it were vnto himselfe And why so Forsooth because that God should be far dearer vnto vs then an infinite number of those gainesayers which would withdrawe vs from comming vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And this is a very necessary point for vs euen at this day For as wée haue saide we sée that the mightiest and wisest men of this worlde fight notwithstanding against the Gospell yea euen they which are not contented to be called Christians only but which also will be aboue all others in the highest degrées and yet are these men I say but Satans supporters to abolish the trueth of God such as set thēselues against our Lorde Iesus Christ his word If this I say feare vs let vs consider wel of the which is héere said That if we sée men so obstinate hard harted as that they wil not receiue the sonne of God when he offereth himselfe vnto them wée ought to set our selues against euen the mightiest of thē because then are but doung in respect of God In very déede as for the present time they are of so great Maiestie as that to our séeming all the world should bowe tremble before thē But if we would lift vp our mindes vnto God looke vnto him wtout doubt wee woulde care no more for al these fray baggles then for a rush Thus we sée how we should lift vp our faith to the end that nothing which is héere below might bee any let why Iesus Christ should not rule ouer vs. And this is it which we
euery one Forsooth I will tell you because when as wee are generally condemned we are not so liuely moued and touched as we ought to be In déede this must néedes bée a plaine condemnation whenas it is saide that there is not amongst the children of men one iust man Psal 14.2 and is also said in another place of the Psalmist That God looked downe from heauen saw not one man that was not corrupt in his sinnes Hée speaketh also there aswell of the godly who were in great estimation and dignitie as also of the wicked It is saide that all men haue gone astray and that there could not bée founde one who was not corrupt before the Lorde and of this doctrine the holy Scripture is full Rom. 3.9 Saint Paul also sheweth this very sufficiently in his Epistle to the Romans whenas he bryngeth in the sayinges of the Psalmist and of the Prophets where any thing is spoken of infamous men saying That there is nothing but malice and treason in them full of crueltie poyson violence deceipt and robbery and their throat an open Sepulchre When all these thinges are spoken of Saint Paule saith that all men are heerein comprehended without exception vntill such time as GOD hath changed and renued them by his holy Spirite Nowe let this doctrine bée preached and wée must néedes all stoupe and yéelde for shame and feare will not suffer vs to reply against our God And to say the trueth what shall wée get by our reasoning and disputing For wee must feele in despite of our téethes that wée are not condemned in vaine since it is God that iudgeth vs. And yet notwithstanding euery of vs wil return home to his house and bee no whit moued thereat and the thing that hath béene tolde vs will not touch vs at all Wée will well enough agrée that wee are all sinners and that euery man is guiltie before the Lorde But doe wée in the meane while féele the burden of our sinnes and be displeased with them and besides are we stirred vp to séeke for the fauour of our Lorde Iesus Christe and deny our selues No no and yet we think we are sufficiently discharged if wée say that wée are sinners And that which is worse wée shall oftentimes sée men bouldly couer and cloke their sinnes when they are accused and conuinced of them Ho good Syr wyll they say It is very true that al mē are sinners Surely if a mā exhort a wicked blasphemer of the name of God or some such one as hath committed a cursed and horrible déede hee will deny it at the first chop and neuer confes it but by constraint But what if he see him selfe to be conuicted In very déede Syr will he thē say we are all sinners And that is asmuch to say that thou art a wicked hypocrite that thus scornest God Thus we sée that vnder these general words there are very many which wil finde out this excuse to the end they would not haue their filthinesse knowne as it ought to be And for this cause after the Prophet had saide That all haue erred he addeth Euery one euery one as if he should haue saide looke not generall what mankinde is but let euery man sift himselfe a part and consider and way wel with your selues what you are For the way to cause vs to be touched with the iudgements of God and to be brought to true humilitie is whenas wee are brought to repent vs of our wickednesse that euery man in this sort shall as it were haue secretely examined his owne conscience Thus we sée the meaning of the Prophet Moreouer when hee saith That euery man hath departed from his way hee declareth in the first place that he speaketh of those mē who are gouerned by their lustes and according to their owne reason and wisdome And this is a point to be throughly marked of vs because we sée the folly of some to be such as that all the persuasions in the worlde cannot withdrawe them from running into destruction by doing of that which séemeth best in their owne eyes The other sort doe so beastly follow their desires as that they vnderstand not that they plunge themselues wittingly into the bottome of Hell except god restrained them For we sée how the Papists at this day deale whenas they are found fault with by the word of God are conuinced therby I beséech you sir wil they say let me alone for be as be may I will be sure to go on that course which I haue begunne And wilt thou so why then thou surely goest the direct way to hel for this is thy way if thou folow that thy course Ho tush why man I haue such a good deuotiō as that it is impossible for God to reiect it Wel sir but the Prophet Isaiah speaketh also héere of the deuotiō which euery man maketh to himself thinkest thou that the holy ghost who spake in those daies by his mouth knew not that thou wouldst be an hypocrite full of poyson pride that thou wouldest be ruled as thou lustest that thou wouldst deuise a seruice of god at thy owne pleasure that thou wouldst worship idols thinke thou diddest wel that therein should stand thy religiō hath the holy ghost vnderstood all thy villanies Then looke thou to that which he hath spoken Euery man hath walked in his owne way to wit euery mā hath gone the straite way to hell Euery man hath run into destruction by taking his own course Héere then we see what the waies are that we take And so we are taught by this place to cast of all fond arrogancie to vnderstand that when we doe that which séemeth good in our own eies which we think to be very resonable it is as if we had made a league with Satā to catch vs in his snares And therfore this doctrine serueth for the correction of all presumption to the end we might be cōtented to be ruled only by spirite of God by his word and let vs also in like maner obserue that the Prophet Isaiah hath declared by these wordes that although wee know the thing that is good yet wil we not leaue frō doing the thing that is wicked naught And why so Forsooth because al our affections are enimies to God although we sée that we must refuse the euil yet wil we be carried away therwith that not forcibly but euen very wittingly wickedly it is so hid in vs as that the fruit must néedes shew what the rootes are And therefore let vs in the first place vnderstand that we know not how to walke a right there is but one only way which God alloweth of which wil bring vs to saluatiō to wit whenas our Lord Iesus shal take vs into his protection be the shéepe of his flocke follow him as our shepheard let vs also further vnderstand that al the affections are
wée might be exempt from it and that now in the middest of al our weaknes we should haue neuertheles life euerlasting which must be obtained by fayth vntil such time as it be throughly manifested vnto vs at his comming in the last day And this is the effect of that which wée are to learne out of this place Now the Prophet goeth on further and saieth That hee was cut of from out of the lande of the liuing receued the wounds which were due to his people This is a confirmation of that which wée lately handeled to wyt that the age of our Lorde Iesus Christ should not serue for himself alone but also for the whole body of his Church wherevnto hee is vnited and bounde as it were with an inseperable bonde For the Prophet sheweth that without it it might be saide that the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ should be vnprofitable Now this were a blasphemie not to be borne to think that the son of God came downe into the world to abide so cruel a death and to haue the iudgement of God fall so on his head as that he beare the punishment for our sinnes and was taken to bee the greatest malefactor in the world yet al this not to profit his faithful seruants ani thing at all yt might well inough be saide that this were as a man would say a very iest Wherfore the prophet bringeth vs back to this cōsideration that we should well vnderstand for what end purpose our Lord Iesus was thus scourged beaten And this came not by fortune as hath ben before declared Nether must wée looke only vnto that which men did and to those which vniustly slew him but wée must lift vp the eies of our faith vnto the counsell of God by which he had ordained that Iesus Christ should be sacrificed to the ende hée might purchase remission of our sinnes for vs. Wherefore since it is so we are alwaies to conclude that Iesus Christ suffered not for himselfe but receyued the woundes which were due to vs we are héere in this first place exhorted to enter into the knowledge and examination of our sins whenas the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ is set before vs. It is very true the God therein powreth out the infinit treasures of his goodnes for indéede when S. Paul hath saide that we ar iustified by our lord Iesus that in staying our selues vpon his death passion we may boldly present our selues before god be glad that hée wil alwaies except of vs. After Saint Paul I say hath handled this doctrin that although we be miserable sinners yet wil not God cast vs off but vpholde vs because hée receiueth vs in the name of his only son he goeth on farther sayeth I beséech you Brethren euen in the bowels of the goodnes and mercie of God Wherin he sheweth that in the suffering of Iesus Christ we haue a testimony of the infinit loue of god as if he wold lay open his hart and shew vs his bowels to testefye vnto vs how deare and precious wée and our soules are vnto him Howbeit this is not sett downe to the ende wée shoulde sléepe and take pleasure in our sins For the more that God sheweth himself lyberal in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ so much the more ought wee to féele what a gréeuous thing it is for vs to become his enemies and fight against his iustice and cause him to set himselfe against vs for the grace which God sheweth vs in our Lord Iesus Christ ought to draw vs continually to repentaunce Now the papistes at this day go about falsely to accuse vs of the doctrine which we preach which is this that we must be saued by the frée mercy of God haue our whole recourse vnto Iesus Christ bicause we knowe that therein wee haue all our perfection of rightuousnes Now forsooth Sir say they you haue made a great speake for then euery man may liue as he lust and they néede neuer care any more for the offending of God Indéed these dogs may bark thus because they neuer knew what it is to tast of the forgiuenesse of sinnes For these hipocrites make a skorne at God and at all religion and haue neuer learned what it is to transgres the law of God And wee also sée how iollily they thinke themselues discharged if they haue once song a Masse bleated and masked and they think that God is as well pleased with this as a young Child is pleased with a pudding Thus we sée how these skorners of God can blaspheme the gospell but when we haue come once to the acknowledgment of our sins and know to what ende the inestimable grace of God is preached vnto vs without doubt wée shoulde bee touched with repentance and be mortally wounded with the horror of anguishe and payne when wée sée God to bee our enimie because wée haue prouoked him to wrath And this is héere the meaning of the prophet that Iesus Christ hath sustained the wonds which were due to vs. Wherin he sheweth that we can neuer liuely féele what good the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ hath done vs except we be inwardly throughly touched with the offending of our God wherby wee haue made him to become as our Iudge enemy vntill such time as we be reconciled vnto him by his méere goodnesse and mercy Now this is sufficiently declared to vs in the holy Scripture but héerein resteth the whole matter that wée applye our witte and studie thereto Math. 11.28 Neuerthelesse be as be may we sée that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth none but such as doo labor and are heauy laden By this he excludeth all such as sléepe in their iniquities and flatter them selues in them or els which giue them selues to al lycenciousnesse without any feare of God And therefore they which are thus giuen ouer to all wickednesse cannot possibly come néere vnto our Lord Iesus Christ for who shall giue vs an entraunce vnto him but the voyce whiche calleth vs Euen so fareth it with them who are so proude and presumptiouslye blinde as that they make them selues beléeue that they are righteous through their owne deserts and surely he shutteth the gate against all such kind of people so that they can haue no hope that our Lord Iesus christ bringeth them any comfort or solace And why so forsooth because he thus saith come vnto mée who are they All the world Indéed this is true that he calleth all the worlde howbeit hee maketh a distinction of it for thus he saithe all yée that labor and are heauy loden For after he had called all such as had néede of his helpe hée sheweth that none can be partakers thereof but such as doo labor and are heauy loden And therfore when we shall féele our burden and so groane vnder it as that we are able to beare no more sée what a way
with him that crucified him Howbeit they coulde neuer haue doone any thing against him do the best they had could without it had béen so before ordeined by the sacred decrée appointment of God the father as hath béen alredy alledged out of the Actes Acts. 2. 23. 4.28 where it is saide That they did nothing but that which the hand and counsell of God had ordeined But ouer and besides all this our Lorde Iesus Christe was contēted well pleased with the sentence iudgement that was giuen vpon him for our sakes Now the prophet setteth it namely down that it was for sin For all sacrifices were called sin offerings because that he who had cōmitted an offence whē he came to ask pardon brought his sacrifice with him thereupon was discharged as if hée should haue said Alas my good God behold I stande héere before thée as a guiltie condemned person and it is impossible for mee to beare the punishment that I haue deserued for it but should rather bée a burden vtterly to cast mée downe into the pit of hell Howebeit for remedie héereof I craue pardon at thy maiesties hand by meane of the sacrifice which héere is offered vp vnto thée Héere we see why they were called sinne offeringes to wit because the curse which we deserued vnder the which we were altogether cast downe was as it were discharged and laid vpon a bullocke or shéepe or vpon some such like thing that was offered Now all this was done in the lawe vnder a figure So then our Lorde Iesus was called sinne because he bare our curse that God his Father might blesse vs. Neither let vs thinke that this is any whit derogatory from his Maiestie but that wée ought rather so much the more to magnifie him For as S. Paule saith in his Epistle to the Corinthes That hée who knew not what sin meant 2. Cor. 5.21 was made sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnes of God in him There is no doubt but that Saint Paul meant to set foorth vnto vs the fruite and benefite of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ euen as the Prophet héere setteth it downe vnto vs. Wée sée then that Iesus Christ was innocent without spot or wrinkle And therefore since it is so hée was méetest to beare the charge of others Nowe hée in such sort beare it as that hée was made sinne to wit hée susteined our curse And how so Forsooth to the ende that wée now might haue righteousnesse to aunswere the Maiestie of God For the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ is as a cloke to couer al our iniquities and besides his blood is as a thing to cleanse vs when wée are washed therein and as Saint Peter saith Bedeawed and begot therewith by his holy Spirite Héere then wée sée the meaning of this place 1. Pet. 1.2 Marke also héere againe that to the ende wée might detest and abhorre both our sins our selues we must cōsider of the wonderful sufferings of the sonne of God because it is so strange a thing as that it ought to put vs in a maruellous admiration that he who is the fountaine of all righteousnes was made sinne that hée who is blessed sanctifieth all things yea euen the very Angels of heauen became accursed Nowe when wée heare all these thinges spoken of and sée them to bée very strange yet haue wée not the wit and vnderstanding to apply them to our edifying For since the Sonne of God was brought to this point is it possible for vs to finde any remedy els where No surely for wée may soone iudge that neither men Angels nor nothing els whatsoeuer was able to doe vs any good but that we must néedes haue our help at the hāds of the sonne of God And therfore this Diuel Seruetus which was héere executed is so much the more accursed and damnable because he hath falsified stayned the holy Bible in saying that all this was prophesied of Cyrus an Heathē Idolater and robbed our Lord Iesus Christe of the thing which so properly belonged vnto him as that when Isaiah had fastened this as it were vnto a liuely Table that euen thē Iesus Christ was crucified the things could not be made more manifest and plaine And yet this Diuell brought with him such an horrible wickednesse as that hée hath spoyled our Lorde Iesus Christ both of his dignitie and office and saith That it was an Heathen man that suffered for the people whenas in déede what by reason of his ambition and couetousnesse hée would néedes shed the blood of a man and therefore receiued his iust rewarde for the same Howbeit this is a fearefull falsifiyng of this godly Prophesie and to say truely neuer man aliue euer once thought of any such meanyng as this cursed fellowe hath deuised For although a great number of shamelesse Heretikes haue peruerted the doctrine of the holy Scripture yet neuer did any of them come thus farre And therefore it cannot bée chosen but that al the signes and tokens of a reprobate appeared in this cursed man Wherfore wée are héere so much the rather to note that whē the Prophet bringeth vs backe to the consideration of our Lorde Iesus Christe that in the first place it is to this ende that wee might bée ashamed of our selues and besides that we might magnifie the inestimable goodnesse of our God because hée would haue his onely Sonne to become sinne for vs and that our Lord Iesus Christe himselfe refused it not but as one forgetting himselfe had such care of our saluation as that hée descended into the bottomeles depthes of horror to the ende hee would beare our curse And therefore wée are héere also to consider of this point that there is none other meane for vs to be discharged before God but to set before vs the satisfaction of the Sacrifice which was offered vp for vs once for all Indéede this is very true that the worlde alwaies hath a meaning to deuise some one thing or an other I know not what wherewith to pay God as hath heeretofore béene saide and for example wée sée what store of pretie fonde triflyng bables many Papistes vse wherwith to appease the wrath of god For in déed they tell vs that it is impossible for vs to bée forgiuen without we make satisfaction for say they although God of his frée mercy goodnesse forgiueth vs the fault yet hée reserueth alwayes the punishment vntill such time as euery of vs hath discharged himself before him And héereupon wée sée from whence commeth the foundation of Purgatorie For because wée cannot whiles wée lyue héere make satisfaction but that there must remaine alwaies some remnant and arrerages wée must therefore say they beare the punishment out of this worlde that is it that must pay god Loe héere howe the miserable worlde hath béen deceiued and blinly lead with the leasinges and doting dreames of
were notwithstanding infected with verie gréeuous sinnes And therefore let men presume as much as they lust and think howe they will to liue vertuously yet when they haue done all they can and set downe many lawes and rules for their gouernment they shall neuer be able to be iustified before God by that meane And why so Forsooth because sinne hath taken suche déepe roote in vs as that it cannot bee pulde out of vs by mans helpe To bee shorte wee shall neuer bee iustified by goyng to Schoole with men although they teache neuer so muche what vertue is And that which is more Beholde God publisheth the lawe wherein is true and perfect righteousnesse for marke what Moyses sayeth Beholde sayeth hee I pronounce at this day both good and euill I shewe vnto thee the way both of life and death But by the way can wee bee iustified by it Can it so order vs as that God will take our life to bee good and holie 2. Cor. 3.7 Rom. 4.15 No surely it is all cleane contrarie For the lawe engendreth death redoubleth our condemnation and kindleth the wrath of God against vs. Thus wee see what tytles the holie Scripture giueth vnto it And therefore since the lawe of it selfe cannot iustifie vs how then is it possible for men by their doctrine statutes and ordinaunces make vs to be truely righteous Nowe if it be asked howe and wherefore the lawe is not able to iustifie the reason is alredie set downe It is true in deed that God declareth vnto vs in his lawe howe wee ought and may attayne vnto lyfe if so bee wee were suche as that there were no let in vs. Wherefore although the lawe of God speaketh vnto vs yet it refourmeth not our heartes For when God telleth vs and sayeth Beholde what it is that I require at your handes But if in the meane while all our desires affections thoughts bee altogether against that which hee commaundeth wée are not onely condemned But the lawe also as I haue alredie saide maketh vs so muche the more guiltie before the Maiestie of God For before the lawe was giuen wée sinned through ignoraunce but nowe wee so wittingly and willingly stande against him as that it séemeth we woulde euen despight him For we know that the seruant which knoweth his Maisters will and doeth it not shall be beaten with many strypes Thus we see why it â—e said that the lawe engendreth nothing els but wrath to wit that when wée haue béen instructed in it it kindleth God his wrath so muche the more against vs and bringeth with it death but howe Because forsooth we sée in it that we are condemned and vtterly cast away What is it so that it announceth not life no and yet by the way we cannot attaine theretoo And therefore we must be iustified after an other maner which is by the Gospell For God saieth not vnto vs in the Gospell Beholde yée shall doe this or that But hée saieth Beléeue that my onely Sonne is your Redeemer embraâ—e his death and passion as a remedie for all your diseases wash your selues in his blood and he shall purge you and ye shall bee made cleane therewith staye your selues vpon the sacrifice whiche hee hath offred vp vnto mee and then see in what sort you shal bee iustified Wherefore forsomuch as the Gospell bringeth vs back vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and commaundeth vs to seeke for all our righteousnesse in him because he hath made full satisfaction for vs through the free mercy of God see howe we shall be iustified by his knowledge Rom. 10. And this is it which Saint Paule handleth in his Epistle to the Romanes For there hee maketh a comparison betweene the righteousnesse of the lawe and the righteousnesse of Fayth For he sayth that there is this righteousnesse in the lawe when as it sayeth Whosoeuer shall doe all these thinges shal liue by them For this is most true that if wee be able to fulfill all the commaundementes of God so that our life be in such sort ruled as that it is without spot or wrinckle God hath promised to receyue vs as righteous that wee shall be verie sure of our rewarde and not misse of it Marke then the certayntie that is in the lawe but tel mée who it is that doeth al that the law commandeth Surely we goe altogether backward and a man would thinks as I haue beforesaid that wée would go about euen to set our selues against God Thus we sée that the gate of the righteousnesse of the law is quite shut vp against vs and that there remayneth nothing els for vs but the very curse of God But in the Gospel it is saide behold the woorde is in thine heart and in thy mouth But how forsooth after thiâ— sort S. Paule speaketh of it and saith Rom. 10. â— That if wée will haue the word in our heartes and mouthes wée must come vnto Iesus Christe because it is hée which wryteth and imprinteth the doctrine of saluation by his holy spirite with which doctrine wée haue had our eares beaten vnprofitably and in vayne And therefore since our Lorde Iesus Christ putteth his word in our heartes let â—â— beséech him to graunt vs this grace as that we may haue a pure and frée affection to the end we might séeke in him whatsoeuer is wanting in vs. Thus wée sée howe wée shall bée iustified by his knowledge for it is out of al doubte that wée are no way able to bring any satisfaction of our owne with vs which may please God and to make this accompt as to say wée haue deserued O Lord that thou shouldest receiue vs but we should rather say we confesse O Lorde that wee are miserable sinners bound ouer so thy iudgement and it is impossible for vs to make satisfaction therto so that wée must néeds acknowledge that there is no sufficieÌ„cie in any but in Iesus Christ alone to make satisfaction for the same Wherfore we should most humbly coÌ„fesse this say that we are forlorne damned creatures vntil such time as our Lorde Iesus reacheth out his hand to pâ—â— vs out of the pit of hell Now here we confessed all this to be so And besides wee knowe that our Lorde Iesus also supplyeth all our wantes For if wée â—ée foule and filthie his blood washeth vs wherewith wee 〈◊〉 â—â—eane If wee bee fallen in debte not onelye vnto GOD â—ut also vnto Satan as too our enemie Ephe. 5.1 the payment was made â— the death and passion of the Sonne of GOD And if wée bée defyled and not to bée abidden the Sacrifice which our Lorde Iesus Christe offered is suche a sweete smelling sauour as that all our wickednesse is defaced Thus then we sée how we are iustified by the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ And according to this doctrine wée sée in the first place that we must not séeke far for our righteousnes because we shal find it in
vseth these tearmes yet doeth he it only to fit himself vnto the time wherin he was because we shuld not say but that we haue a greater measure of knowledge For to say truely GOD neuer shewed himselfe so manifestly in the olde Testament as hée hath nowe doone to vs by Iesus Christe For where God had appointed the offerings to bée sacrificed in the old Lawe which were but figures and shadowes to bée oftentimes vsed that it might bée séene that men could not come néere vnto God but by the meane of a Mediator wée haue at this present the personall presence of the Mediator himself who once for all hath fulfilled euery thing by his alone Sacrifice And therefore there is nowe no Sacrifice to bée doone for the purging and sanctifiyng of sinnes Mala. 1.11 but onely the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto our GOD who therewith is well pleased through our Lorde Iesus Christe And although it is said in the Scripture that at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe Altars shoulde bée set vp throughout the whole worlde to Sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God yet must wée leaue the figure and rest in the trueth For inasmuch as the Altar was a signe of the worship of God because it is saide that Sacrifice should bée doone all the worlde through the meaning is that God shoulde vniuersally bee worshipped No doubt of it the Pope with all his Colledge of Cardinalls and all other his deare friendes the Romanistes wyll conclude vppon this place that there must néedes bée Sacrifices had And therefore when they woulde haue their Masse allowed they bring in this testimony of the Scripture Howbeit if it were so as they make themselues beléeue Surely surely they muste néedes conclude that Iesus Christe hath not yet appeared nor that his kingdome is yet come Neuerthelesse wée sée the contrary And therefore séeing the Prophets haue thus said it is not only to shew that God should be vniuersally worshipped in spirite trueth and not in figures Moreouer héere is to bée noted that the saying of Prophesie is not meant by the Prophet to tell of things to come as in the olde time it was taken but the meaning is that whosoeuer shal haue the gift of Prophesie shoulde bée able to teache and apply doctrine to the ende wee might bée brought to the knowledge of the trueth and profite therby And so the promise that was made vnto vs of the cōming of Iesus Christ conteyneth thus much that we should be more déeply séene in heauēly things then heretofore we haue béen For we sée in very déede that S. Paul calleth it the wisdome of God ◠Cor. 2. vnder which all things should be subiect Wée are nowe therefore briefly to conclude vpon all things That as our Lord in sending Iesus Christe his sonne into the worlde to make vnto vs a more liuely assurance of our saluation Euen so by sending vnto vs his holy spirite hée hath made vs greater partakers of his graces then euer hée did before The Prophet Ioel soone after setteth downe in this place That God will doe wonderful things in heauen aboue and signes in the earth belowe blood fire and vapour of smoke that the Sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood These wordes shewe that greate and maruellous things must come to passe whenas Iesus Christ shall manifest himselfe And why so Forsooth because the the worlde shall then bée changed For they which woulde followe Iesus Christe must wholy alter their nature And therefore is the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe called the latter dayes Moreouer this is not spoken for a day or for a moneth But the Prophet referreth all that is héere spoken vnto the whole time frō the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe vntill the day of iudgement so that wée must inclose the wonders which shall bée doone at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe from the time of his comming vnto the last day And to say truely the forwarder wee goe the greater thinges will hée doe as wee dayly finde by experience Nowe that we vnderstand the meaning of the Prophete let vs apply the same to our owne vse For where it is said in the first place that God will powre out his spirite vpon all flesh we are to consider that the greatest benefite which we can possibly haue is to bée partakers of the graces of his holy spirite And this is the most excellent gift which God bestoweth vpon vs in respect wherof all the worldly liberalitie which he rendreth vnto vs is nothing For whensoeuer wée are bereaued of this gift Iesus Christe is taken from vs and vntill suche time as wée are clothed with him all whatsoeuer wée doe tendeth to our condemnation Wherefore God saith that we cannot be his children without wee bee bedeawed and sprinkled with his holy spirite Nowe if wee bée not his children wée shall neuer be partakers in the communitie of Iesus Christe For although God offereth vnto vs his graces yet is Iesus Christ nothing vnto vs vntill such time as wée haue receiued the holy Ghoste Let vs then conclude héereupon that vnto the time that wee are partakers of the holy Ghost wée are reprobate and the children of perdition because it is hée which sanctifieth and maketh vs holy in the sight of God So then vntil such time we be as called by the knowledg of the holy scripture which wée can no way haue but by the gift of the holy ghost to lift vp our mindes on high wée are fast tyed to the earth as if it were in Hell And héereupon it is that Saint Paule speaketh when he saith Rom. 8.14 That they which haue receiued the holy Ghost guiding themselues according to the will of God declared in his word are I say the children of God and they without all doubt are the children of the Diuell who following their carnall affections giue themselues ouer to their pleasure and delight Thus we sée how necessary a thing it is for all those that would bee acccounted the children of GOD to haue the knowledge of Gods trueth Moreouer wée cannot excuse our selues if wée receiue not his graces because hée offereth them vnto al but wée are so accursed as that we forsake the benefite which hée would bestowe vpon vs. And héerein is knowne the goodnesse of God to vs warde that although wée striue alwaies against his will yet ceaseth hée not for all that to offer himselfe vnto all as it is héere said by the Prophet That young and olde men and women shal all receiue of one and the selfe same spirite And it is to this end that no man might bée able truely say O Sir I am vtterly vnlearned and therefore it is impossible for one to vnderstand the Scriptures whereby I might receiue the holy ghost Why I beséech you hath God promised vnto the learned alone the grace of his holy spirite to none other Nowe surely this is a very
calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued and thereupon necessarily ensueth That hée which calleth not vpon him shall be damned And forsomuch as we are so colde and so easily withdrawne from the calling vpon the name of God The Prophet by the saying going before his meaning was to declare that we must not leaue of calling vpon his Maiestie no not when we are in the mydst of all the greatest troubles which may come vnto vs For although heauen and earth should conspire against vs yet must we euen then call vpon the Maiestie of our God both with heart mouth and with all power and strength Howbeit it is not enough that we say with open mouth a Pater noster in Latin or els Our Father which art in heauen in our mother tongue except it bée saide with the right affection of the heart grounded vpon faith For otherwise we may say ouer this prayer tenne twentie and thirtie times and yet they shall be but wordes wherewith to beat the ayre I will not speake of the entermedling of the Aue Maria amongst thinking by such silly gawdes that they truely call vpon the name of God as hée requireth For surely such kinde of people are farre from the true calling vpon the name of God but are euen like Witches and Sorcerers who can not forget their olde Deuilish superstitions And therefore we must not meruayle ouermuch at such relikes of Satan Rom. 10.14 because they neuer had nor yet haue any fayth in Iesus Christ For how shall they as Saint Paule saieth call vpon him whom they haue not beléeued And this place is worthie the noting Because Saint Paule telleth vs that when the calling vpon the name of God is spoken of that wée must séeke after him as after our Father since we knowe that all the benefites which we haue come from him and that hée is redie to receiue vs so soone as we turne vnto him For els what courage might we haue to craue any thing at his handes if wee were not sure of this And therefore let vs be fully persuaded that when we in trueth call vpon the Lorde our God that hée will receiue vs. Wée sée then by this what a fantasticall imagination the Papisticall fondlinges haue For thus they say That we must in no wise presume that God will heare vs when we call vpon him and their reason forsooth is this forsomuch as we knowe not whether we be in the state of grace or not For this say they were too too great presumption to thinke Why what is then to be done Forsooth They tell vs that we must pray doubtfully and that it is sufficient if wée remit all to their mother holy Church to wyt that wée must haue this answere alwayes readie in our mouthes I beléeue as the holie Church beléeueth Thus we sée howe that they would haue our fayth to be doubtfull and vncertaine Now Saint Paule telleth vs that God lyketh not of this geare For hée sayeth That the Gospell is not preached vnto vs to make vs stande in doubt but to assure vs of our saluation And therefore we may easily iudge what Popish fayth is wherein we were nusled in the time of ignoraunce Wherefore let vs vnderstande that God hath bestowed a singular grace vpon vs in pulling vs out of that darknesse of errour and superstition wherein we were and hath giuen vs his Gospell to bring vs into the way of saluation When we then shall consider of all these thinges we ought to sigh and grone séeing that God of his great goodnesse hath chosen vs amongst all the rest of the nations to bestow the knowledge of his most holy and blessed worde Now this is the mischiefe that is in Popery as hath béen alredie saide when as they say that we may not in full assuraunce call vpon God for that say they is presumption and therefore that hée is to be called vpon doubtfully Neither are they the simpler and common sort of people which doe mainteine this But euen the greatest and chiefest Doctours and such as are thought to haue all the holie scriptures imprinted in their heartes In déede they will not be ouer earnest in defending of their Mawmets although to say truely they take verie great paine to maintein them But when any occasion is giuen vnto them to vomyt out theyr blasphemies they will be so stout as that a man woulde thinke they were Bedlem lyke And why so Forsooth because the Deuill woulde haue them hinder vs from calling of the name of God as we should Euen so then as many as pray vnto God as the Papistes doe let them be assured that God misliketh of them For as hath alredie béen saide we must not pray vnto God after this maner as to say repeate and oftentymes mumble vp the Lordes prayer Because all they that so doe are no better then Sorcerers and Witches It is true in déede that we shoulde not from the heart make ouer long prayers For when we doe pray wée should forsake our selues and forget our owne nature the Deuil and all his entisementes to the ende wée might the more readelier come vnto our Lorde God And after this sort it is that we must deale Moreouer let vs be well assured of this that if we knowe not rightly to call vpon the name of God we haue nothing Let vs therefore throughly consider of this saying That we are all damned as many as call not vpon God For it is written in Genesis speaking of the cursed lyne of Cayne Gene. 4.26 That they builded them selues houses strong Towers and yet for all that they had not the true calling vpon the name of God But it is saide That after Adam had begotten Seth that the name of God was a fresh called vpon And therefore God at that time was worshipped and honored For after that Seth had béen once taught the worship of God hée himself also soone after taught his children to doe the like Now we sée that about the worship of God it is onely saide That the name of God was called vpon This then is the most principall pointe that we ought to holde For although this name of Christian flyeth about amongst vs yet doe we but abuse it if wée call not vpon the name of God Neither can we as Saint Paul saith and as it hath béen héeretofore touched call vpon him without wée haue first beléeued in him In verie déede the farther from blowes the bolder we are For we shall sée a number of Scoffers when they are vpon their Ale Bench that will be then as good Christians as any in the world and a man would thinke them to be the true Champions of Iesus Christ and had gotten at his handes whatsoeuer was possible to be had of him And besides some of them would promise to worke wonders whensoeuer the time should come and to heare them speake a man would suppose that if Christianitie were vtterly lost it
we to prouoke him against vs vnto whom all maiestie power glory and dominion is giuen to cast down euen into the pit of hell as many as resist him Now if wée throughly cōsidered of this without doubt we would kéepe so good a hand of our selues as that all the fleshly lustes and temptations of the world should neuer bée able to preuaile against vs. Saint Paule also meant to make a comparison betwixt the first comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the second Why then doe the wicked and vngodly contemners of the Gospell so boldly lift vp themselues as that they become dissolute and starke staring mad Surely it is because they heare that while Iesus Christe was héere on earth hée tooke vpon him the state of a seruant Phil. 2.7 yea and abased himselfe and Saint Paule saith euen vnto this most shamefull and slaunderous death And because the enimies of God vnderstand such an infirmitie to bée in Iesus Christ they take vpon them to speak thus wickedly and furiously of him as we sée it is euen so howbeit they sée not that as hée suffered as hée was man that hée likewise rose againe through the power of his spirite For hée then in such sort shewed foorth his glory as that both great and small ought to tremble thereat 2. Cor. 13.4 But if these faithlesse people are not able to vnderstand the power that appeared in the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christe let them giue eare to that which is héere spoken to wit that hée will come in glory For in his first comming hée appeared contemptible because hée woulde shewe him selfe obedient in our behalfes for that hée was to make satisfaction for our sinnes But at his seconde comming hée will come to bée our iudge Hée was iudged and condemned that wée might bée deliuered from the iudgement seate of God and bée pardoned of all our sinnes Then will hée not questionlesse come in such humble sort but will come with his angels in glory And this is the meaning which Saint Paule woulde haue vs note to the ende the wicked and faithlesse might not take occasion to contemn this his last comming vnder colour the Iesus Christe once appeared as hée was man like vnto vs and was made like vnto a worme of the earth as it is saide in the Psalme and as Isaiah sayeth hée was disfigured from toppe to toe all to wounded and that for our redemption For since hee accomplished that which the iustice of God required there remayned nothing but that hee shoulde shewe himselfe in this glory which was appointed for him For wée knowe as Saint Paule sayeth That hée hath giuen him a name aboue all names Phil. 2.9 that al the Creatures in Heauen Earth and Hell should bowe vnto him that euery thing shoulde tremble at his excellent Maiestie which also the despisers of his Gospell shoulde well know to their paine though late first Thus wee see what the Apostle Saint Paul his pretense is when hee sayeth That his comming shall bee fearefull Let vs also eftsoones mark that which followeth That he shall come to appeare meruellous and to be glorified in his Saintes Now it is not for nothing that Saint Paule setteth downe this saying for what are wee that wée shoulde be able to abide the presence of the Sonne of God whenas hee shall come in flambing fier And therefore when hee shall come with an incomprehensible power Alas must not we néedes melt before him as Snowe before the Sunne and come to nothing Loe howe we shoulde bee caste downe whenas wée doe but onely heare the heauenly glory of Iesus Christe spoken of But Saint Paule sheweth vs that if wée bee of the faithfull sorte that we must not be afraide at the appearing of our Lorde Iesus Christe neither yet waxe sorowfull and melancholike at the brightnesse of his Maiestie And why so Because sayeth hée hee will bee glorified and made wonderfull in his Saintes As if he shoulde haue saide that the mention which he before made of the flambing fier and of the horror and feare was not to discourage the faithfull ones as though they desired not the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ and as though they helde not vp their heads as often as they hearde it spoken of because hée shall come to redéeme them And this is a doctrine which is very common in the holy Scriptures to wit that our Lord ioyneth these two thinges together That hee will come to be reuenged of his enimies and to deliuer his people that hee will come to saue al those that haue serued and honored him and to cast downe and confounde all those who haue hardened them selues againste him and his worde Let vs nowe then kéepe in minde that this terrible description which héere before hath béene set downe is not to make vs sorowfull and melancholike But rather to make vs ioyfull and glad whenas wée sée what loue and fauour God beareth vs. Beholde our Lorde Iesus Christe will come and that terribly And wherfore will hée do so Forsooth euen to throwe downe headlong all his enimies and to take vengeance of al the shames and afflictions which we haue abidden How so I beséech you Are wee worthie that the Sonne of God should powre out his Maiestie shewe himselfe so terribly against all his creatures for our causes No without doubt But yet will hée doe so forsomuch as he loueth vs This then is it which I haue alreadie said that we might be comforted when as we heare it saide That the Sonne of God will come so horribly and fearefully For herein he effectually sheweth the infinite loue hee beareth vs in that hee spareth not his power and Maiestie to take vengeance of all the wrongs which haue béene done to vs. Neuerthelesse we shall neuer be able to féele the sauour of it without this thing be obserued which Saint Paule namely setteth downe in this place to wit that our Lorde Iesus Christ will not come to be onely reuenged of his enemies and of all such as haue been enimies vnto his Gospel but also To bee glorified and made wonderfull in his saints and in those which haue beleeued Nowe whenas Sainte Paul did set downe this it is asmuch as if he had saide that hee would come to make vs partakers of his glory That whatsoeuer is in him worthie reuerence and honor all that I say shall be communicated vnto vs. To be short S. Paule saieth That our Lorde Iesus Christ shall not come him selfe alone and kéepe his glorie to him selfe but to the end it might be poured out vpon all the members of his bodie And for this cause we sée it is saide in the Collossians That our life lyeth nowe hid Col. 3. 3. but that it shall appeare at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore hée shall not come perticulerly for him selfe and for his owne glorie alone but rather that we might be partakers therof and not
should be founde in them But if they be narrowly sifted and the bottome of their heartes searched we shall finde nothing lesse in them then that they promised and would be the first that would forsake God And why so Forsooth because they haue not this consideration with them selues to thinke what they are For whensoeuer euerie man shall looke well vnto him selfe hée shall finde a sea of sinnes whereof hée can no way be ryd without by sighing and groning we runne vnto God and call vpon him in our necessitie Moreouer we are to vnderstand that the Sermon which S. Peter made in the Citie of Ierusalem is at this present made vnto vs to the end we might profite our selues thereby and let vs also note that hée brought not in the place of the Prophet Ioell for naught And therefore let vs be sure to trust vnto this promise That whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued And according to this holie doctrine Let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him so to blesse vs with his grace as that we may so confidently call vpon him as that our prayers may be acceptable in his sight so that wée being deliuered from all superstition and idolatrie might truely worship him to the ende wee might take him for our Father and Sauiour and he likewise at last acknowledge vs for his children And so let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly Father c. The fourth sermon of the descending of the holy Ghoste Actes second 22 YEe men of Israel heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with myracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as yee your selues also know 23 Him after you had taken by wicked handes beeing deliuered by the determinate counsell foreknowledge of God haue yee crucified and slaine 24 Whom God hath raysed vp hauing loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it AFter that Saint Peter had in his Sermon declared that the promise conteined in the Prophesie of the Prophete Ioel was accomplished by the descending of the holie Ghost vpon him and vpon his companiōs the Apostles for a testimony and as a pledge which the Lord God meant to communicate vnto his Church and vnto euery faithfull member therof and yet that there must néedes fall out great troubles and that the fayth of the Christians might be proued and tried After all these thinges I say hée bringeth the Iewes to Iesus Christ For fith the holy Ghost was giuen they could not choose but acknowledge the comming of Iesus Christ Because it was saide That the Prophesie of Ioel should not be accomplished vntill the latter dayes And therefore when as we sée the holie Ghost thus poured out it is a sure token that God hath sent Iesus Christ to the ende hée might make an ende of our saluation Now this is an excellent maner and a verie conueent order of teaching which we are here to note to wit That looke how many graces of his holy spirit God giueth vs are euen so many meanes to bring and guide vs to Iesus Christ whereby wée might learne all wisedome of him For he is the verie fountayne out of whom we must all drawe the same And to say truely First of all forsomuch as he was the worde of God from the beginning hée is also the life and light of men And because hee hath receyued most perfectly Iohn 1. 4. Iohn 1. 16. all the graces of the holie Ghost forsomuch as hée was made man we are to receiue from out of his fulnesse grace for grace Wherefore by him it is that wee must haue fauoure before God For if we would drawe neare vnto his Maiestie without this meane we were neuer able to haue accesse vnto him And therefore must we goe the direct way vnto Iesus Christ For since we know that he hath most perfectly receiued the graces of the holy Ghost wée must be all partakers of them by him and through him And so Saint Peter vseth here a verie good reason to admonish the Iewes that the Redéemer was come to wit that in as much as the holie Ghost was poured out that it was in the latter dayes And besides hée saieth Ye men of Israel heare these words Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with wonders myracles signes which God did by him in the midst of you as you your selues also know him I say being deliuered by the determined counsell and prouidence of God you haue by wicked handes crucified and slaine This is euen hée by whom God hath wholely giuen him selfe vnto you and yet haue yée put him to death And yet notwithstanding yée must néedes confesse that it is the verie selfe same man which was promised you in the lawe Hée came to be your Sauiour and Redéemer and this you can neither will nor choose but acknowledge because he remained not in death For God gaue him victorie ouer death and hée ouercame it Thus we sée in the first place what it is that Saint Peter telleth vnto the Iewes that he might bring them to the knowledge of Iesus Christ And it is to be noted that hée speaketh of nothing here but of the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ For first of all it can not be otherwise but that the Iewes must néedes vnderstand that Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And this is it whereby Saint Peter meaneth to proue it in that which hée héere propoundeth Nowe there are two thinges which we are to vnderstand of Iesus Christ The first is That we must néedes beléeue that he is the Messias to wit the annointed of the Lord promised in the lawe and the verie same of whom the Prophets haue written and that it is he who suffred death for our redemption and yet was not ouercome of it but gloriously rose againe tryumphing ouer all his enemies And thus much for the first point Nowe for the seconde when as wée know that Iesus Christ dyed for vs we must néedes acknowledge what hée is and the benefit which we are to receiue by him Here are then two thinges throughly to be considered of vs For if wée haue to deale with a Iewe wée must begin to instruct him in the principles of Christianitie and tell him that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgine Mary and that it was hée whom God had promised them and whom in verie déede his predecessours had put to death and that he appointed them the verie time when hée should come into the world And besides that he had giuen him a testimony that he was his Sonne by approuing it with the signes and myracles which he did in the middest of them and likewyse that after he was ascended into heauen he sent the holy Ghost according to the saying which long ere that was foretolde Thus must we
deale with a Iewe to bring him to the knowledge of Iesus Christ Moreouer we must let him vnderstand that when the kingdome of the Messiah is spoken of in the scripture that it is a spirituall kingdome to the ende hée should not be deceiued to thinke him to be an earthly King as all the Iewes imagined And this is it which caused them to refuse Iesus Christ forsomuch as he reigned not ouer the people as they thought hée shoulde haue done Nowe for the first point wée haue nothing wherefore to stande against the Papistes but for the second For they graunt vnto vs that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and the same that was promised in the law and that hée was put to death and rose agayne And héerein we easily agrée But they are to be taught to what end hee came For they doe not acknowledge him to be the same man in déede that hée is Wée knowe that we must beléeue that our saluation commeth by Iesus Christ alone by his death and passion And the Papistes cleane contrary attribute it vnto their workes and merittes and other their inuentions and thinke by that meane to be sanctified Wherefore they séeke in their workes the thing which can no way be founde but in Iesus Christ Thus we see that it is not néedefull for vs to teach the Papistes any thing as concerning the person of Iesus Christ but onely to shewe them what his power and vertue is wherefore hée came and what benefite we may reape thereby Nowe Saint Peter hath héere taken vpon him to set foorth these two pointes For the Iewes knewe not that Iesus Christ was the Messiah sent from God and therefore much lesse knew they his power and why he came And therefore hée telleth them that he shewed himselfe to be the Sonne of God amongst them in as much as he rose againe so that by his resurrection they might know him to be the verie same because hée was deliuered from death and ouercame it and therefore that life and saluation must be had in him and by him And this is it which Saint Peter meaneth to declare in this first place he will also shewe vs what fruit we haue by his resurrection which wée meane to declare hereafter as it commeth in order to be handled Nowe séeing we at this present vnderstand the purpose of Saint Peter and the order of his Sermon let vs follow it and learne to acknowledge that so soone as God bestoweth any benefite vpon vs that it is because we are the members of Iesus Christ and not for our workes nor yet for any other thing that we are any way able to offer vnto him And therefore let vs haue no more these royling imaginations in our heades as to be persuaded this way and that but let vs come to the acknowledging of our sinnes and be sory for them as we sée Saint Peter goeth about to bring the Iewes theretoo héere in this place when as hée speaketh of the death of Iesus Christ For in the first place hée accuseth them saying Yee haue slaine him Nowe we may verie well sée that hée meaneth not by this spéech to flatter them And indéede S. Peter did cast this in their dish as we say to the end he might pricke their hearts and wound them to the quicke as hereafter we shal sée that it so stuck grieued thē at the hearts as that they were therewith conuerted Thus and by this meane must men be wonne to come to be humbled and brought to the acknowledging of their offences For if we continually preach vnto them pleasant and delightfull things they will doe nothing els but toy and tryfle and be Gods fellowes and play with him euen as they would doe with a mortall man We sée how it fared with the woman of Samaria when she spake vnto Iesus Christ and that he told her of the water of lyfe whereof he said if she drunke Iohn 4. 11. that she shoulde neuer thirst she mocked him like a naughtie packe as she was But after he had once brought her to the acknowledging of her sinne and tolde her that she went to seeke her husbande and remembred her of her wicked life past she was more milde in her speech then she was at the first For when he simplye and plainely layde before her the graces of God she laughed him to skorne and sayd why where shall we haue a Bucket wherewith to draw the water séeing the well is so very deepe but when hée had saide vnto her Thou art an harlot thou hast had fiue husbandes and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband she then acknowledged her sinne and sayde that Iesus Christ was an holy Prophet And therefore vntill such time as we tremble at the horror of our sinnes we will neuer giue place vnto the woord of God And that was the cause that made Saint Peter accuse the Iewes of the slaying of Christ not that he tooke any pleasure in thus reproouing of them but to the ende they might vnderstande that their condemnation was at hande for their sinnes and on the other side that they had forgiuenes of them by Iesus Christ if they woulde acknowledge him and come vnto him Nowe héere in this place haue the ministers of God a rule set downe vnto them to witte that they must touch men to the quick and tell them of their sinnes that they might vnderstand that God is their Iudge and will not leaue their obstinate sinning vnpunished and by that meane be brought backe vnto him by repentance which they wil neuer doe except they be reprooued and roughly handled And therefore let vs suffer GOD too rule and condemne vs to the end he might pardon vs. We shal finde a greate number of men that would be very glad the Gospel should bee preached so that it might be for their gaine serue their carnall desires and be as it were a cloake for their villanies Now this must not bee the end of our preaching For our Lord Iesus Christ saide That when the holy Ghost should come that he should rebuke the world of sinne that hée shoulde sit as a Iudge in the place of iustice and iudge the world Iohn 16. 8. And therfore wée shal neuer bée able to deale faithfully with the Gospel without the worlde bée brought to this condemnation and that euery man may know what it is for euerie of vs to rebuke himselfe Wherfore let all such as flatter themselues groane and bée hartily sory and let al such as take their pleasures be afeard and tremble and let all those who perswade themselues to bée righteous looke more narrowly vnto themselues to the ende wée might all bee brought to this acknowledging of our sinnes by which wée shall grow to be penitent so cōsequently come into the fauour of God Thus wée sée why it is that S. Peter vseth such a bitter reprehension vnto the Iewes whenas hée saith That they