as concernynge the father this alone is spoken that he alone knoweth the sonne no mention of reuelatiō being made We answere that it was superfluous to repete the which was spokē alredy before for what doth that former geuing of thanks cōtaine but only that the father reueled the sonne to whō yf pleased him Where as now therfore it is added that the son is knowē of the father only it is as it were the shewinge of the cause for this thought might arise What nede was ther that the sonne should be reueled of the father which offered himselfe to be seene openly of all men Now let vs note vpō what occasion it was said that the sonne was knowen of the father alone It followeth Neyther knovveth any man the father saue the sonne This knowledge differeth from that whiche wente before For the sonne is not said to know the father because hee reuealeth him by hys spyrite but he is sayd to know him in as muche as hee being the liuely Image of the father dothe after a sort in his owne person shewe him visiblye So that wee exclude not the spiryte but wee referre the reuelacion of the whych mencion is made here to the maner of knowledge and so very well this text is vnited in it selfe For Christ confirmeth that whiche hee spake before that al things were geuen to him of his father to the ende wee might know that the fulnes of the deyty consisteth in him This therefore is the some of this text It is the gyft of the father that the sonne is knowne bycause by his holy spyrite hee openeth the eyes of our mynds by the which wee beholde the glory of Chryst whiche otherwyse is hydden from vs But the father whyche dwelleth in the mydest of light being in himselfe incomprihensible is reueled vnto vs by the Sonne which is the patterne and liuely Image of him to the ende that hee should be sought for in no other A. Wherupon the Lorde aunswered Philip which requested that the father mighte bee sheewed to him and to the rest of the Apostells Philippe hee that seeth mee seeth the father also Last of al this place sufficiētly declareth that neither the vnbeleuing Iewes neyther the Turkes nor the Papistes whiche reiecte the doctrine of Christe doe knowe the father when none but Christe can shewe and declare hym vnto vs. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that laboure and are heauye laden and I wyll ease you Come vnto mee all yee B. He doth verye well inuyte and call all men vnto hym after that hee hath declared that all things are giuen vnto him of his father and that it is hee onelye that geueth the knowledge of his father C. By this so gentle and louing a calling hee witnesseth and declareth that hee is ready to entertaine and receiue all men if so bee that they come to be his Disciples For although hee be ready to shew his father vnto all men yet notwithstandinge the greatest parte neglecte to come because they feele not their owne necessity Hypocrites regard not Christ because they being dronke as it were with their owne righteousnesse do neyther honger nor thyrst after his grace They whiche are adicted giuen to the world also esteme the heauenly lyfe as nothing Therfore Christ in vaine shold call those two sorts of men vnto him so that he turneth him rather about to those that are myserable afflicted That labour and are laden C. Hee calleth those laborers and laden whiche feele the burthen of their sinnes sighe vnder the waight of the same and which trauaile for the quietinge of their conscience and which continue poore in spirit God truly dothe humble his electe and chosen by dyuers meanes but because there are manye which beinge oppressed with miseryes do remaine neuertheles obstinate and stubborne Christ calleth those laborers laden whiche haue their consciences afflicted with the punishmēt of eternal death and are inwardly so vrged with their sinnes that they are ready euen to dispayre the which sorrow inward griefe in deede maketh vs moste apte to retaine the grace of Christ Wherfore let vs suffer the proude iusticiaries to seeke for health by their owne merites let vs suffer also the worldlings to flatter themselues with the felicity and prosperous estate of this worlde but let vs suffer our selues by the sting of conscience to be broughte vnto Christ And because Chryst wyll admit no other into the fellowshippe and fruition of his rest and quyetnes but suche as faynte and beginne to quayle vnder the burthen of sinne let vs vnderstande that there can be no poyson more pestiferous and pernicious then that negligence whych that false and deceytfull opinion of earthly felicitye and oure owne ryghteousnesse bredeth and ingendreth in vs. Therefore let euery man dayly awake stir vp him selfe and first of all let hym shake of frō him the vaine delightes and pleasures of this world then let him put away cleane wholly al peruerse trust confidence in his owne righteousenes But we must note that no mā can aspire and come to this repentance by his own power because it is the gift of God Neither doth Christe here go about to teache what man may do of him selfe but onely he declareth with what affectiō they oughte to com vnto him A. For this saying of Christ is most true No man cōmeth to me except my heuenly father draw him C. But they which go about to restrayn this burthen labour to the legall ceremonies do to much stretch the meaning of Christe We graunte truely that the burthen of the lawe is intollerable and that it doth discourage the mindes of mē but we must be mindefull of that whiche was said that Christ doth reache out the hāde of his mercy to al those that are afflicted to the ende he mighte make a dyfference betwene his disciples the contemners of his gospell Also we muste note that he maketh here a generall calling leaste that any man should doubte that hee had not fre accesse and comming vnto Christ Bu. He calleth not therfore this man or that he calleth not the Iewes alone he calleth not the learned the noble or riche onely but he calleth all olde and young Iewe or gentyll learned or vnlearned riche or poore ye so generall is this his inuitatiō that he refuseth none of what state or condition so euer they be of C. And yet notwithstanding they whith come are few in nomber because amōge a great multitude that perishe there are fewe that fele theyr destruction And I vvyll ease you B. Or I wyll refreshe you This refreshinge is not to bee referred to meate or drynke but to the remedy of werines As if he should haue saide I wyll make you rest and breathe your selues C. Notwithstandinge this refocillation or refreshynge whiche hee speaketh of and promyseth here consysteth in the remission and forgeuenes of our synnes whiche alone
dyd trewely and vnfainedly beleue in mee ye would confesse that I haue cast out deuils by the power of god and ye woulde also for so greate a benefyte be thanckefull to god Now seing you wyll not do this ye oughte to ioyne your selues to the other part which doth calumniate speake euyll of that which I haue done ascribyng it to the deuyll But because ye dissemble it is a sure and certayne signe that ye are not neyther that ye gather not with me but rather that yee scatter abroade for ye cleaue vnto theim that calumniate howesoeuer ye dissemble Let al our newters and Luke ware men our Ambodexters I saye in these our daies marke this lesson of our Sauiour Christe Let also all idell and slowebellied byshops and prelates which gather not the kingdom of God be admonished by this place they are not with Christ therfore they are aduersaries dispersers and cōfounders of the kingdom of God. 31 VVherefore I say vnto you all maner of synne and blasphemie shall be forgeuen vnto men but the blasphemie againste the spirite shall not be forgeuen vnto men VVherefore I say vnto Bu. Nowe Chryste plainely sheweth howe greuousely they offende whiche blaspheme the woorkes of the lorde and the doctrine of treweth and do obstinately and continually resist the same C. But this is an illation or bringinge in which oughte not to be restrayned to the sentence goinge before because it depēdeth vpon the whole text For after that Chryste had taughte that the Scribes coulde not disproue that hee caste out deuylles but that they soughte onely to resyst the kingdome of God he concludeth at the length that it was no lighte or tollerable saying but a wicked and detestable cryme in that wyttingly and willingly they letted not in reprochfull wyse to gainesay and resist the spyrite of god For we declared before that Christ dyd not vtter these wordes by occasion of wordes but rather by the occasion of their wicked thoughtes All maner of synne and blasphemy E. The latten worde is Conuitium which signyfieth reproche For this word blasphemy is as much to say as slanderouse wordes and reproche by the which the fame and good reporte of a man is impayred C. But because our sauiour Christ saith here that blasphemy againste the spirite is greatter then any other synne it shal be necessary to way and consider what he meaneth therby They which define this blasphemy to be impenitency ought not in any poynt to be refelled or disalowed for then Christ should in vayne haue denied remission of the same in this world Furthermore the name of blasphemye can not confusedly be extended to euery kynde of synne withoute exception But by the comparison which Christ bringeth we may easely gather the definition Question Why is he saide to cōmit the more haynouse offence which blasphemeth the spirite thē he whiche speaketh blasphemy agaynst Christe Truely there is a greate dyffeerence For seinge the fulnes of the diuinitie raigneth in Christe whosoeuer is contumeliouse againste hym or a blasphemer of hym he dothe abbolyshe and ouerthrowe so muche as in hym lieth al the glory of god But nowe howe can Christ be seperated and deuided from his spirite that he whiche blasphemethe the one dothe not in lyke maner blaspheme and impaire the glory of the other Now hereby we begyn to gather that the blasphemy against the spirite is not greater then any other synne because the spirite is more excellēt then Christ but because the power of God beinge made manifest declared they are not excusable by the pretenced cloke of ignoraunce whiche sporne and kycke against the same Besyde this we must note that that which is spoken here of blasphemy is not simplely referred to the essence of the spirite but to the grace with the whiche we are indewed For they which are depriued of the lyght of the spirite how much so euer they take away of the glory of the same yet notwithstandinge they are not made gylty of this crime and faulte Now let vs note that they do blaspheme the spyrite of God whiche with pretenced mallyce and spyghte do resyst his grace and power and knowinge the same to be in them go about by all meanes possible to extinguishe the same And this is the reason why they ar rather said to blaspheme the spyrite then the father or the sonne namely because in detracting and slaundering the grace and power of God wee doo plainely blaspheme the spirite from the which they procede and come and appere vnto vs Euery vnbeleuing person speaketh euell of God euen as if a blynde man should ronne against a gate But no man blasphemeth or speaketh euyll of the spirite but he whiche being illuminated of the same wyllyngly rebelleth against it Neyther is this distinction superfluous or vayne that all other blasphemies shal be forgeuen sauing this alone whiche is againste the spirite If any man symplely vtter blasphemy against god he is not denied hope of pardon but god is not said to be fauorable to him which is cōtumeliouse agaynste the spirite that is which speaketh euil of the giftes graces of the spirite contrary to his own cōsciēce E. They therfore whose cōsceince beareth thē witnesse that it is the word of God against the which they resist striue and yet notwithstāding cease not to impugn the same are truely said to blaspheme the spirite of God because they striue against the light which is the worke of the holy ghost Of these sorte of men there were many amōg the Iewes which when they could not resist the spirite that spake by Steuen yet notwithstanding they sought al that they might to resist There is no doubt but that many of thē were forced as it were to do it through the zeale of the lawe but it is euidēt that there were others which with maliciouse impietie dyd frette and fume agaynst God hym selfe Suche were the Phariseies against whom the lorde doth inuey who to the ende they myghte obscure the power of the holy ghoste did infame the same with the name of Beelzebub Hereup therefore ariseth blasphemy when men bouldely burst fyrste into the reproche of the name of God. C. Notwithstanding here ariseth a question Whether men are of such boulde madnes that wyttingly with good wyll they dare presume to rushe so rashely as it were in raging wise againste god I answere that this boldenes doth procede of a frenlike blindenes in the which not withstanding mallyce and poysoned fury beareth the sway Neither is it without cause that S. Paule saith that when he was a blasphemer he obtained mercy because he dyd it ignorantly in his vnbelefe for by this sayinge he putteth a difference betwene his synne and voluntary contumacy In this place also their errour is confuted whiche thincke that euery voluntary kinde of synne which is cōmitted against the conscience is voide of remission For truely Paule doth
syster to Mary Iacobi These were sayde to be his brethren euen as Ioseph was sayde to be his father For it is wrytten in the Gospell I and thy father sought thee sorrowyng Stode vvithout A. Luke semeth to geue a reason of this matter saying His mother and brethern came vnto hym but they could not come nye hym for the prease Seking to speake C. Where as Ambrose and Chrysostome haue accused the virgin Mary of ambitiō that she should prease to her sonne to the ende the multitude might thereby know that she was his mother it is more then nedeth when as her synguler modestie godlynes is commended by testimony of scripture We deny not but that peraduenture the vehemency of carnall affections might make thē to busie thē selues more then they nede notwithstandinge we doubte not but that for some godly purpose they were moued to ioyne them selues vnto hym 47 The one sayde vnto him beholde thy mother and thy brethren stand without desiring to speake with thee C. Where as our Euangelist Matthew reporteth this message to be broughte to Christe by no more then one Marke and Luke affirme that there were diuers of them that spake thus vnto Christ In the whiche there is no contrarietie for the cōmaundement whiche the mother gaue for the calling of her sonne being hearde of many went from one to an other tyll it came to Christe 48 But he aunswered and saide vnto him that had tolde hym who is my mo-mother And who are my brethren M. Christe here doth not so deny his mother and his brethrem as though by no meanes he woulde knowe them according to the fleshe but he resisteth their importunitie C. by that which they sought preposterously to interrupte hym in his doctrine and to make hym cease M. He was not therefore a littell offended by their importunitie as do his woordes declare and the very manner it self of speaking by interrogation saying Who is my mother He was occupied in the busynes of his father of the Gospell and in the busynes pertaining to the kyngdome of God whiche was of so greate waighte that they should not haue interupted him for the speaking with his mother and brethren A. Therefore by this his aunswere he teacheth that he muste go forwarde in the same After the same manner he sayde vnto them in an other place Wherfore did ye seke me Wiste ye not that I must go about my fathers busines 49 And he stretched foorth his hand toward his disciples and sayde Beholde my mother and brethren And he stretched foorth Bu. Least any man should conster or interprete the woordes that he spake of any other then of the faythfull hearers of the woorde of the Cittezens and inhabiters of the kyngdome of God he manifestly declared by the gesture of his body whome he mente and of whome he spake Beholde my mother and. C. Here Christe extenuating consanguinitie or the kyndred of fleshe and bloud setteth forth a very proffitable doctrine seinge that he receiueth all his disciples and faythful people into no lesse honour dignitie then if they were the chiefest of his kyndred by fleshe and bloude This sentence dependeth vpon the office of Christe for he declareth that he was not geuen for a certaine or a fewe but for all the godly which by faythe were ioyned and knyt into one bodye Furthermore there is no bonde more holy then the spirituall bonde because he oughte not to be comprehended according to the fleshe but by the power of the spirite with the which he was endued of the father to regenerate mē that they which were by nature the vncleane and curssed seede of Adā might by grace be made the holy and celestiall sonnes of God. Therefore S. Paule saythe that a man knoweth not Christe truely according to the fleshe because we must consider the redemption of the world which farre surmounteth the capacitie of men or humane power when he reformeth vs by his spirite accordinge to the image of god Wherefore this is the somme that we learne to beholde Christe with the eyes of faythe then to knowe that euery one whiche is regenerate by the spirite addicteth hym selfe to true holynes and ryghteousnes and to bee so vnited vnto Christe that he may be a true member of his body But although Christe do feme here to haue no respecte to consanguinitie yet notwithstandinge we knowe in dede that he did deuoutly reuerence the order of mankynde and did fulfyll suche lawful dueties as pertained to parentes but onely he admonysheth that spirituall consanguititie ought to be preferred before that whiche is carnall Let vs obserue the rightes of nature and yet let vs not addicte our selues to muche to fleshe and bloude And let vs so loue our parētes and kynsfolke that we alwayes and in all thynges preferre our spirituall and heauenly consanguinitie before all other 50 For whosoeuer doth the wyll of my father whiche is in heauen the same it my brother syster and mother C. He vnderstandeth those to do the wyl of the father not whiche exactely fulfyll all the righteousnes of the lawe for so this name of brother whiche he geueth vnto his disciples should pertayne vnto none but specially he cōmendeth faith whiche is the welsprynge and originall of true obedience The sentence of Christ is knowne when he saythe This is the wyll of my father that euery one whiche seeth the sonne and beleueth in him shal not peryshe but haue lyfe euerlastynge M. Also this is my welbeloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him Therefore to beleue in Christe the sonne of God and to heare the worde of Christ as the worde of God is to do the wyll of the father whiche is in heauen So that he whiche heareth the worde of God and doth it and beleueth in hym is the brother syster and mother of Christe And therfore in stede of this which is wrytten here and in Marke He whiche dothe the wyll of my father is written in Luke He whiche heareth the worde of God and doth the same And in an other place he saythe he that is of God heareth Gods woorde Nowe to be a kynne vnto God is to be of hym and to be of kynne is to be of that spirituall consanguiuitie with him As it is wrytten To them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God euen thē that beleued on his name whiche were borne not of bloude nor of the wyl of the fleshe nor yet of the wyll of man but of god Nowe what other thing did the disciples of Christe whome here by the stretchyng foorthe of his hande he declareth to be his brethren systers and mother Did not they beleue that whiche be spake and forsoke all and followed hym C. When Christe therefore hath aduaūced his disciples with exceading honour in so much that he counteth them for his brethren howe abhominable and horrible is oure ingratitude if we forsake not all the
it shal be incredible vnto vs vntill oure mindes do arise to the beholdinge of the inspeakable power of God by the which he can bringe all thinges in subiection to him selfe as sayth the Apostell Paul. M. Therfore the Saduces denying the resurrection were ignorant of the power of God which is specially declared in the resurrection the which power also Paule setteth before vs to consider of in the resurrection of Christe C. More ouer it was necessarye that the Saduces shoulde be deceiued because they measured amisse the glory of the heauenlye lyfe by the presente state and condition of this transitory lyfe Notwithstanding in the meane time wee are taughte that they doe truelye and wysely iudge and speake of the misteries of the heauēly kingdome which do ioyne the power of God with the Scriptures 30. For in the resurrection they neyther mary nor are maryed but are as the angels in heauen For in the resurrection M. He sheweth vnto vs the state of those whiche shal be happy and blessed after the resurrection takinge awaye the opinion of absurdity as concerninge the state of the worlde to come And he vseth a distinction of the times present and to come the which the Euangeliste Luke more plentifully and plainelye expresseth saying The children of this worlde marye wyues and are maryed but they whiche shal be counted worthye of that worlde and the resurrection from the deade doe not mary wyues neyther are maryed He calleth all those the children of this worlde whiche lyue in the worlde And he calleth those worthye of the worlde to come whiche apprehende the felicity and happines that is to come But are as the Angels of God in heauen C. He dothe not meane that the sonnes of GOD when they aryse shal be lyke to the Angels in all thinges but in respect of this that they shal be frée from all the infirmity of this presente lyfe euen as if he shoulde deny them to be any more subiecte to the transitory and corruptible necessities of this lyfe The Euangelist Luke doth more plainlye expresse the order and maner of the lykenes that Christe here speaketh of sayinge that they canne dye no more for that they are equall to the Angels and are the sonnes of god But he speaketh of the faythfull onely because the ende of his talke doth not tende to the reprobate As the Angelles therefore cannot dye euenso they whiche are raised from the deade can dye no more but shall lyue with the Angells eternallye and because they are the sonnes of God to whome the inheritaunce of Gods ryches doth pertayne they cannot perishe because they are called the sonnes of the resurrection therfore they shall enioye the euerlastinge benefits of the resurrection to come which benefits are perpetuall ioye and continuall felicity C. But it maye be demaunded why he saith that they shal be then the sonnes of God because they shal be the sonnes of the resurrection when as the Lord doth geue this titell of honor to the faithfull although they be included and shutte vp in the fraile prison of the body And how shoulde wee be heires of euerlastyng life after death except God did now acknowledge vs for his sonnes We aunswere that so soone as we are by fayth ingraffed into the body of Christ we are made the adopted sonnes of God and that this spirit of adoption is a witnes seale earnest and pledge that by this truste we may boldly crye Abba Father But although we knowe that we are the sonnes of God yet for all that because it hath not as yet appered what we shal be vntill wee be transfigured into his glory when we shal sée hym what he is wee are not as yet in the effecte it selfe sayde to be his sonnes And although we be regenerated by the spirite of God yet notwithstanding because our life is hid as yet the reuealing thereof dothe in perfect wyse make a difference betwene vs and strangers And in this sence the Apostell Paule dyfferreth our adoption euen vntyll the laste daye M. We must therefore note how great the felicitie of the lyfe to come shal be For that whiche is nowe ful of infirmitie Mortallitie and corruption yea that whiche is nowe heauy troublesom slowe myserable and base shall be by the resurrection made stronge immortal incorruptible light pleasant quicke happy and gloriouse And the soule shal be free from ignoraunce blyndenesse false opinions wicked affections anger enuy feare pryde and suche lyke Wherfore whosoeuer hee be that is oppressed and afflicted in this presente lyfe eyther by the wycked affections of the mynd either by corruption and trouble let hym haue respecte to this Angelycall state of the lyfe to come and there solace hym selfe 31 But as towchinge the resurrection of the deade haue ye not red that whiche is spokē vnto you of God whiche 32 saithe I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of deade but of liuinge But as tovvchinge the resurrection of the dead Bu. The Lord being not contented that he confuted the absurditie of the Saduces and shewed the causes of theyr error proueth very strongely the contrarye parte that it myght be euydent that the faithe of the resurrection of the body and of the immortalitie of the sowles is sure confyrmed C. After therfore Christe hadde confuted the absurditie obiected againste him hee confirmeth the doctrine of the last resurrection by the testimony of Scripture And trewely this order is to be noted of vs that when wee haue ouercome the enemies of the trueth with all theyr cauilles we muste geue theim to vnderstand that they haue resisted the woorde of God for vntil they be conuinced by the testimony of Scripture they shall euer haue lybertie to exclayme Haue ye not read B. The Euangelyste Marke hath As towchynge the deadde that they ryse agayne haue ye not redd in the booke of Moyses c. And the Euangelist Luke hath And that the dead shall ryse agayne Moyses also sheweth besides the busshe when hee calleth the Lorde c. The woordes of Marke make the woordes of Luke more playne Hee doth as it were note with the fynger this place of Moyses when he saith Howe in the bushe God spake vnto him saying I am the God of Abraham C. Our sauiour Christ citeth this place here out of Moyses because he had to do with the Saduces who gaue no great credite vnto the Prophetes for they made no more accounte of them than wee do of the booke of Ecclesiasticus or of the booke of the Machabees And because they alleaged Moyses for theyr authour he thought it better to repell them with their own authoritie than to set before theim the testimony of any one of the Prophetes Moreouer it maye be that hee endeuoured not hym selfe to gather all the places of Scriptures together as the Apostelles who do vse as wee se dyuerse testimonies
commaunded but that all men do depende onely of the woordes of Christe The Apostell Paule speaketh almost in the same sence when he teacheth that men doe rashely iudge one of an other because all men are brethren and must all be brought before the tribunall seate of Christ 9. And call no man your father vppon the earthe for one is youre father whiche is in heauen And call no man your father B. Christ doth not here prohibite or take awaie the bare appellation of father seinge he voutchsafeth himselfe to geue that name to our carnal progenitours commaunding vs to do good vnto our father and mothers for he séeketh to take awaye from vs the faith and truste no the bare appellacion C. So that he challengeth to GOD the honor of a father in the same sence almost by the which euen now he affirmed him selfe to be the onely master For men did not take this name of father vnto them selues but it was geuen vnto them by god Wherfore it is not only mēte that we cal those that begot vs our fathers in earthe but it is also a wickednes to depriue thē of this honor Neither is that distinctiō which some bring of any force or to be estemed that those men which beget children are fathers after the fleshe that God is only the father after the spirit Wee graunt truely that God is thus distinguished from mē as appereth in the twelueth chapt of S. Paule to the Hebrewes But seinge that S. Paule calleth himselfe a spiritual father we must sée how the same agréeth with the words of Christe Therefore the true sence of this place is that the honor of a father is falselye attributed vnto men if it do obscure the glory of God this is done so oftē as a mortall mā is thought to bee of himselfe a father alone God set aperte when as all the degrées of kynred do depend vpon God alon by Christe and do so agrée together that God alone is properly the father of all B. Christ therfore woulde haue vs all to acknowledge one God our father in heauen at whose hāds only we should looke for all care and prouidence of foode and also the true inheritance of euerlastinge life beinge assured that he doth acknowledge vs for his sons and heires 10. Neither be ye called masters for one is your master euen Christe Neither be ye called masters C. This sentēce as concernynge the mastership of Christ is therefore repeted twyse that wee mighte knowe that this is the lawefull order if God be ruler of all men haue the fatherlyke righte and gouernment and if Christe make all men subiecte to his doctrine and to be his Disciples euē as it is sayd in an other place that Christ is the only heade of the Churche because it is mete that the whole bodye be subiecte and obedient vnto hym B. This sentence is also repeated because the desyer of honor and excellency hath taken to deepe roote in the hartes of men For so soone as God hath brought any indifferent thinge to passe by vs or if he haue endewed vs with a smale gyfte wee are by and by proude therof and exalte oure selues aboue other men A. Wherefore he doth exhort vs againe againe that wee seeke with all our might to put awaye this pestiferous and deadly disease ambition To the which effecte also the sentence following appertaineth 11. Hee that is greatest amonge you shal be your seruaunt C. This short sentence declareth the Christe did not Sophistically contende about wordes but that he had rather respect vnto the matter least that anye man forgettinge his order and state shoulde vsurpe more vnto himselfe than were meete Hee pronounceth therefore that the greatest dignitye in the Churche is not rule and empyre but ministery and seruice Whosoeuer keepeth himselfe in this measure taketh nothinge neyther from God nor from Christ what title or name soeuer hee be adorned with Euen as also power is in vaine counterfeyted with the title of a seruaunt which derogateth from the maistership and honour of Christe For what doth it profite that the Pope oppressinge the miserable mindes of men with cruell and tyrannicall lawes calleth himselfe the seruaunt of the seruaunts of God But as Christ standeth not vppon callinges and voyces euen so hee cōmaundeth this thinge precisely to his Disciples that they aspyre not hyer than that they maye equally maintaine brotherly fellowshippe vnder their heauenlye father and that they which are in honour mighte humble themselues to serue others And althoughe this doctrine of Christ doth specially belonge to the Apostles of Christ yet notwithstāding it appertaineth to al estates yea to those also which are in publique matters that euerye one which is in office might know that hee is a seruaunt and mynister Hee which desyereth onely an office or name or glorye or gaine is not led by the spirite of God. But hee whiche taketh an office with greate faith and diligence and serueth others in loue if honour and prayse followe this man let no man condemne him yet notwythstandynge hee muste not seeke for glorye A. but geeue all glory to GOD alone 12. But whosoeuer exalteth hymselfe shal be broughte lowe but hee that humbleth himselfe shal be exalted Z. Hee exalteth himselfe whiche eyther attributeth to much to himselfe or whiche woulde appeare or els whiche vsurpeth somewhat to himselfe by a secrete opinion And contrarye wise hee humbleth himselfe which reputeth himselfe as nothinge before God whiche acknowledgeth that hee hath nothinge of his owne but all thinges of God and whiche sheeweth hymselfe gentle and louinge towardes all men For wherevppon commeth arrogancye crueltye and contempte of oure brethren but onelye by a wronge and false opinion that wee haue conceiued of oure selues Submit your selues saith Saint Peter one to another knit your selues together in lowlynes of minde For God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the humble And S. Iames sayth Humble your selues before God and he will exalt you C. The Scripture is full of such testimonyes that God is an ennemye vnto them which desier to exalte themselues For this is pride to glory in the giftes of God as though there were in oure selues a worthynes whiche mighte for our owne deserte extoll vs euen as humillitye also oughte not onelye to be thought an outwarde lowlines but a true and inwarde emptyinge and abasinge of the minde acknowledginge our owne infirmitye and knowinge that wee do excell onelye by the grace of god The Euangelist Luke maketh mencion that the Lord repeted this sentence twise at other places as in the fourtene Chapter where hee teacheth them modestye which preased to the hyest roomes at the feaste and in the eighteene Chapter where hee correcteth the arrogancye of certaine which seemed vnto themselues iuste and despysed others to whom also hee propounded the parable of the Pharisey and the Publicane By these it appeareth that this
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
vvere the bondslaues of synne and heires of eternall death It is that happy and ioyfull tidinges vvhich exempteth vs from all feare and bringeth occasioÌ„ of incredible ioye because it tolde of his comming vvhiche came to seke and to saue that vvhiche vvas lost For God so loued the vvorlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to the ende that all vvhiche beleue in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting It is that moste riche treasury vvhiche conteyneth vvhatsoeuer Moses and the Prophetes haue vvritten vvherein is opened vnto vs all the counsell of God. It is the povver of God to saluation to as many as bâ—â—â— to the Ievve first and to the Gentile It is the preaching of the crosse vvhiche vnto those â—…erishe is foolishenes but vnto vs that are saued the povver of God. It is that Myrror of the deuine glorie in vvhiche vve all beholding the glory of the Lorde vvith vncouered face are chaunged into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirite of the Lorde The doctrine also of the Gospell is so certayne and in euery pointe so absolute that although an Angell from heauen should preache any other thing but the same he ought to be counted accurssed It is the vnsearcheable misteries of Christe vvhiche in other ages vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as it is novve reuealed to his holy Apostels and Prophetes by the spirite It is the vvoorde of lyfe vvith vvhiche all the godly must holde out in the middest of a naughty and croked nation It is also the vvorde of truthe vvhich is not onely come among vs but also doth fructefie and increase through the vvhole vvorlde in spight of the resistance of Sathan and his ministers It is that holy and true saying vvhiche is vvorthy to be receiued of all men not as the vvorde of men but as it is in dede for the vvorde of God vvhiche also vvorketh effectually and mightely in those that beleue It is the spirite of the mouth of the Lorde vvhich shal slea that vvicked sonne of perditioÌ„ Antechrist vvho shall seduce them that perishe It is that faithfull saying and vvorthy by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christe came into the vvorlde to saue synners This is the same Gospell vvhereby Christe the sonne of God comming into this vvorlde hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light For it teacheth hovve vvee being iustefied by the grace of God are heires according to the hope of eternall lyfe It is moreouer that immortall and incorruptible sede vvhereby he vvhiche vvas before vvicked and vnprofitable is made a nevve creature in the Lorde It is the liuely vvorde of God mighty in operation and sharper than any tvvo edged svverde and entereth through eueÌ„ vnto the deuiding a sonder of the soule and of the spirit and of the ioyntes and mary and is a discerner of the thoughtes and intentes of the harte It is that pure vvord vvhich being receiued vvith mekenes and grafted in vs is able to saue our soule It is that holy vvorde of the Lorde against vvhich almoste all the vvorlde is bente and yet it endureth for euer It is also that Scripture vvhiche is geuen by inspiration from heauen vvhich they that are vnlearned and vnstable peruerte to their ovvne destruction It is that inuiolable vvorde vvhiche vvhosoeuer kepeth in him is the vvorde of God perfecte in dede It is the doctrine vvhiche vve must only imbrace so that if there come any to preache vnto vs and bring not this he ought not to be receyued of vs no nor yet saluted It is the vvorde of saluation and veritie vvhose faithfull preachers ought courteously to be receyued Contrarivvyse the contemners and scorners of the same shal be greuously punished by Gods iust iudgement And to conclude it is the eternall Gospell vvhiche must be published vnto them that inhabitâ—… on the earth to euery nation and kynred and tongue and people Those men therefore are vnhappy which set light by this vnuiolable Gospell of Christe but farre more vnhappy are they whiche haue and persecute the ministers and fauourers thereof and moste vnhappy of all are suche as deny and reiecte frowardly that whiche otherwyse they knowe to be true of whiche sorte many are founde among the Papistes for whome it had bene better not to haue knowne the waye of righteousnes than when they haue knowen it to retourne from that whiche was set forthe by Gods commaundement But it falleth out with them according to the true prouerbe The dogge is returned to his owne vomet and the Sowe that was wasshed to wallowe in the myer I beseche you moste dearely beloued brethren in Christe â—â—e from suche as are worse than the Dogge or Serpente and reade ouer this booke whiche is offered vnto you with great dilligence you shall finde in it I trust wherewithall to confirme your myndes in Christe our Sauiour aboundauntly among so many and so great troubles of this curssed worlde To hym be glory honor and dominion for euer and euer Amen Farewell in the Lorde At Viuiacum in the Calendes of Ianuary 1559. The names of those out of whose woorkes this exposition is gathered 1 Martin Bucer B. 12 Augustine AVG. 20 Iosephus 2 Caluin C. 13 Hierome HIER 21 Aulus Gelius 3 Erasmus E. 14 Origene OR 22 Plini 4 Musculus M. 15 Cyrill CYR. 23 Budaeus 5 Philip Melanethon P. 16 Chrysostome CHR. 24 Georgius Agricola 6 Erasmus Sarcerius E. 17 Basil BA 25 Cicero 7 Brentius R. 18 Eusebius EVS. 26 Hegesippus 8 Bullinger Bu. 19 Gregory GR.   9 Zuinglius Z.      10 Vitus Theodorus V.      11 Augustine Marlorate A.      A GODLY AND CATHOLIKE EXPOSITION OF THE holy Gospell of Iesu Christe after Mathewe THE ARGVMENT THE MORE PLAINE AND EASY THOSE things are vvhich are described and set forth vnto vs in this EuaÌ„gelical history the more vve ought to seeke chiefly for vvhat purpose the Euangelistes not content vvith the office of preaching committed vnto their posteritie in vvryting the preaching of Iesu Christe vvhiche by mouthe in their tyme here and there they had published For it is certaine that they did it not vvithout a speciall meaning and intent Surely the holy Ghoste vvith the vvhich they vvere inspired did forsee that there should come many after the deathe of the Apostels by the instinct and motion of Sathan vvhiche should bring vnto men â—…o the defacing and dâ—…siling of the doctrine and faith of Christ false opinions and vayne dreames vnder the name of Christe A and vvould place and set false and fayned thinges in stede of that vvhiche is the very truthe and so vvould either extinguishe and cleane put out the true light of the Gospell or at least so obscure and darken the same vvith their thicke and mistie cloudes that scarse truthe
here how the aungel with this only sentence doth cast downe all the seruice of the lawe and the whole opinion of the Scribes and Phariseis when that he pronounceth that at length he shall come whiche shall deliuer his people from their sinnes His people C. No doubt the aūgell called the Iewes the people of Christ to whom he was ordayned ioyned a ruler a king but because shortly after the Gentiles were to be vnited to the stocke of Abraham this promyse of saluation is extended to all one with an other whiche growe into one body of the churche by faith A. as more plainly appeareth by the woordes of the prophete saying I will call her my people whiche was not my people her beloued which was not beloued her to haue obtained mercy whiche had not obtained mercy 22 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the lorde by the prophet saying P. That is to to saye that our sauiour should be borne man of the holy virgin by the power of the holy ghost and should be called according to his office Iesus C. For Mathew comprehendeth whatsoeuer is deuine heauenly in the conception of Christe as easely may be gathered by the vniuersall note whiche he geueth 23 Beholde a maide shal be with child and shal bring forth a sonne and they shal call his name Emanuel which if a man interprete is as muche to saye as God with vs. Behold a mayde shal be This place is plain commonly knowen But the Iewes according to their wōted malice do depraue and corrupt the same yet here they do bewray and shewe forth not only their blinde folishe but also their wicked malice against Christe and his truthe With no lesse impudencie their Rabbines haue gone about to expounde this place of the prophete of Ezechias whiche was then fiftene yeares of age But what vnreasonable falshode is this to laye vp the young man againe in his mothers wombe that he might be sixtene yeares of age and all to obscure the light and to deny a manifest truthe But they are the worthy enemies of Christ whom being stricken with the spirite of madnes God will make foolishe Other somme fayne and imagin to them selues an vnknowen sonne of Achaz whom the prophete did foretelle should be borne But here it may be demaunded by what right he should be called Emanuel and how the lande was subiecte to his authoritie when he died as a priuate man without honour For the same prophete by and by saith that the same childe whatsoeuer he be shal be lorde and ruler of the earth And no lesse fondly do they babble whiche applie this prophesy to the prophetes sonne And truely in this pointe our Christian wryters haue to grosly erred in applying the prophesie in the eight chapter following to Christe There the prophete saith that he was commaunded to go to the prophetisse his wyfe by a vision and by the commaūdement of God to cal the childe that was borne vnto him a spedy robber and a hasty spoyler For there is only noted the troublesomnes of warre with the great destruction and desolation that was at hande Whereby it may easely be gathered that there were diuers causes Let vs seke therefore for the proper sence meaning of this place When king Achaz was afraide Hierusalem being besieged yea he being almoste discouraged with feare the prophete is sent vnto him whiche promiseth that God shall be the keper and defender of the citie But when this simple and vndoubted promise did nothing eleuate his troubled mynde the prophete was bydden to proffer somme signe or token whether in heauen aboue or in earth beneath When this wicked hipocrite cloking his infidelitie denied to haue any signe or token the prophete did more sharpely reproue him and at length said Notwithstanding the lord shal geue you a signe For behold a maide shal conceiue and bring forth a sonne We expounde this to be spoken of Christe in this manner All you which are of the posteritie of Dauid do indeuour so much as in you lieth to abbolishe the grace promised vnto you notwithstanding your distrust shall neuer bryng to passe but that the truthe of God shall alwayes be higher and haue the vpper hande God doth promise that the citie shal be safe and defended from the enemies if his woorde be not sufficient he is ready to geue you according to your own arbitrement a tokē to cōfirme the same You exclude the grace proffered driue the same from you yet shall God abyde firme iust in his counaunt promyse for the promised redemer shall come in whome God wyll shewe him self perfectly vnto his people The Iewes do obiecte that Esay shoulde haue done both folishly and absurdly if that he had geuen a signe to the people in those daies whiche signe was exhibited manifestly shewed vnto them eight hūdred yeres after or thereabout And here very arrogantly they triunphe because that this obiection either by the want of skill and learning or els by the carelesnes and negligence of the Christians was passed ouer with silence But truly the solution and aunswere to this obiection appertaining doth not seme hard if that we consider way that the promise of adoption was geuen to the Iewes whereupon all the reste of the benefites of God did depende and wholy consiste It was therfore a generall promise by the which God did take chose the sonnes of Abraham to be a peculiar people vnto him selfe in the whiche all other speciall promises were founded and stablished Againe the Messias was the foundation of this couenaunt and promise Now let vs note that the cause of the deliuering of the citie was for that it was the sanctuary of God and that from thence the redemer should come This respect being taken away Hierusalem had bene destroyed laide waste an hundred times Now let the godly readers way and diligently consider that when as the kinglike house had reiected the signe proffered of God vnto them whether the prophete conueniently passed to the Messias or no. As if he should haue sayd Although this people are vnworthy of the sauing health whiche I promise from the lorde Notwithstanding God being mindeful of his couenaunt shall deliuer this citie from her enemies Therefore that he might shewe forth no particuler signe for the testifiyng of his grace this might be sufficient enough that the Messias should come of the stock of Dauid Further we must note here that the prophete doth cal the vnfaithful to the general promise because they would admitte no particuler signe It is therfore nowe manifest that the prophet when no miracle might be receiued very aptly and in good time passed to shewe of Christe that the vnbeleuing might conceiue in their mindes that there was no other cause of their deliuerance then the couenaunt made with their fathers Now also resteth to confute their cauil in the
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
vertue is to be cōsidered in the persone of a seruaunt and in his humane nature 17 And loe there came a voyce from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased And loe there came a voyce M. Math. doth not saye simplelie that a voyce was heard from heauen but that a voyce came frō heauen C. For out of that diuision and opening of the heauens whiche we touched euen nowe came this voyce wherby he might haue the greater maiestie This is my beloued sonne M. This testimony of the father being brought from the heauens to the earth as concerning his sonne hath a declaration of his will towardes mankynde with a declaration also of Christe the onely begotten sonne of god C. For the title of sonne doth only pertayne vnto Christe truly and naturally but yet the sonne of God was made manifest in our fleshe that by the same righte that God was father vnto him he might make him our father also Wherefore God bringing vnto vs a mediator in the tytell and commendation of his sonne doth shewe him selfe to be a father to vs all The Grek woorde doth signifie more then my beloued sonne in the superlatiue degrée my best beloued sonne For Christe is so called because when we were hatefull and odious vnto God it was necessary that his fatherly loue should flowe from Christe vnto vs M. As if the father should haue sayde He whom I haue sent vnto you and caused to come in your fleshe is my only beloued sonne In whome you may sée how greatly I loue mankynde and his saluation wherefore see that you cleaue vnto him by faythe But S. Paule doth very well interprete this place saying By his grace he made vs accepted through the beloued In vvhom I am vvell pleased The Greke woorde doth signifie a minde so inclined that it hathe a singuler and ready good wyll and affection separated from all anger and displeasure C. Therfore it declareth that the loue of God so resteth in Christe that he doth geue him self from him vnto vs and not only to vs but to the very aungels not that they haue neede of reconsiliation who were neuer out of Gods fauoure but because they them selues cleane not vnto God but by the benefite of the head Wherefore he is called the first begotten of all creatures And S. Paule in another place teacheth that he came to set at peace all thinges bothe in heauen and earth M. The Apostle Peter gotte the certainty of the faith doctrine of Christ by this testimony of the father whiche was declared in the mounte Moreouer this place teacheth vs that none can reuele the sonne but only the father according to the saying of Christe None knoweth the sonne sauing the father and agayne Fleshe and bloud hath not reueled this vnto thee but my father whiche is in heauen Also he sayth No man cōmeth vnto me excepte my father whiche sent me drawe him Wherefore we must praye vnto God that he will reuele vnto vs and make vs knowe his welbeloued sonne Iesus Christe in whome he is so well pleased that whatsoeuer we aske in his name we shall receiue the same if it be according to his will. The .iiij. Chapter THen was Iesus led into the wyldernesse of the spirit to be tempted of the deuell Then vvas Iesus led into B. In this fourthe chapter the Euangeliste doth shewe that our lord was tempted before he toke in hande the office of preaching M. Then what disciples in the beginning of his preaching he called vnto him Last of all howe at the firste in Galile with going about with teaching and with healing those that were diseased his name was spred throughout all Syria M. Therefore immediatly after baptisme as Marke saithe he was led or caried as it were from the middes of the people and from the conuersation of his former lyfe from those thynges whiche he being subiect to his parentes hitherto exercised Into the vvildernes The wyldernes was a place not inhabited or voyde of men for Marke saythe that he was among the beastes C. For twoo causes Christe went into the wyldernes first that after the faste of fourty daies he might come forthe as a newe man yea rather as a heauenly creature to the executing of his office Secondly being proued and tried with nothing but temptatiōs he might being throughly instructed in all pointes prepare hym selfe to so difficulte and excellent an office Knowe we therfore that Christe the spirite being his guyde was led awaye from the company of men that he might when he came againe appeare to be the chief doctor teacher of the churche and the Embassadour of God that he might rather be thought to be sent from heauen then to be taken out of some cittie or from the company of men Euen so God toke Moyses into the mounte of Synai when that he purposed to promulgate and set forth his lande by his hande and being taken out of the peoples sight was receiued as it were into a consecrated and holy place Nowe it behoued Christe to shyne no lesse with the notes of heauenly grace and vertue then Moyses leaste that the maiestie and authoritie of the Gospell should be lesse then the force of the lawe For if the lorde did decke the doctrine being the minister of death with so excellent dignitie howe muche more shoulde he beutifie the doctrine of life And if the shadowed figure of God had so great light and brightnes how necessary was it then for his face and countenaunce which appeareth in the Gospell with glittering beames to shyne Of the spirite Bu. That is to saye of the holy ghoste by the which euē now he was declared to be the sonne of god But al this is signified to be done by the prouidence of God and not by fortune or chaunce but by the councell of the spirit to be gouerned Not as though he wanted hitherto the direction of the spirite but that now by the appearing of the spirite and by his more manifest impulsion he shoulde do greater thinges Marke saith The spirite droue him into the wyldernes Luke saith he was forced of the spirite that we may vnderstande that nowe at this time by a speciall kinde of meane through the force of the spirite he toke in hande higher thinges of greater and waightier charge M. By this example we sée how that those which the spirite of God dothe selecte and chose to the glory of the deuine office are chaunged into other men and by the spirite of God are dryuen and constrayned to take great matters in hande as we maye for example sée in Moyses and Dauid To be tempted of the deuell C. Sathan toke occasion to tempte Christ by his honger as we shall here anone But nowe generally we must sée why God would tēpte him Mathew and Marke by their wordes do seme to affirme that he was led into the
wyldernes of the spirite by the sure determinate couÌ„sel of God who no doubt would shew in the person of his sonne as in a clere glasse what a cruel importunate aduersary Sathan is to the health saluation of maÌ„kinde Wherby it came to passe that more sharpely he assaulteth Christe and vseth al his force and power against him euen in this moment which the EuaÌ„gelistes do note and that because he sawe him prepared at his fathers commaundement to worke the redemption of man Therefore then he resisted our saluation in the persone of Christe euen as he doth cruelly bende all his mighte dayly against the ministers of the same redemptioÌ„ the authour wherof is Christ But we must also note that the sonne of God did wyllingly without cohersion take these temptations vpon him which here are mencioned and that he contended with the deuill hande to hande that by his victory he might cause vs to reioyce and triumphe Therefore so often as Sathan doth assaulte vs let vs remeÌ„ber that we can by no other meanes sheylde and defende our selues then by this bucler and this was the cause in dede that the sonne of God suffered hym selfe to be tempted that he might helpe vs so often as Sathan armed him selfe against vs. M. For in that he was tempted him self he can help theÌ„ that are teÌ„pted Therefore when he led a priuate life at home we reade not that he was tempted but when he toke vpon him the office of a redemer he descended into the midst of the fielde to take the quarrel in hand in the name of his churche But if Christ was tempted in the common state and persone of all the faithfull let vs then wel know that those temptations which we suffer are not by chauÌ„ce or at the wil and pleasure of Sathan without the permission of God but that the spirite of God is the cause of all our temptations by the whiche oure faithe is tried Whereby a sure hope is to be gathered that God whiche is the chiefe ouerseer and moderator will not be vnmyndefull of vs but will helpe vs at all suche nedes and straites whiche are to harde for vs But the woordes of Luke haue more force who saieth that Iesus being ful of the holy ghost retourned froÌ„ Iordane By the which he signifieth that he was then endewed with more plentifull grace and power of the spirite that he might be more strong and apte to the enterpryse whiche he had in hande neyther in vayne did the holy ghost descende vpon him in a visible shape Obiection But at the firste sighte it semeth very absurde that Christe shoulde be subiecte to the deuels temptatioÌ„s because it is a great vice and infirmitie that causeth man to be tempted First I aunswere that Christ toke our infirmities vpon him but without vice furthermore that nothing of his glory was any whit the more deminished in suffering him self to be tempted then it should be in taking oure infirmities vpon him For this was the cause that he was made man that taking vpon him our fleshe he should take our affections also But all the doubte consisteth in the first member or parte how Christ should be inclosed in our infirmitie that he might be subiect to the temptation of Sathan and yet neuerthelesse to be pure and frée from all vyce and synne But truly this is no doubt at all if we call to mynde the whole and perfecte nature of Adam in whome although the Image of God did shyne yet neuerthelesse he was subiecte to temptations Moreouer loke howe many corporall affections there be in men so many occasions dothe Sathan take to tempte them And this is worthely thought to be the infirmitie of mans nature to haue his sences moued with those thinges that are before him whereby it commeth to passe that Sathan doth at no time set vpoÌ„ vs but he doth wouÌ„de vs or at least with some stroke or other hurte vs But the integritie of nature in this parte doth seperate vs from Christ Howebeit suche a meane condition as was in Adam is not to be imagined who had power geuen hym only not to synne But truely we knowe that Christe was so replenished with the vertue of the spirite that the ingins and dartes of Sathan could not once pearce and enter into him Bu. Nowe as touching the texte Mathewe here calleth hym the â—…uell whom by and by he calleth Sathan that the Greke texte whiche signifieth deuel and the Hebrew texte that hath Sathan may be all one In some places these two are ioyned together The olde Serpent whiche is called the deuell and Sathan where the Hebrewe texte doth alleadge this woorde SathaÌ„ the .lxx interpretours haue altered it into deuell Properly this name deuell doth signifie a priuy accusar and slaunderer causing infamy betraying men According to the etimology or force of the same woorde Iohn sayth The accusar of our brethren is cast downe whiche accused them before our God daye and night But Sathan dothe signifie an enemy an aduersary a hatefull persone As Dauid sayd what matter is betwene you and me for this daye ye are become aduersaries vnto me The Lattin text hath Cur efficimini mihi hodie in Satan Euen so to Peter he perswading Christe from the crosse it was sayde Come after me Sathan for he was an aduersary vnto Christe reuoking him from his fathers commaundement 2 And when he had fasted fourty dayes and fourty nightes he was at the last an hongered And vvhen he had fasted C. The fasting of Christe and his departure into the wyldernes were done all to one effecte and purpose Neyther did Christe abstaine from meate drinke to geue an example of temperauncy but because thereby he might haue the greater authoritie and being exempted from the common coÌ„pany of men might come as an aungell from heauen and not as a man out of the earth For what vertue of abstineÌ„cie was that not to taste meate to the desire wherof he was not once moued by hâ—…nger For it is moste sure and the Euangelistes do declare the same that he suffered hunger no otherwyse theÌ„ as if he had not taken vpon him our flesh Wherefore the faste of the holy tyme of Lente as they call it was mere foolishenes synce it was appointed to the immitation of Christe Neyther is there any suche reason to perswade vs more to followe this example of Christe at this day then there was to moue the holy prophetes and fathers in tymes paste vnder the lawe to followe the example of Moyses fast And we know that none remembred this Also allmoste for the same ende God caused only Helias to faste in the mounte because he was a minister of the restoring of the lawe They fayne them selues to be immitators and followers of Christe whiche obserue and kepe the faste of the holy tyme of Lente For they so stuffe their bellies at dynner
the lawe of charitie dothe require that we being strengthened by the power of the holy ghoste may in strining ouercome all affectiōs that are cōtrary against vs Christ here doth set forth vnto vs certaine degrées to obserue namely to loue with our harte to blesse with our mouth and to do good with our dedes These thinges he requireth of vs but to what ende namely 45 That ye may be the children of your father which is in heauen for he maketh his Sunne to arise on the euell and on the good and sendeth raine on the iust and on the vniuste That ye may be C. When as Christ doth plainly pronounce that none can be the sonnes of God but they which loue their enemies who dare saye that we nede not of necessitie obserue this doctrine For his wordes are thus in effecte Whosoeuer will be a Christian let him loue his enemies And yet for all this suche horrible libertie haue our Monkes geuē to the people that they durste boldely saye that this was the counsell of Christe not his commaundement M. Christe saith not your enemies are worthy which ye loue For thei proue you for your proffite and they are the instrumentes of God prouing your faith and pacience For here the fleshe might drawe backe persuade vs that they are euell which trie vs and that they do it of hatred and that therefore they are worthy to be hated agayne What saythe Christe therefore That ye may be saythe he the sonnes of your father C. By the whiche wordes he doth set God before vs as ensample to followe as though that whiche he doth became vs also For he striketh and punisheth the vnthankefull and often tymes doth roote the wycked and vngodly out of the worlde in the which pointe he doth not set him before vs to followe and immitate because the iudgemente of the worlde doth not belonge vnto vs whiche is only proper to him but he would haue vs followers of his fatherly goodnes and liberalitie The whiche thing not onely the prophane Philosophers sawe but also certaine wicked and vngodlye men whiche were despisers of godlines could confesse and saye We are in nothinge more like vnto God then in weldoynge In fine Christe doth here shewe a note token of our adoption if we be good and beneficiall to vnworthy and euell persones M. Not that he meaneth that we by doing these thinges are the sonnes of God C. But because the same spirite whiche is a witnes a seale and earneste of our adoption doth correcte the euell affections of the fleshe whiche resiste charitie Christ of the effecte proueth that no other are the sonnes of God but they whiche declare the same seale and token by gentlenes mekenes pacience and liberalitie M. As if he should haue sayd by doing these thinges ye shal shew and declare your selues to be the sonnes of the highest As Luke saith This therfore is the accustomed maner of speaking in the scripture to put in the place and stede of a reward the free mercies of God when he seaketh to animate and incourage vs to do wel And the reason is this because he hath respecte to what ende we were called namely that the Image of God beinge repayred in vs we shoulde leade a holy and a godly lyfe VVhiche is in heauen This is not added in vaine For thereby he sheweth that this earthly natiuitie by the which we are in the fleshe must be denied and the eies of our mindes must be erected and lifted vp to heauenly thynges in the whiche we haue suche parte and fellowship that we should neuer forget to be of an heauenly nature For he maketh his Sunne to arise M. Some reade it thus Whiche suffereth his Sūne to arise but a great deale better they reade it whiche saie He maketh his Sunne to arise For it is more imperfect to saie he suffereth his Sunne because it fulfilleth not the deuine prouidence and goodnes whiche Christ setteth before vs here But Christ here reherseth two testimonies of the benefites of God whiche are not onely well knowen vnto vs but also commen to all men As the sunne whiche shineth vpon all the world as the rayne which falleth vpon the face of the whole earth as lyfe also which he geueth as well to beastes as to men as well to the good as to the wicked Let therefore the exāple of your father saith he moue you whiche is mercifull to all men He is no iudge now but in the fulnes of tyme he wyll iudge the whole world Now his benefites and giftes are extēded both to the godly vngodly this he dothe to allure all men to goodnes to the cōsideratiō of his merciful liberalitie To the godly all thynges happen for the beste but the wycked in prosperitie are hardened thinke them selues in their wickednes to be acceptable vnto God. 46 For if ye loue those which loue you what rewarde haue ye Do not the publicanes euen so also For if ye loue Bu. Now by a comparison Christe sheweth playnely that men do not according to their dignitie and profession if they loue them only of whome they are beloued and do good only to thē of whome they receiue benefite agayne VVhat revvarde haue ye M. The Iewes hoped for a great rewarde in keping the lawe But the Phariseis did so expounde this that thei thought no loue to be commaunded but the loue of their frendes Of this fonde imagination and doctrine what absurditie followeth Christ by this place plainly declareth If so be saithe he that you wil only loue your frendes that is to saye those which loue you what rewarde can ye hope for For he whiche loueth his frēde or louer doth bestowe loue for loue good tourne for good tourne According to the prouerbe Manus manum fricat one good tourn requireth another Which in dede deserueth neither thanke prayse nor rewarde before God. Do not the publicans euen so C. In the same sence Luke putteth sinners that is wicked vngodly persons not that the office it selfe is damnable For the Publicanes were receiuers of custome or tribute for as princes of their authoritie right appointe tribute to be payde so is it lawful for others whom they shall appointe to require it But because this kind of men was wont to be couetous yea gredy and cruel Further they were cōdemned because they were coūted of the Iewes vniust ministers of tyranny Bu. To be short they were euell spoken of amonge the people neither were they counted or regarded among honest citizens but rather were called common troublers the wormes mothes of the people and robbers and poulers Whereupon Iohn the Baptiste when they came to his baptime sayde Require no more then that whiche is appointed vnto you For if any man gather by the wordes of Christ that Publicanes are the worste sorte of men they are deceiued because he speaketh after the
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
declare a testimonye to wytnesse or to acknowledge because he wolde not haue the faith of men lie hiddē in their hartes but opēly pronounced set forth vnto mē And whosoeuer hideth kepeth this faith silent doth he not frustrate the sonne of God shut hym selfe also out of the dores and expulse him self as none of his familie There is requyred trewely a more playne and manifest confession of the faythe of suche as are teachers then of priuate men furthermore because all men haue not fayth alike by measure he which hath the most of the spirite oughte to geue the greatteste ensaumple notwithstanding there is no faythefull man whome the Sonne of God requireth not to be a wytnesse For that whiche Peter commaundethe pertayneth to all the faythfull when he sayth Sanctifie the lorde in your hartes Be ready alwayes to geue an aunswere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you In the whiche place hope is taken for saythe C. But where when howe often howe and to what ende our faythe ought to be professed it were a harde matter to constitute any certayne lawe but the occasiō must be considered least that euery one of vs in tyme neglecte our duety Moreouer we must craue at the handes of the lorde the spirite of fortitude and wysdome the whiche being our guyde we shal knowe what we oughte to do and obserue also that whiche he hath commaunded Bu. Finally to professe Christe in this place is truely to publyshe the truthe of the Gospell that is constantly to acknowledge Christe to be perfecte God and mā and to be the onely saluation and righteousnes of the worlde by the whiche the faythful are iustified Hereby we see that it is not enoughe for a Christian man to haue Christe in his harte vnles also he professe him opēly before men according to the measure of the fayth that is geuen vnto hym as we sayde euen nowe according to his office and calling and as oportunitie shall serue If any man therfore be called to the cōfession of the faithe before Tyrauntes then ought he openly and playnely to confesse Christe euen as if God him self shold require testimony of hym The whiche that he may do in deede he ought to pray vnto God that he woulde vouchesafe to geue hym a sure truste and confidence with the spirite of boldnes B. Agayne Christe is denied when we do not acknowledge hym to be true God and man when we denie hym to be our Sauiour our righteousnes and redemer and when we thinke not his doctrine to bee the infallible truthe or when we are ashamed of him either for mallice contēpte or feare Of contempte and mallice that wicked kynge Iulianus denied Christe for feare Peter denied him At this daye the Iewes and Turkes not knowing the misteries of the gospel do malitiously deny him They deny him for feare whiche either by the terror of death of torment of banishement or of prysonmēt being asked of the magistrate do denie them selues to be louers of the Gospell But some willingly and without constrainte do confesse Christe to be the onely prieste the mediatour and the onely euerlastinge sacrifice of the faythfull purgation redemption and righteousnes Whosoeuer nowe acknowelegeth not this he doth plainly deny Christ and not only deny hym but he taketh awaye also the glory of his name Hym vvyll I confesse also M. That is whosoeuer acknowledgeth me for his lorde onely Sauioure and is not ashamed as sayth Marke and Luke of my doctrine before men but boldly and truely cōfesseth the same him also wyll I acknowledge for myne and commende him to my father There is a promyse therefore added here whiche should inflame our hartes make vs zelouse in this behalfe For how much doth the promise excede that which he requireth Surely there is almost no comparison sauyng that it pleaseth hym of his mercifull liberalitie to bestowe it vppon vs. 33 But whosoeuer denieth me before men him wyll I deny also before my father whiche is in heauen M. Marke somewhat more at large affirmeth this saying Whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my wordes in this aduouterous and sinfull generatiom Of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when he commeth in the glory of his father with the holy aungels Luke in lyke manner hathe the same woordes almoste in effect C. If therefore the promyse before be not sufficient to encourage vs to acknowledge Christe then let vs geue eare to the seuere threatninge that Christe when he shall come to iudge the worlde shall denie al which for feare shame or contempte haue denyed hym before men Now let the enemies of the crosse of Christe go flatter them selues in their dissimulation when as Christe doth blotte them out of the booke of lyfe For whome shal God at the laste take for his chyldren but those whiche are offered vnto him by Christe Where as Christe is sayd to come in the glory of his father and of the aungels the meaning is that his glory shall be reueled plainely to the whole worlde 34 Suppose not that I came to sende peace into the earth No I came not to sende peace but a swearde Suppose not that I came C. By these wordes our Sauiour Christe declareth that he should not nede the labour helpe ministry of his apostels if the whole world with one consent would subscribe to his Gospell But because the greatest parte is not only against it but seketh diligētly to ouerwhelme the same we cannot without contention the hatred of many men acknowledge Christe Christe therfore admonisheth his Apostles to prepare them selues to the battaile because it is necessary that they warre whiche professe the Gospel And so he preuenteth two offences whiche otherwyse mighte haue troubled and disquieted the mindes of the weake For whē as the Prophetes promised euery where that the state of the kyngdome of Christe should be quiet and peaceable what coulde the Apostels loke for but that all thinges shoulde be quiet in peace whersoeuer they came Nowe for somuche as Christe is oure peace and the Gospell also doth reconcile vs vnto God Obiection it consequently followeth that brotherly concorde should be among vs Therefore to haue warre contention and strife in the worlde when the Gospel is preached agreeth not with the foreshewynges of the Prophetes and much les with the office of Christe and the nature of the Gospell But that peace whiche the Prophetes speake of because it is ioyned with faithe is among none but the true worshippers of God and in the consciences of the godly and it commeth not to the vnbeleuers though it bee offered vnto them they wyll neuer the soner also come into the grace fauoure of God Whereby it commeth to passe that the Embassage of peace worketh in them the greater disquietnes and tumulte For because Sathan whiche reigneth among the reprobate and beareth rule
dothe pacyfye and quiete our myndes B. For so soone as he hath geuen vs knowledge of hym selfe that we shal not nede to doubt but that our sinnes are forgeuen vs of the father through him and that we are made by hym sonnes heyres of euerlastyng lyfe what thing is there then can trouble vs yea what greater peace and tranquillitie of the mynde can there be then this Saynt Paule in his epistels persisteth muche in preachinge and setting forthe of this peace A. Moreouer this pronoune I hath a great Emphasis and force in it I saith he will refreshe you As if he shoulde say Why do ye loke for ease where it can not be founde Whye do ye seke in vaine I am he alon which can helpe you Therfore leauinge all other come vnto me alone that ye maye possesse the trewe peace 29 Take my yoake vpon you learne of mee for I am meeke and lowly in hearte and ye shall fynde reste vnto your sowles Take my yoake C. Because we se many abuse the grace of Christ whē they tourne the same to the libertye of the fleshe Christ therfore after he had promised ioyful rest to thē that laboured in their cōsciences miserably he also admonisheth that he is the deliuerer vpō this conditiō that men shold take his yoke vpon thē as if he should say I do not therfore ease you of the burthē of sin make God mercifull vnto you to the ende ye shold take libertie to sinne but that ye beīg erected lifted vp by his grace shold also take the yoke vpō you according to the spirite to restraine the lasciuiousenes of the flesh And hereby the definitiō of that rest wherof Christe spake is gathered namely that Christ here doth not exempt or exclude his disciples frō the burthē of the crosse that they might liue plesantly but rather he seketh that he myght exercise thē vnder the yoke of discipline kepe them vnder the banner of trouble And learne M. Some reade this as though it were spokē of Chryst to the ende his disciples should learne mekenes humilitie but there is an other meaning of these woordes as thus Because through the cōtumacte of the fleshe wee shonne caste of the yoke of Christ as sharpe harde he seketh to frame vs after his ensaumple This therfore is the sence and meanyng of these wordes Because Christ exhorted his discyples to beare his yoke leaste that the hardnes of the same shold make them afraide by and by he addeth Learn of me signifyinge that the yoake should not be greuouse vnto vs when as we ar accustomed by his ensample to mekenes humilitie Let vs consider that he sayth in an other place the seruaunt is not aboue his maister If he therefore vouchsafed to beare the yoake of trouble wee must not disdayne to beare the same And ye shall fynde rest C. For so longe as the flesh kycth resisteth so long we are troubled when they go about to please god otherwise in casting of the yoake of Christ they wery them selues in vayne Euen as men may se the Papistes who miserably vexe and trouble them selues because they wil not be vnder the yoke of Christ But this spirituall rest whiche the lord promyseth to those that com vnto hym can not be gotten by the studye and industry of man He saith trewly ye shall fynde but before hee saide I wyll ease you that we might vnderstand that we finde this ease by his grace power 30 For my yoake is swete and my burthen is lyghte M. Nowe he sheweth an other reason why they shall finde reste by his yoake namely because it is swete and light not harde or sharpe C. He calleth his yoake swete whē as notwithstandyng there is nothing more hard then his doctrine and crosse which he laieth vpon vs neither is there any thing more harde then the lyfe of Christians if thou haue respecte to the presente condition and state of the same A. But if thou haue respect to the spirite of adoptiō by the which the sonnes of god are led if thou consider the disciplin in it selfe it will seme bitter harde to the fleshe but to the spirite sweete easy and light As witnesseth s Iohn saying This is the loue of God that we kepe his commaundementes and his cōmandements are not greuouse for all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde And this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euen our faith C. Therfore they which are regenerate by the spirite of God are framed to the obedience of his will And when they haue once tasted what Christ is what they owe vnto him there is nothing hard Bu. Last of al by this sentēe of Christ there are two sortes of men cōfuted The one sorte are they by whose wicked boldenesse and troublesome foolyshe and couetouse lawes the Church of God is oppressed The other sorte are they which so sone as they heare that mē are iustifyed onely by faith in Chryst by and by they thynke that they may reiecte all godlynes and vertue liue in Epicurisme and fylthy pleasure But the lorde requireth that we being delyuered from the handes of our ennemies should serue hym submittyng our selues to the yoke in holynesse and ryghteousenesse all the dayes of our life The xii Chapter AT that tyme Iesus wente on the sabboth daies thorow the corne and his discyples were an hungred and began to plucke the eares of corne and to eate At that time Iesus vvent C. In this hystory it was the Euangelistes meanynge and pourpose to shewe partelye of what deuelishe disposition the Phariseies were and partely to declare how they were supersticiouselye addycted to externall and triffelyng thynges in so much that they counted pure and deuoute holynes to cōsist in the same For they accused the disciples of Chryste because they in theyr iorneye plucked the eares of corne beinge by hunger constrayned therevnto as though therby they had broken the saboth daye The obseruation trewely of the saboth was a holy thyng but yet not in suche wise as they immagined namely that a man might scarse sturre his finger vppon the same without grudge of conscience Hypocrisie therfore was the cause whye they were so scrypulous in lyght matters regarded not the grosse superstitions in the whiche they wallowed euen as Chryst casteth them in the teethe that they tythed mynte and commyn regarded not the principal points of the Lawe And this is always the māner of hypocrites to seke for libertie in great matters and to be very precyse in ceremonies and outwarde tryfelinge shewes Hereupon it commeth to passe that they so seriously contende to obserue externall rytes because they seke and endeuour them selues to worship God only with carnall worshyp But malice and enuy rather then superstition pricked thē forwarde to this reprehension because they were not so captiouse and frowarde to others But it
are tried by the goodnes of God then chiefly doth the power of Sathan shewe it self in thē For as S. Paule saith the wicked spirite is of great force in them 15 But when Iesus knewe thereof he departed thence and muche people followed him and he healed them all But vvhen Iesus knevve C. In that Christ seketh to escape by flight it is not to be imputed to any feare that was in him For as he did flie at this time so did he diuers times afterward because the time in the which he should suffer was not yet com but when the fulnes of time was expired he did not let to offer him self to the death yea euen to the most shamefull death of the crosse Again it is euident that he was rather by his heauēly power then by flight preserued for otherwyse it had bene no hard matter if the Iewes would haue persecuted hym to haue found hym neither did he hide him selfe in caues but had alwaies a great multitude following him and by the myracles that he wroughte had great fame also He fled therefore out of their sighte only because he would not kyndell their madnes whiche would haue increased more and more by his presence There follovved him a great multitude The Phariseis go aboute to kyll Christe and the multitude followe hym M. Wherupon the Scribes and Phariseis sayde Do any of the Rulers and Phariseis beleue on hym But the common people whiche knowe not the lawe are cursed At this daye we maye heare the lyke sayinges of the wicked Saye they These lewde fellowes meanynge the preachers of the woorde seduce the rude and ignoraunte people but what wyse man or what is he of reputation that regardeth them But let vs cōsider for what cause the Scribes and Phariseis did not followe Christe Did not they see what Christe did Yes vndoubtedly very well Wherefore then do not they also with the multitude followe hym Surely if the lyke affection had bene in them that was in the multitude they had followed Christe also But because the lyke was not in them therefore they dyd the contrary And he healed them all C. Here he sheweth the promptnes and readines of Christe in healing the infirmities and diseases of the people to this ende that we shoulde rather consider his goodnes mercy and louing kyndnes then the power of healing with the whiche he was endowed 16 And charged them that they shoulde not make hym knowne C. But Marke in steade of this semeth to place some other speciall matter namely that he charged the vncleane spirites to holde their peace whiche proclaymed hym to be the sonne of god But we will shewe in an other place why he woulde not admit the testimony of these Notwithstanding there is no doubt but that God caused the deuels to make this confession But after that Christe had shewed that they were subiect to his power he did not without cause reiecte their testimony But that which Matthew saith is more large namely that Christ forbad them to publishe the fame of those signes and miracles that he did not that he wold haue them wholely suppressed but that they hauing nowe taken roote shoulde bringe forth their frute in dewe and conuenient tyme whiche tyme as yet was not come For we knowe that Christ did not dally or tryfell in his miracles that is he wroughte them not without some serious effecte to come but he had this regarde to proue hym selfe thereby to be the sonne of God and the redemer of the worlde He came therefore by lyttell and littell to the lyght and as it were by degrees or steppes neyther was he any other wyse made manifeste what he was then the time which was ordeined of his father before would suffer This now is worthy the notinge here that whyle the wicked go about to frustrate obscure the glory of God they make the same the more to appeare peruerte their owne imaginations by the secrete counsell of God who worketh the same confoundeth their deuises as foolishe For althoughe they expulsed him from one place his glory shyneth straightwaye in an other yea more then it did before 17 That it might be fulfilled whiche was spoken by Esay the Prophete whiche saythe B. The Euangeliste alleageth this place to cōmende the wonderfull mekenes modestie of Christ by the whiche he gaue place to his aduersaries when as he might haue destroyed them also in a momēt cōfounded them but he rather through pacience wayghted when iudgemēt should be cast forthe to victory to declare also that he woulde go to the Gentiles that he would teache thē by his Apostels C. Therfore Mathew vnderstandeth not that the prophecy of Esay is altogether fulfilled in this the Christe prohibited the rumors of his deuine power but in this part also a trial of his mekenes was declared which is set forth by Esay in the persone of the Messias Mathew also by this circūstaunce intended to shew that the glory of the deuinitie of Christ was not therfore the lesse to be estemed because he appered vnder the shewe of infirmitie And truly to the same ende scope did the holy ghost direct the eyes of the Prophete For because the fleshe doth always couet and desyre an externall shewe and bewty leaste that the faythfull shoulde seke for the like in the Messias the spirite of God witnesseth that he shal be altogether vnlyke to earthly kinges who to the ende they may get vnto them selues admiration whethersoeuer they come they styr vp great shoutes cries and they fill the citties and townes with tumultes Now let vs beholde howe aptly Matthewe applieth the prophecie of the Prophete to the present cause or matter in hand For because it pleased God to put vppon his sonne an humble base estate least that the rude ignoraunt should conceiue any offence by his cōtemptible obscure cōdition both the Prophete and Matthewe to preuente this I say pronounce that it was so decreed before hande not rashely but by the will of god Hereupon it followeth that all they do amis whiche despyse Christe because his externall condition aunswereth not or is not agreable to the desires of the fleshe Neither is it mete that we imagin or thinke of Christ according to our wyt reason or vnderstāding but simpely it is necessary that he be imbraced as Christe whiche is sente and offered vnto vs of God the father So that he is vnworthy of saluation whiche despyseth the humilitie of Christe with the whiche the almighty God witnesseth that he is pleased 18 Beholde my seruaunt whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule delighteth I will put my spirite vpon hym and he shall shewe iudgement to the Gentiles Beholde my seruaunt E. Some translations haue Behold my sonne but the Hebrew woorde Abdi whiche is redde in the prophecie of Esay dothe rather signifie a seruaunt then a sonne The Greeke woorde is ambiguous
restraine that synne to the fyrste table of the lawe Shall not be forgeuen This semeth to some to be a verye harde and straighte sayinge and therefore theye flee to this chyldysshe and fonde distinction and cauyll sayinge that it was saide to be irremissible or voyde of remyssion because the pardon of the same is rare and hardly obtained But Christ spake more plainly and in suche sorte that his woordes can not be so slenderly eluded For they reason to folishely whiche say that God should be very cruell if he should neuer remit synne not waying how beastly a wickednes it is not onelye to prophane the holy name of God but also to spit as it were in his face when it most brightly shineth What greater synne more certaine token of the reprobate can there be then to blaspheme reuile reproche and to slander the spirite of God into the whiche who so euer falleth it is a greate likelyhod that he is geuen ouer into a reprobate sence and that god doth so indurate and harden his harte that hee shall neuer attayne to trew repentaunce But the blasphemy against the spirite E. The Greeke texte hath the blasphemy of the spirite blasphemy being in the nominatiue cace spirite in the genitiue So do Hillary and Austen reade it Marke hath he that speaketh blasphemy agaynste the holy ghost 32 And who so euer speaketh a woord againste the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But who so euer speaketh agaīst the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuē him neither in this world nor in the worlde to come And vvho so euer speeketh a vvord S. To speake in this place is takē generally eyther to speake to meditate to thyncke to determine or to do for the Hebrewe woorde Dabar hath a large signification As cōcerning this matter we haue spokē sufficiently in our annotatiōs going before It shal neuer be forgeuē him C. What these wordes meane Marke brefely shewethe saying that they are in danger of euerlastinge iudgement whiche speake any thynge against the holy ghost S. But to be displeased with our selues for sinne to be sory and repentaunte for the same is not sinne againste the holy ghoste For this griefe and acknowledgynge of oure faultes with a repentaunte harte procedeth from God and is his gyfte If man be sory for synne then by faythe he is sory but faith is the gifte of the hoghoste therefore he that is sory can not sinne against the holy ghost We do dayly aske and craue remission of our sinnes at the handes of God and he dothe reconcile vs vnto hym selfe and at lengthe in death our sinnes beinge done awaye he sheweth hym selfe to be merciful and fauourable vnto vs the frutes of this mercy wyll declare it selfe in the laste daye The sence therfore and meanyng of this place is that there is no hope for them to obtayne pardone in this lyfe or in the day of iudgement whiche blaspheme the spirite of God. B. Finally the marchantes or rather pedlers of purgatory seeme to fetche theyr gayne out of this hauen or place Obiection For saye they if blasphemye be neyther forgeuen here nor in the world to comme then it followeth that other synnes be as wel remitted in the worlde to come as in this present worlde for to what ende shoulde he saye neither in the world to come vnlesse some sinne might be forgeuē in the world to come And if any syns be remitted in the world to com then must there nedes be a purgatory in the world to com in the which they must be remitted pourged But trewly this their cauil is easely refuted Firste they are very much abbused in wresting these words the world to come to a myddell time when as it is manifest to euery one that by the same is mēt the very vtmost extreme or last day after the which there is no other Here also they bewray theyr own wickednes because their cauil here is contrary to their own doctrine Their blind destinction is knowne well enough that synnes are frely remytted in respect of the fault notwithstandyng a ponyshment and satisfaction is required By the which they confesse that there is no hope of saluation vnlesse the falte be remitted before death There remaines therefore no remission to the deade but the remission of ponishement And truely they dare not deny for the price of their purgatory but the mention is here made of falte Let him now that is a cold go blow the coale in purgatory let hym kindell his fyer if yse may be the matter of the same and then shall he make as good a fyer as dyd the foxe when he pist in the snow M. Also this place is to be noted againste those of Orrigens secte which taught that no mā shoulde be damned for euer but that all men shoulde be saued at the length For if the synne agaynste the holy ghost shall neuer be remitted in this worlde nor in the worlde to come and if there be some which do commyt this faulte it doth very consequently and aptely followe that all shall not be saued but somme shall be dampned for euer 33 Eyther make the tree good and hys fruite good or elles make the tree euyll and his fruite euyll also For the tree is knowne by the fruite Eyther make the tree good and his C. It might seme here to be a very absurde thing that men should haue free choice to be either good or euill but if wee consider what kynde of men Chryste dothe here speake of we shal fynde in it no absurditie at al. We knowe of howe greate estimation the Phariseyes were for the mindes of the common people were so tyed to them by their fained sainctimony and holynes that no man durste once be so bolde as to iudge of their faultes Christe sekinge to take away this outward shewe colored cloke of holines cōmandeth them eyther to be good or euil as if he should haue said there is nothing more contrary to honestie then hipocrisie simulation and in vaine do they boast with the tytel of righteousenes which are neyther perfecte nor sincere He doth not therefore geue vnto thē the bridel grante them libertie but onely admonisheth declareth vnto thr̄ that their painted pretence double dealyng wil nothing at al profit thē because it is necessary that eyther men be good or euill So he saith in an other place you ar they which iustifie your selues before mē but God knoweth your hartes Where as he saith Eyther make the tree some very fondly therby gather that it is in euery mans power to frame his maners life as hym list It is an improper kynde of speache by the whiche he doth reproue the hypocrisie of the Scribes and reuoketh them to the puritie and synceritie of life And his fruite good He shewethe here a waye and meane by the whyche the trees declare theim selues to be good or
with Christ shal raigne with Christ In the glory of his father C. Christ maketh mention of the glorye of his father of the angels lest that his disciples shold iudge of his kingdome according to the present sight for as yet it lay hyd being base and contemned vnder the shew of a seruante He sheweth therfore that he shal be in an other maner of estate when he shal come to be the iudge of the worlde A. For the sonne of man shall come in his glorye all his angels with him and he shal sit vpon the seate of his glory all nations shall be gathered before him Also these thinges serue to terrifie those which delight in their wickednesse vyce which shall not be able to abide his face For although the lord toke vpon him humaine nature yet notwithstanding he abideth vnchanged in the eternall glory of his father and hath loste nothing eyther of his diuine substaunce or glory for he is of lyke substance maiestie and glory with the father All the Angelles serue him beinge the ministers of God and ordeyned to fulfill his cōmandement Whose power howe great it is maye appere in that one angell dispersed the mightye campe of the Assyrians in one night a hundred fowre score fiue thousand of them being slain But and if one angell be of such power what shall they not be able to subdue and ouerthrowe when they being altogether come with the lorde to Iudgement And then shall he revvarde euery man B. This sentence is often vsed in the scriptures the which they peruert who go about to proue that we are iustified by our workes because forsothe we are iudged according to the same when as Chryste speaketh not here of the cause of saluation They consider not that the tree is iudged according to his fruite and yet notwithstandinge that the fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite When we se figges on the tree wee iudge by by the tree to be a fygge tree yet notwithstandynge the fygges are not the cause that it is a fygge tree but when it was made a figge tree then it brought forth figges Euen so in al thinges the worke iudgeth of the worker For it makethe not the worker but is broughte to passe and wrought of the worker In lyke manner good workes do declare a good man to be the sonne of God but they make him not to be the sonne of god Therefore woorkes do not iustifie that is to say they do not make vs the more acceptable vnto God the whiche workes can be nothing elles but synne condempninge if so be they be wrought before thou be purified and regenerated by the spyrite of God because that an euill tree can not bringe forthe good fruite But the lorde describynge his iudgemente saythe after the manner of men that euery man shal be iudged according to his woorkes euen as wee commonly are wonte to iudge Neyther doth he say that euery man shal receyue accordynge to his woorkes as thoughe that our workes were the fyrste cause of our saluation For the specyall cause why we obtaine euerlasting life is the voluntary free wil of God the second cause are the merites of Christ for he died for the saluation of al mankind but this also is a free gyfte of the good wil of god The thirde cause is our Fayth by the whiche we imbrace and receyue this good wyll of God and the merytes of Christe For he that beleueth hath euerlastinge lyfe but that faythe also by the whiche we do beleue is the worke gifte of God in vs for the merite of Chryste Also good woorkes may after a sorte be said to be the cause of our saluation but improperly because euery man shall be rewarded accordyng to his deedes but these also are the gyftes of Goddes good wyll the effects of Christs merites and the fruites of fayth For there is no good woorke acceptable vnto God but that whiche is done for the loue of God the whiche loue no man hath but he whiche beleueth in god And no man can beleue in God but suche as are inspired with the spirite of God whiche pertayneth onely to the sonnes of god This spirite is onely geuen vnto those whose sinnes are remitted and whom he hath chosen before the foundation of the world was layde All the partes therfore of our saluation are a gyfte and woorke of the wyllynge and free wyl of god But we must note here that Christ saide not he shall geue to euerye man accordynge to his faythe the whiche lyeth hyd and whiche euery wicked man boasteth that he hath but accordinge to his woorkes whiche can not be obscure and hid for workes are a seale of our sayth The Apostell Paule speaketh thus of this Iudgement of Christe we must al appere before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man maye receiue the woorkes of his owne body accordinge to that he hath done whether it be good or bad And in an other place the Apostell saith Thou heapest vnto thy selfe wrathe againste the daye of Iudgement when shal be opened the righteous iudgement of God whiche will rewarde euery man accordinge to his deedes that is to say prayse honoure and immortalitie to them which continue in good doinge and seke immortalitie But vnto them that are rebelles and do not obeye the trueth but follow vnrighteousenes shall come indignation wrath tribulation and anguishe vpon the soule of euery man that dothe euyll C. Let this therfore be the somme that these two do very well agree namely that we are iustified freely because wee are acceptable vnto God without oure merite and yet notwithstandinge that he accordinge to his good pleasure geueth and imputeth and vndeserued rewarde to our woorkes A. As concernynge the whiche matter reade the fyfth chapter goinge before 28 Verely I say vnto you there be standinge here whiche shall not taste of deathe till they se the sonne of man come in his kingedome Verely I say vnto you M. As touching this woorde verely rede the fifth chapter goinge before There be standinge here C. Because the disciples might dought among them selues when this day should come the lord erecteth thē with a more specyall trust saying that it shal not be long ere that he geue vnto some of them a shew of his glory as if he should haue said If you thincke the time to longe before I come I wyll come betime for before you dye that kingdome of God whiche I byd you hope for shall be set before your eies M. Some vnderstode this sentēce of the extreame and last day of iudgemēt thinking that Christ mēt here that Iohn the Euangelist shold not die vntyl the day of iudgement but the Euangelist him selfe sheweth that this opinion of him conceiued was not true Wherefore we must vnderstand that the cōming of the kingdome of God is the reuealing of the heauenly glory
them to the poore our sauioure Christe adioyneth this vtillity and profite to the commaundemente But hée speaketh by immitacion as if hee shoulde saye Thou thinkest that thou hast treasure because thou arte riche and dost couetouslye embrace the same not meaninge lightlye to forsake it but and if thou wilte harken vnto me thou shalt rather seeke to haue treasure in heauen and to be rich in heauenlye thinges then in earthly things Reade te sixt Chapter going before C. Moreouer Christ vrgeth him with the mortification of the fleshe when he saith And come and follovv me For he doth not commaund him onely to geue his name but to submit his shoulders to the bearing of the crosse as the Euangelist Mark more plainly declareth A. Come saith he and folow me take the crosse vpō thy shoulders And certainly it was necessary that he should be pricked forward with this spur because he always liuing at home in ease and quietnes had neuer anye taste to knowe what it was to crucifye the olde man and to tame the desires of the flesh M. Therefore perfectiō consisteth in this not in selling all that we haue and geuing to the poore onely but in folowing Christ in bearing his crosse and in mortifying the peruerse and croked disposition of the fleshe A. We ought alwayes therefore to beare in minde this saying of our Sauiour Christe If anye man will folowe me let him denye him selfe and take vp his crosse and folowe me But the moonkes shewe them selues very foolish when that vnder the collour of this place they arrogate vnto thē selues the state of perfection Firste of all we maye gather that all men are not commaunded without frée choyse to sell all that they haue for the husbande man should offend which liueth commonly by his labor and thereby also feedeth his family if he should sell away his farme being constrayned thereunto by no necessitie To kéepe therefore in our hande that which God hath geuen vnto vs to the bringing vp of our familye sparingly to geue part vnto the poore is a greater vertue then to consume al that we haue or to sell it A. Abraham who receiued a commaundent to be perfect before the Lorde did not sell all that he had to geue vnto the poore Neither did Noe whiche was counted a iust man sell all that he had and geue vnto the poore Therefore this commaundement which Christ geueth as concerning the selling of goodes and riches was but temporall and particuler not generall and necessarye for all men But that place which we cited euē nowe as concerning the denying of a mans selfe and the bearing of the crosse is generall The which thing whosoeuer doth although he possesse the substance of this worlde with Abraham and Noe yet notwithstanding they are ready to forsake them at the Lordes pleesure whensoeuer néede shall require and not onely their earthly substaunce but life it selfe So hath the Euangelist Luke Except a man forsake all that he hath he cannot be my disciple C. But what excellent selling is that which the Moonkes boaste of when that they come from pouertie for the moste part to a monasterye of great plentie And being once there euery one of them slouthfully eateth his breade by the sweate of other mens browes A notable permutation and chaunge in déede that whē they are commaunded to distribute that which they iustly possesse vnto the poore they being not contented with their owne take away that which is other mens Marke addeth Iesus beheld him fauored him By the which place the Papistes gather that all morall good works or good works pertayning vnto maners which come not by the instinct of the holye ghost but go before regeneration do deserue but this is to childishly gathered For if merite or desert be brought in and grounded of the loue of God then maye we say that frogges lice and fleas do deserue because God loueth all his creatures without exception It is néedefull therefore that we distinguish and make a difference of the degréesse of loue As touching this present place it shal be sufficient briefely to note that God doth loue none with his fatherly loue but his sons onely whom he hath begotten with the spirite of adoption and that by this loue it commeth to passe that they are accepted before his tribunall seate According to this sence to be beloued of God and to be iustifyed before him are all one But somtimes God is sayde to loue those whom he neither accepteth nor iustifyeth For because the preseruatiō of mankind which consisteth of righteousnes equitie moderation wisdome faith and temperancy is acceptable vnto him he is sayde to loue morall vertues not that they do deserue saluation or grace but because they belong to an acceptable end In this sēce according to diuers respectes hée loued hated Aristides Fabritius For in respect that hee beutifyed them with externall righteousnes he loued his worke in thē Notwithstanding because the hart was vncleane the externall shew of righteousnes did profit thē nothing at al to get righteousnes For we know that the hartes are purged by faithe only and that the spirit of truth is only geuen to the mēbers of Christ But it maybe here demaūded how Christ could loue a man that was proud an hypocrite when as ther is nothing more odious vnto God then these ii vices Surely it is no absurditye to saye that the good séede which God hath sowē in some natures is loued of hym yet notwithstanding so that he reiecteth the persons their woorkes for the corruption that is in them 22. But when the yonge man heard that saying he went away sory For he had great possessions But vvhen the M. Here it appeareth in what thing the yong mā was not perfect he had said before Al these things haue I kept frō my youth vp A. as though nothing had bene wāting in him C. But at the length the end declareth how far he was frō that perfection to the which our sauiour Christ called him For how cōmeth it to passe that hee withdraweth himselfe from the schoole of Christ saue only because it was greuous vnto him to be depriued of his riches But truly except wee be prepared to pouerty to suffer honger it is manifest the concupiscence will haue his rule in vs And this is the which we said in the beginning that the cōmaundement of Christ to sell all was not an addition to the law but a probation triall of the secret sore with laye hid in the mā for as euery mā is infected with this vyce or that euen so by the reprehencion of the same it is chiefly reuealed M. Marke Luke haue But he was discomforted because of the sayinge went away mourning That is to say hee being ouercome in his cōscience as concerning his imperfectiō which hée knew not before the answere of Christ
willinglye as if he shoulde haue sayde I am a companion in the crosse with you and you with me Also vnder the person of these two men he speaketh vnto all his seruauntes generallye For although many faythfull men do dye naturally and not a violent or blouddy death yet notwithstanding it is common to all men as S. Paule teacheth to be fashioned according to the ymage of Christe So that we are all the daye longe as shéepe appoynted to be slayne But vnder the name of Crosse the Scripture comprehendeth all kinde of sorowe and affliction as bondes prisonment scourgings banishment ignominye and such like These two disciples were not exercised in these thinges which truelye do tame the fleshe and the affections of the fleshe and doo brydle sinne also But to sit on my right hande and on my lefte is A. What hee meaneth by these woords read the one and twenty Verse goinge before Is not myne to geue C. By this aunswere our sauiour Christ derogateth nothing from himselfe but only sheweth that his father hath not enioyned vnto him this office that hée should assigne to anye man his proper seate in the kingedome of heauen Hée is come trulye to bringe all those that are his into euerlasting life but it is sufficient vnto vs and wee ought there with to be contente that the inheritance purchased with his bloud abydeth for vs For how much one shall excell another in glory it is neither our partes to seeke neyther was it the will of God that Christ should reueale the same vnto vs but woulde haue the same deferred euen vntill the last reuelation Now let vs note the purpose of Christ for he disputeth not here of his owne power but he only sheweth wherefore hee was sent of the father and what is agreable to his callinge And therefore hee maketh a difference betwene the maner of teaching committed vnto him and the secrete purpose of god Euen as when hée sayth in another place as concerning the day of Iudgemenr But of that day hower knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neyther the sonne himselfe saue the father only A very profitable admonition that wée might learne soberlye to be wyse and that wee might not go about to burst out into the secrete misteries of God and speciallye that wée should not be to curious in searching out the state of the life to come for it hath not yet appeared what wée shal be neither shall it appeare vntill suche time as God hath made vs like vnto himselfe But it shall chaunce vnto them that it is M. These two presumed to take the prerogatiue of glory vnto them selues because they were a kin vnto Christ but Christ teacheth that it was not meete the the glorye of the kingdome of Heauen shoulde be geuen for that cause Hée teacheth therefore that the glory of the lyfe to come muste be loked for by the onlye grace of the merciful God which choseth his electe without any respect of workes or merits Wherefore in the daye of Iudgement hee shall say Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the Apostell Paule sayth Euen as hee chose vs in himselfe before the foundation of the world was layed So that we must note that there is not an equalitie appoynted amōge the sōnes of God after that they are receiued into the heauenly glorye but that degree of honor is promised to euery man to the which they are ordeyned by the eternall counsell and purpose of God. 24. And vvhen the ten hearde this they disdayned at the tvvo brethren And vvhen the ten heard this BV. Truely sayth the holy Prophete of God that the heart of man is wicked and inscrutable For we may see euen in the disciples a certayne bottomlesse pit of errors and that when one vice is cut of another is in his place yea and euen those things which we thought cut of to florishe againe For euen nowe the Lorde had stayed the ambition of his two disciples and by and by he is constrayned to driue the same out of the other ten disciples brestes and not only that but the pestilent disease of enuye also M. For whereas the other ten are saide to disdaine the twoo disciples which were brethren it was not because they did hate this ambition A. but because they them selues also being led by ambition did séeke to excell in the kingdome of Christ M. So that this disdain did arise of the ambition which lay secret in their harts C. The Euāgelist Luke doeth séeme to referre this contention of the disciples vnto another time But whosoeuer doth wisely consider that two and twenty Chapter of Luke shall finde that the words which were spoken at diuers times the order being neglected wer knit together Therefore the contention for the superiority wherof Luke maketh mention had his originall hereupon because the sonnes of Zebede did couet to haue the chiefe seates in the kingdom of Christ And yet notwithstanding the indignation and disdaine of the other ten was not to be allowed for séeing the ambition in the two brethren was greuously reprehended insomuch that they went away from Christ with shame what did it hurt the other ten that they had foolishly desired that which they had not gotten But the Lorde went about by this occasion to haue the disease which lurked in them to be reuealed for there was not one of thē which willingly woulde geue place to another but euery man in his heart hoped to excell the rest so it came to passe that one of them enuyed another and contended one with another Wherfore if this vice were in rusticall rude and base men and if it bursted forth in them vpon a light or almoste vppon no occasion howe muche more ought we to take héede when there is sufficient matter to kindle the secrete fyre We doo sée by experience howe ambition doeth burne in the greatnes of power and honour and it casteth out flames farre and wide were it not that the modestie of the spirite did restrayne from heauen the naturall pride which cleaueth vnto man M. We doo sée howe great ambition and pride remayned in the sonnes of Iacob the twelue patriarkes and how greuouslye they toke it to haue their brother Iosephe preferred before them A. Let vs therefore so much as wée may tourne our selues awaye from this pestilent disease ambition 25. But Iesus called them vnto him and saide ye know that the Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them And they that are great men exercise authority vppon them But Iesus called them vnto him M. Christ cā in no wise abyde the discord and disagréement of those that are his therefore hee calling his Apostles vnto him cutteth of againe the roote and occasion of the euill seekinge to make them all of one minde C. In that hee calleth them vnto him to the ende hée mighte
this woorde Hosiah-na is as muche to saye as helpe now or saue and prosper althinges that this man taketh in hande B. And when they added to the sonne of Dauid it was as muche as if they shoulde haue sayed Helpe Lorde wee beseeche thée and prosper all things that belonge to this sonne of Dauid that his kingdome maye prosper luckely and take good successe prosper him thou wée say which dwellest in the hyest This crye of the people semeth to agrée with that whereof mencion is made in the tenthe Chapter of the firste booke of Kinges where the people sayde God saue kinge Saule and in the first Chapter of the thirde booke of kinges where the people cryed God saue kinge Solomon A. Therefore the Disciples and the multitude beinge moued by the instincte of the spirite prayed for the felicitye of the king for the prosperous successe also of his kingdome C. And truly as the spirit of God did then appoint that people to pray dailye for the kingdome of Christe euen so also hee doth nowe prescribe the same rule vnto vs And seing that God wil raigne by no other meanes than by the power of his sonne wée ought daylye to wishe and praye for his kingdome according as wee are taught Thy kingdome come vnder the which sentence the same is noted which more plainely in the Psalme is expressed Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde C. The Hebrewe woorde Berach in the Psalme out of the which these were taken signifyeth to prayse and to encrease one with goodes whervppon commeth the Hebrewe participle Baruch that is praysed blessed or increasee with goodes By this voyce therefore they wish vnto Christ the encrease of all goodnes and the prosperous successe of all thinges For repetitioÌ„ seemeth to be a familiar thinge to the Hebrewes and oftentimes vsed of them For that which before they wished in these woordes Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid or God prosper the sonne of Dauid they nowe wishe againe in sayinge Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord as if they should haue sayde Hitherto wee haue beene oppressed with diuers tyrannies but nowe oure kinge comminge all thinges shal prosper well and hee shal be happye which commeth vnto vs in the name of the Lord or beinge sente or annointed of God saue prosper and blesse thou him therfore which dwellest in the hyest The Euangelist sayth expresly in the name of the Lorde because the Messias should come as one sent and not as one that thrusteth in himselfe but should be sent of the father For hee is said to come in the name of the Lorde which intrudeth not himselfe but taketh the kingdome at the will and commaundement of god The which thinge maye more certainly be gathered by the woordes of Marke when hee sayth Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the name of him that is the Lorde of oure father Dauid For they spake after this maner in respecte of the promises because the Lord had promised that he woulde at the lengthe be the deliuerer of that people and had appointed a meane namely the renuinge and restoringe of the kingdome of Dauid B. The like and the very selfe same meaninge almost had those prayers of the seruauntes of Solomon when they sayd As God hath bene with my Lorde the kinge euen so be hee with Solomon also and make his seate greatter than the seate of my lord kyng Dauids hath bene C. We do see therefore that the honour of a mediatour of whom all good thinges and the benefite of saluation was hoped for is attributed vnto Christ But seing they were rude and ignorante people which called the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of Dauid we may hereby learne that this doctrine was comon and well knowne to the vulgar sorte which doctrine semeth to some at this daye very harde because they are not exercised in the Scriptures Hosanna in the hiest B. This repetition dothe declare a greate feruencye to be in the people which hartely and vnfainedly receyued Christe to be their kinge as if they shoulde haue saide Thou O God whiche dwellest in the heauens saue the kynge whiche thou hast sente vnto vs C. and delyuer vs by Christ whiche in thy name is come vnto vs C. The Euangelist Luke addeth somewhat more saying peace in heauen and glory in the hiest In the whiche there were no obscuritie if it were agreable to the songe of the Angell in the seconde of Luke For there the Angelles assigne glorye to God in Heauen and peace to men in earthe but here bothe peace and glory are referred to god In sence notwithstandinge there is no disagreement for althoughe the Angelles do more distinctely shewe the cause why it was necessarye that the glory and prayse shoulde be yelded vnto God namely because by his mercy men inioy peace in this worlde yet notwithstandinge it meaneth the same thinge that the multitude in this place proclaymeth namely that there is peace in heauen because we knowe that myserable consciences in this worlde are no other waies pacified then by the reconciliation of God to them from heauen 10 And when he was come to Hierusalem all the cittie was moued saying VVho is this And vvhen he vvas come Bu. It was necessary that the glory of the kynge Chryste shoulde not be obscure or hidden but euidente and manifest and therefore by the ordinance of God al the cittezens of Hierusalem are moued at this vnwonted â—…ight that we might know that the comminge of Christe in this order and apperance was not vnfruitefull and voyde of profyte C. The matter was not done in huggermugger or by stealth in secret without the knowledge of the hye priestes and Scribes but openly all the people beholdinge the same Wherefore in that contemptible state of the fleshe the maiestie of the spirite was euidente for howe coulde al men haue suffered without their greate peryll that Christ shold be brought into the Cittie with kinglike pompe excepte they had bene amased at the sighte A. This sighte therefore mighte haue seemed a laughinge game had not the power of God ben presente C. This therefore is the somme that the enteraunce of Christe into the cittie was neyther secrete nor his ennemies quiet because they contempned hym but rather that they were staied by secret feare because God had stricken theym so that they durste not attempte any thynge In the meane time the carelesse securytie of the cittie is reprehended and the zeale and religion of straungers is commended For when the cittezens by reason of the noyse make enquirye who it was they plainly declare them selues to be none of the disciples of Christ Finally these woordes ought to be extended to all those thinges whiche pertayne to the kyngedome of Chryst the whiche kingdome semeth to the worlde contemptyble and base and the mynisters and seruauntes of this kingdome do feme vnto them to be madde and out of their witts but
at the lengthe by the Iuste deserte of their ingratitude he forsaketh them striketh them with greater blindnes The thyrd calling is special and of great efficacye by the whiche God dothe very muche aduance the electe and faythfull onelye when that by the inwarde lightning of the spirit He bringeth to passe that the word preached abydeth in their hartes To these testimony is geuen by the same spirit that they are the adopted sonnes of god Wee can not Iudge who are the electe and who are the reprobate for we ought to leaue this Iudgement vnto god A. Notwithstandinge by signes there may be some coniecture had but we muste alwayes beware of rashe Iudgement M. Euerye one that is the electe and chosen of God is fully certifyed in hymselfe of his calling the which thing we may dayly beholde For many are broughte into the Churche whiche afterwardes fal awaye from the same either being terrifyed by persecution or els beinge ouercome with some other temptation Suche truely are of the nomber of them that are called but are not elected For hereby oure election is proued if we perseuere to the last ende C. To be shorte oure Sauioure Christe by this place teacheth that the external profession of faithe profiteth lytell and suffiseth not that GOD should acknowlege euery one for his soÌ„n which seme to haue obeyed his callyng M. And the name of election doth only signifye a separation because the electe are so discerned that they haue a peculiar lot as we sée often times in Iudges Bu. We haue harde now in these twoo parables that the Iewes shal be greuously punished which so oftentimes haue reiected God their caller And againe that the Gentils shal not be spared which succede and come into the place of the reiected Iewes if they go forwarde in hypocrisye and defile their Euangelical profession with filthy and wickednes Therfore let euery on of vs in all things feare the Lorde whiche loueth faith and righteousnes hateth hardnes of harte and wickednes 15. Then wente the Phariseys and toke counsell howe they mighte tangle him in his wordes Then vvente the Phariseys and toke C. When the Pharises had oftentimes and many waies sought how they might hurte Christe at the last they thoughte this ready waye and excellente meane to bringe their purpose to passe if they might deliuer him to the deputy as a seditiouse persone an inuentor of newe thinges As concerning tribute there was at that time as we may see in an other place greate contencion amonge the Iewes For when the Romanes had transported to them selues the tribute whiche God in the lawe of Moses commaunded to be payed vnto him the Iewes oftentimes fretted and saide that it was very vnmete and a horrible thinge not tollerable that Prophane men shoulde rake vnto them selues after this sorte the righte which pertained vnto God. Moreouer it maye be that seing that legall appointing of tribute was a witnes vnto them of their adoptioÌ„ they thought them selues to be spoyled of their dewe honor Nowe the more poore that any man amonge them was the more bolde he was to make a tumulte The Phariseys therfore deuise this snare to take our Sauiour Christe because howe so euer he shoulde aunswere to this question of payinge tribute he shoulde as they thoughte snare hymselfe if he shoulde denye tribute to be payed he shoulde be gilty of sedition but and if he should coÌ„fesse it to be dewe by right then shoulde he bee counted an enemye to his nation and a betrayer of the liberty of his countreye But their whole intente was in dede to drawe awaye the people froÌ„ hym This snare the Euangeliste noteth when he sayth Hovve they mighte tangle hym in his vvordes B. So greate was their blindenes that they could not be quiete althoughe they had tried this matter so often before in vaine To intangle or intrap one in his woordes is to propounde a doubtefull or daungerouse question out of the which a man hath no lesse trouble to vnfolde himselfe than out of a snare or net The Euangeliste Marke hath to take hym in his woordes And so hath the Euangeliste Luke also 16. And they sente oute vnto him their Disciples with Herodes seruauntes saying maister we knowe that thou arte true and teachest the way of God truelye neyther carest thou for anye man for thou regardest not the outward apparence of men And they sente out to him C. Because the Phariseys were the sworne enemis of Christe and therefore knewe that they shoulde be suspected they suborned and craftely set forth certaine of their Disciples B. Of whome they thoughte hym to haue no knowledge or consideration Luke saith that they sente forth spyes whiche shoulde fayne themselues rightouse men that is which shoulde deceitfully pretende a simple affection to learn that whiche is true For the fayninge of righteousnes in this place is not taken generally but it is restrayned to the presente cause excepte they had borne a pretence of docillity and sincere study they had not bene admitted VVith Herodes seruantes M. E. He calleth those Herodians or Herodes seruauntes whiche defended Cesars cause WheÌ„ Iuda begaÌ„ now to be tributary to the Romanes Kinge Herode the sonne of Antipater was by Augustus Cesar put in authority to gather the tribut C They ioyne therfore vnto theÌ„selues the Herodians whiche did more fauore the Empire of Rome whereby they were more feete to accuse But this is worthy to be noted that although there was great dissention amonge theÌ„selues yet notwithstanding such was theire hatred against Christ that they could conspire in one againste him As concerning the secte of the Herodians this is to be noted Seinge that Herode Antipas was only halfe a Iewe or vnlyke to his â—…unceters and a counterfeyte professor of the lawe whosoeuer woulde exactly and in euery point obserue the lawe hym they condemned with their impure worship counterfeite holynes for he had flatterers about him which brought in a cooller to his false and peruerse doctrine So that beside other sectes at that time there was spronge vp a courtelyke religion Master M. This is a deceitfull dissimulation E. They are not ashamed of inconstaÌ„cy by the which they now call hym master whereas before they blasphemed him sayinge that he had the spirite of Beelzebub A. Euen so in an other place the Phariseys whiche were the maisters of these imbassators saide vnto Christ master we woulde sée a signe of thée And againe Maister this womaÌ„ was taken in adultery But they called him maister whose disciples they woulde not be For they saide vnto that begger to whome Christe restored his sighte Be thou his dissiple for wee are Moses Disciples Here the prouerbe is fullfilled such lyppes suche lettice The Phariseis were dissemblers and hypocrites and their Disciples follow them in all points VVe knovve that thou art true C. This is the righteousnes which they fayned when they flatteringlye submitted
the Phariseies were gathered together Iesus asked them sayinge VVhile the Phariseis vvere gathered together M. The Phariseies were nowe gathered together to suborne and craftelye to set forthe some one whiche by puttynge forthe a question mighte tempte and intangle Christe the whiche thinge they went about a littell before to brynge to passe by the Lawyer of whom we spake euen now but in vayne When as therfore the Phariseies were gathered together whiche tooke vnto them selues the knoweledge of the lawe and the prophetes and yet were ignorante of the comminge of Christe because they dyd not greately desyer the same neyther vnderstode his maiestie and glory it is not without cause yf Chryste demaunde of them sayinge 42 VVhat think ye of Christ VVhose sonne is hee They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid VVhat think ye of Christ B. This is thought to be the laste talke that our Sauyoure Christ had with the Phariseies and his aduersaries by the whiche he wente about to prouoke them to knowe him except those thinges whiche he aunswered them to when he was taken of them By these wordes therefore he wente about to stirre vp theyr mindes and to admonishe them of his kingedome if so be that there were any amongest them which were curable the they might loke for Chryst to be greater than the carnall kinge yea and more excellente than Dauid his father For those that were carnal hoped for nothing but carnal things VVhose son is he C. The Euangelistes Marke Luke do more plainely expresse why Christ demaunded this question namely because a wicked opinion preuayleth among the Scribes that the promised redemer sholde be one of the sonnes successors of Dauid which shold bring nothing with him more excelent than the humaine nature For by by at the beginning Sathan by all meanes possible wente about to supplante some false fayned Christ whiche shoulde not be the true mediatour of God and man And because God had so often times promised that Christ should come of the séede and sprynge out of the loynes of Dauid this perswasion was so depely rooted in the hartes of al men among the Iewes that they coulde in no wise abide to haue him depriued of the humaine nature Sathan therfore suffered Christ to be acknowledged to be a trew man and the sonne of Dauid because he sholde in vaine haue gone about to take away this part of fayth being so euident common amōg al men but that which was worse he spoyled him of his deitie as though he should be some one of the sonnes of Adā And after this sorte the hope of the euerlasting life to come spiritual righteousnes was abolished But so sone as Christ was declared vnto the worlde the Heretiques went about by many subtil meanes deceites to ouerthrowe one while his humaine nature an other while his diuine nature least that he should either haue full power to saue vs or elles least we shold haue familiar accesse vnto him But because the houre of his deathe was at hande the lorde hym selfe thoughte good to make his deitie Godhed known that the trust of al the godly might be reposed in him without all feare or doubting For if he were onely a man it were neither lawefull for vs to glory in hym nor yet to hope for saluatiō by him Now let vs note that his purpose and intente was not so much for his owne sake to declare him selfe to be the sonne of God as it was to ground our faith vpon his heauenly power For as the infirmitie of the fleshe by the whiche hee made him selfe nere of kynne vnto vs dothe incourage vs that we should not doubt to come vnto him euen so if we sholde haue onely respect vnto the same we shall be rather filled with feare and desperation than with any god trust and confidence Notwithstanding we must note that the Scribes are not reprehēded because they did teach Christ to be the sonne of Dauid but because they immagined him to be a mere man which should come from heauen to put vpon him the nature and person of a man Neither doth the Lord altogether speake of himselfe but simplely sheweth that the Scribes do wickedlye erre in that they loked that the redemer should come onely of the earth and humaine progeny And althoughe it was an olde opinion amonge them yet notwithstandinge wee gather by this our Euangelist Mathewe that they were asked before the people what they thought They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid Bu. It was euident by many promises of Scripture that Christ should come of the seede of Dauid A. but they which dayly redde these promises and interpreted them to the people loked for nothinge to be more in the person of Christ then a man Therefore they make aunswere vnto Christe whiche was most common and vsuall amongest them namely that the Messias was the sonne of Dauid 43 Hee saide vnto them howe then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lorde sayinge Hovve then doth Dauid M. Christ our sauiour doth not reprehende the Phariseis as we said euē now because they cōfessed him to be the sonne of Dauid but because men commonlye denied him whiche shoulde be the Messias to be nothyng elles but an earthlye kinge which should bringe the people of God into a certaine earthly libertye and that he should so inlarge the tereene and transitory kingdome that it should extēd it selfe euen to the endes of the worlde that hee shoulde be of the tribe of Dauid for this cause I say he thought good in the presence of some to geue them occasiō to haue a farther cōsideration of his glory maiesty namely that he was not the sonne of Dauid according to the flesh but also the sonne of Dauid Dauids lord For in respect that he toke fleshe of the virgin Mary his is the sonne of Dauid in respecte that hee was conceiued by the holye ghoste he is the sonne of God and Dauids lord Therfore this is no new or late inuented error For this impietie raigned among the phariseis long before be came into the worlde So that the deuill hath soughte frō the beginning as it is saide already to take awaye the deitie godheade from Christ that by that meanes al the saluation of mankind might be vtterly quite ouerthrowen In spirite The Euangelist Marke hath Inspired with the holye ghoste And the Euāgelist Luke in stede of both these hath In his boke of Psalmes C. But Christ declareth that Dauiddyd speake in the spirit expresly with great emphasis and force For he opposeth and setteth the prophesie of the thing to com against the testimony of the thing presēt And the cauill by the which the Iewes at this day excuse thē selues is this They say that by this prophesye the kingedome of Dauid is celebrated as though he apointing God to be the author of his raygne wolde rise against the mad enterprises beastly practises of his enemies
and ende of the worlde And as one error begetteth another euen so they beinge perswaded that by and by euen at the beginning of Christe his kingdome they should be blessed in all respecces that warre and battaile beinge forsaken make hast to haue the triumphe oute of hande Therefore they ioyne the comminge of Christe and the ende of the world with the ouerthrow of the temple as thinges inseperable and by the ende of the world they meane the instauration and renuinge of all things least any thinge should be wātinge to the perfect felicitye of the godlye Now we see that therefore they lept from one question to another because they were tangeled in these imaginations namelye that the temple could not fall without the whole world were destroyed that the shadowes of the lawe and the worlde shoulde ende at one time that immediatlye after this the glory of Christs kingdome should be reuealed which shoulde make the children of God blessed in all pointes and that the visible renuinge of the worlde was at hande which in a momente shoulde set all those thinges in order that were before cōfounded But specially they presuming folishly vpon the hope of Christes kingdome which was present are driuen thereby out of time to seeke in hast for the blessed quietnes and reste Euen as in another place when they saw that Christ was rysen from death they were caryed hedlonge to the felicitye which is layed vp for vs in Heauen to the which wee must aspyre and come by pacience and hope And although we differ from them in diuers respectes because we are not trayned vp in the shadowes of the lawe that the same superstition as concerninge the earthly kingdome of Christ cannot deceiue vs yet notwithstāding there is scarse one of vs amonge a hondred founde which is not infected with the like disease For seinge all men do abhorre by nature griefes contencions and all partes of the Crosse the tediousnes of these things doth vrge them to make hast without moderation and temperaunce without hope to get before the time the fruite of hope And so it cōmeth to passe that no man would sowe yet all men woulde reape before the time But to returne to the Disciples they had conceyued truly in their mindes the good seede of fayth but they taryed not till the same was rype and being indued with euil affections they do mingle the perfection of Christes kingdome with the beginning and that which they should haue sought for in heauen they seeke to obtaine in eath 4 And Iesus aunswered and saide vnto them take heede that no man deceiue you Take heede that no man deceiue you Z. Or beware that no man deceiue you A. The like woorde vseth the Apostle Paule when hee sayth Take heede least any man spoyle you through Philosophy and deceitfull vanity after the tradition of men and after the ordinaunces of the world M. B. Christ doth not answeare to that which the Disciples sought curiously to know but to that whiche did more pertaine to their profite whereby they might be made more ware and circumspect either to auoyde or els constantlye to beare the perilous thinges that were to come C. For seinge they soughte for tryumphe before the victorye was had Christ exhorteth them to longe sufferaunce A. Therefore these wordes muste be taken as if hee had said C. ye would haue the game or rewarde before yee runne but first it is meete that ye finishe your race Yee plucke downe the kingdome of Heauen to the earth the which no man can obtaine excepte hee ascende into Heauen But seinge that this principall rule doth containe special admonitions verye profitable to gouerne the whole race of our life wee do see broughte to passe by the wonderfull wisedome and counsaile of God that the error of the Apostles should be profitable vnto vs. This is the effect and summe that the Preachinge of the Gospell is like vnto the sowinge of corne and therefore wee muste wayte pacientlye for the time of Haruest and that they are to tender and effeminate whiche are so dyscouraged by the coulde of wynter by snowe by winde and raine or by anye other aduersitye But Christe doth speciallye commaunde vnto his Disciples two thinges namelye that they take heede of false doetrine and that they be not troubled at offences By the which wordes hee declareth that his Churche so longe as it is in the world shal be subiect to these euils But this mighte seeme nothing so seinge that the Prophetes had described the kingdome of Christ to be farre otherwise Esaye promiseth that al men at that time shal be taught from aboue And the Prophete Ioell sayth I will power oute of my spirite vppon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall Prophesye your yonge men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames More plentiful light also of vnderstandinge is promised by Ieremye when hee sayth No man from henceforth shall teache his neighbour sayinge knowe the Lord because all men shall knowe mee from the least to the most Therefore the sonne of righteousnes beinge rysen as Malachy Prophesyed that it shoulde it is no marueile if the Iewes did hope that they shoulde be free and cleane from all the obscure and darke cloudes Wherevppon the woman of Samaria said The Messias when he commeth will teache vs all thinges Now truly we see and know howe manye greate promises are to be founde in dyuers places of the Scripture of peace of righteousnes of ioye and of the plentye of all good thinges Wherefore it is no marueile if they beleued that they should be exempte and deliuered from troubles of warres from rapine from all iniury from honger and from pestilence by the comminge of Christ But Christ admonisheth and declareth that false teachers should be hereafter no lesse troublesome to the godly than false Prophetes were in time tofore to the people that were longe ago and that there should be no lesse perturbations and troubles vnder the Gospell than there were in time past vnder the Lawe Not because those prophesies want effecte which wee recited euen now but because the perfect fulfilling of them is not to be seene at the firist daye For it is sufficient that a taste of those blessinges is geuen nowe to the faithfull that they might euer after haue a hope of the fulfruition And therefore they were much deceiued which loke to enioye all those things at the beginninge of the Gospell which we see dayly to be fulfilled Moreouer the wickednes of men although it doth not all together frustrate and make voyde that felicitye whiche the Prophetes attributed to the kingdome of Christ yet notwithstāding it doth greatlye trouble and hinder the same For the Lord bringeth to passe in stryuinge with the mallyce of men that his blessinges may finde away through all lettes and stayes and truly it were an absurde thing that the same should be abbolished by their faulte which
must knowe these manner of men and eschewe theym as false prophetes but to whō the trueth is not shewed of the father it is no meruayle if they be seduced by Antechristes and false prophetes C. Moreouer seing the Lorde dothe here pronounce that Antechristes false prophetes do brynge with them myracles and signes there is no cause why the Papistes should so greatly bragge of myracles or why we sholde stande in doubte of them By myracles they do confirm their superstitions that is to say by those by whiche the sonne of God foreshewed that the fayth of many shoulde be destroyed Wherefore they oughte not to haue suche force amonge wyse men that of them selues they shold be sufficiente to proue this or that kinde of doctrine But if they obiecte and saye that by this meanes Obiection myracles are ouerthrowne and brought to nothinge by the whiche as well the authoritie of the lawe as of the Gospell is confyrmed we answere that they had a sure and certayne marke ingraued in them which shoulde take awaye all doubt and feare of erring from the faithefull For so often as God shewed forthe his power to confyrme his seruaūts he did not worke so cōfusedly but that there might be a trewe distinction and all together free from deceyte Moreouer myracles do in such wise seale doctrine that the same also dothe shine in like manner and doth dryue away al the clowdes of darkenesse by the which Sathan doth obscure the symple myndes of men Finally if we seeke to beware of deceytes let vs alwaies kepe the inseperable coniunction of signes and doctrine It is not therefore good to beleue euery signe because it doth not followe by and by that they haue the truth which worke signes Myracles were done by Chryste by his Apostelles and successours by the power of the spiryte of GOD that their woorde mighte be confirmed and that it might be proued trewe which they preached namely that Christe was the sonne of God whiche was promised and sente in whom whosoeuer beleued shoulde be saued And they were so ioyned and linked to the word of God that they might not be without it But the myracles of false Christes and false prophetes by the whiche the vnbeleuing were ledde from Christ our sauiour are done by the spyrite of Sathan and without the word of god Suche myracles are they that are done by the Papacie of the whiche Paule speakinge of Antechrist hym selfe sayth And then shall the wycked be vttered whom the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouthe and shall destroye with the apparance of his comminge euen him whose coming is after the workynge of Sathan with all lyinge power signes and wonders and with all disceyuablenesse of vnryghteousnes amonge them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the trewethe that they might be saued And therfore God shall sende them straunge delusion that they should beleue lies that all they myghte be damned whiche beleue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousenes In so muche that if it vvere possible the very electe This was added to terrefie that the faithfull might be more dyligent and careful to take heede For when false prophetes do brynge their pourpose to passe by vnbridled lycence and that they haue such greate power graunted vnto them to deceyue it were an easie matter to intrap and snare the secure and carelesse with their deceytes Christe therefore exhorteth and stirreth vp his disciples to watchynge then also hee admonissheth that there is no cause why they should be trobled at the newenesse of the things if so be they se many often times to be drawn into error Moreouer as he soughte to bringe a care to his disciples leaste Sathan they beinge as it were a slepe shold circumuent them euen so againe he geueth theym large and greate occasion of truste in the whiche they maye quietly rest them selues when he promiseth that they shall be safe by the helpe and preseruation of God agaynste all the deceites and snares of Sathan Although therefore the state and condition of the Godlye be fraile and slippery yet notwithstandinge here is shewed vnto theym a sure staye vppon the whiche they maye reste thēselues because it is not possible that they shoulde fall from saluation whiche haue the sonne of God to be theyr preseruer and keper For they are not so strong of them selues that they can resist the assaltes of Sathan but because they are the sheepe of Christe whom no manne can take out of his hande therefore they are stronge It maye be therefore that the electe may be moued and tempted by errors and signes but this is impossible that they should be altogether seduced frō the trueth from Christ their sauioure Notwithstanding we must watch carefully and not be slouthfull but consider our imbecillitie and weaknesse and commit oure selues vnto God least we suffer our selues to be ouercom and destroied C. For we must note this that the strengthe and assurance of our saluatyon is not sett and placed in oure selues but in the secret election of god For althoughe our saluation be kepte and preserued by faythe as the Apostell Peter teacheth yet notwithstanding we must assende hyer namely that we are therfore in safetie because the father hath geuen and committed vs to his sonne and the sonne hym selfe affirmeth that nothyng of that shall perishe which is committed vnto hym 25 Beholde I haue tolde you before C. The Euangeliste Marke dothe more fully set forthe the mynde of our sauiour Christe sayinge But take ye hede beholde I haue shewed you all thinges before By the which wordes we ar taught that they are worthye of no excuse who are made afrayde by the offences foreshewed of Christ For seing the wil of God oughte to be a rule vnto vs it suffisethe that we are admonished in tyme that he is so pleased Furthermore seynge he is sayde to be faythefull and wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that whiche we are able to beare we shal neuer wāt power to resist if so be that feare negligence do not increase our infyrmitie M. Therefore althoughe the electe can not perishe yet neuerthelesse they haue nede to take hede least they be deceiued So that the wicked ones do foolishly obiecte and saye If I be one of the electe I cannot be dampned But it is the part of those that are the elect children of God to be hedefull and diligente For in that they cannot be deceiued it commeth not of them selues but by the deuine prouydence and grace of God whiche oughte not to make them rashe and negligente but rather dyligent and studious Otherwise what nede was there of these seryouse diligent often repeted admoniōs 26 VVherefore if they saye vnto you beholde he is in the deserte go not ye forthe behold he is in the secret places beleue it not If they say vnto you beholde he is C. Because this place throughe ignorance is
wente aboute all that he coulde to lyfte vp the mindes of his Disciples that they mighte haue no regarde to the worlde he semeth rather to note the dayly inclinations whiche are sene in the worlde as if he shoulde forbid vs to iudge of his sainges according to the instable varietye of the worlde For wee know when matters are tossed in the worlde howe easy a matter it is for our mindes therew t to be drawne awaye Therfore Christ forbiddeth his Disciples to haue regarde vnto the world but rather to beleeue that those thinges whiche he had foreshewed shoulde come to passe by the diuine prouidence of god We haue also oute of this place a profitable doctrine namely that our saluation because it is grounded vppon the promises of God is not caryed by the instable motions of the worlde but standeth faste if so be that oure fayth do reache aboue heauen and earth euen vnto Christe M. This place truelye is verye necessary to proue the certeinty of the wordes of Christe to the ende wee mighte doubte of no parte of them A. as certeyne prophane Epicures do who deride and make a ieste at all those thynges whiche the capacity of man is not able to comprehende of whome Peter writteth plentifullye in the thyrde chapter of his seconde epistell But my vvordes shall not passe Bu. What these wordes signify the Lorde hymselfe in an other place declareth saying One Iot or one tytill of the lawe shall not faile vntill all thynges be fulfilled So that his woordes are in effecte as if he shoulde haue saide Nothynge of that whiche I haue spoken shall passe till it be fulfilled 36. But of that day and hower knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaueÌ„ sauinge my father onely But of that daye and time C. By this sentence our Sauiour Christ went aboute to holde the mindes of the faythefull in suspence least they shoulde by false Imagination appointe any certaine time of the laste redemption For it commeth to passe by the greate curiosity of men that they neglecte those thinges whiche are necessarye to be knowne and do curiously desyer to knowe those thinges whiche God hath not voutchsafed to reueale vnto them With this disease of curiosity the Apostels were infected as we may reade in the first chapter of the Actes where theire curiouse question was thus answere by the Lordes owne mouth It is not for you to knowe the tymes and seasons whiche the father hat set in his owne power To the ende therefore he mighte bringe his Disciples from this curiosity and myghte take awaye from them all occasion of questioninge and doubtinge after he hadde spoken of his comminge and of those things that should be in the same he addeth straite waye Of that day and hovver knovveth no man. C. For he would haue the daye of his comming so hoped for and desyered that no manne for all that shoulde presume to enquire when he wyll come Furthermore he woulde haue his Disciples so to go forwarde in the light of faith that beinge vncertaine of the times they may waite paciently for the redemption We must therefore be ware leaste wee searche farther for the times and seasons than the Lorde will permitte For the speciall pointe of our wysdome consisteth in this if wee keepe oure selues soberly within the boundes of Gods worde B. Wherevppon the Apostell Paule when he had spoken certaine thinges as concernyng the laste tymes the comming of Christ for consolations sake he addeth by and by againste this curiosity sayinge As concerninge the tymes and seasons it is not nedefull that I writte vnto you No not the Angels of heauen C. Because men shoulde not take it greuously that this daye was hydden from them Christ maketh the Angells partakers of the same ignorance For it were a token of to muche pryde and wicked desyere for vs to couet more whiche crepe vppon the earth than is graunted to the heauenly Angells M. Let vs therefore wyllinglye holde oure selues contente to be ignoraâ—â—â— of that of the whiche GOD wyll haue vs ignoraunt Hereby wee sée that Angels knowe not all thinges howe much so euer they beholde the face of god Wherefore lette no manne geue credit to the reuelations of Angels contrary to those thynges whiche concerne oure saluation and are comprehended in holy Scriptures Therefore the Apostell Paule sayth Wee beseche you brethren that ye be not sodenly moued from your minde nor be troubled neither by spirite neyther by wordes nor yet by letter The Euangeliste S. Marke addeth neither the soon him selfe C. Wherefore he were to farre oute of his wits whiche woulde not willingelye submit hymselfe to be ignorant of those thinges when as the Sonne of GOD hymselfe for oure sakes is contente to be ignorante But because manye thoughte that this was a reproche vnto Christe they wente about by false interpretation to mittigate the hardenes of this sentence And to defend this theyr error peraduenture the heresy of the Arrians was their refuge whiche by this place wente aboute to proue that Christe was not the true and onelye god Therefore accordynge to theyr opinion Christe knewe not the latter daye because he woulde not make it knowne to others But seinge it is manifeste that ignorance is attributed to Christe as well as to the Aungells wee muste séeke a more proper sence the whiche before wee bringe foorthe let vs brefelye put awaye theire obiections which thinke it a reproche to the Sonne of GOD to saye that there remayneth anye ignorance in hym Firste of all whereas they do obiecte that there is nothynge vnknowne to the Sonne of God wee may easelye aunswere For wee doe knowe that there were twoo natures in Christe so ioyned together in one persone that bothe of them retayned theyr propertye but speciallye the diuinitye rested it selfe and did not shewe it selfe foorthe so often as it was mete for the humane nature to worke that aparte whiche belonged thereunto to the fulfillynge of the office of a Mediator Wherefore it is no absurdity to saye that Christe whiche knewe all thinges as he was manne to be ignorante of somewhat For otherwise he coulde not bee lyke vnto vs in beinge subiecte to sorow to anguishe of the minde to other affections But where as some obiecte that ignorance dothe not agrée with Christe because it is the punishemente for sinne it is to absurde Firste of all they shewe them selues very ignoraunte in sayinge that ignorance whiche is attributed to Angells should come of synne but they are no lesse blinde in the other in that they doe not acknowledge that Christe hathe there fore taken vppon hym oure fleshe that he might also receiue the punishementes that were dewe for synne And in that Christ accordinge to his humanity knewe not the latter daye that dothe no more derogate from his deuine nature than the takynge vppon hym oure fleshe But there is no doubte but that he hathe
sight with the infirmitie of the fleshe and that therefore their praiers are ne◅er superfluous By the promptnes and willingnes of the Spirite he vnderstandeth the affection of the minde whiche is gouerned by the holy ghost And that part whiche is reformed by the spirite of God is called the spirite in than by a figure called Metonymia or denomination this is that readines of the spirite whiche coueteth to followe God whether soeuer he shall call where suche promptnes is in mā it may be called a willing spirite And he calleth that fleshe whiche by nature resteth in man and the naturall affection of the mynde also We see therefore that he graūteth vnto them the prayse of wyllingnes least their infirmitie should caste them into dispayre and yet notwithstanding we see that he prycketh them forwarde to prayer because as yet thei were not sufficiently endewed with a strong spirite Wherefore this admonition dothe properly pertayne to the faithfull who beinge regenerated by the spirit of God desier to do well yet for all that they labour as yet vnder the infirmitie of the fleshe For although the grace of the spirite be in them yet are they weake according to the fleshe And although the weakenes of the Disciples is here shewed vnto them onely by Christe yet notwithstanding because the same that is found here in them pertaineth to all other men we may hereby gather a generall doctrine namely that wee must watche dilligently in prayer because wee haue not as yet in vs suche strengthe of the spirit but that we may easely fall through the infirmitie of the fleshe excepte the Lord doe staye and holde vs vp with his hande Moreouer there is no cause why we should tremble or feare Because a certayne and and sure remedy is propounded vnto vs the whiche we shall not seke a farre of neither in vayne For Christe promyseth that all they shall haue the vpper hande whiche geuing them selues vnto prayer caste of diligently the sluggishenes of the fleshe 42 He wente awaye once agayne and prayed saying O my father if this cup may not passe from me excepte I drinke of it thy will be fulfilled He vvent avvaye once agayne C. Although he sayth that Christe prayed here the second tyme yet notwithstanding we see here no forme of prayer But this praier is nothing els then a testimony of obedience to brydel hym selfe of his owne desyer that the wyll of his father might be fulfilled Notwithstanding there is no doubt but that this testimony of Christ may be called a prayer For he so testifieth that he altogether desyreth to haue this wyll fulfilled in hym as when we saye thy wyll bee done we doe not make our petition so as though he should doe it against oure wylles but that he would bende and frame our mindes to wyll that whiche he wylleth By these woordes of Mathewe therefore Christe semeth more frely to committe hym selfe all feare as it were being gone to his father Neither doth he desyer any more that the cuppe might be taken from hym but this desyer being paste he rather seketh to obeye the counsell and purpose of God. If this cuppe may not passe from me C. But did Christe doubte here There are dyuers and sondery motions truely in a troubled mynde For what is perturbation els than as a waue with the whiche the myndes of men are caried He was not troubled verely as wee commonly are yet notwithstandinge it was mete that he should bee troubled after a sorte that he hauing a felyng of our infirmities myght be mercifull vnto vs C. The Euangeliste Marke maketh no mencion of this goinge yea and when Christe retourned the seconde tyme he is sayde to ◅itterate the same peticions that he dyd before And there is no doubte but that so often as he prayed he was dryuen thereunto by the feare and horror of death Notwithstanding it is probable that he was at the seconde tyme more inclyned to shewe his obedience to the father and that hee was by the firste assaulte of temptation incouraged to go to his deathe with the greater bouldenes Luke doth not distinctly shewe that he prayed at seuerall tymes but sayth onely that when sorrowe and grief did vrge him he did the longer and with the more vehemency praye as though it had bene one only prayer But we do know that the Euangelistes sometymes omitting the circumstaunces doe onely touche the effecte Where as therfore he sayth that Christe came at the ende of his prayer to the disciples it is so spoken by a figure called Hysteron proteron Euen as in the other parte also where he saythe that an Aungel appeared from heauen before that he maketh mention of the agonye of Christe whiche should by order haue bene first declared But the preposterous order whiche the Euangelist vseth proueth no absurditie because to the ende we might knowe that the Aungell was sente vnto hym in vayne he doth afterwarde expresse the necessitie and so the latter narration is as it were a shewing of the cause And although fortitude commeth of nothinge but of the spirite of God onely yet notwithstandynge this letteth not but that God may vse his Aungels as ministers And hereby we may gather what great tormentes the sonne of God suffered when that it was mete for the helpe of God to be so sette forthe that he myght beholde the same with his eyes 43 And hee came and founde them a sleape agayne For their eyes were heauy And hee came and founde them a sleape agayne C. Wee doe see here that Christe vsed not a continuing prayer but put this solace betwene namely the cōming to the disciples For suche continuance of prayer is not required of the faythfull that they myghte not leaue of from the same But rather lette them continewe in their prayers after the example of Christe vntyll they bee come so farre as their infirmitie wyll suffer let them cease for a lyttle tyme notwithstandynge when they haue breathed them selues let them turne agayne vnto God by prayer A. Euen as therefore at the first time he rose from prayer and commyng to his Disciples sought for some solace euen so nowe this seconde tyme hee retourneth to them agayne at whose handes hee founde no more ease than hee dyd before For their eyes vvere heauy C. This sleapynes came neither with gluttony nor by grosse securitie nor by any sodayne merynes of the fleshe but rather by immoderate sorrowe as Luke testifieth Whereby wee doe the better perceyue howe prone and ready our fleshe is to slouggishenes to the whiche the very daungers them selues doe bringe the forgetting of god So that Sathan hath euery waye apte and mete occasion to snare vs For if we feare no daunger we are by and by as it were in a dronken sleape in the whiche he lulleth vs and hee ouerwhelmeth oure sences with feare and sorrowe by the whiche we should be styrred vp to prayer leaste they shoulde serue the
arise by his nakednesse because hee suffered nothinge whiche the spirite of God pronounceth not to belonge trewely to the persone of a redemer 36 And they sat and watched him there M. They go not their waye but sit styll by the crosse as kepers or markers what he woulde do leaste peraduenture eyther the Disciples should come and take him aliue from the crosse or leaste hee shoulde come downe from the same by a myracle 37 And sett vp ouer his heade the cause of his deathe written thus This is Iesus the kinge of the Iewes And they sett vp ouer his heade C. The foure Euangelistes do declare that Pilate dyd set the titell of the Lord vpon the crosse Our Euangelist Matthew writeth somwhat obscurelye in this verse when as the Gréeke woorde which the interpreter calleth the cause dothe signifie bothe the cause and also the accusation or the falte S. Iohn speaketh more playnely sayinge And Pilate wrote a tytell and put it on the crosse Hee calleth that a tytell whiche our Euangeliste calleth the cause and Marke and Luke a superscription of the cause For thereby the cause of the death is briefly shewed when malefactours are led to theyr ponyshement S. Luke saith that this titell was written in Gréeke Lattine and Hebrewe And it conteyned thus muche as maye be gathered by the fower Euangelistes This is Iesus of Nazareth kinge of the Ievves C. Peraduenture it was a common custome amonge the Iewes to set tytelles ouer the heades of those malefactoures that were putt to deathe But trewely this was extraordinary in Christ that the titell should be set ouer him without ignominie For it was the pourpose of Pilate that he might be reuenged of the Iewes who by their obstinacy caused an innocent vniustly to be put to deathe to condemne the whole nation in the person of Christ so that he set no inscriptiō of any falte that belonged vnto Christ ouer his heade But the prouidence of God whiche gouerned Pilates stile had respecte to a farther matter It was not the meaning and pourpose of Pilate to celebrate Christ as the aucthour of saluation the Nazarite of God and the king of the chosen people yet notwithstandinge God did so guide his minde that not knowing his proclamation of the gospell he sholde set it forthe By the same secrete impulsion of the spirite it came to passe that he should publishe the titell in thre seuerall tongues But this was no lawefull or ordinary preachinge of the Gospell because Pilate was vnworthy to beare any witnesse to the sonne of God but that whiche shoulde be done by trewe mynisters was shadowed in Pilate To be shorte he maye be thought suche a preacher of Christe as Caiphas was a prophete M. But because this tytell dyd set forthe the mallice of the people of the Iewes which had killed the heyre of the vineyarde their lorde and king the hye priestes of the Iewes after a sorte smellinge the same requested of Pilate that he woulde change the same titell that he had set ouer the heade of Christe as S. Iohn declareth by these woordes This tytell redde many of the Iewes for the place where Iesus was crucifyed was nighe to the cittie And it was wrytten in Hebrewe Gréeke and Lattine Then saide the highe priestes of the Iewes to Pilate wryte not Kinge of the Iewes but that he said I am king of the Iewes C. They féele them selues to be towched as it was saide euen now and therfore they desyred to haue the title altered and suche a one set vp whiche might burthen Christe without infamy of the nation But in the meane time they declare how greately they were infected with the hatred of the truethe whiche coulde not abyde any one sparke thereof Euenso alwaies Sathan stirreth vp his mynisters whiche so sone as any lighte of Goddes woorde dothe appere go about by and by to extinguysshe the same or at leaste to choke it Pilate answereth That which I haue written I haue wrytten The cause of Pilatee constancie was the prouidence of god for there is no doubte but that they wente aboute to alter his minde by diuerse meanes Let vs know therfore that his minde was helde inflexible by the power of God whiche caused him to saye That whiche I haue wrytten I haue written M. For at other tymes he followed the will of the Iewes in all thinges because they dydde those thinges whiche pertayned to the executinge of the pourpose of God but those thinges whiche they nowe aske they desired to this ende that they mighte remoue the ignomynie of the crosse from theym selues vnto Christe and to put away that reproche that they had crucyfied theyr kynge that hee mighte not be counted the trewe Messias but a wicked fellowe whiche boasted hym selfe to bee the Messias of the Iewes But as this was false and full of reproche to the heauenlye kinge so it pertayned not to the pourpose of god Therfore by the instinct of the holy ghost Pilate answereth so constantly That which I haue wrytten I haue written As if he shoulde say I wil not change the tytell You wolde nedes haue me crucifie your kyng I haue crucifyed hym It shall be your shame hereafter whiche constrayned me to do this thinge B. Furthermore by these fewe woordes Iesus kinge of the Iewes the trewe Gospel of Christe was conteyned For by them hee was preached to be that trewe and vndoubted Messias whiche was sente a kinge vnto the Iewes And so in the midest of the death of the crosse Christe began to triumphe as sayth S. Paule in the seconde Chapter to the Colossians Now the Crosse of Christ begā to chaūge his conditiō and to be in steede of reproche a kingely tribunall muche more excellent than all other thrones or chayres of estate Furthermore this title was written in Hebrewe Greeke Lattine to declare that this kinge should raigne not only ouer the Iewes but also ouer the Gentiles As cōcerninge the which matter reade the seconde Psalme and the 49. of Esay The Euangeliste Luke declareth that the people stoude by lokinge on him And S. Iohn writing of the mother of Christe which stoode by also sayth There stoode by the Crosse of Iesus his mother his mothers sister Mary the wyfe of Cleophas and Marye Magdalene C. Christ did so obey God the father that hee neglected not the dutye of humaine pietye towardes his mother Hée forgate himselfe truly and all thinges els in respecte of his obedience that hée oughte to the father but this beinge done hee would not omit the dutye whiche hee did owe to his mother And here wee must learne so to do our dutye vnto men that we may neuerthelesse be obedient vnto god It commeth oftentimes to passe that when God calleth vs to any thinge oure parentes our wyfe and our children do call vs to the contrarye insomuche that wee cannot satisfye bothe at once But wee muste first preferre the commaundementes of God his
it might foreshewe the glory of his resurrection Ioseph and Nicodemus do bestowe so greate coste that it myght seme superfluous But we must cōsider the purpose of God which led them by his spirite to geue this honour vnto his sonne that the swete odoure of the Sepulcher might take away the horror of the Crosse Moreouer those thinges which are extraordinary ought not to be drawen into example Saint Iohn also by those woordes before recited doth declare that this was one of the ceremonies of the lawe For it was necessary that the people of olde tyme namely the Iewes shoulde bee stayed vp by suche lyttle helpes who had not suche manifest testimony of his resurrection that with constant faythe they myght looke for the comming of the mediatour Wherfore wee must note the difference betweene vs to whom the brightnes of the Gospell hath shyned and the fathers to whom figures and shadowes supplyed the absence of Christ This is the reason then greater pompe of Ceremonyes was tollerable which at this day cānot be vsed without faulte For they which at this day burye the deade so sumptuouslye do not onely burye dead men but also they so muche as they can plucke Christ himselfe the kinge of life from Heauen and do shutte him into the Sepulcher because his resurrection hath abrogated those oulde Ceremonies For the promise and the worde of God is the soule as it were whiche geeueth lyfe vnto Ceremonies the worde beinge taken away all rightes what soeuer that men obserue are nothinge but meere superstitiō because immoderate coste doth extinguishe the sweete odoure of Christes resurrection Moreouer S. Iohn addeth sayinge And in the place where hee was crucifyed there was a garden and in the garden a newe Sepulcher wherein was mā neuer layed There layed they Iesus therefore because of the preparinge of the Sabothe of the Iewes Because the time was farre spente and the Sunne settinge which was the beginninge of the Saboth was at hande Ioseph and Nicodemus chose this garden as a fitte and conuenient place for their purpose 60. And layed it in his new tombe which hee had hewen out euen in the rocke and rolled a great stone to the dore of the Sepulcher and departed And layed it in his B. Luke and Iohn do declare what Matthewe meaneth by this newe Sepulcher sayinge In the whiche neuer anye man was layed C. Whereby wee gather that Christe was honourablye buryed For there is no doubte but that Ioseph beinge a riche man and grauntinge his Sepulcher vnto the Lorde spared not any other coste which was necessary for his buriall VVhich hee had hevven out The Euangelist Marke hath Whiche hee had hewen out of the rocke And rolled a greate stone to the dore of the Sepulcher Hee rolled this greate stone to the dore of the Sepulcher eyther lest some shoulde spoile the deade carcas or els steale it away But by this meane the prouidence of God woulde take awaye all vaine suspicions and make a waye to the gloryous resurrection of Christe 61. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Marye sittinge ouer against the Sepulcher And there vvas Marye Magdalene A. The Euāgelist Marke hath And Mary Magdalene Mary Iosephe beheld where he was layed Luke hath The women that followed after which had come with him from Galile behelde the Sepulcher and howe his body was layed She whom Mathew calleth the other Marye is sayde of Marke to be the mother of Ioseph and the brother of Iames. S. Luke addeth sayinge And they returned and prepared sweete odores and oyntmentes Mathew and Marke onlye declare that the women behelde howe where hee was layed but Luke here expresseth their purpose also namelye that they retourned into the Cittye to prepare swete odores and oyntmentes that two dayes after they might celebrate his funerall E. But when they prepared their sweete odores and oyntmentes Marke declareth sayinge And when the Sabothe was past Marye Magdalene and Marye Iacob and Salome brought sweete odoures that they might come and anoint him For after that they had marked the place and sawe howe the Lord was put into the Sepulcher the Sabothe came vppon them On the which Saboth they rested accordinge to the commaundement but the Saboth day beinge paste they prepared by and by theyr sweete odoures and oyntmentes Wherefore the wordes of Luke seeme to be placed oute of order whiche should be red thus But the womē returned and rested the Saboth day according to the commaundemēt the which beinge paste they prepared sweete odoures and oyntmentes 62. The next day that followed the day of preparinge the hye Priestes and Phariseys came together vnto Pilate The next daye that follovved C. In this narration the purpose of Mathewe was not so muche to shew with what obstinate madnes the Scribes Priestes persecuted Christ as to represente vnto vs in a glasse the inspeakeable prouidence of God in prouinge the resurrection of his sonne The crafty and false Iewes conspire amonge themselues and do deuise a waye by the which they might extinguishe the memorye of Christe beinge deade For they see that they haue profited nothinge excepte they oppresse the fayth of the resurrection But while they go about to bring this thinge to passe they bring that other thinge which they sought to hyde into the lighte of knowledge For truly the resurrectiō of Christ should haue bene more obscure or at the least they should haue had more libertye to denye the same excepte they had set witnesses to keepe the Sepulcher Therefore wee see that the Lord doth not onelye frustrate the expectacion of crafty men but also snaringe them in their owne deuises causeth them to obey his wil. The ennemyes of Christe were vnworthye to behoulde his resurrection but yet it was meete that their impudencye should be reproued and that the pretence of sclaunder shoulde be taken from them yea that theyr owne consciences might be conuinced least they shoulde be excusable throughe ignoraunce For what greater testimonye of Christes resurrection coulde there be than to finde the Sepulcher emptye after Christ was put into it the souldiers watchinge the same The hye Priestes and Phariseys came Behould here how these hye Priestes these hypocrites which were wont to reprehend Christ for healing those that were sicke on the Saboth day do themselues violate the Saboth day that they may prosecute their mallice against Christ 63. Sayinge Sir wee do remember that this deceyuer saide while hee was yet aliue After three dayes will I aryse againe A. This our sauioure Christ spake in the 16. Chapter goinge before But they mighte also haue more plainly learned this thinge at the mouthe of Iudas who hearde the Lorde himselfe saye that hee would ryse againe the third day 64. Commaunde therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the thirde day lest his Disciples come and steale him awaye and saye vnto the people hee is rysen from the deade And the last error shal be worse than the
first Commaunde therefore that the Sepulcher C. There is no doubt but that this cogitacion came into their myndes by the instincte of the holy ghoste not onely because the Lord would take iust vengeaūce of their wickednes but also because hee mente to brydle their vncleane tonges And by the way we maye also see howe greatlye the wicked are blinded when they are bewitched of Sathan They call him a deceyuer whose deuine power and glory brightly shyned a little before by so manye myracles By such examples wee are taughte that wee ought to consider the glory of God betimes with godlye modestye and diligence when it declareth it selfe least that brutish and horrible blindnes follow our obstinacy Least his Dysciples come Bu. Behould here the care of the wicked and the disquietnes of their consciences whiche feare leaste the great stone should be rolled awaye and the body of Christ taken out of the Sepulcher by those men which were so farre from this bouldnes that they rather stoode in feare of them and which so hardly beleeued after the resurrection that Christe was rysen againe that for this cause Christe reprehended the hardnes of their hartes And saye vnto the people hee is rysen These hypocrites would seeme to haue a greate care for the simple people when as in deede they went about nothing but to prouide for their owne kingdome mockinge the people in their hartes as if they shoulde saye Wee feare least the people shoulde be seduced And the last error shal be vvorse than the firste This they adde to moue the minde of the Iudge as if they should saye This also belongeth to the publique peace For except thou do this thinge the laste error will be worse than the first to bringe trouble They call the truth of the Gospell and the kingdome of God error and the cause of trouble and that falselye 65. Pilate saide vnto them yee haue the watche go your waye and make it as sure as ye can C. Pilate by these wordes declareth that hee geeueth them leaue accordinge to their requeste to sette souldiours to watche the Sepulcher Pilate mighte haue beene iustlye angerye wyth these hypocrites and haue denyed them theyr pitition but it was broughte to passe by the secrete counsayle and purpose of God that hee shoulde not hinder that whiche they went about For it did greatly serue to the manifestinge and settinge forth of the Lordes resurrection 66. So they wente and made the Sepulcher sure with watchemen and sealed the stone Bu. The Iewes toke a great manye souldiours made a very stronge watche compassed the Sepulcher rounde about shutte the dore of the Sepulcher with the greate stone so close as mighte be and sealed the same least there might be some deceite also in the keepers M. All things were done with greate diligence that Christe mighte be kepte in the Sepulcher Wyth the like diligence manye go about at this daye to keepe the truth in secrete But as this keepinge of the bodye of Christe appointed by the ennemyes with the more dyligence it was done the more it confirmed the certaintye and glorye of Christes resurrection euen so theyr violence also which go about at this day to kepe the truth hidden in darkenes the greater that it is and the more it is confirmed with the power of the Magistrate the more a greate deale it setteth forth the power and glory of the truth C. By all these thinges trulye which the Iewes obtayned at the handes of Pilate they were the more bound that they might not excuse them selues by any cauilles For althoughe they durste rage and rayle at Christe without all shame after his resurrection yet notwithstanding they sealed theyr owne mouthes faster a greate deale with the signet of Pilate than they did the Sepulcher And thus far as concerning the Passion and sumptuous buriall of Christe The xxviii Chapter VPpon an eueninge of the Sabothes whiche dawneth the first day of the Sabothes came Marye Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Sepulcher Vppon the eueninge of the Sabothes C. Now we be come to the cōclusion of our redemption For herevppon commeth the liuelye trust of our reconsiliatiō with God because Christ is the conquerour of death and hell that hee might declare the power of a newe life to be in his handes Wherefore rightly sayth the Apostle Paule that there shal be no Gospell and that the hope of saluation is vaine excepte wee beleue that Christe is rysen from the deade For so at the laste righteousnes was purchased vnto vs and the enteraunce into Heauē made open furthermore oure adoption was confirmed when Christe in rysinge agayne and declaringe the power of his spirite hath proued himselfe to be the sonne of god And althoughe hee manifested his resurrection otherwyse than our fleshlye sence and reason would requyre yet notwithstandinge this order maner which pleaseth him oughte to seeme best of all in our eyes Hee wente out of the Sepulcher without witnes that the voyde and emptye place mighte be the first token then he thought it good to shew the women by the Angels that hee was aliue after that hee appeared to them and at the lengthe to the Apostles and that oftentimes And so hee brought his Apostles by little and little accordinge to their capascity to more full and perfecte vnderstanding But whereas hee began first with the woman and did not onely shewe himselfe vnto them but enioyned vnto them also the preachinge of the Gospell to the Apostles that they might be as it were their maisters he doth it to correcte the sluggishnes of the Apostles which throughe feare laye allmoste out of hart when as the women diligently made hast to the Sepulcher who for their dilligence receyued no small rewarde For although their deuise to anoynt Christ was not without fault because they thought him to be as yet dead yet notwithstanding hee forgeuinge their infirmity did greatly aduaunce them to honor resigninge vnto them the Apostolicall office for a time which was forsaken of the men And so hee sheewed that to be true which the Apostle Paule wryteth sayinge God hath chosen the folishe and weake thinges of this worlde to confounde the wyse and mightye Vppon an eueninge of the Sabothes C. The Hebrewes call the whole night the eueninge And whereas it is sayde of the Sabothes wee muste note that the plurall nomber is here put for the singuler Furthermore this word Sabothe signifyeth that day whiche was consecrated of the Lorde it signifyeth the whole weeke also that holy daye onely excepted wherefore the day followynge is called the first of the Sabothes Whervppon the proude Pharisey said I fast twyse in the Sabothe accordinge to the lattine translation or weeke Hee calleth therefore the eueninge of the Sabothes whiche dawneth or beginneth his light the first of the Sabothes the morninge or dawninge of that day in the which Christ arose the which hee calleth here the first of the Sabothes
awaye for vs to come thyther that the gate may stande open for vs whiche before was shut by reason of synne Furthermore he is an aduocate and intercessor with God for vs as it is said in the Epistle to the Romaynes And sitteth at the right hand of god C. This kynde of speache signifieth that he is taken vp an highe that hee might excell Angels and all other creatures that the father by his hande myghte gouerne the worlde and that before hym euerye knee might bowe C. This similitude is taken of the manner of princes which haue their counsellers and assistentes to whome they geue seuerall offices of gouernement EueÌ„ so Christe is sayde to bee receiued vp to the right hand of the father solemly to receiue possession of the administration committed vnto him and to kepe the same till his comming to iudgemeÌ„t And therfore the Apostel saith The father hath set him on his right hande in heauenly thinges aboue all rule and power and mighte and dominion and aboue euery name that is named not in this worlde only but also in the worlde to come and hath put all thinges vnder his feete and hath made hym aboue all things the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of him whiche fylleth all in all Therefore this is as much as if he shuld be called Gods vicar whiche taketh vppon him his persone After these thinges the Euangeliste Luke declareth howe the disciples behaue them selues and what they did when the Lorde was taken from them saying And when they had worshipped hym they behelde as he was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to heauen as he went beholde two meÌ„ stoode by them in whyte apparell which also sayde ye men of Galile why stande ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene him go into heauen C. This sentence consisteth of two partes The first is that Iesus is receiued vp into heauen least men any more by a foolysh desire should plucke him down into the earth The seconde is added for a consolation as concerning his seconde comming R. The summe and effecte is that although Christ be nowe taken vp into heauen and will not at this tyme reueale the publique maiestie of his kingdome in this worlde that his excelent treasures might bee perceiued and felte by humane sence yet notwithstanding he ascended not into heauen to dwell there alone and to enioye the celestiall glory alwayes him selfe inuisible and to suffer the worlde after his olde manner to passe from tyme to tyme but rather that hee myght come in his tyme into this worlde visibly with great power to set al thinges in a better order that is to geue vnto the Godly and faithfull euerlastinge felicitie and to the wycked and contemners of the Gospell perpetuall damnation And by these twoo partes ioyned together a strong argument to confute the Papistes and all others whiche affirme that the carnall presence of Christe is ioyned with the signes of bread and wyne may be gathered For when Christe is sayde to bee taken vp into heauen the distance betwene heauen and earth is manifestly noted Wee graunt truely that this worde heauen is diuersly taken some tymes for the ayre some tymes for the whole compas of the Sphere some times for the glorious kingdome of God wheÌ„ as his maiestie hath his proper seate howsoeuer it fulfilleth the worlde For the whiche cause Paule placeth Christe aboue the heauens because he is aboue the worlde and in that mansion place hath the hyghest roume of immortalitie because hee is aboue all Angels of whome he is the head But this letteth not that he should not be absent from vs and that by the name of heauens a separation from the worlde may be signified And how soeuer they cauil it is playne that heauen into the whiche Christe is taken is apposed and sette against the compas of the whole worlde Therefore if he be in heauen as no doubte he is he cannot be in the worlde But first of all we must note the purpose of the Angell that wee maye geue the better iudgement of his wordes The Angels go about to reuoke the disciples from the carnall presence And to this ende they saye that he shall not come agayne vntyll the second tyme which is at the generall iudgement But they thynke that thei haue made a good distinction wheÌ„ they saye that he shall then come in a visible forme but now daily in an inuisible forme But there is no disputation here about the forme onely the Apostels are admonished to suffer Christe to abyde in heauen vntyll the last daye appeare As Peter also admonisheth in an other place sayinge When the tyme of refreshing commeth which we shall haue at the presence of the Lorde wheÌ„ God shall sende him whiche before was preached vnto you that is to wytte Iesus Christe whiche must receiue heauen vntyll the tyme that all thinges whiche God hath spoken by the mouthe of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began he restored againe Therefore according to the commaundemene of the Angell let vs not with our fayned inuencions plucke Christe out of heauen before the tyme but let vs consider that accordinge to the presence of his spirite he is euery where and according to the presence of his fleshe at the right hande of God in heauen For this matter reade the .xxvi. chapiter going before Then retourned they to Hierusalem with great ioye from the mount Oliuete R. Although the Disciples had loste the sight of the Lorde 〈◊〉 they retourne to Hierusalem with great ioye Thei felt then that it was true whiche the Lorde had said namely that it was good for them that he shoulde departe from them in the fleshe Whyle hee was with them in the fleshe they were altogether carnall and sauored nothing but that whiche was fleshelâ—â— but when he departed as touching the fleshe was present with them in the spirite they were wonderfully affected with ioye and began to extoll and magnifie the name of god They obey the commaundement of Christe in going to Hierusalem which said vnto them before But abide ye in Hierusalem vntil ye be indewed with power from aboue It was very daungerous for them to be in Hierusalem among the middest of Christes enemies yet they obey Surely if we waye the circumstances well we shall see that they retourned all moste to present death For howe should they spare the disciples whiche so cruelly put Christ to death But the power of the spirit of Christe filled them with suche ioye and made them obedient to do their office And when they were come in thei weÌ„t vp into a parler where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrewe Philip and Thomas Bartholomewe and Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus
and Simon Zelotes and Iudas the brother of Iames These al continewed with one accord in prayer and supplication with the wemen and Mary the mother of Iesu and with his brethren It is like that the Apostles gathered theÌ„ selues together into this parloure and securite place that they might there abyde vntyll they had receiued the holy Ghoste But fonde and foolishe are the Papistes whiche go about to proue the supremacy of Peter because in this place hee is named first among the reste of the Apostles And if so bee we should graunte that hee was the chief of all the Apostles yet it doth not followe that he was chief of the whole world But if he be therefore chiefe of the Apostels because in the cataloge or rehersall of names he is put in the firste place we wyll also by the same reason conclude that the mother of Christe was inferior to all other women because she is named in the lowest roume The whiche thing â–ª I am sure they wyll in no wise admitte and if they would it were to absurde Wherefore except they meane to make all men laughe and ieste at their Popishe supremacy let them cease to proue it by suche sclender and childishe reasons But to retourne to our purpose The Euangeliste Luke sayth that all the Apostels of Christe were assembled together in prayer R. Continuall prayer truly was necessary for them for at that tyme they were sette in the middest of many and greuous temptations partely because the holy Ghoste came not presently vpon them after they came from the mount Oliuet and partly because they might loke euery moment when the armed souldiers should beset the house in the whiche they were C. They praye therefore that Christe woulde sende his spirite vpon them as hee had promysed Whereby we gather that the same is a trewe faith which doth moue vs and styrre vs vp to call vppon the name of God. And were continually in the Temple lauding and praysing God. C. The Euangeliste Luke meaneth that the Apostels for exceading ioye burst forth openly into the prayse of God and were dayly in the temple The Apostels at the firste for feare pryuely kepte them selues in secrete but nowe with bouldnes and ioye they come abroade And whyle they thus wayghted for the comminge of the holye Ghoste they chose Mathias in steade of Iudas Iscariothe as Luke declareth in the Actes At the length when the fifty dayes or Pentecost was ended that is to saye seuen wekes after the resurrection the holy Ghoste was sente vppon them as wytnesseth Saynt Luke sayinge When the fifty dayes were come to an ende they were altogether with one accorde in one place And sodainly there came a sounde froÌ„ heauen as it had bene the comming of a mighty wynde and filled all the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues and so foorthe vntill the thirtene verse They being therefore baptized and confirmed by the holy Ghoste and thereby being made more strong prepared theÌ„ selues by and by to discharge their office as the Euangeliste Marke declareth by these woords And they went foorthe and preached euery where the Lord working with them and confirming the woorde with miracles followyng Wherefore let vs by the example of the Apostels glorifie the name of God whiche plentifully hath powred his holye spirite vpon vs whiche hath sanctified vs by the same spirite geuen vnto vs free remission of our sinnes by the death of his sonne Iesus Christe whome he raysed agayne from death and hath exalted to the ryght hande of his glory in heauen that he hauing takeÌ„ possession thereof 〈◊〉 wee hereafter might be partakeâ—…s of the same In the meane tyme The God of peace that brought agayne from death our Lorde Iesus the great shepehearde of the Shepe through the bloud of the euerlasting testament make vs 〈◊〉 all good workes to â—â— his wyll and bring to passâ—… that the thing whiche we do may be pleasaunt 〈◊〉 his â—â—ghtâ—… through Iesus Christe our lord To whome â—…e prayse foreuer wâ—… 〈…〉 Amen FINIS Matth. 13 â—…a 10. â—…r 1. â—…s 9. 〈◊〉 3. â—…h 28. 〈◊〉 4. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 14. Pro. 29. â—…he reason of â—…e Title 2. Cor. 5. 1. Corint 1. 1. Cor. 14. Math. 10. Math. 4. Mar. 1. Luke 2. Iohn 3. Act. 20. Rom. 1. 1. Corint 1. 2. Cor. 3. Gal. 1. Ephe. 3. Phil. 2. Colos 1. Thes 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 1. Titus 3. Phile. Heb. 4. Iam. 1. 1. Petr. 1. 2. Pet. 3. 1. Iohn 2. 2. Iohn 3. Iohn Inde Apoca. 14. 1. Corint 11 Chap. 4. Esay 64. Mat. â—… Gene. 5. Exod. 32 Iosua 10. Philip. 2. 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1â—… Gene. 21. and .22 Psalm 89. Math. 21. Matth. 22. Roman i. Nume 36. Iudg. 21. Luke 1. 2. Par. 22. â—…oma 15. â—â—on 4. Hebre. 15. 4. King. 11. 1. para 22. 2. Para. 23. Gene. 16. Gene 21. Roman 9. Gene. 26. Luke â—… Gene. 22. Philip. 2. Gene. 25. Malac. 1. Roman 9. Gene. 29. Gene 49. Roma 9. Phillip 2. a Psalm 42. Gene. 38. A comfortable saying 1. Parli 2. Iosua â—… Ruth â—… â—… Sam. 8. 2. Sam. 20. 2. Sam. 7. 1 Pet. 17. Psalm 89. 132. Mans merites are condemned 1. Reg. 12 2. Para. 12. 2. Para. 12. 2. para 10. 1. Reg. 2â—… para 1â—… 2. para 14. 2. po 15. 2. para 16. Ezech. 33. 2. Par. 21. Epiphanius in his booke against heresie False religioÌ„ The reuerent â—…steming of gods worde â—… Para. 34 â—… King. 24 Gene. 49. 1 Paralip 3. Gene. 49. The signification of the woorde of Christi Dan. 9. Psalm 45. Iohn 3. â—â—e 6. â—…th 13. â—…o 6. Luke 1. Luke 1. The honest zeale of Ioseph Deutro 22. Iustice modestie merâ—… and anger must be had punishing vâ—… The cause why Mary maried 1. Cor. 20. Nume 12 Dreames suâ—â—rnaturall â—â—d naturall â—…he cause of â—â—turall â—â—ames Gene 28. Gods prouidence shewed in dreames The malice of the Rabbines Philip. 2 There is no vertue included in the bare woorde Iesus Esay 49 Act 4. b. Saluation by Christ only Roma 3 Two partes of deliueraÌ„ce Christ is not our sauiour without we beleue The coÌ„ming of Christ hatâ—… abolished the awe Osee 3. Roman 9 Esay 7 Esay 8. Hierusalem the sanctuary of God. Gene. 24. c Exod. 2. b Prouerb 31. Esay 59. The nere affiâ—…tie betwene God and vs â—…y his sonne Christe â—…phe 2. Deut. 7. Psal. 147. Collos 2. Christ a lawfull mediator Iohn 1. Hebr. 2. Collos 1. 1. Tim. 2. Hebr. 4. 2. Pet. 1. The obedieÌ„ce and faith of Ioseph Without the lorde by his holy spirite in struct the hart all externall preaching is in vayne â—â—ed by the â—…slatour 〈◊〉 of HieroÌ„ â—…ath 1. Nume 18. Exod. 12. Math. 13 Actes 1. Luke 2. a The notable agrement of the Euangelistes â—…a 19. â—…ges 12. 〈◊〉 li. anti â—…ic 14. 〈◊〉 18. â—…he ende of â—…apering of 〈◊〉 starre Psalm 72. The fond immagination of