vnto vs that he dothe promise his spirite which ingraueth the righteousnes of the law in our hartes We are cōmaunded therfore to aske both and in the fyrst place the petition to obtaine remissiō of sinnes is put Oure dettes M. Luke in the xi Chapter hath forgeue vs our synnes or trespasses C. Therfore our sinnes are called dettes because they bringe vs before the trybunall seat of God make vs detters vnto him yea they do wholly seperate vs from God that there is no hope to atteine peace and grace but only by pardō And so is fulfylled that whiche Paule wryteth All haue synned and are destytute of the glorye of God that all mowthes maye be stopped and that all the world may be subdued vnto god For althoughe the righteousenes of God doth partely shine in the sainctes notwithstanding so long as they are in the fleshe they lie ouerladē with sin So that there is no man founde in the whole world so pure whiche hath not nede of the mercy of God of the which if we desire to be partakers it is necessary that we féele oure owne misery But they whiche fayne to thē selues such perfectiō in this worlde that they think them selues frée frō al sin and vice do not so much neglect their sinnes as they do Christ frō whose church they banish them selues For when he cōmanded al his disciples daily to aske remissiō of their sins he excludeth al out of theyr nomber cōpany whiche thinke this remedie to be superfluous vnto thē Let vs put awaye therefore by this praier the wrath indignation of our heauenly father the iust ponishmētes whiche wee haue deserued let vs seke to please him by reconciliation For what can be more greuous then the displeasure of the father For so much as therfore our hole health consisteth in this to keepe the fauour of our heauēly father good and iuste cause we haue to put awaye his displeasure Now this remissiō which we here desire is cōtrary to satisfactiōs by the which the world seketh redēption For that credytour is not said to remit whiche beinge paid asketh the det no more but he which willingly frely departing frō his right dischargeth the debttor Neither dothe that cōmon distinction of falte ponishement here take place for there is no doubt but that dets do signifie the desert of ponishment or paine We must note also here that if we be forgeuē fréely al dispensations cōming from the Pope are in vaine For to obteine remission of oure sinnes Christ sēdeth vs to his father alone that rightly for who can forgeue the offence cōmitted against an other not againste him self Nay can any man forgeue sins beside God Wherfore Christe sent hym which had hurt his brother to go reconcile him self to his brother Therfore whē we syn against God our health saluation only cōsisting in him it is manifest that we can be forgeuen of none but of him therfore at his hāds we must aske forgeuenes according to the form of this praier Herevpon Dauid saide I saide I wil confesse my syns vnto thee lord so thou forgauest mee the wickednes of my sin For this shal euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thée in a time whē thou maiest be found Neither is this repugnāt to that authoritie which was geuen to the Apostels to remit sinnes For they did not forgeue sinnes by their own power but as ministers of Christ prechers of grace they did pronounce to the penitent faithfull that their sins were forgeuen According to the saying of the lord by the Prophete Esay I euen I am he that put away your sinnes that for my owne sake As vve forgeue our detters C. This condition was therefore added that no man should presume to aske pardon for his sinnes excepte he were free from mallice hatred Notwithstāding the pardō which we aske dependeth not vpon that which we shewe to other but by this meanes Christe exhorteth vs to forgeue all offences and dothe make our trust and confidence also of absolution pardō more fyrme and strong Furthermore it was not the purpose of Christ to note the cause but onely to teache vs of what mind we ought to be one towards an other when we desire to be reconciled vnto god And trewely if the spirite of God do raigne in our hartes all mallice euil wyl reuengement wil ceasse But for so muche as the spirite is a wytnesse vnto vs of our adoption we se that there is here a note geuen vnto vs who are the sonnes of God and who are not B. Our remission therfore is a motion of the spirite because God ruleth our affections Nowe since the case standeth thus how can they be excused whiche will not forgeue theyr neybours offences How can such presume to aske pardon of their sinnes at the handes of God Is it a triffle to lye vnto the lyuinge God and to play the Hypocrytes Yea when we say forgeue vs as we forgeue others what do we elles but call for vengeaunce at the handes of God vpon our selues if wee forgeue not oure offendours And for this cause there are many nowe a daies which rather then they wil remit forgeue they will neuer say the lordes praier But suche escape not the iudgemente of god For it shall abide for euer whiche the lord saith If ye forgeue not mē their trespases your father whiche is in heauē shall not forgeue you your trespases To this ende also parteineth the parable which he sheweth following Wherfore we may not let to forgeue our ofenders if so be that we will haue god to forgeue and forget our synnes 13 And leade vs not into tēptation but deliuer vs from euill for thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer amen And leade vs not into tempta C. Here many amisse do deuide this into two petitions when as by the matter it is euidēt to be but one not two as they imagine For the coniūctiō set betwene both coupleth both the sentēces together whiche S. Austine very wiselye examined Thus therefore ought this praier to be resolued Least vve be led into tēptation deliuer vs from euill But the sōm of this prayer is this that we knowing our own infirmities desier god to be our aide helpe that we may stāde valiantly against al the assaltes of sathā M. We are taught therfore in this petion that we are as yet set in a doubtfull dāgerous cōflict in the which we must fight against the deuil the world and the fleshe For the godly haue an other maner of fight in this worlde then haue the childrē of darknes For they haue a carelesse conscience sekinge at no time to resyste Sathan whiche worketh in them but the godly because they geeue theim selues wholly vnto God they haue Sathan the prynce of this worlde
onely from this curse but also he wolde haue her to be his mother Looke in the historie of Iosua Booz begat Obed of Ruthe M. This womaÌ„ was of the cuntrey of the Moabites who afterward by diuine inspiratioÌ„ leauinge her countrey and kynred came with her mother in law an Hebrues to the Israelites and being taken to wife of Booz is made the mother of kinges B. that we may therby see howe louing Christe is to euery one but specially to the desolate gentell and mercifull 6 Iesse begat Dauid the king Dauid the king begat Salomon of her whiche was the wyfe of Vri. Iesse begat Dauid the king C. Only Dauid is described with this title of honour because God hath set forth in his persone the type of the Messias and captayne to come Firste the kingdome beganne of Saule But because this happened by the tumult and vnhonest desires of the people the alteration and chaunge was at laste thought lawfull in Dauid specially as pertaining to the league and couenaunt of God in the whiche he promised that he would be a gouernour of his seruauntes for euer For when the people the yoke of God being shaken of required to haue a king he gaue them by and by Saul But God straightwayes â—…tablished his kingdome which was the pledge of true blessednes in the hands of Dauid Therfore let vs here vnderstande that the seconde state of the people is here noted as it was ordained of the lorde M. But the father of Dauid was of no high bloude but vnknowen and of smal reputation Whervpon also Dauid in despite and coÌ„tempt was called of Saule the sonne of Isai Besides Dauid was the yongest least of his brethren and contemned And yet afterwardes he was not onely chosen to the kingdome but also into this dignitie that he should be specially nominated among the aunceters of Christe yea to whom the promise as coÌ„cerning Christ was renewed That we may learne how that God dothe not cast of those that are humble but leauing the proude doth extolle those that are abiectes and despised Dauid the king begat Salomon of her cet C. Nowe is added of the Euangeliste the humane shame and reproche which after a sorte myghte pollute and defile that glory of the heauenly benediction wherof we spake eueÌ„ now that is to say because Dauid begat Salomon of Beersabe whom wickedly by violence he toke from her husbaÌ„d and to th ende he might vse her still deceitfully he betrayed the giltles man and caused him to be slayne of the enemy This filthines in the beginning of the kingdom might make the Iewes not to glory in the flesh For God would haue it knowen and sure that he in appointing that kingdom did nothing regarde or waie mans merites furthermore to the ende Mathew might more specially admonishe vs that sinners are not reiected of Christ because he thought no scorne to haue his aunceters as concerning the fleshe he rather chose to call her the wife of Vrias then by her proper name Beersabe H. It is to be noted therefore in the geneallogie of Christ that none of the holy women are taken but those whom the scripture doth reprehende that he whiche came for sinners being borne of sinners might cleane put away the sinnes of all men 7 Salomon begat Roboam Roboam begat Abia Abia begat Asa Salomon begat Roboam A. In the beginning of this chapter it was shewed why Luke bringeth from this place the generation of Christe not by Salomon but by Nathan the other sonne of Dauid and his posteritie also euen vntill the time of the captiuitie of Babilon M. The scripture maketh mention of RoboaÌ„ that he was euill whose harte was not righte with god His mothers name was Naama an Amonnites WheÌ„ this man raigned Iuda was stricken vanquished and the gould of the temple caried away by Pharao kinge of Egypte also in this mans tyme the tenne tribes rebelled Note therfore here that both the good bad kinges are set forth by the Euangelist RoboaÌ„ begat Abia. M. This maÌ„ also was euill his harte being tourned from god Notwithstanding this man being kyng God had mercy vpon Iuda so that he suffered them not to be geueÌ„ into the hands of Iheroboam king of Israell He had fourtene wyues of whiche he begat .xxij. sonnes and .xvi. daughters Abia begat Asa This man was good and sought the lorde with all his harte euen as did Dauid his father sauing that in the .xxx. yeare of his reigne when that Baasa king of Israel came against him to fight he fled not vnto the lorde but to the king of Sirria and craued his helpe for the whiche being reprehended of the prophet Ananias was displeased and commaunded the prophete to be set in stockes Againe in the .xxxix. yeare of his reigne being sicke he cried not vnto the lorde but rather trusted to the phisitions By this example we are admonished with howe great diligence we ought to praye vnto the lorde that he will giue vs sound and true godlines euen to the ende For it is written The righteousnes of the righteous shall not saue him whensoeuer he turneth away vnfaithfully 8 Asa begat Iosaphat Iosaphat begat Ioram Ioram begat Ozias Asa begat Iosaphat M. This man also followed the footesteps of his father Dauid sought the lorde with a pure harte notwithstanding in this he sinned that euen at the first he entred into league with the wicked king Achab and assisted him in battayle for the whiche he was sharpely blamed of Iehu the prophete with the whiche being nothing moued after Achab also he was at peace with his sonne Ochosias for the whiche also he was againe reprehended of the prophet Eliezer the sonne of Dodan of Maresa As concerning the which loke in the .ij. booke of Chronicles cap. 17.18.19 20. So that we may se nothing to be perfecte no not in holy men A. Wherfore with the greater carefulnesse we must wishe that the continuall fauour of God may abide with vs to amende our corrupte and vitious nature Iosaphat begat Ioram A. This man followed the wickednes of the house of Achab and made Iuda and Hierusalem to swarue from the lord their god Moreouer he killed all his brethren the sonnes of Iosaphat when that he was stablished in his kingdome whiche wickednes and crueltie the lord suffered not to scape vnpunished Loke in the 21. chap. of the second booke of Chronicles So that many tymes we sée of honest and godly auncestours and elders to spring a wicked posteritie Ioram begat Osias C. In this successioÌ„ whiche Mathew describeth there are thrée kinges omitted as appeareth by the sacred history M. For IoraÌ„ did not beget Hozias but Ochozias Ochozias begat Ioas Ioas Amazias and Amazias begat Hozias otherwise Azarias C. They whiche affirme that these thrée were of Mathewe by obliuion omitted are not to be harde neither is their reason to be
and incourage the disciples to constancie namely that although their faith was obscure and base yet notwithstandinge they were chosen of the Lord as the fyrste fruites that at the lengthe of that contemptible and base beginning a newe Church might spring and aryse which church shold be a conquerer euen against hel gates as we shal here an on I vvyll buyld my congregation M. The latten translation hathe Ecclesiam meam my Churche whiche is a Gréeke worde and signifieth a congregation or conuocatiō of people The which word the threscore ten interpretours vsed so often as in the olde testamente they red this woorde Cahal or Edah which two wordes signifie a congregation flocke or multitude As in the .xxii. Psalme In the myddeste of the congregation wyl I prayse thee And in the fyftene chapter of the boke of nombers there is mention made of this woorde congregation thre tymes at the leaste And in Deutronomye it is sayde Into the congregation of the lorde c. Moreouer in Exodus the foure and thirtie chapter we haue this woord congregation and in the seuenth Psalme The whiche woorde the threscore and ten interpretours sometime cal by the name of Synagogge and somtime by the name of Churche But in this place Christ calleth euery congregation flocke corporation and societie of faythefull men hys churche whom God hath chosen to euerlastinge life in the same saithe hope and loue of the spirite in what place of the world soeuer they be This Church was at all tymes as in the tyme of Adam Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses Dauid and in the tyme of al the Prophetes although it were but small There was a Churche of the Iewes and of the Gentiles and there is a Churche or congregation as yet at this day of the faythfull which beleue the same saluation and remission of synnes by Christ althoughe hee was made man and suffered There hath bene alwaies but one Churche the headde whereof is Christ as the Apostel Paule teachethe in his epistell to the Ephesians Oftentimes the Church is taken for the Seniors of the Church as in this place If he beare not them tell the Church if he heare not the Churche let let him be vnto thee as an Ethnike or a Publicane M. Let them therefore see which at this day boast and glorye in the title of the Churche beinge in dede ennemies of the Church what head they haue and of whose congregation they are mēbers The woulfe loueth the shepefoldes but not as a shepe not as the pastor but as a wulfe We must also note this that Christe saide not to Peter I will builde thy Churche but my Churche that we may know the church to belōg to Christ and not to Peter For Peter is not lorde of the Churche but Christ Christ saithe that his shepe are euery where And the Apostels call those that are Christiās the flocke of the lord not their owne flocke they acknowledge them selues to be mynisters and not lordes Herupon the Apostell exhorted the byshops to raigne ouer their flocke not as lordes but as geuers of good insaumple to their flocke The church therfore belongeth to Christ not vnto any one man It is geuen to him of the father of whom as a sonne he hath receiued al thinges with ful power And then beyonde the right of the fyrste begotten be redemed his Church or inheritance with a greate price euen with his own preciouse bloud And in an other place it is saide Ye are boughte with a great price be not therefore the seruantes of men Also in an other place Christ dyed for all men that they whiche lyue might not liue vnto thē selues but vnto hym which died for them And again No man liueth to him selfe and no man dyeth vnto him self for whether we liue or die we are the lordes for Christe dyed rose againe that he might be lorde bothe of the quicke and the deade They greatly erre therefore whiche seke for rule in the flocke and congregation of the lorde and also whiche refusynge to submytte them selues to the power and domynion of Chryst laye their heades vnder the feete of men And the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Z. The gates of Citties for the moste parte are very stronge and haue percullices to set before them C. Therfore by the name of Gates all kynd of force and munition is noted Z. and by hel Gates all Satanicall and deuelishe power is to be vnderstode These promises are great and moste firme whiche do pacifie and comforte the consciences of the faythful when they consider them selues to be so setteled and graunted that they knowe for a suertie howe they are able to resist all the power of Sathan Accordynge to the saying of saincte Paule There is no condemnatiō to those that are in Christe Iesu And If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs who spared not his owne sonne but gaue hym for vs howe then should he not with hym geue vs all thinges Who shall saye any thynge to the charge of Goddes electe c. C. Althoughe the pronoune it may be referred eyther to the rocke to fayth or to the Churche yet notwithstandynge the latter sence doth better agree namely that the firme state of the Church shal stande immoueable and inuincible against all the power of Sathan and that because the treweth of God shall for euer indure Also to this sentence agreeth the saying of Iohn This is the victory whiche ouercommeth the worlde euen oure faythe M. Christians therefore holde them faste by the trewe rocke beinge so firmely buylded vpon the same that nothinge can ouerthrowe them For this is a most sure and certaine promise that they which are vnited in Christ and acknowledge hym to be theyr mediatoure shall euen to the worldes ende be defended frō all harme For that which is spoken of the body of the Church pertaineth to euery particuler member of the same in that they be one in Christ A. According to the saying of our sauiour Christ I knowe my shepe they followe me I geue vnto them eternall lyfe and they shal neuer perishe neyther shal any mā plucke them out of my hande Notwithstandyng we are here taught that so lōg as the churche is vpon the earthe it shall neuer be quiete but styll subiecte to reproche and ignominie For in that the Church is sayd to haue the preemynence ouer Sathan it is euident that Sathan shall stil seke to destroy it But let vs by this comfortable voyce of Christe glorye and tryumphe ouer him voyde of all feare and care seynge that Christ is our captayne and conquerer 19 And I wyll geue vnto thee the keies of the kyngedome of heauen and what so euer thou byndest in earthe shall be bounde in heauen and what so euer thou lousest in earthe shal be loused in heauen And I vvyll geue vnto thee
detters vnto him Finally how lyght are the offences of our bretherne committed againste vs if our obligation and somme whiche we owe vnto God be wayed Howe vnworthy therfore is he to drinke of the well of Goddes mercies which will geue no one drop of mercy to his brother The kingdome of heauen C. Here Christ maketh mention of the spirituall condition of the Churche as if he should haue said The matter standethe so betwene God men as it standeth betwen the soule and the spirituall lyfe betwene the mayster which is a cittezen and an earthly master and his seruauntes betwene money and the busines of this present lyfe B. The kyngedome of heauen saith he is lyke when as notwithstanding he bringeth in the example of the vnfaythfull seruaunt But he ment not to propounde a similytude which shoulde holde or agree in all pointes for parables doe not agree in euery respecte This was onely his meanyng Wyll ye haue God to be merciful to you be ye then in lyke maner mercyfull to your bretherne 24 And when hee had begon to recken one was broughte vnto hym whiche ought him ten thousande talentes And vvhen he had begon to recken M In that he maketh mention of ten thousande talentes and of a hundred pence also wee are admonished that wee owe more vnto God then our bretherne owe vnto vs. For we do more greuously and more oftē synne against God then any one of oure bretherne do or can synne againste vs. When as therefore we praye dayly to be forgeuen of God howe wicked a thinge is it not to forgeue our brother lesse faltes which dayly craueth pardon and forgeuensse at our handes Ten thousande talentes Bu. To the ende our sauiour Christe might set forthe vnto vs the ample and plentiful mercy of God he nameth tenne thousande talentes for the greatest debte and somme impossible to be payed For he sayth 25 But for as much as he was not able to paye his lorde commaunded hym to be solde and his wife and children and all that he had and paiemente to be made But forasmuche as he vvas not able Bu. There is no man able to satisfie for his synne For moste false and blasphemouse is the doctrine of Monkes whiche say that satisfaction may be made for our synnes The Prophete trewely and christianlye saith that all our synnes are heaped vppon Christe and he hath satisfyed for vs all A. Therefore all we being detters are constrayned to flee vnto the mercy of the lorde that we may obtayne remission of so greate dette His lorde commanded him to be solde C. To discusse here narowely vpon euery point were but in vayne For God dothe not shewe rigour alwayes at the begynning vntyll we beinge broughte by compultion to make intreatye do aske pardon at his handes nay hee dothe of his mercye and goodnesse oftentymes preuente vs but he onely teacheth that if God shoulde deale extreamely with vs and according to Iustice wee shoulde be broughte to naught Furthermore if he shold require of vs that which is due how great occasion haue we then to flee vnto praier because that is the onely refuge that remaineth to synners Bu. Wherevpon the Prophet Dauid being oppressed with the burthen of synne saide Enter not into Iudgement with thy seruante O lorde for no man luying shal be iustified in thy sight And his vvife and children Christ speaketh here according to the manner of the countrey For it was an olde lawe that he which was not able to pay should be a bondmā to the creditour shoulde be punished by the body for that which he was not able to pay in money As concerning the which matter Gelius in the first chapter of his twentieth boke writeth A. In the sacred histories also wee reade that a certaine woman of the wiues of the Prophetes cryed vnto Elisa sayinge thy seruaunte my husbande is deade and thou knowest that thy seruante dyd feare the lorde And the creditour is come to fette my twoo sonnes to be his bondmen 26 The seruant fel downe and besought his sayinge haue pacience with me and I will paie thee all Z. In this that he promiseth here to pay al the similitude doth not hold For a faythful minde dare not presume thus to saye neither can it haue trust to his own righteousenes for Christ alone hath satisfied 27 Then had the lorde pittie on that seruaunte and lowsed him and forgaue him the dette Then had the lorde pittie M. Here the proper nature and office of the Gospell is depaynted and sett forthe vnto vs Here also is declared howe the lorde dealeth with vs who despyseth not an humble contrite hearte as sayth the Prophet And forgaue him the dette This also is to be noted that synnes are forgeuē by the mercye of God onely and not for mannes merytes 28 So the same seruaunte went out and foūd one of his fellowes which ought him an hundred pence and he laide handes on him and toke him by the throte saying paie that thou owest 29 And his fellow sel down besought him sayinge haue pacience with me and I will paie thee all So the seruant vvent out Bu. The manners and behauiour of wicked persons ar here described who hauinge receyued a generall quittaunce of infinite sommes of det at the handes of God wyll not for al this remit forgeue a smal trifell and a farthinge in comparison of the other sōme VVhiche ought him an hundred pence C. Wee must alwayes note the greate difference betwene the two sōmes for when as one talente is more than an hundred pence what is then to som or value of a hūdred pence in respect of ten thousand talētes Bu. Budeus Plinius Iudge one of these pence to be in value estimatiō as much as one of our grotes Howbeit Georgeus Agricola in his 4. booke of Romaine weightes maketh a differēce betwen thē 30 And he wold not but wēt cast him into prison til he should paye the det Bu. Here more largelye is described the cruell sharpe and cutthrote dealyng of some towardes their bretherne for tryfelles when as God wōderfully hath blessed thē in all that their harte can desier 31 So when his fellowes sawe what was done they were verye sory and came and tolde vnto their lorde al that hap pened So vvhen his fellovves savve Bu. Here is set forth vnto vs the iust anger of the iudge the punishemēt which is laid vpō al such wicked vngodly personnes as will not gentelly forgeue the faltes and offences of theyr bretherne They vvere very sory C. Although in these wordes no misery is to be sought for yet notwithstanding because they contayne nothing but that which nature describeth we must know vnderstand that we shal haue so manye wytnesses aduersaries against vs before God as there be men liuing amongest vs because it can not be but that the crueltie which we shewe