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
vvere the bondslaues of synne and heires of eternall death It is that happy and ioyfull tidinges vvhich exempteth vs from all feare and bringeth occasioÌ„ of incredible ioye because it tolde of his comming vvhiche came to seke and to saue that vvhiche vvas lost For God so loued the vvorlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to the ende that all vvhiche beleue in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting It is that moste riche treasury vvhiche conteyneth vvhatsoeuer Moses and the Prophetes haue vvritten vvherein is opened vnto vs all the counsell of God. It is the povver of God to saluation to as many as bâ—â—â— to the Ievve first and to the Gentile It is the preaching of the crosse vvhiche vnto those â—…erishe is foolishenes but vnto vs that are saued the povver of God. It is that Myrror of the deuine glorie in vvhiche vve all beholding the glory of the Lorde vvith vncouered face are chaunged into the same Image from glory to glory as by the spirite of the Lorde The doctrine also of the Gospell is so certayne and in euery pointe so absolute that although an Angell from heauen should preache any other thing but the same he ought to be counted accurssed It is the vnsearcheable misteries of Christe vvhiche in other ages vvas not knovven to the sonnes of men as it is novve reuealed to his holy Apostels and Prophetes by the spirite It is the vvoorde of lyfe vvith vvhiche all the godly must holde out in the middest of a naughty and croked nation It is also the vvorde of truthe vvhich is not onely come among vs but also doth fructefie and increase through the vvhole vvorlde in spight of the resistance of Sathan and his ministers It is that holy and true saying vvhiche is vvorthy to be receiued of all men not as the vvorde of men but as it is in dede for the vvorde of God vvhiche also vvorketh effectually and mightely in those that beleue It is the spirite of the mouth of the Lorde vvhich shal slea that vvicked sonne of perditioÌ„ Antechrist vvho shall seduce them that perishe It is that faithfull saying and vvorthy by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christe came into the vvorlde to saue synners This is the same Gospell vvhereby Christe the sonne of God comming into this vvorlde hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light For it teacheth hovve vvee being iustefied by the grace of God are heires according to the hope of eternall lyfe It is moreouer that immortall and incorruptible sede vvhereby he vvhiche vvas before vvicked and vnprofitable is made a nevve creature in the Lorde It is the liuely vvorde of God mighty in operation and sharper than any tvvo edged svverde and entereth through eueÌ„ vnto the deuiding a sonder of the soule and of the spirit and of the ioyntes and mary and is a discerner of the thoughtes and intentes of the harte It is that pure vvord vvhich being receiued vvith mekenes and grafted in vs is able to saue our soule It is that holy vvorde of the Lorde against vvhich almoste all the vvorlde is bente and yet it endureth for euer It is also that Scripture vvhiche is geuen by inspiration from heauen vvhich they that are vnlearned and vnstable peruerte to their ovvne destruction It is that inuiolable vvorde vvhiche vvhosoeuer kepeth in him is the vvorde of God perfecte in dede It is the doctrine vvhiche vve must only imbrace so that if there come any to preache vnto vs and bring not this he ought not to be receyued of vs no nor yet saluted It is the vvorde of saluation and veritie vvhose faithfull preachers ought courteously to be receyued Contrarivvyse the contemners and scorners of the same shal be greuously punished by Gods iust iudgement And to conclude it is the eternall Gospell vvhiche must be published vnto them that inhabitâ—… on the earth to euery nation and kynred and tongue and people Those men therefore are vnhappy which set light by this vnuiolable Gospell of Christe but farre more vnhappy are they whiche haue and persecute the ministers and fauourers thereof and moste vnhappy of all are suche as deny and reiecte frowardly that whiche otherwyse they knowe to be true of whiche sorte many are founde among the Papistes for whome it had bene better not to haue knowne the waye of righteousnes than when they haue knowen it to retourne from that whiche was set forthe by Gods commaundement But it falleth out with them according to the true prouerbe The dogge is returned to his owne vomet and the Sowe that was wasshed to wallowe in the myer I beseche you moste dearely beloued brethren in Christe â—â—e from suche as are worse than the Dogge or Serpente and reade ouer this booke whiche is offered vnto you with great dilligence you shall finde in it I trust wherewithall to confirme your myndes in Christe our Sauiour aboundauntly among so many and so great troubles of this curssed worlde To hym be glory honor and dominion for euer and euer Amen Farewell in the Lorde At Viuiacum in the Calendes of Ianuary 1559. The names of those out of whose woorkes this exposition is gathered 1 Martin Bucer B. 12 Augustine AVG. 20 Iosephus 2 Caluin C. 13 Hierome HIER 21 Aulus Gelius 3 Erasmus E. 14 Origene OR 22 Plini 4 Musculus M. 15 Cyrill CYR. 23 Budaeus 5 Philip Melanethon P. 16 Chrysostome CHR. 24 Georgius Agricola 6 Erasmus Sarcerius E. 17 Basil BA 25 Cicero 7 Brentius R. 18 Eusebius EVS. 26 Hegesippus 8 Bullinger Bu. 19 Gregory GR.   9 Zuinglius Z.      10 Vitus Theodorus V.      11 Augustine Marlorate A.      A GODLY AND CATHOLIKE EXPOSITION OF THE holy Gospell of Iesu Christe after Mathewe THE ARGVMENT THE MORE PLAINE AND EASY THOSE things are vvhich are described and set forth vnto vs in this EuaÌ„gelical history the more vve ought to seeke chiefly for vvhat purpose the Euangelistes not content vvith the office of preaching committed vnto their posteritie in vvryting the preaching of Iesu Christe vvhiche by mouthe in their tyme here and there they had published For it is certaine that they did it not vvithout a speciall meaning and intent Surely the holy Ghoste vvith the vvhich they vvere inspired did forsee that there should come many after the deathe of the Apostels by the instinct and motion of Sathan vvhiche should bring vnto men â—…o the defacing and dâ—…siling of the doctrine and faith of Christ false opinions and vayne dreames vnder the name of Christe A and vvould place and set false and fayned thinges in stede of that vvhiche is the very truthe and so vvould either extinguishe and cleane put out the true light of the Gospell or at least so obscure and darken the same vvith their thicke and mistie cloudes that scarse truthe
hym as the most excellent kinge Neyther dyd they thinck more of him thā that he was endewed with a singuler power dygnitie wherby he might make all peple to haue him in worthy admiration and reuerēce It may be also that they came vnto him before the tyme to obteyne his fauoure wherby he might be fauourable and ientle vnto theym if by chaunce it came to passe that he myght gette the dominion of the East parte vnto him 3. VVhen Herode the kinge had harde these thinges he was troubled and all Hierusalem with him VVhē Herode had heard these thinges B. It was no marueyle if the kynge were pricked and troubled in conscience when that he heard that a king was born to the Iewes The forewarninges of the Prophetes were not vnknowne to Herode by the whiche a kynge was promised to the Iewes whiche shoulde restore those that were afflicted and ouerwhelmed into a blessed and happy state For he was brought vp of a child in that coūtrey had lerned those things familiarly Admitte that this rumour was publyshed a broade by little and lyttle that the people dwellyng there aboutes myghte knowe it Notwithstanding he is troubled as with some newe and vnwonted thing And that because hée abrogating Faith from God his promises thought that a redemer was looked for in vayne specially when as he had perswaded him selfe with foolishe trust and confidence as lofty and proude men are wōt to do that his kyngdome was stablyshed for euer to him and his posteritie But wheras at the fyrste he beinge druncke as it were and ouercom with his felicitie and happy state did carelesly despise the prophetes is nowe made sodeinely afraide with the remembraunce of them Neyther wolde he haue ben so greatly moued with the symple talke of the wyse men excepte the deuine oracles had come into his minde whiche before seemed ridiculous vnto him and of no force Euen so the lord after he hath suffered the vnfaithfull for a time to sleepe dothe at a soden wake them and stirre them vp from the same M. Also in this place we muste note howe that this kinge Christ came to geue heauenly kingdoms to the faithfull not to take awaye from those that rayne in this world their earthly kingdomes very rashely therefore was Herode troubled about this rumour of him that should be borne king of the Iewes For he was troubled with the sinister wronge opinion that he had of Christe After the very same maner is the truthe of God despysed in this worlde of those that are mighty and beare rule because they are afrayde that theyr kingedomes shal be taken from them when as his doctrine doth not take away the rule of this worlde but dothe confyrme them by the word of God and doth direct them to the glory of god Peraduenture also the seditiouse braine of the Iewes gaue great occasion to Herode to be troubled But thereby his impietie and vngodlinesse is not excused whiche he shewed towardes Christ beinge borne For howe seditiouse so euer this people had ben notwithstandinge all thinges being attempted he was fayne to go vnder the yoke and to submit him selfe in the whiche thing sufficiently the wyll of the lorde is declared because he wold in no wise moue and helpe forwarde the seditiouse pretence of the Iewes Whereby he myghte easely haue taken occasion to putte awaye this feare if he had had any reason or vnderstandinge of the iudgementes workes of God. In lyke maner the prynces and maiestrates in our tymes can not be excused whiche go about to opresse the doctrine of the truethe as if it were a seditiouse doctrine For although not a few seditiouse spirites haue gonne about to trouble the state of the common wealth yet neuerthelesse it is euidently enough declared that the prouidēce of God doth not fauour their indeuoures which hath made al their doings hitherto voyde and of none effect that they myghte haue no iust occasion of resistinge the doctrine of the trueth And all Hierusalem vvith hym C. This maye be expounded twoo maner of wayes eyther that the citezens were troublously as it were with a tumulte styrred by the suddeyne noueltie of the matter although willingly they receyued the glad tydinges of the kynge that was borne vnto them or elles because they beinge accustomed to euill kinges for their longe pacience the sore being ouerlayed they feared a chaunge leaste that afterward ther should come a greater destruction and calamytie For they were so worne weried with continuall warres and almost consumed that myserable and cruell seruitude ioyned to them with peace was not onely tollerable but also of them desyred and wished for Whereby it is euidente howe euyll they profited vnder the correctiō of god For they were made so dul with abashement and vnsensiblenes that euen now the promised redemption and health after a sorte stancke and was odiouse vnto thē And it is not to be doubted but that Mathew goeth about to note their ingratitude because they beinge discouraged with the tediousenesse of euyll men dyd caste from them all hope and desier of the grace whiche was promysed vnto them Very few that beleued were at that time at Hierusalem so that almost all of them did rather couet a worldly peace and quietnesse whiche dureth but a tyme then the euerlastinge tranquillitie and kingdome of Chryste they were so troubled so sone as they hearde that a newe kynge was borne vnto them And so of that whereof they should haue most reioyced they most lamented and sorowed 4. And when he had gathered all the chiefe pristes and scribes of the people together he demaunded of them where Christ should be borne C. We haue hearde the trouble of Herode nowe let vs here his crafte and hypocrisie Althoughe there was greate silence small talke of Christ in the kings courte yet notwithstandynge a rumour of the kynge was spred abroade by the wyse men whiche made the prophesies to be remembred where as before they were quite forgotten Wherfore Herode dyd by and by coniecture that the kynge wherof the wise men made inquiry was the Messias which long before was promised And hereby agayne it appereth that Herode was afraide in good earnest since that so carefully he inquireth no maruaile For so muche as all tyrantes are afrayde and their owne crueltie and tyranny bringeth more feare vnto them then it doth to any other Herode coulde not chose but be more afrayde then any other whiche knewe that he raigned agaynst the will of God. All the chiefe priestes E. These chiefe pristes weare the chiefe prelates amonge the priestes both for their holy lyfe and wysedome and also for their skyll in other matters whiche were of great power before that Herode bare rule wherby they were as yet in greate authorytie among the common people And scribes Bu. S. Luke calleth these scrybes lawyers These gaue aunsweres out of
To this efecte was the parable of the figge tree alleaged of our sauiour Christ in Luke saying Except ye repent ye shal al likewise perish he tolde also this similitude A certayne man had a figge tree plāted in his vyneyard he came and sought fruite therō and found none Then said he to the dresser of his vyneyarde Beholde this three yere haue I com and sought fruit of this figge tree find none cut it downe why combereth it the ground he answered and said vnto him Lord let it alone this yere also tyl I digge round about it and dounge it to see whether it wyll beare fruits and if it beare not then after that shall you cut it downe And in an other place Christ faith thus If any abyde not in mee he is caste out of the doores as a branches withereth men gather them and cast them into the fyer they burne 11. I baptise you with water vnto repentance but he that shal com after me is mightier then I whose shoote I am not worthy to beare he shall baptise you with the holy ghost with fier I baptise you vvith vvater C. The thre Euangelistes do reherse the selfe same wordes of Iohn the Baptiste In this one thynge Luke is more plentyfull because fyrste he dothe shewe for what occasion this sermon was made that is to saye because it was a doubte that the people would take away the honour of Christ by a false wrong opinion M. For he saith As the people were in a doubt al mē mused in their hartes at Iohn whether he were very Chryste Iohn answered said vnto thē all I baptise you with water c. C. Therfore that he might in time take away the occasion of the errour he doth plainely say that he is not Christ and so he doth disseuer him self frō him that he may bringe him that right which aparteined vnto him And truly he did this willingely that he myghte bringe disciples vnto Christ as the prouerbe is from hand to hand but he preuenteth it the soner least in holdinge his peace any lōger he shuld confirme the errour of the people C. His wordes therefore tend to this efect I cal al men to re pentance and hauing professed the same I signe them with the seale of Baptisme whereby they maye be assured that theyr sinnes are forgeuen thē if they beleue in him which shal come after me that is to say in Christe whiche onely forgeueth sinnes geueth the holy ghost printing a true faith in our hartes of remission of sinnes and mortifying also the affectiōs of our fleshe He vvhiche commeth after me This is spoken in the present tence The greke participle is doubtful so that thou maist vnderstand it that Christ was Iunior or younger then Iohn or elles that he shoulde succede Iohn in the office of preaching So the Euāgelist Iohn resiteth the same wordes saying After me there came a mā which went before me for he was before me Is stronger then I. C. By these wordes he dothe shewe that Christ was of a greter power dignitie in respect of whom he also was subiecte as if he should say The worke of Christ to come that is the redemption of mankind the kingdom which he receiued of God the father do require greater force power then I or any man els cā shew I am his minister he is the lord whiche hath receiued all power of his father Therfore in that Iohn doth acknowledge his own imbecillitie it is done to attrybute the glory of vertue power to Christ to saue and to destroy to saue the elect to destroy the reprobate also he doth admonish vs that there is no sainct or angel Christ only excepted that hath power to saue destroy VVhose shoose I am not vvorthy E. He said before that Christ was stronger then he to āplifie the same he saith that he is vnworthye to cary his shoose He vseth the common forme phrase of speche by the which he doth so extol the glory of Christ that aboue him he cōpareth nothing To the whiche ende this is also spoken He must increase but I must decrease He shal baptize you vvith the holy Here Iohn maketh Christ the authour of spyrituall baptisme but yet neuerthelesse a minister of the externall thing Here he dothe seme to preuent before secretly a question that might be obiected agaynst him to what ende pourpose the baptisme that he toke vnto him serued Neyther was it any small triffell to bringe a new vnwonted thinge into the churche of God and that specially to set forthe a new kind of begīning that shold be more perfecte and better then the law of God. Therfore he answereth that he hath don nothing rashly though he be a minister of the outwarde signe that yet he dothe nothing at al diminish the vertue power of god Wherfore we may easely gather that it was no parte of his meaning to distinguishe make a differēce betwene his baptisme that which Christ gaue his disciples in cōmandement to vse the vse wherof also he wold haue cōtinually establyshed in the churche Neither doth he compare the visible signe to the inuisible but cōparing the persons of the seruant lord together he doth teache what is proper apperteining to the seruant what also as due right is to be rendred to the lord And also herby is gathered a general doctrine that is to say what are the partes of men in baptisme also what is properly to the son of god For only to men is cōmitted the administratiō of the outward and visible thing but that trueth it self doth onely remaine with Christ The scripture somtime doth improperly assigne to men that whiche Iohn doth affirme onely to belong to Christe which he denieth to apperteine vnto men but thā he doth not way and consider what man hath specially by him self but simplely doth teach what is the force and profite of signes howe God doth woorke with his holy spirite by them Here is geuen a distinctiō betwene Christ and his ministers least that the world geue that vnto them which only of duetie and right perteineth vnto him as nothing is more ready and inclined then the world to beautifie adorne the creatures with the spoyles of God. We knowe what howe great outragiouse contentions haue ben in these days as concerning the vse and efficacy of the signes al the which may be taken awaye with this one word that the whole institution of the lorde doth comprehende the author hym selfe and the vertue of the spirite with the figure minister but when as the mynister is compared with the lord that he maye haue al we muste bring the other to nothing VVith the holy ghost It may be demaūded why Iohn did not say as wel that it was Christ which did washe our soules with his bloud
lunatike C. He reckeneth vp the speciall kynde of disseases in the whiche Christ exercysed his power The scripture calleth not all them generallye possessed with deuilles whiche are vexed of the deuyll but those whiche are solde vnto sathan by the secrete vengeaunce of God that he maye possesse theyr mynd and senses They are called Lunatike the force of whose dyssease doth increase or decrease accordīg to the inclination of the mone suche are they that haue the fallinge sickenes the frensie and suche like Nowe for so much as we knowe that these kind of disseases are not curable by naturall remedyes it followeth that by theim the dygnitie of Christ is proued for so much as he most miraculously cured them 25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galile and frō the ten citties and from Ierusalem and from Iewery and from the regions that lye beyonde Iordane A. By this it should appere that Christ was known more more vnto the world So excellente was the begynning of his preachinge of the Gospell and so greate was his fame that this great multitude followed him from place to place The fyfth Chapter WHEN he sawe the people he went into a moūtayne and when he was sett his disciples came vnto him VVhen he savve the people C. This sermon of Christe differeth not frō that which is in Luke They whiche thincke otherwyse reade the words of Luke preposterously because Christ descended into the playne fielde because he castinge his eies vppon his disciples spake after this maner For it was the purpose of bothe the Euangelistes to gather at once into one place all the speciall and principal partes of the doctrine of Christ which apperteined to the methode and rule of framinge a godly and holy life Therfore although Luke at the firste doth make mention of the plaine féeld yet he doth not prosecute by and by the same historye but sheweth thē of the miracles that Christ wrought after the myracles he passeth forward to shewe of his doctryne neyther shewinge the tyme nor place Mathew in like maner descrybeth the place but not the tyme And it is lykely that Christ did not preache vntyll the twelue were chosen but I would not that we should be to curyouse in searchinge out the order of tyme which we sawe to be neglected of the spirite of god For this ought to suffice the modeste readers that they haue the brefe some of the doctrine of Christe set before theyr eies beinge collected and gathered out of many and sundry of his sermons of the whiche this here mentyoned was the fyrste wherein he preachethe to hys disciples of the trewe blessednes And vvhen he vvas sette M. It was the custome that those which dyd teach shulde sytte and teache Euen so Chryst when he red the prophesye of Esay in the Synagogge of Nazareth he closed the boke gaue it to the minister and satte downe and taughte And in an other place hee sayde to the souldioures in the garden ye are come forthe as vnto a théefe with swoordes and staues to take me I satte dayly teachynge in the temple amonge you and ye toke me not Also Iohn saith all the people came vnto hym and he sat downe and taughte them The bysshops followed this custōe because it brought som maiestie vnto thē And they thought it mete for none to teache after this sort but byshoppes Herevpon came the bysshoppes Chayre whereof diuers churches are called cathedrall Churches For it maketh no matter to graunte vnto them this maiestie of teachyng so that they instructe the people as they oughte to do in the doctrine of Chryst But now where as none of them do teache neither sittynge nor standynge howe shall they be excused Christe hym selfe dyd teache some while standynge some while syttinge according to the oportunitie of the place His disciples came Bu. The discyples came vnto Christe as witnesses of the doctrine of truethe that they mighte therefully preache and leaue the same in writinge to their posteritie whiche they had receyued from his most holy mouth 2. And after that he hadde opened hys mouth he taught them saiynge And after he had opened C. This is accordyng to the Hebrew phrase He opened his mouthe that is he began to speake He taught them sayinge Bu. Christ taught his disciples as well as the multitude But first of all we must see to what ende purpose our sauiour Christ did preache vnto his disciples of the trewe and parfecte blessednes We knowe that not only the common sorte of people but also wyse men thē selues haue ben in this errour thinkinge that he is happy blessed that is exempt and voyde of al griefe and trouble and that hauing his owne desire leadeth a ioyful and quiet lyfe Yea truely all for the moste parte do thincke that felicitie dothe depende vpon the presente state of this life Christ therfore that he mighte accustome and make his seruantes acqueinted with the sufferaunce and bearynge of the crosse seketh to take away and redresse this wicked opiniō that they are blessed which liue prosperousely and well in respecte of the fleshe For it is vnpossible that they shuld willingly put their neckes vnder the yoke of sorrows and iniuries which thincke that paciēce is disagreinge and contrary to a blessed lyfe Therefore there is one solace and ioye by the whiche the sharpe and bytter stinge of the crosse and of all euylles is made swete and mittigated that is whē we perswade our selues that in the middest of misery we are blessed and happy because the lord doth blesse our pacience who in short time wil send a more ioyful ende We cōfesse truly that this doctrine excedeth the common sence capacitie of men but it was necessary that the disciples of Christ shuld be so instructed that they might ground their felicitie in heauen and not in this worlde nor in the pleasure and affection of the fleshe For althoughe that the reason of fleshe wyll neuer admit that which Christ here preacheth yet neuerthelesse he propoundethe no fained thing as the Stoikes plaied in their paradoxis but in very dede he sheweth why they whose state and condition is thought miserable are parfectly happy This therfore is the som of the firste part of the sermon of Christ First he denieth those to be miserable which are oppressed with iniury which are subiecte to diuerse kindes of calamities Secōdly he sheweth that they do very peruersely which measure the blessednes of men by the present state of this life because the miseries of the godly shal in a shorte time euen as it were in a moment be altered changed into ioy Therfore he exhorteth them to pacience in hope of the rewarde 3. Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are the poore in M. This is the beginning of the sermon of Christ following in the which we must not only note marke what
purenes of harte is the mother of al vertues but notwithstanding there is scant one among a hundred whiche hath not crafte and deceite in steade of excelēt vertue Hereupon it commeth that the common sort of people thinke them blessed and happy whiche are conning and practised in working deceites and which can deale craftely with such as they haue to do withall Christe therefore doth nothing at al agre to the reason of the flesh when he calleth those blessed whiche are not delighted in deceit and fraude but do walke sincerely among mē and do shewe no other thinge with their woordes and countenaunce then they thinke and pretende in their harte M. Double in harte and pure in harte are contrary Lorde who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupte lyfe and doth the thing whiche is righte and that speaketh the truthe from his harte And agayne who shall ascende into the hill of the lorde or who shall ryse vp in his holy place Euen he that hath cleane handes and a pure harte and that hath not lifte vp his minde vnto vanitie nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour This cleanenes or sinceritie of harte commeth not of the nature of man For mans harte as the prophete saythe is wicked and inscrutable And the thoughte of mans harte is wicked euen from his youthe Furthermore who can saye my harte is cleane or I am free from synne But this cleanes and puritie of harte is geuen to man of God from aboue wherfore Dauid saith Make a newe harte within me O God. Also this sinceritie is gotten by faythe in Christe by which faythe he purifieth the harte Therefore whosoeuer beleueth in Christe he is of a pure harte and so many as follow the study of innocencie with a true faith For although our innocēcie in al pointes is not perfect notwithstanding we are sayde to be pure and cleane because the lorde doth impute the moste perfecte cleanes of Christe vnto vs and for our faythe he doth accept and receiue vs as cleane M. Moreouer the lorde doth seme to reproue the hypocrisie of the Phariseis whose hartes as they were hollowe crafty so were they obstinate and peruerse and had a false and wronge iudgement of the doctrine of truth Blessed saith he are the pure in harte that is which ioyne them selues vnto me with a pure symple desirous minde of knowing the wyll of God and do imbrace the doctrine of truthe without hipocrisie and doublenes of harte Suche were the disciples of Christ who imbraced the doctrine of Christe so sone as it was offered vnto them Suche was Nathanaell of whom Christe sayde Beholde a true Israelite in whome there is no deceite For they shall see God. C. Because the symple are derived as fooles for that they are not circumspecte to their owne luker and proffite Christe calleth them to consider farther that if they be not circumspecte to defraude and deceiue in earthe they shall haue and enioye the syghte of God in heauen Therefore they whiche are not delighted with crafte and deceite but walke godly purely and sincerely amōg men whiche also adioyne them selues with a sincere and feruent mynde vnto Christe suche I saye shall see God that is firste they shall be endewed with the perfecte knowledge of God they shal vnderstande his wyll and mynde what affection he beareth towardes them and laste of all they shall haue euerlastynge lyfe when they shall beholde hym not in the darke speakyng of faythe but face to face with his holy aungels 9. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the sonnes of God. Blessed are the peace makers C. He vnderstādethe suche peacemakers whiche do not only study for peace and so muche as in them lieth do eschewe put away brawlinges chidinges and contentions but also which with diligence pacifie contentions whiche aryse among others they are the authours of peace among all mē they cut of the occasion of hatred and debate as commaundeth the prophete Dauid Eschewe euell and do good seke after peace and insewe it Neither is this spoken of the lorde without great consideration For seing it is a troublesome thing to pa◅ifie those whiche are at dissention among them selues moderate temperate men which study and seke by all meanes to get peace are constrayned to beare this dishonestie that they heare the reproches the complaintes and quarrels of both partes which riseth hereuppon that none would willingly haue thē to be their aduocates whiche wyll not take their parte and defende them Let vs not therfore depende vpon the fauour of men Christe biddeth vs to haue respect vnto his fathers iudgement Who for so muche as he is the God of peace taketh vs to be his sonnes so long as we seke for peace although oure study and indeuour please not men For they shal be called M. That is they shall be thought they shal be in dede and they shal be acknowledged the sonnes of God whether it be of God him selfe or of those whiche haue the spirite of god The Hebrewe texte hath this woorde call for to suppose or thynke In Isaack shall thy seede be called The which Paule expoūdeth thus Neyther are they all children straightway that are of the seede of Abraham But in Isaac shall thy seede be called that is to saye they whiche are the children of the fleshe are not the children of god But they whiche are the children of promise are counted the seede Also where as Mathewe hath My house shall be called the house of prayer Luke saith It is the house of prayer Therefore if there aryse any contention and strife among men the preachers of the worde of peace shall redresse the same And for this purpose the Magistrate is appointed of God that we may one with another liue a godly and a peaceable life And so we shal be blessed and happy For we shal be called that is we shal be the sonnes of God whiche is the God of peace and not the God of debate and stryfe Also if we be sonnes then are we heyres of his glory and true felicitie Let the Cardinalles Byshoppes heads of the church in these our dayes reade and waye these thinges dilligently For men may easely vnderstande whose sonnes they be whē that thei blowe not the trōpe of the Gospel in the courtes of princes but rather they sounde their trōpet to warres battayle 10 Blessed are they that suffer persecutiō for righteousnes sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are they that suffer persecution M. It is a wonted and a commen thing for the children of this worlde to persecute the godly This wicked nature is declared by an infinite number of examples from the beginning of the worlde Bu. Therfore the worlde in this life doth counte them moste vnhappy and miserable which are banished their countrie spoyled of their
are their successors Neither doth he saye only in respecte of tyme that the prophetes were before them but because they are of the same order and that therefore they must frame them selues according to their example Finally this sentence bringeth great cōsolatiō to the disciples of Christ Neither can they easely be remoued whē that they knowe them selues to be the fellowes of the prophetes M. Moreouer we must here note howe great the iniquitie is of this present world which letteth not to trouble the people of God yea his speciall ministers with lyes reproches and persecutions Nowe for so muche as this hapned to them in the Churche of God to the which they were appointed what shall become of them that are without the churche Euen so the Prophetes Christe him self and the Apostels suffered all kynde of reproche and trouble layde vpon them by the Church of Israel Therefore what can be more blockishe and foolishe then they whiche thinke that none at this day can be afflicted and oppressed with iniury by the heads of Churches As though the state and condition of the ministers of Christe were better at this day then was the state of Christe him selfe his Prophetes and Apostels in their tyme Let the ministers of Christe therefore haue respecte vnto the lot and chaunce of thē which were before them in the office and ministery of the woorde of God neither let them hope in their tyme to haue better estimation and fauour if they teache Christe sincerely then had the Apostels and Prophetes which were before time 13 You are the salte of the earth but if the salte hath lost his saltnes what shal be seasoned there with it is then good for nothing but to be caste forthe of the doores and to be troden vnder feete of men You are the salte of the earth E. Nowe he doth bothe exhorte his disciples by reason to beare and suffer all kynde of euell for his kingdom and also to followe and immitate whatsoeuer is ioyned with excellent vertue C. Christ here doth referre the propertie of the doctrine to the persons to whome he had committed his ministration For in calling his Apostels the salte of the earth he meaneth that it is their office and dutie to salte and season the earthe because men haue nothing but that whiche is altogether vnsauery vntill they be seasoned with the salte of heauenly doctrine M. Christe our sauiour therefore by these woordes doth signifie and teache that all mankind hath nede to be seasoned least that it putrifie and perishe for it is altogether vnsauory and wholy subiecte to corruption and destruction if it be not seasoned with the heauenly salte and so preserued The doctrine of the Gospell is this salte with the whiche al men ought to be seasoned that they maye attayne to the sauer and taste of the heauēly and euerlasting life This doctrine for the sharpenes therof is hated enuied of the corruptible worlde for it requireth mortification of the flesh a liuely faythe and true repentaunce frō deade workes and suche lyke which are not very pleasaunt to the fleshe Preache thou the woorde saithe saint Paule be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with all long suffering and doctrine B. Certainly it was necessary that the doctrine of the infallible truthe whiche is the present medicine of the whole worlde should byte searche smarte burne purifie dissolue and heale by certayne reason notwithstanding and iust meane For as the salt is a certayne seasoning of the meate and as the temperate vse of the same bringeth some pleasaunt taste and pleasure euen so the immoderate mixture and ouergreat quantitie maketh the meate very vnpleasaunt This doth signifie that the pastors and teachers ought to do all thinges with iudgement and aduisedly least that they make the doctrine of truthe to be hated of many in beynge to curious in reprouing But if the salt haue lost C. After our maister Christe had taught his disciples wherunto they were called he doth denounce vn-them greuous and horrible iudgement except they discharge their office duty And he sheweth farther that the doctrine which they preache is so ioyned to a godly and and a honest lyfe that the corruption whiche is tollerable in others is coūted in them detestable and monstrous As if he should haue sayde If other men be vnsauery before God to you is geuen salte to make them sauore and to haue a taste or relishe but if you your selues haue lost youre saltnes whence will you seke for the remedy whiche you shoulde geue to others M. For as the salte beinge vnsauory cannot season any thyng neither can the salte it selfe hauing loste the proper nature by any meanes be seasoned againe euen so if those do amisse to whome it belongeth to exhorte and instructe others to the study of godlynes these twoo inconueniences and dammages shall ensue The one is that the foolyshenes and corruption of mankynde cannot by any other kynde of doctrine be amended for here neither the shewe of serimonies neither mans traditions and inuentions are of any force here vayne is the perfection of Philosophers yea vayne is here the holines of fleshe The other is that the ministers of the Churche if they falle if they erre if they do amysse then can not they by the seasoninge of other mens disciplyne be amendended and restored The whiche truly not onely the experience of the tyme paste but also of this tyme present dothe plainly enoughe declare namely that the corruption of ecclesiasticall ministers is incurable It is then good for nothing els but. Christe very aptly doth prosecute his metaphor when he saythe that other thinges whiche do degenerate from their nature are notwithstanding by some meanes proffitable after their corruption but the salte also to be very hurteful as to bryng barrens euen to the dounge hyll The effecte therefore is this that the disease is incurable when the ministers them selues do erre and are deceyued because they ought to season all the worlde with their salte B. For as the well head beyng dryed vp from whenche all other do spryng and flowe and as the lyghte being extinguyshed from whence all other candels are lighted there can no other water or fyer bee founde from whence they may receyue their qualitie agayne Euen so truly by foolyshe teachers who shal learne wisdom and knowledge and by blynde guydes who shall be conducted and led the ryght waye This therefore is a wonderful inconuenience and incurable E. Finally this admonition is not only proffitable to the ministers but also to euerye Christian man For so muche as God intendeth to season the whole earthe with the salte of his worde it followeth that whatsoeuer wanteth the same salte is not only vnsauory but putrified also corrupted before him although he seme to be seasoned in the sight of men Wherfore there is nothing better then to admitte and receiue
this kynde of seasonynge by the whiche onely oure putrifaction is corrected and amended but in the meane tyme let the saltours take hede that they suffer not the worlde in their foolishenes yea much more let them take hede that they infecte them not with their euell and corrupte seasoning And therefore the impudency of the Papistes is not to be borne with all who are not ashamed to adorne and decke their masking Prelates with these tytels that none myght so hardy of his eares reprehende any thing in them As though truely it were the purpose of Christe to geue vnto his disciples vnlaufull lybertie and to appoynte and make them slears of soules as tyrauntes and not rather to admonyshe them of their dutie leaste they shoulde departe from the righte lyne Christe dothe here shewe what manner of persones he would haue the teachers of his Churche to be Let therefore all vnsauory ministers pastors and teachers yea and suche specially as vaunte them selues to be the Apostels successours let suche I saye consider what a seuere commination and threatning our lorde and maister pronounceth against them that they of all men are in worse case if they be vnsauoury As plainlye we may reade in the prophecie of Malachy V. Wherefore let the preachers of the woorde take hede that they discharge their office and callynge throughlye leaste that the curse of the Lorde pronounced by the mouthe of the Prophete fall vppon them sayinge Seynge thou haste refused vnderstandynge therefore wyll I refuse the also so that thou shalt be no more my Prieste 14 You are the lighte of the worlde a cittie set on a hill cannot be hidde You are the light of the vvorlde M. He speaketh here in effect the same thing which he spake in the wordes going before sauing that he addeth a more plaine admonition Bu. Those whome before he called salte he now calleth light and where as before he called them the salte of the earth he now calleth thē the light of the world so that nowe by the worlde he vnderstandeth men liuing in the worlde Therfore as there is nothing more clere then the lighte so there is nothing more proffitable then the same He hathe very well therefore shadowed and prefigured the teachers of the church by the lighte by that meanes also the celestial euangelicall doctrine then the which as there is nothing more pure cleane so there is nothing that doth more replenishe vs with heauēly benefites thē that For the Prophete saith Thy woorde is a lanterne to my fete a light to my pathes C. For although we be all the sonnes of lighte after we be illuminated by faithe are cōmaunded to haue cādels burning in oure handes least we wāder in darkenes yea and to shewe others the way of life Notwithstandinge because the preaching of the Gospel was appointed to the apostles aboue other men also at this day is appointed to the pastors of the church Christ did specially geue this titel vnto them as if he should haue saide that for this cause they were placed in this degrée to shyne clerely vnto all men M. Finally Christe doth plainly shewe that this world without the doctrine of the kingdome of God whereof his disciples shoulde be the ministers should be oppressed quite ouer whelmed with the darke obscure cloudes of errour and finne Furthermore we see that the ministers of Christe ought to be in steade of the light lighting the darkenes of this worlde because of the doctrine of truthe whiche they shewe to the whole worlde For this is iudgement that light is come into the worlde and men loue darkenes more then lighte The doctrine of the Gospel is the light bewraying detecting and reprouing vngodlines and the ignoraunce of the true pietie of God and for this name it is muche enuied of the worlde for he which doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the lighte least his dedes should be made manifest Then after it hath put awaye the darkenes of ignoraunce it offereth the knowledge of God and true godlines to the hartes of mortall men But here it maye be demaunded how and after what sorte the disciples are the lighte of the worlde when as Iohn woulde not graunte the same to the foreronner of Christ saying He was not the lighte but he graunted that Christe was the light of the worlde And Christe speaking of him selfe saith I am the light of the worlde I aunswer Christe is the true light which receiueth not the light from any other but by his owne proper nature hath strengthe and power to illuminate His Apostels haue not so but are therefore called the lighte because they bare wytnes of the true lighte and they receyued the brightnes of the deuine knowledge of that lighte whiche saythe I haue chosen and ordayned you And agayne without me ye can do nothyng Euen so Iohn was a burnyng and shyuing lyghte but not of hym selfe for he was lyghted of this lyghte whiche is Christe Bu. The synceritie and integritie both of lyfe and manners whiche oughte to be in them is signified by this lyghte as appeareth by the woordes followynge So let youre lyghte shyne before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauē Hereuppon Saynt Paule saythe do all thynges without murmuringe and disputynge that ye may be suche as no mā can complayne on and vnfained sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a croked and peruerse nation amonge whome see that ye shyne as lyghtnes in the worlde A cittie buylte on a hill cannot be hid Bu. Nowe he sheweth by this parable that the heauenly doctrine and the lyfe of the teacher muste be godly holye pure perfecte and irreprehensible B. But oure lorde leafte the exposition of this collation to the intelligence of the hearers as thus As a cittie builte on a hill cannot be hid euen so ye can not be hyd neither ought ye but ye shal be made manifest vnto the whole worlde euen as a cittie set vppon an hill Wherefore by all meanes endeuour your selues that men may se that in you whiche is godly and verteous to immitate and followe 15 Neither do men lighte a candell and put it vnder a bushell but on a candelsticke that it may geue light to all that are in the house Neither do men light a candel C. He doth shew vnto thē by these wordes that they ought so to lyue as if they were set forth for all mē to be hold And certainly the more a mā doth excell the more he doth hurte by his euell example if he behaue him selfe not well Christ therfore wold haue his disciples to be more ware and circumspect to leade a godly sober lyfe then are the cōmon sort of people because al men do beholde them as candels and that they are in no wise to be borne withal except
the Lawe be once shaken For so sayth the Prophete Thus saithe the lorde If the couenaunte which I haue made with the daye and the night may be brokē Then may my couenaunt also be broken whiche I made with Dauid my seruaunt And a littell after he saythe agayne If I haue made no couenaunt with daye and nighte and geuen no statute vnto heauen and earthe then wyll I also caste awaye the seede of Iacob and Dauid my seruaunt One iot or titell of the Lavve shall not passe tyll all C. What meaneth this Question that euery iot and titell of the Lawe shall be fulfilled For we sée howe farre men are yea ando suche as are borne a newe by the spirite of God from the perfecte obseruation of the Lawe I aunswere that this fulfilling of the lawe is not referred to the life of man but to the sounde perfect truth of doctrine as if he shoulde haue sayde there is nothing vnstable in the Lawe there is nothing rashely put in the same and therfore it can not come to passe that one letter shall vanishe or passe awaye Wherefore this place here is of the certaintie and truthe of the woorde of God that we might not doubte no one tittell in the Lawe no one iot to be in the Prophetes in the whiche the vndoubted and infallible woorde of God is not declared For the woordes of the lorde are pure woordes euen as the syluer which from the earth is tried purified seuen times in the fier Bu. Tittels are the smalest thinges in wryting by the whiche also Christe dothe signifie that the smalest thynges sene and red in the Lawe shall be fulfilled V. Neyther is the lawe of God a humane and mutable constitutiō as are the preceptes of money or apparell whiche are dayly altered but as the wysdome of God his euerlasting righteousnes are immutable euen so his lawe of perpetuall and euerlasting obedience abideth for euer 19. VVhosoeuer therfore breaketh one of these least cōmaundementes and teacheth men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But who so euer dothe and teacheth the same shal be called great in the kingdome of heauen VVhosoeuer therfore breaketh C. Here Christ speaketh particularly of the commaundementes of life or of tenne sentēces by the whiche all men that are the children of God ought to frame theyr lyues And therfore he pronounceth them to be false and peruerse teachers whiche kepe not theyr scholers vnder the obedience of the lawe and he counteth them vnworthy whatsoeuer they be that be of the church whiche diminishe the aucthoritie of the lawe in any poynct those to be honest and méete ministers of God which do allowe and commende the obseruation of the lawe as well by the example of their life as with woordes S. To breake the lawe and to fulfyll the lawe are contrary He breaketh the lawe whiche desyreth another mannes wyfe although he commit not adultery and he is in this opinion that he beleueth that the fulfyllynge of the lawe maye be forgeuen for oure imbecillitie and weakenes sake or elles that God wil not so straightly deale with vs for the fulfyllinge of the lawe One of these least commaundementes C. He calleth them the least commaundementes according to the sence meaning of men For although all are not of lyke force weyght but when we compare them together one is greater and lesse then an other Notwithstandinge we may not thincke any thynge smale of the whiche it pleaseth the heauenly lorde and lawe maker to commaunde For howe great derogation is it to the glorye of God to take any thynge disdainefully which cōmeth out of his mouthe For by this meanes his maiestie shoulde be controlled Wherefore where as Christ calleth them lyttell commaundementes it is a kinde of graunting And teacheth men so B. He doth not reiecte him onely which transgresseth some cōmaundement and despiseth the parfection of the same but also him which teacheth others so namely that so greate perfection is not requyred as the Phariseyes and Saduceyes whiche requiringe onely the externall workes and contemninge the spirite of the lawe counted it nothinge to lust after a woman and so they taught also Shall be called the leaste C He alludeth this to that whiche was spoken of a lyttell before as concernyng the comaundementes notwithstandinge the sence is manifest and playne that they shall be reiected as the outcastes of all men which make the lawe to be contemned in any one poyncte The kingdome of heauen is taken here for the renouation or renuyng of the churche or for the second state and condition of the church which arose then of the preachinge of the Gospall So Christ maketh him which is least in the kingedome of heauen greatter then Iohn This maner of speakinge is because God renuinge the worlde by hys sonne Christe made his kingdome firme and sure Therefore Christ admitteth no teachers into his churche after it is renued but such as are faythful interpretours of the lawe and apply them selues to mainteine and set forthe the wholsom doctrine therof Bu. Let such reade these thinges more diligently whiche at thys day handle the law of the lorde very negligently and slyghtly when as by these woordes of the lorde a man may plainly perceiue that there is nothinge set forth by the heauenly wysedome of God in his diuine lawe whiche requireth not onely greate and earnest study but also much estimation and credite But some men wyll here demaunde Question Are not the ceremonies amonge the preceptes and commaundementes of God and what néede haue we of them to what ende shall wee obserue them They are answered that if they weye and consider the ende purpose of the lawe maker they shall be satisfyed For althoughe God do cōmaund ceremonies that the externall vse of thē shoulde be temporall but their signification eternall yet he doth not lose take away the ceremonies whiche kepynge still theyr effecte omitt that whiche is figuratiue and shadowed Nowe when as Christe dothe banishe all those from hys kingdome whiche accustome and teache men to despise the lawe theyr senceles sence is wonderful who ar not ashamed with theyr robbinge indulgences to remit that which God moste seuerely doth require and vnder the coullour of venial synne to treade vnderfote not regarde the righteousenes of the lawe But vvho so euer dothe and teacheth the same c. M. This that is spoken here perteyneth to the ministers of the word C. He teacheth them therfore what perfectiō is required of thē namely that they expresse and declare those thynges in theyr lyfe whiche by their doctrine they declare and teache So Paule dyd chastice his bodye and brought it into subiection least whē he preached to others he hym selfe shuld be a cast awaye And writinge to Timothe Be sayth he vnto them that beleue an exsample in woord in conuersation in loue in spirite in
quiet vntill present daunger vrged them and then exceading feare stirred them vp and perswaded them that they shoulde not bee saued excepte they awoke Christe And this was the cause why he accused them of infidelitie 26 And he sayde vnto them why are ye fearefull O ye of litle faithe then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea and there followed a greate calme VVhy are ye fearefull O ye of litle Bu. Nowe it followeth howe Christe behaued him selfe in this daunger and after what sorte he delte with his disciples being paste hope almoste Firste he blameth the imbecillite of their faith in this that he teacheth howe they ought not to quayle in perilles but cōstantly with an vndoubted mynde to hope for present helpe from the handes of the lord and sauioure Notwithstanding of this reprehension of Christe a question may be moued namely whether all feare ought to be cōdēned repugnāt to faith At the first he reprehendeth them not symplely because they feared but because they were full of feare they were out of measure afrayed Then he opposeth faithe against their feare and declareth that he speaketh of their immoderate perturbation which did not so muche exercise their faithe as it did shake their myndes Hereby it appeareth that all kinde of feare is not contrary to faythe for if we feare nothyng then there aryseth a wonderfull carelesnesse of the fleshe so that faithe languysheth synne increaseth and the remembraunce of God vanisheth away So we see that the feare whiche exerciseth faith is not of it selfe euell vntill it exceadeth the excesse consisteth in this if the tranquillitie of faythe be troubled or disquieted whiche ought to areste in the worde of God. Then he arose and rebuked A. Christ would trie his disciples but he woulde not suffer them to perishe therefore he rebuketh the wyndes and there followed a calme C. he commaunded the sea and the wynde to be quiet not that the lake had any sence or vnderstandynge but that he might shewe that the power of his voyce did pearce euen through the deafe elementes And there follovved a great calme M. This trewely bryngeth an vnspeakeable ioye and comforte to all the elect For in this place we learne that there is nothinge in this worlde so harde so cruell and desperate which Christ can not rule tame and ouercome C. Neyther doth the sea and the winde alone which are voyde of sence obeye the rule and power of God but the very wicked also for all their obstinacie are constrayned to couche To this place agreeth the sayinge of the prophete Dauid when he saith God is oure hope and strengthe a very present helpe in trouble Therefore we wyll not feare thoughe the earth be moued and though the hilles be caryed to the myddest of the sea Though the waters therof rage and swell and though the mountaines shake at the presence of the same Againe The lorde maketh warres to ceasse in all the worlde he breaketh the bowe and knappeth the speare in sonder burneth the chariots in the fyer M. It is most true therfore that the byshoppes of Rome affyrme that the ship of Christ whiche is the churche can not perishe it maye be assalted and beaten filled with waues but in the ende it wil escape and possesse a calme They speake the trueth It appereth no lesse by this place And we reioyce But let them see whether they be in the ship with Christ or no whiche perishe not then let them see whether they them selues are not they whiche trouble the churche or no which ouerwhelming the trewth replenishe and ouerlade the same with mennes traditions 27 But the men marueyled saying what maner of man is this that both windes and sea obey him C. The Euangelistes Marke and Luke attribute this saying to the apostels for after they had said that they were reprehended of Christ they adde that they cried out with feare sayinge what maner of man is this Notwithstandinge this saying did more appertayne to others to whom Christ as yet was not knowne Yet we allowe theim bothe Here nowe the fruite of the miracle appereth when the glory of Christ is celebrated For thē miracles do profyte vs when we wonder at the power of God in Christ submitte our selues wholly to his wyll Bu. Wherfore let all men learne here when they are delyuered from euyll that they haue respect to God alone to geue to hym all glory and to be thanckfull vnto hym for his benefites 28 And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesites there met him twoo possessed with deuilles whiche came out of the graues and were out of measure fearce so that no mā might go by that way And vvhen he vvas come B. By an other excellent miracle or benefite the lorde sealeth his power and declareth it to the whole world manifestly approuing him selfe to be lord not onely of the disseases and elementes of the worlde but also to be the ruler of Sathan the prince of this world Into the countrey of the Gergesites C. We haue already a littell before confuted their erroure whiche affirme that Marke and Luke declare an other history then this For when as the region of the Gadarenites is saide to be that which lieth ouer against Galilae of all the three Euangelistes and all the circumstaunces also do agree who wil be perswaded that these thynges happened at dyuerse tymes There met hym tvvoo possessed C. This one onely difference gaue occasion of errour to the interpretours to disseuer Mathew from the rest because he nameth twoo the other Euangelistes reherse and make mention but of one only But the coniecture of Austine is probable who thinking that there was twoo saith that they made mention but of one of them whiche was more famouse then the other because of his exceading fercenesse for the whiche crueltie and fearcenes the miracle seemed more wonderfull in him And trewelye we do see that Luke and Marcke do persist in amplyfying with many woordes the cruel fearcenesse of the deuyll the whiche maketh muche with the coniecture of S. Austin Where as Luke saithe there mett with the lorde a man out of the citie it is vncertaine whether he vnderstande hym to be a citizen of the Gadarenites or whether he wente oute of the cittie to meete with Christ For when he was commanded to go home as you may reade in the story and to preache to his famelye and kinsefolke the grace and mercy of God Marcke saith that he went and preached in the tenne cities which was a regyon nye to the Gadarenites and oueragaynst Galilae wherevppon it is gathered that he was not a Gadarenite by byrth Moreouer Mathew and Marke do in no point affirme that he came out of the citie but out of the monumentes or graues and Luke declareth that he lyued in the wyldernes These woordes therefor of Luke There met hym a certayne man oute of
Wherefore the Euangelistes are symplely to be vnderstoode who placed Peter and Andrewe or Peter Iames and Iohn in the firste place for no other consideration then because they were firste in vocatiō and calling C. Very fondly therefore the Romane byshops buylde their suppremacy vpon this place But admitte graunte that Peter was chiefest of the Apostels yet notwithstanding it followeth not that the thing whiche was of force amōg twelue shoulde extende it selfe to the whole worlde Admitte that he was first numbred yet it doth not thereupon followe that he should be chiefe or excel the reste VVhiche is called Peter A. Of this woorde Peter we haue spoken before in the fourth chapter And Andrevv his brother Howe this Andrewe came at the first vnto Christe saint Iohn playnly in his first chapter declareth Iames the sonne of Zebed E. The Gréeke texte hath onely Iames whiche was of Zebede and leueth out this woorde sonne but the olde intepretour because it was vnderstoode as appeareth by the article putteth it in We may reade of this mans death in the Actes of the Apostels And Iohn his brother This is that disciple whome Iesus loued as he hym selfe wytnesseth in the Golpel whiche he wryte 3 Philippe and Bartholomewe Thomas and Matthewe whiche was the Publicane Iames the sonne of Alphae and Lebbeus whose syrname was Thaddeus Phillippe and Bartholomevve Bu. These were twoo graue and excellent men although no mention is made of them in the holy scripture Thomas This is that Thomas Didimus whiche after the resurrection touched the perfecte body of Christe Mathevv vvhich had ben a P. A. The interpretour addeth this worde had ben to make the matter more plain M. For by this remembraunce or rehersall the Euangeliste Matthewe sheweth him selfe thankefull for the inestimable mercy of Christe towardes him whiche turned not away his face from a Publicane but vouchsafed to receiue hym to his grace Hereby we learne not to hyde and obscure the grace of Christe whiche happeneth vnto vs but to preache the same although it be to our own reproch For it pertayned to the glory of Christe that of a Publicane he was made an Apostell A. So Paule in diuers places reherseth what he was before his calling to enlarge set foorth the mercy of god M. Also note that the other Euangelistes adde not to Matthewe the name of a Publicane For it is better that a man remember his owne faulte then another do it But we in these dayes vse the contrary for we hyde our owne faultes and bewraye all that we can by other men if it touche the hurte of their good name Iames the sonne of Alphe He is called Iames the sonne of Alphe to make a difference betwene hym and Iames the sonne of Zebede Of some he is called Iames the lesse or the yōger And Lebbeus vvhose surname is Taddeus Bu. This man is sayde to haue thrée names For he was called Iudas the brother of Iames and Thaddeus and Lebbeus 4 Symon of Canaan and Iudas Iscarioth whiche also betrayed hym Symon of Canaan Bu. This Simō of Canaā was so called of Cana a towne in Gallilae as Hierom thinketh Luke saith that his sirname was Zelotes For Cana is as much to saye in Lattine Zelus which is in Englyshe zeale So that of Zelus he is called Zelotes And Iudas Iscarioth M. He is so called either of the towne where he was borne or els of the trybe whiche is called Isachar VVhiche also betrayed him A. This is spokē by a figure called Anticipation by the whiche we do commonly preuent that whiche followeth with some note or tytell as this also It was that Mary which annointed the Lord with oyntment and wyped his fete with her heare M. Here also we muste note that there is no fellowship so holy so pure and cleane but in the same there is founde some euell persone Wherefore we muste take hede that for one euell mans sake we reiecte not all the good and that for Iudas sake we reiecte not all the Apostles For the churche shall alwayes consiste of good and euell of faithefull men and Hypocrites vntill the highe Iudge come and separate the Goates from the Sheepe This lewde and fylthy persone defyled not the integritie ministerie of Sainctes howe great soeuer his transgressiō was Let vs therefore note that godly vertuous and honest men are not alwayes defiled by the company of the wicked and vngodly specially if they be ignoraunt of his wickednes neither is the doctrine of truthe and the administration of Sacramentes the worse for the vnworthynes of the minister 5 Iesus sent forth these twelue in nomber whome he commaunded saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles and enter not into the cittie of the Samaritanes Iesus sent foorth these tvvelue E. The Gréeke worde signifieth that thei were sent forth with commaundement strayght charge geuen vnto them as we shal here by and by It may be thought that the Lorde vsed this worde sente because the Prophetes make mention oftentimes of sendinge and of those that were sente And the lord him selfe expounding this woorde saythe thus Verely verely I saye vnto you the seruaunt is not aboue his maister neither is the Apostel greater then he which sente him The Apostels therfore are the messengers and Embassadours of the lorde to declare his commaundementes to those to whome they are sente Go not into the vvaye of the Gentyles C. Here more plainely appeareth that whiche we touched euen nowe that the office of the Apostels pertained to no other end then to make the Iewes to heare Christe attētiuely by putting them in mynde of the saluation whiche was at hande Therefore nowe he doth limitte thē to preache to the Iewes onely but afterwarde to sounde forth their voyce into the whole worlde The reason is this Because he was sente of his father being a minister of the circumcision for the truthe of God to confirme the promyses made vnto the fathers For God made a speciall couenaunt with the séede of Abraham So that for the promyse sake Christe would haue the firste fruites of his Gospell to be bestowed vpō the Iewes but when the fulnes of time was come thē would he haue it preached also to the Gentiles For after his resurrection he gaue theim this generall commission saying Go ye into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel to all creatures M. Saint Paule to cōfirme this saith The word of God ought firste to be preached vnto you but because ye put the same from you iudge youre selues vnworthy of euerlasting lyfe beholde we tourne to the Gentiles for so the Lorde commaunded vs I haue made thee a lighte of the Gentiles that thou be the saluation to the ende of the worlde And Christe hym selfe saythe I am not sent but to the loste shepe of the house of Israell And enter not into the cittie of
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
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
signes And a sygne shall not be geuen M. They dyd not require a signe with that minde and desyre to knowe the truethe althoughe they mighte thereby haue ben broughte to beleue the Gospell but as I sayde before for a subtyll pretence C. Therfore trewly they were conuicte and forced to geue place afterwarde by diuerse myracles neyther dyd Christ let to shewe his signes and wonders among them to the ende they might be voide of al excuse but he only meaneth that one signe was vnto thē as good as a hundred because they were obstinate and therfore vnworthy to haue theyr wicked desyre satisfyed Let them be contented sayth he with this signe that as Ionas beinge cast into the deepe sea and there ouerwhelmed dyd preache vnto the Niniuytes So let them heare the voice of the lyuinge Prophete This place of some is very slenderly expounded but for so muche as the similitude holdeth not in all poyntes betwene Christe and Ionas let vs see wherefore Christe compareth hym selfe to Ionas Surely he compared him selfe to Ionas because he shold be a Prophete likewise vnto them after he was risen from death As if he should haue sayde You despyse the sonne of God which came downe frō heuen vnto you it remaineth now therfore that I suffer deathe after the which I muste rise out of the sepulcher and beinge reuiued agayne I must speake vnto you euen as Ionas came oute of the depth of the sea and preached to the Niniuytes By the woordes of Luke he semeth to speake somewhat otherwise sayinge As Ionas was a sygne to the Niniuytes so shall the sonne of manne be to this nation As if he shoulde haue sayde The like that happened to the Niniuytes shall happen in these dayes that as Ionas by reason of the tempeste was caste into the sea of the mariners and was saued in the Whales belly three dayes and three nyghtes after the whiche tyme the fysshe caste Ionas a lande So shall it come to passe of me amonge you For I beinge so much hated amonge you shall at the length be deliuered into your handes and ye shall kyll mee and tyll the thyrde daye ye shal kepe me in the sepulchre but I wyll be saued and wyll ryse from deathe 40 For as Ionas was in the whales bellye three dayes and thre nightes So shal the sonne of man be in the hearte of the earthe thre daies and thre nightes For as Ionas vvas in the vvhales belly M. What hapened to this Prophete reade the first chapter of the prophesie of Ionas and the seconde also In the hearte of the earthe A. The heart of the earthe or the heart of the sea is an Hebrewe phrase and is spoken for that which we call the inward parte or depthe of the earthe or as wee saye commonly the graue As concernynge this matter we haue spoken sufficientely in our annotations of the sentence goinge before 41 The men of Niniuey shall ryse in the iudgemente and shal condempne it because they amēded at the preching of Ionas Beholde here is one greatter then Ionas The men of Niniuey shall ryse B. Because he had made mention of Ionas he remembred also the Niniuites to whome Ionas was sent to preache whom when they had hearde they were moued to repentaunce C. He sheweth that thei were farre better then the Scribes suche as did reicte his doctrine Prophane men sayth he whiche neuer heard of the true God at the voyce of a newe vnknowen messenger repente But this region or nation whiche is the place of heauenly doctrine refuseth to heare the sonne of God and promysed redemer For this Antithesis is contayned in the comparison They shall come foorth therefore in the middest as witnesses are commonly wonte to do whē they are brought forth to speake in iudgement B. He speaketh after the manner of men as concerninge the iudgement of god C. It is knowen right wel what the Niniuites were a people that were not accustomed to Prophetes and altogether ignoraunt of the doctrine of truthe Ionas was not glorious vnto them by any outwarde shewe or tytell yea he being a straunger might haue bene derided and driuen away But the Iewes were a people that were alwayes exercysed in the lawe the Prophetes and yet notwithstandinge they shewed them selues more vnthankefull and blynde towardes the sonne of God then did the Niniuites to Ionas And shall condemne it C. This kynde of cōdemnatiō ought not to be referred to the person but to the thinge as if he shoulde haue sayde by their example they shall condemne it For the repentaunce of the Niniuites shall condemne the impenitēcy of the Iewes they shal be as witnesses For to condemne in this place is taken otherwyse then in that place where it is sayd iudging the twelue tribes of Israel Because they amended C. Here we omitte to declare whether the men of Niniue dyd truely repente and tourne vnto the lorde or no because it was sufficient that they were moued by the doctrine of Ionas to geue their mynde to repentaunce Beholde here is one greater then Ionas C. As if he should saye the Niniuites repented at the preachinge of Ionas but I am greater then Ionas and yet beholde I proffite nothinge at all He without the shewynge of any signe with his voyce onely moued the hartes of those men but you by no signes or myracles can be brought to repentaunce He was a symple Prophete but I am sente of God the Messias and redeamer of the worlde Are ye not therfore worthy of great punishmēts There is no doubte but that Christe did more at large speake vnto them But Matthewe contenteth him selfe with the somme and effecte of that whiche was spoken to the ende he might shewe what horrible punishement did remayne to all those that do obstinatly withstande the Gospel Also this place dothe teache that euery one shal be punished according to the measure of those gyftes and graces whiche he hath despysed Let vs therefore take hede that we receiue not the grace of God in vaine 42 The quene of the Southe shal ryse in the iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it For she came from the vtmost partes of the world to heare the wisdome of Salomon And beholde in this place is one greater then Salomon The quene of the Southe C. Because Aethiopia in respecte of Iury tendeth towarde the Southe the opinion of Iosephus and others is allowed whiche teache that this was the Queene of Aethiopia For wher as in the holy scriptures it it sayde to be the Queene of Saba the region or nation of Sabea ought not to be vnderstoode because it is more Eastwarde but rather the cittie of Meroe which was an Ile adioyninge to the floudde of Nilus whiche was the head of the kyngdome For there is a cittie in Meroe which is called aunciente or oulde Saba whiche afterwarde Cambyses the kyng named Meroen for a memoriall of his syster who was
tyme to come in the whiche the Messias shoulde be reuealed and reioysed how greatlye excedingly would hée haue reiosed if hée had séene that Messias nowe present with his bodely eyes Christe therefore commendeth vnto hys Disâ—…iples that time in the which he was now reueled in the flesh vnto whom all the law and the Prophets had respect 18. Heare yee the parable of the sower Bu. This pronowne yée hath a great emphasis and force in it A. As if hee should say you to whom it is giuen to know the mysteries of the kingdome of God here ye I say to whom it is giuen to sée and here those thinges which haue bene denyed to manye Prophetes kinges what this parable which I haue propounded of the sower sowinge his seede meaneth C. This our Euangelyste Luke makes mention that our sauioure Christ expounded the parable simplelye to his Disciples without any reprehension but Marke declareth that he reprehendeth their dulnes sayinge Know yee not this parable how then will ye know all other parables As if hée should haue said it is your part to expound not only this parable but also all other to the ignoraunt people the which thing how caÌ„ yée do when yée are ignoraunt of this 19. VVhen one heareth the worde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not then commeth the euill man and taketh awaye that whiche was sowne in his hart this is hee which was sowne by the waye syde VVhen one heareth A. Luke in the beginning of the explication of the parable declareth what Christ mente by the séede saying the séede is the word of God. M. And to the end wée might know that hée spake of the preaching of the Gospel hée calleth this seede in this place in the beginning of his exposition the word of the kingdom in the which the mysteries of the kingdome of God are expressed C. But the summe of the whole parable is that the doctrine of the Gospell when it is dispersed abrode like séede is not in euerye place fruitfull because it falleth not alwayes in fruitfull and well tylled ground Hée reherseth here foure kindes of hearers of the which the first kind conceyue no séede the seconde séeme to conceaue but so in déede that they take no liuely roote in the thirde the séede is choked so that now there remayneth only the fourth part whiche bringeth forth fruite But hee bringeth not in these fower kinds as though one among fower onely or ten among fortie imbrasing the doctrine should fructifye no more for Christ heare would not appoint any certaine nomber neyther deuide those of whom hée speaketh here into equall partes to the ende hee might shew that the springing vp or growinge of fayth was not alwayes alyke but some whyle exceding fruitfull somewhyle lesse where the woord is sowen but onely declared that the séede of lyfe perished in many by reason of the contrary vyces by the which it is eyther by and by corrupted or wythered or els by lyttle and lyttle it degenerateth and is out of kind But to the ende this admonition myght profite vs the better wée must note that there is no mencion made of contemners which openly do reiect and repell the word of God but that those onely are noted in the whiche there séemeth to be some docillitye and aptnes to be taughte Wherefore if the greater parte of these men do vanishe away what shal be fall the rest of the world of whom the doctrine of saluation is opeÌ„ly repelled Heareth the vvoorde of the kingdome and vnderstandeth it not C. In this first place hée maketh mention of those whiche are barren and vntilled which inwardly coÌ„ceyue not the séede because there is no preparation in theyr harts B. They here the word but with no affection of the mind with no dilygent affection their mynde being drawne of Sathan another waye wherby it cometh to passe that they neuer thinke vppon the woord which they heard but as the Prouerbe is it entereth in at one eare and goeth out at the other C. Such Chryst compareth to the hard drye earth which is in the comon way whych being continually troden vppon waxeth hard as stone I would to God there were not so many to be founde of this kinde as there are who when they offer them selues to heare do stand notwithstanding astonyed neyther do they receaue any tast or féeling of the same to be short they differ very little from blockes stones that are incensible Wherfore it is no marueyle if they vanishe quyte away Then commeth the euill man A. Luke hath Sathan and Marke putteth downe this name deuil And taketh avvaye that vvhich vvas C. Hereby wée gather that Sathan is an ennemy of our saluation Euen as do the hungary byrds in sowing time so cometh hée forth so soone as the doctrine of truth is sowne and taketh it awaye before it hath taken moysture and beginneth to springe Bu. For that auncient enemye knoweth wel enough that the sauing health of mortal men is wrought by fayth in the word VVhich vvas sovven in his hart C. Wheras Christ sayth that the word was sowen in their hartes although it be an improper kind of speaking yet notwithstandynge it waÌ„teth not reason because by the vice and wickednes of men the nature of the word is not taken away but that it maye retayne and keepe the vertue of séede For wée may in no wise thincke that any thing of the graces of God is deminished althoughe the effecte of them come not vnto vs In respect of God the word is sowen in the harts but the harts of all men do not receiue that sowen sede with méekenes and gentle affections as exhorteth the Apostell sainte Iames verye well Therfore the Gospel is alwayes in power a frutefull séede but not in dede M. Wherefore althoughe in it selfe the séede or thinge sowne is good and apte to bring forth good fruite notwithstandinge it maketh a greate matter into what ground it be cast In like manner the woord of God althoughe it be good apte to woorke pyetye and godlynes yet neuerthelesse it maketh much what maner of person the hearer be A. Luke addeth saying least in beleuing they shold be saued C. By the which wée may note no small prayse of faythe when that it is called the only cause of saluation This is hee vvhich vvas sovvne by the C. Some translate it thus This is that which was sowne by the wayes syde 20. But hee that receiued the seede which was cast into stonye places the same is hee that heareth the woorde and anone with ioye receyueth it A. It were better if it were translated thus But that which was sowne in the stony grounde signifyeth him which c. Bu. This is another sort of the hearers the rockye or stonye ground signifyeth vntimelye hearers I saye the myndes of such men as are rype to soone whiche receiue the woorde of God so soone as it is
vnto vs. 34. And Iesus sayth vnto them how manye loaues haue yee and they sayde seuen and a fewe little fishes A. Christ was not ignorant how many loaues were there but hée demaunded this question to the ende they knowing the want and necessitye might the more wōder and marueyle at the power of God. And they sayd seuen M. Here wée see that the Lord hath more loaues thē hée had before to feede a smaller multitude Wherby wée may learne that the power of God is not tyed to creatures which are but meanes to shew the same and that it is all one to him whether the quantity be great or small according to the saying of Ionathas of his small armye in comparison of the huge multitude of his enemyes For as the blessing of God beinge no lesse in one lofe then in twenty is sufficiente to nourish a great multitude euen so if the same be wantinge a hundred loaues are not sufficient to féede tenne men Let vs therefore holely depend vppon the prouidence of God. 35. And hee commaunded the people to sit downe on the grounde and toke the seuen loaues and the fishes c. A. Reade our annotacions in the fourthtene Chapter going before 36. And hee sente awaye the people and toke ship and came into the parties of Magdala A. Our sauioure Christ hauing shewed the wonderfull power of his Godheade sent the people awaye to the ende they might retourne to their owne home Into the parties of Magdala B. Marke hath in stede of Magdala Dalmanutha Reade the nyne and twentye verce goinge before There is mencion made of Magdala in the seuentene Chapter of the first Booke of kinges The xvi Chapter THe Phariseis also with the Saduces came and tempted him and desyered hym that hee woulde shewe them a signe from heauen The Phariseys vvith Bu. If the life of oure sauiour Christ be nothing els but an institution order rule of our life then it followeth that our life is a continuall warfare vppon earth For Christ standeth alwayes readye and appointed to battayle M. Wherefore the Euangelistes do not onlye propound and set forthe vnto vs the doctrine and myracles of Christ but also the temptacions cauillacions of the aduersaryes as doth our Euangelist Mathew in this place By the which we are admonished that the truth neuer wanteth aduersaryes and that the scornes and cauils of the aduersaryes do serue very much for the confirmacion of the truth C. The Euangelyst Marke sayth the the Phariseys came forth and began to dispute with Christ wherby wée gather that when they were ouercome with reason and inuincible argumentes this was their last refuge to be obstinate and to pretend some other matter leaste they should be constrayned to subscribe vnto the truth But although the manner of the disputacion be not here expressed yet notwithstanding it is likelye that they cauilled and brabled about the office of Christ wondering and séekinge why hée durst be so bould to bring in any new thinge and why hée should so mightelye extoll himselfe as thoughe by hys comming integrity and perfection were restored and geuen to the kingdome of god When there was nothinge left to obiecte against him and his doctrine they requyre a signe to begeuē them frō heauen Whereas it is moste certayne that they would haue geuen no more regarde to an hundred signes then to the testemonyes of Scripture Moreouer the power of Christ was now set before the eyes of all men and was palpable as it were might be felt with the hand They neglected the signes by the which God did familliarly manifest and reueale himselfe how much lesse woulde they haue regarded an obscure and secrete signe Euen so the Papistes at this day as though the doctrine of the Gospel were neuer confirmed requyre to haue the same proued by new myracles VVith the Saduces Let vs here note that although there was mortall hatred and contencion betweene the Saduces and the Phariseys in so much the there were continuall braules and stryfes betwéene them yet notwithstanding in one league and mutuall consent they ioyne together against Christ Euen so when the wicked are at controuersye and stryfe and enuye one another euen then they agrée in one againste the Lorde and become as it were sworne bretherne to oppresse the truth Came and tempted him In that the Euangelistes say they came and tempted him they declare that they came not with syncere myndes to learne any thing but rather by fraude deceyte to catche that which they thought should be denyed vnto them or at least the which they imagined not to be in the handes of Christ For because they perswaded thēselues and iudged Christ to be a contemned and base person they went about nothing els then by findinge out his infirmity to abrogate what soeuer had gottē prayse with the people So the vnbeleuing are sayd to tempte God so often as they accuse God of impotency infirmity and weakenes when hée graunteth not vnto them the filthy desyer of their mindes And desyered of him that hee vvoulde C. The same demaunde they made before in the twelueth Chapter Bu. Incredulitye and deceytfull hypocrisye fayneth and beareth a shew of fayth and religion For the Phariseys séeme to make theyr petition thus according to the manner of the wicked and malicious ennemyes of god Wée truly haue an earnest longing and desyer for the Messias and wée haue loked for him many yeares and wée wish for nothing more then his comming Wherefore wée would willingly receyue thée O Iesu if wée were sure and certainly perswaded that thou were the Messias promised by the Prophetes Go to therefore and teache vs by some signes from Heauen or in the ayre teache and proue wée saye that thou arte the same whom thou wouldest seeme and whom many beléeue to be by those signes Bu. But they spake not these things with a syncere mynd desyering to be taughte and to beléeue but rather séeking occasion to calumniate and accuse him 2. Hee aunswered and saide vnto them when it beginneth to drawe towarde euen yee saye it will be fayre weather for the skye is redde M. Luke sayth that hée spake the same woords to the multitude thus when yee sée a cloude ryse out of the West strayght way yée say there commeth a shower and so it is And when ye sée the Southwynd blowe ye saye it will be whot and it commeth so to passe Yée hypocrites can yee discerne the outwarde appearance of the skye and of the earth but how happeneth it that ye cannot skill of this time By the which woordes our sauiour Christ declareth that his power is sufficiently proued to acknowledge the time of his visitacion vnlesse that they woulde willinglye shut theyr eyes and refuse the manifest light For hée vseth a verye apte similitude and meete for the purpose For althoughe the ayre be mutable insomuch that one while tempestes do sodaynlye aryse another
whole ministery of Ihon. For Christ went about to drawe oute an aunswere whether Ihon were the true lawfull Prophete of God or whether he were a deceauer Notwithstanding this demaunde doth containe a profitable doctrine namely whether the Baptisme of Ihon were of God or of men because thereby we gather that no doctrine nor any holye signe ought to be admitted amōg the Godly except it be well knowne that the sam came from God and that it is not in the handes of men to inuente any thinge Mencion is made of Ihon whome the Lord in an other place with a singuler titel name extolleth aboue al other Prophetes Yet notwithstanding his Baptisme is denied of our Sauiour Christ to be receiued excepte it had been commaunded of God. What shall wee saye then of the fayned and false inuented Sacramentes which were foolishelye brought in of men withoute the conmandements of god For oure Sauiour Christ by these wordes doth plainely pronounce that the whole gouernement of the Churche doth so depende vpon the will and pleasure of God that it is not lawfull for men to bring in any thynge of them selues Bu. That is sayd to be of heauen which is vsurped among men by the appointmente and ordinaunce of god And that is sayde to bee of men which is inuented and decréed at the will and pleasure of man contrary to the ordinaunce of god So Gamaliell sayed For if this consell or this worke be of mē it will come to naughte but and if it bee of God ye can not destroye it leaste happely ye be founde to striue against god He saith that to be of men whiche is inuented by the wicked affection of man as by the faction and sedition of Theudas and Iudas of Galile The woordes of Christe therfore are in effecte as if he shoulde haue sayde I demaunde of you whether the Baptisme and doctrine of S. Ihon were inuented of Ihon or whether it were committed vnto him of God. And they thought vvithin them selues C. Here we maye beholde the impiety of the hye priestes They consider not of the trueth neyther doe they enter into their conscience but do rather seke to resiste than to confesse that which they knowe to be true Euen so all the wicked ones although they fayne them selues to be desirouse to learne yet notwithstandynge they will not geue place to the trueth if they perceiue that it is contrary to their desyre VVhy did ye not beleue him A. He bearing witnes of me affirming that I was the sonne of God and that all my déedes are directed by she power of God Bu. For if they had confessed that Ihon had béen a Prophete and that he had receiued his office from heauē they muste néedes haue confessed that Iesus was Christe and that he did all those thinges that he did in the name of his Father For Ihon had saide vnto them that the Father had geuen all thinges into the handes of his sonne M. Beholde these wicked ones here confesse that he is worthy to be reprehended which beleuinge the doctrine to be of God will not imbrace and followe the same 26. But if wee shal saye of men then feare wee the people For all men helde Ihon as a Prophete But if vvee shall saye M. In stede of these words thē feare we the people the Euāgelist Luke hath The multitude wyll stone vs. By the which we haue to note that the wicked stande in feare of theire life For these twoo vices are alwayes Ioyned with impiety the study of vaine glory and feare not of God but of mortall men For all men helde Ihon as a Prophete A. That is accordinge to Luke the people were persuaded that Ihon was a Prophete 27. And they aunswered Iesus and said wee can not tell And he saide vnto them neither tell I you by what authority I do these thinges They aunsvvered Iesus Bu. When they woulde confesse neither of them they impudently denie them selues to know that whereof they were not ignorante Therefore the wisedome of God maketh the wisedome of man ashamed and dryueth it to suche shiftes that it can not answere Neither tell I you M. If he woulde haue followed the order and maner of their answer he should haue said Neither doe I knowe in what power I do these thinges because they saide we knowe not but he saithe not so Firste because he coulde not lye For he knewe by what authority he did those thinges that he did Secondly because he knewe that they did not simplely aunswer whē they said we knowe not but fained ignorance he thought it better to aunswere that he would not than that he could not As if he should haue said Seing ye will not aunswer to that which ye know neither wil I aunswere plainly and directly to that which ye demaunde For after this maner he made as it were a couenāt or promise that he woulde declare what power he vsed if they had tolde whence the Baptisme of Ihon had bene C. Howbeit Christ sendeth them not awaye without aunswere but maketh thē confounded and ashamed sufficientlye declaring by the testimony of Ihon that he had power and authority from God. Bu. Wherupon also we learne to geue credit vnto Christ because all his déedes are done by diuine power and authority 28. VVhat say you to this A man had two sonnes and came to the first and saide Sonne go and worke to day in my vineyarde VVhat say you to this C. These wordes do shewe to what end this parable tendeth when as Christe preferreth those before the Scribes and Phariseys which were odiouse and detestable amonge all men For he taketh away the collored cloake from these hypocrits to the ende they shoulde no more boaste them selues for the ministers of God and seme to be studiouse of Godlynes which they regarded not For although their ambition pride crueltye and couetousnes were knowne to all men yet notwithstandinge they woulde haue borne a face and countenaunce of other mē And of late whē they came to our Sauiour Christ they falsely semed to be careful for the order of the Church as though they had ben faythful and honest defenders of the same Seing therfore they did so groselye dally with God and man Christe refelleth their impudency shewing that they were nothinge lesse than those maner of men whiche they boasted themselues to be that they were so farre frō that dignity in that which they pleased them selues that they were far inferior to the publicans and harlots For wheras they boasted them selues to be the beste worshippers of God and the faithfullest obseruers of the lawe oure Sauiour Christe saithe that this is euen as if the sonne should promise to fulfil his fathers commandement and yet not withstāding dischargeth the same in no point For sayth he how thinke you of this that I wil shew vnto you Here he reproueth the of impenitencye because they continue obstinat against God and tourne them not
themselues vnto Christe as thoughe they were desyrouse to learne and not onely indewed with godlynes but also throughly persuaded of his doctrine For if they had spoken without dissimulation this was the true and right waye M. They praise him for the study of truth because he was frée from all dissimulation because he regarded no man and because he fayned nothynge And teachest the vvaye of God truely By these wordes they declare what they mente when they said thou arte true that is to saye thou teachest faithfully and truely the will of God and that which is acceptable vnto him and not vnto men They fayne and beare a shewe as though they soughte God and that they were not of the Phariseis minde which said in what power doest thou these thinges but rather to be truelye persuaded of the doctrine of Christ and to beleue that he was a teacher of the trueth sente of God. Neyther carest thou for any man. As if they should haue sayd By thy dealing with our Scribes by Priestes and elders o the people thou hast declared throughly persuaded vs that thou art no accepter af persons and that thou carest for no man neither for the people neither for the nobles and Potentates neyther for Cesar nor Herode but only haste regarde vnto god Bu. shewing vnto vs with greate liberty those thinges which thou knowest to be acceptable vnto vs C. But by the wordes of these slye and subtill deceiuers a difinition of a true faithful teacher such a one as thei semed to persuade thē selues that Christ was may be gathered They saye that he is a true teacher which teacheth the waye of God that is to saye which is a true interpretour of God and that in veritye that is withoute anye corruption The waye of God is opposed or set againste the inuencione or straunge doctrines of men and trueth against ambition couetousnes and other wicked affections which are wont to vitiate and defile the pure order of teachinge Therfore we must counte him a true teacher whiche thrusteth not in the inuencions of men and departeth not from the true proper sence of Gods worde but doth as it were dispence and deliuer that with his handes whiche he hath receyued at the mouth of god Furthermore he applieth his doctrine by a singuler study of edifiynge to the proffite and saluation of the people and he falcefieth not the same by any traditiō As touching that which pertaineth to this latter sēce the Apostel Paule when he saithe that he dothe not choppe and chaunge the woorde of God he meaneth that he is not like vnto those which eyther beinge couetouse ambiciouse or inconstante do falsefy and corrupte the purity of doctrine So that he compareth them to choppers and chāgers or mingelers of wine because they do depraue and viciate the pure and right vse of Gods worde This is also worthy to be noted which these hypocrites doe adde saying that Christe doth rightly truelye teache because he regarded not the persons of men For there is nothyng that doth more withdrawe the teachers from the faithfull and perfecte dispensation of Godes woorde than the regarde and respecte of persons For it is impossible that he should addict wholie geue himselfe to serue and please God which seketh to please men It cannot be denied truelye but that we ought to haue a certaine care and regard of men yet not so that wee shoulde seke to wine their fauore by flattery To conclude let all acceptation and respecte of persons cease that wee may be perfecte I meane such regard and respecte as dothe obscure and darken the true lighte and doth peruerte and ouerthrowe true iudgement euen as God doth often tymes inculcate in the lawe and experience sheweth the same Therfore Christe doth compare together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is respecte of personnes and true iudgemente in the seuenth of Iohn C. And the person is taken for euery cōsideration which is beside the cause and matter as kinred riches commendacions of men age forme or comelines whatsoeuer winneth fauour towardes men For if in iudgemtnt we discerne betwene a good man and an euell man we haue not respecte vnto the persone but to the matter and cause it selfe 17. Tell vs therefore how thinkest thou Is it lawfull that tribute be geuen to Cesar or not Hovve thinkest thou A. The hypocritical Disciples of the Phariseys those hypocrites beginning after this maner do at length propound the question to Christ Is it lavvfull that tribute be geuen to Cesar or not M. This deceite hath not one snare alone but two It was great daunger to be silente for so he should haue semed to haue regard to the persones of men and to be stayed helde with humaine feare and so to hyde the trueth in a matter of so great waighte Againe to answere it was dangerouse for they thoughte that he woulde either saye that tribute ought to be geuen to Cesar so incurre the hatred of the people that they might afterwarde with lesse feare of the people kill hym or els that he would denye tribute to be geuen to Cesar so mighte fall as a seditiouse persone into the hāds of Cesars power And this is that which Luke saith They watched him sente forth spyes which should faine thēselues righteouse mē to take him in his words and to deliuer him vnto the power and authority of the deputy to the ende they might put him to death as a traitor and seditiouse persone the matter nothynge appartaining to the Phariseis For how dangerouse a matter it was openlye to denye tribute to bee geuen to Cesar Theudas and Iudas taughte by theyr example of whome wee maye reade in the actes of the Apostels and in Iosephus aso Marke addeth that they sayde shall wee geue or shall we not geue 18. But Iesus perceiuinge their wickednes said why tempte ye me ye hypocrites But Iesus perceiuing E. Not onely their wickednes and malice but also their subtilty as saith the Euangeliste Luke C. These hypocrites semed as though they had been after the beste maner desirouse to learne Howe then doth our Sauiour Christe knowe what they were but onely because his sprite was the searcher of the harte For he did was the searcher of the harte For he did not espie and finde oute their crafty and double dealing by humane cōiecture but because he was God he pearced euen to the hartes of them in so much that they couered themselues in vaine with flattery the cloake of rigeteousnes Therefore before he answered thē he made a plaine declaratiō of his diuinity detecting reuealing their secret malice and spighte Nowe seing the like sleightes deceits are daily set layed for vs of the wicked to intrap vs seing their malice lieth secret hiddē frō vs let vs praie vnto god that he will instructe arme vs with the spirit of discretiō and geue vnto vs
compendium and short summe that God had not respect in the commaundementes of the lawe what men coulde do but what they ought to do For in this infirmity of the fleshe it cannot be that the perfecte loue of God should obtaine the kingdome for wee knowe howe prone all the sences of our minde are to vanity B. C. Wherby we gather that all mortall men were farre from perfect righteousnes and that there was no sinfull man neyther shal be which hath not offended in either of both namelye either in makinge accompte of one onelye God or in louinge of hym or els in both whē as ther is none which at some time hath not wauered in the faith and ioyned other thinges in equall loue with god C. Lastly here wee learne that god careth not for the outward shew of workes but specially requireth the inwarde affection that good fruites maye springe from the roote 38. This is the first and greatest commaundement A. Hée meaneth that all the commaundementes of the first table are comprehēded in this commaundement 39. And the seconde is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And the seconde is like to it M. Hee calleth it seconde in order because to loue God before our neighboure is first in order C. For the worship of God hath the first place Hée sayth that it is like to the first because it hath some affinity and agreement with the first or rather because it dependeth of that For seing euery man is addicted and geuen to himselfe true charity shal neuer abyde betwene neighbour and neighboure but whereas the loue of God abydeth It is a counterfeit loue with the which the children of this world loue one another because euerye one hath care for his owne profite Againe it is impossible for the loue of God to raygne but the same shall breede and ingender brotherly loue betweene man and mā B C. Othersome will say that it is therefore like to the first both because in eache of them the true and perfecte affection of loue is commaunded and also because as loue is heade of all those thinges which are due vnto God which are shortly comprehended in that commaūdement that wée loue God with all oure harte c. Euen so also the loue of oure neighbour is the head of all those things which are due and belonginge to oure neighboure which are comprehended in this commaundement Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And this is that which they say the Apostle writ in the thirtene to the Romaynes and fift to the Galathians Thou shalt loue thy neighboure This woord neighbour doth not onely signifye kinsmenne and frendes or suche which are ioyned to vs by som affinity but those also which are vnknowne to vs and our ennemies whom Christ commaundeth vs to loue in another place C. For we come all of one being made after the Image and likenes of God neither is ther any man so barbarous or base but hee is ioyned vnto vs in this knot which is inuiolable and holy and cānot be abolished by the wickednes of any man All mankinde must be imbraced by one affection of loue there oughte to be no difference betwene the barbarous and Scithian betweene the worthye and vnworthye betweene the frende and ennemy because all are one in Christ Iesus and they are to be considered in God not in themselues From the which way if we decline it is no marueile if wée be intangled in many errors Neither can wée herevppon denye but the more a man is neere vnto vs the more we ought to helpe him For this the nature of man it selfe bringeth to passe that the more they are knit together eyther by the bonde of kinred familiarity or affinity the more they are prest and ready to do them good A. Also wee are bounde accordinge to the rule of S Paule to loue those sainctes faith full men in whom the repayred Image of God shyneth more than such as beare the ymage of the deuill the Prince of this world though they be our nye kinsmen For hee sayth Let not to do good to all men but specially to them of the househould of fayth Euen as thy selfe C. Whē Moyses the mā of God commaunded vs to loue our neighboures as our selues hee mente not to set the loue of our selues in the first place as thoughe euerye man shoulde loue himselfe first and then his neighbour as the Sorbonicall Sophisters do cauill But seinge wee are to muche addicted to our selues Moyses going about to reforme this vyce commaundeth vs to geeue the like and same loue to our neighboures that wee geeue to oure selues euen as if he had forbidden al men to neglect others and to haue a care for themselues because loue ioyneth all men into one body And goinge about also to correcte Philautian or selfe-loue which seperateth one man from another hée reduceth all men to common society and mutuall loue Therefore wée are not here taught how to loue our selues But hee teacheth vs this As euery man is wont to loue himselfe so let him loue also his neighboure And whereas the affection of loue was wōt to remaine in vs by a naturall corruption he sheweth nowe that it muste be otherwise that wée mighte haue no lesse desier and care to benefite our neighboures than oure selues Whereby we gather that Paule doth not without good cause call loue the bonde of perfection and in another place the fulfilling of the lawe because all the commaundementes of the seconde table are referred to the same Bu. The Euāgelist Marke addeth that to loue a mans neighbour as himselfe is a greater thing then all burnt offeringes and sacrifices For these thynges were neuer acceptable to the trewe lyuinge and eternall God without faith and loue as we haue already declared in the fifthe chapter goinge before Nowe if we gather al these thinges into a compendium and shorte somme we shall see that the lorde hathe taught vs that in fewe words which the whole scripture discourseth of at large namelye that there is one God onely in substaunce that this God is oure God whiche woulde vs well whiche loueth vs and seketh to saue vs And that this God ought to be loued and worshiped of vs for him selfe as the father lorde and chiefe felicitie and that euerye man also must be loued for Goddes sake and that so vnfaynedly as wee loue our selues and as Christe hath loued vs. 40 In these two cōmaundementes hang all the lawe and the prophetes C. Howe the lawe and the prophetes do depende vppon these twoo commaundementes reade the seuenth chapter going before What so euer is taughte in the lawe and the prophetes as concernynge the doctrine of lyfe is fulfylled of them whiche loue God and theyr neyghboure A After these thynges the Euangelyst Marke addeth that a Scribe aunswered Christ sayinge Well maister thou hast saide the truethe for there is one God and there is none but hee 41 VVhile
othe to the which that which followeth by and by is quight contrary when it is sayde hee is gilty that is hee offendeth againste the commaundemente of swearinge And Christ himselfe in the twentye verce followinge expoundeth it sayinge Hee the sweareth by the Altar sweareth by it and by all thinges that are thereon C. Wherefore by this particle or clause it is nothinge Christ meaneth not that all honor is abrogated from the temple but hee speaketh cōparatiuelye For when the oblations were hyperbolically or out of measure extolled for their reuerence the common sort of mē were so rauished that the maiesty of the tēple and the Altar waxed vile and of no reputacion amonge them and to violate the same with periury was lesse religion than to haue sworne with lesse reuerence by the holy oblations But vvhosoeuer svveareth A. Hee calleth that the gould of the temple which was added to the temple to beutify the same and fell to the priestes gaine also moneye is vnderstoode by the name of goulde It was a wonderfull madnes truly to count it a greater matter to sweare by the goulde of the temple than by the temple and Altar it selfe Into the which superstition they therefore had broughte the people that the more the people estemed of the giftes and oblations as more holy and acceptable vnto God then the temple and Altar it selfe the more they might brynge them into the temple by the which the couetousnes of the Scribes was the more increased So also for gaynes sake they taughte that the gifte offered to the temple was greater than the dutie towardes the parentes Couetousnes alwayes found out wayes by the which it might helpe and sustaine it selfe And wheras some do take this woorde to sweare in this place for to appoint somewhat by an othe to the temple we are taught that it ought not to be so taken by the wordes of Christ which hee addeth in the two and twēty verce following And he which sweareth by heauen c. For in swearing by Heauen nothing could be appointed to the temple yet notwithstanding Christ maketh it all one to sweare by the temple and by the gould of the temple or by the Alter or the gift on the Altar But wee muste note that Christe by these wordes went about to withdrawe the people from the admiration of the Phariseis and from the false opinion which they had conceyued of them els what should the doctrine of Christ haue profyted Wee muste shewe therefore what the ennemies of the truth be leaste they be an impediment and hinderance to others For the people wyll alwayes depende vppon suche Idoles except the counterfeite shew be taken awaye frō them Hee is giltye E. The Greeke hath Hee is a dettar that is to saye hee is gilty or a deseruer of punishment sinne as is sayde before M. Our sauiour Christ correcteth this error and false interpretacion of the lawe in the fift Chapter goinge before The which place maye easlye be vnderstoode by this 17. Ye fooles and blinde for whether is 18. greater the goulde or the temple that 19. sanctifyeth the goulde Ye fooles nnd blinde for vvhether is greater Bu. Hee calleth them so both for their wante of Iudgement and ignorance of Scriptures and also for their couetousnes and exceding mallice Or the temple that sanctifyeth the golde That which is excellent and seperated frō other thinges is saide to be holye and that is sayde to sanctifye which is holy and seperated from prophane vses to a holy vse So that the temple doth sanctifye and the Altar doth sanctifye not by touching it selfe but by the vse For he speaketh of that outwarde holynes which was set in this that these things being brought into the temple of God were consecrated to deuine vses according to the word of god For at that time also that externall worship florished 20. VVhoso therfore sweareth by the Altar sweareth by it and by all thinges that are thereon VVhoso therfore svveareth C. The Lorde doth that thinge which oughte to be done in correctinge and reprouinge errors whē hee calleth vs to the welspringe and teacheth of the nature it selfe of an othe that the temple doth farre excell the giftes of the temple Hee taketh therefore this beginninge that it is not meete to sweare but by the name of God onely Wherevppon it followeth that what maner and forme of othes soeuer men take to sweare by the honoure due vnto God must be kept B. Because therefore they did teache that they did not sinne against the commaundemente of swearinge which sware by the temple Altar and Heauen because the name of God was not mencioned or put betweene hee teacheth them that they sweare by God not onely which sware by the gyfte of the Altar the which they counted more holye being as superstiouse as their teachers but they also which sware by the Altar it selfe For when men sweare by any thing the othe doth pertaine to all those thinges which are ioyned or consecrated vnto it as if any man do rashely or falsely sweare by any thinge let hym knowe and vnderstande that hee offēdeth and dishonoureth God to whom the thinge that hee sweareth by is dedicated and appointed 21. And whoso sweareth by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein And vvhoso svveareth C. By that which goeth before it may also be gathered howe and to what ende a man may sweare by the temple namelye because it is the seate and sanctuary of god euen as also by Heauen because there the brightnes of Gods glory shyneth For God doth suffer himselfe to be called vppon for a witnes and iudge in such externall shewes of his presence so that hee may lose none of his right For to tye that deity to the heauen is heauēly Idolatry Now by how much the more the Lord doth set forth a more manifest shew of his glory in the temple than in oblations by so much the more the name of the temple deserueth reuerence holynes Now therfore let vs note in what sence Christ sayth that a man sweareth by him that dwelleth in the temple when hee sweareth by the temple namely to the ende hee might directe al kinde of others to their lawfull ende and scope Svvereth by him that dvvelleth in the temple B. It ought to offende no man that the Lord here seemeth to graunte that God dwelleth in the temple For God did truly dwell in the temple of Hierusalem before that the hower came that hee woulde be worshipped neyther in it nor in any other place but in spirite and truth For he would be specially called vppon there and worshipped geue aunsweare of his grace as hee promised to Salomon But this proueth nothing that our Churches should haue Images in thē wee our selues must be the temple of God For this dwellinge of God was nothynge els than his singuler grace by the which hee chose the people to himselfe whose God hee was and that
this kingdome And that there shoulde be manye false Christes whiche shoulde promyse outwarde and worldelye happinesse but falsely and therby also shold turne their followers from the spirytuall and euerlastinge felicitie and that therfore they ought to take hede of all those which promise the externall kyngedome of God in this world or do tye the same to any certaine place whiche because it is deuine spirituall can not be tyed These thinges also are more manifest to be seene in Luke by the aunswere of our sauioure Christ geuen to the Phariseies For they demaunding of hym when the kingdome of God should come we reade that Christ answered there thus The kingdome of God shall not come with waitynge for neyther shall they saye Lo here or Lo there for beholde the kingedome of God is within you What other thing is this than to saye The kyngedome of God is not carnal as you thincke that it might be shewed in any certayne place For either it is comprehended in fayth and is neuer seene and althoughe it bryngeth forthe plentifully his fruites wheresoeuer it be yet notwithstandyng it is with greate persecution and afflyction of the fleshe Or elles it wyll be so manifestlye presente to the whole worlde that it shal not nede to be wayted for or marked or that men shoulde saye Lo here is Christ or lo he is there For he is nowe among you you haue the kynge of that kyngedome present already ye haue the trewe cittezens thereof namely my disciples But these thynges whiche appertayne vnto vs seme vnto you contrary and disagreing with the kyngdome of God and glory of the Messias yet notwithstanding it is so ordained of God that I must fyrste suffer many thynges and be reiected of this nation before that I shall raygne in glory Hereuppon commethe that my humillitie and base shewe of glory whiche so greatly offendeth you Let the reader way diligently the wordes of Luke Hereby nowe it is euident who are properly noted by the true christ to be false Christs what they were whō we mentioned before with many others which all had their false Prophetes their signes and wonders But we must diligently note that a false christ is one an Antechrist is an other There haue ben many Antechristes from the beginning of Christes kyngedome vnto this daye namely all they whiche haue taughte at any tyme any thinge whereby menne might be seduced from Christ and from the faythe of our lorde Iesus leaste they shoulde be perswaded that by his onely deathe they haue euerlastynge lyfe of this reade in the seconde chapter of the fyrst epistell of S Iohn But they were properly false Christes whiche boasted them selues to be Christ as some which came to the Iewes Others which were the authors of errors are more rightely called false prophetes than false Christs Where as some do nowe bringe in this place against the seducing doctrine of the Papistes and Mahomett they do verye well because when Christe testified in this place that the kingdome of God doth consist in him by fayth and that it is not adicted to any certain place in this world these notwithstandinge haue taughte to seeke the kingedome of God in externall thinges But yet no man maye trewely teach that Christ in this place did speake of these men There are other places as concerninge these as the first chapter of sainte Paule in his second epistell to the Thessalonians and the third of the secōde to Tymothe the fyrste and thirde also of the seconde of Peter For the Pope dyd neuer saye that he was Christ that is to say that restorer of lybertie and all felycitie whiche wolde exhibite and offer in this present life al those thinges that the Prophetes had foreshewed as touchinge the Messias But Mahomett came more neere to this abhomination 24 For there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shew great myracles and wonders In so muche that if it were possible the very electe shoulde be deceiued For there shall arise false Christes A. Euen as the trewe Christ had his preachers of the truethe namely the Apostelles other disciples which may be called prophetes that is faithful interpreters of holy thinges euen so the false Christes wil haue their false prophetes that is to saye the masters of lies whiche maye leade men from the sincere doctrine of the trewthe to a lye And shall shevve greate myracles C. Christe admonysheth that suche deceyuers shall bringe with them no small deceites to deceyue withall but greate signes and wonders which shal astonishe the myndes of suche as are weake and make them amased For seinge that God dothe testifie and declare the presence of his power by miracles and that therfore they maye be seales as it were of trewe doctrine it is no meruaile if they bring reuerence and credite to deceiuers And by suche kynde of illusion dothe God reuenge ponishe the ingratitude of men that they may beleue lies whiche haue reiected the trueth and that they maye be more and more in darknesse which haue shut their eies against the trueth lighte offered vnto them Howbeit he doth therwith exercise the constancie of those that are his whiche doth more playnely shew forthe it selfe when they geue place to no deceites B. And as deceitfull doctryne hath alwaies her signes and wonders by the whiche they that woulde not beleeue the trueth might be seduced to beleue a lie and as no age wanteth his false prophetes agayne as all superstition hath his originall and beginning of the flesh and dothe frame and applie it selfe to the commodity and profite of the fleshe euen so there is nothing of those things wherof Christe hath spoken which accordyng to their maner do not offer them selues vnto vs Whereuppon trewly all men oughte dilygentelye to waye these forewarninges of the Lorde and to keepe them in mynde For althoughe there be none at this daye whiche doo openlye professe them selues to be Christes yet notwithstandinge there are manye false Prophetes and Antechristes who go about to drawe the mindes of men frō the true and only Christ to their workes to their Masses to their dirges and trentals to their owne fastings and choyse of meates and of apparell and to such kind of nedeful elements and necessary creatures of the worlde and also to the merits and intercessions of saints being in this pointe like vnto false Prophets and false Christes of whome Christ properly in this place forewarned his Disciples that they do seduce men frō the trueth to a lye and do falsely promise a Carnal Christe a carnall worhsip and external felicity For they do teache men to seeke for saluation by other meanes than by a lyuely faith in Christ and do suffer men to liue after their owne pleasure promisinge furthemore by theyr Masses and other lyes of the like leuen that men shal haue remission of theyr sinnes and recōcilliation betwene God and them Hereby therfore we
must knowe these manner of men and eschewe theym as false prophetes but to whō the trueth is not shewed of the father it is no meruayle if they be seduced by Antechristes and false prophetes C. Moreouer seing the Lorde dothe here pronounce that Antechristes false prophetes do brynge with them myracles and signes there is no cause why the Papistes should so greatly bragge of myracles or why we sholde stande in doubte of them By myracles they do confirm their superstitions that is to say by those by whiche the sonne of God foreshewed that the fayth of many shoulde be destroyed Wherefore they oughte not to haue suche force amonge wyse men that of them selues they shold be sufficiente to proue this or that kinde of doctrine But if they obiecte and saye that by this meanes Obiection myracles are ouerthrowne and brought to nothinge by the whiche as well the authoritie of the lawe as of the Gospell is confyrmed we answere that they had a sure and certayne marke ingraued in them which shoulde take awaye all doubt and feare of erring from the faithefull For so often as God shewed forthe his power to confyrme his seruaūts he did not worke so cōfusedly but that there might be a trewe distinction and all together free from deceyte Moreouer myracles do in such wise seale doctrine that the same also dothe shine in like manner and doth dryue away al the clowdes of darkenesse by the which Sathan doth obscure the symple myndes of men Finally if we seeke to beware of deceytes let vs alwaies kepe the inseperable coniunction of signes and doctrine It is not therefore good to beleue euery signe because it doth not followe by and by that they haue the truth which worke signes Myracles were done by Chryste by his Apostelles and successours by the power of the spiryte of GOD that their woorde mighte be confirmed and that it might be proued trewe which they preached namely that Christe was the sonne of God whiche was promised and sente in whom whosoeuer beleued shoulde be saued And they were so ioyned and linked to the word of God that they might not be without it But the myracles of false Christes and false prophetes by the whiche the vnbeleuing were ledde from Christ our sauiour are done by the spyrite of Sathan and without the word of god Suche myracles are they that are done by the Papacie of the whiche Paule speakinge of Antechrist hym selfe sayth And then shall the wycked be vttered whom the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouthe and shall destroye with the apparance of his comminge euen him whose coming is after the workynge of Sathan with all lyinge power signes and wonders and with all disceyuablenesse of vnryghteousnes amonge them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the trewethe that they might be saued And therfore God shall sende them straunge delusion that they should beleue lies that all they myghte be damned whiche beleue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousenes In so muche that if it vvere possible the very electe This was added to terrefie that the faithfull might be more dyligent and careful to take heede For when false prophetes do brynge their pourpose to passe by vnbridled lycence and that they haue such greate power graunted vnto them to deceyue it were an easie matter to intrap and snare the secure and carelesse with their deceytes Christe therefore exhorteth and stirreth vp his disciples to watchynge then also hee admonissheth that there is no cause why they should be trobled at the newenesse of the things if so be they se many often times to be drawn into error Moreouer as he soughte to bringe a care to his disciples leaste Sathan they beinge as it were a slepe shold circumuent them euen so againe he geueth theym large and greate occasion of truste in the whiche they maye quietly rest them selues when he promiseth that they shall be safe by the helpe and preseruation of God agaynste all the deceites and snares of Sathan Although therefore the state and condition of the Godlye be fraile and slippery yet notwithstandinge here is shewed vnto theym a sure staye vppon the whiche they maye reste thēselues because it is not possible that they shoulde fall from saluation whiche haue the sonne of God to be theyr preseruer and keper For they are not so strong of them selues that they can resist the assaltes of Sathan but because they are the sheepe of Christe whom no manne can take out of his hande therefore they are stronge It maye be therefore that the electe may be moued and tempted by errors and signes but this is impossible that they should be altogether seduced frō the trueth from Christ their sauioure Notwithstanding we must watch carefully and not be slouthfull but consider our imbecillitie and weaknesse and commit oure selues vnto God least we suffer our selues to be ouercom and destroied C. For we must note this that the strengthe and assurance of our saluatyon is not sett and placed in oure selues but in the secret election of god For althoughe our saluation be kepte and preserued by faythe as the Apostell Peter teacheth yet notwithstanding we must assende hyer namely that we are therfore in safetie because the father hath geuen and committed vs to his sonne and the sonne hym selfe affirmeth that nothyng of that shall perishe which is committed vnto hym 25 Beholde I haue tolde you before C. The Euangeliste Marke dothe more fully set forthe the mynde of our sauiour Christe sayinge But take ye hede beholde I haue shewed you all thinges before By the which wordes we ar taught that they are worthye of no excuse who are made afrayde by the offences foreshewed of Christ For seing the wil of God oughte to be a rule vnto vs it suffisethe that we are admonished in tyme that he is so pleased Furthermore seynge he is sayde to be faythefull and wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that whiche we are able to beare we shal neuer wāt power to resist if so be that feare negligence do not increase our infyrmitie M. Therefore althoughe the electe can not perishe yet neuerthelesse they haue nede to take hede least they be deceiued So that the wicked ones do foolishly obiecte and saye If I be one of the electe I cannot be dampned But it is the part of those that are the elect children of God to be hedefull and diligente For in that they cannot be deceiued it commeth not of them selues but by the deuine prouydence and grace of God whiche oughte not to make them rashe and negligente but rather dyligent and studious Otherwise what nede was there of these seryouse diligent often repeted admoniōs 26 VVherefore if they saye vnto you beholde he is in the deserte go not ye forthe behold he is in the secret places beleue it not If they say vnto you beholde he is C. Because this place throughe ignorance is
ministers of Christe neither let him thinke that for the impietie of one man the Ministerye of the reste oughte to be layde aparte Bu. In the meane season let vs learne that fayned friendes are more pernitious and pestilente then open enimies Vnto the chiefe Priestes Iudas knewe that the hie Priestes were the seruaâ—…ntes of the deuill tyrantes yet notwithstandinge he byeth him apase vnto them that he maie sel his master because he thei were led by one spirit namely the deuil 15. And saide vnto them what will yee geue mee â–ª and I will deliuer him vnto you And they appointed vnto him thirtie peeces of syluer And saede vnto them vvhat vvill yee A. O sâ—…amelesse and wicked man M. He dothe not aske what matter they hadde againste Christe or what they would doo with him but simply he enquireth after the money hauinge no care what they woulde doo with his maister Christe Hereby we maie perceiue howe trewely Paule writte when he saide Couetousnesse is the roote of all euill and they whiche will be ritche falle into diuers temptations and snares Bu. This vnhappy Iudas and woe begonne will recompence the losse whiche he thoughte he had by the powringe out of the oyntmente with the price of his maister Yet for all that he dothe not require any certeine summe least it mighte séeme to be a money Treason but deliueringe him as a vile bondslaue he put the price into the Byers handes to knowe what they woulde geue And they appointed vnto him thirty peeces of syluer A. Marke and Luke saie that the Hie Priestes hearinge Iudas were glad in the whiche we haue an example sette before our eies of obstinate blindnesse they were glad vpon hope of bringing that to passe whereof they had consulted 16. And from that time forth he sought oportunitie to betraye him And from that time foorthe Bu. Luke saithe that he commoned with the hie Priestes and Elders howe he mighte deliuer him vnto them The oportunitye whiche he sought for to betray the Lorde was that he mighte deliuer him without the tumult of the people as S. Luke declareth in the sixt verse of the chapter laste mentioned He hauing takeÌ„ therfore the most vnhappy money that euer was receiued séeketh by and by with great diligence a conuenient time in the which he mighte deliuer him vnto them without any troble of the people So nimble diligente quicke doo Bribers make the Receiuers Christ ment by this image to declare that there shoulde come suche whiche beinge corrupted with the loue of money should betraye the Doctrine of the Gospell and that this mischefe should specially come of those whiche beinge the heades and pillers as it were of Ecclesiasticall Religion séeme to knowe the secretes of theire Lorde with whom they are so familiare that they doo betraye his Doctrine to the wicked and Heathen Magistrates by false interpretation thereof séekinge for nothing els then the destruction of the truth of the Gospell 17. The first day of sweete breade the Disciples came to Iesus sayinge vnto him where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eate the Paseouer The first daie of svveetebreade Question C. It may be demaunded why that is called the daie of Swéetebreade whiche wente before the offeringe of the Lambe For the Lawe commaunded that they shoulde lay away their Leuen til they did eate the Lambe But this question maie be easily answered namely that this obseruation is referred to the day folowinge as may sufficiently appeare by the other two Euangelistes A. For S Marke hathe The firste day of swéetebreade when they offered Paseouer And Luke hathe The feaste of swéetebreade drewe nie whiche is called Easter C. When therfore the daye to kill and eate the Pascall Lambe was at hande which begannne at the euenynge the Disciples asked Christe where he woulde eate Paseouer The Disciples came to Iesus A. Wée reade in Luke that Christe firste sente Peter and Iohn to prepare the Paseouer and that then they demaunded of the Lorde where they shoulde prepare a place to eate it He sente saithe he Peter and Iohn sayinge Goe and prepare vnto vs the Paseouer that we maie eate They saide vnto him Where wilte thou that wee prepare In that they aske of hym where he woulde eate Paseouer it is a signe that they were wandringe and vnstable hauinge no certaine place theire entrance into the Cittye coulde not be without greate daunger For they had there mortall enimies whiche soughte occasion to take theim But behoulde howe Christe neglected nothinge whiche pertained to the common rule of the godly Fore he woulde be subiecte to the Law that he might redeme vs from the Cursse of the Law as witnesseth S. Paule he would not therfore pretermit the Paseouer no more theÌ„ he did the other rites 18. And he saide goe into the Cittie to suche a man and saie vnto hym the maister saithe my time is at hande I will keepe Easter by thee with my Disciples And he saide goe into the cittie E. In the Gréeke texte as touching the woorde it is readde To him After the which manner the Grecians do speake when thei meane a certaine man whom notwithstandinge they doo not name C. Whereby it appeareth that S. Mathewe nameth here a certaine man But the other twoo doo shewe that the Disciples were sente as to one vnknowen because a token was geuen vnto them of a man carryinge a Pitcher of water But this discrepance and varietie may easily be reconciled because Mathewe pretermittinge the myracle noteth that man which was then knowen to the Disciples For there is no doubte but that after they were come home to the house they founde some one of theire familiare frendes For Christe accordinge to his righte commaundeth that he prepare roume for him and his naming him selfe the maister and he without delaye fulfilled his commaundemente Moreouer althoughe he coulde expresse the man by his name yet notwithstanding he rather soughte to directe his Disciples vnto him by a myracle that when they should sée him a litle after to be abased yet their Faithe mighte be stayed vp by his Documente For this was no small confirmation that a fewe houres before he was carryed to his deathe he shoulde by a manifest token declare him selfe to be God to the ende they mighte knowe that he was not constrayned by necessitie to suffer deathe but that he tooke it on him selfe of his owne frée wil And although in the very momente of perturbation it did nothinge at all peraduenture profite them yet notwithstandinge the remembraunce thereof afterwarde was very profitable Euen as at this daye also to auoide the stombling blocke of the crosse it pertaineth vnto vs to knowe this that the glorye of the Deitie as well as the infirmitie of the Fleashe appeared in Christe a litle before the tyme of his deathe The maister saithe A. By theise woordes althoughe he were coumpted a vile and abiecte personne he taught his
persecute Wee are the chiefe priestes and louers of the law and Dysciples of Moyses let this our authority be sufficient to content thee Thinkest thou that wee do erre Behould here howe these wicked ones whom God hath aduaunced to a hye degree of honour beinge blinded as it were with their excellencye do geue liberty to them selues to do what they liste Behoulde also what swellinge pride remayned in them They would haue Christ to be thought an euill doer because they accuse him but truly if the matter had bene handeled in deede what should his euill deedes haue beene founde to bee but onely the healinge of the sicke the castinge of deuils out of men the makinge of those that were sicke of the palsey to stand the restoringe of sight to the blinde the makinge of the deaffe to heare the restoring of life to the deade The matter truly was thus and they were sufficiently conuinced but as we sayd euen now there is nothing more hard than to make men that are droncke with pride to Iudge with a sounde and vprighte minde Pilate therefore sayth vnto them Take yee him and Iudge him after your owne law There is no doubt but that Pilate beinge offended at their rudenes violence casteth in their teeth that order of condemnation which they vrged to be contrarye to the cōmon Lawe of all Nations and to abhorre the sence of man And therewith also hee secretelye reprehendeth them because they bosted that they had the Lawe geuen vnto them of god Hee speaketh Ironice when he sayth Take ye him For he ment not to suffer them to execute Iudgement of life and death vppon him but his wordes are thus much in effect If the power were yours hee shoulde sodainelye be drawne vnto death his cause not hearde is this therefore the equitye of your lawe to condemne a man for no faulte Euen so the wicked falselye pretendinge the name of God do submit his holy doctrine to the sclaūder and reproche of the ennemyes and occasion geuen to the world to speake euill The Iewes therefore sayd vnto him It is not lawful for vs to put any man to deathe They are deceiued whiche thincke that the Iewes refused that whiche Pilate offered vnto them but rather when they knewe that it was sayd to them by a mocke Take you him they aunswere It is not lawfull for vs to put any mā to death as if they should saye Thou wouldest not suffer this therefore seing thou arte a Iudge execute thine office That the sayinge of Iesus might be fulfilled which hee spake signifyinge what death he should dye At the length Saint Iohn addeth that it ought so to be that the same might be fulfilled which was foreshewed of Christe sayinge The sonne of man shal be deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles C. Pilate therefore would not by by accomplishe and satisfye the request wickedlye made of the Iewes neither deliuer and innocent to death at their pleasure And therefore the Euangelist Luke sayth And they beganne to accuse him sayinge Wee founde this fellowe peruerting the people and forbiddinge tribute to be payed vnto Caesar sayinge that hee is Christe a kinge M. This is that accusation by the whiche they desyered to styrre vp the minde of the debity against the Lord and that not without craft For although they went aboute to ouerthrow Christ with many and sondry faultes yet notwithstandinge it is certaine that this accusation that hee desyered the name of a king was very wickedlye put vp against him to the ende they mighte thereby cause Pilate to enuye him And therefore they do expreslye saye that they founde him alteringe the state of thinges peruertinge the people and forbiddinge tribute to be geuen to Caesar This trulye of all other faultes was most odious vnto Pilate who cared for nothinge more than to defende and maintaine the quiet state of the people and gouernment M. The Iewes also knew that a prophane man would be much moued if they should say Wee found this man speakinge blasphemye against God to be a despiser of our Temple But they knew that Pilate and such as hee was coūted sedition a greuous faulte and not tolleble if anye man shoulde forbid tribute to be geuē to Caesar and a most greuous hatred if any man should make himselfe a kinge in the Romaine Empire A. Wherefore they do chieflye stande vppon this as vppon the special part of the whole accusation namely that they mighte make Christe giltye of ambicious desyer of the kingdome Euen as at this day also Sathan by this pretence goeth about to make the Gospell hated and suspected as though Christe in erectinge settinge vp his kingdome would destroye all the gouernementes of the world and abolishe the rightes and lawes of kinges magistrates And truly suche is the blinde pride oftentimes of kinges that they thincke Christe cannot raigne withoute the losse of their power Therfore that action seemeth vnto them alwayes plausible and right by the which Christ is once vniustlye burthened M. For this cause both the Prophetes in the olde Testamente and also the Apostles and so many as at anye time in the newe haue sincerely preached the worde of God were not only accused of eronious doctrine but also of seditions and are at this day also And for this cause wee do see many princes to abhorre out of measure the doctrine of the truth as thoughe it were a seditious doctrine But let vs retourne to our Euangelist Iesus sayth hee stoode before the Debitye C. Although this were a disordered and vnsemelye sighte farre from the dignitye of the sonne of God that hee should be drawne to the Iudgement seate of a Heathen man to pleade his cause for life in bonds as though hee had beene an euill doer yet notwithstandinge wee muste remember that in the doctrine of the Crosse which is folishnes to the Greekes and a stomblinge blocke to the Iewes there is contayned plentyfull saluation For the sonne of God woulde be brought bounde before a earthly Iudge there be made subiect to the Iudgement of deathe that hee beinge desolued from giltines of sinne may come bouldly and freelye to the celestiall throne of god Therefore if wee consider what profite wee receyued by the Iudgement of Christ vnder Pilate the reproche of such vndeserued subiection shal by and by be put away And truly the condemninge of Christ offendeth none but onlye eyther proude hypocrites or els insensible and grose contemners of God who are not ashamed of their owne iniquity Christ therefore stoode as one gilty before a mortall man and suffered himselfe there to be accused and condemned that wee mighte stande before God voyde of all feare His ennemyes truly wente about to put him to perpetuall reproche and shame but wee must rather consider the ende to the whiche the prouidence of God doth directe vs For if we call to minde how terrible and fearefull the Iudgemente seate of God is
the Churche and maintayne godlynes First of all wee aunswere that they do vnaptly and amisse which inferre this consequence that the doctrine of the Gospell and the pure worship of God ought not to be defended by the sworde because Christe is not then defended in his owne person For Christ onely proueth by the present deede how friuolus and vaine it was whiche the Iewes slaunderouslye brought against him Furthermore although godly kings do defende the kingdome of Christ with the sword yet notwithstanding this is done after another maner than earthlye kingdomes are defended For the kingdome of Christe as it is syirituall so it must be grounded in the doctrine and power of the spirite After the same maner also his buildinge is broughte to passe for neyther lawes nor edictes of men neither punishmentes do reache so far as to the conscience Notwithstandinge this doth not let but that Princes by accidens maye defende the kingdome of Christ partly when they do appoynt externall discipline and partly whē they do apply their defence to the Churche against the wicked But the wickednes of the world bringeth to passe that the kingdome of Christ is more established by the bloud of martyres than by the defence of weapons Pilate therefore sayd vnto him Art thou then a kinge Iesus aunsweared Thou sayest that I am a kinge For this cause was I borne and for this cause came I into the worlde that I might beare witnes to the truth Althoughe alreadye Pilate vnderstoode by the former aunsweare that hee challenged some one kingdome to himselfe Christ notwithstandinge doth nowe affyrme the same againe and not content therewith hee addeth another sentence which might be a confirmation and seale of that other sayinge Whereby wee gather that the doctrine which concerneth the kingdome of Christ is not common seing hee sayeth that the same is worthy of so great asseueration or affyrmance For it is a general sentence For this cause was I borne that I might beare witnes of the truthe notwithstandinge it must speciallye be applyed to the circomstance of this place But the wordes signify thus much that it naturally belongeth vnto Christ to he true and also that for this cause he was sente of the father Wherefore there is no daunger or feare that if wee beleeue in him wee shall be deceyued betause it is impossible that hee should set forth any thinge but that whiche is true to whom the office of teachinge and maintayninge truthe was committed from aboue Whosoeuer is of the truth heareth my voyce This sentence Christ added not so much to exhort Pilate because hee knewe hee should not profite as hee did it to set his doctrine free from vndeserued reproches and slaunders to the which it was subiecte as if hee should haue sayde This is counted a fault in mee that I haue professed my selfe to be a kinge but truly this is an vndoubted truth the which they receiue reuerently withoute controuersy which are of a right Iudgement and sounde vnderstandidge Howbeit hee sayth that they are of the truthe not which naturallye behoulde that whiche is true but in respecte that they are gouerned by the spirite of god A. Christ preached these thinges as concerninge his kingdome before Pontius Pilate the Debitye as witnesseth S. Iohn But the other three Euangelistes saye that Christe aunsweared thus Thou sayest it C. The which aunswere is very ambiguous and doubtfull yet notwithstandinge it maye be gathered oute of Iohn that Christe confessed freelye that which was obiected agaynste him but yet that hee did therewith put away the fault when hee denyeth himselfe to be an earthly kinge But because hee did not greatlye seeke to purge himselfe euen as those that are giltye are wont to do the Euangelistes do set downe vnto vs his halfe aunsweare as if they should say that he denyed not but that hee was a kinge yet notwithstandinge that hee ouerthwartlye noted the slaunder wyth the whiche the ennemyes burthened him without a cause Pilate sayth vnto him What thinge is truthe It seemeth to some that Pilate curiouslye enquired as commonlye Heathen men do whiche greedelye desyer the knowledge of secrete thinges and beinge notwythstandinge ignoraunte whye they desyer this For they onlye seeke to feede their eares But rather this voyce seemeth to proceede of disdayne For Pilate thoughte that it was no small iniurye done vnto him that Christ should depriue him of all knowledge of truthe Nowe let vs behoulde in Pilate the common disease of men for althoughe oure owne consciences do beare testimonye vnto vs of oure ignoraunce yet notwithstandinge there are very fewe which can abyde to confesse the same And herevppon it commeth that the greater parte do reiecte the true doctrine Afterwarde the Lorde whiche is the teacher of the humble in blindynge the proude geeueth them the punishmente that they deserue Oute of the same pryde commeth that disdayne whiche wyll in no wise submitte it selfe to learne because euery man seemeth wyse in his owne conceyte The matter is thought to be an oulde truthe But God on the contrarye parte affyrmeth that it farre exceedeth the capascitye of mans minde The like also happeneth in other matters The speciall pointes of deuinitye consiste of these namelye of the corrupte nature of the mortification of the fleshe of the renouation of life of the free reconcilliation by the onelye sacrifyce of the imputaon of righteousnes by the whiche a sinner is accepted of God and of the illumination of the spirite Nowe because euerye one of these is a Paradox the common sence and reason of men doth contemptuouslye reiecte them Very fewe therefore do profite in the schole of God because there is scarce one amonge tenne whiche taketh anye heede to his first rules and principles And howe commeth this to passe but onelye because they measure the secrete wysedome of God by their owne vnderstandinge And that Pilate spake in derison it maye appeare by this that hee wente foorthe by and by To be shorte hee is angerye and displeased wyth Christe because hee bosteth that hee bringeth forthe the truthe whiche before was hidde Yet notwithstandynge this hys displeasure doth declare that the wicked do neuer so frowardlye reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel but that they are touched with some force of the same For althoughe Pilate came not so farre as to shewe hymselfe apte to be taughte yet notwithstandinge he is constrayned to feele some pricke of conscience within him These thinges beinge ended S. Iohn and S. Luke saye thus And when he had spoken these thinges hee came foorthe agayne to the Iewes to the hye Priestes and to al the multitude and said vnto them I finde not cause at all in him A. Althoughe Pilate were a wicked and vniuste man yet notwythstandinge hee woulde not adiudge an innocente to death so longe as his fame or office were in no perill Moreouer as the Euangelistes do dilligentlye describe that Christe wente not to hys deathe by externall force
hym to be iuste to the ende it might be more certayne that all this whiche hee suffered was for our sakes It followeth in Luke I wyll therefore chasten hym and let hym go C. If any lyght offence were committed without deserte of deathe the Romayne gouernours were wont to punishe and beate suche an offender with roddes and this kynde of punishement was called a chastisement or correction Pilate therefore was vniust whiche absoluing Christe from all offence punysheth hym as one coÌ„uicte of a small faulte For he doth not onely affirme that hee hathe founde no faulte worthy of death in hym but hee dothe also maintayne his innocensy without exceptioÌ„ Why then doth he scourge hym But thus are earthly men went to do whoÌ„ the spirite of God doth not confirme in the constancy of truthe although they desier to imbrace equitie yet notwithstanding being constrayned they decline and yelde to smal iniuries Neyther do they onely take this for a iust excuse that they haue not greatly offended but also they do there by arrogate prayse vnto them selues because they haue spared in some pointe the gyltleâ—â— In the meane tyme they doe not consider that although extreame crueltie bee layde asyde yet righteousnes equitie whiche is more precious than the life of men is no lesse violated and broken with wordes than by the swerde As touching that whiche pertayneth to the sonne of God being after this maner abased myght he haue suffered the reproche of beating with roddes without any profite of out saluation but he could not suffer death without the accomplyshing of our saluation for he triumphed ouer oure ennemies and his vppon the crosse as on a glorious chariot And I would to God the worlde were not replenished with many Pilates at this daye But we doe see the same thyng to be fulfilled in the members which was begon in the head For looke with how great crueltie the Iewyshe priestes cryed to bring Christe vnto the death the popishe clergie prosecuteth his seruaunts with the lyke at this daye Moreouer although Mathewe Marke and Luke make no mentioÌ„ of his beating with roddes yet for all that S. Iohn expressely speaketh of the same For thus he wryteth Then Pylate tooke Iesus and scourged hym Reade the nyntene chapiter of S. Iohn These thinges being ended Pilate brought foorth to the Iewes the Lorde whiche was scourged crowned with thornes spytted vppon buffeted and mocked hopynge by that miserable sight to asswage very much the hatred and mallyce whiche they bare against hym C. But truely their madnes myght not be appeased vntyll the authour of lyfe were extinguished For when the chiefe priestes and ministers sawe him they cryed saying Crucefie hym Crucefie hym Pilate saythe vnto them Take ye hym and crucifie hym for I fynde in hym no faulte at all A. Agayne he openly pronounceth Christ to be an innocente As if he should saye if it be righte to put a man to deathe before iust cause why be knowen and founde out take you hym your selues for I fynde in hym nothyng worthy of death The Iewes aunswered hym we haue a lawe and accordyng to that lawe he ought to dye because he made hym selfe the sonne of god They declare that they doe by lawe persecute Christe not of mallice or to satisfie their wyll For they perceiued that Pilate thwarted crossed them But they speake as to one ignoraunce of the lawe as if they shoulde saye According to our custome we must lyue and frame our doynges but our religion dothe not suffer anye man to boaste hym selfe to bee the sonne of God. But this accusation dyd not altogether wante his coloure yet they erred greately in the Hypothesis For the generall doctrine is true that it is not mete for men to take vnto them selues any parte of the honour dewe vnto God that they are woorthy of death whiche take that vnto them selues whiche is onely proper vnto god But the cause of the errour was in the persone of Christe because they neyther consydered what tytels the Scripture gaue vnto Christe neyther did they once seke whether that Iesus were that Messias whiche was promised of God long before We do see therefore howe they bryng a false consequence from a trewe beginning because they take it amis By the whiche example we are taught to distinguyshe betwene a generall doctrine and a Hypothesis or particuler For many vnskylfull and lyght men if they be once deceiued by a pretenced truthe they will also reiecte the principles of Scripture The whiche libertie doth to muche abounde at this day Let vs remember therefore so to take hede of subtyll fallacies coloured argumeÌ„tes that the principles whiche are true may abyde sounde that the credite of the scripture be not takeÌ„ away Moreouer by this place we may easely refute the wicked whiche doe falsely amis alleage the testimony of the scripture and the principles that they take out of the same for false causes EueÌ„ as the Papistes do at this daye who greatly extolling the authoritie of the churche doe bringe in nothing but that in the whiche all the childreÌ„ of God do agree namely that the churche is the mother of the faithfull the pyller of truthe that it ought to be hearde and that it is gouerned by the holy ghoste the which ought not to be denied But when they wil drawe vnto them selues what right soeuer is due vnto the Churche they do wickedly and with sacriledge take that no poynte whereof pertayneth vnto them For it is necessary to consider the Hypothesis whether they deserue the title of the Churche or no. For in this point they fayle In lyke manner when they furiously rage against al the godly they excuse them selues with this colour that they are ordeined to defende and mainteyne the fayth and peace of the Churche But when we come more neare vnto the matter wee may euidently perceyue that they haue nothynge lesse in their myndes than the defence of true doctrine and that they are tooched with nothinge lesse than with the care of concorde But that they do onely fighte for their tyranny A. Moreouer this accusation semeth specially to haue his originall of that disputation in the which Christ alleaged the lawe prouing that he is the chosen sonne of God or els of his aunswere to the adiuration or charge of Caiphas the hyghe prieste For there by playne woordes he confesseth hym selfe to be the sonne of god But when Pilate hearde this sayinge hee was more afrayde In the whiche woordes there may be double vnderstanding First because Pilate feared leaste he should sustayne some blame if a tumulte should aryse because he condemned not Christe Secondly because so soone as he heard the sonne of God spoken of his minde was touched by by with feare This second sence doth confyrme that whiche followeth in the texte thus And hee wente agayne into the iudgement haule and sayde vnto Iesus Whence arte thou Hereby it
the hyghe Pryestes the heathen people also had mocked hym pryuately in the iudgemente house of the deputie but nowe on euery syde all degrees tryumphe ouer hym without mercy and compassyon hee beinge readye to dye and sufferynge moste cruell tormentes as the hyghe Pryestes the Scrybes the people the soldioures the highest the lowest yea the theefe on the crosse deryded hym and whiche was most sorrowfull no man dyd bewayle hym euen as Dauid hadde foreshewed sayinge I loked for somme to haue pittie on me but there was no manne neyther founde I any to comforte mee B. C. All men knowe by experyence howe greate griefe it is vnto man if in his greate trouble not onely no manne bewayleth hym but also all men rather reioyce Chryste suffereth most bitter tormentes in the bodye his mynde also is trowbled and hee is afflycted wyth moste sharpe and slaunderouse reproches by the whiche Sathan wente aboute to geeue hym a deadelye wounde that hee myghte putte his Fayth in danger In this syghte as in a glasse God hathe sette forthe howe myserable oure condition is if wee shoulde wante a redeamer For what so euer Chryst suffered it was for oure ease and saluatyon whereby wee oughte dayely to be moued to repentaunce This temptation truly was more sharpe than all other tormentes that all men shoulde vexe hym with contumelies and sclaunders as thoughe hee hadde beene reiected and forsaken of god B. And therefore Dauid bearynge the personne of Chryste â—…othe specially bewayle this amonge the reste of his euylles saying All they that see me laugh me to scorne they shote out their lyppes and shake the head C. And trewly there is nothinge that doth more wound pearce the mindes of the godly than when theÌ„ wicked to destroye their faithe do cast them in the féethe that they are destitute of the helpe and grace of god This is that sharpe persecution with the whiche Paule saith that Isaac was vexed of Ismaell Not because he persecuted him wyth the sword and force of armes but because he mockinge the grace of God went about to ouerthrowe his faythe And firste of all Dauid felte these temptations â–ª after that Christ him selfe leaste they should tempte vs to muche at this daye by the newenes thereof For the wycked shall neuer be wantinge to reioyce at our miseries 40 And sayinge thou that destroyedste the temple of God and diddest build it in three daies saue thy selfe If thou be the sonne of God come downe froÌ„ the crosse Thou that destroyedst C. Here they do reproue the doctrine of Christe in vayne because hee dothe not nowe declare the power in time of neede whiche hee saide before hee had But trewelye excepte a desyre to speake euill had depriued them of their minde and iudgement the truth of his sayinge a lyttell after was euydente inoughe vnto theim Christe had saide Destroye this temple and I will rayse it vp the thyrde daye Nowe they tryumphinge before the time in the begynnynge of the ruine and fall doe not tary vntyll the third day Suche is the insolencye presumption of the wicked agaynst all the chyldren of god when as vnder the pretence of the crosse they goe aboute to take from them the hope of the life to come Where say they is that immortall glory which foolish beleuinge men do dost of seinge they now lye thus contemned and in misery Are not some of them in extreme pouerty othersome in banishment others in prison some allso burnte to ashes Thus dothe the corruption of the presente externall man blynde them that they thinke the hope of restoringe to come to be vayne and rydiculouse But we must loke for the dewe time when the promised building shall be finished neyther must we take it greueously yf we be now crucified with Christ because hereafter we shal be pertakers of his resurrection Saue thy selfe Bu. As if they had sayd At the length it apeareth how notablelye thou hast lyed for nowe thou canst not saue thy selfe Thy afflicted body cut and torne with strypes thou canst not restore so farre vnable art thou to build againe the Temple if it were destroyed If thou be the son of God C. For this cause the hye Prieste with the rest of the Priestes Scribes and Elders of the people condemned Christ of blasphemye in the Counsaile Now here they triumphe ouer him beinge crucifyed as though he were conuicted of blasphemye This voice If thou be the sonne of God is a great temptacion and procedinge from the deuill speciallye if thou weye consider how and when it was obiected vnto him beinge afflicted and complayninge that hée was forsaken of God. Euenso Sathan séeketh to take from vs the promises of god In like maner Christ beinge amonge beastes in the wildernesse and féelings the paine of hunger SathaÌ„ saide If thou be the sonne of God commaunde that these stones be made bread Come dovvne from the Crosse The wicked do requyre of Christ such a document of his power that by prouinge himselfe to be the sonne of God he may cease to be the sonne of god For this cause hee toke vppon him our humaine nature and came into the worlde that by the sacrifyce of hys death he might reconcile men to God the father Therefore it was necessarye that hee shoulde hange vppon the Crosse to shewe himselfe to be the sonne of god And let vs hereby learne to confirme our faythe because the sonne of God to finishe the woorke of our saluation â–ª would abyde till hee had suffered both the cruell tormentes of the fleshe and also the horrible extremities of the spirite yea and death it selfe And leaste it happen vnto vs to tempte God as these wicked ones did in the same maner let vs suffer God to byde his power so often as it séemeth good vnto him so to do that at his pleasure he may declare the same againe in due time M. It was not needeful that Christe shoulde declare hymselfe to be the sonne of God by desceâ—â—ynge from the Crosse but it was needefull that hee beinge deadde and buryed shoulde ryse agayne the thyrde daye and therby to declare hym selfe to be the sonne of god Whereupon the Apostell Paule also saythe whiche is declared to be the sonne of God with power and by the resurrection from the deade 41 Likewise also the hie pristes mocking him with the Scribes and elders saide M. These wicked Hypocrites begyn to tryumphe so sone as the trueth semed to be in daunger in the meane tyme notwithstandinge euerlasting glory is prepared by the crose for Christ but to them perpetual confusion They thought that the truethe of Christe was fastened with nailes to the crosse with the body of Christ when as it is one thing for the preacher of the worde to be fastened in body to the crosse and an other thing for the truethe of Goddes worde to be nayled thereunto So Paule said but the worde of God is not bounde
preachers of the word Althoughe theyve impudente yet by this one thinge they are forced to yelde that none can be a successor of the Apostles excepte hee be a preacher For who soeuer teacheth not doth in vaine take vnto him the name of an Apostle A. And this preachinge of the Gospell which Christe here committeth to the mynisters of his word hath also the preachinge of repentance ioyned with it as S. Marke teacheth sayinge that Christe preached thus The time is come and the kingdome of God is at hand Repent and beleue the Gospell And againe hee sayth to his Apostles Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christ to suffer and to ryse againe from death the thirde daye and that repentaunce and remission of sinnes shoulde be preached in his name amonge al Nations To preache the Gospell therefore is to exhorte all men to repentaunce and to pronounce remission of sinnes to all those that repente in the name of Christe who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For hee which shal repent and beleue the Gospel sheewinge remission of sinnes shal be saued But as for those that teache not this Gospell but rather their owne dreames who dare say that they are the ministers of Christ and that they are sente and oughte to be receiued All Nacions C. Here Christe without all exception maketh the Gentiles equal with the Iewes and admitteth both of them without difference to the societye of the couenaunt And thus was the Prophesye of Esay fulfilled where hee sayth that Christ is geuen a light to the Gentiles that he might be the saluation of God to the vtmost parte of the earth And this was the meaninge of Marke when hee said To all creatures because after the peace was preached to the househoulde the same was sent to straungers and such as were farre of M. Therefore the doctrine of saluation the grace of Christes kingdome must be offered to all men The father hath so disposed it and for that cause hee sente his sonne into this world and gaue him power of all thinges that the world might be saued by him Wherefore the Gospell must be preached to men and women to oulde yonge to the wise and foolishe yea to all estates not in the lattine tonge as certaine deceyuers and false teachers haue taughte but to euery one in his owne tongue A. And this is to be noted that if all Nations must be taught accordinge to this commaundement of Christe it followeth that all men throughoute the whole worlde were naturally in error and ignoraunce and that neither the Iewes by the doctrine of the law nor the Gentiles by the studye of Philosophye coulde come to the knowledge of the truthe The lawe and the Prophetes did foreshewe the comminge of Christ but they were not able to set forth this lighte of the grace of Christe For the vale honge yet before the harts of the Iewes by the which also at this daye they are kepte from the knowledge of the truth So that the whole worlde withoute the light of the Gospell is in darkenes and in the woorkes of darkenes and so vnder the kingdome of Sathan which is the prince of darkenes Therefore Christe sayth that his Apostles are the lighte of the world that is to say the mynisters of the light of the Gospell Baptizinge them C. Christe commaundeth those to be baptized whiche subscribe to the Gospell and professe themselues to be Dysciples partly that baptisme might be vnto them a pledge before God partlye an outwarde signe of fayth before men For wee knowe that God by this signe declared the grace af his adoption because hee doth ingrafte vs into the bodye of hys sonne that he might count vs of his flocke But as God by this signe confirmeth his grace vnto vs euenso whosoeuer offer thēselues to baptisme do in like maner bynde their faith as with a sure pledge M. What Baptisme is and what it is to baptize reade the thirde Chapter goinge before Christe did not here institute Baptisme for it may appeare out of Iohn that hee baptized his Disciples before And hee doth therefore make mencion of Baptisme here that the Apostles mighte knowe what they shoulde do with those whiche repented and beleeued the Gospell namelye to baptize them in the name of the father of the Sonne and of the holy ghost and to appoint them to keepe those thinges which hee himselfe hath commaunded C. Hereby againe we gather that none are lawfull mynisters of Baptisme but they which also minister the word Whereas therefore it hath bene permitted to priuate men and to women also to minister Baptisme it is contrary to the institution of Christ and a meere prophanation of the Sacrament Moreouer Doctrine is set in the first place because vntill God geeue life vnto the terrestriall elemente by hys word it is not made a sacrament to vs Wherefore let vs knowe that it commeth to passe by the vertue of doctrine that the signes take vnto them a newe nature euen as the externall wasshinge of the fleshe beginneth to be a spirituall pledge of regeneration the doctrine of the Gospell goinge before And this is the true consecration in steede whereof the Papistes bringe in their magicall exorcismes And therefore in Marke it is sayde Hee whiche beleeueth is baptized shal be saued By which wordes Christ doth not onlye exclude hypocrites from the hope of saluation whiche beinge voyde of faith haue only the external signe but also ioyneth baptisme to the holye bonde of doctrine B. Baptisme therefore is ioyned to preachinge as the seale of preachinge by the whiche the faithfull are assured that their sinnes are forgeeuen by Christ and is geeuen to them for a testimony that they are counted of the house should of god C. But because Christ doth commaunde to teach before baptisme be ministered Obiection and will haue those onelye that beleeue to be receiued to baptisme Baptisme seemeth not to be rightly mynistered excepte fayth go before accordinge to the opynion of the Anabaptistes who for that cause deny the baptisinge of Infantes vntill they come to that age that they maye be taught and beleeue This may easely be aunswered if a man waye the order of the commaundemente Christe commaundeth the embassage of eternall saluation to be caryed to all Nations hee confirmeth the same by adding the seale of Baptisme And the faithe of the word is iustly set before baptisme seing the Gētiles were altogether alienate frō God neither had they any fellowshippe with the chosen people For otherwyse the figure should lye whiche should offer remission of sinnes and the gift of the holye Ghoste to the vnbeleeuinge whiche were not as yet the members of Christe But wee knowe that they are gathered and broughte to the people of God which before were dispersed Neither is baptisme after this sort seperated from faithe or doctrine because althoughe yonge infantes for want
in him that followeth Christ Myracles serued to set forth the glorye of God. Chriâ—… Phisâ—… Mathâ—… Esayâ—… Theâ—… charitâ—… 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 9. Traditions thrust in by men Scribes Iohn 1. Papistes alleadge traditions Thâ—â— of trâ—… Iohn â—… Indâ—â— thingâ—… not be necessaâ—… â—â—ke 7. The order of washing was curiously vrged of the Iewes Popish holye water is made by this place The lawe of God ought to be preferred before mens traditions Traditions of men tye the consciences of gods people Papistes strayne â—…gnat sâ—…low afâ—… Markâ—… 1. Tiâ—… Childâ—… oughtâ—…â—…nour 〈◊〉 Parcâ—â— â—…us of â—…cy Honor dowe vnto parents Commeth of me is not expressed but vnderstoode in the Gereke texte Corban the boxe of the temple Luâ—â— Deâ—â— traâ—â— perâ—â— neâ—â— â—…rituall â—…ship beâ—â—eth to 〈◊〉 â—…onoure â—â—ueth 〈◊〉 God. â—…rifie â—…hyngs â—…serned â—…er Gods worde is sufficient to teache vs how to worshyp hym Fained worshippinges ar abhominable Rom. 14. Ignoraunce is not acceptable vnto God. Markâ—… Maâ—…ence 〈◊〉 welâ—… all euâ—… Godâ—…â—…tures Popisâ—… of meaâ—… drinckâ—… Titus â—…ry in â—…ige 〈◊〉 agre 〈◊〉 must â—…ded The vertu of Christ offended the Iewes Luke 2. Esaye 5. Ierem. 2. Ierem 12 Amos. 9. Esay 60. 2. Cor. 2 The effecte of the Gospell The duetie of a preacher Preâ—…â—…tion 〈◊〉 wâ—… owâ—… naâ—â— Eraâ—… of thâ—… â—…riginall 〈◊〉 saluaâ—… â—â—s geâ—… offen â—…n Blindenesse and ignoraÌ„ce are the cause of destruction Papistes maintayne blyndnesse Gala. 2. Mark. 7. Mâ—â—â—…fâ—…le 〈◊〉 man. Aâ—… â—…orrupâ—…â—…at is in 〈◊〉 defyâ—â— whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. â—…e 7. Roma 15. Math. 10. Rom. 1 2.3 and .10 1. Cor. 1. Gala. 3. The Greeke letter χ is as much as ch Faithe commeth by hearynge Sâ—… wâ—… faiâ—… 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 speaâ—… his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Popishe praier to saintes Ephe. 2. Math. 10. Roma 15. Luke 19. Faith that is firme can not be beaten downe 〈◊〉 made â—â—ntiles 〈◊〉 were â—…ges to 〈◊〉 sonnes 〈◊〉 â—…oÌ„ hath â—…s Marke 7. A constants fayth in the woman of Canaan Luke 18. Chriâ—â— fayth â–ª â—…btayâ—… thinâ—…â—…he haÌ„â—… God. Marke 8. Math. 4.8.9 and 14. Saintes may not be sought vnto for helpe False myracles dishonor God. Acteâ—… Galâ—… Hebâ—… Theâ—… weâ—… Chriâ—… waÌ„â—… 〈◊〉 5. â—…e reaâ—…eth â—…s poâ—… 〈◊〉 11. 1. King. 14. Encrease commeth by the blessing of God. 1. Kings 17. Mans life 〈◊〉 a continuall warfare on earth The truth neuer wanteth enemyes chap 8. Papistes would haue the Gospell confirmed by newe signes Thâ—… set 〈◊〉 croâ—… bâ—…â—…desâ—… wâ—… 〈◊〉 fayâ—… sheâ—…â—…gion â—…e 12. Gene. 1. Esay 35. Gene. 49. It is lawfull to note and obserue the outwarde apperaunce of the Heauens â—…e 4. â—â—ke 8. Error beinge once grounded truth is abbolished Marke 8. Luke 12. False doctrin is compared to leuen Ierem. 5. Deut. 10. Traditions of men bringe in hypocricye Aunsâ—… Antiâ—… Româ—…â—…lye sâ—â—â— his kâ—… Popeâ—…tions aâ—… Gospeâ—… not agiâ—… Two 〈◊〉 of leuen â–ª â—…uste is â—…se of â—…erate Ingratitude is the cause that wee are ouercome in temptation Deut. â—…4 and 25. Psalm 78. Matth 26. Math. 13. 2. cor â—… Mark â—… Luke â—… 〈◊〉 li. 18. 〈◊〉 3 de â—…ui and cap. 16. 〈◊〉 10.12 â—…1 〈◊〉 17. 〈◊〉 the â—…f man. Psal. 8. Esaye 5. The error of the Iewes as concerning the soule of man. Math. 11. Ierem. 1. Thâ—â— of 〈◊〉 Antithâ—… compâ—â— thingâ—…â—…trarye â—…ssion of â—…with â—…th is â—…ed of Chriâ—… Iohn 6. Peter was the mouthe of the Apostels 1. Kings 24. Luke 2. Actes 17. Iohn 17. Luke 4. Math. 8. Math. 21. Esay â—… Gala â—… Epheâ—… Matâ—… â—…his the â—…of God. 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 3. chap. 1. Peter signifieth a stone Ephe. 2. 1. Timo. 1. 1. cor 3. Ephe 2. 2. cor 10. Psal. â—… Numâ—… Deâ—â— Exâ—â— Psalâ—… Ephâ—… Matâ—… 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 21. â—â—er 5. â—…hurche â—…geth to 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 Pope 〈◊〉 20. 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 14. â—…ates â—…ot preâ—… against 〈◊〉 Roma 8. 1. Iohn 5. Iohn 10. Christes congregation so longe as it is on earth shall euer be subict to persecutions Esay 22 Luke 11. The 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 lyfe Mathâ—… Aunsâ—… Iohn â—… Luke â—… â—â—ssion of â—â—es by the â—…pell 〈◊〉 42.49 〈◊〉 61. â—…es 26. â—…s 2. 〈◊〉 16. Actes 13. Actes 18. Binding pertayneth to the Gospell Actes 8. 2. Cor. 10. 2. cor 4. The Gospell is a reconsiliacion betwen God man. Auguâ—… 1. cor â—… Ephe â—… â—…christ of â—â—e taketh â—…r the fouÌ„â—…on of the â—…che â—â—ian â—â—he suâ—â—cie Peter was made a doore keper of the kingedome of heauen Peter dyed at Rome Aunswere Truthe at all times muste not be spokeÌ„ â—…achi 2. â—…h 21. â—…lorye of â—…es reâ—…tioÌ„ and â—…the â—…lwaies â—…ed toâ—… Rom. 4. Loue not guided by reasoÌ„ Rashe zeale Good intencions of men not guided by the word of God. Aunswere Gene. 18. Gene. â—… Mathâ—… Peteâ—…â—…led Sâ—… 〈◊〉 8. â—â—p that â—…y beâ—… be aâ—… Rom. 8. Chap 8. Chap. 9. Luke 14. Two things make vs like vnto Christ Iohn â—… Iohn â—… Luke â—… 1. Corâ—… Lukâ—… Versâ—… Theâ—… haueâ—… theâ—… pertâ—â— to thaâ—… â—…0 〈◊〉 4. 1 Peter 2. All are not Martyres thou suffer death without feare The soule of man is immortall Chap. 9. The 〈◊〉 generâ—… Iudâ—â— Maâ—… Luâ—… Maâ—… â—…c 7 â—â—o 2 〈◊〉 25. Angelles are Goddes mynisters 4. Kin. 19. Workes are not the cause of saluation The fruite maketh not the tree but the tree the fruite Three causes of our saluation Iohn 3. Woorkes are a seale of our Faythe 2 Cor. 5. General iudgment Roma 2. Iohn â—… Mark â—… Math. â—… Math. 12. Collos 1. â—…oma 15. â—…ilip 4. â—…bre 10. Marke 9 Luke 9. The cause of Christes traÌ„sfiguration Christe suffered because he woulde Deut. 19. Math. 6. Luke 11. By praâ—… arc traâ—â—med inâ—â— Actes â—… Daniâ—â— â—…ctes 10. â—…ctes 22. â—â—h 13. â—â—ke 9 〈◊〉 deade â—â—ing are â—…ddes â—…demeÌ„t Aunswere Aunswere A sure seale of our faithe Luke 9. Iohn 13 Luke 24 Luke 9 Math. â—… The wâ—â— must 〈◊〉 withall Psalmâ—… Petâ—â—â—…initie â—â—hn 6. â—â—ust imaâ—…â—…nd the â—…g vp of â—â—es Psalm 10 4 Actes 1. Math. 24. 1. Thes 4. Psalm 91 Deut. 4. Hebr. 1. Against images Math. 3. By Chryste we are made heyres Chryst a mediatour Aunsâ—â— Angâ—â—â— not â—â—â—ciler Chriâ—… the soâ—â— two 〈◊〉 persoâ—â— The exâ—…cie of thâ—…â—…pell â—…c 1. â—â—s 2. â—…uentiâ—… men 1. Iohn 4. Luke 10. The infirmitie of man. Deut 5. Exod 30. Châ—â— beâ—â—â—â—…ses â—…rke 9 â—…ke 9 â—…rrour 〈◊〉 Rabâ—… 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 53 â—…ror of â—…ribes The desyre that ought too be in the ignorante Why Iohn the Baptist was caâ—â—ed Helias Luke 1. Matth. 11. Mattâ—… Theâ—â— fetchâ—… withâ—… bodâ—â— to thâ—â— Luke â—… â—…arke 9. â—…he mallice â—…he scribes â—…lâ—…naâ—…â—â—re The nature of Sathan The miserable estate in the which we are set out to moue vs to prayer The care of God for his children The obstinate 〈◊〉 are noâ—… to be forborne The louinge kindenes of Christe A consâ—…tion 〈◊〉 â—…uery 〈◊〉 ought 〈◊〉 2 Tâ—â— Marâ—… 〈◊〉 deuils 〈◊〉 Christ â—…efecte of â—…is the â—…of euill â—…th 13. â—…ely saith Three kindes of fayth 1. A
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