Forsothe because the washing is done by the vertue power of the spirite also he thought it sufficient onely in the name of the spirite to expresse the whole effect of baptisme The meaning truely is plaine that we must geue vnto Christ what grace soeuer baptisme doth figurate or signifie because that he doth sprincle the consciences of men with his bloud he also doth mortifie the old man and he doth geue vnto it his spirite of regeneration And vvith fyer Bu. Fyer is a signe of purging loue C. But the name of fyer is applied to the spirite because he doth purge away our filthines euen as golde is purified in the fyer He is called fier metaphorically as he is called water Therfore he shal baptyse you with the holy ghost and with fier that is he shal ad vnto it his holy spirite which hath the propertie nature of fier he shal regenerate renouate and make cleane your hartes shal consecrate you into the adoptiō of the sonnes of God. To be baptised with the holy ghoste to be indewed with the power of the hiest to receiue the holy ghost and to haue the power or vertue of the spirite commynge vpon any man signifieth all one thinge 12. VVhose fanne is in his hand and he wil pourge his floure and gather his wheate into his barne but will burne the chaffe with vnquenchable fier VVhose fanne is in his hand B. Hitherto Iohn hath preached the lord Iesus to be the sauiour because he affyrmed that he was the giuer of the spirite of iustification C. That the Iewes mighte offer them selues to be renewed of him now he resoneth of iudgement sheweth the Christ is the generall iudge of all men that he might make the contēners afraide For because many hipocrites alwaies proudly reiect the grace of Christ proffered vnto them it is necessary also that the vengeance which hāgeth ouer their heades be declared vnto thē For this cause Iohn doth here describe Christe to be a seuere iudge against the harde harted vnbeleuing We must note here also this order of teaching that hipocrites may knowe that they shal not escape vnpunished because they reiect Christ being awaked frō their sluggishnes shal begin to feare the reuenger whom being the authour of health they despised But no doubte the purpose of Iohn was to teache what Christ woulde bring to passe by his gospell Therefore the preaching of the gospel is a fan because before the lord dothe shake sift vs all the worlde is wrapped with cōfusion euery mā flattereth with him self the good and euil are mingled together and it is enough for vs to swel increase with the chaff But whē Christ cōmeth among thē with his gospel whē he pearceth their consciēces citeth thē before his tribunal seate the chaf is winnoed or fanned frō the wheate which before cōbred a gret rome For although al men ar fāned by the gospel frō the chaff yet notwithstāding here Iohn doth compare the reprobate to chafte the elect childrē of God to wheat Wherfore the flouerth is not takē for the world as som deme but for the church For we must cōsider to whom Iohn speaketh For the Iewes wer only puffed vp with a name or title so that Iohn doth tel them that they are proude in vaine since that but for a time they occupy the roome of the churche of God frō the which euen by and by they shall be reiected and banyshed euen as chaffe is seperated and deuyded from the flouerth By this meanes be doth touch the state of the churche at that tyme corrupted because it was full of chaffe darnel cockle and reffuse but strayte way with the freshe wind of the Gospell to be purged Question But howe is Chryst said to seperate the chaffe from the wheate when as nothinge can be founde in men but meere chaffe It may easely be aunswered that the elect are fourmed made into wheat that beynge exempted from the chaffe they maye be gathered into the barne Christe began and perfourmeth this purgynge dayely notwithstandinge the effecte of the same shall not be vntyll the laste daye therefore Iohn calleth vs thither But let vs remember that euen at this daye the faythfull enter by hope into the barne of God that in the ende in dede they maye haue a place there and the reprobate do feele according to their deserte the heate and burnynge of that fyer which shal be in the last day Therfore before the Gospell was preached in Iewery the reprobate were not onelye ioyned with the elect but also they were so couered with the brightnesse of the ceremoniall lawe that they were counted for trewe Israelites But when the preachynge of the Gospell came which is the sounde and perfect fanne there was such a seperation made that easelye the one mighte be deserued from the other yea the very secretes of theyr hartes were opened Christe him selfe sayinge He that is of God heareth Goddes woorde therefore you do not here because you are not of god And againe You beleue not because you are none of my sheepe euen as I sayde vnto you my sheepe heere my voyce and I knowe theim and they followe mee The lyke seperation also is in these our dayes VVith vnquenchable fyer In these fewe woordes is thretened the ponishment of euerlastinge damnation which neuer shall haue ende appointed for this purpose that more sharply they shuld be moued to repētaunce This ponishement doth not onely apperteyne to chaffe to be seperated from the wheate but also to be caste into the fier burnte euen as vnfruiteful braunches are not onely cut of but gathered and caste into the fier The like ponishemēt doth Christ threaten to counterfait false Christiās telling them before what a terrible sentence he will pronounce against thē sayinge Go ye cursed into euerlasting fier prepared for the deuyl and his angelles About this fyer there hath ben great disputatiō But we may gather out of scripture that it is a metaphoricall kynde of speche For if we maye determyne and iudge it to be a materiall and reall fyer as they terme it thē we must adde vnto it also wodde brimstone and breathe to kendel it as Esay in his .30 chap. maketh mention Neyther is there any further meaning in the fier then there is in the worme For if al men do agree and consent that there is in the name of worme a metaphorical sence and meaning they must then confesse that the lyke is in the fyer Wherefore all speculation and lokinges omitted with the whiche vayne men do wery them selues without profyte let vs be satisfyed with this that those maners formes of speakinge for the rudenesse of our capacitie do note vnto vs horrible torment yea and so terrible and painful that neyther the mind of man can comprehende it nor yet the toungue with wordes expresse the same 13 Then came Iesus from Galile
incarnation and bloud should make agrement betwene humaine things and heauenly thinges as S. Paule wryteth to the Ephesians and Collossians Thirdly it signifieth that he is that same Christ which made vnto vs free passage and recourse to the thron of his grace the gates of heauen beinge by hym broken open To be shorte that whiche was reuealed to Ioseph in the vision of the opening of the heauens and of the ladder that from the earth reached therevnto is declared from aboue by this inauguration and celebration of Christe And he savve C. Namely Iohn because by and by yt foloweth that the spirite descended vpon Christe M. And Iohn hym selfe in an other place saithe I did not knowe hym but he that sente me to baptize with water the same sayd vnto me vpon whom thou shalt se the spirite descende and tary styl on him the same is he which baptizeth with the holye ghost And I sawe bare recorde that the same is he which is the sonne of God. Question C. It may now be demaunded how Iohn coulde se the spiryte We aunswere that for as muche as the spirite of God is dispersed euerye where and fylleth both heauen earth that the descention from heauen is very vnproperly applied vnto it the same we must iudge also as concerning the sight therof For although the holyghost be inuisible by it selfe yet notwithstanding it is said that we se it when as it sheweth any signe of his presence Iohn sawe not the essence of the spirite the which essēce or beinge can not be sene with mannes eies neyther did he se the vertue it self which cannot be comprehended with humaine sence but onely with the intelligence and vnderstandinge of fayth but he sawe the shape of a dooue vnder the which it pleased God to shewe and manifest his spirite Therfore this is a metonymical kinde of speache by the which the name of a spiritual thinge is put for a visible signe For as some very folishly and preposterously do vrge the letter that they might include the thyng in the signe euen so we must wey consider that by these meanes phrases of speaking figuratiuely is noted the coniunction of the thing with the signe Accordinge to this sence meaning the bredde of the sacred and holy supper of the lord is called the body of Christ not because it is so but because it dothe witnesse vnto vs that it is trewely geuen vs to eate Furthermore we must call to mynd that whiche we towched euen nowe that is we must not fayne and imagin the commynge downe of any notable or myralouse thynge that the holye Ghoste should be sought in a signe as though he were included in the same as in a place but we must satisfie content our selues with this that the lorde by his secrete power doth shewe forthe vnto vs by figures whatsoeuer he promysed Descending M. This comming downe of the spirite of God was made for this purpose in a visible shape to descende vpō Christe that the authoritie that he had from aboue might be declared in earth The like came vpon the Apostels when they were sent to preache the Gospell throughout the whole worlde And when the Apostles had layde handes on those that were ready to preache the Gospell the vertue and power of the holy ghoste was geuen to theim by a visible signe which before they had receiued through faith that the churche as yet being rude should be comforted and that by the singuler and visible gift of the spirite they might be appointed to the worke of the mistery and instructed and confirmed in the same Like a doue C. It may be demaunded why the holy ghoste rather appeared in the shape of a doue then in fier The solution of this question doth depende vpon the analogy or similitude of the thinge sealed with the figure We knowe what the Prophete attributeth to Christe when he sayde A broosed reede shall he not breake and the smoking flaxe shal he not quenche he shall not cry neither shall his voyce be harde Because of this gentlenes of Christe by the whiche mildely and louingly he hath brought sinners to the hope of saluation the holy ghost descended vpon him in the likenes of a doue And in this signe is offered vnto vs the manifeste pledge of swete consolation that we should not be afrayde to come vnto Christe whiche came not vnto vs in the fearefull terrible power of the spirite but in the pleasant amiable shewe of his grace M. Also by the same is shewed what Christe would worke in the hartes of the faithfull namely the very same whiche he him selfe saith Be ye innocente as doues Finally by this appearing of the holy ghoste is shewed what this heauenly kyng should be how meke and louing then what behauiour and disposition they should haue whiche should be regenerate by the baptisme of the holy ghost C. Moreouer some more curiously then profitable do seke and demaunde whether this doue were a perfecte and sounde body or only an image and figure of a Doue For although the woordes of Luke do seme to affirme that it was not the substaunce but the shape of a Doue yet notwithstanding we can not appointe any certaintie thereof And comming vpon him M. That is to say vpon Christe Question C. Here it may be demaunded why the spirite did then descēde vpon him when as before he was replenished with the same This question is aunswered with this place of the prophete The spirite of the lorde vpon me therefore he anointed me to preache to the poore he sent me For although Christ did excell in the singuler grace of the spirite euen vntill the myracle yet neuertheles he kept hym selfe at home like a priuate man vntill he was brought forth of his heauenly father Therefore nowe when the dewe time was come in the whiche he should prepare him selfe to accomplishe the office of a redemer he is indewed with the newe power of the spirite and that not for his owne cause so muche as for others For this was done by the prouidence of God that the faithfull might learne to imbrace reuerently his deuine power and that the infirmitie of the fleshe should not be contemptible and despised in him And that was also the cause why he differred his baptisme till that he was thirty yeare olde Baptisme was the beginning of the Gospell therefore he toke it when he began to preache the Gospell For Christe preparing him selfe to preache the Gospell began his office as well by baptisme as by the instruction of the holy ghost The holy ghoste therfore descending vppon Christe appeared vnto Iohn to teache that no carnall or earthly thing was to be foūde in Christ but as a diuine person to come from heauen in whom the fulnes of the spirite raigned We knowe vndoubtedly that he was God manifested in the fleshe yet notwithstanding his heauenly
and may be taken for either of them But as touching the matter God to the ende he might bynde vs as it were to his wyll doth shewe euen as with his finger him whome he wyll sende and to this ende pertayneth this worde of demonstration beholde The lyke reason is in the Epithetes or tytels followyng in the whiche he calleth hym his seruaunt and his chosen in whome his soule delighteth For whereupon cōmeth it to passe that men dare presume to measure Christe by their reason and sence but only because they consider not that their redemption dependeth vppon the mere grace of god But this is to wicked and grosse a libertie That whē God offereth vnto vs his incomparable treasure we esteme and make pryce of the same according to our fleshely skyll Also he is called a seruaunt by excellency not as one among a common multitude or as cōmon seruauntes are but as suche a one to whome God hathe committed the charge of his churche or congregatiō and the redemption of mankynde And because no man which vsurpeth honour to hym selfe is worthy of honour but he whiche is truely called to the same God pronounceth that his sonne Christe is thereunto called and chosen by his heauēly and euerlasting decrée and councell Therefore he saythe VVhome I haue chosen Whereupon it followeth that it is not mete for men to reiecte hym whom God hath chosē And truely it were to absurde and voyde of all reason that the holy and inuiolable vocation of God should be frustrate and of none effecte at our will and pleasure M. He sayde therefore to be the elect and chosen of God not in respecte that he is a sonne but a seruaunt sente into this worlde for our redemption Therefore the Prophetes vsed to call Christe the electe and chosen of god And the hyghe priestes mockynge hym sayde if he be Christe the chosen of God let hym saue hym selfe Also saynt Peter saythe If so be that ye haue tasted howe gracious the lorde is to whome ye come as a liuinge stone disalowed of men but chosen of God. My beloued This is not redde in the Hebrewe texte In vvhome my soule delighteth C. Where as God addeth that the pleasure of his soule resteth in Christe it cōtayneth more matter in it then can well be perceiued at the firste sighte For although the vocation and calling of vs all dothe sprynge from the frée fauoure and grace of God as from a lyuelye well Notwithstandynge this is synguler in Christe because in his persone God the father comprehendeth the whole churche with his loue For in that we are al enemies vnto God by nature his loue can neuer come vnto vs except it beginne first at the heade as shal be declared in the seuententh chapter followyng M. There is no firme sure and perfect loue to be founde in no creature no not in the Aungels in heauen but in Christe him selfe alone I vvyll put my spirite vpon hym M. Christe in respecte of his humanitie was appointed and cōsecrated with the grace of the holy ghoste before he executed the office for the whiche he was sent Bu. He being baptized sawe the spirite of God descending and resting vpon him of the which Iohn the Baptist was warned before by these wordes He whiche sente me to baptize with water sayde vnto me vpon whome soeuer thou sest the spirite of God descending and restinge the same is he whiche baptizeth wyth the holy Ghoste So were Moyses Samuel and Dauid consecrated So were Elias and Elizeus the Prophetes consecrated also There is all so yet another reason for the which Christ is sayd to be endewed with the holy ghost as we wyll declare anone And he shall shevve iudgement to the Gentyles C. The Prophete here sheweth briefely the office of Christ which was to declare iudgement to the Gentyles But by the name of iudgement is comprehēded the state of the Iewes where equitie right florished Therefore these wordes are in effect as if the Prophete should haue sayd that he shall come which shall restore the righteousnes that is decaied that he shal be the moderator guyde not of one people only but shall bring also the Gētiles vnder the rule gouernemēt of God amōg whome before there was nothinge but vaste rude ignoraunt behauiour And this truly was the office of Christ to spread the kingdome of God which was shut vp in a corner of Iury throughtout the whole worlde as it is said in another place The lorde shall sende the rodde of thy power out of Syon A. In this place therefore the calling of the Gētyles is prophecied Also the manner howe iudgement shall be declared is expressed because God hath endewed Christe with his holy spirite whiche spirite Christe receiued of his father to powre vppon all those that are his For he teacheth vs not by a voyce or by wrytinge onely but by the grace of his holy spirite he frameth the hartes of men inwardly to the obseruing and keping the true and perfecte rule of righteousnes And without the operation of the same spirite in our hartes we are not able to performe any thing that is good 19 He shall not stryue nor crye neyther shall any man heare his voyce in the streates M. This is spoken of the mekenes and modestie of Christe the whiche he kepte vnto the ende and with the whiche he ouercame all his enemies C. For there shal be no suche māner of shouting cries and tumultes about his kingdome as is in the worlde Neyther shall his kyngdome consiste of pompe and violence but it shall be humble and base in the sighte of the worlde Yea by this place the Euāgeliste sheweth that Christe shoulde not reigne violently constrayninge men with force to be subiecte vnto hym but rather mekely with longe sufferaunce forbearing all men 20 A broused Reede shall he not breake and smokynge Flaxe shall hee not quenche till he sende foorthe iudgement vnto victory A broused Reede M. By these twoo sayings the Euāgelist declareth that Christ shall rather helpe our infirmitie then reiecte our weakenes and imbecillitie The Prophete also by these woordes setteth foorthe the wonderfull clemency and mekenes of the Lorde in that hee brake not the afflycted beynge as broused quilles or Reedes but rather comforted erected and strengthened them Also the smookynge Flaxe whiche was almoste extinguyshed he put not oute but kyndeled and gaue more lyghte vnto the same that it myght clerely burne He despysed not the Publicanes and sinners but soughte rather by all meanes to saue them There was nothynge so weake so broused and so muche quenched that hee strengthened not that hee made not whole that hee kyndeled not agayne with his holy spirite M. All the whiche thynges tende to this ende that the mekenes and clemency of Christe might be amiable vnto vs which is despysed in the worlde And truely the foolishenes of men is to be meruailed at that they
deuyll And at the lengthe Herode cut of his head if not by their procurement yet at the least by their consente and willinge mindes M. Christ saith not here They dyd as they ought to do or they did what so euer the lord commaunded to be done but he saythe they dyd what theye wolde or lust to do The lyke saith hee shall they do to the sonne of man And as they dyd nothinge to the sonne of man so did they nothinge to Iohn the Baptiste without the wyll and sufferance of God But they for theyr partes hadde not respecte or regarde vnto the wil of God but rather to the fulfilling of their own wils and maliciouse myndes this God vsed to the executing fynishinge of his worke The lorde therefore suffereth the wicked to do vnto saynctes what so euer theye wyll as towchinge their bodies and vseth their mynistery to the glory of those that are his Wherefore if the lyke happen vnto vs at this day let vs not thinke that we are reiected and caste out of God or that he hath forsaken vs. In lykevvise also shall the sonne of man suffer C. He teacheth that it ought not to seme a new or vnwonted thing if they reiect the master as they dyd the seruante before And least any man shoulde be troubled by the newenes of the thing the lorde saith that mention was made before of this in the Scripture namely that as well the redemer of the world as Helias his forerunner should suffer the repulse at the hādes of false and wicked teachers For Marke addeth They dyd vnto him what so euer they shoulde as it is written of hym 13 Then the disciples vnderstode that he spake vnto thē of Iohn the Baptist A. Because not onely in this place but also in an other place mention was made of Helias where Christe had spoken of Iohn the Baptist by name by this aunswere of Christe the disciples easely vnderstode what he mente 14 And when they were com to the people there came to him a certaine man kneling downe to him B. Luke saith that this came to passe the next daye as they came downe the hill Marke declareth that the Scribes were disputing with the disciples C. For the Lunatike child being brought amongest thē in the absence of Christ the Scribes thought that they had gotten good occasion to inueigh and speake euyl and therfore prosecuting the same they were very earnest with the disciples vrged thē that if they hadde any power to heale the childe they should shew it It is likely that the disciples tried what they could do but in vaine so that the Scribes as conquerers triūphed neither do they onely deride mocke the disciples but also proudely they inuey against Christ as thoughe in the persō of his disciples his power wer abased But this their wicked dealynge ioyned with ingratitude exceded maliciously to suppresse so many myracles by the which they had lerned of what power habilitie Christ was For of set purpose they sought to extinguishe the light sette before theyr eies 15 And sayinge Master haue mercy on my son for he is Lunatike and sore vexed for ofte times hee falleth into the fier and ofte into the water Master haue mercy on my son B. The father had a feruent desire greate care for the health of his son because as Luke sayth he was his only son whō in stede of haue mercy on my son hath behold my sonne For he is lunatike C. The Euāgelist Mark speaketh of an other kinde of dissease saying that this mā was dumbe Yet notwithstandinge these two very well agre betwene thē selues that he was dūbe at certaine times mad also For they are called lunatikes which vnder the wane of the Mene haue eyther the falling sicknes or els are tormēted with a giddines in the brayne It is a very vaine opiniō which som fain saying that this name was inuented by the craft subtiltie of Sathā that he myght defame the good creatures of God for cōmon experience teacheth that those disseases do increase decrease accordinge to the course of the mone yet notwithstādinge nothinge staieth but that Sathā may ad his violent force to naturall meanes It is very probable that this man was neither deaffe nor dombe by nature but that his tongue eares were possessed of Sathā then whē the debillitie weaknes of the braine finnewes made him subiecte to the fallinge sickenes a worse euill was added of sathā Hereupon it came to passe that he sought his owne destructiō that hee wolde lie rent torne and that he wolde fall down like a dead mā For oft he falleth C. Let vs here note the nature of Sathā He is a murtherer ready to destroy hath many waies to hurte were it not that he were staied let by the power of god Loke how many infirmities of the fleshe and minde there are which we feele and know to be innumerable so many dartes hath he alwaies to hurt vs We ar worse than mad if our myserable estate conditiō moue vs not to prayer And in this apereth the inspeakeable goodnes of God namely that where as we are subiecte to so many dāgers he doth vouchsafe to defende vs specially if we consider with how great a desire the deuil our enemie is inflamed to hurt vs But this consolation also ought to come into our mindes that Christ came to bridel so restrain his furiouse rage that therfore we in so many dangers abide in safetie because the heuenly medicine far surmounteth all our euils M. Here therfore the care prouidence of God appereth in that the child is saued and preserued so often times beinge cast by the euill spirite into the fyer water to be destroied for god saued him suffered not the euill spyrite to destroy him This is a great comforte and consolation to the godly 16 And I broughte him to thy disciples and they coulde not heale him A. Why the disciples coulde not cast out the deuill we shall see by and by 17 Iesus answered and said O faithlesse and croked nation how longe shall I be with you Howe longe shall I suffer you bringe him hither vnto mee Iesus ansvvered A. Our Euāgelist Mathew pretermitteth many thinges which are added by Marke Luke O faythlesse C. Although our sauiour Christ seme to direct his speache against the father of the Lunatike sonne yet notwithstandynge there is no doubt but that he had respecte vnto the Scribes For it is certain that the rude and weake are not here reprehēded but such as beinge obstinately wrapped in mallice do resist god Therfore Christ saith that suche are vnworthy to be forborne any longer saith that he will shortly make a dyuorce seperation betwene him them There are some which thinck it better to directe these wordes to the Apostels onely and that because of the woordes following
of age are not able by fayth to comprehende the grace of God yet notwithstanding God speaking to their parentes dothe also comprehende them As wel may be proued by this place I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee A. By this place also many do gather that wee could not be saued without baptisme But as S. Paule sayth that the confession of the mouthe is necessary to saluation euenso Christ here speaketh of baptisme Baptisme is necessarily required because it is the pleasure of God to haue vs baptized notwithstandinge wee muste not hereby gather that wee cannot otherwise be saued Fayth also is necessarily required to vnderstande the worde For fayth commeth by hearinge Can not God for al that geue vs faith by some other meane Hee can no doubt but this is the meane whiche hee hath appointed In the name of the father C. This place teacheth that the full and perfecte knowledge of God which was onely obscurely shadowed vnder the lawe and the Prophetes sprange forth at the lengthe vnder the kingdome of Christe The fathers of oulde time truly durst neuer haue called God theyr father except they had taken this trust frō Christ their head neither was the eternall wisedome of God which is the well of light and life altogether hiddē from them But by the beginninge of the Gospell God was more plainlye reuealed vnder three personnes because then the father in the Sonne by his liuely and expresse Image manifestlye declared himselfe but Christe himselfe shyninge throughe the whole world by the brightnes of his spirite so set forth this spirite himselfe that the world might know him But mencion is not here made of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost without cause for that the force of Baptim cannot otherwise be apprehended than to begin at the free mercye of God the father which reconcileth vs to himselfe by his only begotten Sonne then we must behould Christ with the sacrifice of his death last of all wee must remember the power of the holye Ghost by whom he doth wash and regenerate vs and make vs partakers of all his benefites So that wee see God cannot be rightlye knowne except that our fayth do distinctly conceiue three personnes in one essence and that the efficacy and fruit of baptisme doth come hereof because God the father doth adopt vs in his sonne and doth bring vs vnto righteousnes beinge purged by the spirite from all the filthy spots of the fleshe Therefore to be baptised in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holye Ghoste is to enter and consecrate those which are baptised into the fayth and Religion of one God that they maye beleue the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be one God to whom alone they oughte to truste and that the Sonne and the holye Ghost are nothinge els but the very essence of God acknowledginge the father who hath adopted them The Sonne by whom they are accepted and the holye Ghoste by whom they are regenerate Furthermore hereby the godhead of the personnes is proued against all heretiques For if wee be Baptised in the name of the Sonne then the Sonne is God if in the holy Ghost thē the holy Ghost is god The Euangelist Marke addeth sayinge Hee that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued but hee which beleueth not shal be damned C. This promise was added to draw all mankind to the fayth as was also the threatninge of dampnation to the vnbeleuinge to terrefye them Baptisme is ioyned with fayth of the Gospell to the ende we might know the marke of our saluation to be ingraued in the same For except it were effectuall to testifye the grace of God Christ improperly had sayde that they shal be saued which beleue and are baptised Moreouer he cannot be sanctifyed inuisiblelye whiche contemneth and regardeth not the visible Sacramentes not that they are so necessarye as wee saide before that we cannot be saued without them but because thereby wee shew our obedience to God who hath ordayned this thinge And he which beleueth not shal be damned C. Christ by this part doth declare that the obstinate in reiecting the grace offered vnto them do bringe vnto themselues the greater punishment The Lord himselfe in another place expoundeth what it is to be damned sayinge Hee that beleueth on the Sonne hath euerlastinge life hee that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him 20 Teachinge them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the ende of the world Teachinge them to obserue C. This is the other part of Christian doctrine that when wee shall beleue the Gospell and beleuing the grace of Christ and remission of sinnes shall apprehende true saluation we might obey the commaundementes of the Lorde and maye keepe those thinges whiche are taught by the Apostles as if they were commaunded of the Lorde Moreouer by these woordes Christe doth declare that he doth not wholy resigne vnto them his office as thoughe hee woulde ceasse to be the maister of his Churche For he sendeth forth his Apostles with this exception that they thruste not vnto men theyr owne inuentiōs but that they do pure lye and faithfullye dispense from hande to hande as it were that which hee himselfe hath commaunded And I would to God the Pope would submit the right which he arrogateth to himselfe to this rule For wee would easlye graunt him to be the successor of Peter or Paule if so be hee would not tyrannicallye raigne in the consciences of men But seinge the maistershippe and auctoritye of Christ beinge refused hee infecteth the Churche with his vaine trifles it doth sufficientlye hereby appeare howe farre he is from the Apostolicall office In fine let vs note that such are appointed teachers of the Church not which bring forth what seemeth vnto them good but whiche depende vppon the mouthe of their maister onlye that they may bringe Dysciples vnto him not to themselues Ye know saith the Apostle Paule what commaūdementes I haue geuen you by the Lord Iesus And S. Peter sayth If any man talke let him speake as the words of god M. But Christ speaketh not here of one or two commaundementes but of all hys doctrine which wee haue set forth vnto vs by his Apostles and Euangelistes A. Wherevppon the Apostle Paule going about to shew how faithfully he had done his duty sayth I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsaile of god M. We must also note that the Lord sayth not Teaching them to know and vnderstand but To keepe all those thinges vvhich I haue commaunded For althoughe the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ be required of the faithfull yet notwithstandinge the ende in learninge is not here prescribed to a Christian that he may only know those thinges which are good right but that he