their merits and desertes For although the olde interpreter hath To euerye one accordinge to his vertue yet notwithstāding by this word vertue hee ment not that men are blessed of God and endued with grace from aboue accordinge to their behauiour and as they haue gotten prayse of vertue but onely accordinge as the Lorde of the house thinketh them meete And wee knowe that there is no man founde meete of God vntil he haue made him meete And the Greeke worde Dhunamis which Christe vsed for this word abillity wanteth all ambiguity M. The Euangelist Luke addeth sayinge Occupy till I come By the which wordes hee committed to the Apostles and Preachers their office and mynisterye of Preachinge the Gospell For by that as the Churche is builded so are the goodes of Christe encreased whiche goodes or treasure are men obtayninge saluation by fayth in Christ Therefore these wordes of Luke Occupy till I come is as much as this Go ye throughout the whole world and preach the Gospell to euerye creature A. For I haue chosē you and ordayned you to go and bringe forth fruite and that your fruite should remaine And straight vvay departed Read the exposition of the 14. verse before 16. Then hee that had receiued the fiue talentes went and occupyed with the same and wan other fiue talentes Then hee that had receiued M. These wordes do verye well set forth vnto vs the mynistery of the worde speciallye the Apostleship This word went hath relacion to Go ye and to this also And they wente and preached euery where Howbeit this ought not to be restrayned onlye to the mynisters of the word as we sayd euen now but also to all those which being endued of God with diuers giftes ought to promote his glory And occupyed vvith the same C. They are sayd to occupy which profitablely bestowe whatsoeuer God hath committed vnto thē Bu. For to occupye is to exercyse themselues in the giftes of God committed vnto them to geeue all glorye vnto God to prayse God to liue honestlye to exhorte all men to goodnes to do good vnto all men and by such like godly labour to wyn many vnto god C. For the life of the godly is verye aptlye compared to occupyinge because they ought mutually to occupye amonge themselues to maintaine fellowship loue and concorde And vvan other fiue talentes The gaine and fruite here mencioned is nothinge els than the common profite which setteth forth the glory of god For although God doth not enriche or in encrease our laboures yet notwithstanding as euery man doth most profite his brethren and doth profitablelye vse those giftes to their profite which hee hath receiued at the handes of God so hee is said to bringe gaine and fruite vnto god For so acceptable is the saluation of men to our Heauenlye father that what soeuer is bestowed vppon the same he will haue put in the accomptes God therefore taketh fruit of vs because by oure woorke hee will set forth his glorye Wee are vnworthy truly but hee maketh vs worthy by that grace that hee vsed the Apostleship of Paule to preach the Gospell throughoute diuers Nations which made himselfe a seruaunt to all men that hee mighte win the more vnto Christ 17. Likewyse also hee that receiued two gayned other two Bu. The seruaunt that receyued fiue talentes signifyeth those which because they haue receyued greate grace therefore they shewe forth the greatest workes But this man whiche receiued two talentes onlye doth denote vnto vs the meaner sorte who also accordinge to the measure of the grace which they haue receyued do labour faithfully and not in vaine All these occupye profitablely and do gayne to the Lord not seeking those things that pertaine to themselues but the Lordes 18 But hee that receiued that one went and digged in the earth and hyd his Lordes money M. This fellowe representeth those which discharge not their office according to their abillity which they haue of God but do abstaine from occupyinge from labour from trouble and from the daungers of Preachinge the Gospel seeking onely their ease and quietnes There were manye of this sort in the time of Paule which forsakinge the function of the Gospell gaue themselues to the world They thincke it sufficient if they keepe their talente hauinge no care for the gayne in the meane time they wonderfully dissemble and hyde the gift receyued This kinde of men because they thought that they could not be blamed for that they hinder not other men from doing their dutye is condemned of oure sauiour Christ as vntrusty and reprobate to the ende hee mighte thereby admonishe his Dysciples diligentlye and faythfullye to dyscharge their dutye 19. After a longe season the Lorde of these seruauntes came and reckened with them After a longe season M. Althoughe it be longe ere Christe come yet for all that hee will come at the length to Iudgemēt least any man should behaue himselfe the more negligently because of the longe comming thereof And reckened vvith them He sheeweth that whatsoeuer wee haue receyued of the Lorde is not geuen vnto vs simplely but vppon this condition that wee shoulde geue accompt of the same as wee haue said before But wee are therefore oftentimes voyde of care and do not shew our selues so dilligente in the obedience of God because wee thincke those things that wee haue receiued to be our owne insomuche that hee which hath goodes if hee throughe negligence leese any part thereof hee thinketh the hee leeseth nothinge but that whiche is hys owne not consideringe with himselfe that hee shall make an accompt for the losse but hee whiche occupyeth another mans substance and hath the ouersight of the same careth for the vtmost farthing knowing that he must geue accompte 20. And so hee that had receiued fyue talentes came and brought other fiue talentes sayinge Sir thou deliuerest vnto me fiue talentes behould I haue gayned with them siue mo M. Wee haue sayd already that wee may not stande scrupulously vppon euerye point of the parable Because hee made mencion of an accompt therefore hee declareth simplely what thinges are commonlye spoken in making of an accompt For in the latter Iudgement the good shall not declare what and howe muche good they haue done and how great vantage they haue brought to the kingdome of god Neither shal they know how much gayne they haue brought to the kingdome of Christ by their ministery but shall saye Lord when did wee see thee hungrye and fed thee c. But the Lord himselfe to whom all things are bare and open shal be ignoraunt of none of those things which are wrought in fayth and truth C. Therefore that wee should not be wearye of well doinge Christe pronounceth that their laboure shall not be in vaine whiche shall exercise themselues faythfully in their vocation 21. His Lorde saide vnto him vvell thou good and faithfull seruaunte Thou hast beene faithfull in fewe thinges I will
vnto him when as neuerthelesse they woulde seeme to be the sonnes of God and the doers of his wil. And this is the Scope of the parable as he himselfe expoūdeth in the two thirty verse following In that expositiō to the ende he might expresse their malice and obstinacy he vseth a collation comparinge them not to their equalls but to their inferiours for what was more inferior to the hye Pristes Scribes and Phariseys then publicans and harlots 29. He answered and said I will not but afterward he repented and wente C. Here he setteth forth the type of publicanes and harlots whose lyfe saythe nothing lesse than we wil not do the wil of god Suche were Mathewe Zache and the synfull woman of whome sainct Luke maketh mencion in the vij chapt 30. Then came he to the seconde and sayde lykewyse And he aunswered and said I will syr and wente not Then came he to the second E. Oure Sauiour Christe goeth forwarde with the parable bringinge in here the aunswere of the other which saide I vvill syr These wordes are read in al Gréekes bookes in the olde Latin interpretor It is a kinde of speache declaringe a man to be ready and at hande to do any thinge C. Specially belonging to the Hehrewes For when the Hebrewes go aboute to offer their endeuour and declare that they are in a redynes to fulfyll any thynge they speake after this maner Beholde I am here Lorde Euen so the childe Samuell when he thouhgte that he was called of Heli saide I am here For the whiche the Lattines haue I am readye or at hande M. This sonne did represente the hye Priestes Scribes and Phariseys who in woordes and profession said Beholde Lorde wee are here and are readye to do what soeuer thou commaundest but in dede they did nothinge lesse C. It is a vertue deseruing greate praise to fulfill with all diligence the will of God so soone as by his woorde he hath commaunded the same But as oure Sauiour Christe doth not here commende the promisinge of that which wee fulfill not so he doth not allow negligence or starknes in the Lords busines for to promise and boaste of that whiche wee doe not is mere hypocsyire an a vice lesse tollerable a greate deale 31. VVhether of them twayne did the will of the father And they saide vnto him the firste Iesus saith vnto them verely I saye vnto you the publicans and harlotes goe into the kingdome of God before you VVhether of them M. To do the wyll of the father is as it followeth by and by to repente and beleue the Gospel whiche is to enter into the kyngdome of God. And they sayd vnto him M. Here our Sauiour Christe dothe by force wreste oute of their mouthes their owne Iudgemēt against thē selues euen as Nathan caused Dauid to do Bu They could not saye before the people wee know not to this question without to greate impudencye but they are constrained by reason of the manifeste verity to aunswere that which was true The publicanes and harlots When he had hearde theyr aunswere he declareth to what end he propounded the parable namelye that he mighte declare that they by their impenitency and hardnes of harte depriued them selues of the kyngdome of God the which they did not now onely shewe but also before when Iohn came Go into the kingdome of God before you By those woordes oure Sauiour Christe meaneth that the publicanes and harlots were more ready to repente them and to beleue the Gospel than were the hye Priestes Scribes and Phariseys For thus doth the verse followinge teache vs to expounde it But we muste not vnderstande this woorde go before as thoughe the hye Priestes Scribes elders should followe the Publicanes and harlots into the kingdome of heauen For the wordes following do deny that where it is said And ye when ye had sene it wer not moued afterward with repētance that ye might haue beleued him Moreouer the parable following doth sufficiently declare how greatly they were hardened in their malice For although som of them as we maye reade in the Actes were afterward conuerted to the faith yet notwithstandyng this priestlye corporation or state of the hye priests here Scribes and elders of the people abode in their vnbelefe Also we se here howe hard a thing it is to bringe them to repentance which being moste vngodly yet hypocritically boaste them selues to be the true worshipers of god Yea this is so harde a thinge that it is more easy to bringe the vilest synners to a newe and reformed life Wherefore it is no merueyle if these kynde of hypocrits in oure time can by no meanes be broughte to repentance There is no doubte but that the Phariseys tooke it greuouslye at the last to be compared to publicanes and synners of most wicked name when as they thought scorne to haue the holyest sorte of men compared vnto them C. Now let vs note the purpose of Christe He dothe not onely reprehende the Scribes and Phariseys because they obstinatlye resisted GOD and because they repented not beinge so often admonished but he spoyleth and taketh from them that honor wherof they were vnworthy because theyr impiety was more abhominable than the lasciuiouse wyckednes of harlotes For the one was hypocrisye the other whoredome Of the whiche euells the fyrste is most abhominable in the sight of God. 32. For Iohn came vnto you by the waye of righteousnes and ye beleued hym not but publicanes and harlotes beleued him And ye when ye had sene it were not moued afterwarde to repentance that ye mighte haue beleued him For Iohn came C. Seinge that Iohn was the faythefull minister of GOD whatsoeuer he taughte Christe attributeth it to the personne of GOD himselfe It had been a more perfecte speache to haue sayde GOD came shewinge the waye of righteousnes by the mouth of Sainct Iohn but because S. Iohn dyd not speake in the name of GOD as a priuate man he is iustlye as a substitute set in the place of God. Also this place bryngeth no smale authoritye to the preachyng of the worde when they are sayde to bee rebells againste the same whiche despyse the Godly admonitions of the teachers A. Whereuppon oure Sauiour Christ sayd not in vayne to hys Aposteles he whiche heareth you heareth me he whiche despiseth you despiseth me And in an other place Whosoeuer receaueth whome I sende receaueth me and he that receaueth me receyueth him that sente me C. There are some which more subtilly expounde the name of righteousnes but here it seemeth to signifye nothynge ells than that the doctrine of Saincte Iohn was pure and true as if he shoulde haue sayde there was no cause why they shoulde reiecte the same For whosoeuer receyueth not the true minister of GOD he is a rebell to god He sayth therefore that they haue no excuse to laye for them selues And ye beleued hym not Namelye when he
as we are proude by nature so nothinge is estemed of vs excepte it be decked and set forth with vayne pompe forniture But truly the churche of Christe because it is collected gathered of poore mē it is very base contemptible in the sight of the world yea the same despiseth nothinge more thē vayne pompe pompelike vanities Hereupon cōmeth the contempte of the Gospell because it is not receiued of euery one that is in honour and highe estate nay there is none that do more reiecte the doctrine of the Gospel thē suche But howe peruerse and wicked this estimation is Christ him selfe sheweth vs by the nature of the Gospel it self seing that it is appointed and prepared for none but suche as are poore afflicted Whereupō it followeth that it is no new thing and therefore oughte not to moleste trouble vs if the Gospel be despised of great and honorable men whiche beinge puffed vp with their riches leaue no place in them for the grace of God to abyde and dwell Yea there is no cause why we shold meruaile though it wer reiected of the greatest part of men when as smal is the nūber that is chosen of God to saluatiō Christe therefore here doth declare vnto vs what they are whiche be mete to perceiue receiue the grace of saluation which is there offered And by this meanes he callinge miserable sinners gently to the hope of saluation cōfirmeth their mindes with a sure trust For it is moste sure that they are called poore in this place whiche are of poore miserable estate which are despised of many R. But we must note dilligently the whole aunswere of Christ because thereby he sheweth a reason of all those miracles that he did For sauing that the miracles of Christ cōtained certaine priuate cōmodities in them they were done specially for this cause to declare that this Iesus the sōne of Mary was the true Messias the sōne of God. And Christ himself cōmēdeth this vse of miracles not only in this place but also in many other places as whē he saith I haue greater wytnes then the witnes of Iohn For the workes which the father hath geuen me to finish the same workes that I do beare wytnes of me that the father hath sent me And in an other place he saith The woorkes that I do in my fathers name beare wytnes of me and immediatly folowing he sayth If I do not the workes of my father beleue me not But if I do ye beleue not me beleue the workes that ye may knowe beleue that the father is in me I in him And Iohn him self speaking of the vse of the miracles saith Many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his disciples which ar not writē in this boke These ar writtē that ye might beleue that Iesus is christ the sonne of God and that in beleuing ye might haue life through his name 6 And blessed is he that is not offended 〈◊〉 at me C. By this sentence oure Sauiour Christe declareth that whosoeuer abideth firme and cōstant in the doctrine of the Gospel must resiste offēces whiche come to let hinder the successe of faithe He doth arme vs therfore against offences because we shall neuer want occasiōs to put from vs the Gospel vntil we exalt our mindes aboue al offences First of al therfore we must learne to fight against offēces that we may persiste in the faith of Christ Neither is Christ falsely saide to be the rock and stone of offēce wherat many shall stomble The whiche truely cōmeth through our own fault but he remedieth this vice when he pronounceth all those to be blessed whiche are not offēded at him whereby we may gather that the vnfaythfull shall haue no excuse although they excuse them selues to be hindred with many lettes For what should let them to come vnto Christe or what should be the cause that they should forsake Christ Namely because he with his crosse semeth contēptible deformed ful of reproche vnto the worlde because he calleth them to take part of his afflictiōs because his glory maiestie being spiritual is neglected and not regarded of the worlde because the nature of our fleshe doth altogether abhorre his doctrine And finally because by the pollicy of Sathan many do arise which defame both Christ and his Gospel make the same odious B. Furthermore this sentence did properly pertayne to the disciples of Iohn Whose eyes the holines of Iohn had so blynded that they coulde not discerne the excellent maiestie of Christ from the dignitie of Iohn for they thought Christe to be farre inferior to Iohn For they were offēded by the humilitie of the lordes cōuersasion because he lyued not from the company of men in such straightnes of lyfe as their maister did Here we learne that seueritie and straightnes of life ought not to be regarded neither yet despised but saluation and healthe commeth only by Christe For Iohn confessed hym selfe to be inferior to Christe when as notwithstandinge he excelled Christ in straightnes of lyfe Thei measured saluation righteousnes by seueritie of life their own workes therfore they despised Christ and his disciples Euen as we at this day iudge holynes by externall thinges are deceiued by hyppocrisie B. He saith therfore blessed is he that is not offended at me that is whiche by no meanes can be discouraged and driuen from me that he may beleue me to be the sauiour of the whole world and committe him selfe vnto me 7 And as they departed Iesus began to say vnto the people cōcerning Iohn what went ye out into the wyldernes to se A reede that is shaken with the wynde And as they Bu. Now the lorde setteth forth at large the prayse vertue of Iohn the Baptist Neither doth Christ without cause set forth the praise of Iohn whē the disciples were gone as Luke plainly declareth For by this he teacheth vs to auoyde al suspitiō of adulatiō flattery yet notwithstanding not to defraude or detract from any man the prayse dignitie which pertaineth vnto him But the vse cause profite of this cōmēdatiō of Iohn is manifold may be taken many ways M. First because the people which stode by heard this message of the disciples of Iohn might be confirmed in som wrong opinion contēpt of Iohn because of his imprisonment C. Furthermore Christe cōmendeth Iohn to the people to th ende they might call to mynde that which they herd of him might credit his testimony For his name was famous amōg the people and they spake very reuerently of him but his doctrine was of lesse estimation yea fewe there were whiche gaue any regard to his ministery Also Christe sheweth that thei lost their labor which wēt into the desert to se Iohn except they did reuerently apply their mindes diligēce to his doctrine And so the sēce
amplifye the matter Luke addeth this word also as if hee had sayde After they perceyued how many wayes hée did helpe those that were of discretion and cype yeres had conceiued hope that hée would do the like to yonge children they brought them vnto him knowing that they should not go away cleane voyde of all the giftes of the holy ghost if hee layed his handes vppon them That hee should toutche them C. The laying on of handes was a familiar signe amonge the Iewes so often as there was any solemne kinde of prayer or blessinge as when they offered sacrifice Wée haue also an exsample in Isaac more agreable to this place when hée layed his hands vppon his sonne Iacob as thoughe hée did offer and consecrate him vnto God that he might be the promised heyre That this was a common custome amonge the Iewes it is euident by another example of Iacob which blessed the two children of his sonne Iosephe namely Ephraim and Manasses But they were not wont to lay hands on any mā which were not endewed with some notable power or vertue or set in some hye office euen as the Apostell taketh an argument of the blessinge of Melchisedec which blessed Abraham neither doth hée faine the argument For it is oftētimes red that there were Priestes chosen which might blesse the people euē as though God were present to blesse himselfe The maner of blessing was prescribed vnto Moyses by the mouth of the Lord when hee sayd Yee shall blesse the childrē of Israell and say vnto them The Lord blesse thee and kepe thee The Lord make his face to shine vppon thee and be mercifull vnto thee The Lord lift vp his countenaunce vppon thee and geue thee peace The like also wee haue in the 118. Psalme Seinge therefore the layinge on of handes was an aunciente and solemne order of blessing among the Iewes it is no meruaile if the Parents desier Christ to vse this Seremonye in blessinge their children And the Disciples rebuked B. That is to say they rebuked the Parentes that brought the childrē as testifyeth the Euāgelist Marke The Apostels were angry taking disdaine that Christ should haue to do with infants yea they count it a reproche to his person to admit children Neither did theyr error wante a cooller or cloake For what had this excellente Prophete and Sonne of God to doe with infants But hereby we gather that they are peruerse Iudges which estéeme and iudge of Christe after carnall reason for they do as it were robbe him of his owne vertues proper vnto him and vnder the shew of honor they yelde vnto him those thinges which belonge not vnto him Hereuppon came a wonderfull heape of superstitions which broughte in vnto the worlde a fayned Christe Wherefore let vs learne to esteme and Iudge no otherwise of him than he himselfe hath faught and to putte no other person vppon him than his heauenlye Father hath done allready Wée sée what foolishnes hath chaūced into the Papacy which thincke that they do bringe great honor vnto Christe in worshippinge and fallinge downe to a péece of starche or fayned breade a moste filthye abhomination in the sight of god Againe because they thought it a greate dishonour vnto him to haue the office of an aduocate they haue made vnto themselues an innumerable sorte of aduocates but trulye by this meanes the honor of a mediator is quight taken from him M. If these infants which were brought vnto Christ had bene sicke peraduenture they would not haue forbidden and stayed those that broughte them but because there was no occasion offered vnto Christe to shewe foorth his power in these infantes as they thoughte because they wanted reason to gather any thinge eyther by his Doctrine or by his power they sawe no reason why these little children should be brought vnto Christ And this was the cause why the Disciples rebuked the Parentes of the childrē A. Such a preposterous zeale was there in the Dysciples 14. But Iesus saide vnto them suffer the childrē and forbid them not to come vnto mee for of suche is the kingedome of Heauen But Iesus saide vnto them M. The Euangelist Marke sayth when Iesus sawe it hée was displeased and sayd vnto them And Luke sayth when hée had called the children c. By these our sauiour Christ doth testify that hée would haue children admitted and taking them at the lengthe in his armes hee doth not onely embrace them but also layeth his handes vppon them and blesseth them Whereby also we may gather that euen vnto this age of infancye his grace was extended and no marueile for seinge all the posterity and ofspringe of Adam was included vnder the condemnatiō of death it must néedes come to passe that all from the highest to the lowest shoulde perishe sauinge those whom the Redeemer should deliuer M. Therefore that embracinge which Marke maketh mencion of doth declare that littelones do not onely pertaine vnto Christ but also that they are déere vnto him For what is it to come vnto Christe but onelye to come vnto life by Christ C. Therefore it were to cruell a déede to put awaye this age of infancy frō the grace of the redemption So that wee do not in vaine holde vp this buckeler against the Anabaptistes for they denye Baptisme to infants because they be not capeable of that misterye which is there sealed But wée reason and proue against them thus that seinge Baptisme is a figure and pledge of the frée remission of sinnes of the deuine adoption it oughte not to be denyed vnto infantes whō God doth adopte and washe with the bloude of his sonne Christ And whereas they do obiecte and say that repentance and newnes of lyfe are bothe together there figured wée answeare that they are renewed accordinge to the measure of the spirit of God vntill the power which is hid in thē do increase by degreese and openly shyne in due time But whereas they do contende that wée are no otherwise reconcyled vnto God and made heyres of the adoption than by fayth wée graunte that this is spoken of those that are come to the yeares of discretion but as touchinge infantes this place doth proue it to be false The layinge on of handes truly was no tryfling or vaine signe neither did Christ power oute his prayers in vaine into the ayre for hée could not offer them sollemlye vnto God but hée must néedes make them cleane and purifyed And to what ende did hée pray for them but to this end that they mighte be receiued amonge the sonnes of God whereuppon it followeth that they were regenerated by the spirite of God into the hope of saluation The verye embracinge it selfe is a sufficiente witnes and testimony that they were receiued of Christ into his flocke Wherefore if they were partakers of those spirituall benefites which Baptisme do figure it is an absurdity to say that they
Wherfore most greuous punishment doth hange ouer the heades of suche deceiuers excepte they conuert and forsake their sinnes And it is not to be omitted that the Euangelist Luke doth rather vse this woord of deuouringe than of eatinge For so hee noted the excessiue and insatiable desyer of these hypocrites to the ende all men might beware of the like deuouringe 15. VVo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for ye compasse sea and lande to make one proselyte and when he is become one ye make him two foulde more the childe of hell then ye your selues are VVo be vnto you M. Here our sauioure Christ toucheth another kinde of ypocrits C. For by this zeale also the Scribes had got vnto themselues fauoure by the which they sought to bringe forreners and the vncircumcised to the Iewishe Religion Therfore if they had deceiued anye man by their intisementes or by anye other deceite they triumphed wonderfullye as thoughe theyr Churche had bene increased Herevppon also it came to passe that the common sorte of people did so highly esteeme of them namelye bycause by their industry vertue they did inserte ioyne straungers to the Church of god But Christ on the contrarye parte pronounceth that the same their studye and industry ought so litle to be attributed vnto them for theyr prayse that they rather thereby prouoke the wrath of God because they are drawen into more greeuous destruction which geeue themselues to theyr secte For wee must note how corrupte the state of thinges was then and how religiō was dissipated and decayed For as it was a godly and excellent worke to bringe Disciples vnto God euen so to allure and intice the Gentiles to the Iewishe worship which was then corrupted and fylled with wicked prophanacions was nothinge els then to bringe them from Scilla and to carye them to Charibdis or to bringe them from one mischiefe and to cast them into a greater Christe therefore doth not condemne the studye and diligence in drawinge of straungers but hee declareth by the ende it selfe that they do not the same vppō a good affection seinge they made those worse by two foulde than they themselues were For when the Ethnike or heathen man was led vppon hoope of learninge religion they made him suche a one by theyr superstitious doctrine and corrupt maners that he shoulde not onelye forsake the pure and true worshippe of God and the inheritaunce of Heauen but also that hee shoulde be a more wicked Iewe than hee was an Ethnicke and in more daunger also of hell fyer than the Iewes themselues were For it commeth almost to passe that the Dysciples doe ouercome their euill maisters in mallyce Ye compasse sea and lande E. The latayne texte hath the sea and drye callinge the lande drye after the maner of the Hebrewes To make one proselyte The Greeke woorde signifyeth a straunger They whiche came from Ethnicisme to Iudaisme that is which hauinge denyed and forsaken the religion of the Gentiles receyued the religion appertayninge to the Iewes and were circumcised these were called proselytes and straungers And vvhen hee is become one yee make him the child This is spoken in the Hebrewe phrase accordinge to that whiche is written in the twenty Chapter of the first Booke of Samuell where Saule calleth Dauid the child of death for the man deseruinge deathe or worthy to dye So hee calleth that man the childe of hell which deserued to be caste into hell and to dye withe euerlastynge deathe Tvvo foulde more then ye your selues are The Greeke texte hath yee make them more double the children of hell then ye your selues are as thoughe both of them were two foulde the children of hell but in this place the straungers are said to be in greater perill of damption than they For by the wicked abuse of Gods name they prouoked greater vengeaunce vppon themselues seing that Religion gaue vnto them a more groose liberty to sinne The like example at this day wee may behoulde in the Monkes for they gather from all places proselites but such as they make of wicked mē wikced deuils For such is the corruption of these ydle bellyes and filthye lechers that they depraue euen the Angels of Heauen Notwithstanding their monkishe apparell is a most fit veale to couer all kinde of wickednes 16. VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye saye whosoeuer doth sweare by the temple it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gould of the temple hee is gilty VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides C. Euen as ambition is alwayes almost ioyned to hypocrisye so the couetousnes and greedy raking of the pastors doth commonly suffer maintaine the superstition of the people The worlde trulye of his owne accorde falleth into errors and doth as it were of purpose bringe vnto it selfe deceits and al kinde of seduringes but then at the laste they obtaine wicked worshippings whē the chiefe guides themselues do confirme them but trulye oftentimes it commeth to passe that they which are the chiefe do not only by theyr winking suffer errors because they see that they are gainfull vnto them but also by their meanes they do more increase them So we see in the Papacy that superstitions were increased by infinite practises when the Sacrifycers inhaunced the preye who also daily deuise many things by the which they may the more deceiue the folishe multitude For when mens mindes are once darkened by the inchauntmentes and delucions of Sathā there is nothing so absurde or monsterous but they will receiue it Herevpon it came to passe that the Iewes gaue more reuerence to the gould of the temple and to the holy oblations than to the tēple and to the altare But truly the holines of the oblations did depende vppon the tēple and the Altar Also it is credible that this error came from the Scribes and hye Priestes because it was an apte and fit hūtinge to get preyes but this error was no lesse pernicious than folishe because it led the people to groose inuentions There is nothinge more proue and inclyned to fall from the pure worship of God than men it was therefore the purpose of Sathan by this veale to drawe those a farre of from the beholdinge of God which already leaned to much to foolishe imaginations This is the reason why Christe so sharpelye reprehendeth this error And yet notwithstandinge the Papistes are not ashamed to set forth the holy name of God to a more filthy ieste For they make more accompte to toutche a peece of filthy carreyen than the holy volume of the Bible or to lift vp their handes to Heauen And by this meanes the carnal worship of God is brought in which by litle little defaceth the true ende scope thereof Yee blinde guides for ye saye vvhosoeuer A. In the fiftene Chapter also going before hee calleth them blinde guides It is nothinge That is to saye hee doth not offende against the commaundement of an