Dissention is a deadly thinge 260. Dissemulation 73. Diuorcementes are forbidden 417. Diuorcementes 101. Doctrine without authority is of small force 200. Doubtinge putteth awaye faythe 467. Dreames supernaturall and naturall 13. E. Error that commeth ignorantlye is sone put away 53. Error increaseth godlynes beinge awaye 307. Error being grounded truth is abolished 351 Error of the Rabbines 383. Error of the Scribes 383. Error of the Anabaptistes 392. Error in interpreters 421. Error in Hierome 422. Encrease commeth by Gods blessinge 347. Equitye 141. Esseyes 45. Externall profession is nothinge 147. Externall repenâ—â—nce must be auoyded 239. Excommunication 406. Eradication of the wicked 336. Eternall life cannot be boughte 299 Eternall dampnation 414. F. Faith doubteth no peril in the coÌ„minge of Christ 193. Fayth muste be confessed with the mouth 222. Faith is not gotten by mans wisedome 241. Faythfull men are the brethren of Christ 275. Fayth commeth by hearinge 340. Fayth cannot be beaten downe 342. Fayth in the woman of Chanaan 343. Fayth obtayneth all thinges 345. Fayth is the gift of God 359. Fayth of three sortes 387. Fayth is of more power than fastinge and prayer 388. Fayth 188. 536. Faythfull meÌ„ haue the Lord their watchman 140. Fayth hath his effect 159. 160. Fayth beinge awaye our prayers are not hearde 159. Fayth bringeth all things to passe 172. 190. Faith in the Parents profiteth infantes 173. Fayth and grace are ioyned together in the woorke of saluation 189. Fayth only obtayneth remission of sinnes 189. Fayth turneth the curse into a blessinge 608. Fayth is holpen by Sacramentes 643. False Religion 8. False teachers 143. False Prophetes shal be punished 146. 557. False Christes 571. False teachers teache in â—…n vnknowen tongue 574. False witnes 674. Fame of Christ 73. Familiar thinges are not esteemed Fast in Lent 59. Fast of Papistes 59. 126. Fast of Christe most myraculous 59. Fastinge must be voluntarye not constrayned 184. Fastinge helpeth prayer 389. Fayned worship of God is abhominable 334. Feare in the Apostles 166. Feare in generall is not euill 166. Feare is contrary to fayth 188. Feare alwayes remayneth in the wicked 309. Feare taketh awaye oftentimes the sences of man 322. Feare putteth away trust 323. Feare vaine glory are alwayes ioyned with impiety 479. Feare of hell is euen in the electe 608. Feare pertayneth to the electe and reprobate 743. Felicity consisteth not in meate drincke 61. Feastinge is not withoute manye euils 310. Forewarning of dangers is profitable 210. Fortitude of the faithfull 445. Fortune is condemned 221 Flattery begileth simplicity 267. Flatterers 452. Flattery in frendship 662. G. God neuer fayleth those that are his 29. Godly deedes peruerted by the wicâ—…ed 30. Gods spirite cannot be seene 54. Gods spirite is of great force 57. Gods woorde is oure weapon to beate downe Sathan 61. Gods prouidence 62. 63 132. 171. 220. God alone muste be worshipped 66. Gods promises are immutable 90. God is euerye where 104. God is liberall to all men 110. God is our father 118. Gods kingdome 120. Gods will 120. Gods blessing encreaseth all thinges 122. God muste be serued with al oure harte 130. God is readye to graunte our requestes 139. Gods countenaunce is terreble to the wicked 171 Gods giftes ought not to be sould 204. Gods Iustice 239. God hath no respect of personnes God is Lorde of the whole earth 241. Gods purpose cannot â—…ltered 243. Gods election 272. God is not the author of euil 398. God turneth all things to the best 415. God the author of all goodnes 428. God a prseent helpe in trouble 439. Gods grace is swete to those that enioye it 439. God needeth not mans helpe 483. God is a God of the lyuinge 511. Gospell is a generall calling 498. Gospell is a reconcilliation betwene God and man 364. Gospell is the keye of life 362. Gospell came from God 234. Gospell consisteth of two partes 40. Gospell is a fan 51. Gospell is hated because it is sharpe salte 84. Gospell is subiect to slauÌ„ders 89. Gospel is a precious pearle 139. Good works ought to be in Christians 87. Good workes may not be done for vaine glory 87. Good woorkes are saide to be oures by imputacion 87. Good workes are not the cause of saluation 373. Good woorkes are a seale of oure fayth 374. Generall Iudgement 499. Generall counselles 409. Generall day of Iudgement 409. Glory prepared for the righteous 297. Grace made the Gentiles the sonnes of God 343. H. Hatred must be auoyded 109. Harlots enuye those that reproue them 311. Helpe commeth from the Lord in time of neede 213. Hell fyer 608 Hell gates shall not preuaile against fayth 361. Herode feared to put Iohn to death 309. Herodes blindnes 23. Hermits 40. Hell fyer 96. Health of the bodye is more set by than soules health 73. Hierusalem the sanctuary of God. 16. Hope bringeth consolation 190. Hope hath her frute 52. Honour due vnto Parents 331 Holines without brotherly loue is hypocrisye Holines consisteth not in outward shewes 183. Hypocrisy pretendeth religioÌ„ 348. Hypocrisy most abhominable 469. Hypocrits turne the truth of God into a lye 470. Hypocrites are hardly brought to repentaunce 481. Hypocrites haue a pretence 27. Hypocrisy 27. 150. Hypocrits feare to be detected 45. Hypocrites are secure 48. Hypocrites haue a cloake 73. Hypocrisy in geuinge almes 112. Hypocrits of diuers kinds 113 Hypocrisye is ambitious 115. Hyerlinges 146. Humillity 156. Humillity in Christ hid his glory from the reprobate 38. Humillity and the reward thereof 395. Humillitye pertayneth to all estates 451. Humâ—…llity is ioyned with the prayers of the godly 652. I. Idolatry 66. Idle wordes 268. Idle prelates are not sente 442 Impaciente persons cannot beare the yoake 75. Images oughte not to be in the Churche 379. Immoderate care 131. Impudencye in Papistes 85. InconstaÌ„cy 232. Ignorance in the Apostles is not an example for blinde guides to followe 71. Ignoraunce is the originall of excessiue care 134. Ignoraunce peruerteth all good workes 196. Ignoraunce oughte not to be in a teacher 301. Ignoraunce is the cause of error 58. Ignoraunce is not the mother of deuotion 242. 334. Inheritance of the godly 77. Indifferent thinges ought not to be tyed to necessity 328. Indulgences 91. Iniurye 98. Iniury must be borne 108. Infidels haue no profite by gods benefites 457. Infidels are alwayes vnprepared for the Lords comminge 593. Ingratitude in the Gaderenites 171. Ingratitude maketh vs to forget God 323. Ingratitude is the cause that wee are ouercome in temptacioÌ„ 353. Ingratitude punished 496. Inuocation 595. Infantes receiued of Christ 425. Infantes are made partakers of the grace in Christ 426. Iosephes zeale 12. Iohn the Baptiste 39. Iohn the forerunner of Christ 41. Iohn Baptist led an Austere life 43. Iohns constancy 46. Iohn Baptistes modesty 53. Iohn the Baptist is called Helias 383. Iudgemente 94. 136. 536. Iudgement doth not ouerthrowe remission of sinnes 268. Iudgement of hypocrites 499. Iudas a patterne of Popishe repentaunce 686. Iust
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
confirmed from aboue so that the veritie of the same cannot be ambigious or doubtfull The dreames which commonly happeÌ„ vnto meÌ„ are wont to come of continual cogitacions thoughtes of the minde or of the course of nature or of the disteÌ„perance of the body or of such like causes Bu to the deuine dreames cometh the testimony of the spirite which witnesseth for a suertie that it is God whiche speaketh Bu. As of the ladder of Iacob which we rede that he saw in a vision or dreame Moreouer we learne out of this place how greate the prouideÌ„ce of God is towards those that are his with the which by his fatherly watching care he doth instruct teache those that are a slepe nothing careful for thinges necessary what they must do what thei must auoide he wil soner teache theÌ„ with a miracle theÌ„ thei shold so dauÌ„gerously erre Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid C. This exhortation of the aungell doth declare that Ioseph was troubled with carefulnes of mind least he should be polluted or defiled with any infection in suffering the adultery of his wife Therfore that opinioÌ„ that he had conceiued of the fact thangel taketh away that he might abide dwel with his wife with a quiet conscience This Epithete of the sonne of Dauid he vseth according to the present cause that he might lifte vp his mynde to that hie mistery because he should be of that family a certain remnaunt with a few of whom saluatioÌ„ was promised to the world Ioseph therfore hearing the name of Dauid of that which stock he maried he might remeÌ„ber that excelleÌ„t couenaÌ„t of the restoring of his kingdom that he might vnderstaÌ„d that no new thing was spoken vnto him Therfore it is eueÌ„ as if the aungell bringing in the foretellinges of the prophetes should haue prepared the minde of Ioseph to receiue the grace presently proffered 21 She shal bring forth a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes This thing was forshewed by thangel saying thou shalt coÌ„ceiue bring forth a sonne She shal bring forth a sonne And thou shalt cal his name Iesus C. The cause why he should be so called is preseÌ„tly added for he shal saue his people from their sinnes This name Iesus is takeÌ„ froÌ„ this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiphil which properly signifieth to saue but accordiÌ„g to that Hebrew it is otherwise pronouÌ„ced as Iehosua but the Euangelistes for so much as they write in Greke haue vsed the coÌ„moÌ„ phrase of speache wherby their folly is reproued which rather do wrest this name Iesus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then deriue it For they couÌ„te it a gret absurditie that any shold haue this name saue only the sone of god And tragically and cruelly they crie out that Christ would neuer suffer his name so to be prophaned and made coÌ„men as though truely we had forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that the name of Iesu was no lesse coÌ„mon to those men theÌ„ Iehosua But wher as the Rabbines do write in euery place Iesus It is plaine that they do it maliciously least they should call Christ by any title of honor but rather they imagined him to be some base borne iewe Therefore their writing deserueth as much authoritie as the barking of a dog Moreouer they obiecte that this name Iesus before the which euery knée ought to bowe deserueth no reuerence nor treÌ„bling feare except only alone it pertaineth to the son of God. But certainly Paule ascribeth not vnto him any magicall name in the sillables wherof any maiesty is included or hid no rather he meaneth thus that al power is geueÌ„ to Christ of his father yea al empire dominion therfore that the whole world ought to huÌ„ble it self vnder him Therfore al such fonde fained imaginatioÌ„s laid apart let vs vnderstaÌ„d that the name of Iesus was geuen to Christ that in it the faithful might learne to seke for that which in times past was shadowed vnder the law which was that saluatioÌ„ should come through him Bu The selfe same worde vseth the prophet Esay speaking of Christ saying I haue made thée the light of the Gentils that the maiest be my helth or saluatioÌ„ to th end of the world For he shal saue his people froÌ„ their sinnes A. Here the sonne of God is plainly coÌ„mended to be the author of saluation euen as there is no saluation in any other but in hym C. First of al therfore we must consider that al they in theÌ„ selues are lost to whoÌ„ Christe is sent to saue for he is called by name the sauiour of the church If that they are ouerwhelmed with death destructioÌ„ whom God hath taken ioyned to him self vntil Christ restore life vnto them again what shal we say of those strauÌ„gers which are not of the fellowship vnto whoÌ„ at no time any hope of light or life hath shined Wherfore we must nedes coÌ„fesse that mankinde vniuersally was iudged geuen to vtter death destructioÌ„ damnatioÌ„ vntil saluatioÌ„ was included in Christ But here also we must note coÌ„sider the cause of this death destructioÌ„ for the celestial iudge wil not pronounce vs to be accursed rashely or without cause The aungel therfore doth witnes that we perished were oppressed kept down in miserable daÌ„natioÌ„ because by our sinnes we wer alienated draweÌ„ froÌ„ life Wherby is shewed vnto vs the wickednes and corruptioÌ„ of our nature For if there wer any man so fully beâ—…t in any pointes to liue vprightly iustly yet he shal stande in nede of Christ the deliuerer But truly there are none but they haue nede of his grace Therfore it followeth that we are the seruauntes of sinne altogether destitute of true righeousnes eueÌ„ as the apostle Paule writeth C. Here also we may gather what way meanes Christe hath to saue vs because he deliuereth vs from our sinnes There are two parts of this deliueraunce The first is by the pacifiyng of the wrath of God whiche bringeth vnto vs frée pardon remission by the which we are exempted from death reconciled to god The second is by the sanctification of his spirite through the which he doth deliuer vs froÌ„ the tyranny of SathaÌ„ that we may liue to righteousnes Wherefore Christe is not truly acknowledged to be our sauiour vntill we assure our selues to haue frée remission of our sinnes and to be certified that we are righteous acceptable in the sight of God because we are absolued from the desert gilte of death And finally we hauing no confidence in our own workes merites must craue of him the spirite of perfect righteousnes M. Therfore diligeÌ„tly we must indeuour that this effectuall power of Christ to saluation may ratifie and confirme in vs his truth and veritie We must also note
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
in this Sathan perswaded to do that whiche was wicked farther he exalted him self aboue god For this cause Christ only seking his fathers glory doth more sharpely geue him the repulse called him Sathā that is an aduersary which euen now openly went about to withdrawe him from God and to worship him C. Luke hath Come behinde me Sathan Wherefore some very fōdly trouble thē selues about the aduerbe when as it was said to Peter vade retrò that is come backe as though Sathan also heard not the same for Christe simplely bed him departe For it is vvritten C. Christe defendeth hym selfe with scripture not as with a target or sheelde made of strawe or rushes but with a bucler as it were of brasse and stele citing the testimony out of the lawe that one God only is to be worshipped And now by the application and circumstaunce of this present place we maye gather of what force and wherefore the worshipping of God is appoynted The Papistes when that they denye only God to be worshypped they with a false comment and interpretation do shyfte and falsefie this place and the like They graunte that the deuine worship oughte to be lefte vnto God alone but they attribute and geue a certayne seruice to the deade to their bones and Images But that friuolous and vayne destinction being reiected let vs consider that Christe dothe chalenge only to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or adoration by the whiche we are admonished to haue respecte rather to the thynge it selfe then to the woorde so often as there is any mention made of the worshipping of God. The Scripture commaundeth to worship God alone We must loke to what ende it so commaundeth If man do take any thyng awaye from his glorie and ascribeth the same to the creatures it is a robbyng and violation of his deuine worshyp And this is manifestly sene to be done when as we attribute those benefites that we receyue to creatures of the whiche God in dede wyll be acknowledged to be the authour But nowe as Religion properly is spiritual and the confession thereof pertayneth to the body euen so not only the internall worship is due solely to God but also the externall shewe and testimony of the same M. Furthermore against temptation this woorde feare is chaunged into the woorde worship where as the sence is all one For to worship God and to feare God are bothe of suche lyke pietie and godlynes that very well the one may be taken for the other Agayne this woorde only is not in the Hebrewe texte but the thrée score and tenne interpretours vsed the same and that worthely For Moyses speaketh there not simplely that as concerning he is God he is to be feared and worshipped which peraduenture no man wil deny but that he is therefore to be feared and worshipped because besyde him there is no other god Wherupō immediatly it followeth ye shall not go after straunge Gods of the Gentyles 11 Then the deuell forsoke him and beholde the aungels came and ministred vnto him Then the deuell forsoke C. Luke expresseth more saying All the temptatiō being ended as if he shold haue saide Christ had not rest and quietnes before that he was exactly proued assayed with all kinde of temptations Moreouer he addeth that Christ was left for a tyme that we may knowe that the reste of his life was not voyde of temptations but the power of Sathan was stayed from aboue least importunately he shoulde be troublesome vnto Christe euen as God doth commonly deale with those that are his For if at any tyme he suffer them to be vexed after a littell temptation he dothe somewhat aswage and slake that they may breathe a whyle and call their myndes and spirites vnto them notwithstanding he doth not spare them least they shoulde be careles and sluggyshe but doth as it were prepare them to a newe battayle Neuerthelesse we must always resiste hym boldly and that with faythe as Peter teacheth vs that beyng alwayes ouercome he may departe from vs The affections truly and motions of Sathan are neuer wanting but the lorde hath hym bounde that he can exercyse his deceites no farther then he wyll suffer hym Moreouer we haue a promyse God is faythfull and wyll not suffer you to be tempted aboue your power yea euen in the middest of temptation he wyll make awaye for vs by the whiche we maye escape In fine let vs resiste the deuell and he wyll flye from vs. And beholde the aungels C. This is to be referred to Solace and comforte that Christe might knowe that his father had a care ouer him and also that he wanted no safe munition and defence against Sathan For the wyldernes might be an increasynge of sorrow when as he was depriued from the company of men and led his lyfe among the wilde beastes Neyther must we thinke that Christ at any tyme was forsaken of the angels but that there might be tyme and place geuen to the temptation the grace of God for a while though it were present with him was hyd from hym in respect of the fleshe according to the sence and felinge thereof M. By this place let vs learne that those which constantly resist the temptations of Sathan shal neuer wāt the aide helpe of god but in the very moment when daunger approcheth they shal be sure to be deliuered 12 VVhen Iesus hearde that Iohn was taken he departed into Galile VVhen Iesus hearde M. After the description of the victory of Christe whiche he gate of Sathan the temptour the Euāgelist consequently goeth forward to declare the beginninge of the manifesting of him and of his preaching And fyrste of al he sheweth whither he went when he came out of the desert namely into Galile but after this sorte that he sheweth a reason why he abode in Iewery That Iohn vvas taken C. Luke only sheweth the cause why Herode did caste Iohn into prison Ioseph saythe that he was cast into the prison of Macherō because that Herode feared the tumulte of the people and newe matters because his authoritie was suspected But we shall gather the certainety of this history out of the Euangelistes to whose testimony we must stande He departed into Galile M. The Greke worde somtime signifyeth to retourne somtime to departe and to slyppe priuily away when daunger is at hande Luke in his text hath And Iesus retourned in the power of the spirite into Galile the whiche kinde of speache is firste of all to be noted For it maketh great matter that we imagin no earthly or humaine thing in Christ but the heauenly power in him the deuine vertue alwaies come to our remembrance and occupie our sences Moreouer the narration of Iohn doth not seme to agre with these who saith that Christ and Iohn at one time toke in hand their office of teachinge We muste note that Mathewe Marcke and Luke did
Lyeth at home C. It is manifest by bothe the Euangelistes that this was a sodayne Palsey whiche at the firste comminge broughte daunger and hasarde of lyfe For those Palseys whiche are not extreame want the torment of payne But Matthewe saythe that the Lad was greuously payned And Luke saythe that he was at the pointe of death So that bothe of them do seke to set out the glory of the myracle Bu. Nowe let vs learne by this mans example in all our tribulations to come vnto Christe and to open al the sorrowes of our mynde vnto hym and to craue his sure and vndoubted helpe Luke addeth that the messengers sayde he is worthy that thou do this for hym or he deserueth this at thy handes for he loueth our nation and hath buylte vs a Synagoge By the whiche wordes there is no doubt but that the Iewes did geue him a singuler reporte and commendation of godlines In buylding a Synagoge he did playnly declare him selfe to be a fauourer of the Lawe Wherefore they do not without cause pronounce hym to be worthy to whome Christe doth offer him selfe as to a godly worshipper of the lorde to benefite and helpe him B. And truly he knew the Iewes to be the people and to haue the worde of God and his counsels committet vnto them and therfore he loued them sought by his benefites to winne them For he was constrained with that spirite with the whiche Cornelius was forced to geue him selfe to fastinge and prayer Neither can the holy ghoste chose but offer hym selfe to the electe howe ignoraunte and infirme and weake soeuer they be Notwithstanding here appereth the great and wonderfull blyndnes of the Iewes that they would by their consent and furtheraunce transport the grace of God whiche they them selues disdainfully refused to a Gentile and Heathen man For if Christ were the minister and dispensator of the giftes of God vnto thē why do not they them selues receiue that proffered grace before they bring straūgers vnto it Therefore in this they cōdemne them selues 7 And Iesus sayde vnto hym I when I come wyll heale hym A. Luke hath and Iesus went with thē B. Where the incomparable goodnes submission of Christe is to be considered For although the Centurion were a heathen man and his messengers also puffed vp with a vayne shewe of holines yet notwithstanding by and by of his owne free wyl he offereth to go and see the seruaunt of the Ethnicke What dede can be more gentle and louing then this yea what is he that wyll not loke for helpe at his handes 8 The Centurion aunswered and sayde Syr I am not worthy that thou shouldest com vnder my roofe but speake the woorde onely and my seruaunt shal be healed The Centurion aunsvvered C. Because Matthewe sought to be briefe he bringeth in the Centurion speaking in his owne persone But Luke more amply expresseth the same saying that he sent these words in message by his frendes But the sence and meaning of them bothe is all one There are two speciall thinges to be noted in these woordes The Centurion sparing Christ for honor and dignities sake requesteth Christ that he would not wery and trouble hym selfe Because he thought him selfe vnworthy of his commyng Then he bringeth and attributeth so great power vnto him that he beleueth that his seruaunt by his becke woorde onely may be restored to lyfe A marueylous humilitie to be cōsidered in an Ethnicke and Heathen mā It may be that he being accustomed to the manner of the Iewes for modesties sake toke it not vnworthely that he was counted a Heathen man and so was a fearde that he shoulde do iniury to the Prophete of God if he shoulde constrayne hym to come into a Gentile Heathen and vncleane man But whatsoeuer it was it is certayne that he speake vnfainedly with his whole harte and that he had so reuerent an estimation of Christe that he durste not inuite hym to his house Yea as it followeth in Luke he thought not hym selfe worthy to talke with hym R. A wōderfull grace truely of modestie whiche is not only set before our eyes to maruayle at but also to followe We shal immitate the same if we truly acknowledge what we are by nature in the iudgement of god For it wyll come thus to passe that how excelent soeuer we seme in the sight of men yet we shall downe with our pecockes tayle and shall thinke our selues worse then the moste abiect kynde of mē Question C. Notwithstanding it may be demaūded by what reason the Centurion was moued so highly to extoll Christe that whiche followeth to maketh the matter more obscure But speake the vvoorde onely C. Or speake by woorde as Luke hathe for excepte he had knowen Christe to be the sonne of God it had bene superstitious to attribute the glory of God to a mā And truely it is not to be thoughte certainly that he was truely instructed in the diuinitie of Christe of the whiche all almoste at that tyme were ignoraunte But Christe imputeth not his woordes to erroure but affirmeth them to proceade of faithe And this reason constrained many interpretours to thinke Christ to be celebrated as the true and onely God by the woordes of the Centurion But it is more probable that this godly man being persuaded by the rare manifeste workes of God in Christe did simplely thinke the power of God to be in hym And no doubt by hearing he vnderstode somewhat of the promysed redemer and Messias Therefore although he dyd not as yet vnderstand plainly that Christ was God manifested in the fleshe Yet notwithstanding he was so perswaded that the power of God was declared and publyshed in him that it was his office to shewe foorthe the presence of God by myracles So that he doth not supersticiously ascribe vnto man that which is only proper to God but he attributeth that to Christe which was geuen him from aboue and beleueth that he is able to heale his seruaunt If any wyll yet obiect and saye that nothing is more proper to God then to bryng to passe that which semeth vnto hym good and that this power can not be graunted to a mortall man without sacriledge It maye easely bee aunswered agayne Although the Centurion did not so subtilly distinguishe yet notwithstanding he did not attribute this power to a mortal man but to the power of God the minister wherof he was certainly perswaded to be Christe Therefore he acknowledging the grace of healing to be a heauenly power he doth not bynde it to the presence of the body but is contented with the woorde onely out of the which he knewe so great force and power coulde come 9 For I also my selfe am a man subiect to the authoritie of another and haue souldiours vnder me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruaunt do this
Chryste dydde extorte oute of his mouthe to the ende the greatenesse of his mercye and grace myghte haue the more prayse and commendation It was no maruayle if the man were so out of measure trowbled when he was possessed of one that comprehended in him selfe an army of deuylles Therfore the glorye of Chryste in this greatelye appered that wyth his voyce he did subdue not onely one deuyll but a Legion And hereby it appereth howe myserable a creature mā is if he be destitute of the grace of god for then we do not onelye lye open and ready for one deuil but we are receptacles for thousandes for legions for an infynite sorte Luke addeth sayinge that they requested hym that he woulde not caste them into the deepe whiche requeste they made because they wolde be at lybertie to do more harme For it is the deuylles desyre to wander styll amonge men and to seeke lyke a roarynge lyon whom he may deuoure It greueth the deuyll to be drowned in the deepe where all occasion of hurtyng is taken from hym To be shorte all that the deuyll seeketh for is to brynge man to pardition and euerlastyng damnation 30 And there was a good waye of from them a greate hearde of swyne feedynge Bu. Here this foule and ougly Sathan depainteth him selfe what he is For he craueth not at the handes of the Lorde pardon or forgiuenesse or any other excellente gyfte but a foule vncleane and abhomynable mantion namely that he myghte haue lycence to enter into the hearde of swyne Suche trewely at this daye are the requestes of the sonnes of the deuyll They aske not holy thynges meete for men but fylthy and vncleane thynges whiche argueth that theyr affection is corrupte beastly and abhomynable And as theyr affection is brutishe so are they in all poynctes to be compared to bruite beastes to fylthye and vncleane hogges 31 Then the deuylles besoughte hym sayinge if thou cast vs out suffer vs to go our wayes into the hearde of swyne Then the deuylles besought hym C. Some affirme that they desyred to enter into the hogges because they are ennemies to all the creatures of God. This trewely we wyl confesse to be true that they indeuoure them selues wholly to peruerte and ouerthrowe the order of nature appointed of God notwithstandinge it is moste certaine that they had a farther respecte and regarde that is to saye that they might make all the inhabitauntes of the countrey by the losse of theyr hogges to speake euyll of Chryst For when as the deuyll dydde burne the goodes of Iob and ouerthrew his house he dyd it not for the hatred that he bare to the stones and tymber of the house but that therby he might cause the holy man impaciently by the losse of his goodes to rage agaynste God. Suffer vs to go into M. This imbecillitie and weakenes of Sathan is set forthe vnto vs in manye places of the scripture that without the permyssion of God withoute his sufferance he can do nothing no not so much as the hogges that he can harme without goddes parmission muche lesse vnto man maye he do any thynge whiche is the excellente creature of god For this matter reade Iobe and the xxii chapter of Luke where our sauiour Christ saith Sathan hath sought to syfte you euen as wheate is sifted 32 And he said vnto them go your wais Then wente they oute and departed into the hearde of swine And behold the whole hearde of swyne was caried with violence headlonge into the sea and perished in the water And he saide vnto them C. Chryst doth not this to graunte or fulfyll theyr desyres but by this occasyon he mente to proue what the Gadarenes were paraduenture he gaue the deuylles leaue to enter into the swyne for a ponnishemente of theyr wyckednesse Moreouer Chryste suffered this for the promotynge and aduauncemente of the glory of God to the settynge forthe of the which all his doinges tended euen as the intention of these spyrites is directed to obscure the same and to the farther declarynge and publyshynge of the myracle as declareth the Euangelyste For excepte this hadde happened to the swyne none woulde haue preached this myracle in that Countreye sauinge onely the twoo men whych were deliuered from the deuyll But nowe the swyneherdes ranne home and tolde all the matter as it was done then the men of the Cyttie came forthe and all the inhabitauntes there aboutes with them so that now in a moment the power and glorye of Christe is set forthe in all that regyon This place teachethe vs howe fondely certayne prophane men tryffle whiche fayne the deuylles not to be escentiall spyrites but to be the wicked affections of men For howe shoulde couetousenesse ambition creuelltie and deceyte be remoued and dwell in the hogges Let vs vnderstande therefore that vncleane spirites are the ennemies of mankynde and such that they wolde brynge him to all kinde of destruction And they peryshed C. Beholde the disposition of Sathan whoo is geuen altogether to destroye vnlesse he be lette and hyndered by the power of God. Furthermore thou maist see here the prouidence of God by the whiche the twoo possessed were preserued from peryshinge by the mallice of the deuyll by the whiche prouidence we our selues and all that we haue is preserued from the destructyon sought by those wicked spirites 33 Then the heardemen fled and wente theyr waye into the cittie and toulde euery thinge and what had fortuned vnto the possessed of the deuyls Bu. All these thynges were done by the deuine prouydence of God that by this meanes the myracle myghte haue the greatter fame and that hereby also it mighte haue the more credite amonge men beinge approued by soo many protestations and wytnesses M. We see therfore howe smaule the deuylles preuayled in attayning theyr pourpose nay rather howe greatly they were deceyued of theyr expectation For there is no man that doubteth but that they soughte to hurte Chryste and the men of that countreye which lost their hogges but their mallyce in the ende dyd onely redownde to the losse of the hogges By this therefore we see howe wysely the deuine power of God is wont to confounde the crafty deuises of Sathan and to make them folishe and to none effect so that his malice is constrained to serue contrary to his owne opinion and wyll to the glory of God and to the settynge forth of his prayse 34 And beholde all the cittie came oute and mette Iesus and when they sawe him they besoughte hym to departe out of theyr coastes And beholde all the cittie C. Here we haue a worthye document teachynge vs that all which acknowledge the hande power of God do not profyte as they oughte in submittinge them selues by true pyetie to hym The Gadarenes perceuing the miracle were afraide as plainly appereth by the other Euangelystes and that because the maiestye of God dyd so brightly shyne in Christe Very wel but
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
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
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
restraine that synne to the fyrste table of the lawe Shall not be forgeuen This semeth to some to be a verye harde and straighte sayinge and therefore theye flee to this chyldysshe and fonde distinction and cauyll sayinge that it was saide to be irremissible or voyde of remyssion because the pardon of the same is rare and hardly obtained But Christ spake more plainly and in suche sorte that his woordes can not be so slenderly eluded For they reason to folishely whiche say that God should be very cruell if he should neuer remit synne not waying how beastly a wickednes it is not onelye to prophane the holy name of God but also to spit as it were in his face when it most brightly shineth What greater synne more certaine token of the reprobate can there be then to blaspheme reuile reproche and to slander the spirite of God into the whiche who so euer falleth it is a greate likelyhod that he is geuen ouer into a reprobate sence and that god doth so indurate and harden his harte that hee shall neuer attayne to trew repentaunce But the blasphemy against the spirite E. The Greeke texte hath the blasphemy of the spirite blasphemy being in the nominatiue cace spirite in the genitiue So do Hillary and Austen reade it Marke hath he that speaketh blasphemy agaynste the holy ghost 32 And who so euer speaketh a woord againste the sonne of man it shall be forgeuen him But who so euer speaketh agaīst the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuē him neither in this world nor in the worlde to come And vvho so euer speeketh a vvord S. To speake in this place is takē generally eyther to speake to meditate to thyncke to determine or to do for the Hebrewe woorde Dabar hath a large signification As cōcerning this matter we haue spokē sufficiently in our annotatiōs going before It shal neuer be forgeuē him C. What these wordes meane Marke brefely shewethe saying that they are in danger of euerlastinge iudgement whiche speake any thynge against the holy ghost S. But to be displeased with our selues for sinne to be sory and repentaunte for the same is not sinne againste the holy ghoste For this griefe and acknowledgynge of oure faultes with a repentaunte harte procedeth from God and is his gyfte If man be sory for synne then by faythe he is sory but faith is the gifte of the hoghoste therefore he that is sory can not sinne against the holy ghost We do dayly aske and craue remission of our sinnes at the handes of God and he dothe reconcile vs vnto hym selfe and at lengthe in death our sinnes beinge done awaye he sheweth hym selfe to be merciful and fauourable vnto vs the frutes of this mercy wyll declare it selfe in the laste daye The sence therfore and meanyng of this place is that there is no hope for them to obtayne pardone in this lyfe or in the day of iudgement whiche blaspheme the spirite of God. B. Finally the marchantes or rather pedlers of purgatory seeme to fetche theyr gayne out of this hauen or place Obiection For saye they if blasphemye be neyther forgeuen here nor in the world to comme then it followeth that other synnes be as wel remitted in the worlde to come as in this present worlde for to what ende shoulde he saye neither in the world to come vnlesse some sinne might be forgeuē in the world to come And if any syns be remitted in the world to com then must there nedes be a purgatory in the world to com in the which they must be remitted pourged But trewly this their cauil is easely refuted Firste they are very much abbused in wresting these words the world to come to a myddell time when as it is manifest to euery one that by the same is mēt the very vtmost extreme or last day after the which there is no other Here also they bewray theyr own wickednes because their cauil here is contrary to their own doctrine Their blind destinction is knowne well enough that synnes are frely remytted in respect of the fault notwithstandyng a ponyshment and satisfaction is required By the which they confesse that there is no hope of saluation vnlesse the falte be remitted before death There remaines therefore no remission to the deade but the remission of ponishement And truely they dare not deny for the price of their purgatory but the mention is here made of falte Let him now that is a cold go blow the coale in purgatory let hym kindell his fyer if yse may be the matter of the same and then shall he make as good a fyer as dyd the foxe when he pist in the snow M. Also this place is to be noted againste those of Orrigens secte which taught that no mā shoulde be damned for euer but that all men shoulde be saued at the length For if the synne agaynste the holy ghost shall neuer be remitted in this worlde nor in the worlde to come and if there be some which do commyt this faulte it doth very consequently and aptely followe that all shall not be saued but somme shall be dampned for euer 33 Eyther make the tree good and hys fruite good or elles make the tree euyll and his fruite euyll also For the tree is knowne by the fruite Eyther make the tree good and his C. It might seme here to be a very absurde thing that men should haue free choice to be either good or euill but if wee consider what kynde of men Chryste dothe here speake of we shal fynde in it no absurditie at al. We knowe of howe greate estimation the Phariseyes were for the mindes of the common people were so tyed to them by their fained sainctimony and holynes that no man durste once be so bolde as to iudge of their faultes Christe sekinge to take away this outward shewe colored cloke of holines cōmandeth them eyther to be good or euil as if he should haue said there is nothing more contrary to honestie then hipocrisie simulation and in vaine do they boast with the tytel of righteousenes which are neyther perfecte nor sincere He doth not therefore geue vnto thē the bridel grante them libertie but onely admonisheth declareth vnto thr̄ that their painted pretence double dealyng wil nothing at al profit thē because it is necessary that eyther men be good or euill So he saith in an other place you ar they which iustifie your selues before mē but God knoweth your hartes Where as he saith Eyther make the tree some very fondly therby gather that it is in euery mans power to frame his maners life as hym list It is an improper kynde of speache by the whiche he doth reproue the hypocrisie of the Scribes and reuoketh them to the puritie and synceritie of life And his fruite good He shewethe here a waye and meane by the whyche the trees declare theim selues to be good or
by the wōderfull power of God sodaynely he rose againe from the dead to be a more sharp ennemy and reuenger of his wickednes Bu. And by the waye here we may note that tyrauntes are not free from feare tremblinge and rebuke although by all meanes they seeke to be delyuered from the same by fyer and sworde This wycked tyrante Herode had slayne Iohn the Baptist least any man shoulde reproue his incestiouse mariage but Iohn being slaine the lorde him selfe commeth with his twelue Apostels who with one consent teache the puritie of life to be obserued and condemne the vncleanes of the same Therfore truely saith the Apostel that the woord of God can not be bound The mynisters of the worde maye be taken scourged and kylled but the worde and the mynistery of the same is euerlastinge and inuincible for so sone as one by deathe or imprisonmente is put to sylence an other by and by arysethe in his place Wherefore tyrauntes shall neuer be delyuered from feare vntyll they forsake theyr tyranny and obey the woorde of God C. Marke and Luke teach that men spake diuersly of Chryste namelye that some thought him to be Elias some one of the prophetes or a Prophete For because the lord had promised by the prophete Malachy that Helias should come whiche should congregate and gather together the dispersed churche they wrested this prophesie amisse to his persone when as it was a symple comparison in this sence as followeth Leaste the comminge of the Messias should be obscure and least the people shoulde not see perceiue and vnderstand and their gracious redemption there shall suche a one go before them as was in tyme paste whiche shall restore al those thinges that are decayed and the trewe worshyppe of God which was quite ouerthrowne He shall go before them therfore with a singuler power of the spirite to set forth vnto thē that great and excellent day The Iewes accordyng to their grosse dulnes in interpreting restrain this to Helias the Thesbite as though he shoulde come againe to take vpon him the office of a prophete Notwithstandinge other some coniectured that he was eyther som one of the old Prophetes whiche was rysen or els that he was some great man whiche was as excellent and of as great power as they were But it is meruayle that none of them beinge drawne into so many sondry opinions coulde remēber that which was trewe specially when as the tyme and the consideration of the same mighte haue directed them vnto Christ God had promised vnto them a redemer whiche shoulde helpe the myserable and shyne vnto such as were in darknes and in the shaddowe of deathe The extreme necessitie in the which they were thrown did then greately require the helpe of God. A redemer is come both celebrated by the office and proclamation of Iohn and also by the testimonye that he bare of his office they are cōstrained to acknowledge some what that is deuine and heauenlye in him but beinge fallen notwithstandyng to their own immaginations they transpose chaunge him to other mens persons And thus truely by most wicked ingratitude the worlde oftentymes extinguisheth the graces of God offered vnto them As towchinge Herode hym selfe he toke not this opinion willyngly of the rysynge of Iohn agayne as wee towched a lyttel before but as euyl and gylty consciences are alwaies wauering and afearde he easely conceyued that which he feared And God doth oftentimes vexe and stir vppe the wycked by these blynde terrors by the whiche they are greately disquieted And therefore are myracles done by C. A man may much meruaile what reson led them thus to say for Iohn all the tyme of his preachinge shewed no myracle or signe A. as witnessed the multytude C. They seme therefore to wante theyr colloure or clocke because they seinge hym to be famouse by doing of myracles cōiecture him to be Iohn but they thought that myracles were done nowe by hym at the fyrst to proue his resurrection and to testify that he being the holy Prophete of God was wickedlye put to death of Herode that nowe he came agayne as a holy and vndefiled man to the ende no man myghte hereafter presume to hurte or vyolate his personage B. We se therfore hereby how men are wrapped and tangled in childishe errors when godlinesse falleth and decayeth as in that age it came to passe And the like hath often tymes synce hapened and we our selues in these dayes with to muche griefe haue experience of the same This is the blyndenes and madnesse with the which God doth strike the wicked when they hoyse vp the sayle to all wyckednes and byd God farewel of the which Moyses in the eighte and twentye chapter of Exodus speaketh 3 For Herode had taken Iohn and boūd him put him in pryson because of Herodias his brother Phillips wyfe B. The Greke texte vseth the preterperfecte tence hath taken hath bound hath put for the preterpluperfecte tence accordinge to the maner of the Hebrewes M. Because the Euangeliste had made mention of Iohn by occasion he ioyneth to the history of his deathe and that by the waye For it is not a proper woorke of the Euangeliste to describe the deathe of any besyde the actes dedes of Christe Because of Herodias B. This semeth to be a name diminutiue taken of Herode Hys brother Phillips vvyfe C. The Euangelistes affirme that Iohn was taken because he openly condempned the incestiouse matrimony of Herode with Herodias which was his brother Philips wife 4 For Iohn saide vnto hym It is not laufull for thee to haue her C. Iosephus alleageth an other cause why he was put in prisō namely because by his doctrine to the whiche the people wonderfully resorted be broughte hym selfe in suspition with Herode of the mouinge of some newe attempt or vnwonted matter But it myghte be that the wicked tyrant toke this as a cloake to couer his cruell murtherynge of Iohn Or it might be that this wicked rumor was spredde abroade of hym for vniust vyolence and crueltie is neuer withoute dyuerse accusatiōs But the Euangelistes shew the very cause in dede namely that Herode was an ennemy to the holy man because he was sharpely reprehended of hym For Iosephus is deceyued whiche thoughte that Herodias was not taken from Phillip the brother of Herode but from Herode the kynge of Chalcis his fathers brother For at what tyme the Euangelistes wryt the remembraunce of this wicked dede was not onely new but also common in the eies of all men And wheras Iosephus in an other place saythe that Phillip was of a soft wyt in consideratiō and hope wherof there is no doubt but that Herode was the more boulde to accomplishe his wyll to abuse the modestie of Phillip not fearing any ponishment Here is also an other probable cōiecture that Herodias was rather geuen in matrimony to Phillip her fathers brother than
deuyll And at the lengthe Herode cut of his head if not by their procurement yet at the least by their consente and willinge mindes M. Christ saith not here They dyd as they ought to do or they did what so euer the lord commaunded to be done but he saythe they dyd what theye wolde or lust to do The lyke saith hee shall they do to the sonne of man And as they dyd nothinge to the sonne of man so did they nothinge to Iohn the Baptiste without the wyll and sufferance of God But they for theyr partes hadde not respecte or regarde vnto the wil of God but rather to the fulfilling of their own wils and maliciouse myndes this God vsed to the executing fynishinge of his worke The lorde therefore suffereth the wicked to do vnto saynctes what so euer theye wyll as towchinge their bodies and vseth their mynistery to the glory of those that are his Wherefore if the lyke happen vnto vs at this day let vs not thinke that we are reiected and caste out of God or that he hath forsaken vs. In lykevvise also shall the sonne of man suffer C. He teacheth that it ought not to seme a new or vnwonted thing if they reiect the master as they dyd the seruante before And least any man shoulde be troubled by the newenes of the thing the lorde saith that mention was made before of this in the Scripture namely that as well the redemer of the world as Helias his forerunner should suffer the repulse at the hādes of false and wicked teachers For Marke addeth They dyd vnto him what so euer they shoulde as it is written of hym 13 Then the disciples vnderstode that he spake vnto thē of Iohn the Baptist A. Because not onely in this place but also in an other place mention was made of Helias where Christe had spoken of Iohn the Baptist by name by this aunswere of Christe the disciples easely vnderstode what he mente 14 And when they were com to the people there came to him a certaine man kneling downe to him B. Luke saith that this came to passe the next daye as they came downe the hill Marke declareth that the Scribes were disputing with the disciples C. For the Lunatike child being brought amongest thē in the absence of Christ the Scribes thought that they had gotten good occasion to inueigh and speake euyl and therfore prosecuting the same they were very earnest with the disciples vrged thē that if they hadde any power to heale the childe they should shew it It is likely that the disciples tried what they could do but in vaine so that the Scribes as conquerers triūphed neither do they onely deride mocke the disciples but also proudely they inuey against Christ as thoughe in the persō of his disciples his power wer abased But this their wicked dealynge ioyned with ingratitude exceded maliciously to suppresse so many myracles by the which they had lerned of what power habilitie Christ was For of set purpose they sought to extinguishe the light sette before theyr eies 15 And sayinge Master haue mercy on my son for he is Lunatike and sore vexed for ofte times hee falleth into the fier and ofte into the water Master haue mercy on my son B. The father had a feruent desire greate care for the health of his son because as Luke sayth he was his only son whō in stede of haue mercy on my son hath behold my sonne For he is lunatike C. The Euāgelist Mark speaketh of an other kinde of dissease saying that this mā was dumbe Yet notwithstandinge these two very well agre betwene thē selues that he was dūbe at certaine times mad also For they are called lunatikes which vnder the wane of the Mene haue eyther the falling sicknes or els are tormēted with a giddines in the brayne It is a very vaine opiniō which som fain saying that this name was inuented by the craft subtiltie of Sathā that he myght defame the good creatures of God for cōmon experience teacheth that those disseases do increase decrease accordinge to the course of the mone yet notwithstādinge nothinge staieth but that Sathā may ad his violent force to naturall meanes It is very probable that this man was neither deaffe nor dombe by nature but that his tongue eares were possessed of Sathā then whē the debillitie weaknes of the braine finnewes made him subiecte to the fallinge sickenes a worse euill was added of sathā Hereupon it came to passe that he sought his owne destructiō that hee wolde lie rent torne and that he wolde fall down like a dead mā For oft he falleth C. Let vs here note the nature of Sathā He is a murtherer ready to destroy hath many waies to hurte were it not that he were staied let by the power of god Loke how many infirmities of the fleshe and minde there are which we feele and know to be innumerable so many dartes hath he alwaies to hurt vs We ar worse than mad if our myserable estate conditiō moue vs not to prayer And in this apereth the inspeakeable goodnes of God namely that where as we are subiecte to so many dāgers he doth vouchsafe to defende vs specially if we consider with how great a desire the deuil our enemie is inflamed to hurt vs But this consolation also ought to come into our mindes that Christ came to bridel so restrain his furiouse rage that therfore we in so many dangers abide in safetie because the heuenly medicine far surmounteth all our euils M. Here therfore the care prouidence of God appereth in that the child is saued and preserued so often times beinge cast by the euill spirite into the fyer water to be destroied for god saued him suffered not the euill spyrite to destroy him This is a great comforte and consolation to the godly 16 And I broughte him to thy disciples and they coulde not heale him A. Why the disciples coulde not cast out the deuill we shall see by and by 17 Iesus answered and said O faithlesse and croked nation how longe shall I be with you Howe longe shall I suffer you bringe him hither vnto mee Iesus ansvvered A. Our Euāgelist Mathew pretermitteth many thinges which are added by Marke Luke O faythlesse C. Although our sauiour Christ seme to direct his speache against the father of the Lunatike sonne yet notwithstandynge there is no doubt but that he had respecte vnto the Scribes For it is certain that the rude and weake are not here reprehēded but such as beinge obstinately wrapped in mallice do resist god Therfore Christ saith that suche are vnworthy to be forborne any longer saith that he will shortly make a dyuorce seperation betwene him them There are some which thinck it better to directe these wordes to the Apostels onely and that because of the woordes following
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
willinglye as if he shoulde haue sayde I am a companion in the crosse with you and you with me Also vnder the person of these two men he speaketh vnto all his seruauntes generallye For although many faythfull men do dye naturally and not a violent or blouddy death yet notwithstanding it is common to all men as S. Paule teacheth to be fashioned according to the ymage of Christe So that we are all the daye longe as shéepe appoynted to be slayne But vnder the name of Crosse the Scripture comprehendeth all kinde of sorowe and affliction as bondes prisonment scourgings banishment ignominye and such like These two disciples were not exercised in these thinges which truelye do tame the fleshe and the affections of the fleshe and doo brydle sinne also But to sit on my right hande and on my lefte is A. What hee meaneth by these woords read the one and twenty Verse goinge before Is not myne to geue C. By this aunswere our sauiour Christ derogateth nothing from himselfe but only sheweth that his father hath not enioyned vnto him this office that hée should assigne to anye man his proper seate in the kingedome of heauen Hée is come trulye to bringe all those that are his into euerlasting life but it is sufficient vnto vs and wee ought there with to be contente that the inheritance purchased with his bloud abydeth for vs For how much one shall excell another in glory it is neither our partes to seeke neyther was it the will of God that Christ should reueale the same vnto vs but woulde haue the same deferred euen vntill the last reuelation Now let vs note the purpose of Christ for he disputeth not here of his owne power but he only sheweth wherefore hee was sent of the father and what is agreable to his callinge And therefore hee maketh a difference betwene the maner of teaching committed vnto him and the secrete purpose of god Euen as when hée sayth in another place as concerning the day of Iudgemenr But of that day hower knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heauen neyther the sonne himselfe saue the father only A very profitable admonition that wée might learne soberlye to be wyse and that wee might not go about to burst out into the secrete misteries of God and speciallye that wée should not be to curious in searching out the state of the life to come for it hath not yet appeared what wée shal be neither shall it appeare vntill suche time as God hath made vs like vnto himselfe But it shall chaunce vnto them that it is M. These two presumed to take the prerogatiue of glory vnto them selues because they were a kin vnto Christ but Christ teacheth that it was not meete the the glorye of the kingdome of Heauen shoulde be geuen for that cause Hée teacheth therefore that the glory of the lyfe to come muste be loked for by the onlye grace of the merciful God which choseth his electe without any respect of workes or merits Wherefore in the daye of Iudgement hee shall say Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world And the Apostell Paule sayth Euen as hee chose vs in himselfe before the foundation of the world was layed So that we must note that there is not an equalitie appoynted amōge the sōnes of God after that they are receiued into the heauenly glorye but that degree of honor is promised to euery man to the which they are ordeyned by the eternall counsell and purpose of God. 24. And vvhen the ten hearde this they disdayned at the tvvo brethren And vvhen the ten heard this BV. Truely sayth the holy Prophete of God that the heart of man is wicked and inscrutable For we may see euen in the disciples a certayne bottomlesse pit of errors and that when one vice is cut of another is in his place yea and euen those things which we thought cut of to florishe againe For euen nowe the Lorde had stayed the ambition of his two disciples and by and by he is constrayned to driue the same out of the other ten disciples brestes and not only that but the pestilent disease of enuye also M. For whereas the other ten are saide to disdaine the twoo disciples which were brethren it was not because they did hate this ambition A. but because they them selues also being led by ambition did séeke to excell in the kingdome of Christ M. So that this disdain did arise of the ambition which lay secret in their harts C. The Euāgelist Luke doeth séeme to referre this contention of the disciples vnto another time But whosoeuer doth wisely consider that two and twenty Chapter of Luke shall finde that the words which were spoken at diuers times the order being neglected wer knit together Therefore the contention for the superiority wherof Luke maketh mention had his originall hereupon because the sonnes of Zebede did couet to haue the chiefe seates in the kingdom of Christ And yet notwithstanding the indignation and disdaine of the other ten was not to be allowed for séeing the ambition in the two brethren was greuously reprehended insomuch that they went away from Christ with shame what did it hurt the other ten that they had foolishly desired that which they had not gotten But the Lorde went about by this occasion to haue the disease which lurked in them to be reuealed for there was not one of thē which willingly woulde geue place to another but euery man in his heart hoped to excell the rest so it came to passe that one of them enuyed another and contended one with another Wherfore if this vice were in rusticall rude and base men and if it bursted forth in them vpon a light or almoste vppon no occasion howe muche more ought we to take héede when there is sufficient matter to kindle the secrete fyre We doo sée by experience howe ambition doeth burne in the greatnes of power and honour and it casteth out flames farre and wide were it not that the modestie of the spirite did restrayne from heauen the naturall pride which cleaueth vnto man M. We doo sée howe great ambition and pride remayned in the sonnes of Iacob the twelue patriarkes and how greuouslye they toke it to haue their brother Iosephe preferred before them A. Let vs therefore so much as wée may tourne our selues awaye from this pestilent disease ambition 25. But Iesus called them vnto him and saide ye know that the Princes of the nations haue dominion ouer them And they that are great men exercise authority vppon them But Iesus called them vnto him M. Christ cā in no wise abyde the discord and disagréement of those that are his therefore hee calling his Apostles vnto him cutteth of againe the roote and occasion of the euill seekinge to make them all of one minde C. In that hee calleth them vnto him to the ende hée mighte
this woorde Hosiah-na is as muche to saye as helpe now or saue and prosper althinges that this man taketh in hande B. And when they added to the sonne of Dauid it was as muche as if they shoulde haue sayed Helpe Lorde wee beseeche thée and prosper all things that belonge to this sonne of Dauid that his kingdome maye prosper luckely and take good successe prosper him thou wée say which dwellest in the hyest This crye of the people semeth to agrée with that whereof mencion is made in the tenthe Chapter of the firste booke of Kinges where the people sayde God saue kinge Saule and in the first Chapter of the thirde booke of kinges where the people cryed God saue kinge Solomon A. Therefore the Disciples and the multitude beinge moued by the instincte of the spirite prayed for the felicitye of the king for the prosperous successe also of his kingdome C. And truly as the spirit of God did then appoint that people to pray dailye for the kingdome of Christe euen so also hee doth nowe prescribe the same rule vnto vs And seing that God wil raigne by no other meanes than by the power of his sonne wée ought daylye to wishe and praye for his kingdome according as wee are taught Thy kingdome come vnder the which sentence the same is noted which more plainely in the Psalme is expressed Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lorde C. The Hebrewe woorde Berach in the Psalme out of the which these were taken signifyeth to prayse and to encrease one with goodes whervppon commeth the Hebrewe participle Baruch that is praysed blessed or increasee with goodes By this voyce therefore they wish vnto Christ the encrease of all goodnes and the prosperous successe of all thinges For repetitioÌ„ seemeth to be a familiar thinge to the Hebrewes and oftentimes vsed of them For that which before they wished in these woordes Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid or God prosper the sonne of Dauid they nowe wishe againe in sayinge Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord as if they should haue sayde Hitherto wee haue beene oppressed with diuers tyrannies but nowe oure kinge comminge all thinges shal prosper well and hee shal be happye which commeth vnto vs in the name of the Lord or beinge sente or annointed of God saue prosper and blesse thou him therfore which dwellest in the hyest The Euangelist sayth expresly in the name of the Lorde because the Messias should come as one sent and not as one that thrusteth in himselfe but should be sent of the father For hee is said to come in the name of the Lorde which intrudeth not himselfe but taketh the kingdome at the will and commaundement of god The which thinge maye more certainly be gathered by the woordes of Marke when hee sayth Blessed be the kingdome that commeth in the name of him that is the Lorde of oure father Dauid For they spake after this maner in respecte of the promises because the Lord had promised that he woulde at the lengthe be the deliuerer of that people and had appointed a meane namely the renuinge and restoringe of the kingdome of Dauid B. The like and the very selfe same meaninge almost had those prayers of the seruauntes of Solomon when they sayd As God hath bene with my Lorde the kinge euen so be hee with Solomon also and make his seate greatter than the seate of my lord kyng Dauids hath bene C. We do see therefore that the honour of a mediatour of whom all good thinges and the benefite of saluation was hoped for is attributed vnto Christ But seing they were rude and ignorante people which called the kingdome of Christ the kingdome of Dauid we may hereby learne that this doctrine was comon and well knowne to the vulgar sorte which doctrine semeth to some at this daye very harde because they are not exercised in the Scriptures Hosanna in the hiest B. This repetition dothe declare a greate feruencye to be in the people which hartely and vnfainedly receyued Christe to be their kinge as if they shoulde haue saide Thou O God whiche dwellest in the heauens saue the kynge whiche thou hast sente vnto vs C. and delyuer vs by Christ whiche in thy name is come vnto vs C. The Euangelist Luke addeth somewhat more saying peace in heauen and glory in the hiest In the whiche there were no obscuritie if it were agreable to the songe of the Angell in the seconde of Luke For there the Angelles assigne glorye to God in Heauen and peace to men in earthe but here bothe peace and glory are referred to god In sence notwithstandinge there is no disagreement for althoughe the Angelles do more distinctely shewe the cause why it was necessarye that the glory and prayse shoulde be yelded vnto God namely because by his mercy men inioy peace in this worlde yet notwithstandinge it meaneth the same thinge that the multitude in this place proclaymeth namely that there is peace in heauen because we knowe that myserable consciences in this worlde are no other waies pacified then by the reconciliation of God to them from heauen 10 And when he was come to Hierusalem all the cittie was moued saying VVho is this And vvhen he vvas come Bu. It was necessary that the glory of the kynge Chryste shoulde not be obscure or hidden but euidente and manifest and therefore by the ordinance of God al the cittezens of Hierusalem are moued at this vnwonted â—…ight that we might know that the comminge of Christe in this order and apperance was not vnfruitefull and voyde of profyte C. The matter was not done in huggermugger or by stealth in secret without the knowledge of the hye priestes and Scribes but openly all the people beholdinge the same Wherefore in that contemptible state of the fleshe the maiestie of the spirite was euidente for howe coulde al men haue suffered without their greate peryll that Christ shold be brought into the Cittie with kinglike pompe excepte they had bene amased at the sighte A. This sighte therefore mighte haue seemed a laughinge game had not the power of God ben presente C. This therefore is the somme that the enteraunce of Christe into the cittie was neyther secrete nor his ennemies quiet because they contempned hym but rather that they were staied by secret feare because God had stricken theym so that they durste not attempte any thynge In the meane time the carelesse securytie of the cittie is reprehended and the zeale and religion of straungers is commended For when the cittezens by reason of the noyse make enquirye who it was they plainly declare them selues to be none of the disciples of Christ Finally these woordes ought to be extended to all those thinges whiche pertayne to the kyngedome of Chryst the whiche kingdome semeth to the worlde contemptyble and base and the mynisters and seruauntes of this kingdome do feme vnto them to be madde and out of their witts but
it shal be incredible vnto vs vntill oure mindes do arise to the beholdinge of the inspeakable power of God by the which he can bringe all thinges in subiection to him selfe as sayth the Apostell Paul. M. Therfore the Saduces denying the resurrection were ignorant of the power of God which is specially declared in the resurrection the which power also Paule setteth before vs to consider of in the resurrection of Christe C. More ouer it was necessarye that the Saduces shoulde be deceiued because they measured amisse the glory of the heauenlye lyfe by the presente state and condition of this transitory lyfe Notwithstanding in the meane time wee are taughte that they doe truelye and wysely iudge and speake of the misteries of the heauēly kingdome which do ioyne the power of God with the Scriptures 30. For in the resurrection they neyther mary nor are maryed but are as the angels in heauen For in the resurrection M. He sheweth vnto vs the state of those whiche shal be happy and blessed after the resurrection takinge awaye the opinion of absurdity as concerninge the state of the worlde to come And he vseth a distinction of the times present and to come the which the Euangeliste Luke more plentifully and plainelye expresseth saying The children of this worlde marye wyues and are maryed but they whiche shal be counted worthye of that worlde and the resurrection from the deade doe not mary wyues neyther are maryed He calleth all those the children of this worlde whiche lyue in the worlde And he calleth those worthye of the worlde to come whiche apprehende the felicity and happines that is to come But are as the Angels of God in heauen C. He dothe not meane that the sonnes of GOD when they aryse shal be lyke to the Angels in all thinges but in respect of this that they shal be frée from all the infirmity of this presente lyfe euen as if he shoulde deny them to be any more subiecte to the transitory and corruptible necessities of this lyfe The Euangelist Luke doth more plainlye expresse the order and maner of the lykenes that Christe here speaketh of sayinge that they canne dye no more for that they are equall to the Angels and are the sonnes of god But he speaketh of the faythfull onely because the ende of his talke doth not tende to the reprobate As the Angelles therefore cannot dye euenso they whiche are raised from the deade can dye no more but shall lyue with the Angells eternallye and because they are the sonnes of God to whome the inheritaunce of Gods ryches doth pertayne they cannot perishe because they are called the sonnes of the resurrection therfore they shall enioye the euerlastinge benefits of the resurrection to come which benefits are perpetuall ioye and continuall felicity C. But it maye be demaunded why he saith that they shal be then the sonnes of God because they shal be the sonnes of the resurrection when as the Lord doth geue this titell of honor to the faithfull although they be included and shutte vp in the fraile prison of the body And how shoulde wee be heires of euerlastyng life after death except God did now acknowledge vs for his sonnes We aunswere that so soone as we are by fayth ingraffed into the body of Christ we are made the adopted sonnes of God and that this spirit of adoption is a witnes seale earnest and pledge that by this truste we may boldly crye Abba Father But although we knowe that we are the sonnes of God yet for all that because it hath not as yet appered what we shal be vntill wee be transfigured into his glory when we shal sée hym what he is wee are not as yet in the effecte it selfe sayde to be his sonnes And although we be regenerated by the spirite of God yet notwithstanding because our life is hid as yet the reuealing thereof dothe in perfect wyse make a difference betwene vs and strangers And in this sence the Apostell Paule dyfferreth our adoption euen vntyll the laste daye M. We must therefore note how great the felicitie of the lyfe to come shal be For that whiche is nowe ful of infirmitie Mortallitie and corruption yea that whiche is nowe heauy troublesom slowe myserable and base shall be by the resurrection made stronge immortal incorruptible light pleasant quicke happy and gloriouse And the soule shal be free from ignoraunce blyndenesse false opinions wicked affections anger enuy feare pryde and suche lyke Wherfore whosoeuer hee be that is oppressed and afflicted in this presente lyfe eyther by the wycked affections of the mynd either by corruption and trouble let hym haue respecte to this Angelycall state of the lyfe to come and there solace hym selfe 31 But as towchinge the resurrection of the deade haue ye not red that whiche is spokē vnto you of God whiche 32 saithe I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of deade but of liuinge But as tovvchinge the resurrection of the dead Bu. The Lord being not contented that he confuted the absurditie of the Saduces and shewed the causes of theyr error proueth very strongely the contrarye parte that it myght be euydent that the faithe of the resurrection of the body and of the immortalitie of the sowles is sure confyrmed C. After therfore Christe hadde confuted the absurditie obiected againste him hee confirmeth the doctrine of the last resurrection by the testimony of Scripture And trewely this order is to be noted of vs that when wee haue ouercome the enemies of the trueth with all theyr cauilles we muste geue theim to vnderstand that they haue resisted the woorde of God for vntil they be conuinced by the testimony of Scripture they shall euer haue lybertie to exclayme Haue ye not read B. The Euangelyste Marke hath As towchynge the deadde that they ryse agayne haue ye not redd in the booke of Moyses c. And the Euangelist Luke hath And that the dead shall ryse agayne Moyses also sheweth besides the busshe when hee calleth the Lorde c. The woordes of Marke make the woordes of Luke more playne Hee doth as it were note with the fynger this place of Moyses when he saith Howe in the bushe God spake vnto him saying I am the God of Abraham C. Our sauiour Christ citeth this place here out of Moyses because he had to do with the Saduces who gaue no great credite vnto the Prophetes for they made no more accounte of them than wee do of the booke of Ecclesiasticus or of the booke of the Machabees And because they alleaged Moyses for theyr authour he thought it better to repell them with their own authoritie than to set before theim the testimony of any one of the Prophetes Moreouer it maye be that hee endeuoured not hym selfe to gather all the places of Scriptures together as the Apostelles who do vse as wee se dyuerse testimonies
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
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
sentence was muche vsed of Christ and obiected to the common sort of people as a prouerbe 13. VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for yee shut vp the kingdome of heauē before mē ye neither go in your selues neither suffer ye them that come to enter in VVo vnto you Scribes and Phariseis C. Our sauiour Christ as yet doth earnestly inueye against the Scribes Phariseis the which he doth not so muche for their sakes as hee did it to reuoke the people and simple sorte from their secte For although we see that the vengeance of God is oftentimes in the Scriptures pronounced against the reprobate to the ende they mighte be made the more voide of excuse yet notwithstandinge vnder their person the children of God are profitablely admonished that they wrap not themselues in the same snares of wickednes but that they beware of the like destruction Truly when the Scribes the worship of God beinge ouerthrowne and the doctrine of godlines being corrupted woulde beare no correction and set themselues against the redemptiō offered vnto them by desperate madnes to the destruction both of themselues and of the people it was necessary that they should be hated and detested of all men Howbeit Christe had not respect so much what they deserued as hee had what was profitable to the rude and ignoraunte For he mente about the ende of his life to leaue some solemne testimonye least that anye man excepte willinglye and wittinglye might be deceiued by those wicked varlates For wee know howe great a let to the simple the foolishe reuerence of false teathers is least they should be deliuered frō errors The Iewes at that time were endued with false doctrine yea from their infancye they had sucked in manye superstitions How difficult hard a thing should it be then of it selfe to bringe them into the waye for the preposterous and wronge opinion which they had conceiued of the false teachers did greatly hinder them because in deede they thoughte them to be the lawfull gouerners of the Churche the prelates of deuine worship and the pillers of pietye Moreouer we maye deeme that they were so bewitched that they could not well be drawne from the same except it were by violent feare Christ therefore doth not pronounce the horrible vēgeance of God against them that hee might cure the Scribes but that hee might feare the rest from their deceites and snares In like maner at this daye wee are constrayned to thunder more vehementlye againste the Popishe clergye for no other cause but this that they which are tractable and easye to be taughte and not altogether reiected and caste of of the Lorde may attende and geeue eare to their saluation and beinge striken and astonyed at the iudgemente of God maye breake the deadlye snares of superstition wyth the which they were helde captiue Whereby wee may gather how cruell their tender softnes is to whom our vehemencye is greuous It displeaseth them that the wolues are sharpelye vexed and punished whiche dailye seeke and gape to spoile and deuoure the sheepe and yet notwithstandinge they see that the sillye sheepe beinge deceiued by a vaine and counterfeite shewe do willingly cast themselues into the mouthes of the raueninge wolues excepte the sheepeheard whiche desiereth to haue them saued and goeth aboute to deliuer them from destruction do driue them awaye with the crye of his voyce Wee must note therefore the purpose of Christ that wee by his example may seuerely threaten the wolues and wicked deceiuers and may bouldly cry against them that whosoeuer are cureable maye flee from them for feare of destruction For although this profiteth nothinge with the ennemies of the truth yet notwithstandinge they muste be cited to the tribunall seate of God and others admonished that they may know that the same curse hāgeth ouer their heades excepte they departe be times from their wicked purpose Yee hypocrites M. Christe pronounceth this malediction or cursse against these ypocrites eight times in this Chapter and that trulye with suche vehemencye of the spirite as he is read neuer to do the lyke to anye man at anye other time Wee are therefore admonished and taughte by this place that no sort of men howe pestilent and hurtfull soeuer they be can be subiecte to a greater curse than these ypocrites and not onelye these but all suche of like condition For yee shut vp the kingdome of Heauen C. Christ doth denounce a cursse agaynst them because they peruert their office to the destruction of the whole multitude For seing that the regiment of the Church was in theyr handes they should haue bene as porters of the kingdome of Heauen For to what ende pertayneth Religion and holye doctrine but onelye to open the kingdome of Heauen vnto vs For wee knowe that all mankinde is banished from God and excluded from the inheritaunce of euerlastinge life and saluation But the doctrine of Godlynes is as it were the waye by the which wee enter into life Therefore the Scripture sayth metaphoricallye that the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are geuen to the pastors as wee haue more largelye declared in the sixtene Chapter goinge before And this definition must be obserued which more euidently also maye be gathered by the woordes of S. Luke where Christe reproueth the Lawyears and casteth in their teethe that they toke away the keye of knowledge and that because they beinge the keepers of the deuine lawe defrauded the people of the true vnderstandinge thereof Euen as therefore at this daye the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are committed vnto the pastors that they maye admit the faythfull into euerlastinge life and depriue the faithfull of all hope of the same euen so in times paste the same office was inioyned and committed to the hye Priestes and Scribes vnder the lawe M. The doore of the kingdome of Heauen was opened by the comminge of the preachinge of the Gospell the which the Scribes did shut vp before men when they draue them from the enterance thereof that is to saye from the fayth of the Gospell condemninge the doctrine of Christe least the people shoulde receiue the same C. Furthermore by this woorde knowledge whereof Luke maketh mencion we gather howe folishly the Papistes faine and imagin to themselues keyes as though there were a certaine magicall power without the word of god For Christ declareth that no other vse these keyes than they whiche are the ministers of doctrine If anye man obiect that the Phariseis although they were peruerse interpretors of the law yet that they had neuerthelesse the keyes we answe are that although they were committed vnto them in respect of their office yet notwithstāding that they were suppressed by mallice and fraude insomuch that no vse of them remained Therefore Christ saith that they toke away or stale that keye of knowledge by the which they shoulde haue opened Heauen doore euen as it is seene in the Papacy
when he so afflicteth the visible Church that it might seme vtterly to be destroyed yet notwithstanding to saue some sede he doth wōderfully deliuer his elecct being fewe in nōber from destruction that they might withoute all hope arise oute of the gulphe of death For so the hypocrites are terrefyed and made affrayed leaste they bearing them selues bolde vppon the titell shewe of the Church do faine vnto thē selues a vaine hope of escaping vnpunished because God will deuise a meane by the whiche he may deliuer his Churche they being geuen ouer to destruction But a wonderfull consolation is here committed to the mindes of the Godlye because God will neuer geue so muche place to his wrathe but he will haue regarde to their safety So in punishinge the Iewes he was horriblelye inflamed yet notwithstāding contrary to the hope and expectation of men he did moderate himselfe leaste any of the electe shoulde perishe And thus gaue greate occasion to woonder that when saluation should spring oute of Iewry God made floudes to issue and flowe oute of small droppes of a dryed well whiche shoulde water the whole worlde For so sone as they had broughte vppon them selues the hatred of all people it coulde not come otherwise to passe but that theye muste nedes haue bene tormented at a soden in euery place Neyther is there any doubt seing that many sought to haue thē thus destroyed but that Titus was stayed by the power of god least the soldiours and others which were to greedy to execute this matter shoulde at his apointement arme them selues This therefore was a shortenynge to preserue some seede in that the Romaine emperoure dyd keepe vnder and staye at that time the last misery and destruction of the whole nation In the meane tyme this is to be noted that for the electes sake he stayed the vyolence of his wrathe least he should ouerwhelme them al. For why wold he haue a fewe to remayne of so greate a multytude and what cause had hee why hee shoulde preferre these before other Suerlye the reason was this namelye because his grace rested vpon the people whom he had adopted and least his couenaunte shoulde be of none effecte certain were elected and appoynted by his eternal purpose and decree to saluation And therfore S. Paule doth assigne the cause to the free election of God that of so gret a people the remnaunt are sauid Lette therfore the merites of men cease when wee are called backe to the meere good pleasure of God least there depende any other difference betwene these and them sauinge this that they must of necessitie be saued whiche are elected The whiche thinge Marke seking more plainely and expressely to set forthe addeth these wordes sayinge But for the electes sake whom he hath chosen he hath shortened those dayes The participle truely might haue serued but onely that he wente aboute expressely to affirme that God was not moued by any forrayne causes to be more fauourable to the one than to the other but because it pleased hym to elect those whom hee woulde saue that hee myghte stablyshe the secrete pourpose of his free grace in theyr saluation Notwithstanding it maie be demaunded howe God dyd moderate the destruction and miserye for the electes sake that hee vtterly destroied not al the Iewes when as many desperate and reprobate persōs were sauid We maye easely aunswere that parte of the nation was deliuered that hee mighte the chaffe beinge put aparte bring and saue his elect therfrom whiche were mingled euen as seede Althoughe therefore a temporal saluation did happen as well to the reprobate as to the electe yet notwithstanding because it profited not them it is iustely ascribed vnto these alone euen as it was directed for theyr sakes by the wonderfull prouidence of god M. We se by this place how peruerse the iudgemēt of the worlde is as concerninge the iuste Where such afflictions do fall by and by all the falt is ascribed to those that feare God when as notwithstandinge for theyr sakes God dothe moderate and temper the deserued vengence 23 Then if any saye vnto you lo here is Christe or there beleue it not Then if any say vnto you C. Nowe he repeteth that agayne whiche he had spoken before as concernynge seducers and deceyuers and not in vayne for a greater daunger by reason of this temptation was at hande least myserable men beinge deceiued by a deceitfull and false title in affliction and desperation shoulde seke for counterfayte and fayned shewes in steede of Christe and shoulde imbrace the delusions of Sathan in steede of the helpe of god For when the Iewes beinge so hardely oppressed for contemning and despysinge the redemption shuld be brought from their vnfaithfulnes at lest by vyolent remedies Sathan craftelye obiected vnto theim newe hopes whiche shoulde seduce them farther from god And truely there is nothynge more deadly than to be deceyued vnder the pretence of the name of God by lyes when we are voide of councell in aduersitie the which lies bothe stop vp the gate of repentance against vs and also do increase the darknesse of infidelitie and at the length being confoūded with desperation do bring to madnesse Wherefore in so great danger this repetition was nothynge at all superfluouse A. as if Christe shoulde haue sayde See that ye be seduced by no meanes M. because if any saye vnto you in that desolate dissipation or scatterynge Beholde here is Christ or there is Christe that is if they shal shew you some carnall sauiour beleue them not I am the onely sauioure of all men and the eternall Chryst whiche euen nowe by humilitie am conuersant in the world and wyll shortely forsake the same in the fleshe vntyll I come agayne in greater glorye For I foreshewe vnto you that false Christes shall arise and that theye also shal haue their false prophetes whiche shall allure men to them not onelye by woordes but by signes also and great wonders in so muche that many shal be deceyued by them B Thus symplely these thinges muste be vnderstoode and taken For it is certaine that the lorde in this place went about to answere his disciples what they ought to thincke of the comminge of Christes kyngdome which they had alwaies hearde should be restored by Christe Neyther is there any doubt but that they alwaies dreamed of a carnall kingedome and externall felycitie and that therefore the lorde wente about to brynge them from that erroure as he did at other tymes also Wherfore it can not be denied but that they were false Christes whiche by promisyng externall felycitie seducede manye of the Iewes So that this was the scope and ende of the aunswere of Christe in this place to perswade the disciples that the kingedome of Christ should not be restored with externall felycitie and glory in this present lyfe but in spirite and faith and that with the greate afflictions and temptations of the citezens of
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
but if we do beleue that this happened to any man wee wyll saie that it came through the feare of death and by reason of a weake and effeminate courage Therefore they whiche affirme that Christe prayed not that the father would delyuer hym from the gulphe of death they make hym very tender and not to be compared to any common man If any do obiecte that the feare wherof we speake is of infidelitie we aunswere Whē Christe was stricken with the horror of the deuine curse the sence of his fleshe was so touched that faythe remayned without harme and in safetie For the integritie and perfection of his nature brought to passe that he felte the very same temptations that pricke and stinge vs without wounde or harme In the meane tyme they foolyshely immagine hym to be a conquerour without fighte whiche saye that hee felte no temptacions Neither truely ought wee to thynke that hee dyd fayne or dissemble when he complayned of the mortall sorrowe of his mynde nor that the Euangelistes did lie in saying that he was sorrowefull and abasshed 40 And he came vnto the disciples and founde them a sleape and sayth vnto Peter what could ye not watch with mee one howre And he came vnto his disciples A. It is the manner of frendes that are afflicted and troubled to flye vnto their frendes for cōforte and succour Christe goeth to his frendes and fyndeth them sleaping This therefore is one parte of oure infirmitie whiche Christe for our sakes toke on hym S. Paule commendeth Prisca and Aquila because for his lyfe they layde downe their neckes And in another place hee admonisheth vs to wepe with thē that wepe and to reioyce with them that reioyce But Christe is so farre from receyuing consolation here of his frendes that they rather stoode in neede of his comforte C. It had bene truely no small ease of his griefe to haue his disciples fellowes companions with hym but on the contrary parte it was a great discomforte to be destitute also of them For although hee stoode in neede of no mans helpe yet notwithstanding because he wyllingly tooke vppon him our infirmities and because hee would in this agony declare that abaseing and empteing of hym selfe whereof saynt Paule maketh mencion it is no meruayle if their sluggishenes whome he chose to be his companions added a more greuous and heauy wayght to his griefe And founde them a sleape M. This sleapenes of the disciples came not of the securitie of the mynde by the whiche they cared not what came to passe But griefe brought vpon them this slouthfulnes as witneseth Luke saying He founde them sleaping for very heauines And Christe had sayde vnto them befor after supper But nowe I go my waye to hym that sent me and none of you asketh me whether I go But because I haue sayde suche thinges vnto you your hartes are full of sorrowe And seing that wee see these things to haue happened to the disciples let vs learne thereby howe great the infirmitie and weakenes of mans nature is What shall wee doe excepte Christe watche in vs by his holy spirit And he saith vnto Peter vvhat could ye not vvatche C. Christe doth not make this complainte to his Disciples faynedly But affirmeth that he is greued euen in the true sence of the mynde because he is lefte alone M. Specially when they hadde bounde them selues vnto hym with so many promyses Peter had sayde I am ready to go to pryson and to dye with thee Also I wyll ieopard my lyfe for thy sake The other twoo also had boasted that they were able to drinke of the cuppe that he should drinke of And Christe beynge nowe moste of all greued they sleape C. And this was iust reprehention of their sluggyshnes because in his extreame anguishe they had not watched one hower C. M. Notwithstanding let vs note howe great pacience he vseth towardes his seruauntes although he seeth them to sitte downe in their euell By the whiche we are taught how we ought to beare with the infirmitie weakenes of our brethren yet notwithstāding to rebuke and reprehende them also that they may acknowledge and deteste the same 41 VVatche and praie that ye enter not into temptation The spirit is willing but the fleshe is weake VVatche and praye A. Christe vseth great clemency M. He is no sharpe seuere maister he doth not straight way cease to care for vs But rather includeth that which he taught before It is our partes in like māner not to reiecte the cōmaundemētes of the lord if we thinke a thing that to haue once told vnto vs is sufficient we ar deceiued we do see howe easely we fall excepte he againe confirme vs with his doctrine Watchyng pertayneth to the busying and lyfting vp of the mynde to God But prayer serueth to call vppon God for his helpe These twoo thynges must be ioyned together namely watchyng and prayer By the whiche hee declareth that wee haue nede of the helpe and sustentation whiche commeth of god This place is to be noted for we must fight daily by diuers meanes against tēptacions That ye enter not into temptation C. Because the Disciples dyd carelesly steape in their maisters daunger they are called backe vnto them selues that they might be awakened by the sence and fealing of their own euell Christe therfore denounceth that except they watche and praie they may be by and by oppressed with temptation as if he had sayde When ye haue no care of me I would not haue you to neglect your selues because here the matter toucheth your selues and excepte ye take hede temptation wyll straightway ouerwhelme you For to enter into temptation is to geue place to fainte in temptation M. This was the daunger which the disciples should haue feared the temptation was come whereof the Lorde had sayde Symon Symon behold Sathā hath sought to sifte you euen as wheate is sifted The whiche Peter expounding as it were saith Be ye sober watche because your aduersary the deuel goeth seking like a roaring Lyon whome hee may deuoure Christe sayth not here Least ye be tēpted but he sayth Least ye enter into temptation that is as we sayde before least ye be vanquished with the temptation to come be after a sorte swallowed vp of the same C. And let vs note that the manner of resisting is here prescribed not that we shuld take courage vppon our owne power and strengthe but rather that we knowing our owne infirmitie may craue strengthe and might of the Lorde Therefore oure watching without prayers wil proffite nothing at all The spirite is vvilling but the fleshe Least he should with terror discourage the disciples he doth gently chastice correcte their slouth comforting and putting thē in good hope againe And first of all he admonisheth that although they being ready prompte are desirous to doe well yet notwithstanding that they must
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
behoulding the Sepulcher againe two Angels appeare vnto her of whom wee haue spoken already and do testifye vnto them that Christ is rysen do commaūde them to tell it vnto the Disciples but namely vnto Peter whiche euen now entered into the Sepulcher perceiued that Christ was risen At the length when these women returned into the Citty to tell these thinges vnto the Disciples they were confirmed againe as they went that they might the more bouldly affyrme the Lorde to be risen for Christe appeareth vnto them saluteth them Howbeit Iohn maketh mēcion of Mary Magdalene only And Marke doth not say that Christ met with them but sayth only that he appeared to Mary Magdalene betymes in the morninge But Luke maketh no mencion of this visiō at all but this pretermission oughte not to seeme absurde vnto vs seing that the Euāgelistes do oftētimes vse the same As touchinge the difference betweene Mathewe Marke this is to be considered that Mathew by a figure called Synecdochen dothe extend that vnto al which was proper to one This Marye Magdalene was of Galile was not the sister of Martha Lazarus as some folishly haue thought For Mary the sister of Martha was not syrnamed Magdalene but is alwayes called in the Scripture Mary the sister of Martha that there might be a difference betweene her the other Maries Of this Mary Magdalene Luke writeth thus And also certaine womē which were healed of euil spirits infirmities Mary which is called Magdalene out of whō went seuen deuils Wherby we may behould the great goodnes mercy of God who respecteth no persons but geueth most honor where most vnworthines is to beate downe the pride of fleshe 5. The Angell answered and saide vnto the women feare ye not For I know that ye seke Iesus which was crucified he is not here The Angell ansvvered A. To answere here is put for to speake according to the maner of the Hebrewes for they demaūded no questiō wherby answere should be said to be made He maketh mencion of one Angel only because but one and no mo spake vnto the womē Luke speaketh of two as appeareth by these wordes Behold two men stode beside thē in bright garments And as they were afraide bowed downe their faces to the earth they said vnto them Feare ye not M. It was the office of the Angel to geue testimony of the resurrectiō of Christ But goinge thereabout he doth before all other thinges cōfort the women that were afraid but he had made the wicked watchmen afraid For the resurrection of Christ is a terror to the wicked and to the godly a great cōsolation Whervpō he sayth Feare ye not As if he should say Be not ye afraide as those watchmen were which are gone away For I knovv This is the reasō why they ought not to feare as if he had sayd I know that ye are frends such as beleeue in Iesus I knowe that for the loue of Iesus ye are come hither wherfore there is no cause why ye shoulde be afraide of mee for I am here not an ennemye but your frende C. In Luke there seemeth a sharpe reprehensiō to be added thus Why seeke ye the liuinge amonge the dead 6. He is not here he is rysen as hee said Come see the place where the Lorde was layed Hee is not here M Now the Angell by plaine words beareth testimony to the resurrection of the lord Bu. As if he should say the body of Christ which was crucifyed buried is not now in the Sepulcher As he said C. He putteth them in minde of the wordes of Christe Bu. as if he shoulde haue saide Christ is the truth The truth cannot lye And he said that he would rise again Therfore he is rysen in deede C. We do se here that the Angels are sent to confirme the doctrine of Christ A. And that Christe had foreshewed his resurrection the Euangelistes do testify in diuers places Come se the Bu. To the ende they might be the more fully certifyed of all thinges he willeth them to haue experience to see with their eyes For he sheweth them the empty monumēt VVhere the Lorde vvas layed C. Behoulde how the Angels here call Christ the lord A. Euenso in another place it is said A sauiour is borne vnto you this daye which is Christ the Lord in the Citty of Dauid S. Luke addeth sayinge Remember how hee spake vnto you when he was yet in Galile saying that the sonne of mā must be deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and be crucifyed the third day ryse againe 7. And go quickly and tel his Disciples that he is rysen againe from the dead And behoulde hee goeth before you into Galile there ye shall see him Lo I haue toulde you And go quickely C. Here God doth adorne the women by the Angel with extraordinary honor because he committeth vnto them the charge embassage of the speciall part of our saluation Notwithstandinge this office was accidentall extraordinarye and enioyned to them but for a time They are commaunded to tell that vnto the Apostles which they afterward according to the office enioyned them preached to the whole world but they do not this as Apostles Therefore they do amisse gather a lawe by this commaundement of the Angel which do permit to women the office of baptizing Let vs be contented with this the Christe in them set forth the treasures of his grace in that hee made them once to be the teachers of the Apostles notwithstandinge so that hee woulde not haue that to be drawne into example which was done by a singuler priuiledge If any man obiecte and say that there was no cause why women shoulde be preferred before the Apostles whiche were no lesse carnall incensible than they wee aunswere that it is not in vs but in the will pleasure of the Iudge to put a difference betweene these them Furthermore wee say that they deserued to be more sharpelye reprehended which were not only taughte before other mē but also were ordayned to be teachers of the Church throughoute the whole worlde being called the light of the world the sault of the earth so foully did they fall The women therefore were sente to the Disciples to their reproche because they were so slow to beleue And behould hee goeth before you into Galile C. In that the Angell calleth the Disciples into Galile it semeth therfore to be done that Christ might make himselfe knowne to many For wee know that he was longe conuersaūt in Galile And hee thought it good to geue space vnto his Dysciples that euen in the very departure they might better remēber themselues Furthermore the custome vsinge of the places helped them to know their master For it was meete that they should be cōfirmed by all meanes least they should wante any thinge whith pertayned to the assuraūce of their faith Lo I
awaye for vs to come thyther that the gate may stande open for vs whiche before was shut by reason of synne Furthermore he is an aduocate and intercessor with God for vs as it is said in the Epistle to the Romaynes And sitteth at the right hand of god C. This kynde of speache signifieth that he is taken vp an highe that hee might excell Angels and all other creatures that the father by his hande myghte gouerne the worlde and that before hym euerye knee might bowe C. This similitude is taken of the manner of princes which haue their counsellers and assistentes to whome they geue seuerall offices of gouernement EueÌ„ so Christe is sayde to bee receiued vp to the right hand of the father solemly to receiue possession of the administration committed vnto him and to kepe the same till his comming to iudgemeÌ„t And therfore the Apostel saith The father hath set him on his right hande in heauenly thinges aboue all rule and power and mighte and dominion and aboue euery name that is named not in this worlde only but also in the worlde to come and hath put all thinges vnder his feete and hath made hym aboue all things the head of the congregation whiche is his body and the fulnes of him whiche fylleth all in all Therefore this is as much as if he shuld be called Gods vicar whiche taketh vppon him his persone After these thinges the Euangeliste Luke declareth howe the disciples behaue them selues and what they did when the Lorde was taken from them saying And when they had worshipped hym they behelde as he was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp to heauen as he went beholde two meÌ„ stoode by them in whyte apparell which also sayde ye men of Galile why stande ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene him go into heauen C. This sentence consisteth of two partes The first is that Iesus is receiued vp into heauen least men any more by a foolysh desire should plucke him down into the earth The seconde is added for a consolation as concerning his seconde comming R. The summe and effecte is that although Christ be nowe taken vp into heauen and will not at this tyme reueale the publique maiestie of his kingdome in this worlde that his excelent treasures might bee perceiued and felte by humane sence yet notwithstanding he ascended not into heauen to dwell there alone and to enioye the celestiall glory alwayes him selfe inuisible and to suffer the worlde after his olde manner to passe from tyme to tyme but rather that hee myght come in his tyme into this worlde visibly with great power to set al thinges in a better order that is to geue vnto the Godly and faithfull euerlastinge felicitie and to the wycked and contemners of the Gospell perpetuall damnation And by these twoo partes ioyned together a strong argument to confute the Papistes and all others whiche affirme that the carnall presence of Christe is ioyned with the signes of bread and wyne may be gathered For when Christe is sayde to bee taken vp into heauen the distance betwene heauen and earth is manifestly noted Wee graunt truely that this worde heauen is diuersly taken some tymes for the ayre some tymes for the whole compas of the Sphere some times for the glorious kingdome of God wheÌ„ as his maiestie hath his proper seate howsoeuer it fulfilleth the worlde For the whiche cause Paule placeth Christe aboue the heauens because he is aboue the worlde and in that mansion place hath the hyghest roume of immortalitie because hee is aboue all Angels of whome he is the head But this letteth not that he should not be absent from vs and that by the name of heauens a separation from the worlde may be signified And how soeuer they cauil it is playne that heauen into the whiche Christe is taken is apposed and sette against the compas of the whole worlde Therefore if he be in heauen as no doubte he is he cannot be in the worlde But first of all we must note the purpose of the Angell that wee maye geue the better iudgement of his wordes The Angels go about to reuoke the disciples from the carnall presence And to this ende they saye that he shall not come agayne vntyll the second tyme which is at the generall iudgement But they thynke that thei haue made a good distinction wheÌ„ they saye that he shall then come in a visible forme but now daily in an inuisible forme But there is no disputation here about the forme onely the Apostels are admonished to suffer Christe to abyde in heauen vntyll the last daye appeare As Peter also admonisheth in an other place sayinge When the tyme of refreshing commeth which we shall haue at the presence of the Lorde wheÌ„ God shall sende him whiche before was preached vnto you that is to wytte Iesus Christe whiche must receiue heauen vntyll the tyme that all thinges whiche God hath spoken by the mouthe of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began he restored againe Therefore according to the commaundemene of the Angell let vs not with our fayned inuencions plucke Christe out of heauen before the tyme but let vs consider that accordinge to the presence of his spirite he is euery where and according to the presence of his fleshe at the right hande of God in heauen For this matter reade the .xxvi. chapiter going before Then retourned they to Hierusalem with great ioye from the mount Oliuete R. Although the Disciples had loste the sight of the Lorde 〈◊〉 they retourne to Hierusalem with great ioye Thei felt then that it was true whiche the Lorde had said namely that it was good for them that he shoulde departe from them in the fleshe Whyle hee was with them in the fleshe they were altogether carnall and sauored nothing but that whiche was fleshelâ—â— but when he departed as touching the fleshe was present with them in the spirite they were wonderfully affected with ioye and began to extoll and magnifie the name of god They obey the commaundement of Christe in going to Hierusalem which said vnto them before But abide ye in Hierusalem vntil ye be indewed with power from aboue It was very daungerous for them to be in Hierusalem among the middest of Christes enemies yet they obey Surely if we waye the circumstances well we shall see that they retourned all moste to present death For howe should they spare the disciples whiche so cruelly put Christ to death But the power of the spirit of Christe filled them with suche ioye and made them obedient to do their office And when they were come in thei weÌ„t vp into a parler where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrewe Philip and Thomas Bartholomewe and Mathew Iames the sonne of Alpheus
not here nowe caste the Iewes in the téeth with their wicked cōtempte of the grace and calling of God but he forewarneth them which shoulde be appointed placed in their roome that they defyle not the mariage with their filthy spots seinge that God had voutchsafed to make them partakers of his heauenly table Therefore hitherto he hath taughte that the Iewes must be depriued of a singular priuiledge of honor by reason of their wicked disdaine and contempte and that there should be called out of the Prophane and outcaste Gentils those that should succede them But now he declareth that suche muste be banished out of this nomber also as do bring reproch vnto the Church For because God calleth all without exception by the Gospell many vncleane and filthye persones do rushe in amonge the reste who although they haue place for a time among the reste yet notwithstāding at the length when God doth discerne and beholde his ghestes they are cast out of the dores punished The somme of this place is that not all whiche once enter into the Churche shal be partakers of euerlasting life but such onely whiche are founde to haue on apparell worthy and mete for the heauenly Pallace M. Therfore it is not sufficient to be nombered amonge those Christians that are called to euerlastynge life But the hypocrites shal be discerned from the iust the wicked shal be separated from the good It is a most certaine signe of perdition to despise the profession of the Christian faythe and it is necessarye to saluation to Imbrace the same But the sincerite and trueth therof is required also which onely pertaineth to the electe withoute the whiche no man is saued althoughe he be nombred amonge those that are called And this ingression or enterance of the kyng amōg his ghestes of the which there is menciō made here shal be in the day of Iudgement in the whiche the reprobate shal be separated from the electe euen as Christ himselfe declareth in the parable of the tares and of the net caste into the the Sea. Also when he speaketh of the goates and of the shepe VVhich had not on a vvedding gar C. Many do in vaine here cōtende about the wedding garment whether it be faithe or a holye and godly lyfe seinge that faythe can neither be separated frō good works neither can good workes procede but frō faith But the only meaning of our Sauiour Christe was this that we are called of the Lord vpon this condition that wee shoulde by the spirite be made lyke vnto hym and therefore that we might continually abide in his house we muste put of the olde man with all his pollucions and defiling spottes of sinne and muste frame and geue oure selues to a new lyfe that our apparel may answere so honorable a callinge They therefore are clothed with this wedding garmente whiche haue put on the Lord Iesus Christe and the newe man whiche after God is shapen in righteousnes and true holines And as the weddinge garmente dothe declare the minde to be Ioyfull affected towardes the weddinge dinner to reuerence the same euenso also by this weddinge garmente there is required that the ghestes be such which with Ioye with reuerence of the diuine Maiestye and with geuinge of thankes shoulde obtaine and enioye the heauenly benefites Frende hovve camest thou in A. This is a sharpe reprehēsion of him which defyleth to honeste a table of the father with his filthines And he vvas euen speachlesse M. Condemnation here procedethe from the giltye conscience Euenso shall they be speachlesse which are nowe full of tonge and do glorye of theire fained holynes when the kinge commeth in the ende of the worlde 13. Then saide the king to the ministers Take and binde him hāde and foote and caste him into vtter darkenes there shal be weepinge and gnashing of teeth Take and binde him hande and foote A. These woordes do partaine to the describinge and settinge forth the punishment of the reprobate and damned C. But it may be demanded howe it was mete or Iuste that the begger shoulde be so greuously punished for not cōming with his weddinge garmente as thoughe truelye it were a newe and vnwonted thing to see the miserable which get their lyuing by begginge by the hye wayes to go deformed and torne with vncomely apparell We maye aunswer that there is no intreaty here how or whence apparel must begotten for the Lord apparelleth those whome he calleth whatsoeuer they bee that whereof the Prophete Ezechiell speaketh is fulfilled in all things seing that when God findeth nothinge in vs but miserable nakednes and filthy vncleanenes he dothe apparell vs with excellent and costly garmentes For wee knowe that we are not changed into the Image and likenes of God excepte wee put on Christe For Christe dothe not affirme that miserable men whiche bring not preciouse apparell out of their cheste shal be caste out but they whyche are founde in their filthines when God commeth to haue an ouersighte triall of his faith And caste him into vtter darkenes For this matter reade the eyght chapter going before 14. For manye are called but fewe are chosen Many are called C. This conclusion dothe declare that fewe are chosen although many are called Whereby wee gather that euery particuler member of this parable is not to be discussed For Christ euen nowe affirmed not that the greater parte shoulde be caste oute but he maketh mencion of one man onelye and here wee heare that a fewe of a great nomber shal be retained And truelye when as at this daye more are gathered together into the Churche by the voyce of the Gospell than there were in tyme paste by the preachinge of the lawe yet the leaste parte do approue their faythe by newnes of life Wherefore leste we shoulde flatter oure selues with a vaine tytell of faith let euery man seriouslye examine himselfe that in the firste election we may be thoughte mete and conuenient ghestes for the Lorde For as the Apostell Paule teacheth there are many kyndes of vessels in the house of the Lorde Therfore let euery one that calleth vppon the name of the Lorde departe from iniquityy M. Therfore Christ speaketh of the externall and generall callinge by the preachinge of the Gospell of the which there are thrée degrées All men are called yea euen they also which heare not they which come and are dease in minde are also called The seconde sorte enter in and promise that they wyll serue God Neuertheles their owne conscience condemneth them because they haue not the true roote As Symon Magus which did not fayne hymselfe to be one of the faithful being conuicted in his conscience by the trueth of the Gospell professed the same but hee had not roote as Peter casteth him in the teeth Suche are they truely to whome the Lorde sendeth his holy spirite and whome for a time only he illuminateth but
at the lengthe by the Iuste deserte of their ingratitude he forsaketh them striketh them with greater blindnes The thyrd calling is special and of great efficacye by the whiche God dothe very muche aduance the electe and faythfull onelye when that by the inwarde lightning of the spirit He bringeth to passe that the word preached abydeth in their hartes To these testimony is geuen by the same spirit that they are the adopted sonnes of god Wee can not Iudge who are the electe and who are the reprobate for we ought to leaue this Iudgement vnto god A. Notwithstandinge by signes there may be some coniecture had but we muste alwayes beware of rashe Iudgement M. Euerye one that is the electe and chosen of God is fully certifyed in hymselfe of his calling the which thing we may dayly beholde For many are broughte into the Churche whiche afterwardes fal awaye from the same either being terrifyed by persecution or els beinge ouercome with some other temptation Suche truely are of the nomber of them that are called but are not elected For hereby oure election is proued if we perseuere to the last ende C. To be shorte oure Sauioure Christe by this place teacheth that the external profession of faithe profiteth lytell and suffiseth not that GOD should acknowlege euery one for his soÌ„n which seme to haue obeyed his callyng M. And the name of election doth only signifye a separation because the electe are so discerned that they haue a peculiar lot as we sée often times in Iudges Bu. We haue harde now in these twoo parables that the Iewes shal be greuously punished which so oftentimes haue reiected God their caller And againe that the Gentils shal not be spared which succede and come into the place of the reiected Iewes if they go forwarde in hypocrisye and defile their Euangelical profession with filthy and wickednes Therfore let euery on of vs in all things feare the Lorde whiche loueth faith and righteousnes hateth hardnes of harte and wickednes 15. Then wente the Phariseys and toke counsell howe they mighte tangle him in his wordes Then vvente the Phariseys and toke C. When the Pharises had oftentimes and many waies sought how they might hurte Christe at the last they thoughte this ready waye and excellente meane to bringe their purpose to passe if they might deliuer him to the deputy as a seditiouse persone an inuentor of newe thinges As concerning tribute there was at that time as we may see in an other place greate contencion amonge the Iewes For when the Romanes had transported to them selues the tribute whiche God in the lawe of Moses commaunded to be payed vnto him the Iewes oftentimes fretted and saide that it was very vnmete and a horrible thinge not tollerable that Prophane men shoulde rake vnto them selues after this sorte the righte which pertained vnto God. Moreouer it maye be that seing that legall appointing of tribute was a witnes vnto them of their adoptioÌ„ they thought them selues to be spoyled of their dewe honor Nowe the more poore that any man amonge them was the more bolde he was to make a tumulte The Phariseys therfore deuise this snare to take our Sauiour Christe because howe so euer he shoulde aunswere to this question of payinge tribute he shoulde as they thoughte snare hymselfe if he shoulde denye tribute to be payed he shoulde be gilty of sedition but and if he should coÌ„fesse it to be dewe by right then shoulde he bee counted an enemye to his nation and a betrayer of the liberty of his countreye But their whole intente was in dede to drawe awaye the people froÌ„ hym This snare the Euangeliste noteth when he sayth Hovve they mighte tangle hym in his vvordes B. So greate was their blindenes that they could not be quiete althoughe they had tried this matter so often before in vaine To intangle or intrap one in his woordes is to propounde a doubtefull or daungerouse question out of the which a man hath no lesse trouble to vnfolde himselfe than out of a snare or net The Euangeliste Marke hath to take hym in his woordes And so hath the Euangeliste Luke also 16. And they sente oute vnto him their Disciples with Herodes seruauntes saying maister we knowe that thou arte true and teachest the way of God truelye neyther carest thou for anye man for thou regardest not the outward apparence of men And they sente out to him C. Because the Phariseys were the sworne enemis of Christe and therefore knewe that they shoulde be suspected they suborned and craftely set forth certaine of their Disciples B. Of whome they thoughte hym to haue no knowledge or consideration Luke saith that they sente forth spyes whiche shoulde fayne themselues rightouse men that is which shoulde deceitfully pretende a simple affection to learn that whiche is true For the fayninge of righteousnes in this place is not taken generally but it is restrayned to the presente cause excepte they had borne a pretence of docillity and sincere study they had not bene admitted VVith Herodes seruantes M. E. He calleth those Herodians or Herodes seruauntes whiche defended Cesars cause WheÌ„ Iuda begaÌ„ now to be tributary to the Romanes Kinge Herode the sonne of Antipater was by Augustus Cesar put in authority to gather the tribut C They ioyne therfore vnto theÌ„selues the Herodians whiche did more fauore the Empire of Rome whereby they were more feete to accuse But this is worthy to be noted that although there was great dissention amonge theÌ„selues yet notwithstanding such was theire hatred against Christ that they could conspire in one againste him As concerning the secte of the Herodians this is to be noted Seinge that Herode Antipas was only halfe a Iewe or vnlyke to his â—…unceters and a counterfeyte professor of the lawe whosoeuer woulde exactly and in euery point obserue the lawe hym they condemned with their impure worship counterfeite holynes for he had flatterers about him which brought in a cooller to his false and peruerse doctrine So that beside other sectes at that time there was spronge vp a courtelyke religion Master M. This is a deceitfull dissimulation E. They are not ashamed of inconstaÌ„cy by the which they now call hym master whereas before they blasphemed him sayinge that he had the spirite of Beelzebub A. Euen so in an other place the Phariseys whiche were the maisters of these imbassators saide vnto Christ master we woulde sée a signe of thée And againe Maister this womaÌ„ was taken in adultery But they called him maister whose disciples they woulde not be For they saide vnto that begger to whome Christe restored his sighte Be thou his dissiple for wee are Moses Disciples Here the prouerbe is fullfilled such lyppes suche lettice The Phariseis were dissemblers and hypocrites and their Disciples follow them in all points VVe knovve that thou art true C. This is the righteousnes which they fayned when they flatteringlye submitted