of fayeth is shortly contayned Thus in verye dede it appereth vnto men whyche be wythout all temtacion and in prosperitye of al thinges But the truth proueth that y e fayth in Christe is not so often in the. For whan Satan assauteth man yâ—… maye playnely se that fayeth is noâ—… all mens actes as Paule speaketh and that there be verye fewe that beleue And the diuell fyghteth agaynste men diuers wayes Some tyme he styreth them to desiar of reuenging by making to them an ene mie lykewise by offeryng ryches to couetousnes and deceyte besides thys by shewynge an other mans woman to lust and by shewynge an offyce to ambicion and suche other infinite worckes of the fleshe And howe manye be there but that they haue not a fal and that yeldeth not hym selfe prisonar to the diuyll and that doeth not obaye the affeccion of the fleshe stired vp by the deuyle And they the whyche lye downe eyther they beleue not in Christ or els they lose theyr fayeth They that be in the fleshe sayeth Paule cannot please God And agayne if ye lyue after the fleshe ye shall dye And Christe sayth him selfe Euery man that doth synne is the seruaunte of synne And Iohn all that do not iustice be not of God Sometyme be sente vs persecutours of the Gospell of Christe thorowe whom the deuyll entiseth menne to forsake Christe and to fall to synne And iâ—… is manyfeste howe fewe alwayes haue stande in the confession of Christe speciallye if the persequucions haue bene notable cruell And to denye Christe in persequucion it is a manyfeste proofe that eyther youre fayeth was not suer or that Christe was caste awaye Sometyme the Iewes ate seâ—… fore vs the Turkes whych despise oure religion and the Epicures By these Satan bryngeth to passe that the wyckednes of the people is opened For whan they boaste of howe all thynges come well to passe in theyr naughtie or rather no religion and saye Tushe It thy Christe were true God and cared for meÌ„nes matters why doth he not healpe you Christen men why doth he not defende you I praye you howe many bene there comonlye amonge the common people whyche at these wordes althoughe they be openlie againste God and blasphemous wyl not begynne to doubt of Christianitye and if he were set vpon by persecution wolde not fall awaye to vngodlynes and despising of Chryste Thys is a playne token that a greate sorte of men amonge Chrystyans dothe not knoweledge God in deade but onlye dreame of him And at last are cast against vs in oure conscience sinnes death and the paynes of hell Howe manye thynkest y u in these moste greuous temptacions and in the strait iugement of God do fall downe and peryshe For if the multitude can not stande faste at a trifling and plaine wycked obiection of a Turcke or an Epicure against the doctryne of goddes gospell howe wold he stand agaynst the fyrie dart of the deuell whiche he is wont to caste againste men before the fearefull iudgement seate of God Wherefore fayeth in Christe is not as easye and commoÌ„ a matter as easylye and commonly we speake of it but as it is moste ex cellente honorynge of God so doth it passe al mans streÌ„gth and nedes we muste receaue it from heauen and muste be raised vp in vs by the myghte of the holye gooste Fleshe and bloude sayeth Christ hath not opened it vnto them but my father that is in heauen Let vs call therefore vpon God y â— father that he wyl set on fier and instame oure hertes wyth true fayth whereby we beyng iustified may get saluacion thorow the sonne of God Iesus Christ our sauiour which is God wyth the father and the holy gost blessed for euer Amen ☞ The fyfte Homelie IEsus hath preached great thynges and excellent thinges of him selfe saying the sonne of man shall giue vnto you meat whych lasteth into lyfe euerlasting And thys is the woreke of God to beleue in hym whom he hath sente By the whyche sayinge he signified that the beste and most excellente worshypping of GOD is to heare hym and beleue in hym Uerily this is to lifte vp hym selfe not onlye aboue the common state of men but also aboue all Patriarckes and Prophetes For there neuer was anye Patriarcke and Prophete that toke so muche vpon hym nor promised so greate benefites of him selfe to hys hearers Let vs heare nowe therefore howe the Iewes toke thys Sermon or howe they iudged thys hys pride Wherefore they sayed vnto hym what synge doest thou shewe that we maye se and beleue the what workest thou Our fathers haue eaten Manna in the deserte as it is written He gaue theym breade from heauen to eate This is y â— meaning of y â— Iewes answere Thou crakest that thou wilt giue vs great benifits thou tellest vs that thou arte the Prophete whomeâ—… Moyses commaunded to heare and that thou art Messias iâ—… whome the Prophetes badde vs be leue but yet haste thou not proued it by anye signes nether haste decla red thy self in dede such one as thou art If thou woldest giue vs Man na from heauen as oure fathers haue eate in deserte after the saying of Psal. lxxvii He raigned Manna for them to eate and gaue theÌ„ bread frome heauen If thou woldeste delyuer vs frome this harde bondage wherewyth we be oppressed of the Romaines as Moses deliuered vs frome the bondage of Egypte we woulde beleue that thou were sente of god and to be the very Messias But nowe seynge that thy selfe art a poore man and although one eue nyng thou feddest vs yet to day bâ—… we neuer the lesse hongry nedye and wretched we can not knowledge the for so great a Lord and for the true Messias Here agayne man maye se that the Iewes lusted after nothing but that was good for the bodye to seke only an yearthly kingdom â—…eshly ioye in Messias a woful mater and ernestlye to be wepte for that men are wonte onlie to care for thys that theyr body may fare well and thyncke all the rest safe if the bodilye commodities be safe For if they maye gette the pleasure onelye of thys worlde they thyncke that heauenly ioye wyl folowe of it selfe and therefore they take all the care and thought all the paynes labour yea I saye more all iniquytye and vngodlynes to get vnto them these yearthely pleasures Laye vnto thys that they maruayle at and worshyppe those men onely whom they se to be happy wyth these earth ly commodities and whome they hope shall be the helpers that they theim selfes also may get these gayâ—… thynges Amonge theym were hadde in greate price Theodas Iudas Galileus and afterwardes also Cochabas because they promised theym here earthly ioye filicitie and deliue raunce from the bondage of the Ro maynes wher as not wythstanding vnder payne of death the Apostles were vtterly banyshed whyche prea ched true and heauenly felicity and good thynges that shoulde
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
Christe is saluacioÌ„ it selfe from the begynnynge bycause he is verye God It remayneth therefore that he that desireth to se and beare god and to learne of God must nedes se and heare Christe and learne hys Gospell and kepe it thorowe sayeth that he maye haue true saluacion No man sayeth he in an other place hath euer seen God The onely sonne that is in the bosome of the father he hath declared of hym And agayne no man knoweth the father but the son and he to whome the sonne wyll shewe hym And agayne Phylip he that seeth me seeth my father also Wherefore in y â— desier to se God to heare hys heauenlye doctryne and to get saluacion we haue no nede to saye as Mo ses sayed who of vs shall ascende into heauen to se and heare God But Christ must be sene and heard we muste beleue in Christe thorowe hys Gospell For thys is the face of God that is the expresse Image of the substaunce of God thys is the voyce and worde of God Thys also is the lyfe and health it selfe that whoso euer shall beleue in hym maye haue lyfe and healthe euerlastynge because he is euen wyth the father and the holy gooste god blessed for euer Amen ☞ The eyght Homilye CHriste after the confutacion of the Iewes muâ—… muringe coÌ„meth againe to his Sermon that he hadde begonne Let vs also come agayne to the declaracion of it that by the meditacion of gods word we maye do oure duetye and shewe our selfe to the holye goost readye to be taughte true godlines Verelye verelye sayeth he I saye vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlastynge lyfe That whych Christ rehearsed some tyme before the same nowe doth he repete wyth playne and open wordes And thys is the sum not onely of thys sermon whyche Christ hath in thys place but also of the whole Gospel of Christ. Moses called vs to heare the Sermons of Christe a thousande and fyue hundred yere before Christe was borne sayinge heare him And Christe was sent of God the father for thys offyce to shewe his Gospel and we men were called for thys poynte and be here in thys world to thys vse to knowe Christe oure sauioure by the Gospell Wherefore seynge thys sayinge of Christ that we haue shewed is the summe of all hys whole Gospell it muste be so muche made of that euerye worde owght to be considered And fyrste se wyth howe greate asseueracion Christe affirmeth hys worde Uerelye verely sayeth he I say vnto you Thys is the othe of Christe whereby he sygnifieth that nothynge is more fyrme nothynge more true nor nothynge more suer Howe much mischeife doth he than whyche wyll not beleue the sonne of god no not whan he sweareth And secondlye he maketh no dyfference of persons sayinge he that beleueth in me whether he be Iewe or greke whyther he be circumcised or vncircumcised whither he be man or woman ryche or poore master or seruaunte honest or vnhonest I saye if he beleue in me he hath lyfe euerlastynge I fynde it true in dede say eth Peter that ther is no respecte of persons wyth God But in euerye nacion he that feareth GOD and worcketh iustice but that no man can do well excepte he beleue in Christ the same man is accepted of hym And Paule sayeth who soeuer of you is Baptised hathe putte on Christe There is neither Iewe nor Greke there is neither seruaunt nor freman there is neyther man or woman For all you are one in Iesus Christ. Moreouer wheÌ„ Christ teacheth in thys place howe to get and haue lyfe euerlastynge he requireth not circumcision not the sabboth daye not sacrifices and such other leuiticall holy thynges whyche were in dede in theyr time the worshypping and seruyce of God and had a good vse but they were not the deseruynges of eternall lyfe Nor Christ sayeth not he that hathe honoured father and mother he that hathe not kylled he that hathe not stolen he that hath hadde pitye of the poore hathe lyfe euerlastynge For althoughe these be good workes commaunded of GOD to the whych preceptes we must nedes also obey and these worckes shoulde deserue lyfe euerlastynge if a man were iust and spiritual in dede and coulde do these worckes perfectlye as the lawe of god doeth perfectlye require them If thou wylte go into lyfe kepe my commaundementes yet bycause man is carnall sold vnder synne and doeth not these good worckes perfectlye it cannot be that they shoulde deserue eternal lyfe What sayeth Iesus than He that beleueth beleueth sayth he in me He requireth fayth which we muste shewe to hym And what is that fayeth What is to beleue in Iesus We wyll shewe you in very fewe wordes because in other places we haue spoke of it at large for to beleue in Iesus is to beleue y t the same Iesus the sonne of Marye is the true Messias or Christe the Sonne of GOD whyche was made an oblacion for oure synnes and an expiacion and whyche was made for vs as Paule sayeth the wysdome of God the iustice sanctificacion and redempcion Therfore to beleue in Iesus is to put al thy truste in Iesus as true Christe so also a true redemer and sauioure Thou wylte saye thys we wyll do easilye for what is more easye specially among Christen men than to beleue thys Iesus to be true Christ and redemer of our synnes Happye are we therefore that eternall lyfe is so easily gotten Thus the fleshe somtyme either doth swetely laugh at the doetryne of the Gospell touchynge the fayeth in Iesu Christ or vng odlye abuseth it to hys licence and lewde libertye But the thynge it selfe doeth teache that fayeth in Christ is a farre other worcke than the fleshe imagineth and many thin ges do testifie howe harde yea how impossible it is to the fleshe to beleue in Iesu christ For consider me wyth howe great authoritye Christ hym selfe the onelye sonne of God hath taughte hys owne Gospel and wyth what miracles he hath confirmed the trueth thereof and howe fewe were there that beleued him In the people of the Iewes were so many wyse men so many wittie meÌ„ whych verelye if fayeth in Christe myght haue bene conceyued by carnall reason and strengthe of mans wysdome they woulde wyth greate obedience haue taken Christe For fayth groweth not in the fâ—…eshe but the holy goost gyueth it by the gospell from heauen No man sayeth Christe can come to me excepte my father that hath sent me drawe him And it is sayed to Peter Flesh and bloude hath not shewed vnto the but my father whyche is in heauen Hytherto commeth that wyse men in this world not only not haue bele ued in Christe but also haue persecuted wyth all the crueltye they could thys fayeth and profession as wel among the Iewes as amoÌ„g the gentils And if it were so easye a thynge to beleue in Iesus Christ as the fleshe maketh it who would soner haue conceiued fayeth than these wise meÌ„
of the lord should be giuen to infantes For it was chieflye instituted to acknoweledge the loue of Christe towarde vs and to strengthen our fayth in tentacions But infantes whyche be graffed into Christe thorowe Baptisme althoughe they haue fayth after their certayne maner so also after theyr fashion eate the fleshe of Christ and ◅ryncke his bloude that is euen after that manner whych Christe requireth in thys sermon yet neyther do they vnderstande fayeth nor the tentacions of fayeth Wherefore the vse of the supper of the Lord is not necessarye to theym But nowe to retourne agayne to our purpose the wordes of Christ whych in this place be spoken of eatynge of hys fleshe and drinckynge of his bloud must not be vnderstande of any out warde eatynge and drynckyng but of the verye fayeth in Christe whiche in thys sermon Metaphorically or by a translacion is called eatynge and drynckynge For whan Christe had take in hande thys sermon by occasion of that breade wherewyth he fedde more then fiue thousande menne in deserte and suche as they soughte for whyche came to hym into Capernaum he vseth also the name of breade for hys fleshe and the name of dryncke for hys bloude So by occasion of thys Metaphore or translacion he vseth the worde of eatynge and drynckynge for the worde of beleuynge as wh◅ he sayeth excepte ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of manne and dryncke hys blud you haue not lyfe in you Thys is hys true meanyng except you beleue in me whyche wyll gyue my Ceshe for the lyfe of the worlde and wyl shede my bloude to put awaye the synnes thereof you shall not gette true health and in verye dede Christe by thys Metaphore doeth vnderstande playnelye the same thynge that before he sayed simplye All men that se the sonne and beleueth in him haue lyfe euerlastynge And after wardes Uerylye verylye I saye vnto you he that trusteth to me hathe lyfe euerlastynge For it is manyfeste that Chryste thinketh this eatynge and this drinkinge whiche he requireth in thys place to be necessarye to lyfe and saluation sayinge Except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drynke hys bloude ye haue not lyfe in you But if we shulde saye as trueth is none other thynge is symplye necessarye to vs for oure health then fayeth in Christe Good worckes also after their manner be necessarye But we nowe speake of that thynge by the whyche we are iustified and be saued before God But we be iustified by Christ only and by faith onelye by the whyche we receyue Chryst yea rather we be receaued of hym and as I might say be our selfes in corporate vnto hym The iuste man saith the Prophet liueth by hys faith And Paule sayth we thynke that mā is iustified by faith withoute the worckes of the lawe And agayne We knowe that man is not iustyfyed by the worckes of y ◠lawe but by faith of Iesus christ Wherfore it is also manyfest that Chryste by the eatynge of hys flesh and drynckynge of hys bloude in this place vnderstandeth none other thyng than faith which is to be had of his fleshe his bloude y t is y t we beleue his fleshe to be giuē to death for vs that we may haue life hys bloud to be shed to y ◠remissiō of our synnes For so to eate the fleshe of Christ to drinke his bloud y t is to beleue in Christ is playnely necessa ry to our helth saluaciō And ther was neuer mā w tout this eatinge drinking which eyther hath gotten before or euer shal get saluaciō Adā him selfe the first man althoughe in y ◠time of his lyfe christ was not yet come yet eate he his fleshe dranke his bloude because he beleued that Christ shoulde come whiche by hys fleshe bloud y t is by his death put ged our synnes Noe also Abraham the other patriarckes prophets did eate the flesh of Christ drinke his bloud because they beleued that the◅ should get saluacion by Christ which shuld suffer in fleshe for their sines put away their iniquities by his bloud So also al good mē whiche after Christes cōming liue here in this world althoughe thei do not alwaies take y e supper of y e lord yet alwaies they eate the fleshe of christ drinke his bloud because they beleue y t Christe hath put away theire synnes by hys bloude death But let vs here now for what cause this eating drinckyng whych is fayth in Chryst doth bryng vnto vs or if you list so to saye receiueth lyfe and saluacion It foloweth For my fleshe is verely meate my bloud is verely drincke He that eateth my flesh and dryncketh my bloude he tarieth in me and I in hym Thys is the comparacion of meate and dryncke wyth the fleshe and bloude of Christe And the comparacion is made partelye by a dyssimilitude and partly by a lykelyhode The dyssimilitude is that althoughe corporal meate drinke noryshe the man and substayne hys lyfe yet are they not the meate and dryncke whych kepe man for euer but for a whyle in thys corporall and fadyng lyfe But the fleshe and bloude of Christe if they be receyued in fayth that is if ye beleue the fleshe of Christ to haue bene gyuen to death for oure synnes and hys bloude to haue bene shed for the remission of synnes are meate and dryncke in dede bycause they kepe man in lyfe perpetuall For he that beleueth in Christ he semeth in dede to dye as other men but hys death is no death but a slepe because that hys lyfe is hyd wyth Christe and kept of Christe vntyll he be raysed agayne in the last daye And the similitude is that as the iuyce of corporal meate and drinke is sent into all the partes of man and turneth the hauioure of hys bodye into hys nature as if a manne vse to moyste mea◅ ▪ the body also is made moyst if he vse could meate the body is also made coulde so also the fleshe bloude of Christe turne hym that taketh them that is the beleuer into their nature He that eateth sayeth he my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude abydeth in me and I in hym that is we be made one fleshe one bloude And the same nature that my fleshe and my bloud hathe the same also getteth he that eateth me And the fleshe of Christe is lyfe I wyl gyue my fleshe sayeth he for the life of the worlde The fleshe also of Christe coulde not peryshe in death but rose agayne from death And the bloude of Christe putteth awaye synnes because it is iust and innocent bloud Wherefore he that eateth thys meate and dryncke as he is counted iuste before God ▪ so al so is he made alyue that he dye not in death but ryse agayne and haue lyfe euerlastynge And what canne come to man eyther more profitable or more holsome thā this meate and dryncke which