that froÌ„ henceforth I shall not eate and drynke wyth you after the accustomed maner I shall with my bloud being shed confirme that testament which somtyme I established with AbrahaÌ„ but after a new sorte not by the bloud of beastes as it was in the olde tyme but by myne owne bloud Neither shal my couenaunt staÌ„d with the Iewes only but with al mankind This worde braunche or fruite of the vine is a paraphrases of wyne and doth signifye not onely that to be wyne which Christ dranke in the cuppe and gaue vnto his disciples but it also declareth that it was bloud but such as came out of the vine and not powred out of his body as if a man would say this is of the fruite of wheat he shoulde by circumloqution signifie bread and therwithall declareth that it is not onely bread but also it is bread made of wheat and of no other graine For there is also bread made of Rye and of Otes c. And this emphasis haue all parephrases and specially the Hebrew parephrases So wheÌ„ Christ calleth himselfe the sonne of man Therfore he saith henceforth I wil no more eat nor drink wherfore it is likely Christ him self also dyd eate and drinke namely after this sort but after an other sort and newe that is to say after my resurrectioÌ„ I wil theÌ„ eat with you wheÌ„ as you shall eate with me at my table in the kingdom of my father but not after that sort as bodies are wonte to be fed but in the state of immortalitie Therfore the kingdom of god is either the time after the resurrection or els a more full knowledge of Christ The kingdom of God or els the eternal life after this life in the which the faith full shall eate and drinke vppon the table of Christ wiih Christ that most swete drinke of immortalitie as appeareth in the .xxii. chapi Luke As concerning the sence of these wordes of Christ this is my body and of the foode of the soule we haue spoken inoughe of in an other place Let vs not dispute how the bread is made the bodye of Christe but lette vs rather remember the benefitte performed vnto vs by the bodye of Christe that being inwardly satiated in our minds we may lift our hartes to him which sitteth at the right hand of the father that is in a certain limited place in heauen that we may loue one another that we may liue innoceÌ„tly that we may geue thaÌ„kes vnto the Lord and walk worthely in our vocatioÌ„ To eate of the body of Christ is none other thing but to beeleue that his body was geuen to the death to make satisfactioÌ„ for our sinnes To drinke the bloud of Christe is nothing els but to beleue that Christ his bloud was shed for the washing away of our sins neither is there any other eating of the bodye of Christ then that which is done by faith of the which Christ speaketh in the 6. chap of Iohn neither can it be done of any but of the godly But the eating of the simbolical and mistical bread is common both to the godly and also to the vngodly althoughe after a diuers sorte For there be some which do eate the bread of the supper vnworthely and drinke the wine vnworthely and by that meanes do get vnto themselues death and iudgement that is punishmeÌ„t And those although they eat drink with their mouth the sacrameÌ„ts of the body bloud of the Lord yet neuerthelesse they eate not the body of Christ neither do they drinke his bloud vnlesse they will make Christ a lyar which farre be it from the euerlasting and infallible truth wheÌ„ as he saith They which eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud abyde in me and I in them There is none I thinke that will affirme if he haue his right wittes that this agreeth with the vngodlye but as for the godly they do not onely eat with their teath the signes neither haue they â—are signs but besides the eating of the signes whiche is done with the mouth of the body they are inwardly fed in their mindes with the body and bloud of Christ by the eating of faith which faith the spirit of Christ kindleth within theÌ„ at such tyme as much to whoÌ„ it pleaseth him For the operatioÌ„ of his spirit is not bouÌ„d to the signes neither is grace so put in them that it shuld be brought vnto them as it were in a wagon but Christ that chief and eternall bishop doth feede the faithfull with his body and bloud the minister only administring the sacraments outwardly vnto whome he setteth before their eyes putteth in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce and declareth the grace of god he bringeth it not to them he geueth it not neither doth he distribute it to theÌ„ Therfore a faithful mind doth receaue the body and bloud and hauing receaued it the spirite of God doth with heat disgest it poureth it into the inwarde bowels of the soule of the which springeth a maruelous and inwarde refreshing vnto a godly mynde when we celebrate therfore the Supper of the Lord or thankes geuing let vs remember that only sacrifice which was offred vppon the crosse with thankes geuyng For we are admonished that by the flesh and bloud of the onely begotten sonne of God offred vppon the crosse for vs we are redemed from euerlasting death and that the same are made to vs spirituall foode to norish and kepe vs in euerlasting life for as much as Christ hath offred vp himselfe a most acceptable sacrifice for vs vnto the father in geuing his body to the deth powred forth his bloud to wash vs wtall it is wholy our partes to meditate and to preache abroad so great a loue and so woÌ„derfull great a benefit and to geue thanks for so liuely a death and by that meanes our faythe will more encrease towardes God the father also his loue and good will towards vs will be more and more kindled Moreouer we are admonished by this most holy Supper to offer and vowe our selues wholy bodye soule vnto Christ for a sacrifice considering that he hath suffred death to restore vs vnto life and desire not to lyue nowe to our selues but to Christ Finally the remembrauÌ„ce of the body geueÌ„ and of the bloudshed is therfore set before the church of Christ in the holy signes of the supper that by the same it might more certainly receaue as it were a certain priuy tokeÌ„ of her redemption and might cal into memory that we are so compacte by faithe into one bodye that we are made the members of one head Christ It is therfore mete that we bee bound together with a singuler charitie amoÌ„gest our selues and with doyng good one to an other Let the death of Christ therfore neuer slip out of our heartes let vs alwayes remember that Christe is wholly made oures that we should also be his by faith and charitie and our neighbors by charitie
wordes we be taught not to be sorye if anye troubles com vnto vs by the vngodly for the crosse also death get vnto the godlye moste great glory when as nothyng can chaūce vnto the godlye whiche is not ordeined by the good will of the father and whiche shall not bryng vnto them wonderfull greate glory Furthermore the glory of God commeth by those thinges which we suffer for his names sake and what is he that would not wishe to haue the glory of God set forth yea euē with his owne hurt and danger And when as hipocrites do go away from the fellowshippe of the faithfull then is the church deliuered frō a most great euill so that the faithfull which desire to haue the glory of god set forth may worthely reioice And for bicause that Christ had foretold that such great euils shuld come vnto his disciples and had shewed them the daunger which they should be in by the means of fals brethren of whom Iudas went before as a figure of them nowe in the meane tyme he comforteth and encourageth them least they shoulde bee fainte harted and discouraged teaching them by what meanes they mighte stand stedfast and to be safe againste all the euils which were at hand namely by concord and mutual loue amōg themselues as though he would say Howe soeuer diuers tempestes do happē how soeuer the vngodly rage against you haue ye only a care for this the which aboue all other thinges I geue you in charge that ye be ioyned together amongest your selues with a feruent charitie For so shall ye stand firme againste all the assaultes of your enemies if ye be boūd with this bond no mā can hurte you This shal be the most certayne signe that ye be my disciples if they shall see in you that loue which was in your maister The boastyng and presumption of the flesh is sene in Peter which that he might be takē awaye the lorde suffereth him to fall that he might learne to acknowledge hym selfe and to liue afterward in feare and with modestye In the meane tyme we must mark the loue of God which doth not altogether reiect vs bicause of oure infirmitie but taketh in good worthe our folishnes and turneth it to good we haue of purpose left out that which Iohn writeth from the xiiii chap. to the xviii least our booke and those thinges whiche we haue expounded in Iohn should encrease to a great volume They therfore which are desirous of the same let them read them in Iohn and apply them to this place ¶ When Iesus had spokē these words he went out according to his accustomed maner with his disciples ouer the brooke Ceder that is to say into the Mounte Olyuete where was a gardein into the which he entred and his disciples also and Iudas also which betrayed him knew the place bicause Iesus had oftentimes resorted thither with his disciples and when he came vnto the place which is called Gethseman he said vnto them sit ye here tyll I go asyde and pray and he toke Peter Iames and Iohn with him and he began to be afraide and to be vexed he said vnto them my soule is sorowfull euen vnto the death abyde ye here and watche with me praye that ye enter not into temptation and being gone forward a litel and departed from thē almost a stones cast he fel vpon the earth and being prostrate kneling vpon his knees he prayed saying Abba father all thynges are possible vnto thee yf it be possible take away this cup frō me neuerthelesse not my wyll but thy will be done CHrist had armed his disciples against the persecutiōs which were to come and had taught them wyth what swordes they should resist them that is to say by the knowlege of both the testamentes and by the sword of the spirite which is the worde of God beyng a two edged sword and cuttyng on either syde and percyng euen into the inwarde partes furthermore he had admonished them not to put any distrust of hys care and goodnesse for that hauing him for their defence and saue garde they shoulde bee euen as safe as they had bene alwayes beefore For althoughe he should go from them as concernyng the body yet for all that he would not forsake them but be present with them in his spirite euen vnto the ende of the worlde Moreouer he woulde pluck out of thē the affectiōs with the which nature is defiled to the intente they mighte wholly depend of him renouncing the world and applieng themselues to heauenly things Now he setteth forth an example in himselfe with what mynde and with what constancy all the godly should receaue the crosse he goeth forth against death that he might declare that he died not against his will but willinglye and of loue not dissembling in the meane tyme his infirmitye and feare lest we should dispair if at any tyme our flesh should be made afrayde with temptations and daungers cōmyng vpon vs if it should bee touched wyth sorrow or haue an horror of aduersitie prouided that we do not cowardly faynte and flee For there hapneth also vnto the godly and cōstant men some feare of the flesh but the feare of God which is in them and their faythe to God shaketh of and ouercommeth the fear of the flesh This we see manifestly in Christe who as he toke vppon him for our sakes the infirmitie of the flesh beeyng made like vnto his brethren in all thinges so also he was not ashamed to confesse his feare and sorrowe to his disciples That we might haue wherwith to comfort vs in all temptations and that we might know that God will not reiect vs. bicause of the infirmity of the flesh so that we fly vnto him with our whole hart and with a perfecte faith He was sory for vs he prayeth vnto the father for vs that we mighte learne by hym what we shuld do in daūgers and to whō we should flye vnto he declareth hymselfe to bee man in dede which is touched with the feelyng of deth neuerthelesse in the mean tyme he consecrateth himselfe wholy to the wyll of the father vnto whose will he submitted hys owne will The selfe same thing must we do when tempests do assayle vs Let vs acknowledge our own imbecilitie and let vs attribute nothing to our owne strength neither truste to our selues and howesoeuer the deuill the fleshe and the world rage howsoeuer the enemy oppresse and vrge vs let vs not for al that dispaire but let vs fall downe before our most pitiful father lette vs desyre hys ayde and lette vs vtterlye denye oure affections and consecrate oure selues wholly vnto him Math. x. let vs caste oure selues wholly vppon hym It hath pleased our heauenly father that this infirmity should abyde here in our flesh that we should be put forth vnto many and diuers afflictions and oppressions that we shoulde bee obiected to daūgers assailing vs on euery side no
or by our own w sdome 〈…〉 that we might acknowledge the 〈…〉 benefite of God the operaâ—â—â— of 〈…〉 Moreouer from hence may argumeÌ„ts be takeÌ„ for the confyrmation of our Christian fayth If any man woulde doubt of the Christian fayth or woulde affyrme it to be but a deceite a collusion as dyd Porphyrius and Symmachus most wicked blasphemers of Christian Religion For if the doctrine of Christ had bene but a guyle then Iudas would neuer haue repented him of his betraying he woulde nothing haue bene ashamed to haue returned to the reaste of the Apostles he had nothing neded to haue restored the money and to saye I haue sinned against Innocente bloude For thieues suche as be wicked although they fall out somtimes among them selues yet are they sone agreed agayne and they renewe theyr frendship But Iudas dareth not retourne agayne to the Apostles but being in despayre haÌ„geth him selfe And what nede had Peter to haue wept so bitterly neyther would he also haue retourned to the Apostles if his conscience had accused hym of any guile But he was desirous of the truth and a louer of righteousnesse and Thomas followed that which is iust good and righte how so euer he wauered In that Peter therfore is vexed in that Thomas seketh earnestlye requireth greater tokens it is a most stronge argument that the doctrine and religioÌ„ of Christ is true and cleaueth to the truth not to coullours or guile The truth which thei see find in Christ draweth them to laboure so diligently to come into his fauour againe The nature condition of a glorified bodye suffreth not to be touched or to be felte but the Sauiour and louer of soules succoureth suche as are weake in fayth He offreth him selfe therfore to be haÌ„dled and felte of them to confyrme in them the fayth of his resurrection Thomas is not vtterly vnfaythful but onely doubteth of the resurrection Christ therfore sheweth vnto them the printes and skarres of his woundes that thei might see it was the same body which was crucified on the crosse and to declare vnto theÌ„ that he was truly riseÌ„ froÌ„ the dead to a new life and that with the same bodye As though he would say beholde and knowe that euen I I say which suffered and was crucified for you am truly risen againe froÌ„ that dead that ye might beleue also that your bodies shal arise agayne This doth Paule vrge when he saith If thou shalt confesse the Lorde Iesus with thy mouth and shalt beleue in thy harte Rom. x. that God raysed hiÌ„ vp froÌ„ the dead theÌ„ shalt thou be saued And againe if the spirit which hath raised vp Iesus from the dead do dwell in you F then he whiche hath raised Christ froÌ„ the dead wil quickeÌ„ also your mortall bodies thorough his spirite inhabiting in you Let vs learne also of our head to receaue norish paciently to beare with the weake ones in fayth My lord my god This is the confession of a perfecte true fayth As though he would say Now I know that thou art god in dede wheÌ„ as thou hast risen agayne froÌ„ the dead thou at the last oughtest to be my God forgeue me my incredulitie c. Blessed are they which haue not sene yet beleue namely that doe not see me corporally preseÌ„t As though he wold say I wil not alwaies offer my self to be haÌ„dled of euery body I wil take away this carnal presence I muste be handled touched by fayth Blessed therfore are they which although they see not my body to haue riseÌ„ agayne as thou doest which doe not handle it but yet beleue in the meane time that I am verely riseÌ„ For Christ speaketh of the present occasioÌ„ â–ª continueth his argument of his resurrection otherwise what so euer a maÌ„ saw not beleued should be faith This I speake bycause of those which wreste the words of Christ to the sacrament of the holy supper will proue by these words that theyr fayth is better whiche beleue that the bodye of Christ is in the bread theÌ„ theirs is which saye that the bread is but a signe of the body They marke not that Christ speaketh not here of the holy supper but to fortifie the faith of the resurrettion He that beleueth that Christ was crucified that he also arose againe this man is blessed although he see it not with his corporal eyes as Thomas dyd Otherwise there should be two wayes to saluatioÌ„ One to beleue that Christ suffred for vs rose agayne an other to beleue that the body of Christ is in the bread But there is none whiche vnderstandeth not how great an absurditie this is not agreable to fayth Here is also to be noted that in these wordes bicause thou hast sene me thou also beleuest this word beleue is here takeÌ„ not proprely but improprely Heb. 11. For that which a maÌ„ seeth the same he beleueth not For Paule saith that fayth is the substance certeinty of an inuisible thing Fayth therefore is here takeÌ„ for experience to beleue For to try And many other signes did Iesus c. As though Iohn would saye I haue diligently set forth and writteÌ„ the actes of Christ although not al for who caÌ„ do that Neuerthelesse those thinges whiche are writteÌ„ are sufficient for oure saluation namely such thinges as pertaine to the Godhed humaine nature of Christ to his doctrine miracles finally what so euer pertayneth to the true fayth whereby we are saued and also to obtaine euerlasting life He which beleueth not these things which are left neither woulde he beleue other things if they shoulde be written These things therfore suffice the beleuers neither seeke they for any more thinges For the which cause suche thinges as the Euangeliste testifieth to be writteÌ„ for our saluatioÌ„ must bee red and marked of vs with greate reuerence earnest studye Let vs daye night be conuersaunt in these things meditating of theÌ„ that our fayth may be supported that our hope may be established charitie may be kindled pacieÌ„ce exercised obedience modestie all other good spirituall giftes aduaunced But they be fooles yea and vngodly whiche go aboute to proue by these wordes that it is lawful for these Popes to deuise and imagen certayne other thynges of their owne heade to fill vp the place of such thinges as are here lefte oute For Iohn the Euaungeliste hath in briefe comprehended the whole some of Christian Religion namelye that Christe is the true Sonne of GOD which for our saluatioÌ„ came downe from heauen and was dead and rose agayne and prepared for vs eternall life what can they adde to these thynges ¶ Afterward did Iesus shewe him selfe againe at the sea of Tiberias and on this wise shewed he him felfe There were together SimoÌ„ Peter Thomas whiche is called Didimus and Nathanaell of Cana in Galile and the
spake vnto them it is not here written but that may be gathered by theyr doctrine The Apostles were chosen out by Christ to spread abroade the kyngdome of God throughout the world and to dilate extēd the territories of the heauēly kingdō but thei being yet after a sort carnal dream of a certein carnal kingdō enquire therof acording to the iugemēt of the flesh which carnal opiniō of the restoring again of Israel sticketh also yet at thys day in the Iewes in some christians Christ in deede semeth somewhat to acknowledge the restoryng of Israel when he sayth It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons c. Which Paule also declareth in the xi to the Romaynes But together therewith drawing thē frō theyr carnal sense he speaketh somewhat deeper of the kingdōe of god saying but ye shal receaue the holy Ghost As thogh he would saye that is your kingdōe to receaue the sprite of god by the which ye shal be taght led into the true knowledge of God so that ye maye also testifye of the same before others And ye shall preache of me also euen in that place where ye forsooke me fledde awaye and denyed me so greate shall the power of the heauenuenly sprite be They had bene so long time cōuersāt with Christ they had hard so many and so great thinges out of his moth they had sene so many myracles and yet they reason of a certeyne carnal kingdome They hoped that some body should be sēt which should deliuer thē out of the power of the Romaines The Lord doth stil reuoke them back to the sprite They were very weake still as long as Christ was presēt corporally with them yea and then also when he beyng glorified was presente with them after his resurrection There came therefore no strengh to thē by the flesh of Christ being corporally presente as he himselfe testifieth It was expedient for them that he wente otherwise the spirite shoulde not come He taketh therfore from his disciples what soeuer is corporall and outward euen in him selfe ▪ to affixe them wholye to the spirite of God They had neade of a certaine other power from aboue which Christ had promised them Now therfore he repeteth the promise Iohn 14. cōmādeth thē not to depart from Ierusalem till the spirite were geuen them Iohn saith he baptized you with water water is the signe of doctrine and instruction As though Christ would say Iohn taught and enstructed you after a sorte namely he brought you to me by the outward word and sign but that sprite of God which I haue promised you whom I will send which shal come and whome ye ought to loke for he also shal baptise you within that is he shal teache you and enstructe you more playnlye and perfectly Ye are hitherto baptized with the baptisme of Ihon for the baptisme of Iohn and Christe are all one as touchynge the outwarde water and outwarde preachinge for euen as the preaching of the gospell which was done by thapostles is caled forgeuenes of sins whiche longeth only to Christe so also is the baptism of Iohn called Christs baptisme that is Iohn did the same by the commaundemēt and aucthority of Christ but or euer it be lōg ye shal be baptised with an other baptisme namely with the holy Ghost The baptisme therefore of the holye Ghoste whereby faithe commeth followeth the baptism of water whiche I speake to refel the error of the Anabaptistes and in that it is called the baptisme of Ihō it is done because he dipped mē in water and taughte them by the commaundement of christ which were both outward signes And euē Ihō him self doth testify that of him self saying that he only dippid men in water but ther shuld come one after him which shud baptise with the spirite The meaninge therefore of Christes woordes is Math ◠All the thinges whiche hitherto were done outwardlye as the water of Iohn my doctrine yea euen that breathing which when I rose agayne I breathed vpon you are to weak to sanctify purge and strēgthen you within they were only signes of the holy ghost which ye shal receaue most perfectly ther be not a few which euen now in these dayes seeke follow onely the flesh in Christe and which thinke that they are sanctified and purged by certayne outwarde ceremonies and signes But these are but outward signes and so they continew neyther can they moue any thynge in the harte of manne excepte the powere and operation of the Spirite of God be ioyned thereunto We must therefore moste earnestlye desire that spirite at Gods handes which may draw vs illustrate confirme and make vs perfect This sprite because the Philosophers wanted therefore were their moste learned wrytinges nothing els but subtile disputations and also cauilations and not the true Philosophye for they had not within thē the liuing sprite of God Dead and colde therfore are theyr writinges and not inspired and illuminated by the holye Ghoste Let vs then passe ouer all those outwarde signes and fixe our eys vpon the operation of the spirite and desire the same continually with most feruente prayers The godlye which are endewed with the holy Ghoste dare yea and enterprise greate things the spirite doth kindle and draw theyr hartes vpwarde and encourageth them to all thinges be they neuer so perillous and to heroicall vertues which procede from God and are directed to God as to be humble to denye him self to be pleased with him self in nothing to suffer many thyngs to be meake mercyfull and liberal But flesh seaketh his owne it laboreth for riches and glory and enterpriseth gret and perillous thyngs but yet such thinges as hurt his neyghbor He lifted vp his hāds after the manner of one that prayeth and not of one that blesseth For this word here he blessed thē in greake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thinke is put here as a signe of farewel as they vse to wish good luck which depart They worshipped him namely because he was god which could ascend by hys owne powre they reioysed in the meane time bicause they were the legates of such so great a Lorde And in that it is wrytten that they were alwayes in the temple it must be vnder stād that they werin the tēple in due tyme. For sometymes they assembled together in a certen house as appereth by the acts for feare of the Iewes So is it sayd of Anna the widow that she was day and night in the temple This is according to the hebrew manner of speakinge that is she was often in the temple In like manner the Apostles came very often into the temple although sometimes they were gathered to gether in some certeyne house to auoyde the snares of the Iewes Loke in Plinis Epistles to Traian de more Christianorum They did euen as many christians in these dayes ar compelled to do in those places where it is not