suche a prophecy dothe god sometyme fulfyl as in fewe yeares after it did chaunce when the Iewes were brought into Assiria c. And yet neuertheles yt is to bee thoughte a greate grace and benefite that they were not depryued of the word of god For they had Moyses Aaron and so manye prophetes besydes as Saynte Iohn baptiste Christe himselfe and the Apostels that Christe myghte well reherse vnto theym I sende vnto you Prophetes wyse men and scribes c. Secondarilye he reproueth theim of theyr crueltye whiche they vsed agaynste the Prophetes and other that were sente vnto theim receiuinge theym with no reuerence but moste abhominably dyd handle theim And where they hadde beene woorthye of greate rewardes they contrary wise kylled theym The ingratitude of the Iews Some of them sayth he shal you kyll and crucifye and some of them shal you scourg in your sinagoges and persecute theim frome citye to citye c. This was a greate blyndenes that the Iewes slewe all the Prophetes and would not suffre none to liue that spoke against their false worshippyng of God whiche they contrary to the worde of God had inuēted of their owne braynes And in this blyndnes and maliciousnes they abode and remayned styll in Christes tyme and long after and would in no wyse suffre any thyng that should learne theim to amende their blyndnes But so it is wont to go with theim that wyll not harken vnto the worde of God but abuse the same Wherfore worthily happeneth vnto them the saiyng of Esaias Esai 6. Blynde the heart of this people c. Surely they can not blame Christ seyng that the waye of trueth was so diligently taught vnto them before his commyng Fyrst through the Prophetes other ministers of his worde and in his tyme by Christ himselfe and after Christes ascencion by the Apostles and other mo so that they can laye no blame to no man nor can in no wyse excuse them selues Dyd not Christe geue theim sufficient warnyng in this present Gospell where he sayeth Ierusalem Ierusalem Thou that slayest the Prophetes and stonest theim that are sent vnto thee Howe ofte would I haue gathered thy children together euen as the Henne gathereth her chickyns vnder her wynges and ye would not c. He that had leasure or time to declare the worthines of this similitude and in what wyse the Henne is affeccioned toward her chickyns and in what wyse she retayneth theim and getteth theim their foode and with what desire and feruentnesse she fighteth for their safegarde and in howe many thynges she dissembleth and suffereth theim paciently fynally in what wise she kepeth and defendeth them vnder her winges whiche all aptely may be apropriated vnto Christe whiche for our sakes dyd and suffered so many thinges withoute doubte yt shoulde bee euident vnto all men the the Iews them selues were the very cause occasion of their blindnes damnacion As the prophet Oseas witnesseth saying Ose 13. O Israell thy iniquitie hathe destroyed the But in me only is thy healpe To whom of the prophets haue they obeyed Or whiche of theim haue they not persecuted What trouble and busynes suffered Moyses amonge theim Yea how shamefully thei behaued theim selues against Christe and how did they handle him Which of the Apostels were euer safe and suer amongest theim Did they not stone to deathe that blessed Saint Steuen the holy martyre of god Out of their dooinges it is manifest The nature of the fleshe that there was nothinge more pleasaunter to the Iewes than to stone crucifye to obtruncat scourg and persecute with most greuous ponishments the blessed saintes of Christ But to hear the holy word of god to knowledg that most ioyfull tyme of their Messias there were very few of them so to do Yea and thoughe we were ignoraunt with howe greate crueltye they intreated all those that were sente to them from god yet might a man sufficiently learn it in the only story of Steuen which is writen in the seuenth chapiter of the actes of the Apostles Act. 7. Thirdely Of the punishemēt of the soules of the Iews Christe declareth the ponishement that shuld happen vnto the Iews for their ingratitude which shuld not only be a corporal ponishment but also a spirituall ponishmente Fyrste shall come vppon theim all the righteous bloud that was shedde vpon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abell vnto the bloude of Zacharye the sonne of Barachias 2 Pa. 24 whome they slewe betwene the temple and the altare O what an horrible and a greuous punishment shuld this be For god will no more suffre vnpunished this effusion of bloud then he will suffre vnpunished the effusion of the Precious bloud of his only sonne as the scripture witnesseth saying Zach. 2 He that toucheth you shall touche the apple of his owne eye And againe in an other place Verely I saye vnto you Mat. 25 whatsoeuer you do to one of the leaste that beleue in me that same do you to me O you tyrantes why doth not these sayings touche you and moue you Why doth not the greate ponishment of the sowle withdrawn you frome your greate curelnes that you myght be afraid to committe any more suche vnworthye actes against the wordes of god Do you not heare that the bloude of those whiche you do kyll for the worde of god shal not allonly come vpon you but also all the bloude that hathe beene shedde vppon the earth from the bloud of righteous Abell vnto this day Yee wyll not beeleue these thinges but daylye go aboute to mayntaine your wantō and abhominable minde But synce it is so that you wyll doo none other take your pleasure For wee truely shall abide pacientlye by the grace of God that tyme in the whiche wee shall resiste you and all the aduersaries of the worde of god openly with greate truste and constancye For doubte you not but that daye of vengeaunce shall come Sapient 5. Besides thys you shall be punished with corporall ponishment for your ingratitude and vnthankfulnes For thus saith the lorde Behold your habitacion shall bee lefte vnto you desolate And in an other place he saithe Mat 24 There shall not bee lefte one stone vpon an other These bee those thinges that Christe gaue the Iewes warnyng of which shuld happen vpon them and partely he tolde it by similitudes and partlye without anye similitude But what preuailed it to them Dyd they either repent them or amend theim No snerly And Christe also after his ascention lefte theim his blessed apostels giuing theim fourtye yeares space to repent theim and yet all wold not help nor cause them to forsake their mischeuous incredulitie pertinacy but as S. Paule sayeth Rom. 2. They heaped them selfe a treasure of wrath against the day of wrath c. Wherefore it is come to passe that the iudgemente of god his wrath indignacion is come vpon them which is euidente to the
they wyll men should report them as though thei did all this of an exceadyng great zeale to defende the lawe of Moses and the tradicions of the fathers like as it is commonly practised that their can bee imagined none so great or haynous a cryme against the truth but hypocrisie can before the worlde paint it out with fayre colours Nothīg so euil but hipocrisy can make it holy yea and set it furthe with a glorious shyne of godlynes Well let hypocrisye vse her colours as long as she lust deceiue men as much as she can For surely when the truth cōmeth the light of the Gospell dothe shyne abrode doubtlesse then it shall euidently appeare what lay hydde in suche mennes heartes and wherof that their zeale came that is of mere enuye and stubburne hatred where with they are so set on fyre and do fret against the truth that they can by no meanes abyde it For why the trueth so rebuketh and reprehendeth that outwarde shyne of righteous woorkes and all their holynes and it sheweth that althoughe outwardely they bee honest and vertuous yet in heart they are detestable wretches and bloudthursty dogges vnto whom also God shall say at the laste day Depart from me you workers of iniquitee Mat. 7 I know you not But this they can suffre in no wyse and it is a double edged sworde in their heartes when so euer they are compelled to heare these thynges spoken Nowe forasmuche as Christ had tolde them their faultes many tymes and euermore rebuked sharply their hypocrisy they nowe therfore swarme together and gather their counsels and for money do hyer the traytor to betray him Psal 2. and delyuer him into their handes Yet do they not this to conserue and defēde their lawe Money maketh Iudas betray the truth to this day but this they do to oppresse the truth wherwith Christ had sore troubled them and would in no wyse suffre their hypocrisye to bee estemed as righteousnes This I say is the only cause why thei would so gladly rid Christ out of the way I pray you who wyll nowe wōder that in our daies our religious fathers surely induced by this example rage with suche crueltie against the woorde of God his gospel I assure you they are not so vnwyse but rightwell they can considre what is expedient for them to do in this behalfe and therefore they often assemble and cōsulte among themselfes For why they see if the gospell may goo furth and prospere that this outward and carnal goddes seruice that they haue this outward shewe of holynes that they crake vpon wyll in shorte tyme bee very litle set by And if these thynges ones be had in no reputacion then doubtlesse that holy god of theirs the belly shall be iacke out of office no more worshipped And then men shal syng to him an Anthem nothyng pleasaunt that is to say Ps 127 Labores manuum tuarum manducabis Thou shalt eate the labours of thyne owne handes I pray you who wyll not with this be disquieted and discōtent in his mynd Who of them wyll not take counsel to rydde this doctrin out of the waye Therefore in this place note diligently who they are that take Christe bynde him skourge him and geue commaundement to crucify him and you shal euidētly perceiue what lyeth hyd vnder the hypocrisye of all men Secondarily it is not lightly to bee passed ouer Christe knowledgeth and defendeth his doctrine but diligētly to be noted that Christ when he was examined before the bishop as cōcernyng his doctrin he appealed vnto the hearers of his sermons and defēded boldly and constātly the same his doctrin as true doctrine And so was it very necessary that Christ should do For God not only requireth that we shuld cōtinually apply his doctrin by teachyng hearyng learning it but also that we should frely confesse it and defende it whensoeuer we should be examined of it For Christendome standeth not as somesay in beleue well and holde thy tongue but beleue and cōfesse as the Prophet sayth Ps 115. I beleued and therefore I spake But thou wylt say I am no enemy of the worde and asmuche as in me is I can well suffre the gospel to be preached if at the least it should not breake peace and concorde among the people What is this Sekest thou peace in this worlde and wouldest thou haue constant frendship with it Doubtles it were a fayre thyng if it might be possible to bryng it to passe And also I thynke there can no mā be found but he rather would haue glad and mery dayes then tribulacion and persecucions Mat. 10 But would he so that sayd I am not come to sende peace vpon yearth but a sworde I suppose his mynde is not so He that wil haue the gospel must haue the crosse also with the gospel For if thou wylt haue peace with this worlde then nedes must thou lacke the worde and all the good thynges that in it are offered and geuen to thee But if thou wylt haue the worde nedes must thou also haue the crosse whiche the worde bryngeth with it and thou muste willyngly take it and perseuer in the same vnto the ende of thy life Yea though one crosse would folowe vpon another and lye moste heauily vpon thy necke euen as the prophet Dauid also sayth Ps 118. And I spake of thy testimonies in the presence of Kynges and I was not ashamed Paciēce boldnes And note that vnto the sufferance of the crosse wee neede muche pacience and vnto the defence of the worde we must haue a mouthe that can speake with out fear Mat. 5. For although Christ had taught that if a manne were stryken vpon the right cheake he should turne the other also yet wyll he not nowe approue this strype geuē him by sylence and holdyng his peace but he sayd If I haue spoken euil bryng wytnesse of that euil But if I sayd well why doest thou stryke me Christ toke this strype paciently as the scripture sayth When he was raysed vpon he dyd not geue euil woordes agayne When he was euil intreated he did not thret them Yet could not hee approue that their iniust delyng as a thyng well done And euen so it is expedient for euerye christian manne to do that is he ought doubtlesse freely to confesse the trueth before the worlde and all men as did the Prophetes sainct Ihon Baptist Christ himselfe and the Apostles and as al the elect synce the beginnyng of the worlde haue done And if he therfore be skorned beaten persecuted and cōdempned of menne he ought after the ensample of Christ with quiete and pacient mynde to take vpō him and suffre suche iniurye persecucion Yet not withstandyng he ought not to approue nor prayse their quarel that so do nor yet suffre that by his silence suche tyrannye bee approued or lauded but with free and
our workes he will make vs righteous godly and blessed so that we beyng delyuered from the handes of our enemies may serue him all the dayes of oure lyfe not in outwarde ceremonyes and seruices as in tymes past but in holynes and righteousnes that is accepted before him He requyreth the heart he asketh faith he wil be worshipped in spirite and truth and will not be fylled with outwarde woorkes that lacke faith as men haue done in times past Thus you see that Zacharias by the holy ghost acknowledgeth the grace of the gospell that shoulde come therfore he praiseth and glorifieth god as one ascertayned that by this grace we al shal be saued The lorde our god gyue vs grace bothe that wee maye know it and also that for it we may giue thanks to god our father and glorifie him for euer Amen The gospell on sainct Peter and Paules daye Math. 16. WHē Iesus came into the coasts of the cytye whych is called Cesarea Philippi he asked hys disciples saying Mar. 8. Luc. 9. Who do men say that I the sonne of man am They say Some saye thou art Iohn Baptist some Helias some Hieremias or one of the numbre of the prophetes He sayeth vnto theym But whom saye yee that I am Simon Peter answered and sayde Luce. 9. Iohn 6 Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuyng god And Iesus answered sayde vnto him Happy art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto the Iohn 6 but my father which is in heauen And I saye also vnto the that thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke 1 Co. 10. Esa 28. I wyll buyld my congregacion And the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it And wyll giue vnto the the keyes of the kyngedome of heauen and * mat 18 what so euer thou byndest in earthe shall bee bounde in heauen and what so euer thou losest in earth shall be loed in heauen THE EXPOSITION The cōfession of the Apostles WE haue fyrst set forth in this gospel that excellent confession of S. Peter and the other Apostels wherein they confesse that hee is Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god This confession is so excellente and noble yea and so christian that wee dare boldlye saye that where this confession is not doubteles there is no saluacion at all as the Apostell Saynte Paule witnesseth Rom. saying The hearte beleueth vnto righteousnes and the mouthe confesseth vnto saluacion Fyrste CHRIST asketh what opinyon the people had of hym and whome they sayde he was The Apostels aunswered him Some saye thou arte Iohn the Baptist some saye Helias some Hieremias or one of the prophetes Christe was not ignoraunte what was spoken of him and also he knewe it better then the apostels could tell him that where the gospell is preached there muste nedes arise manye lyes whiche are imagined not only against the truth but also against them the preach the truthe whereout it chaunceth often times that the worlde rageth and waxeth woode with them Therfore nedes must it be that Christ aposing his disciples sought some other thinge at his apostels that is to sai their cōfession of faith as ye shal hear For thus he saith But whome say you that I am Thē answered Petre in the name of them al The fayth of the Apostels Thou art the same Christ the son of the liuyng god Considre inwardly this confession thou shalt see that the faith of al the Apostels was a true and a righte faith excepte that as yet it was not confirmed with the crosse and that yet the holy ghost was not come vpon them Fyrst of all they confesse that he is the same Christ that is to saye the same anointed and capitaine whom god had longe before promised Esai 55 to theyr fathers and whome they hadde so long time looked for that doubtles he shuld come and fulfyll all suche thinges as the holy scriptures hadde prophecied of Furthermore also they confesse that he is Christe sonne of the lyuing god sente into this worlde that by hys meryte passion and deathe all menne myghte bee made good righteous and blessed And thus as it is in dead conueniente to do they confesse the same one Christ to be both god and man For as concernyng his humane nature hee is the sonne of Dauyd annoynted of the father kinge and Prieste and that after the order of Melchisedech and God hathe gyuen vnto him the seate of Dauid that is the spirituall kyngedome whyche is admynistred by the spyryte that hee maye sytte vppon it eternallye But as concernynge his godheade he is the sonne of the liuing god one in substance essence or being and maiestye with the father so that neither mai the father bee separate from the son nor the sonne from the father as sainct Paule sayth Collo 2 In Christ dwelleth all fulnesse of the godhead corporally Nowe whosoeuer with suche fayth after this maner as the Apostles here dyd confesseth Christe without doubt he shall also with the Apostles be made partaker of eternal saluacion as Christ here sayth vnto Peter like as to al his disciples Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Iona c. Secondarily we see in this gospel that this confession commeth not of oure strengthes but by the reuelacion of God For assone as Peter had in the name of them all declared what opinion thei had of him Fleshe bloud in scripture by and by Christe sayd Fleshe and bloud hath not opened it to thee but my father which is heauē Shal then our fleshe that is reason wyt prudence freewyll and the strengthes of man bee of no value in matter of our iustificacion confessyng of God Surely nothing For without doubt here nothyng is of value but mere grace and mercy Nowe if it be grace than I beleue that I may do good woorkes that I can confesse Christ as the Apostles do in this place nedes must I let flesh contynue as fleshe and bloud as bloud so the inasmuche as partayneth vnto our saluacion the flesh not only can do nothing but also it can do nothyng but synne as S. Ihon the Euangelist sayth Ihon. 1 As many as receiue him he gaue them power to be made the sōnes of God to those that beleue in his name which are not borne of bloudes nor of the will of the fleshe nor of the will of mā but they are borne of God Doth not the Euāgelist here cleane refuse reiect in matter of iustificaciō al together that is borne of bloudes or of the wyl of fleshe or of the wylle of man Euen so it is necessary that we consider here in this place the cōfession of Peter and the other Apostles that it came not of their reason wysedome or frewyll For surely Christ would in this worde dryue backe make blunt ouerthrow our presumpcion and meke that pride that is borne in vs that we shuld
death but the ende shewed that it was but the purpose of a man The cuppe and baptisme of Christ in this place are taken for his passion and persecucion that he suffered as it is also in the Prophete Psal I wyll take to me sayth he the cuppe of saluacion and I wyll call vpon the name of the Lorde Of this baptisme Christ himselfe sayth I must be baptised with a baptisme and what pangues suffre I tyll it be fulfylled To drynke this cuppe and to be baptized with this baptisme is not in euery mans power but there longeth to it an especial connyng But what is that Forsoth the same commyng that is wrought in vs only by the holy ghost For where soeuer he cometh there must it needes be wrought that in tribulaciō they shall haue paciens But on the other part where the holy ghost is not there are men none otherwise mynded than Peter was when he did strike of the Bishops seruauntes eare And truly these disciples whiche at this tyme were thus presumptuous knewe but litle what the crosse and baptism ment But did god therfore cast thē of No forsoth But he beareth theyr weaknesse and suffereth it very gentelye And also promyseth thme that they shall drinke his cup and suffre wyth him many tribulacions so by many tribulacions at the laste enter into the kingdome of heauen and perpetually raygne with hym Therfore if Christe cast not of his disciples The weak ar to be boren with all bicause of their weakenes but beareth with them with all humanitie and gentlenes tyll they might come to the trewe vnderstanding doubtles no more becometh it vs to condemn those that are weake but muche rather it is our deuty to instructe teache them and to bring them vnto better knowledge Thirdly for as much as these disciples required to sit in Christes kingdome that thei estemed to be a temporall raygne one on the ryghte hande and an other vppon the lefte Christe denayeth not his heauenly kingdome to them only shewing to them of whose hande they shall receiue it To sitte at my right hand saith he or at my lefte hand it pertaineth not to me to giue Christe speaketh some times as a mā and somtyme as God but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father Here note diligently that Christ speaketh sometimes as a man and sometime as god For this is very necessarye to bee obserued and noted if we will at the least vnderstand the scriptures In the gospel of sainct Ihon Christ sayth As the father rayseth vp the dead and geueth life euen so the sonne geueth life to whō he wyll Here Christ maketh himself in all thynges equal with the father Therfore nedes must this place be vnderstand of the godly nature of Christ In this presēt gospel Christ sayth that onely the father and not he geueth to syt on the right hand or on the left Except this be vnderstand of Christes humayne nature I pray you howe shal these two so contrary sentences els agre Wherfore it is very necessary to note diligently as we before admonished when Christ speaketh as mā and whē he speaketh as God And also furthermore note this that vnto the kyngdome of Christ vnto that ioy that is euerlasting none can bryng vs but God only which prepared it for vs from the beginnyng of the worlde This is altogether in his power to geue it vnto whom he wyll Nowe if this power bee all in him where are then oure woorkes where is our vertue righteousnesse or holynes Doubtles we are bound to do good workes ye and to be vertuous righteous holy for Christes wyll is that oure light should shyne before menne to the glory of our heauenly father This is very truth who can deny it But here must wee diligently take hede that vnto our iustificacion no mannes worke or merite be ioyned with al for that cōmeth onely of fayth wherin also the grace goodnes and mercy of God worketh altogether whiche onely is apprehended by fayth And where as this fayth is there is also forgeuenes of synnes righteousnes eternall saluacion is Then folowe good workes as the fruites tokens and argumētes of true fayth But this haue we sufficiently treated vpon before Only the Lord God geue vs grace to perceiue it and retaine it in our heartes Amen The gospel on sainct Bartholomewes day the Apostle Luc. 22. ANd there was a strife among thē whiche of them should seme to bee the greatest And he sayd vnto thē The kinges of nacions raigne ouer them and they that haue authoritee vpō them are called gracious Lordes but ye shall not be so Mat. 20 But he that is greatest among you shal be as the younger And he that is chief shall be as he that doth minister For whether is greatter he that sytteth at meate or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth at meate But I am among you as he that ministreth Ye are they whiche haue bydden with me in my temptacions And I appoint vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table im my kyngdome and Mat. 19 syttee on seates iudgyng the xii tribes of Israel THE EXPOSITION The ignorance of the Apostles THis Gospel againe setteth out to vs an ensample of the ignorance and infirmitie that was in the Apostles And surely a mā might wel meruaile that the Apostles whiche had heard Christ so long yet had obtayned no more vnderstādyng of the spiritual kyngdome of Christ and of spiritual thynges Yea and if we consider at what tyme this strife and contencion was surely the infirmitee of the Apostles shal appeare farre more and greater then if it had chaunced at some other tyme. When then chaunced thys contention By and by after that laste supper wherein Christ had said that his Traytours hand was with him at his table and that the son of man shuld passe as it was writtē of him The which wordes suerly should rather haue stricken the Apostels into feare and made them heuy and pensiue seyng that Christ shewed them with these wordes so openly that he shuld suffre yet begin they to striue whiche of them shuld be highest in reputacion Iho. 13 Didde not Christe a lyttle before tell them that a seruaunt is not greater then his lorde Nowe wher did Christe their lord euer desire great dominiōs of this worlde or the great pompes of it Didde not he flye Iohn 6 when the Iewes woulde haue taken hym and made hym kynge Did not he before shew them Mat. 10 that he would send them as sheepe among wolues When was it euer seene that sheepe bare rule as Emperoures amonge wolues But truth it is although this bee preached tyll menne leesse their voice for wearines yet is fleshe flesh still and so continneth excepte the spyrite of God come to yt and lighten it Iohn 2 1. Co. 15 So that