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
Gentiles throughe you The somme therefore of this petition is that the glory of God shoulde shyne amonge men Nowe we may here se how wicked they are which iudge amisse of the workes of God if he chastice or correct any of them they crye out they complaine they murmure yea and some breake into open blasphemies and if he fulfill not our desires we thincke streight that he dothe not sufficiently extend his lyberalitie towardes vs Many prate and talke eyther peruersely or wantonly of his inspeakable prouidence and secrete iudgementes Often times his holy name is taken in vaine Finally the greatest part of the worlde do prophane his holines so much as in them lyeth Wherfore it is no meruaile if in the first point we be cōmaunded to desire that his name in the world may haue dew and condingne reuerēce We must note also that in this petition geuinge of thanckes is conteyned For when we desire at all tymes to sanctifye the name of God we geeue prayse vnto hym for all his goodnes acknowledge the benefites that we haue receyued 10. Thy kingedome come Thy will be done in earthe as it is in heauen Thy kingedome come C. Although the Greeke woorde be simple the sence notwithstanding abideth whole if we rede the verbe in the imparatiue moode as the auncient interpretour hath translated it But fyrst of all we must haue the difinition of the kingedome of God to knowe what it is For it is said to raigne amōg men when the fleshe beinge subdued the lustes thereof they committe theim selues willingly to his gouernement For in this corruption of Nature al our affections are wholly the soldiers of Sathan which resiste the righteousenes of God and so hinder and trouble his kingdome Wherfore by this praier we wishe that al impediments being taken away he woulde bringe all mortall men to hys kingdome and leade them to the meditation of a celestiall and heauenly lyfe This trewly is broughte to passe by the preaching of the woord partly and partly by the secrete power and operation of the holy ghost He wyll gouerne all men by his worde but because the bare word vnlesse the operation of the spiryte be therevnto adioyned pearceth not to the harte it is necessary that both be ioyned together that the kingdome of God may be stablished Let vs praye vnfaynedly therefore that God will shew forthe his power as well by his woorde as by his spirite that all the world may willyngly submit it selfe vnto him All imperfection confusion is contrary to the kingdome of God neither is there any thing ordeyned in the whole world whiche he ruleth not with his hande and counsaile Hereby we maye gather that the decaye and destruction of the olde man and the renouncing of our selues that we maye be translated into an other life is the beginninge of the kingedome of god But God raigneth after an other maner whē he scattereth his ennemies and bringeth their captain Sathan vnder his subiection vntill he haue made them al his fotestoole Wherfore the somme of his prayer is that god wold illuminate the world with the bright lighte of his worde and that he wolde make the hartes of men by the breath of his holy spirite obedyent to his righteousenesse And what soeuer is dispersed in the earthe by his power to gather the same to gether agayne But nowe because the kingedome of God is increased by continuaunce of time euen to the ende of the worlde it behoueth vs dayly to wishe for the comming thereof And so after the hallowinge of the name of God most properly we desire to haue his kingdome come Fyrste that God mighte raigne in our hartes and in the whole church and that the word of god faythe righteousenesse and all goodnes may be rooted in the whole worlde then that this mortalitie being put of it wold please God to receiue vs into immortalitie and euerlastynge blessednesse the kingedome of Sathan being vtterly destroyed For the kingedome of God dothe not parfectly take place tyll all his ennemies are quite abolished and defaced Thy vvill be done in earth as it C. Although there be but one symple wyll of God in respecte of him yet notwithstandyng in the Scripture it is propounded vnto vs twoo maner of waies For God is sayd to do what soeuer pleased him when as the secrete decrees of his deuine prouidence haue brought the same to passe although men obstinately worke the contrary But here we are commaunded after an other maner to pray that his wil be done namely that all creatures obey him quyetly and without rebellion whiche by a comparison may more plainely appere For as he hath his aungelles at hande to do his commaundement so we desire to haue al mennes mindes framed into that consent and agreement of Goddes righteousenesse that willingly they may relent and bende wherevnto soeuer he wil haue them This trewly is a good wishe when we submit all thinges to his will subscribe to his pleasure But this praier conteyneth somwhat more namelye that God taking away all contumacy of men all stubbernnes obstinacy whiche ceasse not to rebell against him woulde make thē more tractable and gentle vnto hym that they wysshe not or desire any thynge that is contrary to his wyll and pleasure And not that onely but also that he would frame in vs new mindes and newe hartes that we mighte wyshe nothing hurtefull to our selues but that rather his holy spirite maye guyde oure prayers so that they maye agree to the will of god Bu. For so God wil raigne in vs but if we do not renoūce our own wil he wil forsake vs not raigne in vs The wil of God truely is this that we beleue in Christ Iesus whō he hath sent The wil of god is our sanctification that we might be holy in minde in spirite in body that we walke in his cōmandementes and geue al glory to him as wel in aduersitie as prosperitie paciētly abyding and suffering the hand of the lorde This truely is the fulfilling of his wyll 11 Our dayly breade geeue vs this daye Our dayly breade M. Hytherto he hath shewed the glory kingdome and will of our heauenly father now cōsequently he prescribeth those thinges whiche concerne and aperteyne vnto vs C. This therefore is as it were the seconde table of the fourme order of praying whiche Christe hathe geuen vnto vs For so to the ende we might edefie we did distinguishe at the fyrste As out of the tables of the lawe the firste dothe teache of the worshippinge of God the other prescrybeth the woorkes of Charitie and the duties therof so in this prayer first he appointeth vs to seke the glory of God thē in the other part he sheweth what is cōuenient for vs to aske Howbeit we must also note that those praiers whiche we conceiue to our vse profite ought to be referred to the last
destruction of Hierusalem in the which Christ shewed him selfe to be a reuenger of their ingratitude But it rather semeth to be a consolation geuen to the Apostels specially Christe is sayde to come when he dothe remedy those thynges that were paste hope Christe therefore promysed that he would come namely by the power of his spirite to declare his kyngdome that the glorie and maiestie might appeare vnto the Apostels whiche as yet was vnto thē vnknowen 24 The disciple is not aboue his maister neither is the seruaunt aboue his lord B. Now the lorde exhorteth them according to the cōmaundement before geuē all feare of perils and daungers set aside to preache the Gospell bouldly and with a stoute courage throughout the whole prouince And firste he confirmeth them by the example of hym selfe who beynge their Lorde and mayster suffered great persecution and had greater torment to come and that whiche was moste detestable of all they called hym whiche proceaded frō God for the health of man but specially for the Iewes hym I saye they called Beelzebub ascribyng to hym the power of deuels and sayinge that he had a deuell For somuch as therfore the maister hym selfe the lorde and goodman of the house had partely experience of these thynges already and had more to come he dothe very well commaunde his disciples his seruaūtes and houshold that they with a willing minde suffer the like Truely so great is this consolation that it taketh away all sorrowe and griefe when we consider that we are of lyke state and condition with the sonne of god Our Sauiour Christe therefore propoundeth this similitude to the ende his disciples might frame them selues according to his example We are the disciples of Christe as he was troubled and suffered the same paciently so must we For it were a shame for vs to refuse that whereof oure maister thynketh no scorne To this place agréeth that in Iohn The seruaunt is not greater then his lorde if they did persecute me they wyll also persecute you 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his maister is and that the seruaunt be as his lorde is If they haue called the lorde of the house Beelzebub howe muche more shall they cal them of his housholde so C. Christe speaketh here not of perfectiō but of similitude and likenesse as if he should haue sayde there is nothing more mete then that the disciple frame hym selfe accordinge to his maisters example Therefore the Greeke participle Catertismenos in Luke doth not signifie perfecte but apte and fete If they haue called C. When as Christ calleth him selfe the lord of the house it is as muche as if he had called him self the lord of the church as the Apostell comparing him to Moyses the Prophetes calleth thē the householde seruauntes but him the sonne and heyre For althoughe he exalteth vs to suche excellent dignitie that he maketh vs his bretherne yet notwithstandynge he is the fyrst begotten and the heade of the whole body to conclude in him consisteth all rule power Wherfore there is nothinge more absurde then to desyre to be in the nomber of the faythfull and to murmur against God when as he maketh vs accordinge to the Image of his sonne whom he hath made lord ouer his householde For to what ende serue the pleasures of this life if we seeke to haue place in his house To be shorte we are to fine and nyce if we disdayne to suffer those reproches which our lord and kyng toke vpon hym without grudge Beelzebub B. In all the Greeke bookes the last sillable is altered so that it is there called Beelzebub But in Hebrewe it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baal-zebub So they called the chiefe of the fayned Goddes of the Philosophers whom the cittie Accaron worshipped the lesser goddes were called Baalim whiche at this daye in the papacy are called Patrones or aduocates But for so muche as Baal-zebub is as much to say as the captaine or patrone of flies some thinke that it was so called of the aboundance of sacrifices which were so many that the tēple did swarme wyth flies Others thincke a greate deale better that men dyd call for helpe at the Idoles hands against the flies which gretly troubled the place For whē as Ochozias soughte for an aunswere superstitiousely as concernynge his health of the immage hee called hym by the name of Baalzebub whereby it appereth that it was no name of reproche Fynally as holy and deuoute men translated this name Gehēna to hel to make the place infamouse so for the hate and detestynge of the Idole Baalzebub they called him the deuyll Whervpon we gather that the reprobate to the ende they might make Christ detestable to al men letted not to defame him with opbrobryouse woordes as if he had ben a deuyll and the greatest ennemy to religion and godlines Wherfore if it shal chaunce vs to haue the same ignominie that whiche beginneth in the head and is finished in the members ought not to seeme newe vnto vs. Bu. It is a cōmon custome now adaies for the faithful ministers of gods word to be called sediciouse schismatyques heretiques rebels churchrobbers charmers whiche reproches we must learne to suffer paciētly after the example of Christ the sonne of God. Hovve muche more shall they M. Behold how in the applicatiō of the prouerbe Christe had rather say the lord of the house the household then the master the seruantes In the which thing he sufficiētly declareth how much he wolde haue those that are his ioyned vnto him no doubte with the same affectiō with the which he saith in an other place Now I say not that ye are not seruaūtes but frendes Wherfore it can not be but that he hath a continual care of the faithefull because they are of his householde and friendes 26 Feare them not therefore For there is nothinge close that shall not be opened and nothinge hyd that shall not be knowne Feare them not M. He gathereth the thing by the equalitie afore said which he would perswade namely that those enemies are not to be feared which persecute euē to death Therfore he saith when as they dealt so maliciousely with the sonne of God which excelled al men ye ought not to be let with any feare but ought boldely to discharge your dewetie For there is nothinge close C. When the Apostelles shoulde see the Gospell so contemptyble and despysed and the smaule nomber of the faythefull also it myghte discourage and make them voyde of all hope This doubte Christe helpeth by the waye declarynge vnto theim that the Gospell muste be preached a greate deale farther and that by the same the obstynacye of menne shall at lengthe be reuealed For althoughe this sayinge Nothynge is so close that it shall not be reuealed is a prouerbiall sentence here notwithstanding it ought specially to be restrained to the doctryne of saluation which Christe affirmeth
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
nie at hande euen so ye c. C. By the whiche woordes Chryste dothe not onely meane that the perturbation and trouble before mentyoned is as certayne a signe of his commynge as the grenenesse and buddynge of the tree is a sure token that sommer is at hande but doth also note a further matter For as the tree beinge stayed and bounde a longe whyle by the harde and byndinge rigour of the frost beginneth neuerthelesse in his tyme to budde and brynge forthe fruite euen soo his Church although it be bonde and staied for a season by the sharpe and cruell stormes of persecution yet notwithstaÌ„dynge in dewe tyme it shall bring forthe his fruite to the glory of god For as the internall sappe and moysture whiche is in euery parte of the floryshinge tree by his force doth mollifie renouate restore and reuiue that whiche was before dead and decayed euen so the Lorde by the internall and secrete woorkynge of his holy spirite maketh the corruption of man to beare and brynge forthe that fruite whiche he coulde not elles beare Wherfore the somme of Christes wordes is that we shoulde not be dismayed at the weake estate and externall shewe of the Churche but rather that we shold hope for the glorye whiche the Lorde by the crosse and trybulation hath prepared For that whiche Paule affirmeth of euery partycular member must be fulfylled in the whole body for thoughe our outwarde man perishe yet is the inwarde man renewed day by day c. 33 Euen so ye when ye se these thynges come to passe vnderstande that he is nye euen at the doores Euen so ye vvhen ye see these thinges Bu. As sommer is not come by and by so sone as we see the buddes of the fygge tree but fyrst the bud cometh then the blossome then the leafe then the figge and last of all the rypenesse of the same euen so wée muste vnderstande that all those thynges whereof Christe hathe spoken shall not come at the fyrste but by degrees in order that when we se the beginning we doubte not but that the middest wyll come shortely after and when the midst is come that we thyncke it not long vntyll the ende by fynished Euenso when the disciples of Christ sawe that manye at the fyrst exalted them selues for Christes seduced many they knew streight way that warres and rumors of warres wold followe yet notwithstandyng that Hierusalem shoulde not be destroyed immediately but that they shoulde fyrste suffer many persecutions and the Gospell be preached euery where And then they looked for the desolation of the holy citie and after that that many false prophetes and false Christes shoulde preuaile and so orderly they knewe that the ende of the worlde should come In like manner when we knowe that manye of those thinges whereof the lorde hath spoken here come to passe we ought to acknowledge that the kyngedome of god and the day of the lord is eueÌ„ at the dozes and therefore to be loked for by framing oure selues with diligence to godlynesse and vertue For if wee followe the estymation of God as in these thynges wée muste a thousande yeres with vs are before hym as one daye yea as a watche in the nyghte Vnderstande that he is nye euen at the doores C. That which Mathewe here speaketh obscurely the Euangeliste Luke more plainlye expoundeth sayinge that the kingdome of god is nie eueÌ„ at the dores And this place the kingdome of God as often times in other places is so called not of his beginniÌ„g but of his perfectioÌ„ and that accordinge to their vnderstandinge whome Christe taughte For they did not apprehende the kyngdome of God in the Gospel in the peace ioye of faith in spirituall righteousnes but they sought for that blessed reste and glorye which is hyd vnder hope vntill the laste daye Bu. It is sayd to be at the dores by an allegory because it is at hand A. So S. Iames saith Beholde the Iudge standeth before the gate 34. Verely I saye vnto you this generation shall not passe tyll all these thinges be done Verely I say vnto you Bu. Leaste any man shoulde doubte in anye pointe of these thinges or esteme them as vaine threateninges and therefore to be despysed he dothe confirme that whiche went before as coÌ„cerning the calamities to come like a Prophete with an oathe sayinge Verely I saye vnto you This generation shall not passe C. Although oure Sauioure Christe vseth a vniuersall note yet notwithstandinge he dothe not speake generally of all the miseries of the Churche but doth simplely teache that before one age or generation be â—…oon out whatsoeuer he had spoken as concerning the destruciton of the temple should be proued by the euente and successe For within fyfty yeares after the Citty was beseged the temple destroyed the whole contrye wasted and spoyled the worlde shewed it selfe obstinate against God cruel madnes also waxed whote to take awaye the doctrine of saluatioÌ„ there arose false teachers whiche peruerted the syncere Gospell with their lyes Religion by wonderfull meanes shaken all the company of the godly was miserablely vexed and molested And althoughe a longe time after the same mischiefes continued in like order continuallye yet notwithstanding it was truely saide of Christe that before one generation was ended the faithful should perceiue in very dede and by plaine experience how truely he had prophesyed of these thinges for the Apostels suffered the like that the blessed martyrs and saints suffer at this day For it was not the purpose of Christe to promise to his Disciples the ende of calamitys to be within a shorte time because if he had so done he shoulde haue beene contrary to himselfe for that he had told theÌ„ before that the end was not yet come But he rather sekinge to confirme them in sufferance and pacience plainely telleth them that it pertayneth to the generation of their time The sence and meaning therefore of the place is this as if he should haue saide This prophesy is not of those euels whiche are a farre of the which the posterity shall sée that commeth long after but it is of those plages which are now at hande and that in one heape in so much that this age shal waÌ„te no parte thereof Therfore the Lorde heapinge all kinde of plages vppon one age did not exempte their posterity froÌ„ the same but onelye commaundeth his Disciples to be prepared constantlye to suffer all thinges 35 Heauen and earthe shal passe but my wordes shall not passe Heauen and earth shall passe A. This sentence is diuersly expounded B. Some will haue it an Hebrewe comparison as if a man should saye heauen and earthe shall sooner perishe than my woordes M. Other some referre the passing away of heauen and earth to the last daye in the whiche their transitory state shal be abolished A. Of the whiche the Apostel Paule writteth in many places C. But because ther is no doubt but that Christ
away our sinnes For thus muste it be We must adde somewhat to make this more plaine thus Howe then shal the Scriptures be fulfilled whiche testifie that this shall come to passe and that it muste néedes be fulfilled A. For the Scripture cannot be loused Whereupon the Lorde after his Resurrection said Was it not méete that Christe shoulde suffer these thinges and then enter into his glorye And a little before he saide Theise are the woordes whiche I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that al muste néedes be fulfilled whiche were written of me in the Lawe of Moses and in the Prophetes in the Psalmes C. But althoughe Christe teacheth only here that he must patiently suffer his Deathe because it is declared in the Scriptures that it muste néedes be so yet notwithstandinge the vse of thys Doctrine is more generall namely that the Scripture is fete to bridle and tame the lasciuiousnesse of the Fleashe because to this ende God doothe shewe vnto vs what doth please him that he mighte kéepe vs in the obedience of his will. Therefore S. Paule attributethe these partes as proper to the Scripture namely to bringe vs patience and consolation in aduersity that we might haue hope By the woordes of Luke it shoulde séeme that Christe more shortely reproued his Disciples sayinge Suffer yee thus farre forthe but notwithstanding here he dothe sharpely inueighe agaynst theire bouldnesse because they wente aboute a damnable déede howebeit he doth therewith put theim in hope of pardon if thei forsaking their wicked rashnesse burst out no further The Euangeliste Luke also addeth And when he had touched his eare he healed him Peter as we saide before by his foolishe rashe zeale mighte haue broughte dishonour and perpetuall infamie to Christe and his Doctrine And there is no doubt but that Sathan by his subtiltye wente aboute to bringe euerlastinge reproche to the Gospell as thoughe Christe had vsed the feloweshippe of quarrellers and raysers of tumulte to alter the state of thinges This therfore séemeth to be the cause why Christe healed the Wounde whiche Peter hadde geeuen to Malchus But the enimies were blind and insensible myraculously which were nothing moued by the sighte of so woonderfull a Myracle Notwithstandinge it is lesse marueile that they did not behoulde the power of Christe in an other man when they beinge caste to the grounde with his voice ceased not to forsake theire madnesse Thys is that Spirite of madnesse with the whiche Sathan dothe bereue and bewitche the sences of those which are his when they are blinded of the Lorde But specially in the Seruaunte whiche was healed we haue a notable example of ingratitude for he was not helped by the diuine power of Christe to tourne from his wickednes and repent neither was he conuerted by the benifite of an enimy to becomme a Disciple Foolishelye doo certaine Monkes interprete this place sayinge that he was healed also in mind leste the woorke of Christ shoulde be imperfite as thoughe in déede the goodnesse of God dothe not daily extende it selfe euen to those that are vnwoorthy thereof A. Doo we not reade that Christe healed tenne Leapers with his woorde of the whiche tenne there was but onely one that retourned to geue thankes and the same was a Samaritane 55. In the same houre saide Iesus vnto the multitude yee be comme out as it were vnto a theefe with Swordes and Staues for to take me I sate daily with you teachinge in the Temple and yee tooke me not In the same houre C. Christ here compareth theire handlinge of him to the catchinge of a théefe whiche beinge boulde desperate cannot be taken of one man Bu. By the which he declareth that these wicked ones doo vnto him great and manifest iniury which vpon spite and mere enuie came to take him with such greate preparatiō for this is the meaning of his woordes What néede had you to come againste me with suche greate force of weapons as thoughe some théefe should be taken For ye inuade me as if I were a théefe and a disturber of the peace C. But trewely I alwayes walked amongeste you as a naked man without weapon in peace and quietnesse when I taughte in the Temple ye might easily haue taken me without any souldiers M. Hereby we learne that it is the part of a Christian man howe so euer hee be prepared to the Crosse to declare his innocencie when he seeth that the same is craftily accused I sat daily vvith you teaching Hereby it appeareth that they did vse to sitte teachinge in those dayes I was saithe he daily conuersante in the Temple not with an hoste or bande of men but teachinge I haue geuen you no occasion of this matter Note this worde Daily and consider how he was alwaies occupied in teachinge his Fathers will. In the daie tyme he taught in the Temple and in the night he went to Mounte Oliuet And yee tooke me not M. The Euangelist Luke hathe And yee stretched foorthe no handes againste me Christe saithe not here And ye wente not about to take mee but And yee tooke mee not For they had oftentimes gonne about to take him but his houre was not then comme And behoulde howe priuily he puttethe them in minde of that déede whereof S. Iohn makethe mention in the 44. verse of the foresaide chapter The Seruauntes of the Hye Priestes were sent to take the Lorde in the Temple They founde hym teachinge they hearde him and beinge amazed wente their waie Being asked of the priestes whye they had not broughte him they made answeare Neuer man spake as this man dothe The very same therefore when they came to take Christe are very well admonished of this déede As if he shoulde saye Why did ye not take me in the Temple Yee hearde me were amazed in so muche that ye thoughte it not meete to laye handes on me can I not nowe also escape if I woulde C. And althoughe he dothe complaine of their malice because they did violentlye comme vppon hym as vpon a seditious man yet notwithstāding he doth againe pricke theire conscience because a Traytour beinge their guide they comme not but with feare and many signes of distruste 56. But al this is done that the Scriptures of the Prophetes mighte be fulfilled Then al the Disciples forsooke him fled But al this is done that the Scriptures C. Marke Luke séeme to write somewhat otherwise For that whiche Mathewe reciteth in hys owne personne Marke semeth to attribute vnto Christ A. For there Christe séemeth to speake thus I was daily with you teaching in the Temple and ye tooke me not But al these thinges are donne that the Scriptures mighte be fulfilled C. The Euangeliste Luke also vseth other wordes then doo either of the other twoo for hee hathe But this is euen your very houre and the power of darkenesse Notwithstanding the pourpose of the Holy Ghost is sure and certaine
tymes in a moment Whereby wee haue to learne howe slyppery and ready wee are to fall so often as Sathan dryueth vs forewarde and that continuallye excepte the Lorde doe houlde vs vp with his hande After that the force of the spirite of Grace was extinguished in Peter if he hadde beene asked of Christe a hondered tymes he was ready a hondered tymes do deny hym And althoughe it was a foule thinge in hym to fall thryse yet notwithstanding the Lorde spared hym restraynynge the tonges of the enemys leaste they shoulde moue any more occasion Euenso it is necessaryd that he brydell Sathan dayly least he ouerwhelme vs with an innumerable sorte of teÌ„ptatioÌ„s For seinge he ceasseth not by many practises to assalte vs excepte the Lord hauinge regarde to oure infirmity do brydell the force of his rage wee shoulde striue with a huge heape of temptations So that in this pointe wee muste extoll and magnifye the mercy of God because hee suffereth not the hondereth parte of oure enemys rage to fall vppon vs. 73. And after a whyle came they that stoode by and sayd vnto Peter surelye thou arte euen one of them for thy speache bewrayeth thee And after a vvhile A. Sainct Luke expoundeth this After a whyle sayinge And aboute the space of an hower after C. This is the thyrde denyall by the the whiche the vnfaythfulnes of Peter towarde his maister burste foorth to the full For beinge not contented wyth an oathe he falleth to curssinge and bannynge by the whiche he geueth his bodye and soule to destruction For he wisheth the curse of GOD to fall vppon him if he he knewe Christ Came they that stoode by A. Sainct Luke maketh mencion but of one onelye sayinge And an other affirmed sayinge Verely this fellowe was with hym And Sainct Iohn saithe that one of the seruaunts of the hye Prieste his cosine whose eare Peter smote of sayde vnto hym did not I see thee in the Garden wyth hym All these seme with one consente to caste Peter in the téeth that he was one of Christes company and to make exclamation of it that they might oppresse him For thy speache bevvrayeth thee Namelye that thou arte of Galile as was this Iesus also For Sainct Luke saithe that some of them sayde vnto hym Verely this fellowe was with him for he his of Galile And the Damsell had sayde Wast not thou with Iesus of Galile Saint Marke hath And thy speache agreeth thereto 74. Than beganne he to curse and to sweare that he knewe not the man And immediatly the cocke crewe Then began he to curse and to svvear C. Peter beinge ouercome with so manye acclamations and outcryes againste him beganne to curse and to sweare that he knewe not the man The whiche cursse was as muche as if he hod sayd God destroye me if I knowe him Wherefore so muche the more the goodnes of God is to be wondered at whiche lifted vp and healed the Disciple froÌ„ suche mortall destruction But the Lorde thought good in so excellent a persone to sett forthe an excellent documente or lesson that it mighte be the more excellent and better estemed in the Churche No forte vrged Peter so to forswere hymselfe sauinge that he was forsaken of the Lorde and Sathan also on the contrary parte ceassed not by his indeuoure to helpe hym forewarde Halas howe lytell or nothinge is oure strengthe Let vs therfore hereby learne to promise nothynge vnto oure selues but wholely to depende vppon God. Moreouer this place teacheth that it is not by and by blapsemye againste the spirite if any man falling throughe the infirmitye of the fleshe deny the truethe which he knoweth Peter trulye hadde hearde out of the mouth of the Lord how detestable falsehoode was to denye hym before men And what horrible vengeance remayneth for them before God and his Aungels whiche for the cowardly feare of the crosse do forsake the confession of the faithe Nowe therefore he beinge before admonished and knowing these thinges casteth hymselfe hedlong into mischefe yet notwithstaÌ„ding afterwarde obtayned pardone whereuppon it followeth that he rather sinned of infirmity than by incurable wyckednes For he woulde willinglye haue shewed the duety of a Disciple towarde Christe had not the sparkes of true affection ben extinguished through feare And immediatly the tocke crevve A. Marke and Luke haue And immediatlye whily he yet spake the cocke crew For so soone as he was gone oute into the porche the cocke crewe S. Iohn hathe Peter therfore denyed againe and by and by the cocke crewe And the Euangelistes do therfore make mencion of the crowing of the Cocke to the ende we mighte knowe that Peter was admonished from aboue euen in the very moment And therefore oure Euangeliste addeth sayinge 75. And Peter remembered the woorde of Iesus whiche saide vnto hym before the cocke crewe thou shalte deny me thryse And he wente out and wepte bitterly And Peter remembred C. When the cocke crewe Christ also looked vppon Peter as witnesseth Sainct Luke sayinge And the Lorde turned backe and looked vppon Peter Aed Peter remembered the woorde of the Lorde c. For at the first be regarded not the crowinge of the cocke as we maye see in S. Marke It was necessraye therefore that Christe should looke vppon him that he mighte retourne vnto him againe Euenso whosoeuer hath once begon to fall and perishe he shal be reclaymed by no voyce by no signe nor by anye admonition vntill the Lorde caste vppon hym the eyes of his mercy This thinge euery one of vs féele in our selues by experience For whiche of vs dothe not paseouer and preâ—…ermit wyth deafe eares as it were the manifold and sondry singinges of byrdes â—â—hich notwithstandinge do stirre vs vp to glorify GOD but also the voyce of God it selfe which plainelye and distinctly soundeth in the doctrine of the lawe and Gospell Neither doth this brutish insensiblenes possesse our mindes for one daye onely but it is perpetuall vntill suche time as he voutchesafeth to looke vpon vs which alone hath the harts of men in his haÌ„des to tourne them which waye hym lysteth Notwithstanding it is worthy to be noted that this lookynge was not after the common maner of mennne because so he hadde looked vppon Iudas before who for all that was neuer the better But in beholdynge Peter he Ioyned the secrete woorkinge of his spirite to his eyes and so pearced his harte with the brighte beames of his grace that it tooke effecte Wherefore lette vs knowe so often as any manne falleth he hath no beginning of repentance but from the countenance of the Lorde For wee are all voyde of sence and sedlynge in oure sinnes vntill the Lorde after a sorte styre vp oure hartes with his countenadâ—â—e and dothe make vs remember bothe hym and oure selues when he toutcheth oure hartes wyth his spirite in so muche that wee maye remember those things that we thought not of before And he vvente oute M. That is to saye into the
To this efecte was the parable of the figge tree alleaged of our sauiour Christ in Luke saying Except ye repent ye shal al likewise perish he tolde also this similitude A certayne man had a figge tree plāted in his vyneyard he came and sought fruite therō and found none Then said he to the dresser of his vyneyarde Beholde this three yere haue I com and sought fruit of this figge tree find none cut it downe why combereth it the ground he answered and said vnto him Lord let it alone this yere also tyl I digge round about it and dounge it to see whether it wyll beare fruits and if it beare not then after that shall you cut it downe And in an other place Christ faith thus If any abyde not in mee he is caste out of the doores as a branches withereth men gather them and cast them into the fyer they burne 11. I baptise you with water vnto repentance but he that shal com after me is mightier then I whose shoote I am not worthy to beare he shall baptise you with the holy ghost with fier I baptise you vvith vvater C. The thre Euangelistes do reherse the selfe same wordes of Iohn the Baptiste In this one thynge Luke is more plentyfull because fyrste he dothe shewe for what occasion this sermon was made that is to saye because it was a doubte that the people would take away the honour of Christ by a false wrong opinion M. For he saith As the people were in a doubt al mē mused in their hartes at Iohn whether he were very Chryste Iohn answered said vnto thē all I baptise you with water c. C. Therfore that he might in time take away the occasion of the errour he doth plainely say that he is not Christ and so he doth disseuer him self frō him that he may bringe him that right which aparteined vnto him And truly he did this willingely that he myghte bringe disciples vnto Christ as the prouerbe is from hand to hand but he preuenteth it the soner least in holdinge his peace any lōger he shuld confirme the errour of the people C. His wordes therefore tend to this efect I cal al men to re pentance and hauing professed the same I signe them with the seale of Baptisme whereby they maye be assured that theyr sinnes are forgeuen thē if they beleue in him which shal come after me that is to say in Christe whiche onely forgeueth sinnes geueth the holy ghost printing a true faith in our hartes of remission of sinnes and mortifying also the affectiōs of our fleshe He vvhiche commeth after me This is spoken in the present tence The greke participle is doubtful so that thou maist vnderstand it that Christ was Iunior or younger then Iohn or elles that he shoulde succede Iohn in the office of preaching So the Euāgelist Iohn resiteth the same wordes saying After me there came a mā which went before me for he was before me Is stronger then I. C. By these wordes he dothe shewe that Christ was of a greter power dignitie in respect of whom he also was subiecte as if he should say The worke of Christ to come that is the redemption of mankind the kingdom which he receiued of God the father do require greater force power then I or any man els cā shew I am his minister he is the lord whiche hath receiued all power of his father Therfore in that Iohn doth acknowledge his own imbecillitie it is done to attrybute the glory of vertue power to Christ to saue and to destroy to saue the elect to destroy the reprobate also he doth admonish vs that there is no sainct or angel Christ only excepted that hath power to saue destroy VVhose shoose I am not vvorthy E. He said before that Christ was stronger then he to āplifie the same he saith that he is vnworthye to cary his shoose He vseth the common forme phrase of speche by the which he doth so extol the glory of Christ that aboue him he cōpareth nothing To the whiche ende this is also spoken He must increase but I must decrease He shal baptize you vvith the holy Here Iohn maketh Christ the authour of spyrituall baptisme but yet neuerthelesse a minister of the externall thing Here he dothe seme to preuent before secretly a question that might be obiected agaynst him to what ende pourpose the baptisme that he toke vnto him serued Neyther was it any small triffell to bringe a new vnwonted thinge into the churche of God and that specially to set forthe a new kind of begīning that shold be more perfecte and better then the law of God. Therfore he answereth that he hath don nothing rashly though he be a minister of the outwarde signe that yet he dothe nothing at al diminish the vertue power of god Wherfore we may easely gather that it was no parte of his meaning to distinguishe make a differēce betwene his baptisme that which Christ gaue his disciples in cōmandement to vse the vse wherof also he wold haue cōtinually establyshed in the churche Neither doth he compare the visible signe to the inuisible but cōparing the persons of the seruant lord together he doth teache what is proper apperteining to the seruant what also as due right is to be rendred to the lord And also herby is gathered a general doctrine that is to say what are the partes of men in baptisme also what is properly to the son of god For only to men is cōmitted the administratiō of the outward and visible thing but that trueth it self doth onely remaine with Christ The scripture somtime doth improperly assigne to men that whiche Iohn doth affirme onely to belong to Christe which he denieth to apperteine vnto men but thā he doth not way and consider what man hath specially by him self but simplely doth teach what is the force and profite of signes howe God doth woorke with his holy spirite by them Here is geuen a distinctiō betwene Christ and his ministers least that the world geue that vnto them which only of duetie and right perteineth vnto him as nothing is more ready and inclined then the world to beautifie adorne the creatures with the spoyles of God. We knowe what howe great outragiouse contentions haue ben in these days as concerning the vse and efficacy of the signes al the which may be taken awaye with this one word that the whole institution of the lorde doth comprehende the author hym selfe and the vertue of the spirite with the figure minister but when as the mynister is compared with the lord that he maye haue al we muste bring the other to nothing VVith the holy ghost It may be demaūded why Iohn did not say as wel that it was Christ which did washe our soules with his bloud
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
to Iordane to Iohn that he myght be baptised of him Then came Iesus from Galile B. The preachinge of Iohn the Baptiste being ended the Euāgelist beginneth to preach our lord Iesus the sauiour of the world personally of his own wordes and dedes And first of al he sheweth howe he was baptised not onely with water but also with the spirite was not so much celebrated and put into the flock of Goddes people which was the kingdom of heauē as he was declared by the voice of his father frō aboue to be a teacher kinge of his people kingdome M. Marke saith in those daies whē as Iohn had preached a while and a gret multitude of the people came to be baptised then was it a fyt conueniēt tyme for Christ to be reuealed the hartes of mortal men by the preching of repētance being pricked desiring thirsting after the grace of Christ That he might be baptised of him C. To what ende the son of god wold be baptised we maye somewhat gather of his aunswere folowinge 14. But Iohn forbad him saying I haue nede to be baptised of thee and commest thou to mee But Iahn forbad him M. Iohn denied his office and ministerye to Christe firste in consideration of his maiestie then in consideration of his own imbecillitie and weakenes the which he partly declared when he sayd whose shoose I am not worthye to beare He knewe that Chryste had no neede to be baptized with this baptisme of repentaunce yea rather that he had neede to be baptized of hym he thoughte it was vnworthy and vnmete that the seruant shoulde baptize the lorde and maister of all whiche had no necessitie therevnto By these reasons beinge moued he refused to baptise him I haue nede to be C. It is certaine that Christe was not onely knowne of Iohn to be an excellente prophete as many very fondly imagin but also to be the son of God otherwyse submittinge and surrendring his holy vocation to a mortal man he should haue ben iniuriouse to god But the reader may learn wherby he was knowē vnto Iohn in the first cha of Iohn This was a reasonable cause to refuse and denye seing that Christ had no nede of baptisme but in this Iohn was deceyued that he wayed not howe that Christe dyd not desire baptisme for his owne sake but for other mennes Therefore Christ beddeth hym to consyder what doth belong vnto him that hath taken vpon him the parson of a seruaunte because that willinge subiection dothe derogate nothinge of his glorye and renowne For althoughe Iohn knewe not his owne office and dewely for a tyme yet notwithstandinge his errour doth not let but that he did his duetie both lawfully and duely 15. Iesus aunswered and saide vnto hym let it be so nowe For thus it becommeth vs to fulfyll all ryghteousenes Then he suffered him Iesus aunsvvered and sayde vnto E. Our sauiour Christ by these wordes doth not denie the wordes of Iohn to be true when he said I haue nede to be baptized of the. but graunteth the wordes of Iohn to be trew yet neuerthelesse he doth infringe and put away the occasyon of controuersie which arose of those wordes sayinge Let it be so novve for so it becommeth vs to fulfyll all righteousenesse C. By this aunswere of Chryste we may gather why he woulde be baptised because it becommeth vs saith he to fulfyll all righteousenes To fulfil al righteousenes in the scripture is as much to saye as to fulfyll the lawe And so wee may expounde this place that it behoued Christe which willingly submitted hym selfe to the lawe to fulfill the same in al poyntes But better it maye be vnderstande on this maner as if Christe shuld haue sayde Sease and leaue of to speake of my dignitie neyther is it my purpose at this tyme to reason whiche of vs two is the better but rather we must looke what oure vocation requireth and what God the father hath appoynted vnto vs For Chryst vsed this generall baptisme that he might in al poyntes obey the will of his father but he vsed the special baptisme that he might consecrate the same in his owne body that it mighte be common to vs with him Therfore he saith so it behoueth vs to fulfill all righteousenesse as if he shoulde say I muste in all thinges be obediente to my father Thy baptisme is apoynted of the father therefore although I am greter then thou yet it so pleased my father that I should receyue baptisme of thée and shoulde consecrate the same in my bodye that they whiche receyue mée and are in me baptyzed should acknowledge me to be their brother and fellowe heyre Then he suffered hym Here is to be noted the modestie of Iohn whiche by and by geueth place and obeyeth Chryste For he contendeth no farther but hearynge reason that so it became hym to fulfyll all ryghteousenes althoughe before it seemed verye absurde is nowe perswaded and baptizeth Christe Euen so Peter which said Thou shalt neuer washe my feete when he hearde Christ say excepte I wasshe thée thou haste no parte with me by and by he sayde Lorde not onely my fete but my handes and head M. Whereby we are taught that those that erre by ignorance when they know the trueth are easely perswaded 16. And when Iesus was baptized he ascended out of the water and behold the heauens were opened vnto hym and he sawe the spirite of God descēdinge lyke a dooue and lyghtynge vpon him And vvhen Iesus vvas baptized M Now the Euangeliste dothe shewe vnto vs howe Christ was celebrated and authorised after his baptisme And beholde the. C. The openinge of the heauens is sometymes taken for the shewing forth of the glory of the heauens But in this place it is taken for the visible seperation and diuision of the heauens so that Iohn might se somwhat hier then the starry firmamēt where the planettes were But to search farther what this opening of the heauēs meaneth or what it was neyther dothe it parteine to the matter neyther is it necessary because it is sufficiēt to know that this was a signe token of the presence of god Yet where the Euangelistes do saye that Iohn sawe the holye ghost it is lykely that the heauens were open specially for his sake Althoughe it ought not to be denied but that Christ in respect that he was mā was the more assured of his vocation And to this effect do the wordes of Luke seme to serue whiche sayth that when Christe prayed the heauens were open M. But by the openinge of the heauens here specifyed is signified that this is he whiche shulde come from heauen and shoulde teache heauenlye thynges that is he shoulde shewe the wyll of his father to heauenly men For he that is of the earthe speaketh of the earthe but he whiche came from heauen is aboue all Furthermore it is signified that this is hée whiche by his
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
comminge of christ it is described as it wer in a glasse M. For those thicke darcknesses do take place where so euer that light of the grace of Christ doth not shine This darknesse dothe ingender all kinde of wickednesse whiche the apostel calleth the workes of darkenesse Galile of the Gentiles C. This lower Galile was called Galile of the Gentiles not onely for the adioyning to Tyre Sydon but bicause that there the Iewes and the Gētyles wer mingled together oute of the whiche specially Dauid had graunted to king Hiram certaine cities to declare that the lyghte of the Gospell shoulde be caried also to the Gentiles Iesus spake vnto Paule thus Delyueringe the from this people and from the Gentiles vnto whom nowe I send thée to open their eies that they may be turned from darkenes to light and from the power of Sathā vnto God that they may receyue forgyuenesse of synnes and inheritaunce among them which are sanctified by faith that is toward mée 16. The people whiche sat in darknesse haue seene greate lyght and to them which sat in the regiō and shadow of darkenesse is the lyght sprong vp The people vvhich sat in darke M. The Apostell Paule most plainely declareth what it is to sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death saying Remēber that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh were called vncircumcision from that whiche is called circumcision in the flesh which circumcision is made by hands remember I say that at that time ye were without Christ being aliantes from the common weale of Israell and strangers frō the testamētes of the promise hauing no hope being without God in this world Savve great lyght C. That they whiche sat in darknesse are said to se great light so sodaine and manifest a chaunge dothe amplifie and inlarge the greatnes of the deuine sauing health M. Christ doth cal him selfe the light of the world The propertie of the lighte is to dryue awaye the darkenesse and to lyghten those that are in the same So Christ is the true lyght of the worlde which lighteth euery man comming into the world that is he putteth awaye the darkenes of our mindes he openeth the secretes of our hartes and by his holy spirite he maketh vs to haue parfecte knowledge of God. In the region and shadovve of deathe S. He calleth it the region and shadowe of deathe according to the maner of the Hebreues a region in the whiche there are darke cloudes euen as in hell The shadow of death is the comming of present death yea euen the very terrours of death and it signifieth a continuall trouble of consciences Is a light sprong vp A. To se the light and to haue the lyght to shyne vp-vpon any man is all one 17. From that tyme forth Iesus began to preach and say repent for the kingdome of heauen is at hande From that tyme forth C. Mathewe in this place doth seeme somwhat to differ from the other two Euangelistes Marke and Luke For after he saide that Christ leauinge his countrey went into Capernaum at length he toucheth the beginning of his preachinge but Luke and Marke say that he taughte openly in his owne countrey A. For thus saith Marke After that Iohn was taken came Iesus into Galile preaching the Gospel of the kingdome and saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hands repente and beleue the Gospel But Luke saith And Iesus returned by the power of the spirite into Galile and the fame of him was spredde througheout the whole region and he preached in they re synagogges and was cōmended of all men But the solution of these is easie soone gathered For the aduerbe of time which Mathew hath oughte to be referred not onely to the next member but also to the whole somme of the narration Therefore Christ by his comming into Galile entered and began his race Repent for the kingdome C. The somme order of this doctrine differeth nothinge from that which Iohn vsed of the which we spake before For it consisteth of two partes of Repentaunce and of the preaching of grace and healthe He exhorteth the Iewes to cōuersion and amendment of life because the kingdome of God was at hande that is because God wold take in hand him selfe to gouerne his people with full and parfect felicitie and blessednesse Marke a littell otherwise saythe The kingdome of heauen is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell notwithstandinge euen in the same sence that Mathew writeth For speaking before of the restoring againe of the kingdome of God to the Iewes he exhorteth to repentaunce and fayth A. Christe hym selfe commaundeth his apostelles to preache the like Se that ye preache sayinge the kingdome of heauen is at hande and againe he sent them to preache the kingdome of god Also saye vnto theim the kingdom of God is come vpon you And againe Repentaunce and remission of sinnes muste be preached in his name The whiche commaundement the Apostells obeyed For when they went forth they preached repentaunce But Peter said vnto them Repent and be baptised euery one of you in the remission of sinnes And again Repente and conuerte that your sinnes maye be done awaye Notwithstanding it may be demanded forasmuche as Repentaunce dependeth vppon the Gospell why Marke did seperate the same frō the doctrine of the Gospell We maye aunswere two maner of waies For God somtimes doth so bed vs amend our lyues that he onely saith the same must be chaunged into a better afterward he sheweth that conuertion and newnes of life is the gift of his holy spirite that we maye knowe howe we are commaunded not onely to do that which is our duetie but also that the grace and vertue of obeiyng is with the same offered vnto vs If after this maner we vnderstande that whiche Iohn preached of repentaunce the sence and meaning is The lorde commaundeth you to tourne vnto him but because of your selues you can not do it he promyseth his spirite of regeneration Wherefore you must receyue this grace by Fayth although the faith which the Gospel requireth ought not at all to be restrayned to the gyfte of renouation or renuinge but specially it dothe belong to remission of synnes For Iohn ioyneth repentaunce with faythe because God dothe reconcile vs to hym selfe to be worshipped and honored of vs as a father in holines and rightousnes Furthermore it is no absurditie to saye that to beleue the Gospell is as muche as to imbrace and receyue free iustificacation righteousenes For often times in the scripture this speciall relation betwene faith remission of sinnes is had as when it teacheth that we are iustifyed by faythe Bothe wayes we maye expounde this place but the beginninge is sure and ratyfied that free saluation is offered vnto vs of God that being tourned vnto him we may liue to righteousnes Therfore he promising
iudge of his doctrine whether it parteyne to the glorye of God to the iustifycation and merytes of Christ to the settynge forthe also of the syncere and parfecte loue towardes oure neyghboure The whiche if it do wee maye boldely adiudge hym to be a faythfull and trewe teacher 17 Euen so euerye good tree bryngethe forth good fruites But a corrupt tre bringeth forth euill fruites C. Here is to be noted that men cannot do wel vnlesse they be first good O generation of vipers saith Christe howe can ye speake good thynges when ye youre selues are euyll For out of the aboundance of the harte the mouthe speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his harte bringeth forth good thinges And an euyl man out of the euil treasure of his harte bringeth forth euil thynges Also in the acts it is wrytten The hartes are purified by fayth For whō soeuer is regenerate by the spirite of god it is necessarye that he testifie by good woorkes that he is a good tree although his workes do tast somwhat of the natural gaale whiche is in him alwayes 18 A good tree can not bring forth euill fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruite B. As if he shoulde saye As the tree is knowen by his fruit so is the teacher if any man marke by worde and doctrine Bu. But there are certayne heretiques which haue abused this place of scripture apointing to thē selues twoo diuerse beginninges sayinge that there are twoo contrary natures betwene them selues But we ought not to referre the wordes of the lorde to any other ende then hee hath spoken them but we oughte rather to consider to what ende and for what occasion he spake them So longe trewely a good tree bryngethe forthe no euyll fruite as he abideth in his good state and an euil tree abydeth in the fruites of his sinnes so longe as he conuerteth not to the fruites of repentance For none abydynge in that whiche he was begynneth to be that which he is not 19 Euery tree whiche bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fyer Euery tree vvhiche Bu. Here by the way he sheweth the great cruell ponishement prepared for false prophetes al those which delite to persist in a vaine pretenced shew of godlines He goeth on still with the allegory signifiing that they shal be tormēted with cruel fier whiche either seduce others by false doctrine or do not expresse the true faith of the mynde by good woorkes M. Here therefore we see that it is not sufficient only to refraine frō doing of euil but also it is required of vs to do that whiche is good For this vyne whiche is Christ will not haue vnfruitfull brāches vnited vnto him in whō the fruitful are pourged that they may bring forth more fruite And in an other place they are accursed not which take away the goodes of the poore but whiche do not féede theim Moreouer in the same place the ministers are cōmāded to cast the vnprofitable seruante into vtter darkenesse yet he had not lost any of his masters money but he had this ponishment because he brought no gaine And after this maner the vnsauery salt is cast out of the dores although it do no hurt in corrupting but because it dothe not take away the corruption Is hevven dovvne and cast E. Christ sheweth not here what shal happen to euyll corrupte trees as referring it to a tyme to come but he speaketh in the presēt time that as trees that are corrupt they shall presently be hewen downe 20 Therefore by their fruites ye shall know them Bu. He repeteth again bringeth in a conclusiō necessary for vs at al times namely the false prophetes at the lēgth shal be known by their fruites B. Let vs obserue therfore this canon or rule at this day let vs counte al thē for false prophetes which speake the immagination of theyr owne hartes not by the mouth of the lord let vs take hede of thē let vs flee from suche repell them 21 Not euerye one that saithe vnto me lorde lorde shall inherite the kingedome of heauen but he which dothe the wil of my father which is in heauen Not euery one C. Christ nowe doth farther extēd his talke neither doth he onely speake of false prophetes which onely to deuoure spoyle enter into the flock but also of hierlinges which vnder the pretence of pastors do subtilly creepe in whē as notwithstāding they haue no affection of godlynes And although this doctrine doth cōprehend al kinde of hypocrites what degree or place so euer they be of notwithstanding properly he toucheth now false teachers whiche woulde seme to excel all mē Neither doth he only direct his talke vnto them that he might take away the securitie in the which they lie as it were drunken but also he doth admonishe the faithful that they attribute not to such vaine titles more then is cōueniēt necessary Finally he doth shew that so sone as the doctrine of the gospel doth begin to bring forth fruite in so muche that it hath gottē vnto it many disciples there wil not only be many of the cōmō sort of people whiche falsly through dissimulation hipocrisy wil geue their name but also among the cōpany of pastors thē selues there shal be such deceit that with their liues dedes they deny the which they professe with their mouth Therfore whosoeuer coueteth to be counted a disciple he must do his indeuour to adict geue him selfe sincerely to the meditatiō of a new life For it is not enough to professe the faith with the mouth but a good cōsciēce is also required the spirite of renouation Lorde Lorde M. He doth not only reherse the liplabour which he touched a lyttel before but also he expresseth the propertie of the hebrew worde which increseth that with doubling or multiplying whiche before it heaped together of the whiche kind also was that which the prophet hath the temple of the lord the temple of the lorde In Luke this sentēce semeth to be a general obiurgation Why do ye cal me lord lord do not those thinges which I cōmande you But because this corruption doth very much aryse of false teachers he doth expressely inuey agaynst thē Shall not enter into the. C. Here some do think that the kingdom of heauē is to be takē for the lif to come other do expounde it to be taken for the churche As if he should say he shall not be of the nōber of my disciples and of my faytheful A. Bothe these expositions may well be takē allowed But he that doth M. The wyl of the father and the sonne is al one the woordes of Christ are the woords of his father For he came to do the will of his father not his owne wil as he witnesseth in the Gosgel after
not haue the memory of the myracle always hyd When as therefore the Leper by the commaundement of Christe came into the sight of the prieste it was a testimony vnto them that they shoulde be inexcusable if they would not receiue Christ for the minister of God and also all occasion of sclaūder was taken away since that Christe did not breake one iot or tytle of the Lawe E. There are some notwithstanding whiche take this woorde testimony for a lawe or statute as it is sayde in the Psalme God gaue this for a lawe vnto Israell or for a testimony But the former expositiō doth better agree to the present circumstaūce For if the priestes had bene curable if they had not bene obstinate they might haue bene brought by this testimony or myracle vnto Christe but to condemne the vnbeleuinge this witnes of Christe is sufficient Bu. But here it is to be marueiled at with what bouldnes the Papistes and Popyshe apostels the Monkes and sacrificing priests could vpon this place teache their auriculer or eare confession to be grounded vpon the lawe of god In this truly their sences are very grosse and dull They wyll haue the Leprosy allegorically to be sinne And the Pope annoynteth his shauelinges and sacrifyinge priestes to be discerners of the spirituall Leprosy by the which consequently they would seme to proue their eare confession We graūt to the priestes in the olde lawe that this power was geuen vnto them to the ende the people mighte knowe that all their cleanenes and the iudgement thereof did depende vpon the priesthoode Notwithstāding wickedly the sacrificing Papistes take this vnto them C. For who euer redde in the Leuitical lawe that the priestes there were appointed to here confessiōs but they flye to this allegory aboue named Such is their argument The lawe geueth to the Leuitical Priestes the knowledge of Leprosy therefore let vs take it vpon vs Synne is a spirituall Leprosy therefore let vs be examiners of synne But this is a more infallible argument Sythe the priesthoode is remoued it is necessary that the lawe be remoued also all priesthoodes are remoued to Christe and fulfilled and ended in hym Therfore to hym onely all the righte and honour of priesthoode is also remoued Moreouer their allegory is very vnfit that setteth among the ceremonies that lawe which is merely pollitique Chrisostome also teacheth that Christe did this for the Iewes sake that he shoulde not be counted a breaker of the lawe And where as they affirme that this eare confession hathe bene of great antiquitie their own Chronicles declare the contrary For the testifie that there was no certayne lawe or constitution of it before the tyme of Innocent the thirde who decreed that euery one shoulde come to confession twyse a yeare without the whiche he sayde that men shoulde haue no entery into Paradise It is not muche aboue thrée hundred yeares paste since this was decreed by Innocent Sozomenus reporteth that this constitution of byshoppes was dilligently kepte in all the Weste churches but specially in Rome whereby he proueth that it was no vnyuersall ordinaunce of all Churches He saithe farther that this was the manner of Constantinople tyll a certayne woman fayninge that she came to confession was founde vnder this filthy couerlet playing the whore with a Deacon For the whiche acte Nectarius a man notable in holines learning bishop of that church toke away that bawdy couerlet and repelled the custome Nowe if auriculer confession were the lawe of God howe durste Nectarius repell and destroye it Wherefore they muste condemne hym and the churche of Constantinople which for a tyme put it away and all the churches of the Easte partes if they wil haue it to be the Lawe of god But that we may confute it by authoritie sufficient Let vs consider what Chrisostome sayth I do not leade thée sayth he into a stage of thy fellowe seruauntes I do not compell thee to disclose thy synnes vnto mē reherse vtter thy conscience vnto God shewe thy woundes to the lorde the beste Surgeon and aske salue of hym yea shewe to hym that wyll reproche thee with nothing but wyll moste gentelye heale thee And saynt Iohn saythe If ye confesse your synnes he is faythfull and iuste to forgeue you your sinnes meaning not a Popyshe priest but that priest whiche is a priste for euer after the order of Melchisedech 5 And when Iesus was entered into Capernaum there came vnto him a Centurion whiche besought him saying M. This history also Luke hathe in his seuenth chapter although it seme otherwyse vnto some C. In woordes this is only the difference that Matthewe saith the Centurion came vnto Christe But Luke saithe that he sent certaine of the Iewes whiche should do the message for hym But Matthewe not vnaduisedly attributeth that vnto hym whiche was done in his parsone and name But in all the circumstaunces the twoo Euangelistes do so agree that it should be a ridiculous thing to fayne two myracles for one Finally there is no doubte but that the bande of soldiers whiche were vnder the Centurion had their station in the citie of Caparnaum as the legions were wont to be deuided for the safegarde of citties There when he behelde the manners of the people to be very vitious and wicked as we knowe that Caparnaum whiche was a cittie bordering on the sea coastes was more vitious then all other citties that notwithstāding it letted not him one whit to condemne the superstitions of his countrey that he might haue a taste of true and syncere Godlines Wherefore he commeth vnto Christe sayinge 6 Maister my seruaunt lyeth at home sicke of the palsey and is greuouslye payned Maister my seruaunt B. The Gréeke worde signifieth a childe a sonne and a seruaūt Although Luke case it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a word not ambiguouse whiche signifieth a seruaunt C. But where as Luke addeth that this seruaunt was dere to the Centurion he dothe by that meanes preuent the doubte which otherwyse might trouble the myndes of the readers for we do knowe that seruauntes are not of suche pryce vnto their maisters that thei wold be so carefull of their lyfe excepte they haue got their fauour by singuler indeuoure or diligence or faithfulnes or by some other vertue Luke therefore dothe signifie that he was not of the common sorte of bondmen but a faythfull and vertuous seruaunt and suche a one as was in great fauour with his maister Hereupon it came that his maister was so carefull for his lyfe and geueth him so great a commendation We haue therefore here a worthy example in this Ethnicke and Heathen man of godlines and of a mynde rightely directed by the spirite of god For alwayes they which are of God acknowledge that their lord is in heauen so gently vprightly they deale with their seruauntes Of the whiche matter saint Paule in the sixte to the Ephesians wryteth
whiche in dede signifieth his authoritie power either to graunt or deny vs our petitiōs And his seruaunt vvas healed A. Because the Centurion beleued that Christe was able to restore his seruaunt to healthe he reaped the frute of his faythe namely the healthe of his seruaunte In the selfe same hovvre M. By this we see that Christe promyseth nothing falsely or in vayne for he healed his seruaunte in the same houre or at the same tyme. But this doth not alwayes happen vnto vs by and by for it is not our parte to appoynte God a tyme or to lymyt hym but to tarry his leasure A. Let it suffise vs that he hathe a care ouer vs if so be that we abyde in hym by a fyrme and constant faythe For faith obtayneth all thynges at the handes of god Whereuppon they speake truely whiche saye that a Christian fayth dothe iustifie pourge saue and remit sinnes pacifie and make a quiet conscience that it maketh the sonnes of God that it openeth a waye to God the father that it bryngeth to passe that we are hearde of God that it ouercommeth the world and all the lustes of the fleshe that it worketh charitie pacience and all vertue in the hartes of the faythfull and that faythe maketh all thynges possible vnto vs. These and many other are the fruytes of faythe 14 And when Iesus was come into Peters house he sawe his wyfes mother lying in bedde and sycke of a feuer And vvhen Iesus vvas come C. The Euangeliste Matthewe bryngeth not in this story orderlye as wee maye gather by Marke who nameth onely fower disciples whiche wayted on Christe after the callyng of the whiche disciples he saythe he went into the Synagoge and from thence he saythe that he went strayghtwaye to Peters house Whereby we may gather that Matthewe did not exactly obserue the tyme The Euangelistes do seme to set forth this as a speciall miracle not that it was more excellent then others or more worthy of remēbraunce but because Christe offered to his disciples a domesticall and familiar shewe or token of his grace and because the healinge of one woman might geue and minister occasion to many to come to hym to be healed and to receiue their healthe Into Peters house B. The apostels did not so forsake all thinges that they woulde neuer vse them agayne they gaue them selues and all that they had yea they cōmitted their soule and lyfe into the hādes of the lorde beinge ready for his sake to forgo all these if necessitie and occasion should require But in the meane tyme they vsed those thinges so farre as it was lawefull and so long as their ministerie and office woulde geue them leaue not rashely forsakyng their parentes their wyses their children and family but caring for them so faithfully and diligently as they could the whiche thinge this history sufficiently proueth which wytnesseth that Peter beinge called to the ministery of the woorde had a house a great whyle after and a necessary care for the same Also when Christe was dead Peter sayde vnto Thomas to Nathanaell to the two sonnes of Zebed and to two other of his disciples I wyll go a fishing they sayde vnto him we also will go with thee So truely they forsoke all thinges that thei gaue them selues wholely to his wyll and calling firste seking to fulfill that which pertaineth to the same He savve his vvyfes mother M. Marke saythe that some whiche came with Christe into the house of Symon tolde hym of the womans sickenes And Luke sayeth they prayed for her In the whiche there is expressed an example of faithe and loue of faith in the power and goodnes of Christ For except they had beleued that Christ by his deuine power could haue deliuered the woman from her feuer to what ende shoulde they tell hym of her and praye for her It was enoughe for them to beleue that Christe woulde and coulde do it wyllyngly That is that he was able and good to do that whiche they prayed for Secondly we maye see the example of loue in this that because they shewe an other bodies disease vnto the lorde praying hym to heale the same And sycke of a feuer C. C. Luke sayth that this woman was taken with a great feuer briefly setting forth the power which Christ by this myracle declared For it was a sure and certayne declaration of the power of God to take away so great and greuous a disease out of hande only by touching with his finger 15 And he touched her hande and the feuar lefte her and she arose and ministred vnto them And he touched her hande C. Although Christe with his becke onely coulde restore health vnto this woman notwithstanding he touched her hande either to declare his affection or els because he thought this outwarde signe to be proffitable For we know that outward signes were vsed commonly accordynge to the manner of the tyme. B. Furthermore he ioyned woordes to his touching to teache vs that healthe came from his woorde and yet not to be loked for without the sacrifice of his fleshe And the feuer lefte her C. Luke saythe that he rebuked the feuer The whiche kynde of speakinge although it seme harde to the reader not sufficiently exercised in the scriptures yet it is not voyde of reason For the feuer and all other kynde of diseases as hōger pestilence and such like are the somners and messengers of God by whome he executeth his iudgementes Therfore as by his commaundement and becke he is sayde to sende out such messengers so he doth restrayne and reuoke them as it semeth to him beste And she arose A. So sone as this woman receiued her perfect health she arose And ministred vnto thē M. That is she prepared meate other things pertaining to the bodely refectiō By this place we are admonished to vse the giftes of God to his seruice and glory because we haue receiued them at his handes according to the saying of saynt Paule What hast thou O man that thou haste not receiued 16 VVhen the euen drewe on they brought vnto hym many that were possessed with deuels And he cast out the spirites with a woorde and healed all that were sycke VVhen the euen drevve Bu. Hetherto Matthewe hath rehersed certayne particuler or speciall benefites nowe generally he comprehendeth an infinite sorte wherby he may sufficiently and plainly proue the lorde Iesus to be omnipotent and louing towardes those that are his He receiueth therfore al those mercifully whiche were offered vnto hym and healeth thē without delay Many that vvere possessed vvith deuels C. Not all that are vexed with the deuel as was Iob are Demoniakes or possessed But they are suche in whome Sathan doth raigne whose myndes he ruleth at his wyll and pleasure There is no doubte but that there were many amōg the Iewes whiche were possessed with vncleane spirites in the time of Christe and Sathan because of
order or regarde caste here and there C. By the whiche woordes we may gather how greate the securitie and slouthfulnesse of the hyghe priestes was who beinge appoynted to set forthe the doctryne of God became idell and slowe bellies They beinge arrogant and proude boasted theim selues to be the heades of the people but Christ notwithstandynge acknowlegeth neuer a one of them to be a pastore Wee maye at this daye beholde the lyke arrogancye in the Papacy which is replenished with titels and names of pastors and curates but in deede they are worse then the rauenynge wolues There are an innumerable sorte of them which vnder this titell and pretence destroy and deuoure the people To be shorte when as they are dombe dogges they are not ashamed to bragge and boaste of theyr pryncipalitie and gouernance But we must here what Christe sayth that no idell and negligent parsons are sheepeherbes and that those are wanderynge and straying sheepe whiche are not gathered into the sheepefoulde of God by the doctryne of the Gospell 37 Then saythe he to his disciples the haruest trewely is plenteouse but the labourers are fewe Bu. He meaneth that there are very many of the people desyrouse of the doctrine of the Gospell but fewe mynisters apre and meete to instructe the people to godlynesse and to labour in the mynisterie of goddes kyngedome He vseth here an Allegorye taken of a rusticall matter B. For by the plentifull haruest he vnderstandeth the greate multitude of people prone and redye bente to here the woorde of God those also whiche thyrsted after the trewthe of the Gospell C. For although the greater nomber dyd reiecte by filthye ingratitude the proffered sauinge health yet dyd God esteme the smal handfull of his elect more thē the whole world besydes But the labourers are fevve Althoughe there were many that intruded theym selues yet because there were few that behaued them selues faythfully he counteth them not amonge the workemen Paule whē he complained of the euyll labourers he had respecte vnto theyr boastinge M. When as Chryste therefore calleth them labourars whiche are mynysters of his Churche he meaneth that the ministery and dispensation of the Gospell is not accomplyshed and fynysshed with idelnesse but with labour with woorke and trauayle This was the cause that Paule so often tymes sayde I feare me least I laboure in vayne agayne Helpe the women whiche laboure with mee in the Gospell also And whiche speciallye laboure in the worde and doctrine 38 Praye ye therefore the Lorde of the haruest that he wil send labourers into the haruest Pray ye therfore the lord B. By these woordes our sauiour Christ sufficientely declareth that it is not in mannes power and strengthe to sende labourars into the harueste but that he muste praye the Lorde of the harueste namely the father that he woulde sende woorkemen or reapers into the haruest Wherevppon Paule wrytynge of this thynge saythe Suche truste haue wee throughe Chryste to Godwarde not that we are sufficyent of our selues to thinck any thynge as of oure selues but if we be able to any thyng the same commeth of God whiche hath made vs able to minyster the newe testamente And hee speaketh of his mynysterye towarde the Corynthyans whom he made by his preachynge the epistel of Chryst wrytten by the spyryte in theyr hartes that is trewe Chrystians For God by his holy spiritie worketh all in all When as then no mā at any tyme shal be a sincere fitt minister of Christes Gospell neither shall any teache as they ought excepte the lorde styrre them vp indue them with the giftes of his holy spirite so often as we see nede of good ministers it is necessary that we lift vp our eyes vnto him and craue the remedy at his handes And truely if we loke about vs circumspectly we shal finde that there was neuer more nede of faythful haruest men then there is at this daye That he vvill sende labourers E. The oulde Gréeke translatiō signifieth that he wold cast out labourers And so haue many very auncient Lattin bookes also But the new interpretour thought good to tourne it thus that he would thrust out that we might vnderstand that they must be sent very shortly or els that they muste bee thruste out with violence against their willes into the worke of god The which thing Hierome noted citing this place B. We must praye therefore vnto God that by his holy spirite he woulde make preachers and sende them out into the whole worlde without the whiche there can be no preachers in dede Saint Paule therefore sayth very well Howe can they preache without they be sente As if he should haue sayde It is not possible that any man shoulde preache the Gospell truely excepte he be appointed and called to the same by god Bu. Neither shal the prayers of the faythfull be vnproffitable or in vayne as wycked men immagin whiche thinke that the omnipotency of God doth rule guyde and gouerne all thynges without our prayers But the wycked worthely peryshe which preferre with all their might wycked and vngodly pastors and flatterers and tourning awaye their eares from the truthe are turned to fables The .x. Chapter AND VVHEN his twelue disciples were called vnto hym he gaue them power against vncleane spirites to cast them out and to heale all manner of sycknes and all manner of diseases And vvhen his tvvelue M. This chapter agreeth with the whiche went before For Christ taking occasion of the compassion mercy whiche he had on the people by his office for he is the good and true shepeherde he beginneth nowe to consider the people and to sende them true shepeherdes C. Here therefore the vocation and calling of the Apostels is described vnto vs not as it was before when the lorde prepared them to their office and chose them into his fellowship For nowe they are called to the present function they are commaunded to prepare them selues to the worke cōmaundementes are geuen vnto them and leaste they should wante authoritie they are replenyshed with the power of the holy ghoste At the first therfore they were chosen in hope of the labour to com But nowe Christe telleth them that the houre is come in the whiche they muste set their handes to the worke Notwithstanding we must note that as yet Christ speaketh not of the continuall Apostelship but only of the temporal preaching by the whiche the myndes of men might be stirred and lifted vp that they mighte be the more attentiue to heare the words of Christe Nowe then they are sent that they maye declare in Iury that the tyme of their visitation and sauing health is at hande Afterwarde Christe appointeth ordayneth them to preache the Gospell throughout the whole worlde Here only he taketh them vnto hym as helpers to get vnto him audience whiche his voyce alone could not bryng to passe afterward he sendeth them as I
fielde of this warrefare whereof Christe speaketh yet notwithstandinge it was proffitable for them to be put in mynde of suche thynges before they came to the ende at suche time as they happened they myghte the better beare them This truely in the firste sendinge also was true that the Apostels were lyke vnto Sheepe in the middest of Wolues But because the lord sparing their infirmitie suffered not the Wolues for all their cruell madnes to hurte them it is properly referred to the tyme to come in the which the Lorde suffered them more sharpely to be intreated For before the resurrection the brydegrome beyng present they were partakers of all the ioyes in the mariage But after the brydegrome departed from them that pleasure that ioye ceased and then their condition and state of lyfe was so austere that they felte them selues not to be appointed with this armoure in vayne Bu. And truely as the prouerbe sayth the dartes which strike and pearce vnwares and at a sodaine do more terrifie vs and make vs afrayde then those whereof we haue a sight before they enter The lorde therefore here doth not dissemble or hyde any thing but rather dothe so exactly describe and paynte forth the persecutions the crosses the prysonmētes the bondes and tormentes that they maye discerne them as if they were present before thē C. Notwithstanding it maye bee that Matthewe setteth the talke had at diuers tymes in one place as if it had bene spoken all at one tyme. For Luke saith that the same things were spoken to the thrée score and tenne disciples whiche were ioyned to the Apostels This truely is without all controuersy and doubte that the successe of the iourney whiche they now toke vpon them was not forshewed by the these wordes but that the disciples were rather fore warned of the whole race of their Apostelship As shepe among Bu. This truely is a worthy image and spectacle expressing and setting forth the great daunger and perill whiche hangeth ouer all the heades of those that are preachers Than the shepe nothing is more simple more innocent and more cowardishe or dastardlike But by shepe perfecte men and innocent whiche depende only vpon the prouidēce of God are vnderstode Suche Christe calleth his because they should be the seruaūtes of the lorde destitute of all the helpe of man that they acknowledging them selues to be shepe may haue respecte to their shepeherde and to become and prepare them selues as shepe appointed to be slayne Bu. But among all the fowerfooted beastes of the earth there is nothinge more rauening more gredy and more crueller then the Wolfe Therefore search couetous and cruell men and the insaciable tyrauntes of this worlde are signified by Wolues But howe cruell and desyrous of bloude soeuer men be God can mittigate and asswage their crueltie whiche at his pleasure tameth the wylde and cruell beaste In that therefore God suffereth the greatest part of men to despyse his Gospell seketh not to tame them he doth it to trye and exercise his ministers And although all men by nature are Wolues whiche are not regenerate by the spirite of mekenes notwithstanding Christe here speaketh specially of those whiche are furious enemies to the Gospell who hearynge the voyce of the shepeherde or pastor are so farre from mekenes that they runne headlong into all madnes The Lorde therefore sendeth foorth his ministers to be among the Wolues and tyrauntes of this worlde to haue many enemies against them and to be compassed about with manye daungers to the ende they mighte discharge their office and dutie with great trouble And to the ende their probation and triall mighte bee the more sharpe he committeth not vnto them weapons to defende them selues by violence and strong hand but vnarmed and naked he offereth them to the teethe of the Wolues Be ye therefore vvyse as Serpentes C. That is be ye circumspecte and take hede of all thinges after ye bee in the middes of Wolues least ye offende and receiue some harme but notwithstanding be ye subtyle sober wyse that you do iniury to no man that you breake not the bonde of charitie yea directe youre wysedome onely to this end that ye may proffite many by preachinge of the Gospell A. The whiche feare of all men being layde a parte ye ought boldely to preache The effecte therefore is this that they ought so to temper their wysdome in takyng hede that they be not to fearefull and slowe in executing their office For we see that suche as wyll be compted circumspect and ware in their office are very fearefull and neglygent It behoued trewly the disciples of Christ being beset with daungers on euery side to be vigilant and ware but because the greattest daunger was least they should be lett by slouthfulnes and neglygence he commandeth them to followe with all sinceritie their vocation And this he expresseth by a double similitude Serpentes knowinge that they are hated of all thinges they declyne and shonne with greate care what soeuer is ennemie vnto them euen so the care of lyfe is commanded to the faithful least they should rashely daunger theim selues and willingly commyt them selues to euery peryll On the contrary parte the doues althoughe they are fearefull by nature and subiecte to manye harmes yet notwithstanding they flée symplely loking alway to be stricken and do often times submitte them selues to the snares of the destroier To this simplicitie Christ exhorteth his disciples least that to muche feare shoulde let them in ronninge their race A. To this spirituall wysedome and Christian symplicitie not onely the ministers but also al men ought to geue them selues B. As the Apostell Paule exhorteth sayinge Take hede therefore howe ye walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wyse men redemynge the tyme because the dayes are euyll wherfore be ye not vnwyse but vnderstande what the wyll of the lorde is And in an other place he sayth Walke wiselye toward them that are without and lose no oportunitie C. Let this wisedome therfore of the serpents teache vs which are Christians to beware and take heede of wicked men and the crafty assaultes of Sathan least we admytte any thynge agaynst the wyll and glory of God. To be shorte we se here that all the carnall wisedome of this world is condemned of Christe vpon the which the grettest parte of men do to muche grounde them selues when they looke this waye and that way and rounde about theym where they may be in safetie And so fearynge to daunger them selues they do at lengthe quite renounce Christ 17 But beware of men for they shal delyuer you vp to the councelles and shall scourge you in their Synagogges Bevvare of men A. Althoughe many restraine this place to them onely whome before Christe called woulues yet notwithstandinge it is better to take it indefinitely as if he should haue sayde ye must walke wiselye amonge men who are altogether for the moste parte full of
shamefastnes also dothe oftentimes abashe and beate downe the myndes of good men What then if prynces in a rage and angrye mode burst forthe and do thonder at it were Christe notwithstanding would not haue his disciples to be careful because the holy ghost shal put in their mouthes what to speake For the more a man knowing his imbecillitie distrusteth him selfe the more he feareth excepte he knowe from whence to haue helpe And we do see that many do therefore faynte and quaile because they measure the successe of those things which they take in hand by their strēgth whiche in deede is eyther very small or none at all Christe therefore forbyddeth his dysciples to haue respecte what theye are able to do or what they may brynge to passe by their owne myght and commaundeth them to depende onely vppon the truste of goddes grace and myghte B. For he promyseth theim healthe and victory not that therby their life shoulde be in sauegarde but because the glory of the gospell shoulde triumphe and stande irremoueable As this is much more dere vnto Christians then the other so theye cannot liue amisse when the glory of the Gospell florisheth Take ye no thought E. Or be not carefull The greke worde signifieth to thincke carefully or pensiuely C. Then Christ would not haue his Appostells voyde of all care because it was profitable to haue them somwhat careful to th ende they myght aske with an earnest minde by prayer the spirite which Christ promiseth vnto thē but pensiueful care with the which men do to much trouble them selues he taketh awaye For while they consyder with thē selues what shall come to passe if they do this or that and reste not theim selues in the prouidence of God they are myserablely disquieted And trewely they are worthy of suche disquietnes and vexation which do not attrybute this honoure to the prouidence of God whiche in deede is able to helpe and deliuer them from all tourmente in due time 20 For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you For it is not ye that speake A. As if he shoulde saye ye ought not to measure constancie by your owne strengthe whiche in deede is moste necessary in the presence of kings Geue this glory therfore vnto God and doubt not but that he wyll geue it vnto you althoughe youre own strength fayle you ye must beleue that there is nothinge so harde but that be in you is able to ouercome the same C. Neither do I speake here of your facultie and power but of the power of the holy ghost which directeth the tongues of the faythfull to the pure confession of Faythe And least they shoulde be terryfied by their present imperfection lacke he promyseth vnto them that they shall receiue helpe and ayde euen in a momēt For often times the lorde doth leaue the faithfull destitute and without the gyfte of eloquence so longe as he requireth no testimonie of them but when necessitye requireth he maketh those which before were as dombe men passing eloquente Euen so in our time we haue sene diuers martyrs whiche when they were rude beinge called to the confessyng and publishinge of their faythe haue wonderfully excelled in the gifte of eloquence and apte speakinge M. Therefore Chryste more playnely in an other place saithe Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answere or what ye shal speake For the holy ghost shall teach you in the same houre what ye ought to saye But the spirite of your father M. This sayth he oughte to satifie you that the spiryte of God shall be present with you For wisedome fortitude is requisite whiche thinges he wyll bestowe plentifully vppon you Consider you that you are vnhable to do this of youre selues but the lorde by his holy spirite wyll helpe you M. This place teacheth vs of what authoritie credite and estimation the wrytynges of the Apostelles oughte to be amongeste vs. For if the spirite of God spake in the Apostelles why shoulde we not esteeme of theyr woordes as of the wordes that procede out of the mouth of god Seing they haue this testimony of Christe we can not be deceyued in obeyinge their godly doctrine But we maye erre if we followe credite them whiche boast of the succession of the Apostelles in whom no sparke of the spirite of God neyther by life nor doctrine doth appere That grosse dulnes and obstinate blyndnes of the woorlde is to be lamented by the whiche it hath ben broughte to passe that those in whome the spirite of God spake haue ben slayne The Prophetes and Apostelles spake boldelye and constantly preached the Gospell by the feruentnesse of the spyrite of God and yet notwithstandinge they were counted as seducers and were slayne and that of the people of god This so great obstinacye therefore of the worlde is to be left to the iust iudgement of God. 21 The brother shall delyuer vp the brother vnto deathe and the father the sonne and the children shall aryse against their fathers and mothers and shall put them to death B. Hee doth greatly expresse the danger to the end hee might giue them forewarninges and also strengthen and comfort them For nothinge in the whole worlde can be safe sure and certaine vnto them which will publish and set forth the Gospell no in this cace they may scant trust theyr owne brethren theyr children or theyr parents For the word of Chryst abydeth for euer when he sayth he that is not with mee is against mee and hee that gathereth not with mee scattereth abroade Sathan wyth all his kingdome and power houldeth continuall warre agaynste Christe and hys kingdome the whyche furor and outragious rebellion no force of nature is able to wythstande For he hath the wicked as bond and captyue at his will and pleasure Therfore it is in his hand to styrre and set brother against brother the sonne agaynste the father and the father against the sonne yea to set all men one agaynst another C. Notwithstanding they are deceaued which thinke that this doth only happen to the faythfull to be deliuered of theyr bretherne to deathe For it maye be that the father persecute the sonne of a good zeale if he perceiue him to be an Apostata and one that declyneth from the sincere worshyping of god yea the Lord in this case byddeth vs to forget fleshe and bloud and to reuenge defend the glory of his name Neyther truly do all men spare theyr kinsmen where the feare of God and relygion doth floryshe but had rather that all should perishe if necessity did so requyre then that the kingdome of Christ should decay in any one pointe that the Doctrine of saluation should bee extinguished and the true worshippe of God abolished Wherefore if wee were godly minded this one thing were a iust occasion of hatred the which although it seeme contrarye to nature that one
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
teache And Christe dothe so extolle the name of Iohn to the ende he might make the Iewes more attentiue to the Embassage that he brought He that is leste in the kingdome C. Some expounde this amys of Christe affirminge him by this place to be called the leaste in the kyngdome of heauē But the dignitie of the persone is not here handled but the excellency of his office is commended Therefore it is better to bee vnderstoode of those whiche were made the ministers of Christe in the new Testamēt that the maiestie of the Gospell myghte be aboue the law For if Iohn were therfore greater then the Prophetes whiche were before hym because he came before Christe whiche came by and by after hym or because he pointed him out with the fynger why shall not an Apostell bee greater or any other minister of Christe lesse whiche doth not onely preache that Christe came but also dothe shewe the misteries of his kingdom and declare the same to the whole worlde For Christe would haue Iohn so praised that notwithstandynge all the same commendation shoulde tende to the setting forth of the deuine grace of his kingdome that the same mighte be the better allowed and accepted As Christe therefore woulde prepare the Iewes to receiue the Gospell euen so at this daye it becōmeth vs to be stirred vp that we may heare Christe reuerently speakyng vnto vs from the highe throne of his heauenly glory least that he take vengeaunce vppon vs for our contempte with that horrible curse whiche he pronounceth to the vnbeleuinge by the mouthe of the Prophete in the same place The kyngdome of heauen and of God is takē for the new state of the church as in other places before because by the comming of Christe the instauration and repayringe of all thynges was promysed 12 From the dayes of Iohn Baptiste vntill this daye the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violente plucke it vnto them C. There is no doubte but that Christe commendeth the maiestie of the Gospell because many with feruent study desired the same For as god stirred vp Iohn to be the foreronner and proclaymer of the kyngdome of his sonne euen so he indewed his doctrine with the power and efficacy of his spirite to the ende it mighte pearce the hartes of theim and kyndell their zeale It appeareth therefore that it came from God seing that it sprange vp so sodenly after so straunge a manner is able to stirre vp so wonderfull motiōs But in the second mēber the restraint is added as appeareth And the violēt plucke it For because the greater parte was nothing the more moued thā if at any tyme no woorde had bene spoken of the Prophetes as concerning Christe he declareth that the violence whereof he speaketh was but in one certayne kynde of men The meaninge therefore of this place is this Nowe there is a great concourse of men as if they would violently rushe forth to apprehende the kyngdome of god For by one mans voyce they come on heapes neyther only gredyly but also with a snatchinge violences as it were they receyue the grace offered vnto theim Notwithstanding many rage and are no more touched than if Iohn shoulde tell them a tale in the deserte nothing at all pertaining vnto thē To this effecte the mynde of Christe in this place tendeth namely that they are in excusable which contemptuously shut their eyes and stoppe their eares at the manifest power of God whiche as well shyneth in the teacher as in the hearers B. The kyngdome of heauen is the new doctrine of the Gospell The kyngdom of heauen suffereth violence when men runne with great force to the publique preaching of the Gospell Men do violētly plucke the kyngdome of heauen vnto them when they burne as it were with an earnest desyre of the kyngdome of Christe in so much that they despise thir life all that euer they haue so that they may be partakers of the Gospell and cittezens of the kingdome of heauen Nowe by these wordes of Christ we learne what is the nature and propertie of true faith namely to harken to the woorde of God with a feruent minde with an earnest desire to be instructed in the truthe not coldly or negligently to regarde the same 13 For all the prophetes and the lawe it selfe prophesied vnto Iohn C. Nowe the lorde compareth the ministery of the Gospell with the Lawe and the Prophetes As if he should saye It is no meruaile if God do nowe so mightely worke in the mindes of the hearers because he doth not now hide him self a far of vnder darke and obscure shaddowes but dothe shewe hym selfe openly to the ende he might establishe his kyngdome Hervpon it followeth that they are lesse excusable which obstinately reiected the doctrine of Iohn then they which despysed the lawe and the prophetes M. For that which Iohn preached is the very same whereof the lawe the Prophetes spake before C. In this worde of prophesiing there is a greate Emphasis and force because the lawe and the prophetes did not set God before the eyes of men but dyd shaddowe him as one absente vnder fygures Nowe we see to what ende the comparison tēdeth namely that it is not mete that men should waxe cold and wery of that by the which God offered him selfe presente vnto them But where as Christ now doth count Iohn in the nomber of the mynisters of the gospel whom before he placed aboue the prophetes it is no absurditie because his preachynge althoughe it be parte of the Gospell yet notwithstandinge it was but a certayne rudiment and principle of the same 14 And if ye wyll receyue it this is Helias whiche was for to come C. Here he doth more certaynly declare how Iohn began to preache the kingdom of god because he was that Helias which shoulde be sente before the face of God. Chryst therefore wolde haue that manyfest and terrible comming of God which is celebrated of Malachy to be knowne now of the Iewes whē Helias which is there promised hath done the duetie as it were of a Sōner or parator M. But how Iohn was called Helias we may rede in the fyrst of Luke wher it is thus writtē of hym And he shall go before him in the spiryte power of Helias to tourne the hartes of fathers to theyr children the vnbeleuers to the wisdom of the iust men to make redy a parfecte people before the lorde C. By this exception also which he addeth sayinge if ye wyll receiue it he declareth the hardenes of their harts because they were blynde in the cleere lyghte But shal he not be Helias if he be not receyued Yes surely he shall continew in his estate styll For Christ meaneth not that the office of Iohn dydde depende vpon them but after that he had witnessed that he was Helias he reproueth them of negligēce and ingratitude excepte they geue vnto him the aucthoritie which
But and if this solution be not sufficient to those that are contenciouse we answere that althoughe the remedy for the preseruation of the Sodomites was in the handes of God yet notwithstanding he shewed his iustice in destroyinge them C. It shal be nedelesse therfore to enter into those questions of predestination when as we knowe that God wolde not do neither hath he decreed any thing to be done without excellent consyderation as to whom he shoulde shewe mercy and to whom not 24 Neuerthelesse I say vnto you it shall be easyer for the lande of Sodome in the daye of iudgement then for thee For this matter reade the tenth chapiter goinge before and the fyftene verse 25 At the same tyme Iesus answered and saide I thancke thee O father lord of heauen and earthe that thou haste hid these thynges from the wyse and prudent and hast opened them vnto babes At that tyme. B. Luke saythe that Christ spake these wordes when the threscore and ten disciples were retourned and reioysed that deuylls were subdued vnto them Iesus aunsvvered C. Althoughe this worde of answeringe is very vsuall and familiar to the Hebrewes in the begynninge of some communication and matter notwithstanding in this place it hath a greate Emphasis or force Because that Christe thus toke occasion by the present matter to speake namely when the threscore and tenne retourned with ioye the which thinge the wordes of Luke confyrme a greate deale better saying that Iesus in the same hower reioysed in the spirite But whervpon cam this reidysynge but onelye because the Churche being gathered of a fewe poore and contemptible men was no lesse dere and preciouse vnto hym then if it hadde bene fornysshed with all the nobylytie power and glory in the whole worlde And the prayer of Christe beinge dyrected vnto the father was of more vehemency then if he had talked with his disciples Howe be it it is moste sure that for theyr sakes hee gaue thanckes vnto the father leaste that the base and lowe degree of the churche should offende any man For wee do all for the most parte seeke for glorye and there is nothynge seemeth lesse necessary vnto vs then the heauenly kyngdome of the sonne of god whose glory in dede consisteth in the dregs reliques and of scouringes of the world Accordynge to the sayinge of S. Paule We are become as it were the very outswepynges of the world and ofscouring of all men vnto this tyme And trewely this is the wonderfull counsell of God that he hauynge the whole worlde in his hande rather choseth to him selfe his peculyar people out of a base poore and contemptyble multitude then out of the heapes of nobles and prynces who as it myghte be thoughte shoulde better by theyr nobylitie and excellencie set forth the name of Christe then any other But Christe here sekethe to withdrawe his discyples from a proude lofty minde leaste they shoulde despyse the base and obscure state of the churche in the which he hym selfe dyd delyghte and gaue thanks vnto his heauenly father for the same Nowe what madnesse what blindnesse yea what arrogancye were there in vs if we shoulde denye gaynesay or mislike of that which our sauiour Christ hym selfe beinge our heade vouchesafeth reuerently to receyue and hyghelye to commende sayinge I thancke thee O fa. B. Or I prayse thee or I glorysie thye name For these three I prayse I gloryfye I geue thanckes are taken frome the Hebrew worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iadath which the Gretiās haue made Omulogeo that is I confesse C. Christ therfore by these wordes doth testifie that he doth quyete and rest hym selfe in the decree of his father whiche disagreeth and differeth from the reason and vnderstandinge of man. Lorde of heauen and. C. In this thing therfore he dothe affirme that he doth gloryfye his father that he beinge lorde of the whole earthe hath preferred babes and younglings before the wise of the world For it maketh no smal matter to the circumstance of the argument that he calleth the father lord of heauen and earth because by this meanes he declareth the cause of the blyndenes of the wyse to depende vppon the wyll of God and that by his wyll also the rude and ignorante are made to vnderstande his hye and secrete mysteries There are many other places also where the lord declareth that al those that com to saluation are elected chosen by him of his tender mercy frely because the earth is the lordes and al that therin is the compas of the worlde they that dwel therin Wherefore this sentence hath a double cōsideratiō First where as all men do not obey and beleue the gospel it cōmeth not so to pas by the impotencie vnablenes of god in whose power it is to subdue all creatures vnto him Secondly wheras some beleue obey other som remaine hard harted obstinate that is brought to pas by his louing free election Notwithstanding in that he choseth babes rather then the wise he hath a cōsideration of his glory For how much wold the flesh reioyce if faith mighte be gotten by the dexteritie of wyt by industry or by learnyng Wherefore God beateth downe the wisedome of man to the ende the glory of his name might not be obscured but brightly shine in makīg the foolishe thinges of this world to confound the wise C. That therefore which Christe here affirmeth seruethe muche to the confirmation of the faithful at this day and for euer in that all men ar stirred to the acknowledginge of the mercy of god for so muche as there is nothyng in vs that can prouoke him to cal vs but rather a wōderful heape of sinne wickednes to stir him to plague condemne vs wer it not that his mercy is the greater For truely the Gospell is not gotten by the wyt labour or industrie of man but onely by the illumination of the spiryte of God. Because thou hast hyd thee A. That is because thou hast not reuealed or opened these mysteries of thy kyngedome to the wyse and prudent For to hyde not to reueale open or shewe are all one So in an other place we reede The lord hyd it from mee and dyd not shew it vnto me and againe My father wyl do nothinge neyther great nor smal but that he will shewe it mee and howe shoulde he hyde this thinge from mee From the vvise and prudēt C. Here it maye be demanded who they ar whom Christ calleth wyse and babes for experyence teacheth vs that all that are vnlearned and rude come not to the perfection of faythe neyther are the learned and wise lefte in their blyndenesse Therfore they are defyned to be wyse and prudente in this place whiche beinge lifted vp with diabolical or deuelishe disdain wyl in no wyse abyde to heare the voice of Christe Paule with this pride was puffed vp but the lorde tamed his furiousenes If wee
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
thynke the lesse honour to be in Christe because he bendeth hym selfe accordyng to their weakenes gentely and of his own accorde If he should appeare in his glory as he shall for certayne whē the fulnes of tyme is expyred then we meruayled not so muche at his symplicitie before as we shal then wonder at the excellency of his glorious maiestie Yea it shall so muche excell that the bryghtnes of the same shall rauishe our sences Therefore to the ende the clemency and gentlenes of Christe mighte be reuerenced and hyghly estemed of the faythfull the Prophete Fsaye sheweth howe proffitable and necessary it is Euery man knoweth his own fragillitie and weakenes whereupon we may consyder and waye howe necessary this louing kyndnes mekenes and clemency is necessary for all men And howe necessary it is for men to be spared and fauoured at the handes of Christe We speake not here of the vnfaythfull which are altogether voyde and destitute of the sprite of grace but of suche as are called of the Lorde already vntyll hee kyndle the lyghte more clerely in them and more strongly confyrme them Are not all men lyke vnto broused Reedes and smokynge Flaxe In that Christe therefore tempereth and frameth hym selfe to oure infirmitie fragillitie and weakenes let vs attribute the same to his inspeakeable goodnes and imbrace the same Notwithstanding let no man here by flatter hym selfe in his wyckednes but let euery man endeuoure hym selfe to proffite and go forwarde in all vertue more and more Let vs not bende beynge nowe confirmed by Christe like broken Réedes with euery blast of wynd but let vs growe into perfecte strengthe and manhode that we may stande stoutly against at the assaultes of Sathan Let not oure faithe be obscure smokyng and darke and brynge foorthe small sparkes onely But let it brynge foorthe moste clere and shynyng beames After these thynges there followeth a lyttell sentence in the Prophete whiche Matthewe omitteth The woordes are these But faythfully and truely he shall geue iudgement and not be pensyue nor carefull By the whiche woordes the faythefull manner of teachyng of the Lorde is expounded C. Although saith he he do comfort and strengthen the weake yet notwithstandynge he wyll correcte vyce righteously without flattery and parciallitie He wil sharpely reproue the obstinate and contemners as maye appeare by many examples of the Scribes and Phariseys Because therefore vnder the coloure and pretence of this place as concernyng the clemencie of Christe some falsely pretende that all men without exception must be gentely delte with all We must note the difference that the Prophete did put betweene the weake and the wicked For it is mete and conuenient that the obstinacy of thē whiche are to strong and stoute shoulde be asswaged and beaten downe as it were wyth an Iron maule And that they whiche go about in all places eyther to brynge in darkenesse or els are faggottes them selues to sette on fyre shoulde haue theyr darke and mysty cloudes dryuen awaye or els theire burnynge heate extynguyshed Therefore as it is the partes of faythful and true ministers to endeuoure them selues in sparinge and bearing with the weake to cherishe encrease the grace of God in them So is it their duetie all so wysely to beware and take hede leaste that they spare theyr obstinate mallice whiche haue no affinitie with the fumynge flaxe or the raced Rede Tyll he sende forthe iudgement to victory C. According to the Hebrewe texte it is redde otherwyse namely vntyl he bryng forth iudgement in truthe Notwithstandynge the woordes of Matthewe haue a greate emphasis to the ende we maye knowe that ryghteousnes was not set in the worlde without great contention and warre against Sathan as may appeare by this woorde victory whiche is neuer obtayned without fighte The Prophete therefore by these wordes testifieth Christe to be so constaunt that he prosecuted his vocation to the vttermoste By the whiche example also all the ministers of Christe must learne to perceiuer and continue with a stoute courage and strong mynde 21 And in his name shal the Gētils truste C. The woordes of the Prophete are otherwyse as thus The Iles loke for his lawe But althoughe the Euangeliste Matthewe haue altered the woordes yet hath he not chaunged the sence namely that the grace of Christe shal be common and pertayne to the Gentyles For the promyse pertayneth to all nations to the ende all the partes of the worlde myght taste of the fruyte of the newe restitution and renouation Reade the tenthe chapter of Iohn 22 Then was brought to hym a blynde and dumbe man that was vexed with a deuell and he healed hym in somuche that the blynde and dumbe bothe spake and sawe Then vvas brought to him A. When was this done Surely when he was come into the house and the multitude come vnto hym as wytnesseth saynt Marke As touchyng the faythe of the bryngers of these blynde men there is no mention made Notwithstandinge in that they brought hym it appeareth that they perswaded them selues muche of the goodnes of Christe A blynde and dumbe man. C. Luke speakyng of the effect sayth that the dumbe man was possessed with a deuell Notwithstandinge Matthew saith that he was punished with a double plage as to be both blynde dumbe It is moste certayne sure that many were blynde and dumbe with naturall vices But it is apparaunt and euident that this man was blynde in dede corporally and wanted the vse of his tongue although in the powers perspectiue and in the naturall instrumentes of his tongue there was no defection or wante at all Therefore it is no marueyle if so greate libertie be geuen vnto Sathan to vitiate the sences of the body when by the iust iudgement of God he corrupteth and peruerteth all the faculties of the mynde And he healed hym R. Here appeareth bothe the clemency of Christe towardes suche as are miserable also his power ouer Sathan It is a token of clemency in that he taketh compassion and pittie vpon this afflicted and moste myserable creature It is a signe of his power also in that he casteth out Sathan with his woorde and so restoreth this Demoniake being both dumbe and blynde to perfecte healthe In so muche that the blynde and dumbe both spake and savve R. Although Sathan out of measure enuy and rage very furiously yet notwithstanding Christe forceth him to stoupe and to geue place Wherefore let vs beleue in Christe and Sathan shall do vnto vs no manner of harme 23 And all the people were amased and sayd Is not this that sōne of Dauid And all the people vvere amased B. There are diuers sortes of men whiche do iudge of this miracle Some wonder and are amased other some do blaspheme C. But where as all the people were amased we maye gather that it was the manifeste power of God which did so rauishe their sences that they were voide of malicious and
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
cruell battayle is prepared for vs And let vs not be discouraged hereby but rather let vs make ready our selues put vpon vs the armoure of light whiche S. Paule speaketh of in his Epistle to the Ephesians with the whiche weapons we shall easely confounde that enemy and al his ministers 44 Then he sayth I wyll retourne into my house from whence I came out And when he is come he findeth it empty and swepte and garnished A. Here the nature and practise of Sathan is described with the whiche he is alwayes ready to hurte Into my house The house is here taken for man allegorically For in the verse going before he sayde When the vncleane spirite goeth out of a man He fyndeth it empty He persisteth in the similitude of the man in whoÌ„ he sayth that the deuell found a place fornished and prepared after no worse manner then if one should receiue a geste C. Christe no doubte meaneth that such men are apte and mete to receiue the deuell whiche are altogether voyde of the spirite of God For the faithful in whom the fulnes of Gods spirite abydeth are so fortified and strengthened in all pointes that not one hole or gappe is open to the destructioÌ„ which Sathan seketh to bring vppon them The sence therefore and meaninge of this place is That Sathan hath neuer more conuenient tyme and place to enter into vs then when we forsake Christe and byd hym farewell For the chiefest of his delight is to fynde that voydenes or emptynes which is lefte after the swepinge awaye of the spirite of god Let vs therefore accordinge to the admonitioÌ„ of saint Paule take hede that we quenche not the spirite 45 Then goeth he and taketh vnto hym seuen other spirites worse then hym selfe and so entereth he in and dwelleth there And the ende of that man is worse then the begynning Euen so shall it be also vnto this frowarde generation C. The deuell not sekynge to haue the commoditie of the place to him self only bryngeth in many other spirites worse then hym selfe and more hurtfull For the number of seuen is here taken indefinitely for an infinite nuÌ„ber as in many other places also A. As in the booke of Samuell where it is sayde Vntill the barren woman bringe foorth seuen that is many Also in the prophecie of Esay it is sayde Seuen women shall take vnto theÌ„ one man C. By these woordes Christe doth teache vs that if we fall from his grace we shall be two folde more in subiection to Satham then we were before Wherefore leaste we should thinke that the deuell is ouercome by one battayle because he departeth froÌ„ vs Christe here putteth vs in mynde of his comminge againe Suche a continuall and mortall enemy is he that he wyll not leaue of with the foyle or repulse but if he maye haue the leaste hole that may be to put in his head be ye well assured that he wyll wrynge and wreste in the hole body We must indeuour our selues therefore wheÌ„ Christe reigneth in vs to shut out this his enemie and ours And the end of that maÌ„ A. The apostell Peter semeth to expouÌ„d this place saying Of whome a man is ouercome vnto the same he is broughte in bondage For if they after they haue escaped from the fylthynes of the worlde through the knowledge of the lorde and the Sauiour Iesu Christe are yet tangled againe therein and ouercomme theÌ„ is the latter ende worse with them then the beginning For it had bene better for them not to haue knowen the waye of righteousnes then after they haue knowen it to tourne from the holy coÌ„maundement that was geuen vnto them So shall it be to Loke in the begynning of our annotations of the three and fourty verse 46 VVhyle he yet talked with the people beholde his mother and his brethren stoode without desyringe to speake wâ—â—â— hym VVhyle he yet spake or talked Bu. Matthewe here adioyneth a history whiche in matter and all other pointes agreeth with that whiche wente before For we are taught by the example of the lorde constantly to go forwarde in the busynes of the kyngdome of God and not to geue place to our carnall affections whiche oftentymes do withdrawe vs froÌ„ the kingdome of god This lesson pertayneth to all men but speciall to the ministers of Gods word The lord spake these things before the multitude that thou mightest see that he gaue not that which was holy vnto dogges that is that he did not in vayne bestowe these thinges vppon the Phariseis but only in this respecte to coÌ„uince their impietie and to make them voyde of all excuse Beholde his mother Betwene Luke and the other two Euangelistes Matthewe and Marke there semeth herein to be muche disagremente For these two Matthewe and Marke in the order of their hystory saye that the mother and brethren of Christe came as he was reasoning of the vncleane spirit But Luke maketh mention that they came at another tyme in stede of their comming putteth in the exclamation of a certayne woman A. And declareth that which Matthewe noteth here in the eight chapter C. But because meÌ„ know well enough that the Euangelistes were not curious in noting the order of times nor in prosecuting all the sayinges and dedes of oure Sauioure Christe these thinges I saye knowne wel enough the solution and reconciliation is the more easy to be made For Luke expresseth not at what tyme the mother of Christ came But that whiche Matthewe and Marke do declare before the parable of the sower that doth he place afterward But where as he saythe that a woman of the multitude cried out it semeth to haue some affinitie or agrement with this narration for it maye bee that vpon a rashe and an vndiscrete zeale she did extoll that into the hyghest degrée which as she thought was to muche abased of Christe In this truely all do agree that Christe talkyng among the myddest of the multitude his mother and brethren came vnto hym no doubt because they were either carefull for hym or els because they had a desyre to learne somewhat at his handes For they sought not to come to hym in vayn neyther is it lykely that they whiche followed that holy mother were vnfaythfull A. But for so muche as there is mention made here and in other places of the brethren of Christe we must note that they were called his brethreÌ„ because they were of the same kynne and lyne So Lot is said to be the brother of Abraham wheÌ„ as he was Abrahams brothers sonne For Terah begat Abram Nachor and Aram and Aram begat Lot. Laban also is sayde to be the brother of Iacob who notwithstanding was Iacobs vncle So our Lorde is sayde to be the brother of Iames and Ioses and of Iudas Symon when as notwithstandinge he was but Cosyn germayne as we terme it to Iames and the sonne of Mary the virgyn whiche was
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
the lighte of the gospell because they were bytter and rebelliouse againste Christe Also in an other place he saith Israell hath not obtayned that whiche he seeketh but the election hath obtained it The remnaunt are blinded accordynge as it is wrytten God hath geuen them the spirite of vnquietnes eies that they shoulde not se eares that they shoulde not heare euen vnto this daye In this place of Paule the Antithesis is to be noted for if the onely and free election of God hath saued som remnant of people it followeth by the secrete iust iudgemēt of god that al the rest shall perish For who are the rest whō Paule in contrary wise setteth against the elect but onely they whom God hath appoynted to euerlasting damnation The lyke reason is in Iohn For he saith that ther were many vnbeleuing because no mā beleueth but they to whō God reuealeth his arme power And by by he addeth that they coulde not beleue because it is written harden the harts of this people To the same thing hath Christ respecte when he referreth it to the secrete counsell of God that the trueth of the gospel is not reuealed to euery one alyke but is depely hiddē in parables darke sentēces to the ende he might power nothinge but thycke darkenes into the myndes of the people We wyll alwayes truely confesse that those whome God doth blynde are founde worthy of this punishement but because there appeareth not a manifeste reason or cause in the persones of men this principal abideth sure that thei by a singuler gifte are ordeined to saluation illuminated by the spirite of God whome God hath frely chosen and that all the reprobate are depriued of the light of life whether God geue vnto them his worde or whether he blinde their eyes stoppe their eares that they can neyther heare nor perceiue the same Now let vs note howe Christ doth applie the prophecie of the Prophete to the present cause And seing ye shall see and not perceiue C. The wordes of the Prophete are not recited as it was sayd euē now neyther maketh it any matter because it was enough for Christe to shewe that it was no newe or vnwonted example if many were amased and astonied at the worde of god It was sayde vnto the Prophete Goe and hardē the harte of this people This Matthew attributeth to the hearers that they should beare the blame of their blyndnes and obstinacy Neyther can the one be separated from the other for all they that are caste into a reprobate sence do wyllingly with an inwarde mallice blynde obdurate them selues For it can come no other wyse to passe where the spirite of God abydeth not with the whiche only the electe are gouerned Wherefore we conclude thus that they are not of a soūd and perfecte mynde whome God dothe not illuminate with his spirite of adoptiō and therefore are they blinded by the worde of God and yet notwithstāding the fault remaineth in them because they are willingly blynde 15 For the harte of this people is wexed grose and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes haue they closed least at any tyme they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and shoulde vnderstande with their harte and be conuerted that I also might heale them For the harte of this people S. That is The harte is so inclosed and choked with fatte that it is not able to discharge his proper office M. Therefore when the harte is grosse it cannot be that the eares shoulde heare and that the harte it selfe shoulde vnderstande and conuerte Whereupon he sayth the harte of this people is wexed grosse And by and by he addeth Their eares are dull Therefore before all thinges the harte muste be opened and made fitte to heare the worde of god A. But who can brynge this thing to passe saue only the spirite of God. Of this matter we haue an example of Lydia the seller of purple of whome it is wrytten in the actes of the Apostels thus And the lorde opened her harte that she attended vnto the thinges whiche Paule spake And their eies haue they closed C. Christ here attributeth that to the people whiche the Prophete Esay attributeth to God It is true in either sence The people them selues are the cause of excecation blindnes for they shut their own eies stoppe their own eares We shall alwayes finde the first or speciall cause to be in mē But the secundary or least cause to be in God who blyndeth the eyes of the reprobate whiche he hath predestinate to damnatiō We cal it not the secōdary or least cause according to the Philosophers but we cal that the secundary cause whiche is hydden from the sence of men and so secrete that we ought not curiously to serche for the same But to content our selues with the first cause seing the other is not apparaunt or manifest We must also note that the doctrine is not properly neyther of it selfe neither by his owne nature the cause of blyndnes but by accidēs For as the porblynde men when they come forth to the Sunne haue their eyesighte more obscure and dimme whiche faulte is not to be imputed to the Sunne but to their eyes euen so where as the worde of God doth blinde and obdurate the reprobate because it is by their owne wickednes it is proper vnto them but accidentall to the woorde Leaste at any tyme they should see vvith C. Here the lorde might seme to be vnwilling to haue the reprobate conuerted whiche is contrary to this sentēce I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his wickednes and lyue A. Also Peter saith The lorde is paciente to vs warde for so muche as he wold haue no man loste but wolde receiue all men to repētaunce But Peter and Ezechiell dispute not in those places as concerning the secrete pourpose of God but onely they do shewe howe God shewethe him selfe towardes vs calling vs by the preachinge of the Gospell to euerlasting life So that it is not cōtrary to the place of Esay for he calleth all by his woorde yea euen the reprobate But the reprobate are soo destitute of grace that they are nothinge at all moued by the gentyll inuitation of God no they do not mollifye theyr heartes And be conuerted that I also myghte heale hym C. By these wordes he sheweth to what ende seing and vnderstanding do profite namely that men beinge conuerted vnto God may come into fauoure with hym and might haue hym a gentyll louinge and merciful God vnto them Therfore to this ende properly he would haue his woorde preached that he renuynge the hartes and mindes of men might reconcile them vnto hym As concerninge the reprobate Esay here pronounceth the cōtrary namely least that they should obtayne mercy there remayneth vnto thē a stony hardnes and obstinacie and that the effecte of the
woorde towardes theim shall be taken away least it should mollifie their hartes to repentaunce By this woorde of healinge Matthewe and the Prophete comprehende a delyueraunce from all euyll for they do compare the people afflycted by the hand of God Metaphorically to a sick man therfore they say that health is wrought when the lord releaseth the ponishement But because this healthe dependeth vpon the remission of synnes Marke very aptly sheweth the originall and cause For wherupon commeth the mitigation of ponishementes but onely because the lorde beinge pleased with vs dothe bestowe vppon vs his benediction and peace And although somtimes our offence and wickednes being abbolished he ceasseth not to ponishe vs eyther because he wolde humble vs or els because we should afterwardes be more ware notwithstanding because he shewing signes of his fauour doth quikken and renew vs and for the most part ponishementes do ceasse with the faulte the healing is very wel ioyned with pardon forgeuenes But therby we ought not to gather that repentance is the cause of forgeuenes as thoughe God wold receiue them that conuert into his fauour through desert for the conuersion it self is a signe and token of the free fauour of God but onely the order and consequēce is noted because God dothe not forgeue synnes but only those for the which men are sory and displeased with them selues M. By this place I say we may easely vnderstande what the order meane or way is by the which men are saued Before all thynges the harte is to be opened and made apte to here the woorde of God that the same being hearde men may conuerte vnto god and repente for the preachinge wherof Christe sente his Apostelles Furthermore no man can trewely tourne and repente vnlesse his harte be made apte to vnderstande that is vnlesse it be illuminated Therfore he saithe here and vnderstande with their hart and be conuerted Thirdly the vnderstanding of the harte which is the reuelation of the trueth is not hearde but onely by the hearinge of the woorde Hereupon it commeth that the eares are so requisite to heare that is desirouse to heare So saith the Apostell faythe commeth by hearyng and hearing commeth by the woord of God Fourthly healthe and remission of sinnes followe couersion and repentaunce But the reprobate can not heare whose hartes are hardened because they are not of god And therupon it commeth that they neyther heare nor vnderstand nor be conuerted and be healed 16 But blessed are your eies because they see and your eares because they here But happy are your M. The obstinacy excecation and dampnation of the wicked and reprobate beinge declared Chryste our sauiour is rapte as it were drawen to the preaching and publyshing of theyr beatitude to whom it is geuen to haue eies of seinge and hearyng eares that he myght therewith geue a reason wherefore the misteries of the kingdom of heauen whiche being hidden from others were reuealed by hym to his Apostelles C. Luke semeth to referre this sayinge to an other tyme notwithstandinge the solution is easy that the Euangelist there heapeth many sentences together withoute any distyncte order of times But Matthew in his texte dothe more plainely expresse and shewe whervpon he toke occasion so to speake For as at the fyrst the disciples were admonished and put in minde of the synguler grace of God bestowed vppon theim in that they were by the lorde exempt from the common sorte of people admytted familiarly to the misteries of the kyngedome so nowe the same grace by an other comparison is extolled in that they do excell the olde prophetes and the holy kynges For this is much more then to be preferred before the vnbeleuing multitude But Christe here vnderstandeth not euery kinde of hearing nor the simple aspecte or sighte of the fleshe but hee pronounceth their eies to be blessed because they beholde the excellent glory of the onely begotten sonne of God in soo much that they know and acknowledge hym to be the redemer and because the lyuely Image of God shined vnto them in the whiche they perceyued sauynge health and the sounde of perfect blessednes Furthermore because the saying of the Prophetes might be fulfilled in them namely that they being fully and perfectly taught of God no man nede be taught of his neyghbour And thus is the obiection put away which might be broughte of the other part of the sentēce of Chryst when he saith that they are blessed which haue not sene and yet beleued For ther is noted a contrary kind of seyng which Thomas grossely required But the sight whereof Christe speaketh nowe in this place is common to the faythefull of all ages with the Apostels For we not seinge Christ se him and not hearing do heare hym because in the Gospell he appereth vnto vs face to face as saith saint Paule that we might be trāsformed into his Image or lykenes and the perfection of wisedome of righteousnes and of life being once offered vnto vs in him doth there continually shyne 17 Verely I say vnto you that many prophetes and righteous men haue desired to see those thinges vvhich ye see and haue not seene them and to heare those thinges whiche yee heare and haue not hard them Verelye I saye vnto you Z. Christ shéeweth that the fathers of olde tyme were very desirouse of his comming whose corporal presence notwithstāding they might not see And righteous men C. Luke hath many Prophtes and kinges The condition of the present churche is very well said to be better then the state of the holy fathers whiche liued vnder the lawe to whom that was shewed vnder types shaddowes which now by the shynynge face of our sauiour Christ most brightly shined and appered For the vaile of the temple beinge cut we enter by faith into the heauenly sainctuarye we haue a familiar accesse vnto god For although the fathers beinge contented with their condition and state dyd quiet and pacifie their mindes yet notwithstanding this did not let or hinder but that they might haue a farther desire So Abraham sawe a farre of the day of Christe and reioysed yet notwithstanding he wished to behold it more nere and obtained not his desire For Symeon spake according to the affection of all men when he saide Lorde nowe let thy seruaunt departe in peace Nor truely could it come any otherwise to passe when as all men had an earnest desire and longing for the promised delyueraunce beinge vnder the burthen of malediction with the whiche euery one is oppressed Let vs vnderstand therfore that they longed after Christe as men that are extreame hungery and yet notwithstanding their faith was safe in so much that they murmured not againste God but paciently suspended their mindes vntyll the fulnes of the tyme came in the which they should beholde the reuelation and manifesting of the sonne of god R. But if Abraham sawe in the spirite that
simili M. As in the parable going before our sauiour Christ declared that we must not loke that al the hearers of the gospel shoulde be bringers forth fruit of the same because the greater parte sholde here the same in vain that those which bring forth fruit sholde not be alike in fertillitie euē so in this parable all are admonished lest that the mindes of the godly by tediouse ircksomnes sholde quaile fainte when they beholde a cōfused mixture with the good the euil For although Christ purifyed made clene his church with his blud so preciouse that it might be without spot or wrincle yet notwithstandinge he suffereth it to haue many vyces Wee speake not here of the infirmities which remain in the fleshe to the whiche euerye one of the faythefull are subiecte after that they be regenerate by the spyrite of God but so soone as Chryste hath congregated and gathered to hym selfe his small flocke many Hypocrites insinuate them selues many peruerse men crepe in and many wycked personnes intrude theim selues and so it commeth to passe that this holy company and flocke of Christe whiche he hath segregated to hym selfe is defyled and stayned with many spotts But this seemeth absurde to many that vngodlye prophane and wycked men shoulde be nourysshed as it were in the bosome of the Churche There are some whiche vnder the coullour of zeale being more waywarde curiouse and frowarde then nedeth excepte all thynges be framed accordynge to theyr mynde which because absolute and perfecte puritie appereth no wheare eyther troublelousy departe from the Churche orelles do ouerthrow and destroy the same with importunate rygoure Wherefore this is the symple scope and meaning of the parable that loke howe longe the churche of God hath his abode and contynuaunce in earthe soo longe shall good and syncere men be myngled with wicked ones and hypocrytes to the ende the chyldren of God myghte arme them selues with paciēce might holde fast the constancie of faith among so many stombling blocks and offences with the which they myght be troubled The kingedome of heauen is lyke vnto a man. A. That is to say The heauenly kyng and Messias is like vnto him which sowed good seede in his fyelde Or thus The like happened to the Messias which some tymes happeneth to the husebande man when he soweth his seede Some thincke it a greate deale better that the Gospell be called the kingedome of heauen as if he shoulde saye The like happeneth to the preacher of the Gospell whiche some times happened to him that sowed good seede 25 But while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares amonge the wheate and went his way But vvhile men slepte B. Christ in this parable hath rehearsed certaine thinges whiche in his exposition in the .37 verse and in the other folowinge he hath not repeated at all as this whyle men slepte the seruauntes asked the master of the house Diddest thou not sow good seede in thy field wilt thou that we go and wede them vp and suche like that herby they myght be taught exhorted which preache and publyshe the wordes of Chryst vnto others that they wolde not be more subtil curiouse then Christ both in other places of Scripture and specially in parables but to count it sufficient for them to bestowe and cōmit that to their herers which they se Christ wold haue cōmitted and let such so handell parables that they onelye take that thing for the which they are broughte The which thing Chrisostome also more vnderstoode then he shewed and in dede declared Such truely are al the parables of Christ that if thou wilt geue to euery part his exposition thou shalt do nothing els by that thy subtill curiositie but omyt let passe both that whych Chryste specially wolde haue obserued and also bring thy selfe to mere triffels curiositie confoundinge it selfe As shal in the xx and .xxv. chapters herafter following more plainely apere but specially in certaine parables of Luke But because the fathers haue handled those thynges whiche were not expressed of Christ the aduersaries of the truth also haue vsurped those thinges to defend theyr errours as expressing the sentences of Christ somthinge shall be spoken here not without cause for to profyte the busines woorke of the trueth His ennemy came C. The deuyl is saide to sowe when we be a slepe to the ende he mighte craftely corrupte spoile our labours that if any com in the night he might not be sene but may depart no mā knowing what he hath done The deuyll also is not knowne when as he doth transforme him selfe into an angell of lyght M. By this kynde of speaking therfore the crafts deceites of sathan are signified with the whiche by a collour of Hypocrisie he dothe so obscure and hyde the sowing of his tares that ye cannot perceiue any one print of his fote steps so warely doth he work his deceit C. Notwithstanding wee must here se what Christ vnderstandeth by the wheat and what he meaneth by the tares This can not be expoūded of the doctrine as if he should haue said when the Gospell is sowne it is strayght way corrupted by wicked inuentions imaginatiōs for Christ wold neuer haue forbidden to be diligent in purging such corruption For we maye not suffer those wicked errours which do infect the puritie of faith so or in such wise as those vices whiche concerne pertayne to the manners of men and can not be corrected are to be borne withall Furthermore Christ saying by name that the children of the wicked are tares taketh away all doubte Notwithstanding we must note farther that this can not simplely be vnderstoode of the persons of men as thoughe God in his creation dyd sowe good men and the deuyll euyll men The which thinge we therefore admonishe you of because by this place the Maniches were abused But truely we knowe that what faulte so euer it be that is as well in the deuill as in men it is the corruption of nature nothing elles As God therfore maketh not his elect whiche are infected with originall synne good seede by creation but regenerateth thē by the grace of his spirite So the deuill doth not create euyll men but beinge created of God he depraueth them and soweth them in the fielde of the lord to corrupt vitiate and defile the pure seede 26 But when the blade was spronge vp and had brought forthe fruite there appered the tares also M. Here we are taught that in the beginnynge of the sowing of the Gospell and the tares that is of the electe the reprobate the puritie goodnes of the field is not by and by knowne because the difference betwene the chyldren of God the wicked is not known vntil they be somwhat sprong vp grown For the reprobate according to the maner of tares are not much vnlike in the beginning to the elect at the first sight
and to séeke with great care and dilygence for the precious stoone of the Gospell of the lord and hauing found it to embrace the same to preferre it before all the Iewels in the world and to sel all that euer wée haue to get the same This cometh to passe whē wée hauing denyed our selues and trodē the worlde vnder our féete withall oure hart and a true fayth receyue Christ and his truth and cleaue to the same as to the chiefe felicity leauing and forsakinge all that might withdraw vs from the euangelicall pietye cleauing only to Christ our reedemer Dauid of the most excellēt and pure mysteries of Gods worde speaketh thus they are more to be desired thē gold yea then muche fyne gold they are swéeter then the hony the hony combe Againe hée sayth I haue loued the commaundementes aboue golde and precious stoones 47. Againe the kingdome of heauen is like vnto a net that was caste into the sea and gathered of all kind of fishes Againe the kingdome of C. Christ here teacheth no newe thinge but confirmeth that wherof hée spake before with another similitude namelye that the Churche of God so longe as it is in the earthe must haue the good among the euil and the euill among the good and that it shal neuer be pure from blots and spots vntil the ende of the world when as there shall be made a full and perfecte seperation Notwithstanding peraduenture the ende of this parable is otherwise namelye that Christ might not onely take awaye the offence which troubleth many of the weake because such purity as ought to be is not found in the world but also that hée might kepe his Disciples in feare and modesty least they should flatter and please themselues with a vaine tytle and bare profession of fayth We receyue therefore both of them willinglye first in the Christ doth teach that wee must pacientlye suffer the mixture of the good and euill tyll the ende of the worlde because before that time the Churche shall not be perfectlye restored Secondlye in that hee admonisheth vs that it is not sufficient for vs to be gathered into the sheepefould vnlesse wee be the true and chosen sheepe to the which effect pertayneth the woords of S. Paule when hee sayth the Lorde knoweth those that are his let all those therefore depart from iniquity which cal vpon the name of the Lorde Is like vnto a net C. Our sauiour Christ dothe very well compare the preaching of the Gospel to a net drowned vnder the water to the end wee might knowe the presente state and condition of the Churche to be confuse For although our God as hee is the God of order and not of dissipation cōmēdeth and delyuereth vnto vs his disciplyne notwithstanding for a time hee suffereth hypocrits to haue their being among the faithfull vntill the reforming of his kingdome in the last day Let vs therfore endeuoure our selues so much as wée maye to correcte all maner of vyce and let vs be seuere in purginge awaye all filthye spots yet notwithstanding the Church shall not be frée from al spots and blemisshes before that Christ come to seperate the shéepe from the Goates 48. VVhich vvhen it was ful men drew it to lande and sate downe and gathered the good into Vessels but cast awaye the bad C. The effecte and sum of this sentence is that the Church can neuer be purged from hypocrits vntill wée be broughte to land or shore that is vntill wée be brought to the day of iudgement 49. So shal it be in the ende of the world The Angels shall come and seuer the bad from amonge the good A. For this sentence reade the exposition of the forty verce going before 50. And shall cast them into a fornace of fyer there shal be waylinge and gnas 51. shing of teeth Iesus sayeth vnto thē haue yee vnderstand all these thinges they sayde vnto him yea Lorde C. Hée calleth the punishment which the wicked shall suffer after the Iudgement a fornace of fyer Esaye the Prophete calleth it a worme which neuer dyeth Read the two and forty verce of this Chapter There shal be vvaylinge C. The scripture cannot sufficiently expresse the punishmēt which remayneth for the wicked Héere hee goeth about to expresse the horror and payne of the effecte for as wée cannot expresse the glorye and happye estate of the godlye and blessed so wée are not able to vtter the punishment of the wicked Iesus sayth vnto them M. The Lord sought by all meanes to instructe and bring hys Disciples to the knowledge of the kingdome of god And therefore being not cōtented that hée had alledged so many parables of the kingdome of heauen hée demaundeth of them whether they vnderstande all these thinges or no. But wée must remember that which wée saw before how that all parables were priuatelye expounded to the Disciples After the therefore the Lord had so gentlye and familiarlye instructed them hée dothe also admonish and declare that hée did not bestowe so great dilligence in teachinge of them that they shoulde be onlye wyse to them selues but also that they should bestowe and participate that to others publikely which they themselues priuatelye had receyued 52. Then sayd hee vnto them therefore euery scribe vvhiche is taughte vnto the kingdome of Heauen is like vnto a mā that is a househoulder which bringeth foorthe oute of his treasurie thinges newe and olde A. Wée muste presuppose that some other saying of our sauioure Christ went before as this I asked you because a minister of the word of God must be like vnto a husband man And after this sort hée doothe the more encourage styrre them vp to learne Therfore euery scribe that is taught C. A Scribe by the Hebrewes is not called a Scriueuer or writer but they call him a Scribe which is expert in the scriptures and the Lawe suche a one was Esdras And hée whom Mathewe calleth a Scribe Luke calleth a doctor of the law But here a Scribe signifieth a teacher one sufficientlye learned to set forthe the kingdome of God and to preach the Gospell of saluation Is like vnto a man that is an househoulder C. A wyse and prouident househoulder in gouerning his house doth not prouide for a day onelye but hath store layde vp to the ende hée may fetche forth from his store-house both olde and newe thinges abundantly By this man hée shéeweth that he which is sufficiently learned instructed by the spirite of the Lord to Preach must teach copiouslye and plentifully whatsoeuer pertayneth to the purpose and is necessarye to bring the knowledge of saluation euen as if a lyberall househoulder should fetche out of his storehouse all maner of daynty and dellicate dishes as well old as new so that nothing should be wātinge to the feast This lyberality trulye Christ both here and in manye other places also most plentifully shewed in bringinge
entertayned of strangers then of theyr owne Countryemen But there may be two causes of this Prouerbe for this is a cōmon and generall faulte that those whom wée sée cryinge in the cradell and playing the Children are despysed of vs all theyr lyfe tyme after as thoughe there followed no profite or amendment after childhoode The other faulte is emulation or enuye the which wée practise agaynst those whom wée know Notwithstanding it is probable that the Prouerbe roose of this that Prophetes were so lyttle regarded in their owne countrey For good and godly men when they sée so great ingratitude shewed agaynste God so great contempte of his word contumacye they maye make this complaint worthelye and saye that they neuer sawe the Prophets of God lesse honored in no place then in their owne countreye Therefore Christ doth not withoute cause vpbrayde the Galilaeans who whē they should haue ben the first that should haue receyued the grace offered vnto them they were the most despysers of the same 58. And he did not many myracles there because of their vnbeleefe C. Marke speaketh with a greater Emphasis sayinge And hée could there shewe no myracle but layed his hands vpon a few sicke folke healed them maruayled because of theyr vnbeléefe Notwithstāding in effect they very wel agrée that the way was shut agaynste Christ by the wickednes of his Cittizens that hée wrought not many myracles there Hée gaue thē nowe some taste but they willinglye plucke backe and refuse to haue anye more of the same Therefore Austen verye aptelye compareth faythe to certayne Vesselles with open mouthe but hee sayth infidelitye is like to a couer wythe the whyche the Vessell is couered that it cannot receyue the lyquor or moysture powred in by the spyrite of god And trulye it is so in déede For the Lorde seinge that hys power is not receyued of vs dooth at the lengthe take away the same and yet notwithstādinge afterward wée complain that we want his helpe which our incredulity and hardnes of hart hath repelled and driuen away Marke in denying that Christ coulde do anye myracle amplifyeth their faulte by the which his goodnes was let For certainly the vnbeleuers by their cōtumacy and hardnes of hart do restraine so much as in them lyeth the hand of God not that there is any abillitye wanting in God but because they will not permit his power to be fulfilled and executed M. The vertue and power of Christe trulye was prepared to heale them but by the Ingratitude and infidelity of mortall mē it was let and hyndered after a certayne maner by the vnworthynes of these infydels it came to passe that the plentifull and flowing ryuers of the goodnes of God did not power out their streames C. Notwithstanding we must note what Marke addeth that certayne weake personnes were neuerthelesse healed For hereby wée gather that the goodnes of Christ dyd stryue as it were with theyr mallyce and did ouerflow the same And we haue daylye experience of the like in god For althoughe hée do iustly and necessarilye restrayne kéepe backe his power because it hath not frée accesse vnto vs yet notwithstanding wée sée that hée making away to himselfe wher no way is letteth not to do good vnto vs And herein his mercy ouerfloweth the stop of our wickednes and hath his force mangre our heads in spyte of the Deuill Bu. When the Lord therefore hath promised helpe euery where to the fayfull hée wyll leaue the vnbeleuinge Nazarites to their error and will multiplye his myracles and graces amonge his seruauntes The xiiii Chapter AT that tyme Herode the Tetrarcha hearde of the fame of Iesu M. In this Chapter the crueltye of Herode the death of Iohn the Baptiste the myraculous féedinge of fiue thousande men the wonderfull calminge of the tempest of the Sea and the appearinge of Chryst walking on the sea is declared And last of all is shewed howe hée came to Genesareth and healed all the sicke folkes that were brought vnto him Herode Bu. This Herode was the sonne of that Herode of the great Antipater syrnamed of some Ascalon which flewe the infantes of Bethlehē being a most pernicious Rauen hatched of so wicked an egge Some cal this Herode Antipas for his surname Hée is the very same which arayed our sauioure with a white vesture and deryded his deuine wisedome makinge an open iest and laughinge stocke of him Of this man Iosephus maketh mencion in his 18. Booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes The Tetrarcha Bu. Tetrarchia and Tetrarcha are words vsurped of the Romain writers but taken from the Gréekes Tetrarchae were Princes hauinge the fourth part or some portion of the kingedome Such are they which wée call Deputies or Presidentes The Romaynes deuidinge theyr kingdomes to suppresse rebellion lymitted the same to dyuers Presidents or gouernours whiche they called Tetrarchae or Toporchae and the regions themselues Toporchas or Tetrarchas The whiche thinge wée maye reade in Plynie This Herode was Tetrarcha of Gallilae and no king Hearde the fame of Iesu A That is al thinges that were done by Iesu as sayth the Euangeliste Luke For Marcke saithe that his name was sprede abrode C. The which thing the Euangelistes do declare to the ende we may knowe that the name of Christe was in many places famouse whereby the Iewes might be voyde of excuse and coulde not pleade ignoraunce for otherwise this doubt might crepe into the hartes of many men and cause them to saye thus Howe chaunced it that the Iewes were so secure and carelesse Christe being in the earth was his diuinite so shut vp in a corner that he reuealed the same to none This doubte I say the Euangelistes take awaye and testifie that hys name was famouse and spread abroade yea in suche publique sorte that it entered euen into Herodes courte 2 And saide vnto his seruantes this is Iohn the Baptist He is risen from the dead and therefore are miracles done by hym And sayde to his seruauntes E The Greeke woorde for seruantes is so generall that it comprehendeth the whole housholde This is Iohn C. By the wordes of Luke it may be gathered that this offered not it selfe or came into the mind of Herode willyngly but rather that he had a suspicion by the cōmon rumour of the people For thus Luke writeth And Herode the Tetrarche hearde of all that was done by him and doubted because it was saide of some that Iohn was rysen agayne from deathe Neyther nede we to doubte but that the hate of the tyrant and the detestation of the cruell and wicked acte gaue occasion to talke and rumoure as often tymes it commeth to passe For this superstitiō remained in the mindes of many men that the deadde vnder an other person came to lyfe agayne Nowe they take that which is next namely that Herode in kyllinge so cruelly the holy man missed of his purpose because
such greuouse occasiōs ar set before her that vnlesse she had receyued a sounde perfect faith she might haue forsakē Christ spokē euyl of the gospel of the kingdome C. Therfore the Euangelists for diuerse causes do commende the faith of this woman as now for her inuincible constancie for seing that the sylence of Christe was a certaine kind of repulse it is meruaile that she was not caste downe dyscouraged by this temptation but her continuall prayer was a sufficient testimonie and witnesse of her perseueraunce Notwithstanding this shoulde seeme to be contrary to the nature of fayth and inuocation as sainct Paule describeth the same sayinge that no man can praye arighte without he haue firste hearde the woorde of god Who therefore wyl say that this woman had fayth who Christe holding his peace gathereth and conceiueth a trust of her own selfe But for so much as Christe speaketh two maner of waies yet holdeth his peace we muste note that although hee did then kepe sylence yet notwithstandinge he spake to the mynde of the woman and so this secret instinction of his spirite was in stede of the external preaching Thus the lorde oftentimes speaketh to his faithfull seruauntes and yet holdeth his peace for they bearing them selues bolde vpon the comfortable testimonies of Scrypture where they heare him speakinge doubte not but that he wyl be merciful vnto thē and yet notwithstandynge hee dothe not by and by accomplishe their desires and graūte their petitions but semeth rather as though he dyd not heare We se therfore to what ende Christ helde his peace not to extinguyshe the fayth of the woman but rather to kyndell her feruente fayth and to inflame her to be more earneste Wherefore if so small a seede of doctrine in the womā of Canaan brought forthe suche plentifull fruite it were to to much shame if we shoulde faynt and quayle when he differreth vs and satisfieth not our request And his disciples came and besought The dyscyples beyng wery and anoyed with the importunate suite and crying of the womā came vnto Christe and besoughte him to sende her away saying Sende her avvay E. That is to saye dispatche her eyther by granting to her her petition or els by satisfying her by some other meane C. The disciples trewly craue nothing in the womans behalfe at the handes of Christe but because of her importunate suite they desire to haue her sent awaye Bu. For they them selues shew the cause why they would haue her sent away sayinge For shee crieth after vs. as if they shold haue sayde She weryeth vs excedinglye and aboue measure with cryinge with her complaintes she is irkesome vnto vs in so muche that it is a reproch to vs all if she thus follow vs thou neyther rebukinge her nor grauntyng her petition whereby we maye be in quiet C. But what a foolishe imagination and deuyse of the Papistes was it by this place to teache to pray vnto the dead saintes For lett vs graunte that this woman craued some helpe or fauour at the disciples handes whiche can not be gathered by the texte yet notwithstanding there is a difference betwene the dead and the liuing Bu. It is moste sure and certayne that the sayncts which are alyue on the earth do pray for such as are in trouble affliction and mysery but it is most vncertaine that the saintes in heauen do pray for vs yea it is most sure that they are ignorāt of our cogitations and desyres 24. But he aunswered and saide I am not sent but to the lost shepe of the house of Israell C. Here he sheweth the cause why he doth not heare answere the woman of Canaan because he wolde geue him selfe wholly to the Iewes to whom he was appointed a minister of the grace of god Therefore he argueth of the vocation cōmandement of his father that no helpe muste be shewed to straungers and forreners Not that the power of Christ was alwaies shut and included in such straite bondes but hecause the time dyd so require that he begynninge at the Iewes might for the tyme kepe him selfe whollye vnto them but after his resurrectiō the tyme came that he should preach peace vnto the Gētiles which were alienate frō the kingedome of God. For this cause Christ at the first commanded his Aposteles to kepe thē selues or to preach onely to the Iewes and not to come into the waye of the Gentiles The Apostell Paule also to this effecte callethe Christ the minister of the circumsition He doth therefore truely denie hym selfe to be sente sauing onely to the lost shepe of the house of Israell that is to saye to the Iewes vntil the fulnes of time came in the which the Gentiles shold succede Bu. Hereby let vs learne how greatly the lorde estemed the people of Israell in graunting to thē such a prerogatiue that the sonne of God him self should say that he was specially sent vnto them Whervpon the trueth of goddes promise maye be gathered in that all thinges that God by the prophetes had spoken promysed are now offered and perfourmed to this people Furthermore he dothe not onely call the elect and chosen the lost shepe of the house of Israell but also all suche as came of the stocke of the holy fathers because God comprehēded all vnder the couenaunte and because the redemer was promised to all without exception euen as without exception hee reuealed and offered hym selfe to al men This also is worthy to be noted that he pronounceth him selfe to be geuen to the loste sheepe euen as in an other place he saith that he came to saue that which was loste 25 Then came she and worshipped him saying Lorde helpe mee Then came shee B. This woman hadde a wonderfull trust when that neyther the silence of Christ nor the answere which he made to the disciples by the which he might seme to deny to shewe to her any fauour at all could any whit discourage her but began so much the more earnestly to praye for sayth the Euangelist she came and worshipped hym saying Lord helpe mee The more sharpely shee was repoulsed the more vehemētly she prayed and craued helpe C. Shee semethe therfore obstinatly to contend as though she coulde extorte somwhat from hym by violence But without al doubt the goodnesse whiche by faith she had conceiued of the Messias dyd thus imbolden and encourage her And whereas Christe precisely denying that this her request pertayned to his office she was not dyscouraged neither lefte of her suite it must needes so come to passe as we sayde before by the fyrme and constante faythe whiche shee had conceyued And this is a trewe probation and trial of our fayth when we wyll neuer suffer the generall principle of our saluation which is founded vpon the woorde of God to be taken frō vs. Lorde helpe me A. As if she sholde haue saide I do not perceyue that I am
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
the fleshe M. Therefore the tyme of resurrection was to be loked for in the whiche the sonne of God was to be declared by the spirite of sanctification so that the thinge whiche was done before a parte and in secrete in the mount should nowe fynde faithe and fruite in more excellent and euidente thynges C. Hee wolde not therefore that his myracles shoulde lye hyd and buryed but he wolde that in dewe and conueniente tyme they should be openly published and declared And this reason shall be applied to other places which speake of the lyke prohibition After these woordes Marcke and Luke adde sayinge And they kepte that saying within them and demaunded one of an other what the rysyng from death againe shoulde meane 10 And his disciples asked hym saying VVhy then do the Scribes saye that Helias must fyrst come And his disciples asked hym C. So soone as menciō was made of the resurrectiō the disciples by and by began to conceyue the beginning of the kingdome of Christ for they so put foorth this name because the world would acknowledge him to be the Messias For that they Imagined otherwise of the resurrection then Christe woulde haue them it is apparant by the wordes of Marke who saythe that they disputed among them selues what the risynge agayne from death should meane A. as it was sayde a littell before C. Peraduenture the dotinge errour did then preuaile which at this day is counted a sure and certaine oracle among the Rabbines namely that the commyng of Christe is taken two maner of wayes because frō the beginning he shold be contemptyble and base but afterwarde his kingly dignitie should succede and take place And trewely this errour had some collour or shewe because it proceded from a trewe begynning The Scripture also doth cōmend vnto vs two maner of comminges of the Messias because it promyseth that there shal be a redemer which by his own sacrifice shal take away the sinnes of the world And to this ende pertaine the prophesies Reioyce O daughter Syon beholde thy kynge commeth poore sytting vpon an Asse In like maner it is writtē He hathe neyther bewtie nor fauoure when we shall loke vpon hym there shal be no fayrenesse we shall haue no luste vnto him Howebeit he onely hath taken on hym our infirmities and borne oure paynes Secondly the Scripture declareth hym to be the conquerer of deathe whiche shal brynge all thinges in subiection vnder hym But wee see howe the Rabbines with theyr fayned inuentions corrupt the sincere doctrine of the Scripture B. But the Scribes falsely gathered by the fourthe chapter of Malachy that hee shoulde not come in the spyrite before the comming of Messias And because they sawe that thynge came not to passe they tooke thereuppon occasion to proue that the tyme of Christes coming was not yet come and so consequently that this Iesus was not Christ C. and that because he came without Helias The whiche thynge they went aboute to put into the peoples heades and to perswade them in the same to the ende they might discredite Christe that he mighte not seme to be the lawfull Messias Bu. But when the Apostels them selues knewe for a suertie both by infinite myracles and also by the late transfiguration that he was very Christe althoughe Helias wente not before but was onely sene of them with Moyses in the mount they aske him Why then do the Scribes saye that Helias muste firste come As if they shoulde haue saide We euidentely see by thy mighty and meruaylouse workes but speciallye by that vision shewed vnto vs in the mounte that thou arte the Messias promysed in the lawe and Prophetes but we neyther see nor knowe that Helias wente before thee Tell vs therfore why do the Scribes teache that Helias shall come and that he muste goo before the Messias This force hathe the coniunction then whiche make this to depende vppon that whiche went before M. But where as the disciples brynge the woordes of the Scribes vnto Christ it is an exaumple of wisedome and of a mynde seking the trewth This desire of knowledge ought at this day to be in thē whiche are symple and ignorant of the truethe that if they here any thyng spoken by the aduersaries against the truth they may brynge the same straight waye to their teachers wherby al impedimentes set aparte they may abyde and continue in the trueth receyued 11 Iesus answered and sayde vnto them Helias trewlye shall firste come and restore all thinges Iesus ansvvered C. We haue shewed already whereuppon this errour sprange amonge the Iewes Because that Iohn the Baptist shoulde be lyke vnto Helias in repayrynge the decayed state of the Churche the Prophete Malachy gaue vnto hym also the name of Helias the whiche place was rashely taken and vnderstoode of the Scribes as though Helias the Thesbite should come againe into the worlde Christ therfore now witnesseth that the Prophete Malachy foretolde nothing in vaine but saith that his prophesie is misconstrued as if he should haue saide The promyse of Helias comminge was trewe whiche is also fulfylled but Helias was reiected of the scribes whose vaine name they do falsely obiecte against mee Helias shall fyrst come B. This oughte to be referred to the tyme of the prophesie As if he had saide The Prophete Malachy did not falsly speake this for Helias is come alredy for the prophesie was fulfilled in Iohn the Baptist comminge in the power and spirite of Helias And so the angell also declared to Zacharias the father of Iohn saying And he shall go before hym in the spirite and power of Helias to turne the hartes of the fathers And Christ him self in an other place saithe If ye wyll receiue it this is Helias whiche was for to come And restore all thinges C. A restitution is here attributed to Iohn the Baptist yet not a parfecte restoringe but because by a continuall order he gaue that to Christ from hand to hand to be absolued which he had begon M. For hee by his preachinge broughte the people of the Iewes vnto Christ euen as the Angell said before to his father he shoulde do 12 But I say vnto you that Helias is com alredye and ye knewe him not but haue done vnto him what soeuer thei lusted In like manner shall also the sonne of man suffer of them But I say vnto you that Helias is come A. As if he had said Let not the false immagination of the Scribes as concernynge the comming of Helias moue you any thing at all whom I certifie you to be com alredy not in the body but in the spiryte euen as the lord vnderstode by the words of the Prophet But haue done vnto him vvhat That is hee suffered many thynges hee was vndeseruedly reiected and contempned and also reproched with diuers slanders As testifieth our sauiour Christe sayinge Iohn came neyther catinge nor drinkinge and they saye beholde he hath a
in the .xx verse for your vnbelefes sake c. But the former exposition doth better agree that we may knowe that the Scribes hereby were reprehended C. For they went about as it was said before to extinguishe the light set before their eies Again Christ doth deale more fauourably with those that are his And croked nation E. That is to say peruerse froward and alwaies bending from the trueth and so obstinate that they could not be perswaded in the trueth neyther coulde abide or suffer thē selues to be taught or perswaded to any thinge that was profitable for thē Such dyd the Israelites shew them selues to be in so often murmuringe against God in so often rebelling against Moyses and Aaron whō neyther those meruailouse signes and wonders which were done for their sauegarde healthe neither so horrible feareful punishmēts of their rebellion neither the inspeakeable clemencie gentilnes of Moyses his infinite labour and dayly care for thē coulde make to do their duetie towardes him These with whom Christe had to do shewe forthe no lesse obstinacie crooked frowardnesse then they C. Wherefore not without cause doth our sauiour make exclamation against thē sayinge that they are no longer to be borne withall that he calleth them a faithles and croked nation For they bringe taught by so many exāples before should haue learned thus muche not to backebite and slaunder Hovv long shal I be vvith you The wordes goinge before were verye sharpe but these are much more sharper for what greater euil can happē vnto vs then to be forsakē of Christ to be left to dispayre Here the lord Iesus after a sorte cōtendeth with him selfe for by his goodnes he greatly coueteth to ouercome the mallice of the Scribes of al the people beside yet neuertheles he reprehendeth thē as they deserued He went about to bryng thē vnto God but they were winding euery way croked as serpētes reiected the grace of their visitation with a proud careles minde Hereby we see that men must be handeled according to their disposition nature for Christ delte not with thē alwais after one maner of fashiō For he allured those that were tractable with great humanitie lifted vp the weake moderatly also pricked forward the flow negligēt and spared not the windinge croked serpentes whō he saw to be incurable They are very vnwise therfore which haue not cōsideration temperature Al scripture geuen by deuine inspiratiō is profitable to teache to improue to correcte to amende as saith S. Paule that the man of God may be perfect geuen to all good works Yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that the minde of Christ retayned still one kinde of moderation These are thūderyng wordes against the vnbeleuing yet neuertheles he was sory for their wickednesse Bringe him hither A. Although the Scribes which stode by were vnworthy to beholde see so wonderfull a miracle yet notwithstandynge our sauiour Christ suche was his clemēcie commaundeth hym that was afflicted with so greuous a dissease to be brought vnto hym before them all 18 And Iesus rebuked the deuill and hee departed out of him and the child was healed euen that same tyme. And Iesus rebuked M. That is to say he cōmaunded him according to the whiche we rede in the 8 chapter going before Whervpon the Euāgelist Mark more at large expounding this saith that Christ after this maner spake vnto the spirite Thou dombe and deafe spirite I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him This reprehension declareth a certaine indignation and anger of Christ against the vncleane spirite that iustly For how shold not he which came to saue al men be angry with the spirite of perdition the enemie of mākinde For the more the loue of Christ was toward mākind the greter was his hate against those spirites which were the ennemies of the health of mankinde And he departed out of A. At the power of Christ it must nedes be that the power of Sathan be brought to nothinge The deuilles althoughe againste their wylles are cōpelled to obey Christ What shall they do then whiche neuer ceasse to resiste his power Shal they be stronger then hee And the childe vvas healed A. Beholde now the obstinacy and peruerse dealing of the Scribes is ouercome by the which they proudely triumphed as thoughe the power of Christ were aswaged 19 Then came the Disciples to Iesus secretely said VVhy could not wee cast him out C. The disciples meruaile that the power is takē frō them with the which they were endued before as we may reade in the .x. chapter of Matthew when as by their own salt they had depriued thē selues of the same for it followeth 20 Iesus saide vnto thē Because of your vnbelefe For verely I say vnto you If ye haue faith like a graine of mustarde seede ye shall saie vnto this mountain remoue hence to yonder place and it shall remoue neyther shall any thing be impossible vnto you Because of your vnbelefe Bu. Againe incredulitie hardenes of hart is condemned moreouer faith and the great force of the same is cōmended vnto vs. And whereas our actions come not to good ende our matters haue not good successe it cōmeth by the want defect of faith Christ therfore assigneth imputeth this wante to the incredulitie of the disciples M. Hee saith not for the vnbelefe of the father of the Lunatike child but for your vnbelef A. to the ende he might stirre vp his disciples to aske the increase of faythe If ye haue fayth M. By the similitude which he bringeth of the grain of mustard seed he sheweth the liuelines efficacye of fayth For that being the least among seedes doth in short time springe shote vp aboue all other herbes euē so if faithe be liuely it dothe earnestly shewe forth it selfe nothing shal be impossible vnto it it shal ouercome al thinges for it seketh to do nothing but that which pertaineth to the glory of God what soeuer it taketh in hāde it is certainely perswaded that the lorde wyll finishe it for the which it praieth continually But lest any man sholde by by gather as certaine peruerse men do that whosoeuer hath faith as a graine of mustarde sede may remoue mountains and do al thinges els and say we beleue therfore we are able to do all thinges yea if nede be to remoue mountaines also to cast out euyl spirites we must note of what faith the lord speaketh here Let vs vnderstād therfore that there are thre kindes of faith The first is that by the which certaine thinges are beleued to be suche as they are declared to be in the Scriptures as in Scripture we here that ther is one God being omnipotēt the creator of all thinges this faith is called an hystoricall faith The seconde is that by the
Christ is so lyttell disswaded from that which he had spoken by the obiection of Peter that he plainely affyrmeth that there oughte to be no ende of forgeuing For he wolde not prescribe any certayne nomber but rather geue commandement that we ought neuer to be wery But seuenty times seuen tymes M. Here the certayne nomber for the vncertayne and the finite for the infinite is put by the which our sauioure Christ declareth that we must forgeue our brother so often as he cōuerteth For as God is alwaies ready to forgeue euen so wee must followe his clemency vnlesse wee will be bastardes and degenerate from our heauenly father For conuertion or repentance is the worke of God the wōderfull power of his spirite and a newe creation The which if we reiect we are greately iniuriouse vnto god C. Luke the Euangelist semeth not a littel to disagree from Matthewe because hee simplely bringeth in the commaundemente of Christe namely that wee shoulde be ready to forgeue seuen tymes For hee writeth thus If thy brother sinne seuen times a day against thee seuen tymes in a day tourneth him vnto thee saying it repenteth me forgeue him Yet notwithstanding the sence is all one that we sholde not forgeue once or twise onely but that we shold receiue the offender into our fauoure so often as he submitteth him self vnto vs This is onelye the dyfference that out Euangelist Matthewe maketh mention that the lorde reprehended Peter because he was to straite and seuere and that Hiperbolically he increaseth the nōber the which nōber is sufficient to set forth vnto vs at full the meaning of our sauiour Christe Neyther did Peter demaunde whether he shoulde forgeue his brother seuen tymes as though he ment any certayne nomber but he made this demaunde to the ende he settinge forthe a greate shewe of absurditie might withdrawe Christe from his purpose as wee shewed a lyttell before Therefore hee which shal be redy to forgeue seuē times will also be contente to forgeue seuenty tymes Moreouer in the woordes of Luke there ariseth an other question because Christe doth not commaunde vs to forgeue excepte the synner by conuertinge and submittinge hym self vnto vs declare his repentaunce for by this hée semeth to graunt liberty to his disciples to deny pardō forgeuenes to the wicked We aunswere that synnes are remitted twoo manner of wayes If any man do vnto thee iniury and thou laying away all desyre of reuenge ceassest not to loue him styll but doste in steede of reuengement bestowe good tournes on hym althoughe nowe thou haue an euyll iudgemente of hym as hee deserueth yet notwithstandinge thou shalte be saide to remytte and forgeue hym For althoughe God dothe commaunde vs to wyshe well to oure ennemies yet neuerthelesse hee dothe not require of vs that wee shoulde allowe that in them whiche he him selfe condemneth but onely that we seeke to pourge our minde of all hatred and mallice The seconde kynde of remittynge is when wee so receiue our brother into fauour that wee haue a good opinion of him and are certainly perswaded that the remembrance of his synne is cleane put out before the lord And this is that which we spake of before that Christ doth not onely here speake of iniuries doone vnto vs but of al maner of offences also For he woulde haue those that are fallen to be lifted vp againe by our mercye and compassion The which doctrine is therfore very necessarye because wee are all for the most parte by nature out of measure waywarde and peruerse And Sathan vnder the pretence of seuerytie bryngeth vs to fearce and cruell rigour whiche makethe those men to whom we deny pardon most miserable and ouerwhelleth them with heauynes dispaire Againe Question it may be here demaunded whether we ought to beleue the offender so sone as he hath with the mouth professed repentaunce For what shall become of discretion and iudgement if euerye one maye mocke deceiue Answere and offende vs vntyll the hundreth time Fyrste we aunswere that Christ speaketh here of dayly offences in the whiche the very best hath nede of pardon and forgeuenes Seynge therfore we haue so slippery a iourney in so greate infirmitie and weakenes of the flesh so many deceites and intisementes what shall become of vs if al hope of pardone shoulde be taken from vs at the first seconde or thirde falle Secondly we may answere and say that Christ doth not depriue the faythfull of iudgement discretion that they might foolishely and rashely beleue euery worde but that hée goeth about onely to make them indifferente and mercifull that they may reach out theyr hande to those that repent if by any meanes we may perceyue that they are displeased with thē selues for their offēce and that vnfaynedly For repentance is a holy acceptable thinge and therefore it hath nede of a ripe examination trial but so often as the offender shall shewe a probable and likely signe of repentance Christ wold haue vs to admyt hym to reconciliation least by repelling shaking him of he fall into dispayre Thirdely we must note that whē a man hath brought him selfe into suspition by his lightnes inconstancie wee maye so forgeue hym that asketh pardon that euer after wee maye note and obserue his maners least he make a iest skoffe at our sufferaunce and gentylnesse whiche commeth by the spirite of god For wee must marke the purpose of the lorde in this place namely that they ought to be holpē vp which are fallen according to the exāple of our heauēly father who calleth sinners beinge far of that he may bringe them to saluation 23 Therfore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine man that was a king whiche wold take accomptes of his seruauntes Therefore is the kingdome M. What he meaneth by this parable it is euidente by that whiche he addeth in the ende of the chapter sayinge So likewise shall my heauenly father do also vnto you if ye from youre hartes forgeue not euery one his brother their trespasses C. For because it is a harde matter to bring vs to mercy and that specially when we must suffer and beare many sinnes of our brethern the lord very aptly with this parable confirmeth the doctrine goinge before teaching that they which will not yelde to forgeue the offēces of their brethern are to hard seuere and cruell by the which they do not only hurt their brethern but also them selues prouokinge the almighty to be likewyse cruell towardes them not to be intreated For this similitude consisteth specyally of three partes The lorde is opposed or set against the seruante A great som is compared with a small value And inspeakeable compassiō and mercy is set agaynst extreame cruelty These three being wel considered noted we may easely gather the meaninge of oure Sauiour Christ For what are we if wee be compared vnto God Whiche of vs are not
this woord in that signification yet vnderstanding it so it is writē with i. and not with e. as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camilos not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camelos For though there be little difference in the woords yet notwithstanding in sence there is greate contrarietye for the first signifyeth a beast called a Camell and the other signifyeth the rope or cable of a ship Other some do rather agrée to Hierom which followed Origin which taketh this word Camelum being a gréeke word as wee shéewed before for the beast called a Camell For Christ would haue it séeme altogether as impossible for a riche mā trusting in his riches to enter into the kingdome of heauen as for a Camell being a mōsterous beast to go through the eye of a nedle But and if this sayinge séeme to anye man obscure let him remēber the man reprehēded of the Lord which went about to pluck the moate out of his brothers eye could not sée the beame in his owne eye What can be more absurde than to saye that a man caryeth a beame in his eye But this absurdity of his woords hath a great Emphasis force 25. VVhen the Disciples heard this they were excedingly amased saying who can be saued VVhen the Dis heard this By these words of Christ the Apostel gathered generally that no mā could be saued when as hee onlye spake of riche men by name And very well for they did soone perceiue sée that the same which should hinder rich men frō entering into the kingdome of heauen should be a let also to all mortall men how poore soeuer they were For rich and poore haue all one disease of minde namely to be willinge to forsake those thinges that are present to desier those things which wee haue not So that the hartes of both estates depende vppon the creatures hauing no intelligēce nor affection in heauenly things They knew therefore by the ayde of the spirite that they themselues as yet had not cleane put away these affections and that they themselues were tyed with the same chaine and with the same fetters that rich men were tyed withall except the Lord lifting thē vp from earthly cares did louse them C. For which way soeuer we turne our eyes a thousand le ts appeare before vs But let vs note that the Disciples were so stricken with feare that notwithstāding they forsoke not the doctrine of Christ Yet the yong mā whom we spake of euē now did otherwise for the straitnes of the commaundement doth so terrefye him that hée doth deuorse vtterlye seperate himselfe from Christe But the disciples although they feare demaunde who shal then be saued quaile not neither do they swerue from the race but seeke to ouercome put away desperacion Euen so it shall profite vs to tremble at the threatnings of the Lord so often as he pronoūceth any sorrowful feareful thing so that our minds thereby do not faint but rather assende 26. But Iesus beheld them and said vnto them with mē this is vnpossible but with God all thinges are possible But Iesus beheld them M. Because as it appeareth in Marke they had said amonge thēselues who shal then be saued Christ to whom nothing was hid by this beholding of them wēt about to remedy their feare in mittigating the trouble of their minds in geuing thē a better hope A. And it may be also that Christ by this beholding of them sought to prepare their minds to the end they might harken more attentiuely to those things that shoulde afterward be spoken euen as thoughe hee should set the matter before their eyes VVith men this is vnpossible C. Christ doth not altogether deliuer the mindes of hys disciples frō care because it was profitable for them to know that the way to euerlasting life was very straite narrowe First to the end they might endeuor thēselues wholy and continually to trauaile in this way Secondly that they distrustinge their owne abillitye mighte call for helpe from Heauen Wee sée howe great our slouthfulnes and security is What would come to passe thincke you if the faithfull thought that they mighte walke thither by a pleasaunte and plaine way with ioy of the minde without trouble This therfore is the cause why Christ doth not extenuate or diminishe the daūger by the which notwithstandinge hée séeth that his Disciples are made afrayde but doth rather increase the same For whereas before hée sayde it is harde hee sayth now that it is impossible Whereby it appeareth that they are not discrete teachers whiche are afraide to speake sharpely that they might beare with the sluggishnes of the flesh But truly it wer more meete to follow the rule of Christ which so ordereth his words that hée teacheth mē to fall downe in themselues yet notwithstanding hée encourageth them to praye For thus the infirmitye of man maye be helped not by attributing any thing vnto men but by liftinge vp their mindes to hope for the grace of god M. Christ therefore sayeth This is vnpossible with men as if hée shoulde haue saide as touching the abillity strength in man it is true which yee gather that no man can be saued wherfore be not troubled in vaine But vvith God all thinges are possible A. Luke hath thus Those thinges which are impossible with men are possible with god M. As though Christ should haue sayd Yee ought not therefore to despaire of the saluation of riche men or of anye other mortall man because those things which are requyred to the enteraunce of the kingdome of God are impossible vnto men For that which mā cānot do God can do C. And by this aunswere of Christ that cōmon axioma or proposition which the Papistes haue taken oute of S. Hierom is confuted namelye this Whosoeuer shall say that the lawe is impossible to be kepte be hée accursed For our sauioure Christ plainly pronoūceth that it is impossible for mā to kepe the way of saluation without the ayde of Gods grace Whervppon the Apostell Paule sayeth that hée is able to do all things by the power of the spirite without the which power wee cā do nothing 27. Then aunswered Peter and said vnto him Behoulde wee haue forsaken all and followed thee vvhat shall wee haue therfore Then aunsvvered Peter M. It séemeth that Peter was moued to demaunde this question by the occasion of the riche man and by the woordes of Christ Peraduenture hee thought that God had a greater consideratiō of a riche man if hee forsoke all that he had and followed Christ than of a poore man if he should do the like C. Or peraduenture hee compared secretlye himselfe and the rest of his Disciples with the riche man whō the worlde had alienate withdrawne from Christ But because they led a poore and wandering kinde of life subiect to reproche and griefe neither did there appere any better state of condition of life in
his handes Thou sonne of Dauid C. In this the fayth of the blynd men doth appeare that they acknowledge Iesus to be the Messias for the Iewes knew that the Messias should come of Dauid They flée therfore for helpe vnto Christ not only as to a Prophete but as to the only author of helth which was promised of god Euen so ought we to thinke of Christ to iudge of hym accordyng to the Scriptures and not according to our owne Imaginatiōs 31. And the people rebuked them because they should hold their peace But they cried the more saying haue mercy on vs O Lorde thou sonne of Dauid And the people rebuked them C. The people rebuked the blinde men eyther because they thought it vnsemelye for beggers to set Christ a worke as though it were againste his glory to haue to doe with men of so base estate ether because they thought that they woulde craue an almes at the handes of Christ which they counted very filthy other because they sawe that Iesus had no respecte to their crye to geue any answer thinking theyr exclamation to be troublesom vnto hym when as he rather of purpose fained as though he had no regarde to their crye because ye might haue the more tryall of their fayth perseuerance in prayer or els because som among the people were offended for that they called hym Christ the sonne of Dauid by the which wordes they cōfessed hym to be the Messias promised in the Prophets But it is here to be merueyled at that the Disciples of Christ which followed him for deuty and reuerence sake would suffer these miserable ones to be driuen from the grace and fauore of Christ would seke them selues also so muche as in them laye to stoppe the waye passage whereby his vertue might appeare But this commeth oftentimes to passe that the greater parte of men whiche professe the name of Christe do rather staye vs from comming to Christ than call vs to hym If Sathan went about by godly and simple men whome zeale and religion persuaded to followe Christ to stoppe the waye against these blinde men of comming to Christe howe much more will he bringe that thinge to passe by hipocrits and vngodly men if we take not great hede vnto our selues We haue nede therefore of constancy whiche may put awaye all impediments Yea the more stomblinge blockes that Sathan dothe caste in oure waye the more we haue occasiō to praye euen as wee sée that the blinde men the more they were stayed the more they cryed For it followeth But they cried the more saying C. They perseuere and abyde howsoeuer the multitude forbid them they had therfore a cōstante faith whiche neuer quayleth in tēptations Yea when they knewe that theire wordes were odiouse in the eares of some yet notwithstanding a feruent desyre ouercame feare in somuche that they cryed with the greater vehemencye Thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs Euē so we must striue against all stayes and lets and manfully resist them neyther muste we make an ende vntill wee haue ouercome them B. So shal euery mā thē also by trew earnest prayer cal for the mercy of the Lord when he being oppressed with the like necessitye feeleth howe much he standeth in nede of helpe 32. And Iesus stoode stil and called them and said what will ye that I shall doe to you And Iesus stoode still A. The Euangeliste Marke speakinge of one of them only wrighteth thus And Iesus stoode still and commaunded him to be called and they called hym that was blind sayinge vnto him Arise be of good chere he calleth thee and he threwe awaye his cloake and arose and came to Iesus Therefore the Apostles do obey the commaundement of the Lorde they cal him that was blinde and incourage him to hope well saiyng Be of good chere aryse Iesus calleth thee whose helpe thou crauest with so loude a voyce By the which woordes the blinde man conceyued such a hope that he casting asyde his cloake by the which he was defended from coulde ran to Iesus In the which wee must consider the cherefulnes of this blinde man and diligently note the same So often as wee are called vnto Christe wee neyther cast of oure cloake neyther do we leape for Ioye nor runne to him but doe rather tourne our backes differ the time stande still make excuse wallowe still in darkenes and hadde rather in oure fylthy cloake to begge an Almes of this worlde then to receyue the blessed light of Iesus whiche comprehendeth the whole state of felicity If he cast awaye his clocke for Ioye of his corporall sight what oughte wee not to caste of to receyue possesse Christe the moste comfortable and blessed lighte VVhat vvill ye that I shall do M. Christe was not ignoraunte of their demaunde but because it was not knowen vnto the people that they craued so greate a thynge somuche excellinge humaine power thinkinge rather that they desired som almes at his handes he therfore asketh them what they would haue to the ende they mighte make open declaration of the same that is howe greate faythe and truste they hadde in hym whose helpe they desyered wyth so greate a crye For in the qualitye and largenes of the petition the qualitye and largenes of theire faythe appered also C. He doth therefore verye frendlye and courteouslye demaunde what they desyere to haue donne vnto them because he was determined to graunt they re petitions For there is no doubte but that by the speciall motion of the spirite they made their petitions vnto hym because as the Lorde will not haue all men to escape theire corporall diseases so also he will not suffer them to praye There is a rule prescribed vnto vs what howe and to what ende wee shoulde craue anye thynge at the handes of God from the which rule we maye not decline except the Lord by the secrete motion of his spirite doe make vs to wishe for some speciall thinge which commeth verye syldome to passe But Christe as it was sayde euen nowe asketh them what they would haue not so muche for theyr own sakes as for the people that stood by For we doe see howe the worlde deuoureth the benefites of God without sence excepte they bee styrred vp by prouocations Therefore Christe by his voyce maketh the people standinge by to geue hede vnto the miracle euen as hereafter he did by a visible signe when by touchinge he opened their eyes 33. They sayd vnto hym Lord that our eyes may be opened A. The Euāgelist Marke saith that Bartimaeus made answer saying Lord that I may receiue my sighte Vsynge the Chalde woorde Rabboni for the whiche the Hebrewes haue Rab. or Rabbi that is to say Lorde 34. So Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediatlye their eyes receiued sight And they followed hym Iesus had compassion on them A. These blind men craued the mercy of Christ to helpe
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
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
his body But there are two kyndes of men whiche contende with vs in this matter The Papistes being deluded with their transsubstantiation do deny the bread to be sene because the shewe therof doth only remayne without the subiecte but S. Paule confuteth their fantasy affirming that the bread whiche we breake is the communication of Christes body Furthermore the very nature it selfe of a Sacrament dothe abhorre their fonde imaginatioÌ„ the which can not stande perfecte except the outward signe be true For whereby shall we learne that our soules are fedde with the fleshe of Christe if the true bread bee not set before our eyes but a vayne phantasy For the body of Christe is not here geuen vnto vs simplely but to eate the colour of bread doth not nourishe but the substance Moreouer what will they say as coÌ„cerning the other signe For Christ saith not This is my bloud but This cuppe Therefore according to their fantasy not only the wyne but the matter also whereof the cuppe was made must of necessitie be transsubstantiated into bloud Nowe where as our EuaÌ„geliste hathe I wyll not drynke hereafter of this frute of the vyne he plainly thereby declareth that it was wyne whiche Christe gaue to drynke and not his bloud Therefore euery waye the grose ignorance of the Papistes is confuted M. And where as they saie that they gathered this their traÌ„ssubstantiation out of the wrytinges of the fathers peraduenture it is true that they gathered it but if thei did so it was by false interpretatioÌ„ miscoÌ„struing of their works that they did it For the fathers in some of their wrytinges saye that the breade with great admiration wonder is chaunged in to the body the wyne into the bloude of Christe Now these gatherers vnderstoode theÌ„ of the mutacion chaunging of the substance whereas the fathers touched not the same but vnderstode that the terrestrial coÌ„dition vse of bread was so chauÌ„ged into a heauenly that it was now to the faithful man not terrene or earthly bread neither in that vse that earthly bread remaineth but that it passeth into the body of Christe into celestiall nourishement The which chaunge might be called conditionall not substantiall And because it is a thing wonderfull in dede they sayd truely that the bread and wyne after a woÌ„derfull manner was chauÌ„ged into the body and bloud of Christe For who would not marueile that the terrene bread shoulde be taken and chaunged into suche dignytie that it maye bee called the body of Christe Who would not meruaile that the grosse elemeÌ„t of water should be chaunged into the lauer of regeneratioÌ„ and that it is geuen in washing the body to haue the purifying of the soule the wyping away of sinne A. And this is that coÌ„secration of the which we spake before C. And there are other some whiche reiecte the figure and lyke mad men receyue the same by and by againe The bread accordinge to their iudgement is truely and properly called the body Neither do they lyke of transsubstantiatioÌ„ because it is altogether voide of reason But when they are asked if the bread and wyne he Christe they aunswere that the bread is therefore called his body because it is receiued vnder the breade and with the bread in the Supper But truely by this aunswere we maye gather that the name of body is improperly transferred to the bread whereof it is the signe And it is marueile seing that these men can say that Christe spake thus in respect of the Sacramentall vnion that they marke not what they say For what is the sacramental vnioÌ„ of the thing of the signe Is it not so called because the lord fulfilleth that which he promiseth by the secrete power of his holy spirit Wherefore these maisters of learning are no lesse ridiculous thaÌ„ the Papists Hetherto we haue expouÌ„ded the wordes of the Lorde Now let vs se how the body of Christ is geuen vnto vs Some declare that it is geueÌ„ vnto vs wheÌ„ we are made partakers of all the blessinges which Christ hath gotten vnto vs as in his body wheÌ„ by faith we imbrace Christ crucified raysed froÌ„ death for vs and that by that meanes we are made partakers effectually of all his blessinges Other some much better say that we do then receiue the blessing benefites of Christes when we obtaine Christe him selfe For we do obtaine him not onely when we beleue that he was made a sacrifice for vs but also wheÌ„ he dwelleth in vs when he is one with vs when we are his members of his fleshe of his bones when we growe if we may so speake into life substance with him Furthermore we heare what the woordes may signifie for Christe doth not only offer vnto vs the benefite of his resurrection but his very body in the whiche he suffered rose againe Therfore the body of Christ is truly geuen vnto vs in the supper that it may be the foode of life vnto our soules that is to saye our soules are fed with the substaunce of Christes body that we may truly be made one with him or els whiche is as muche in effecte the quickening force out of the flesh of Christ is powred into vs by the spirite although it be farre from vs not mixed with vs Therefore a voyde or vayne signe is not set before vs but they are truly made partakers of the fleshe bloud of the Lord whiche by faith receiue this promise For the Lorde should commaunde his disciples to eate bread in vaine affirming it to be his body except the effecte were added to the figure Neither is this questioÌ„ haÌ„dled amoÌ„g vs whether Christe doe geue vnto vs hym selfe truely or figuratiuely onely For although we beholde there nothinge but the bread yet notwithstanding he doth not frustrate or mocke vs which taketh vpon him to fede our soules with his fleshe The true eatynge therefore of the fleshe of Christ is not set forth by a signe onely but also is offered in very dede But it is good for vs here to obserue throâ—… thinges namely that the spirituall matter be not ioyned amisse with the signe SecoÌ„dly that Christe be not sought in earth or vnder earthly elemeÌ„tes Thirdly that no other eatiâ—â— be inuenâ—…ed or imagined thaÌ„ that which by the secrete power of Christe inspireth life into vs because we doe not obtaine him but by faithe only First of all as we sayde let there remayne a difference betwene the signe the thing signified except we will peruerte all thinges For there shall remaine no profite of the sacrameÌ„t except it leade vs from the beholding the earthly element to the heauenly mistery Whefore whosoeuer doth not discerne the bodye of Christe from the bread and the wyne from the bloud he shal neuer vnderstaÌ„d what the supper meaneth or wherefore the faithfull doe vse these outwarde signes Secondly let vs followe the lawefull
manner of seking Christe that is let not our myndes reste in the earthe but let them ascende vpwarde to the heauenly glory in the which he dwelleth For the body of Christe doth not put on an incorruptible life that it might laye asyde his proper nature Whereupon it followeth that it is ended But nowe he is ascendeth aboue the heauens least any grosse imaginatiō should tie vs to the earth And certainly if this mistery be heauēly there is nothing more out of order than to bring downe Christe into the earth whiche doth rather call vs vp vnto him If a man aske a Papiste whether he worship the bread or the shewe and colour of bread he wyll strongly deny that he doth not worship the bread but notwithstāding when they go about to worship Christ they tourne them selues to the bread thei tourne them selues I saye vnto it not with the eies only and the whole body but with the cogitation of the mynde also But what other thinges in this than mere Idolatry For truly this partaking of the body of the Lorde whiche is offered vnto vs in the supper doth require neither the locall presēce neither the cōming down of Christ neither his infinite being in euery place neither any such thing For seing the supper is a heauēly actiō it is no absurditie to say the Christ abiding in heauē is receiued of vs Because in that he geueth him self vnto vs it is done by the secrete power of the holy ghoste the which power cannot only gather together thinges far a sonder by distance of places but also brynge them into one The bunde therefore of this coniunctions is the spirite of the Lorde by the knitting together wherof we are coupled is as it were a conducte pype by the which whatsoeuer Christe hath is deriued and brought vnto vs For if we see that the Sunne shining with his beames vpon the earth doth strike and pearce through the same and after a sorte cōneieth his substāce vnto it to bring forth to nourishe quickē the creatures therof why should the shining beames of the spirit of Christe be inferior to conueye the communion of his fleshe and bloud into vs Wherefore the Scripture speaking of our participation with Christe dothe referre the whole force thereof vnto the spirit notwithstanding let this place of S. Paule among many suffice to proue that Christe dwelleth no otherwyse in vs than by his spirite when he saith But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you By the which notwithstanding he doth not take awaye that communion of the bodye and bloud of the which mencion is now made but teacheth that it commeth by the spirit only that we possesse and haue Christe within vs. To the ende therefore we may be capeable of this communiō we must lifte vp our myndes to heauen Here therefore he helpeth our faithe after that all our fleshly sences fayle When mencion is here made of faythe we must not vnderstande it to be euery opinion grounded vpon the inuenciōs of men as many very fondly doe What thē Thou seest bread but nothing els but thou hearest that it is a token pledge of the body of Christe doubt not but that the same whiche the wordes do sounde shal be fulfilled of the Lorde namely that the body whiche thou seest not shal be vnto thee spirituall nourishement Thirdly as we said before we must note the kinde of eating for we must not dreame or immagin that there is a naturall passing made of his substance into our soules but his fleshe is eaten of vs when we receaue life of him For we muste note the analogy or similitude of the bread with the fleshe by the which we are taught that our soules are no lesse fed with the very fleshe of Christ than our bodies are nourished with the vigore and strēgth of bread Therefore the fleshe of Christ is a spirituall foode because it quickeneth vs And it doth therefore quicken because the holy ghoste doth power the lyfe into vs whiche resteth in the same And although it be one thinge to eate the fleshe of Christe and an other thing to beleue in him yet notwithstāding we must knowe that we can eate Christe no otherwyse than by fayth because the very eating is the effecte of faythe M. This semeth incredible that we should be fed with the fleshe of Christe which is so farre from vs But let vs remember that the woorke of the holy ghoste is secrete and wonderful in so muche that the capacitie and vnderstanding of man is not able to measure or comprehende the same and in the meane tyme let vs put away al grosse immaginations whiche staye vs in the bread Leaue vnto Christe the true nature of his fleshe neither extende thou his body by false imagination through heauen and earthe as though it were infinite racke him not with thy fained inuēcions neither worship thou him in this or that place accordinge to thy carnall vnderstanding suffer his glory to abyde in heauen and ascende thou thyther that thereby he may participate hym selfe vnto thee These fewe wordes will satisfie the discrete and modest as for the curious let them seke els where to fulfill their gredy desier S. Luke S. Paule adde these wordes VVhiche is geuen for you Doe this in remembraunce of me C. But Mathewe and Marke omitte it which not withstāding was not superfluous For therfore the fleshe of Christe is nowe bread vnto vs because in it saluation was once gotten for vs And as the crucified fleshe of Christe doth profite no man but suche as eate the same by faithe euen so in lyke manner the eating should be colde of no waighte but only in respect of the sacrifice once offered Therefore whosoeuer desireth to haue the the fleshe of Christ nourishemēt vnto him let him consider the same offered vppon the crosse howe that it was the price of our reconciliation payde vnto god For the Supper is a glasse whiche setteth Christe crucified before our eyes in so muche that no mā can receiue the supper profitably with frute but he which imbraceth Christe crucified But the saying before mencioned Do this in remembraunce of me doth pertayne to both partes that is to say to the bread and to the cup. For he woulde haue the whole action of the Supper to be a remembraūce of hym to helpe our infirmitie Otherwyse if we coulde remember sufficiently the death of Christe sacramentes were to no purpose for they are helpes of our infirmitie But what remēbrāce Christ would haue celebrated in his supper wee may reade in the foremencioned S. Paule And whereas many doe gather hereupon that Christe is therfore absent from the supper because it is onely a memory of one that is absent they do very well gather rightly For Christe is not sene visibly with the eyes as the signe is whiche in figuring him stirreth vp our
the disposinge of the inheritance and are then at the last confirmed and in full strengthe when the testators or will makers are desceased In like maner Christ being dead the Heauenly graces are exhibited and geuen to vs euen as oute of a Testamente or will. The Greeke interpreters of the Byble haue translated the Greeke word Dhiatheken to signify a Testament the whiche word our Euangelist Mathewe vseth also Howbeit S. Hierom hath translated it to signifye a league or couenant Of the which woord when the Scripture maketh mencion namely that God entered into a league whether it were by the olde or newe with his people it meaneth that couenaunte and promise by the whiche God promised that hee would be the God of his people and by the which his people promised likewise that thei would take him for their God for their father and sauiour and that they woulde geue themselues wholly to the wil of God. The oulde leage and Testamente therefore is that by the which God chose Abraham and his seede After that hee did renue with all the people by Moyses in the mounte Sion This was also confirmed agayne in Iosue as we may reade in the fower and twētye Chapter of his Booke The newe leage and Testamente is that by the which God chose all Nations to be his people by the Gospell of the which Testament the Prophetes foreshewed many thinges as Esay Ieremye and others This Testamente is described by remission of sinnes and in destributinge the amplenes of the spirite to all the electe that they maye knowe the Lorde from the smallest to the greatest hauinge the lawe written in their hartes The holye fathers of olde time also were partakers of this leage and Testament but not so clerely in such mightynes of spirite as now that Christ is exalted For truly there is but one mediator of God and mā neither was there any man which was able to please God at anye tyme but the same had his sinnes remitted and the lawe of God by some meanes written in his hart The bloud of Christ is one price of redemption to all the saints But as the more full and perfect reuelation of the old Testament was confirmed by the same bloude of Christ but vnder the type notwithstandinge of the bloude of a yonge bullocke euen so the new was sealed by no other bloude then by the preciouse harte bloud of Christ himselfe For immediatlye after the death resurrection of the Lord the Gospell begā to be preached to all creatures and a new people to be gathered Herevppon the Lord sayth that he geeueth his bloud of the newe Testament that is by the which this new Testament was sealed and the Testamente it selfe confirmed with this bloude For this cause truly wee acknowledge and worship God the father and are partakers in deede of the true spirite and of the grace of the new Testamēt because Christ liueth in vs and because we are flesh of his flesh C. But two things are here worthy to be noted For wee gather by this worde Testamente or leage that there is a promise included in the holy Supper By that which their error is confuted which deny that fayth is holpen cherished stayed vp and increased by Sacramentes For betwene the Testament of God and the faith of men there is alwayes mutuall relation Whervppon it followeth that they are not onely amonge men externall signes of profession but also inwarde helpes of fayth Furthermore by this word Newe Christ went about to teache that old figures haue nowe an ende that they might geeue place to the firme and eternall couenant There is therefore here a crosse opposition or comparison betweene this mystery and the shadowes of the Lawe whereby it appeareth how much our condition is better than the fathers which after the sacrifyce finished on the Crosse do enioye the sounde and perfect truth That is shed for manye Luke declareth that he said also For you Christ doth here depaint and set forth himselfe as thoughe hee were hanginge on the Crosse and imbrewed with bloude For hee sayth which is shed and not which was shed And when he sayth For you in Luke hee declareth his owne innocencye which was not subiecte to deathe for so muche as the Prince of this world which had rule ouer death had nothing in him because he was free from sinne wherevppon it was not needefull that hee should offer for his owne sinnes first accordinge to the maner of the hye priestes because he is holy vndefiled voyde of all sinne Hee teacheth also howe great his loue is toward vs that when hee ought nothinge vnto death he would suffer the same for vs Greater loue hath no man than this that a man bestow his life for his frends But whereas this our Euangelist Mathewe sayth that Christe sayde For manye some man might marueile seinge the Apostle sayth Christe dyed for all that they which liue shoulde not henceforth liue vnto themselues And seinge it is saide in another place that Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole worlde The aunswere to this doubt is That our sauiour Christe vnder the name of manye doth meane not onely a part of the world but all mankinde also For hee opposeth or setteth many against one as if he shoulde saye that hee is the redeemer not of one man onelye but that hee suffereth deathe to deliuer many from the gilt of sinne and cursse Euen so in the fifte to the Romaynes S. Paule taketh manye for all men by a comparison betwene one and many Neither is there any doubt but that Christe speakinge here to a few ment to make the doctrine cōmon to more Notwithstandinge wee must also note that in Luke he speakinge to his Disciples by name exhorteth all the faithfull to apply the effusiō of his bloud to their vse Thereforefore when we come to the holye Table let not onelye this generall cogitacion come into our minde that the worlde is redemed by the bloude of Christ but also let euerye man thincke with himselfe that Christ hath satisfyed for his sinnes M. For the death of Christ is a vniuersall redemption for that cause he is called the sauioure of the world and the preachinge of the Gospell was sent into the whole world that all men might be called to the fayth of Christ But because the elect onely do receiue this grace he is specially said to be the sauioure of the electe and faithfull who in comparison of the reprobate are fewe yet in them selues are many For the remission of sinnes C. That whereof Mathewe and Marke made no mencion in the signe of bread they nowe expresse in the Cuppe namelye that his bloud shoulde be shed for the remission of sinnes But this note ought to be referred to both partes Therefore to the ende wee may eate the fleshe of Christ aright wee must behould his offeringe because it was
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
the Churche and maintayne godlynes First of all wee aunswere that they do vnaptly and amisse which inferre this consequence that the doctrine of the Gospell and the pure worship of God ought not to be defended by the sworde because Christe is not then defended in his owne person For Christ onely proueth by the present deede how friuolus and vaine it was whiche the Iewes slaunderouslye brought against him Furthermore although godly kings do defende the kingdome of Christ with the sword yet notwithstanding this is done after another maner than earthlye kingdomes are defended For the kingdome of Christe as it is syirituall so it must be grounded in the doctrine and power of the spirite After the same maner also his buildinge is broughte to passe for neyther lawes nor edictes of men neither punishmentes do reache so far as to the conscience Notwithstandinge this doth not let but that Princes by accidens maye defende the kingdome of Christ partly when they do appoynt externall discipline and partly whē they do apply their defence to the Churche against the wicked But the wickednes of the world bringeth to passe that the kingdome of Christ is more established by the bloud of martyres than by the defence of weapons Pilate therefore sayd vnto him Art thou then a kinge Iesus aunsweared Thou sayest that I am a kinge For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I might beare witnes to the truth Althoughe alreadye Pilate vnderstoode by the former aunsweare that hee challenged some one kingdome to himselfe Christ notwithstandinge doth nowe affyrme the same againe and not content therewith hee addeth another sentence which might be a confirmation and seale of that other sayinge Whereby wee gather that the doctrine which concerneth the kingdome of Christ is not common seing hee sayeth that the same is worthy of so great asseueration or affyrmance For it is a general sentence For this cause was I borne that I might beare witnes of the truthe notwithstandinge it must speciallye be applyed to the circomstance of this place But the wordes signify thus much that it naturally belongeth vnto Christ to he true and also that for this cause he was sente of the father Wherefore there is no daunger or feare that if wee beleeue in him wee shall be deceyued betause it is impossible that hee should set forth any thinge but that whiche is true to whom the office of teachinge and maintayninge truthe was committed from aboue Whosoeuer is of the truth heareth my voyce This sentence Christ added not so much to exhort Pilate because hee knewe hee should not profite as hee did it to set his doctrine free from vndeserued reproches and slaunders to the which it was subiecte as if hee should haue sayde This is counted a fault in mee that I haue professed my selfe to be a kinge but truly this is an vndoubted truth the which they receiue reuerently withoute controuersy which are of a right Iudgement and sounde vnderstandidge Howbeit hee sayth that they are of the truthe not which naturallye behoulde that whiche is true but in respecte that they are gouerned by the spirite of god A. Christ preached these thinges as concerninge his kingdome before Pontius Pilate the Debitye as witnesseth S. Iohn But the other three Euangelistes saye that Christe aunsweared thus Thou sayest it C. The which aunswere is very ambiguous and doubtfull yet notwithstandinge it maye be gathered oute of Iohn that Christe confessed freelye that which was obiected agaynste him but yet that hee did therewith put away the fault when hee denyeth himselfe to be an earthly kinge But because hee did not greatlye seeke to purge himselfe euen as those that are giltye are wont to do the Euangelistes do set downe vnto vs his halfe aunsweare as if they should say that he denyed not but that hee was a kinge yet notwithstandinge that hee ouerthwartlye noted the slaunder wyth the whiche the ennemyes burthened him without a cause Pilate sayth vnto him What thinge is truthe It seemeth to some that Pilate curiouslye enquired as commonlye Heathen men do whiche greedelye desyer the knowledge of secrete thinges and beinge notwythstandinge ignoraunte whye they desyer this For they onlye seeke to feede their eares But rather this voyce seemeth to proceede of disdayne For Pilate thoughte that it was no small iniurye done vnto him that Christ should depriue him of all knowledge of truthe Nowe let vs behoulde in Pilate the common disease of men for althoughe oure owne consciences do beare testimonye vnto vs of oure ignoraunce yet notwithstandinge there are very fewe which can abyde to confesse the same And herevppon it commeth that the greater parte do reiecte the true doctrine Afterwarde the Lorde whiche is the teacher of the humble in blindynge the proude geeueth them the punishmente that they deserue Oute of the same pryde commeth that disdayne whiche wyll in no wise submitte it selfe to learne because euery man seemeth wyse in his owne conceyte The matter is thought to be an oulde truthe But God on the contrarye parte affyrmeth that it farre exceedeth the capascitye of mans minde The like also happeneth in other matters The speciall pointes of deuinitye consiste of these namelye of the corrupte nature of the mortification of the fleshe of the renouation of life of the free reconcilliation by the onelye sacrifyce of the imputaon of righteousnes by the whiche a sinner is accepted of God and of the illumination of the spirite Nowe because euerye one of these is a Paradox the common sence and reason of men doth contemptuouslye reiecte them Very fewe therefore do profite in the schole of God because there is scarce one amonge tenne whiche taketh anye heede to his first rules and principles And howe commeth this to passe but onelye because they measure the secrete wysedome of God by their owne vnderstandinge And that Pilate spake in derison it maye appeare by this that hee wente foorthe by and by To be shorte hee is angerye and displeased wyth Christe because hee bosteth that hee bringeth forthe the truthe whiche before was hidde Yet notwithstandynge this hys displeasure doth declare that the wicked do neuer so frowardlye reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel but that they are touched with some force of the same For althoughe Pilate came not so farre as to shewe hymselfe apte to be taughte yet notwithstandinge he is constrayned to feele some pricke of conscience within him These thinges beinge ended S. Iohn and S. Luke saye thus And when he had spoken these thinges hee came foorthe agayne to the Iewes to the hye Priestes and to al the multitude and said vnto them I finde not cause at all in him A. Althoughe Pilate were a wicked and vniuste man yet notwythstandinge hee woulde not adiudge an innocente to death so longe as his fame or office were in no perill Moreouer as the Euangelistes do dilligentlye describe that Christe wente not to hys deathe by externall force
this howere all the sacrifyces of the lawe did tende To this hower therefore wee muste also haue regarde whiche desyere the true and perpetuall saluation A. Christe here declareth his maiesty in that he putteth awaye his spirite not when men will but when he will. Whereuppon Pylate merueyled afterwarde that Christe was so soone deade And the Lorde hymselfe sayde No man taketh the same from me but I putte the same from me of my selfe I haue power to putte it frome mee and I haue power to take it vnto me againe To the whice effecte also it pertayneth when it is sayde that ◅owinge his heade he gaue vp the Ghoste 51. And beholde the Vaile of the temple did rente into twoo partes from the toppe to the bottome and the earthe did quake and the stone rente And beholde the Vaile of the C. Whereas Saint Luke ioyneth the rentynge of the Vaile of the temple with the darkenes of the sonne as though it happened before the death of Christe wee muste knowe that it is an inuersion of order For the Euangelistes as wee doe oftentimes see do not obserue the special moments and seasons of times Neyther was it meete that the vayle shoulde be rente before the sacrifice of satisfaction were ended because then Christe beinge the true and ternall Prieste the fygures of the lawe beinge abolished made awaye vnto vs by his bloude to the heauenlye sanctuarye that wee shoulde not stande nowe a farre of but that wee mighte come foorthe boldelye into the presence of god For so longe as the shadowed worshyppe dyd indure the Vaile was set before the earthly sanctuary whiche mighte kepe awaye not onelye the fete but also the eyes of menne that they coulde neyther come vnto it nor beholde it But Christe hauinge put out the hande writtinge that was againste vs hathe taken awaye all lette that bearinge oure selues bolde of the Mediator wee maye bee all a kyngelye priesthoode Therefore the rentinge of the Veale was not onelye an abrogatinge of the ceremonyes whiche were vnder the lawe But also a certaine openynge of the heauens that God mighte nowe familiarelye call and bringe to him selfe the members of his soone In the meane tyme the Iewes were admonyshed that externall sacrifices hadde an ende and that the olde priesthoode shoulde bee no more in vse But because the substance and truethe of shadowes was fulfylled the figures of the lawe were tourned into spirite For althoughe Christe dyd offer a visible sacrifyce yet notwithstandinge we muste esteme of it spirituallye as the Apostoll teacheth that wee may knowe the frute and price thereof Hereby also wee maye discerne ▪ What difference there is betwene the Gospell and the lawe in the Gospell all things are made manifeste by Christe but Moses had the Veale set betwene A. Of the which matter reade the third chapter of the secōd to the Corinthians And the path did quake and the stones C. It is lykelye that these thynges also were done when the Veale of the temple did rente Here the earthe geueth testimony vnto Christe as the sonn had done before These signes do declare the obstinacy of that people whiche coulde be moued neither by the quaking of the earth nor by the rentinge of stones By these also it was declared that the worlde shoulde be moued by the Gospel and that stony hartes shoulde bee rente throughe repentance 52. And graues did open and many bodyes of Sanites which slepte arose And graues did open C. This also was a speciall miracle by the which God declared that his soone entered into the prison of deathe not that he shoulde abyde there shut vp but that he mighte bring oute all those whiche were holde captiue For at what time the contemptible infirmity of the fleshe was sene in Christe the magnificente and diuine power of his death pearced euen to the the lower partes And this is the cause why he being redy to be shute into one Sepulcher or monument opened other Sepulchers Notwithstandyng it is doubtefull whether this openynge of the Sepulchers happened before the resurrection For the resurrection of Saintes which is afterwardes added followed as it semeth the resurrection of Christe For it is verye absurde that certayne interpreters doe dreame and imagine that they laye for the space of three dayes breathynge and alyue in the Sepulchers It is more likely a greate deale the Christ being dead the Sepulchers were by and by opened but when he rose that certein of the godly hauing recyued lyfe wente foorthe and were seene in the Cittie For seing the breakyng of Sepulchers was a foreshewyng of newe lyfe the fruite and effecte it selfe thereof appeared the thyrde daye after Because Christe rysing agayne brought others with hym to beare hym company out of the Sepulchres And many bodyes of saynctes vvhiche slepte arose It may be demaunded why God would haue a fewe to ryse agayne seeyng the felloweship of Christes resurrection doth pertayne a lyke to all the faythfull Wee aunswere that it was so appointed because the full time was not yet come by the which the whole body of the churche should be gathered vnto his head a shewe onely of the newe lyfe whiche all men hope for beynge declared and set foorthe in a fewe For we knowe that Christe on this condition was receyued vp into heauen that the lyfe of his members myght bee hydden as yet vntyll it shoulde bee reuealed by his comming They are called saintes in this place whiche were deade in the faythe of Christe to come by whose bloude they presented them selues with a fyrme faythe before the father to bee sanctified and purged from they re synnes VVhiche slepte A. As concerninge this sleape reade the fower and twenty verse of the nynthe chapiter before 53 And went out of the graues after his resurrection and came into the holy cittie and appeared vnto many And vvent out of the graues C. It may bee demaunded what came afterwardes to passe of the saynctes For it seameth verye absurde that they beynge once admitted of Christe into the societie of lyfe shoulde retourne agayne to duste But as the aunswer is not easy and ready to bee made euen so it is but vayne curiously to labour in a thynge not necessary to bee knowen It is lykely that they were not longe conuersaunt among men because it was mete that they should be sene but for a shorte tyme that in thē the power of Christe myght be made manifest And seeinge hee woulde confirme those that were alyue in the hope of the heauenly lyfe in theire persone it shall bee no absurditie if wee saye that so soone as they had shewed them selues they rested agayne in theire Sepulchres And came into the holy cittie C. In that the Euangeliste honourablely calleth Hierusalem the holy cittie hee doth it not for the desertes of this cittie for we knowe that it was then replenyshed with all kynde of wyckednes that it myght seeme rather to bee a denne of
may keepe them also and shewe them in dede And lo I am vvith you alvvaye It was a hard office whiche hee committed vnto them to beare the whiche good were able in no pointe And it is likely that the Dysciples were not a little terrefyed by the consideration of it C. Therefore hee doth incourage them with the truste of his heauenlye ayde promisinge vnto them his presence euerye where at all times throughout the whole worlde his helpe and grace also euen to the ende and finishinge of their embassage For before hee promised that he woulde be with them hee declared that hee was the kinge both of Heauen and earth whiche with his hand and power gouerneth all things Therefore in this word I there is a great Emphasis and force contayned as if he had sayde that if the Apostles would discharge their dutye bouldly they must not haue respect what they themselues were able to do but must leaue to his inuincible power vnder whose banner they fight Bu. As if he should say So longe as you do these thinges the world wil be against you as it hath bene againste mee For my spirite agreeth not with the spirite of this worlde and my doctrine is altogether contrary to their affections which loue those thinges that are of this world So that with many tumultes men will ryse againste you but there is no cause why ye should dispayre althoughe ye be not noble but simple weake and few in nomber I haue ouercome the world you by my helpe and my example shall ouercome By my power not by your owne shall yee ouercome what soeuer seemeth feareful to you in this world And although I will cary vp shortlye this body into Heauen which thinge is good for you that it be so yet not withstandinge I will neuer forsake you for after that I shall cease to be with you in body then more effectually wil I be with you in spirite C. Therefore the maner of presence which the Lord promiseth to his Dysciples ought spiritually to be vnderstode because it is not needefull that hee shoulde descende from Heauen to helpe vs because hee canne helpe vs by the grace of his spirit as it were stretching his hande from Heauen Euen vnto the ende of the vvorld These wordes do declare that this was spoken not to the Apostles onelye because the Lorde doth promise his helpe to continue not to the ende of one age onelye but also to the consumation of the worlde His wordes therefore are in effect as if hee should saye How weake soeuer the mynisters of the Gospell be and what neede soeuer of thinges necessary they suffer I wyll be their ayde and defender insomuch that they shall haue the victory ouer all the conflictes of the worlde M. The order of the Historye doth require that wee adde those thinges which the Euangeliste Luke writeth as concerning the Assencion of Christ in the latter ende of his Gospell and in the Actes of the Apostles He sayth therefore And hee led them out into Bethanye C. Because Mathewe had greatlye exalted the kingdom of Christ aboue the whole world hee maketh no mencion of his Assention into Heauen Marke maketh mencion of the Assention but where and how he assended hee speaketh nothinge at all But Luke very plainly setteth forth this matter for hee sayth that Christe led his disciples forth into Bethany that he might assende from the mounte Oliuet into his heauenly throne R. For the Euangeliste Luke saythe in an other place that when the Lorde was assended the Apostels retourned to Hierusalem from the mount Oliuet C. As hee woulde not be seene of all men after his resurrection as wytnesseth Peter so hee would not haue all men to be wytnesses of his assention into heauen because he would haue this mistery of the fayth to be knowen rather by the preaching of the Gospell thā to be seene with the eyes R. But what talke the Apostles had with Christe in the mounte S. Luke wryteth in these wordes saying Lorde wilte thou at this tyme restore the kyngdome of Israell But he said vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes and seasons whiche the father hathe put in his owne power It followeth in Marke and Luke So vvhen the Lorde had spokē vnto them he lifted vp his handes and blessed them C. And so he taught them that to blesse which office was committed to the priests vnder the lawe did truely and properly be long vnto him Seing therefore he was the onely authour of all blessing yet to the end his grace might bee the more familiar hee would haue the priests from the beginning to blesse in his name as mediatours So Melchisedech blessed Abraham And for this matter there is a lawe geuen whiche lasteth for euer To the same ende pertaineth that which is written in the Psalmes where it is said We haue wyshed you good lucke ye that be of the house of the Lorde And the Apostle saith that it is a signe of excellency to blesse others For the lesse sayth he is blessed of the greater Nowe when Christ the true Melchisedech and the euerlasting prieste declared him selfe it was necessary that the same whiche was shadowed in the figures of the lawe should be fulfilled euen as the Apostell Paule also teacheth that wee are blessed of God the father in him that we may bee ryche in all celestiall benefites Therefore he once blessed the Apostels solemly that the faythfull might come vnto hym if they desyred to be partakers of the grace of god So that he lifting vp his handes and blessing them and theyr ministery declareth by a certain signe that he wysheth vs well that we might receyue consolation by this blessing so longe as the Gospell is preached It followeth And it came to passe as he blessed them he departed from them and was taken vp an hie and a cloude receiued him out of their sight into heauē After Christe had done all those things which were appointed to him of his father and whiche pertayned to our saluation it was not nedefull that he should be any longer conuersaunt in earth He therefore being taken vp into heauen hath taken out of our sight the presence of his body not that he seasseth to be present with the faithfull whiche as yet are pylgrymes on the earth but that he might gouerne heauen earth with a more present power The heauens are sayde to be the seate of God who notwithstanding fulfilleth all thinges The heauen therefore into the with our Lord is ascended is the inuisible glory of the father where the sonne of man whiche was before so contemned and reiected of his enemies reigneth for euer in power glory hauinge all thinges subiect vnto hym and fulfilling all thinges in his electe by his holy spirit And wee obtayne two specallye fruites by this assention For in that hee ascended into heauen for oure sakes hee hath opened
punishment is not persecution 82. Ire is the roote of murther 94. Iustification commeth by fayth 457. K. Kingdome of Heauen what it is 40. Kingdome of Christe 459. Kingdome of Heauen may be shut vp two wayes 530 Kinges ought to be liberall 451. L. Lawe abolished by Christes comminge 14. Liberallity 108. Liberty preached by Papish monkes 110. Liberallity pertayneth to kinges 451. Lyes staye vs from repentaunce 570. Loue is the fulfillinge of the Lawe 96. Loue of our neighbour 109. 514. Loue was and is more plentifull in the heathen than in ChristiaÌ„s 110. Loue is a token of adoption 110. Loue not guided by reason 367. Loue pertayneth to Christians 403. Lorship pertayneth not to pastors 451. 452. Luxurye 43. Lunatikes 385. M. Mans merits are condemned 7. Mans life consisteth not in bread 61. Mans felicitye consisteth not in meate and drincke 61. Mans merits are nothing 82. 83. Mans vnsauerye nature muste be seasoned by Gods word 84. Mans naturall affections resiste God 120. Mans labour without gods blessinge is nothinge 121. Mans afections muste be guided by gods spirite 129. Man must tarrye the Lordes leysure 160. Mans mysery 170. 273. Mans minde is blind 322. Mans life is a continuall warrefare 347. Mans soule is immortall 372. Mans merits deserue dampnation 440. Man hath a certayne time appointed eyther of life or death 659. Manicheis 324. Magistrates offyce 80. 589 Magistrates are vnder the power of God 157. Magistrates eyther spirituall or temporall maye haue the name of Lordes 528. Martyers 227. Mary the mother of Christ ought not to be worshipped 276. Masse contrarye to the institution of Christ 636. Matrimony 416 Matrimonye cannot be broken at mans pleasure 420. Matrimony oughte not to be broken but by fornication 420. Matrimony is a necessary remedy against sinne 423. Meanes not lawfull 665. Mercifull princes make the subiectes to dwell without peril 37. Mercy 78. 536. Merits bringe vs not to euerlastinge life 427. 442. 604. Meekenes 77. Mekenes consisteth in sufferance 462. Men see not their owne falts 137. Meates defyle not a man 338. Misconstruinge of the place of the Prophetes 33. Mynisters must be deligent 72. Mynisters of Gods word are the light of the worlde 86. Mynisters of Christ ought not to be discouraged by reproch 197. Mynisters of Christ are faythfull labourers 198. Mynisters of Christ 450. 486. Mynisters of the woorde are steewardes 589. 751. Mynisters of Christ must be called 596. Mysteries of God pertayne not to the reprobate 138. Myracles 148. Myracles serue to set forth Gods glorye 327. ModeratioÌ„ must be vsed in reprehention 663 Modesty in Iohn the Baptist 53. Modesty 152. Moyses chaire 521. Moonkes fryers go in sheepes clothinge 143. Monkes and fryers crucify them selues in vaine 227. Monkishe perfection 432. Moonkes maintayned in ydlenes 432. Monkes are makers of proâ—…elits 533. Murther is committed by haired 94. Murther hath thre steppes 94. 95. Murmuringe is not in the faythfull 443. N. Necessary care 131. Necessity hath no law 248. Nectarius bishoppe of Constantinople toke awaye auriculer confession 154. Negligence in stewardes of gods househoulde 301. Newters 263. Newe thinges please men be they neuer so bad 304. O. Obedience and fayth in Ioseph 18. Obedience is acceptable to God. 32. Obedience due to Maiestrates 505. Obedience is a tryal of gods promises 64. Obedience 157. 178. Obstinacy in the reprobate 237. Obstinate â—â—â—denes 302. Obseruation of the Sabothe 246. Occasions of euill oughte to be auoyded 320. 415. Offences 231. 335. Offences of two sortes 337 Offences of diuers kinds 397. Offences Actiue and Pâ—…e 398 Oppressors of the truthe are inexcusable 23. Oppression of Gods spirite surmounteth mans reasoÌ„ 29. Opinions must haue Gods word for their warrante 401. Ordinarye meanes must be vsed 64. Othes 103. P. Patience is blessed â–ª 75. Patience is in the godly 107. Patience perseuereth to the ende 21â—… Patience 289 Papistes confesse Christe with the mouthe and in deede denye him 25. Papistes take froÌ„ vs Gods word 61. Papistes saye that the Scripture is doubtful 63. Papistes denye God onelye to be worshipped 66. Papistes saye that concupiscence is no sinne 100. Papistes worship God with outwarde shewes onlye 623. Papistes alleadge traditions 328 Papistes geue the glory of God to saintes 540. Papisticall repentance 47 â–ª Parrables haue theyr vse 277. Parables do not in all pointes agree 412. Passeouer of the Iewes a type of Christes supper 616. â—…ersian worship 29. â—…eace makers 79. â—â—ace is in Christes truthe 225. Persecution 80 Persecution for righteousnes 81. Persecution may lawfully be fled 216. 567. Perfection consisteth not in straitnes of life 237. Perfection 432. Perseuerance and constancy 563. 215. 258. 325. 440. Perseueraunce proueth oure election 501. Peter denyeth Christ 681. Peters successor muste be a preacher 752. Peters infirmity is common to al men 324. Peter was the mouth of the Apostles 357. Peter signyfyeth a stone 359. Peter dyed at Rome 395. Peter was called Sathan 368. Peters infirmitye 378. Phariseys 44. Pilate slewe himselfe 685. Pope woulde be worshipped 29. Popishe pride 48. Pope and Sathan in ambition lyinge are alike 65 Popes excommunication is not to be feared 81. Pope is a raueninge woâ—â—e 145. Popishe â—…ast 59. Pore in spirite 7â—… Punishmentes prepared for the wicked 300. Pouertye is appointed to exercise charity 624. Potentates of this world are ennemyes to God 212. Plagues are Gods messengers 161. Prayer 115. 139. 423. Prayer is the exercise of our faith 116. 117. 118. 119. Prayer is but a vaine ceremonyâ—… without fayth 139. Prayer must haue constancy 140. Prayer in secrete 320. Prayer must be vsed in all places 321. 409. Prayer to saintes 341. Prayer helpeth fayth 389 Prayer is the onlye refuge of sinners 413. Prayer in time of neede 455. Preachinge is in vaine withoute the internall worde of the spirite 18. Preachers must teach with consideration 44. Preachers must abound in knowledge 301. Preachers of Gods word must auoyde flattery 309. Predestination 336. Prouidence of God in Dreames 13. Prodigaâ—â—tye 108. Pryde by nature in man 204. Pride is the mother of reproche 399. Presumption and excessiue care are ioyned together 133. Presumption 64. Purenes of hart is the mother of all vertue 78. Purgatory of the Papistes 99. Publicans 111. 179. Purgatory pedlers 266. Purgatory 414. R. Rashe Iudgemente ought to be auoyded 500. Rashe Iudgemente commeth of lighte credite 620. Rashe Iudgement 136. Rashe zeale 46. Rabbines 14. Repentaunce 40. 47. 182. Repentance is not the cause of remission of sinnes 283. Repentance is declared by remission of sinne 44. Repentance hath her fruite 47. Repentance Papistical 47. Repentance is the worke of God. 410. Repentance is a holy thinge 411. Repentance confesseth sinnes 724. Repentaunce commeth not by the motion of the fleshe 723. Reprehension is bitter to the wicked 25. Reprehension doth not profite the obstinate 625. Reprobates are captiues to Sathan 28. Reprobates are chaste 51. Reprobates shal be tormented 296. Reprobates repentâ—… not from the bottome of the