the séede of Abraham but yet frée that they might be reckoned the heires of lyfe whome hee sanctifieth with his holy Spirite M. But séeing the Fayth of Abraham is so greatly commended Question that it shoulde be as an example for all other beléeuers to followe why doth Christe rather propounde his workes then his fayth For he sayth not If ye weare the children of Abraham ye would haue the Fayth of Abraham but if ye were the Children of Abraham ye woulde doe the déedes of Abraham I aunswere Because Abrahams fayth was not deade and voyde Aunsvvere but liuely and effectuall the Lord speaketh not of the workes of Abraham which were done without faith but he maketh mencion of the workes of Abraham as of frutes witnesing and declaring his faith because he purposed by manifest Argument to prooue that his aduersaries were degenerate from the pietie of Abraham For if they had had the fayth of Abraham they would haue declared the same by such workes as differeth not from the pietie of Abraham A good trée is knowen by good frute 40. But nowe yee goe aboute to kill mee a man that hath toulde you the truth which I haue heard of God this did not Abraham C. By the effect he declareth that they are not the children of Abraham because they resiste God For what notable thing is commended in Abraham but the obedience of Fayth This therefore is noate of difference so often as wee must put a difference betwéene Straungers and the Sonnes of God For vain titelles howsoeuer the world do estéeme of them are of no estimation with God M. Christ might haue obiected many other workes to the Iewes which they had committed whereby they declared them selues to be degenerate and vnlaufull children For Abraham was liberall but they were couetouse Abraham was sounde and perfect but they were ypocrites Abraham worshipped God aright but they made the howse of the Lordes worshippe a denne of théeues they deuoured widdowes howses which Abraham neuer did Christ I saye might haue obiected some of these thinges but leauing all these thinges he only obiecteth this that they went aboute to kill him For this was such a haynouse dede that no other was comparable vnto the same Wherevpon also in the parable of the vinyarde which was let out vnto the husband man in the latter ende of the same it is sayde that they went about to kill the Sonne which the Father sent vnto them as the heire of the vinyarde Mat. 21.38 Furthermore we are taught by this place that the mynde and purpose to doe any worke is accounted for the worke it selfe yea if thou consyder well the intent to doe any euell thing is worse then the worke it selfe and the intent to doe any good worke is better then the worke it selfe Intent to kil is worse thē slauter it selfe Better is the desyer to doe good to those that are in misery then the almes dede it selfe and the Intent to kill is worse than the murder it selfe The Almes dede maye be so done that it maye displease God concerning the which reade the fyrst of Mathewe A murderouse déede maye be so done that it maye please God as may appeare in the Leuites in Phineis in Iehu and so refused that God maye be displeased for the not dooing of it as wee maye sée in Agag Amalech whome Saule kept aliue Exod. 32 29 Num. 25.7 4. Kin. 10. 1. Kin. 15 8. 3. King 20.42 in Benadab king of Asciria whome Achab sent a way aliue But the desire and intent to doe good cannot displease God euen as the desyer to kill cannot please him A man that hath tould you the truth This oure Sauioure Christe addeth to shewe the wicked Ingratitude of the Iewes and to make it openly knowen that they are the Children of the Deuell because they were such sworne and mortall enemies to true and wholesome doctrine This did not Abraham M. What Did not Abraham kill a man We reade that he slue fower kinges and deliuered his kinsman Lotte out of their handes But the simple mening of Christes wordes is that Abraham was not so cruell as to kill an Innocent man Gen. 14 15 and that he was not so vnthankful as to kill one which instructed him in the truth and so wicked as to kill the Ambassodoure of God as did his posteritie 41 Yee doe the dedes of your father Then sayde they to hym we be not borne of fornication wee haue on father euen God M. We maye behoulde here great moderation in our sauioure Christ As yet he spareth them not by and by openly affirming that the Deuill is their Father the whiche notwithstanding he afterwarde did when they did not onely malapertly saye that they were the sonnes of Abraham but also the children of God Let vs also immitate this modesty that so long as it maye be done with the glory of God we may spare the wicked and to take héede that we do not styrre and mooue them so much as wee maye But rather let vs with méekenesse instruct them yf at any time it may please God to geue vnto them repentaunce and grace to knowe and beeléeue the truth We bee not borne of fornication Bv. These men styll obstinately goe forewarde to mayntaine their nobillitye speciallye when they perceiued by the order of Christes woordes that hée assigned the Deuyll to bée theyr Father Therefore nowe on the contrarye parte they doe not onelye boast themselues to bée the children of Abraham but also the children of God C. Howbeit they accounted it all one thing to be the children of Abraham and the children of GOD. But in this they dyd greatlye erre that they imagined God to bée tyed and bound to the séede of Abraham For thus they reason God chose the séede of Abraham to him selfe therefore séeing wée come of the séede of Abraham we must néedes be the children of God Now we sée how they thought that they receyued holynesse euen from their Mothers wombe because they came of a holye stocke Moreouer they goe about to proue them selues to be the Church of God because they had their originall of the holy Fathers euen as at this daye the continuall succession from the Fathers doeth puffe vp the Papistes and make them too swelling prowd With suche delusions Sathan beguileth them that they might deuide GOD from his worde the Church from the Faith and the kingdom of Heauen from the spirite But if so be the aunswere of Christ were auailable to refell the Iewes it is of no lesse force to conuince them at this daye For Hipocrites wyll alwayes falsefye the name of God but they shall neuer bring to passe but that they shal be accounted lyers of suche as leane to the iudgement of Christ M. We sée here that the wycked aduersaryes of Christ knew well inough that the impietye of false worship was spirituall whoredome and that the same was filthye and to be detested of the
is borne C. The meaning of Christ is that he came foorth vnto men adorned with such power that he might communicate and bestowe that vppon them which hée had receyued of his Father And in that hée is man he was ordained by the Father to bée the aucthour of lyfe least we should seeke him a farre of For Christ hath not receyued any thing whereof he him selfe stoode in néede but rather to make vs ritche with his abundaunt treasure The summe and meaning is that in the man Christ the same is reuealed vnto vs which was hidden in God and the lyfe which men before could not attaine vnto is nowe at hand M. Also it is worthy to be noted that when he might haue sayde Because he is man he chose rather to saye Because he is the sonne of man Let this serue our faith against those which teach that Christ tooke fleshe not of the vyrgin Mary that is to saye of the séede of Abraham whiche the whole Scripture teacheth but that he brought the same with him from heauen But Christ here plainelye calleth him selfe the Sonne of man and not man onely 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Maruaile not at this B. It was great and wonderful which Christ arrogated to him selfe the admiration whereof that he might somewhat diminishe and might cause the same to bée beléeued hée affyrmed that he would do that which was much more wonderfull namelye that he woulde with his voyce that is to saye with his power raise all the dead to lyfe in the last daye R. Before hée spake of the resurrection which is by fayth Resurrection by fa◠and the resurrection by the fle◠which is by iustification and nowe he speaketh of the fleshe C. But hée séemeth to reason verye vnfitlye when he bringeth the confirmation of that which he had spoken before from the last resurrection Obiection For it is no greater worke to rayse mennes bodyes than it is to rayse theyr soules To this aunswere maye be made Aunsvvere that there is not here of the matter it selfe comparison made which is greater and which is lesse but of humane sence and vnderstanding For men as they are carnall doe wonder at nothing but that which is externall and visible Herevppon it commeth that they careleslye omit the resurrection of the soule but haue the resurrection of the fleshe in great admiration Moreouer this our grosse desire bringeth to passe that those thinges do make more to the confirmation of fayth which are séene with the eye than those thinges which maye bée conceyued by fayth onelye Because hée speaketh nowe of the last daye hée addeth not this restraint And nowe it is as he doeth before in the fiue and twentye verse but doeth simplye pronounce that the tyme shall come Jn the which they that are in the graues M. This is not so to bée stretched that wee should vnderstande that they onely shal be raysed vp in the latter day whose bodyes are buried in Graues and Sepulchers and to exclude those which eyther are drowned in the water burnt to Ashes in the fyre or deuoured of wyld Beasts as we haue read of diuers Christian Martyrs who haue thus ended their lyues C. But because the dead are commonly for the most part buryed by a figure called Synecdoche hée vnderstandeth all which were dead and this is of greater force than if hée had sayd the dead onely Shall heare his voyce M. By these few wordes the faith of Christians is deserued from the faith of the Iewes For the Iewes beléeue the general resurrection of our bodies but they doe not beléeue that the same shal be by the power of the voyce of Christ the sonne of God But this is here plainely affyrmed in these words when he saith Shal heare his voyce This voyce the Apostle attributeth to the Archangel as to the Minister of Christ 1. Thess 4 16. saying For the Lorde him selfe shall descende from heauen in a shoute and in the voyce of the Archangell and in the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall ryse first For this worke he shall bring to passe and finishe by his power Mat. 12.30 Mat. 24.31 but yet hée wyl vse the Ministerye of Aungelles as appeareth in Mathew And the Apostle maketh mencion of the last Trumpe at the sounde whereof the dead shall ryse Therefore the voyce of Christ is that Angelicall Trumpet which by the name and power of Christ shall raise vp the dead Euen as that is the voyce of the King which is proclaimed by the Harold in the Kinges name so is that the voice of Christ which by the Gospell of grace is preached throughout the whole world in the name of Christ M. Also this is not sleightly to bée passed ouer that the houre of the last Iudgement is sayde to come The last day of iudgment This Iudgement while we are séeking to enioye the vanitye of this world and spend the time commeth on a pace Let vs therefore bée careful and vigilaunt in the exercise of godlynesse first because wée heare that the houre of Iudgement shall come secondlye because wée knowe not the time thereof A. The which two thinges are to bée considered Luk. 21.36 that wée maye learne howe wée ought to stande before the sonne of man For wée must all bée brought before the Tribunall seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the workes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad as Christ consequently sheweth saying 29. And shal come forth they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of dampnation And shall come forth R. Because the resurrection of the fleshe is common to all men as well to the vngodlye as to the Godly Christ nowe maketh a difference speaking of the state of both in this resurrection and bée pointeth out the faithfull by theyr good workes euen as hée teacheth in a nother place that Mat. 7.7 the Trée maye be knowne by his fruite And hée commendeth their workes in the which they began to exercise themselues from the time of their calling For the Théefe to whome Christ promised lyfe which all his life time was giuen to wickednesse aspired at the last cast to godlinesse But because hée is become a newe man and beginneth of a bondeslaue of sinne to be a seruaunt of righteousnesse God calleth not the whole rase of his former life to an account Moreouer those sinnes which the godly dayly committe are not imputed to thē For without pardon and forgiuenesse there was neuer any man in the whole worlde which can be thought to haue liued well Good workes without grace are euill workes Naye there can be no good woorke reckened to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes GOD hath forgiuen forasmuch as our best déedes
begonne because of their mallice but although he groaned in him selfe for the cause aforesayd yet neuerthelesse hée goeth foreward to the graue of dead Lazarus Let vs learne therefore in this place not to aunswere by and by to all speaches of wicked men nor to ceasse from doing the worke of God eyther for the blindnesse mallice reproche sclaunder or ingratitude of wicked men but constantlye to goe forewarde Jt was a Caue A. Concerning the buriall of the faithfull and the comlinesse obserued in the same reade our exposition vppon the foureteene Chapter of Saint Mathewe beginning at the twelfth verse C. There follow diuerse circumstaunces in the raysing vp of Lazarus which doe more set forth the power of Christ as the time of fowre dayes that the Sepulchre had a stoane layde vppon it the which Christ commanded to be taken vp in the sight of al men For it foloweth 39. Iesus saide take ye away the stoane Martha the Sister of him that was dead saide vnto him Lorde by this time he stinketh for hee hath beene dead fowre daies R. The beginning of the workes of God as it séemeth foolishe so also it séemeth to bée childishe For beholde hée whiche went about to rayse vp a dead man cōmaundeth the stoane to be taken away as though by the same power of the worde he could not remoue awaye the stoane from the doore of the Sepulchre or could not bring forth the lyue man through the stoane Why then doeth he that which is greater and committeth lesse matters to others to be done For afterward he commaunded others to loose the napkins that were tyed about his face M. He coulde in déede by the same power haue taken away the stoane by which he went about to restore a dead man to lyfe but hée thought it better to vse their labour about all such lyke thinges which stode by reseruing onely vnto him selfe the power to rayse vp the dead man R. first that so many as were present might bée more assured witnesses of the myracle and secondlye to teache vs to hope well in matters that fall out contrarye to our expectacion For whereas hee commaundeth to take away the stoane it séemeth to argue some impotencye to bee in him but the same impotencye at the leangth breaketh out and sheweth it selfe mightye force and power Lorde by this time he stinketh The infidelitye of Martha serued verye muche to the commendacion of the miracle For so the Lorde is wont to turne euell into good not by our dilligence and labour but by his most wyse dispensation M. This Sister confesseth that the dead Carkas doth sauour or stinks affirming openlye the same to haue béene buryed fowre dayes that euery one might haue the power of Christ in greater admiration For Gods glorye is oftentimes so set forth in vs that by our miserye corruption infirmitye and destruction the maiestye of Gods power is made more manifest Acts 26. x. i. Cor. i5 9 ◠Tim i. 13 So Paul when he would commend the glorye of the grace of GOD which was shewed in him with open mouth confesseth in diuers places that he was a persecutour and an aduersarye to the grace of God C. Notwithstanding that which Martha speaketh here is a signe of distrust as is sayde because shée iudgeth the power of Christ to be lesse than it is for because nothing agréeth lesse with lyfe than corruption and stincke Martha gathereth that there is nowe no hope of remedye Euenso when preposterous cogitacions occupy our mindes God after a sort is driuen from vs least he shoulde finishe his worke in vs. Martha verilye dyd so litle further the raysing of her brother that for her hée might haue lien for euer in the graue because she being past al hope of lyfe went also about to hinder Christe from raysing him vp and yet notwithstanding shée had nothing lesse in her mind This the imbecillitye of Faith bringeth to passe that we being drawne this waye and that waye might fight and contend with our selues Martha lyed not when shee sayde I knowe that whatsoeuer thou askest of God hée wyll geue it thée but a confounded faith doth lytle helpe except the same bée put in vse when we come to the present matter Moreouer in Martha wee maye beholde howe many defections of Faith there be euen in the best Shee was the first that came to méete Christ this was no small testimony of pietye and yet notwithstanding shée ceaseth not to set and laye stoppes and stayes before him in his waye Therfore that we may haue successe vnto the grace of God let vs learne to attribute vnto him farre greater power than our sences can comprehend And if so bée the first promise of God will not content and satisfye vs yet at the least when he confirmeth vs the seconde and thirde tyme let vs be quiet and content after the example of Martha 40. Iesus saide vnto her saide I not vnto thee that if thou diddest beleeue thou shouldest see the glorye of God M. By these woordes our sauiour Christ went about to erect and comfort the sorrowfull minde of Martha which was also weake in the Faith and to direct bring her to this that she woulde with a stedfast and constant minde haue onely regarde to the miracle to come C. And withall he doeth reprehend her distrust for that she had not conceiued hope by the hearing of his promise As if Christ should haue sayde Bv. Thou doest obiect the stinke of the corrupted and putrifyed body whereby thou doest gather with thy selfe that the stoane shal be remoued from the graue in vain and a waye made for him to aryse which shall neuer come forth But the eyes of the faithfull must not bée fixed vpon this earth and earthlye substaunce neither must their eares be open to the reasons of fleshe whiche alwaye rebelleth against God it is necessarye to call to minde the worde of God to remember his promises haue them alwaies before thine eyes and to leane and staye thy selfe whollye vpon them Remember Martha therefore my wordes Hath that failed which I sayde vnto thée euen nowe that if thou diddest beléeue by the death of thy brother the glorye of God should be declared Hath that failed which I promised vnthée saying Thy Brother shall ryse againe Therefore the stinke putrifaction and corruption neyther doth nor can hinder the glorye of God any thing at all Onely beléeue and thou shalt finde God true and omnipotent C. And by this place it doeth appeare that he spake somwhat more vnto Martha than Iohn in wordes hath expressed howe this same was the meaning of Christ when hée called him selfe the resurrection and the life When he sayeth Jf thou diddest beleeue thou shouldest see His meaning is not that the resurrectiō of Lazarus which was done to the glorye of God depended vpon the fayth of Martha but he seemeth rather to meane thus that Martha had not seene the glorye of God if so bee
howe they besought Pilate that the bodies might be taken downe it serueth to the confirmation of our faith fyrste because it sheweth that the same was fullfilled in the person of Christe which was foreshewed in the Scrptures secondly bicause it contayneth a misterie of no small weight A. In the meane tyme notwithstanding the Iewes bewraie their hypocrisie when they require that the bodies may be taken downe from the Crosses Deu. 21.23 M. The lawe of Moses commaunded that the body hanged vpon the trée shuld the same day that it was hanged be taken downe buried R. The Iewes very diligently obserue this lawe being made only for ciuility and humanities sake whereas otherwise they transgressed the whole law Who wold not haue iudged these to be holy men Who would haue suspected that they wold haue killed Christ against the law seing them such diligent obseruers of the law Therefore to the end they might religiously obserue their Sabbath they are very carefull for the outward pollution in the meane time not cōsidering how wicked a déed it is to kill an innosent man So a litle before we sawe that they entered not into the iudgement haule least they should defile them selues when as their impietie defiled and polluted the whole Countrey 22. Then came the souldiers brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with him 23. But when they came to Iesus sawe that he was dead alredy they brake not his legges G. Whereas whē they had broken the legs of the two theues they foūd Christ dead and therefore touch not his body we may therin behold an extraordinary worke of Gods prouidence Heathen and prophane men will saye that it commeth naturally to passe that one man dyeth sooner than another but he that shall wey and consider the whole order of the history shal be constrayned to ascribe it to the secrete purpose of God in the iudgement of god that the spedy death of Christ stayed them from breaking his legges 34. But one of the soldiers with a spear thrust him into the syde forthwith came there out bloud and water In that his side was pearsed with a speare by the Souldier it was done to approue his death but god had a further respect as we shall sée anon But very childish is the imagination of the Papistes which haue made of this speare man a Longius fayning the proper name of a man to make the matter more fabulous they say that this Souldier was before blinde and receiuing his sight was conuerted to the faith And therefore they haue canonized him a Saint If such Saintes be their patrones when they pray vnto God what I pray you shal they attayne at any tyme but thei are worthy which leauing christ séeke after dead men to be deceyued and blynded by the Diuell And forthwith came therout bloud water C. Some were deceiued fayning heare a miracle For it is a natural thing for blud when it is congealed and hath lost his redines to be lyke water Therefore this was no miraculous thing that water gushed out of his syde with bloud hee being dead And the purpose of the Euangelist was to declare that his narration was confyrmed by testimonies of Scripture which he afterward addeth and specially that he might put the faithfull in mynd of that which hee sayeth in another place 1. Ihon. 5.6 namelye that Christ came by water and bloud By which words he declareth that Christ brought with him the true satisfaction and the liuely fountaine For remission of sins righteousnes and the puritie of the soule were fygured in the law by these two signes namely by sacrifyces and washinges In sacrifyces bloud satisfyed for sinnes and was the pryce to satisfye the wrath of God Washings were testimonies of true puritie and remedies to pourge away vncleannes and to wash away the spottes of the fleshe But least fayth should stay any more vppon these elementes S. Ihon testifyeth in his Epistle that the fulfilling and fulnesse of both graces is in Christ and heere he giueth vs a visible signe of the same thing To the same ende pertayne those Sacramentes which Christ hath lefte vnto hys Church For in Baptisme the purgation and puritie of the soule which appeareth by newnesse of life is declared And the Supper is a pledge of the satisfaction made But they differ farre from the figures of the olde Lawe bicause they offer Christ as if he were present whome the figures of the Law shewed a farre off Wherfore we may affirme that our Sacraments flowed out of the side of Christ Sacramentes flowed out of Christes side For thē we are truly washed away from our spottes and are renued into a holy life then we are redeemed from death and do liue in the presence of God when Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde doo leade vs vnto Christes side that from thence we may draw that as from a liuely spring by fayth whiche they do figure and signifie 35. And he that saw it bare recorde and his record is true and he knoweth that he sayth true that ye might beleeue also M. This S. Iohn addeth for the more certentie of the matter shewing that in a cause of Christian fayth we must leane to those things which are certayne and true To the same effect pertayne these words And vve savv his glory Iohn 1.14 as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of the Father And agayne Iohn 3.11 1. Iohn 1.1 2. Pet. 1.16 Ephe. 4.14 1. Ioh. 2.24 That vvhich vve knovv vve speake and vve testifie that vvhich vvee haue seene M. Furthermore in that he bringeth god for a witnesse of those things to be true whiche he writeth saying And he knovveth that he sayth true we haue an example of a Christian teacher He whiche speaketh or teacheth in the Church ought not only to speake but also to testifie and that of suche true and manifest things as he him self nothing doubteth of so that he him selfe may say I know that I speake those things whiche are true A man shall finde diuers which teache the truthe notwithstanding they are vncertayne whether they speake truthe or no bicause they haue not the true and vndoubted meaning of those things which they speake but the letter onely Furthermore we sée to what ende the Euangelist hath written namely to this ende that we might beléeue bicause in him the Scriptures are fulfilled He was not content with his owne fayth but sought also to bring others vnto the same 36. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled Ye shal not break a bone of him M. The souldiers brake the bones of the théeues whiche were crucified wyth Christ but they left the bones of Christ vntouched bicause bothe God had so appoynted and it was also prefigured in the Passouer C. For this testimonie was taken out of the twelfth chapter of Exodus where Moses intreateth of the Pascall