because of circum cision The Sabbath the sacrifices and other worckes of the lawe had their vse and profit but for these no man came to euerlasting saluacion Onely the sonne of man Messias only is the bread of life For whom to al that beleue in hym there commeth forgyuenes of synnes iustice health and lyfe euerlastynge And that ryghte worthilye For it is he whom God the father hath sealed vp For fyrste God the father hathe sealed hym from the begynnynge w t his owne Image that he should be euen together wyth hym the true and eternall God of the same substaunce and maiesty He sayeth the Apostel is the ymage of y â— inuisible god And agayne He is the brightnes of hys glorye and expresse Image of hys substaunce Wherfore seynge he is marcked wyth the deuyne power it is no maruayle that he is hable to saue them that beleue in hym and to gyue vnto theym eternall lyfe Further after he was made the sonne of man god sealed hym by open wytnesses that he is the true Messias and sauiour of all them that beleue in hym For as the seales of common writynges do testifye of the thynges that be done whyche are rehearsed wythin the letters so God the father testified by many miracles as it were by heauenly seales of Iesus the sonne of Marie that he hadde sente hym and anoynted hym vnto the true Messias and gyuer of euerlastyng lyfe The Aungell Gabriell was sent to shewe hys concepcion and hys natiuitye He was borne of a woman that was a Uyrgin He was preached of by the Angels He was vysited and worshipped of the wise kynges and whan he was Baptised of Iohn in Iordane the voyce of GOD the father was heard wit nessynge openlye from heauen that thys was hys welbeloued sonne in the whych he was pleased The holye gooste also came in the lykenes of a Doue Afterwardes whan he preached hys owne Gospell he dyd shewe verye greate and excellente miracles All these are Heauenlye seales whereby GOD the father hathe testified that he hathe sente thys Iesus and confyrmed that he was the verye sauioure of mankynde Whyche seales afterwardes by â—…synge from the deade by hys ascendynge into heauen by sendynge of the holye goost into hys Disciples and by spreading abrode of y e Gospell were made so strong that nowe ther is no dowt at al but that he is the verye Messias for whose sake onely men obtayne euerlastyng saluacion Wherfore althoughe there be a dewe laboure and care for bodilye sustenaunce whych when it is occupied doth perishe yet aboue al thynges must we labour dili getly to get the meate that abydeth into euerlastyng lyfe which is Iesus Christe oure Lorde GOD euen wyth the father and the holy gost blessed for euer Amen ☞ The fourth Homelie ALthoughe it is sayd that the bealye hath no eares yet the Iewes giueÌ„ to the bealy semed not to haue herd Christes sermâ—… deaffly For whan Christe dyd rebuke theÌ„ because thei folowed more the bodily meate than the heauenly and exhorted theym to worke the meate that lasted into euerlastynge lyfe they did well perceiue that theâ—… were bydden to do true iustice and to do this Godly worship that they myghte obtayne euerlastynge and perpetual good thinges Therfore they sayd vnto him Howe should we do to worcke the worckes of God Whether they axed hym in earneste or in game verilye thys is theyr meanynge What preachest thou vnto vs of working the meate that lasteth into euerlastynge lyfe that is folowyng iustice and doing seruyce to god whereby we shoulde come to perpetuall blesse Be we not iuste inoughe by the workes of oure lawe maye we not come vnto euerlastynge ioye by the merites of those worshyppynges of God whiche oure lawe hath prescribed vnto vs. We be circuÌ„cised We kepe the sabboth daye we offer sacrifice we steale not we robbe not we giue the tenthes we gyue almes we faste at tymes appoynted and we do many other good worckes What requier you of vs more or what shoulde we do to be more iuste and please god better Lo this is the old blindnes and ignoraunce borne in the nature of man to thyncke that goddes lawe maye be fulfylled by oure worckes and that they are inste ynoughe before GOD if they folow a ciuil honestye of lyuynge And althoughe we muste alwayes to oure power obey the lawe of GOD and that euery good worcke which god requireth hath somewhat wherefore it serueth yet is there no man in the worlde whyche is able to fulfyll the lawe by hys owne worckes It is sayde in the eyght Chapter of Genesis The felynge and thought of mannes herte is euel euen frome hys youth But the lawe of God requireth a meanynge and thoughte of man that is good wherefore if it can not be that as longe as thys naturall malidye stycketh in man and it sticketh because of originall syn ne yea euen in man also that is good and borne agayne by the holye Gooste and it abyddeth euen vntyll he â—…ye he cannot perfectelye fulfyll the lawe of GOD. The Psalme doeth saye in thy syght is not iustified al liuing creatures But the law requireth to thâ—… fulfillyng of it iuste and holy men Sith therefore that no man of hys owne nature is iust and holy before god it is plaine that no man of him selfe is hable to satisfye the lawe The law sayth Paul is spiritual I am carnal and I knowe y t in my fleshe dwelleth no goodnes If ther be not in the fleshe yea though he be a good man goodnes howe should he fulfil a good lawe And agayne The affeccion of the fleshe is enmitie agaynst god For it is not vnder the lawe of God nor in dede it cannot And althoughe carnall affeccion beare not the rule in a good man yet doeth it abyde in hym styll as longe as he liueth in thys worlde Wherefore he neuer fulfilleth the lawe And agayne The fleshe coueteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe These thynges be one agaynst another so that thou caÌ„st not do those thynges that thou woldest Thou herest that the fight betwene y â— flesh the spirite is perpetuall not in wycked men yet which altogether folow y â— affeccioÌ„s of the fleshe and haue not the holye gost but in good men that be endued with the holy goost But the law of God wyll not suffer any rebellion agaynst the holygoost but it requireth a perfect obedience Where fore seynge in a man be he neuer so good there is a continual fightyng betwene the fleshe the spirite it is plaine y t he neuer fulfilleth perfetly the law of god by his workes And sith it is so ye se how farre mischeuosly thei er whether they be Iewes or ChristeÌ„ hypocrites which thinke wyth their holy thynges and good workes to satisfie the lawe of God to be iust before god What shuld we do theÌ„ to worcke the worckes of God that is to do true
iustice seruice that pleaseth god best to fulfil the law of god Of this thing we must heare Christ. For he answered sayde vnto them This is the worke of God to beleue in hym whom he sente If ye wil do the greatest and most excellent seruice to god if ye wel get true iustice before God be saued thys worcke thys holy seruice thys honour of god must be done that is to beleue in him whoÌ„ he set I say to beleue in Iesus y t is the godly seruice in the which god so delighteth that he will repute y â— beleuer as iust as if he had fulfilled all the whole lawe with his worckes Thou wilâ—… say than what is it to beleue in Iesus To declare this very plainely it is to beleue the gospel receiue 〈◊〉 in fayeth And Iesus preached thys gladdâ—… â—…dynges that he was sente of God y â— he is the very true Messias which was promised by y â— prophets Wher fore to beleue in Iesus is to geue him the honour and the maiestye of Messias y t is to knowledge hym a clenser of synnes an appeaser of the anger of god a sauiour in deth a gi uer of lyfe blessednes in dede to put in him al our whole trust of sal uacion For these thyngs do the pro phetes ascribe vnto Messias But here we must consider whi to beleue in Christ is the greatest worke and the most excellente worshyppynge of God And fyrste Fayeth in Iesus Christe is therefore called the excellente seruynge of GOD bycause it is an instrumente whereby we take holde on Christe and by the whyche he that doeth beleue is â—…raffed into Christe And there can â—…thynge come vnto vs eyther â—…ore excellente or more happilye than that Christe shoulde be oures and we Christes For if Christe be oures and we Christes what remai neth but that all the good thynges of Christe be oures and that al our euyls by the goodnes of Christ are put awaye Wherfore perfecte iustice is oures the holines and blessednes of Christe is ours in respect of whyche thynges oure synnes be not layed to oure chaurge and our death whyche in thys worlde is the laste kynde of all miserye is not the gate of hell but of raigne euerlastynge thorowe Christe Wherefore seynge Christe is taken and graffed into vs by fayeth it is manyfest that we cannot do a more excellente and a more holye seruyce than to be leue in Iesus Christe And so farforth also we be sayde to be iustified by fayth not that fayth in Christ of it selfe is a worke of so great dig nitye that for the worthynes thereof it doth instify vs before god but because it taketh Christ for whom onelye we are counted iuste before god chosen into y e sonnes heires of god Furthermore fayth is called the moste excellente worshyppynge of god because it gyueth vnto God the honour of the trueth of hys pro mises and knoweledgeth God to be verye true For God althoughe he hath promised many other thinges as well bodilye as spirituallye yet is thys the chiefest thynge amonge all hys promises that he well sende Messias into thys worlde And he hath openlye proued and declared by greate and manye testimonies that thys Iesus of Nazareth is the same Messias that was promised before Wherefore he that beleueth in hym doeth gyue glorye to God for hys trueth And so to gloryfye god it is to god a thyng that pleaseth hym farre aboue all other It pleaseth god in dede if thou walke accordinge to the lawe and do the worckes of the lawe but so if thou do them in faith y t is to saie if thou knowledge god to be verye true in hys promyse of hys Messyas For what honour shuld be acceptable to God if y â— shuldest iudge him in thy hart to be vaine a lyer A â—…aÌ„ will not care for y e bowing doune of thy head thy kneling thy giuing of the wai if he shuld perceiue y â— tokest him for a vaine maÌ„ a lyar woldest y â— y t god shuld regard them Seinge therfore that faithe geueth to god y â— honour of trueth it is worthely prefarred before al other holines seruice of god Finally seyng the fayth in Christe receyueth euen together with Christ the holy goste also whiche is the renuer of man the maker of obedience in man it is playne that fayth is the fundacion and begynnynge of all good vertues and good doynges Other that haue not fayeth in Christe are sometyme garnyshed wyth other vertues one is iust in ciuile bargaines another is pacience in aduersitye this man is chast he is gentell to speake vnto that man is mercifull to the afflicted and some man is true of hys worde and promise These be diuers vertues and he that hath one it maye happen that he lacketh all the other For you shal fynde that wher as they wyl kepe theyr promise wel yet are they very cruell to them that be in misery Ye shall fynd other whiche for all that they kepe a ciuile chastitye yet are they verye lyars But he that hath fayeth in Christe he also hath the holye Gooste whyche leadeth hym into all kyndes of vertues and good doynges For althoughe fayth so far forth iustifieth not a man before God as is the begynnynge of good workes in a man and that ther is alwayes left a weaknes in the fleshe as long as we lyue in thys world although the holy gooste gouerne a man yet is not that spirite of faieth idle and dull but worketh stoutely it mortifieth the desier of the flesh bryngeth forth diuers kyndes of vertues charitye ioye peace lenitye benygnitie goodnes truth mekenes temperaunce chastitye and who is able to reherse all the fruites of the spirite Wherefore fayeth in Christ for thys cause also is the most excellent worshyppyng of God because it is the begynnynge and commendacion of all good worckes and he that wyll do the holiest worcke to God he muste nedes worcke thys worcke also For thys is the hyest seruynge of God whych the Patriarkes and Prophetes and all good men haue done By this seruice thei haue gotten iustice and health as manye as were receyued to the fauoure of god They were not iustified by the desert of circumcision of theyr sabbothes of their sacrifices nether yet of theyr morall vertues but the were iustified by thys seruice that is by fayeth in Christe and yet that not for the desert of the worcke of fayeth whyche worcke yet itselfe is wonte euen in the beleuer to be fainte but for Christ onlye whych is grafted into man thorowe fayeth and applyed vnto maÌ„ But thou wylt say what If to beleue in Christ it be the hiest and the most excellente worshipping of god than is nothing more easye than to do thys seruyce to God inespecially to vs whyche euen from our youth haue bene instructed in the Apostles Crede wherein all the doctryne
Iewes as gentiles and in dede that he sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD and heareth rul◅ in the myddes of hys enemies and iustifieth and maketh alyue al that beleue in hym For these be certayne and suar argumentes by whyche the diuyne maiestye of Christe hath bene shewed and proued Therefore whan he sayeth When you shall se the sonne of man ascendynge thyther where he was before thys is the meanynge I sayde vnto you that I was descended from heauen Be not therfore so offended w t thys worde to fall awaye from me For that that I sayed in worde I wyll proue in dede I wyl ascend againe thether where I was before and I wyll reuele myne heauenlye and dyuyne maiestye that you maye playnelye knowe that my learnyng is true and that I verelye am descended frō heauen that is haue taken man vpon me in dede and to be God in dede To thys also appertayneth y ◠Iesus in an other place whan he was axed by Caiphas before the Councell whether he was Christe the sonne of GOD he answered hereafter sayeth he you shall se the sonne of man sittyng on the ryght of the myghtye and commynge in the cloudes of heauen y ◠is I seme in dede nowe in youre syghte to be an abiecte and captiue but after thys tyme I wyl so shewe my maiestye that I wyll playnely proue that I am not onelye true Messias or Christe but also verye God euen of the same beynge and power wyth God And of thys in dede that Iesus sayde that he was come downe frō heauen thus much haue we sayde Let vs heare now al so of y ◠he sayed hys fl◅she should be eaten and hys bloude shoulde be droncken This sayth he offendeth you because I haue bydde you eate my fleshe and dryncke my bloude You thyncke peraduenture that I by thys doctryne do ordayne an eatyng of man or a tearynge of mans fleshe or a mutuall conspiracye to inuade the empires of thys worlde And therefore ye are afearde leaste by raysynge of sedicion I cast you by my doctryne into extreme ieoperdies of youre lyfe But be of good chere If you se me ascending thyther where I was before ▪ you shal proue in dede that my doctrine wyll do you no hu◅te For I wyll declare by my goynge vp into heauen that my kyngdome is not worldelye but an heauenlye kingedome Wherefore ye nede not to feare sedicion whereby I wyll inuade worldelye kingdomes Nor it is not to be feared least my doctrine shoulde brynge anye distruccion to you Do no more but stande and abyde still you shall fele in dede that you by my doctryne shall receyue lyfe and saluacion Let vs se than howe Iesus proueth hys doctrine to be more healthful than hu◅tfull and that he is rather the authour of life than of death It is the spirite sayeth he that gyueth life The fleshe profiteth nothynge The wordes that I speake are spirite and lyfe ▪ Thys place some vnderstande one wayes some an other but we wyll folowe the verye playne sentence and that the thynge it selfe declareth For if we wyl consider in what estate this controuersie doeth stand which is risen bewixt Christ and the Iewes it is manifest that this contencion is of the doctryne of Christ wherewyth the Iewes in dede be of ◅ended and the which they reproue but Christe defended it But Christ also hym selfe whan he sayeth The wordes whyche I speake vnto you are spirite playnely sygnifieth that here he speaketh of hys doctryne◅ and expoundeth what hys doctryne is For the Iewes dyd fear least if they continued to be hearers and folowers of Christe they shoulde by hys doctryne be caste into all kynde of troubles yea into death it selfe But thys f◅ar Christe refuteth and he teacheth hys doctryne not to brynge deathe but to brynge lyfe not to brynge destrucci on but saluacion For the spirite in thys manner of speakynge is taken for spiritual heauenlye and diuyne doctryne Therefore the maner of reasonyng is shorte in dede but worthy to be marked sayinge the spirite that is the spiritual and heauenly doctrine gyueth lyfe But the fleshe that is carnall and humayne doctryne as is the doctryne of the Phariseis or of sedicious persons profiteth no thynge bycause it bringeth distruccion and death But my wordes be spirite that is be spiritual doctrine and not carnal wherfore thei be life and bryng not death or destruccion as you iudge You haue the reasonynge of Christe Let vs nowe run ouer his partes spiritual heauēly learnyng sayth he gyueth lyfe and bringeth saluacion But carnal and humayne doctryne bryngeth dysstruccion and death What shal we saye than of the lawe of the Lorde whyche althoughe it be spirituall and heauenlye doctryne yet bryngeth it death or as Paule sayeth kylleth What shall we saye also of doctrines of men of conscience Ma thematicall of Physicke and other artes whiche partelye be profitable for mannes lyfe yea and partly after theyr facion necessarye also Shall we saye that they also profite nothynge but rather brynge men to destruccion Of the lawe of god therfore thus must we thinke that it mortifieth in dede and kylleth man but that is not thorowe the faut of the lawe but of the man For if we should speake of the selfe nature of goddes lawe verelye because it is a spirituall and heauenlye doctrine it hath also the nature of giuing life and bringing saluacion Kepe saieth he my lawes and iudgementes whyche the man that doth shal lyue in them They bring therefore of theyr owne nature life And when Moyses had made an ende of the ministerye of makynge a lawe he sayde Consider that nowe I haue set in thy syghte lyfe and good Christe also sayeth If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes of God And Paulle the lawe is holye and the precepte is holye iuste and good Stephen also sayeth Moyses sayeth he toke the lyuelye wordes to gyue theym to vs. Wherefore as muche as pertayneth to hys nature as it is spirituall and heauenlye doctrine so it bryngeth also spirituall and heauenlye life But because men be carnal soulde vnder synne therefore it commeth to passe that the doctryne of the lawe bringeth rather deathe than lyfe and rather damnacyon than saluacion whyche thynge sith it is not imputed to the lawe but vnto manne and vnto hys synne it doeth yet remayne suer and stedfaste that spirituall learnynge dooeth gyue lyfe And as touchynge mans sciences whyche be profitable in thys world to kepe the lyfe of man here we speake not For thys earthelye and corporall healthe is one and the spirituall and heauenlye healthe is an other If we shoulde speake of thys bodelye and worldelye healthe there be manye and dyuers doctrynes whyche profyte verye muche Physicke profitteth to conserue and recouer the good healthe of y ◠body Mathematical profiteth to knowe the marueylous mocions of the bodyes celestiall and to measure the yearthe Housbandrye profitteth to the tyllynge of
the ground and who can in fewe wordes rehearse vp the profite of al the sciences of men But if we shoulde speake of true spiritual heauenly and euerlasting health verelye none other doctrine doth profit saue spirituall and hea uenlye Al carnal doctrynes be they neuer so profitable are pernicious and deadely if they be iudged to be a perfit waie to get heauēly health Amonge carnall teachinge most of all be deadelye the ▪ teachynges of y ◠Pharasies and of sedicious men The Pharisies do teache that men maye satisfye the lawe of God by outwarde worckes and that they do deserue by their obediēce iustice and lyfe euerlastynge before God Thys is in dede a carnal doctryne whyche leadeth men into perpetual distruccion The sedicious men do teach that tributes must not be gyuen to the Emperour of Rome and that we muste make batell agaynst the Romaynes that the Iewes the Romaynes beynge cast out of their countrye maye bryuge them selues into libertye and also subdue vnto thē other kingdomes of the world Thys is verye carnal doctrin whiche leadeth men into the ieoperdye of al their ryches goodes Since ther is therfore two maner of teach ynges one spirituall that gyueth lyfe saueth an other carnall that bryngeth death and dystroyeth I praye you in what kynd is the doctrine of Christ comprehended My wordes sayeth he that I speake vnto you are spirit My doctrine is not flesh nor is not carnal but it is spirit it is spiritual It is manifest therfore y ◠it is also life I sayd s◅ply he y ◠beleueth in me hath lyfe euerla stinge Thys is spiritual doctryne heauenly and diuine Wherfore he that receiueth it receiueth also life I spake Metaphorically but in the same sence I am the liuynge bread whyche am come downe from heauen If any man eate of thys bread he shall lyue for euer And agayne Excepte ye eate the fleshe of the son of man and drynke his bloude ye haue not life in you Thys doctrine also is spiritual diuine It remaineth therfore that it is life and that it giueth life that it saueth mē that receyue it that they may get euerlastyng saluaciō But why do we not rehearse thoughe in fewe wordes the kindes of the doctrine of Christ that we maie knowe the true vse of it For fyrst Christe did sometimes expounde the lawe of GOD as in Mathe the. v. and the. vi and as it is writen in other places of the Euāgelists To this braunch or kind do pertayne the threteninges the re bukinges and the prophesies of the euyls that are to come Thys doctryne is not in dede the proper doctryne of Christe but of Moses yet is it sayde that it doeth gyue lyfe be cause that shewynge the greatenes and greuousnes of synne it styreth men vp to seke for iustice and life in Chryste oure onelye sauioure Also it hathe taughte that saluacyon doeth not depend vpon mannes merites but by goddes elec◅ion No man sayeth he can come vnto me except my father that hath sente me shall drawe hym And agayne you haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Thys learnynge also gyueth lyfe if a manne can vnderstande it well for it doeth strengthen theyr fayeth whyche beleue in Christe that they may haue their saluacion certayne and thorowlye knowen For if oure saluacion should stand vpon mannes merites we coulde neuer be in a suer mynde because that the merites of man as they are vnperfite so are they vnsure And in the Psalme it is spoken playnelye In thy syghte shall not be iustified all liuynge creatures But nowe because it dependeth of the onely and free mercye of God whych in his lonne Christ not only is opened but also confyrmed hys saluacion cānot be vncertayne that beleueth in Christ. The mountains sayeth he shalbe moued the hilles shal tremble but my mercy shal not go from you the couenant of my peace shal not be moued sayde thy mercifull lorde Wherefore seynge this doctrine taketh out y ◠dou◅yng of hys saluaciō from the hert of the beleuer it is manifest that it quyke neth him with a spiritual recreaciō saueth hym that he dispaire not dye euerlastyngly Finally Christ taughte hys Gospell that he was come into thys worlde to reconcile men wyth God the father that all that beleue in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlastinge This is the doctrine that properly belongeth vnto Christ. And this is the doctrin that giueth life in dede There be diuers kyndes of affliccions and death among men One is vexed almost dieth for hys great nede pouertie but if he haue taken thys doctrine of the gospel know ledgeth that God is merciful vnto him thorow Christ it cannot be but he must be so made aliue y t he maye manifestlye perceyue that he is in y ◠number of thē that Paule speaketh of as pore men yet enrichinge many as hauing nothing and yet possessyng althing An other is trobled with the knoweledge of synne and in maner dieth for the greatnes of the iudgement of it But if he gyue credit to the gospel of Christ knoweth hys synne to be forgyuen thorowe Christ he go◅th so from death to life y t he whyche before as one y t was deade durst not because of hys sinne lift vp his eies to heauē now dare boldly and cherefully come to the throne of goddes maiestye An other is striken wyth the feare of death and hel and thinketh he shal be damned for euer But if he wyll harcke to the Gospel of Christ and beleue in Christe that he is the victor of death and hel and the redemer of al that trust in hym not only is he saued in death but he shall be ◅aysed in the last daye that he maye receyue euen wyth Christ the hereditaunce of alheauenly ioye and felicitye Wherefore lette vs bestowe all oure cares and thoughtes vpon thys thyng to receyue wyth obediente fayeth the doctrine of the gospell of Christ ▪ Wherby in all kynd of tribulacion and death we maye be made quicke and alyue And althoughe Christe do playnely shewe that hys doctryne is not hurtefull ne deadely as thei iudged but to be spirituall and wholesome yet seeth he that it taketh no place among◅ y ◠greatest of hys hear◅ts therfore sayth further There be some of you that do not beleue For Iesus knewe frō y t begynuing who were y t vnbeleuers and who shold betr◅ye hym And sayed Therefore haue I ◅ould you that no man can come vnto me excerte it be gyuen hym of my father Christ doth prophecy of the falling away of his hearers of the treasō also of Iudas Ischariot Of y ◠whi che thyng because Iesus wil warne his dysciples agayne in the ende of this Chap. we wil let alone till that place what soeuer shal be thought mete to be spokē of this thing And here he repeteth agayne y ◠cause of vnbelife whiche he rrehersed before