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
God hath appointed to guide vs in the right waye to wander at our leysure whether we lust Bv. For many are well affected in the beginning of Preaching for the loue of noueltie but within a while after do forsake the gospel againe following pleasures and corrupt affections which they estéeme more than the loue of godlynesse For a season C. By these wordes hée reproueth theyr folishnesse because they thought that the eternall light of God might bée extinguished by vaine way wardnesse and vnconstant follye Euen so at this daye the Papistes abuse all those godlye teachers and Doctours which the Lord hath geuen to his Church as bright Candelles as though they went about to dasell theyr eyes by beholding the light And they doe not onelye abuse the Candelles to obscure the light but they doe also oftentimes reioyce in darkenesse 36. But I haue greater wytnesse than the witnesse of Iohn for the workes whiche the Father hath geuen me to finishe the same workes that I doe beare witnesse of me that the Father hath sent me But I haue greater witnesse C. After hée had shewen in the person of Iohn that the Iewes had wickedlye corrupted the gift of God nowe secondlye hée repeateth that which hée had spoken as that he hath no néede of the testimony of man his owne witnesse being sufficient for him selfe Howebeit because hée sawe that he was despised hee citeth them according to his manner before his father As if he shoulde saye Bv. Thus farre forth ye haue hearde great thinges but ye shall heare greater thinges Ye haue Iohns testimony concerning me but nowe beholde a greater testimony namelye the testimony of my workes For there can not bée a more certaine testimony than the déedes them selues the which I doe not in my owne name but in my fathers name M. Let vs note here howe circumspectlye and wiselye he saieth not I haue a testimony much more certaine and true than the testimony of Iohn but he sayth Greater than the testimony of Iohn least he might so extoll the testimony of the Father concerning him selfe that the testimony of Iohn thereby shoulde bée quite discredited For whatsoeuer Iohn did testifye concerning Christ the same was of God neyther was it any whit contrarye from that which the Father by his workes testified of him But if ye compare the testimony of the workes of Christ which he had receyued of the Father with the testimony of Iohn ye shal finde that it is much more excellent and notable For as that Lucifer or morning Starre though it be a true testimony of the rysing of the Sunne yet notwithstanding is inferiour and nothing so euident as the Sunne beames it selfe which shine throughout the whole world ▪ euen so Iohn though his testimony were true concerning Christ yet notwithstanding it was far inferior more obscure than the bright shewe of Christes workes For the workes which the father hath geuen me R. The second thing whereby Christ proueth that he was sent of the Father are workes or Myracles M The vse wherof are here declared vnto vs when Christ sayeth They testifye of me Therefore they are not dumbe signes but lyuelye signes and therefore not simplie to be behelde but effectuallye to be hearde according to thys place The heauens declare the glory of God c. These speake not and yet notwithstanding their sounde hath gone forth into all landes and their wordes into the vtmost partes of the earth Psal 19.1 A. Euen so the wonderfull workes of Christ though they séeme to bée dumbe yet notwithstanding most euidentlye they set foorth his mightye vertue and power but to them to whome he hath geuen eares to heare M. Euen as appeareth in Nicodemus who being moued by the power and testimony of Christes workes Iohn 3. acknowledgeth that Christ is come a teacher sent from God For as a good Trée is knowne by his good fruite euen so the Lorde Iesus hath sufficientlye by his workes proued him selfe to bée the sonne of God Iohn 10.25 R. The workes sayth hée which I do in my Fathers name they beare witnesse of me C. It may here be demaunded whether miracles are sufficient ynough to proue Christ to be the sonne of God Question when as the Prophetes haue done the lyke M. Furthermore neyther the Iewes nor the Turkes doe denye the myracles of Christ but yet neyther of them doe acknowledge the testimonye whereof the Lorde here maketh mention Aunsvvere C. We aunswere Those signes and myracles which the Lorde wrought by the handes of his Prophets went not beyonde that ende for the which they were appoynted to be wrought which was that they might declare them to be the Ministers of God who otherwise coulde haue had neyther aucthoritie nor credite But God ment more highlye to extoll his sonne And this purpose of God in miracles must be taken for the ende and scope Therefore if the Iewes through malice had not willingly shutte their eyes the vertue of Christes signes might sufficiently haue declared who and what maner of person he was euen as hée himselfe sayth Yf I had not done among them the workes which no other man hath done Iho. 15.24 they had no sinne but now they haue seene and hated not onlye mee but also my Father M. As touching the Turkes although after a sorte they doe acknowledge some deuine power to bée in the myracles of Christ yet notwithstanding they wyll in no wise acknowledge him to be the sonne of God being vtterly blinded and deceiued by the false prophet Mahomet The Turkes denye Christ to be the son of God They say that God cannot haue a sonne séeing hée hath not a wife So foolish and blind they are that they wil not acknowledge the Image of the fatherly goodnesse power in Christ the sonne of God the which notwithstanding his works haue made him more euident and cléere than the Sonne 37. And the Father himselfe which hath sent me hath borne witnesse of me Ye haue not hearde his voyce at any time nor sene his shape And the Father himselfe which hath sent me Bv. Some restrayne this to the voyce which was hearde in the Baptisme of Christ but it ought to be farther extended C. For in the preterperfect tence or time past he sayth The Father hath testified to declare that hée commeth not foorth vnknowne because aforetime in the lawe and the Prophets the Father had made him manifest by tokens that he might bring his noates markes with him wherby hée might be knowne For God did testifie of his sonne so often as he promised saluation to his people the Iewes or the full restoring of the kingdome of Israell So it became the Iewes to haue the perpetuall substaunce of Christ out of the scriptures before hée shoulde be manifested in the fleshe Whereas they contemne him he being present and doe reiect him thereby they doe manifestly declare that they haue no taste of the Lawe the whiche also
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
to him of God the Father and that therefore the whole cause belongeth as well to God as to him selfe and for this cause that it is impossible that any man should pull the shéepe out of his handes which his Father hath geuen him As if hée shoulde saye My hande is my Fathers hande and my shéepe are my Fathers shéepe No man can take them from me because no man can take them out of my Fathers hande C. A notable place by which wée are taught that the saluation of all the elect is no lesse sure than the power of God is inuincible Hereby also wee gather how vaine the trust of the Papistes is which resteth vpon frée will vppon their owne strength and vppon the merites of workes Christ hath farre otherwise taught those that are his that they may know that they are in this worlde as in the middest of a woode and in the handes of théeues and furthermore that they are naked and subiect to the praye and carrye in theyr owne bosome the dagger and cause of death that bearing themselues boulde vppon the onelye custody and defence of God they maye walke securely without feare 30. And I and my Father are one M. As if hée shoulde saye I doe nothing in this matter I haue nothing I can doe nothing I giue nothing and I am nothing of my selfe without my father All that are mine are his and whatsoeuer hee hath or doth it is myne and hée worketh the same by mée Wée doe all one thing neyther are wée deuided But Christ doth not dispute here concerning the vnitie of substaunce but of the consent and agreement whych he hath with the Father as that whatsoeuer Christ doeth is confirmed by the Fathers power Howbeit the auncient Fathers haue referred this place to the deuine substaunce of Christ against the heritiques 31. Then the Iewes tooke vppe stoanes againe to stoane him withall C. As pietie is zealous in defending the glorye of GOD which the spirite of God doth moderate so infidelitie is the Mother of madnesse and the Deuill doth so prouoake the wicked that they desire and seeke nothing but murder Bv. The Iewes being mooued and stirred vp with the wordes of Christ tooke vp stoanes as wée reade that they dyd at a nother time in the ende of the eyght Chapter going before Thys successe sheweth with what minde they questioned with Christ For a manifest confession of the which they fayned themselues to be verye desirous made them by and by to fall into outragious madnesse and yet notwithstanding there is no doubt but that when they were thus violentlye caried to oppresse Christ they pretended the coulour and cloake of iudgement Deu. i3 5 Leui 24.16 as though they did the thing according to forme of Lawe where God commaundeth false Prophetes to be stoaned to death 32. IESVS aunswered them manye good vvorkes haue I shevved you from my Father For vvhich of them do ye stoane mee M. To the ende Christe might reprehande theyr vnspeakeable mallice and madnesse hee doth not onely obiect hys innocencye but also which is more hys notable and wonderful beneficience shewed towardes them C. and hee doth not onelye deny them to haue any cause why they shoulde so rage but doth also accuse them of ingratitude for that they so vnthankefullye requighted the benifites of God neyther doth hee saye that hee had well deserued at their handes for one or two workes sake but sayth that hee had béene benefyciall vnto them in many thinges As if hée shoulde saye M. What cause haue yee against mee whereby I maye séeme worthy vnto you to be stoaned to death Bv. Malefactours were wont to be punished and stoaned to death but as for mée what euell haue I done What haue I deserued which haue hurt no man but haue shewed an innumerable sorte of benefites to euery one of you and the same from my Father that is to saye by my deuyne power C. For his meaning is that God was the authoure of those workes And this interrogation is of greater waight to pricke their consciences then if he had spoken by a simple affirmatiue To shew good workes is an Hebrewe phrase in steede of to doe good workes the whiche phrase is often times vsed in the holy Scriture as when it is sayde Many say who will shewe vs anie good Psal 4.7 Psal 60 5 Psal 71 20 Also Thou haste shewed thy people hard thinges Againe Thou hast shewed me great trobles For the Lord had done many good works already by which he had brought health vnto men and had thereby shewed what they ought to haue looked for at his hands namely nothing but assured saluation and euerlasting life This he exhorted the Iewes to beleeue and declared that all his workes belonged to the Father that they might assuredly beléeue hym And these were the thinges which so stirred them being nothing but good and wholsome workes Rightly therefore he déemaunded of them for which of his good workes they went aboute to stoane him M. It was extreame Ingratitude and wickednesse to render euell for so many benefites and to go aboute to kill the benefactoure Psal 35 i2 Of such vnthankfull persons Dauid complaineth saying They rendered me euell for good Therefore yf so be in like manner euell shal be rendered to any man for good let him comfort him selfe with the lot of Christ of the prophetes and of the Apostles 33. The Iewes answered him saying For thy good workes sake wee stoane thee not but for thy blasphemie and because that thou beeinge a man makest thy self God R. The wisdome of this worlde will not séeme vniustly and wickedly to persecute Christe and his Gospell Wherefore they faine and Immagine causes against the Gospell and the setters forth of the same which they thinke worthy of punishment the which it pretendeth to cloake the enuie against Christ and the worde of God C. Wherefore it is necessary that a good conscience be vnto vs as a brasen wall by which we maye strongly repell the reproaches and sclaunders with the which we are misereported of For how soeuer they couler cloak their mallice what ignominy soeuer they bring vnto vs for a time if we fight for gods cause he will not deny him selfe but will defend and maintaine his trueth R. Christe was accused of blasphemie against God and of Sedition against Sesar The Prophetes were accused of defection from the Lawe and of seducing The Apostles and Martires were accused partly of sedition and partly of blasphemy against God And so great wickednesse are spread abroade of the Godly before the reason and wisedome of the worlde that whosoeuer killeth them he thinketh that he doth vnto God good seruice as shall bee sayde in the sixeteenth Chapter following M. Here the enemies of Christe are constrained to acknowledge his good workes For they say not thy works are euil but they acknoweledg that to be true which he sayde I haue shewed vnto you manye good workes And
1. Ioh. 5.10 To this effect pertayneth that saying of Iohn If wee receyue the testimonye of men the testimonye of God is greater And so foorth tyl ye come to these words Hee which hath the sonne hath life and hee which hath not the Sonne hath not life M. Therefore wée looke for the comming of Christ not as of a Iudge but as a deliuerer and redéemer But to the wicked and vnbeléeuing hée shall come a terrible and fearefull Iudge Heb. 2.2 Bv. For if they escaped not the iudgement of God which despised the sending and woordes of Angelles muche lesse shal they escape the horrible iudgement of God Heb. 10.27 which woulde not beléeue the onely begotten sonne of God For there wayteth for them a certaine fearefull looking for the comming of the Iudge and a burning fyre which shall deuoure his aduersaryes 19. And this is the condempnation that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenesse more then light because theyr deedes weare euill And this is the condemnacion M. Because hée sayde that the vnbeléeuer was Iudged alreadye and condemned by his owne wickednesse hée addeth and declareth that the reason and order of this iudgement is suche that no man can not chose but acknowledge the same C. Therefore hée preuenteth by aunswere the murmurings and grudgings whiche prophane and wicked men are woont to vse to reprooue the seuere rigour as they thinke of God when he dealeth more sharpelye with them than they woulde haue him It séemeth to bée verye harde that euerye one which beléeueth not shoulde bée damned Therefore least any man should ascribe his damnation to Christ hée teacheth that euerye man must impute the same to his proper faulte The reason is because Infidelitye is the witnesse of an euyll conscience Whereby it is plaine that the wickednesse of vnbeléeuers doth hinder them from comming to Christ There are some which thinke that there is onely noted here the signe of damnation But the purpose of our Sauiour Christ here is to bridle the wickednesse of menne least they should presume according to theyr manner to contende and reason the cause with GOD as though hée dealt vniustlye with them in punishing theyr infidelitye with eternall death Therefore hée teacheth that such iudgement is iust and frée from all sclaunder not onely because they doe wickedlye which preferre darkenesse before light and doe willingly shonne the light offered vnto them but also because that hatered of the light procéedeth not but from a wicked mind which accuseth and condemneth it selfe of euil B. Wherefore the principall point and substaunce of their whole condemnation is Predestination that they can not preferre Christ before theyr owne desyres because so many as are damned were iudged and condemned before they were borne Ephe 1.4 euen as also with God so many as are saued were saued before the foundation of the worlde For as these were elected before the foundation of the worlde so were the other reiected before the worlde was made Reprobation And this reprobation doeth then appeare when they reiect the Gospell of grace offered vnto them and had rather bée ignoraunt of Christ that is to say to want the light than to receyue him and to attaine to life By the which contempt of the Gospell they doe accomplishe and fill vppe the measure of theyr wickednesse to the full that is to saye they geue occasion to haue theyr iudgement and condemnation sealed and fulfilled M. Therefore in this they are inexcusable that they doe willinglye reiect and refuse that grace offered vnto them which most earnestlye they ought to imbrace and desyre B. By darkenesse is here meant the ignoraunce of Christ and whatsoeuer else worldly men loue more than Christ For they which are not borne of God as they can not heare the worde of God so it is necessarye that they preferre the ignoraunce of Christ before they knowledge him and so to loue darkenesse more then light M. When he sayth that light came into the worlde hée meaneth that all thinges in this worlde are replenished and full of darkenesse For what can bée founde in this world without Christ Darckenesse is all thinges in this world without Christ but darkenesse Bv. That is to saye the concupiscence of the fleshe the ignoraunce of God Impietye Errour blindnesse of the minde Supersticion Idolatrye wickednesse of life filthinesse vncleannesse prophane talke Gluttony Dronkennesse and an infinite number of suche like wickednesses For it followeth in the wordes of the Lorde Because theyr deedes were euyll B. This is the cause why the wicked are enemies to the light of life Christ the light of God Christ is the light of God by which whatsoeuer is euyll is reprooued For howe can Iniustice be hid when righteousnesse is in place how can foolishnesse not be séene when it is compared with wisedome Nowe fleshe in the which there is no goodnesse can abide nothing lesse than to haue the same vncouered and therfore it can not choose but hate Christ whiche manifesteth and reuealeth all thinges and therefore they must be renewed and borne againe which receyue Christ M. The reason therefore why those men namelye the Scribes High Priestes and Pharisees and those of that sect loue darkenesse more then light is because theyr déedes are euyll that is to saye because theyr owne consciences bare them witnesse that al theyr works were euyll Bv. By this woorde workes hée vnderstandeth euill intentes thoughtes woordes and workes Out of these woordes the Apostle borroweth this saying If our Gospell bee yet hid 2. Cor. 4.3 it is hidde in them that are lost In whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not least the light of the Gospell of the glory of Christ which is the Image of God should shine vnto them Therfore in that they perishe they perishe through theyr owne faulte séeing the most mercifull Lorde hath done his part but they wyll not do their duetye If the Sicke man perishe whiche wyll not bewraye his disease to the Phisition least hée should bée healed maye he not pronounce of him selfe that hée perished through his owne faulte Euen so men that are louers of this worlde are enemies to the light offered to them because their déedes are euill A. It is no maruaile therefore if they ronne headlong into destruction 20. For euerye one that euyll doeth hateth the light Neyther cometh to the light least his dedes should be reproued M. This is a generall sentence taken of the disposition of the reprobates the sence whereof is this B. hée is commonlye sayde to hate the trueth which doeth amisse Séeing therefore the wicked can not abide Christ the light of God it is most certaine that they are euill and that theyr déedes are euil also C. For therefore the Light is odious vnto them because they and their dedes are euill and doo séeke to couer theyr sinnes so muche as they can wherevppon
it followeth that they refusing the reméedye doe willinglye séeke theyr owne damnation R. But Christ speaketh not here of grosse and outward sinnes as of Theft The light hated of wicked men Murther Adulterye False witnesse Force Luxury Dronkennesse and such lyke which also are condemned of the wise men of this world but of the most excellent vertues of the worlde as of Reason Wisedome and humaine righteousnesse which in this world are counted for most excellent thinges PAR. Therefore as hée which goeth about any wickednesse loueth the night fléeth from the Sunne least his déedes shoulde bée manifest euen so they whose consciences do accuse them hate the light of the Euangelicall trueth by which all thinges that are filthie are bewraied that they maie be reformed in Christ By this reason wicked Kyngs Princes and Potentates which swell with Ambition which are defiled with excesse and filthie pleasure and which are imbrued with the bloode of Innocents haue hated the Light of the Gospell because it condemneth all these thinges In like maner the Popishe Bishops Abbottes Priestes Monkes and Nunnes which repose theyr trust in Masses in Idolles in Purgatorye in wicked Vowes in Indulgences and such lyke do hate Christ and his light which teacheth that al these thinges are vnprofitable more than Vatinius was hated of the Romaines Insomuch that they persecute the Preachers of the Gospell and hang them vppe because they Preache against the Sacred Canonnes against the dignitye Episcopall against the Popes Holinesse and against Peters Keyes That is to saye because they discouer the Tyranny of Antichrist and do fréelye pronounce the dignitye and aucthoritye of Bishoppes to bée forged counterfaite and méere false C. Therefore we are muche deceyued if wée thinke that they are ledde with Godlye zeale whiche rage against the Gospell when as they rather hate and abhorre the light that they maye the more fréelye walke in darkenesse 21. But hee that doeth trueth commeth to the light that his deedes may be knowen howe that they are wrought in God M. That is to saye He which knoweth that hée doeth the trueth and seeketh the same being a hater of all falsehood and lyes hée truely neyther hateth the light nor shunneth the same but loueth it For to doe the trueth is as much to say as to deale faithfully without any manner of deceyte like good and honest men C. But this séemeth to bée spoken improperlye and absurdly except a man would confesse that some are good and true before they bée borne againe by the spirite of God the which is cleane contrary to the whole Doctrine of the scripture for we knowe that faith is the roote from whence doe come all good workes But Christ simply affirmeth that they which deale sincerelye and vprightlye doe desyre nothing more then the light The light a Touchstone to wicked men that theyr workes maye bée approued because by that triall and Touchstone it maye the better appeare that they haue walked vprightlye and purelye before God from all deceyte Therefore it is verye fondlye sayde of some that menne before Faith are wel disposed For Christ sayeth not that the Faithfull do beléeue to the ende they maye haue the prayse of good workes but he onely sheweth what the vnbeleeuing would do if so be theyr owne consciences did not accuse them of euill R. Therefore if Abbottes Monkes Priestes and Friars did the trueth they woulde also come to the light and would suffer theyr condicion to bée tried But hereby they them selues do bewray theyr owne déedes to bée euill For he which doeth the trueth that is hee whose cause is iust whose worke is of Faith which teacheth the truth which is delighted in the trueth which hateth Hipocrisie and lyes which dealeth iustlye and to be short which geueth all glorye vnto God and geueth place to the Preaching of the Gospell hée can abide the light and to haue his cause his workes Doctrine and state tried and examined Wherevpon Christ because his workes and Doctrine are of God hath left vnto all menne frée leaue to pronounce and iudge of them so that they doe it vprightly Iohn 18.20 Enquire sayeth hée of those which haue hearde mee what I sayd vnto them Beholde these knowe what I haue sayd But the Pharisées and their successours will not suffer any man to iudge of theyr Doctrine but will haue all thinges that they teache and decrée simplye and as a manifest trueth to be receyued and allowed C. Therefore our Sauiour Christ vsed this woorde Trueth Because we being deceyued by the outwarde shewe of workes doe not waye and consider what is contayned within And hée calleth those workes wrought in God which are approued of him and are good according to his rule Hereby let vs learne not to iudge of workes except they bée brought to the light of the Gospell because our reason is vtterly blind and corrupt Bv. And séeing Christ of his goodnesse hath called vs to the light of the Gospell let vs vnderstand that it is our partes to doe the trueth with a willing minde the Apostle exhorting vs vnto the same Ephe 5.8 Ye were sometime darkenesse but nowe are you light in the Lorde walke as children of the light for the fruite of the spirite is in all godnesse and righteousnesse and trueth approuing what is acceptable vnto the Lorde And haue no felowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather rebuke them And the Apostle Iohn This is the tidinges which we haue hard of him and declare vnto you that God is light and in him is no darkenesse at all If wee saye that we haue felloweship with him and walke in darkenesse wee lye and doe not the trueth But if wee walke in light euen as hee is light then haue wee fellowship with him 22. After these thinges came Iesus and his Disciples into the Lande of Iurye and there he taryed with them and Baptized M Nowe that the Euangelist hath described the Diologue betwéene Christ and Nicodemus hée consequentlye maketh a waye to bring in the testimony of Iohn the Baptist which most excellentlye hée gaue vnto Christ before hée was shutte vp into Prison For the Euangelist speciallye trauaileth to credite and confirme the Diuinitye and aucthoritye of Christ with most firme testimonies geuen from Heauen Bv. Therefore when the Lorde had obserued the Feaste of Passeouer at Hierusalem and had discharged his office according to the oportunytye of the time Preaching the Gospel of the kingdome C. hée came into that part of Galilee whiche was néere to the Towne of Aenon whiche is situate in the Tribe of Manasse B. that there also hée might exhibite and declare him selfe to bée a sauiour For abiding there and Ministring Baptisme by his Disciples hée brought many Citizens to the Kingdome of God The Lorde Iesus abode not long at Hierusalem for his houre was not yet come that hée shoulde bée gloryfied but towarde his ende hée executed his office moore diligentlye
of men If so bée the workes which thou doest be altogither deuine thou shalt not feare the light but shalt goe with vs to the feast that thou mayest bée the more famous and honorable C. For séeing thou art indued with so greate vertue and power that thou canst win Fame by working signes and wonders loose not the same for thou doest in vaine spende and bestowe here those giftes whiche GOD hath giuen vnto thée where there are no méete witnesses and Iudges of the same B. For hée which woulde haue all men to speake fréelye and openlye of him must doe those noble actes which hée doth openlye and not in secrete Therefore make thy selfe knowne vnto the worlde B. Hereby wée perceyue how great the dulnesse of men is in waying and considering the workes of GOD. For the kinsemen of our Sauiour Christ woulde neuer haue spoken thus except they had vtterlye contemned and despised those manifest signes and proofes of his deuine power which they ought to haue receyued reuerenced with great admiration That whiche wée here in this place concerning Christ doth daylye happen For they which ought to be friendelye boath for néerenesse of bloude and also for other causes are more gréeuous and troublesome to the children of GOD than straungers oftentimes For they are the instruments of Sathan to draw and entise them which would scincerelye and faythfully serue GOD one while to ambition another whil to couetousnesse to the loue of the worlde and to such lyke Concerning the which matter reade more in our exposition of Mathew But Christ sharpelye repelling suche Sathans teacheth vs by his example Mat. 10.36 not to followe the foolishe willes and mindes of brethren 5. For his brethren beleeued not in him R. Now in this place that appeareth to be true Ioh. 4.44 which our Sauiour Christ sayth in a nother place A Prophet hath no honour in his owne countrey B. Hereby also wée learne that all are not godlye which appertayne vnto Christ concerning the fleshe For what did it profit these men whom the Euangelist noateth to be vnbeleeuers that they were the Lordes brethren C For the Spirite of Christe doth geue vnto them a perpetuall noat of infamie because they being conuinced by so manye testimonies of workes did not for all that beleeue Therfore as sayth Saint Paule VVhosoeuer desiereth to be in Christ must be a newe creature 2. Cor. 5 i7 B. For in Christ Iesus neyther circumcision auayleth any thing nor vncircumcision but a newe creature C. For they which geue them selues wholy vnto God are vnto Christe in stede of Father mother and brethren as for others he putteth them from hym Wherefore to ridiculouse is the superstition of the Papistes who in the virgine Marie all other thinges sett a parte only extoll the honoure of bloude as though Christe did not reprehende the Woman which cryed in the myddest of the multitude Blessed is the wombe that bare thee Luk. 11.27 and the Paps that gaue thee sucke For Christ aunswered Nay rather blessed are they which heare the worde of GOD and keepe it B. For the inwarde man aloane framed after GOD is acceptable vnto GOD and bringeth foorth the vndoubted fruite of righteousnesse M. Let vs noate also in this place how that fayth in Christ is the onely gift of GOD and commeth not by anye prerogatiue of fleshe and bloode For the faythfull are borne neither of bloude neyther of the will of fleshe nor of the will of man but of GOD. Also fleshe and bloude reuealeth not the sonne of God Ioh. 1.13 but the Father which is in heauen A. Let vs remember therefore what the Lorde answered to his kinsemen Iames and Iohn To sitte on my right hande Mat. i6 17 and on my left is not mine to giue but it shall happen to those for whome it is prepared of my Father 6. Then Iesus sayd vnto them my tyme is not yet come but your time is alwaye readye CHR. Some interpret this of the time of Christes death but not aptlye C. For hée speaketh of the time of his departure and affirmeth that hée differeth from his kinsemen in this that they might without daunger come forth at all houres in the face of the worlde because they haue the worlde their friendes but he hadde good cause to feare for that the worlde was his enimie And hée geueth them to vnderstande that they giue euill aduise in a knowne thing as if hée shoulde saye Bv. My time to goe thither is not yet come when time shall serue I shal néede none of your admonitions I know what when to do euery thing howe also and when I must be made knowne to the worlde doth not depend on mans counsayle but vpon my Fathers decrée M. Ye maye ascende to Ierusalem when ye will but I haue not alwayes that libertie you néede not waight your time because ye may goe when yée will but as for mée I must attende my time because all times to mée are not alike C. Wée are also here taught how dilligentlye wée ought to beware that wee doe all thinges by the rule of Gods worde and in due time Bv. and also to take héede that wee doe nothing rashelye without warraunt from God Hée talketh with vs in his worde Wée consult therefore with him when wée aske counsayle at his worde when wée praye and when wée craue his holye spirite Time ought to be considered according as ocasion serueth M. Euerie man therefore ought to consider his time and not to doe any thing out of due time but pacientlye to tarrye for the oportunity of a conuenient time The Lorde woulde not goe with his Brethren to Ierusalem because hys time was not yet come At another time hee commaunded Passeouer to be prepared for him at Ierusalem saying I will keepe the Pasouer at thy house with my Disciples And to his mother hée sayde Mat. 26.18 My houre is not yet come Let euerye one of vs therefore learne by thys example Iohn 2.4 to frame our selues according to the conuenientnesse of the time Rom 12.11 A. euen as the Apostle Paule teacheth vs but so notwithstanding that we swarue not the breadth of a nayle from our calling 7. The worlde cannot hate you but mee it hateth because I testifie of it that the workes thereof are euill C. The worde is here taken for men not regenerate which retaine theyr nature and disposition Whosoeuer therefore are not regenerate by the spirite of God are pronounced by our Sauiour Christ to be enimies vnto him And why Surely because they condeme his workes Wherefore if wée will stande to the iudgement of Christ wée must confesse that the whole nature of man is so vitious and corrupt that there can procéede from the same no right sincere or good thing M. Christ might haue said The high Pristes Scribes and Pharisées cannot hate you but they hate me But because his brethren had vsed this worde worlde
before saying Shew thy selfe to the world when as in déede they vnderstoode those forenamed persons hée also rightly calleth them the worlde but so that therewithal hée noateth them of a worldly disposition As if hee should saye yee inuite me by this word world to the high Priestes Scribes and Pharisées of Ierusalem to shew my selfe before them Ye truely and iustly cal them the worlde for they are nothing else but worldely And because the worlde loueth that which is his owne the world cannot hate you which are worldelye and the children of this worlde being pertakers of corruption and of worldly wickednesse R. The Pharises hate not you the mightie men doe not persecute you because yée are all of like impietie of lyke wicked manners ye imbrace their doctrine as holye and whatsoeuer they saye ye accounte it an Oracle Wherefore they call you obedient children of the Sinagoge so farre they are from persecuting and hating you but the worlde that is the wise mightye and holye men of this worlde hate me not onely because I doe disagrée with theyr impietie but also doe reproue and reprehende all their workes righteousnesse holynesse wisdome and power as abhominable in the sight of GOD. A. For that which is highlye estéemed in the sight of men is abhominable in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 C. Therefore hée conuinceth them to be carnall when hée sayth that the worlde cannot hate them R. Christ therefore woulde not followe the carnal affections of his kinsemen C. Furthermore by these wordes the Lorde Iesus doth signifie that the Gospell cannot be truely preached but that the whole world must be cited as guiltie before the tribunall seate of GOD that so fleshe and bloode maye be troden downe and brought to nought Iohn 16. ◠according to this saying VVhen the holye Ghost commeth it shall reprooue the worlde of sinne Herewithall also wée learne that the pride which is naturallye ingraffed in men is so greate that they flatter and lyke of themselues in their vices For when they are reprehended they woulde not be angerye except they being blinded with the ouermuche loue of themselues did flatter themselues in theyr euill Onelye Gods spirite doth make vs gentle and méeke to abide reprehention insomuche that willingly wée offer our selues to be slaine with the sword of the Gospell Humilitie resteth where the spirite of God abydeth B. This also is to be noted that we cannot haue the loue and friendeshippe of the worlde except wée giue our consent to the euill workes thereof For if so be wée séeke to maintaine the glorye of God aloane and do pronounce onelye GOD to be good and doe séeke also to conuince the worlde of sinne by and by it persecuteth vs euen as afore time it persecuted Christ And to reproue the worlde is not onelye to inuey against that groser sorte of sinners for that the world can beare but also to testifie that the workes therof are euill that is to saye that it is wholy voyde of righteousnesse and goodnesse and that it cannot attaine to true righteousnesse but by Christ M. For the nature of the worde is to enter through euen to the deuiding a sonder of the soule and the spirite and of the Ioyntes and the marowe and discerneth the thoughtes A. What pretence soeuer therefore the worlde hath for the hating of the professors of the gospell there can be no other cause than that which Christ hath foreshewed namely because the faithfull doe testify that the workes of the worlde are euel Heb. 4.12 M. The Iewes those ypocrites went aboute to kill Christ as a transgressor of the Saboth but there laye a nother mischife secrete in their harts of the which not so muche as Pilat was ignorant for he knowe that for enuy they had deliuered him vp to death Euenso they which at this daye hate the Ministeres of the Gospell ascribe the cause to the loue of the Church calling them enimies and forsakers of the churh when as they themselues are not louers of the Churche but sekers of their owne vayne glory And they pretende that to magistrats whiche they knowe they cannot abyde calling them seditious persones as though they them selues wished wel to magistrates when as in déede no men are nor euer haue béene greater enemies to magistrates then they themselues haue bene Iohn 3.20 B. But they will not come to the true light of Godes worde leste their euell déedes shoulde bée reproued 8. Go ye vp vnto this feaste I will not go vppe yet vnto this feaste for my tyme is not yet full come M. There is no doubte but that the Lorde woulde haue instructed them and kept them with him longar yf so be they had béene of a sincere harte and had erred symply but because they were led by the spirite of enuy and had an euel opinion of hym he left them to their owne counsayles They had herde and séene many wonderfull miracles they ought to haue knowen who and howe greate he was if so be they had not ben blinded with mallice furthermore for kindreds sake they shoulde haue bene better affected towardes him Iustly therefore he sendeth them awaye from him to go whether they will Thus doth God alwayes deale in his Iustice with the vnbeléeuing and obstinate insomuche that when they will not be otherwise ruled he leaueth them to their owne immaginations that they may eyther walke in them or else tourne to hym by repentaunce Heare O my people and I will protest vnto the O Israell if thou wilt harken vnto me let there be no straunge God in thee neither worship thou any forreine God For I am the Lorde thy God whiche brought thee out of the lande of Egipt open thy mouth wide and I will fill it But my people woulde not heare my voyce and Israell would not obaye me So I gaue them vp vnto the hardnesse of their harte and they haue walked in their owne counsailes Psal 81.8 As therefore it cannot be gathered by those wordes that the Lord doth not care for the saluation of his people and doeth reiect the infirme and weake for he sayeth afterwarde I woulde my people had harkened to me and Israell had walked in my wayes I woulde sonne haue humbled their enimies so verely wée must not here gather that the Lorde had not a care for the saluation of his brethren because he so lightly sendeth them from hym saying Go ye vp vnto this feast But wée must rather vnderstande howe vnméete and inconuenient a thing it is to constraine wicked and mallicious persons against their willes to be pertakers of that grace which with all their strength and might they reiect and contemne Iohn 3.19 For it is most iust that they shoulde erre and wander in darckenesse which loue darckenesse more than light 9. When hee had sayde these wordes vnto them he aboade still in Galilee M. In that Christ ascended not to Ierusalem but aboade still in
of Abraham And this faulte hath béene to common and generall in all Ages to referre to the oryginall of the fleshe the extraordinarye giftes of God and to ascribe vnto nature those remedies which God appointeth to correct the same 34. Iesus answered them Verilye verily I say vnto you that whosoeuer commytteth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne C. Here he vseth an argument of the contraries They boasted themselues to be frée but he proueth them to be the seruauntes of sinne because they being subiecte to the desyres of the fleshe dooe sinne daylye Bv. Ye thinke your selues sayth hée to bee verye frée but in déede ye are seruauntes For this is most certaine that hée is a seruaunt to that thing wherevnto hée is become obedient ye shewe your selues obedient to sinne therefore ye are the seruauntes of sinne and so by consequent the Deuell is your Lorde and Maister for hée ruleth here ouer suche as are subiect to sinne And it is maruaile that men are not conuinced and constrained by their owne experience to laye aside all Pride and to learne to humble them selues Also it is too common a thing at this day that the more a man is ouerwhelmed with sinne the more stoutly he braggeth and boasteth of frée wyll It is not true Captiuitye nor true seruitude if so be a man be borne a seruant of a Handmayde or be taken in the warre or doeth by Lawe sell him selfe into anothers power or if he bée shut into close prison but hée is a Captyue whiche is vnder the power of sinne and the Deuyll R. And such Captiues and seruaunts are all men by theyr owne nature Rom. 5.12 Because by one man sinne entered into the whole worlde and so by synne death came vppon all For by Adam all his posteritie became subiect to sinne to affliction death hell and to the cruell tyrannye of the Diuell And the Lawe and right of Sinne is to kill for the wages of sinne is death the Lawe of death is to condemne the Lawe of afflictions is to bring trouble and misery and the power and aucthoritye of Sathan is to destroye To these powers Adam hath made vs and all our strength subiect by hys obedience And this is so greate captiuitye and seruitude as greater cannot be deuised For whosoeuer is in this seruitude and bondage hée can doe nothing with a frée will hée hath no peace of conscience hée hath no rest howe frée soeuer he bée in bodye Out of this Captiuitye no Captiue coulde euer deliuer another Man captiued to sinne Wherefore Christ the Sonne of GOD descended from Heauen and was made man and by his Crosse Death and Resurrection hath deliuered vs from the Lawe and power of sinne leaste the same shoulde kyll vs from the power of death least the same shoulde condemne vs from the power of afflictions least they shoulde trouble vs and bring vs to miserye and from the power of Sathan least he should destroy vs. And hee hath restored vs to righteousnesse Christ hath made vs free to ioye to lyfe and into the fauour of the most mightye GOD and hath made vs the Sonnes of GOD whiche were before the bondeslaues of Sathan Also this true libertye must not bée drawne to carnall and to humaine desires but to faith and loue which are twoo workes of the holye Ghost setting vs at libertye Wherefore Faith is the Rular and Mistres in Sinnes in afflictions in death and in hell Faith ouercommeth sinne For it teacheth that we are so deliuered from them that they haue no power at all in vs neyther can destroy or condemne vs. Moreouer the reliques of sinne are purged awaye by faith and in stéede of sinnes the righteousnesse of GOD which is Christ is set In so muche that whatsoeuer true fayth commaundeth being dyrected to the worde which is Christ it cannot chose but bee righteousnesse howe muche so euer it séeme outwardlye to bée sinne Faith is the mistres in the libertye of spirituall thinges Nowe as Fayth is the Mistres in the liberiye of spirituall thinges so charitye is the Ladye in the libertye of corporall thinges as of Foode Apparell Moneye and suche kinde of earthlye benefites In these thinges wée must be so frée as charitye wyll suffer For although by the Lawe and libertye of Faith all externall thinges are frée yet notwithstanding the vse of this libertye is left vnto the dispensation of Charity as all meates by the Lawe of Fayth are frée For all thinges are cleane and that which entereth into the mouth of a man doeth not the defile the man notwithstanding charitye dispenseth the vse of this libertye T it i.xv. Mat xv xi i. Cor 8 13. Charity is the mistres of corporal thinges Wherevppon the Apostle Paule sayth If so bee meate offende my brother I wyll neuer eate fleshe Also hée sayth I maye doe all thinges but all thinges are not expedient For wée muste haue respecte vnto charitye So also the whole earth all heauen and the whole Sea and all thinges in them are frée by Faith For the earth is the Lordes and the fulnesse of the same and wée are the Lordes Wherefore the whole earth is frée for vs and oures also but charitye dispenseth the vse of this libertye which wyll not suffer mée to benefite my selfe to the iniurye and hurte of my neighboure For charitye stealeth not deceiueth not playeth not the Tyraunt neyther offendeth our neighbour in worde but if so bée it standeth in néede of any thing that is our neyghbours it séeketh to winne the same by intreatye and for money taking nothing without the good wyll of our neighbour Brieflye by Faith we are called into the most excellent libertye of the Children of GOD and by charitye wée are called into the seruice of our neigboure as the Apostle sayeth Owe nothing to any man but this that yée loue one another C. This therefore is the purpose of Christ Rom. xiij 8 to shewe that all are subiecte to sinne whome he deliuereth not insomuche that they are seruauntes euen from their birth taking the contagion and infection of Sinne of the corrupt nature Wée must also noate the comparison betwéene nature and grace vpon the which Christ here standeth whereby it shall easilye appeare that men are spoyled of libertie except they recouer the same from some other Bv. To this effect partayneth the whoale sixt Chapter almost of the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Romaynes where hée speaketh of this seruitude of sinne C. Moreouer this seruitude is so voluntarye that they which necessarily synne are notwithstanding not constrained to synne M. To synne here noateth and sygnifyeth not the symple acte but the verye purpose indeauoure and meditation of a corrupt minde and the wickednesse of depraued and defiled nature although the worke of syn follow not and is not as yet come into action insomuch that the Reprobates maye be sayde to synne euen as euell trées are sayde to bring foorth euyll
fruite Ver. 37. Also of the good Trée wée saye in the Winter This Trée bringeth forth good fruite Iohn 13.27 So these Iewes to whome Christe made aunswere in this place dyd then commit the sinne of murther not in acte but in thought meditacion and purpose when they spake these thinges vnto the Lorde For they sought to kyll him as he shortlye after sayde vnto them Ye seeke to kyll mee So the Lorde sayde to Iudas in the time of the Supper That thou doest doe quickly And what was the miserable wretche then doing In action he was at Supper but in thought and minde he was betraying the Lorde The Lord speaketh not of that which hée dyd in action but of that which hée dyd in heart and in minde and yet notwithstanding the Lorde sayde not That whiche thou wylt doe but That which thou doest do quicklye So to fulfill the Lawe and the commaundementes is taken in the Scriptures for a desire to doe the Lawe and the commaundementes Therefore to committe sinne is not simplye to sinne but to haue a desire to sinne although sinne be not finished in act Euen as to doe good is not simplye to doe good in act and deede but to haue a desire to good although the good worke come not alwayes in act Moreouer although boath the elect and the reprobate doe sinne yet not withstanding the elect doe not committe sinne but the reprobate onely For they which are of God as they haue séede of God in them euen so they detest synne from their hearte and that which they detest they cannot studiouslye meditate and fynishe This matter Saint Iohn very notably handleth in his fyrst Epistle The which notwithstanding fauoureth not the secte of the Annabaptistes which by these places goe about to proue that a Christian man symplye cannot synne affirming also because they will bee counted true Christians that they are cleane without sinne and that they can by no means synne the which is a most subtill practise of Sathan in them that hée maye bring the weake mindes of the godlye whiche doe féele the force of synne in them selues to desperation But there is no mencion of sinne made here generally but of a willing desyer and meditation to synne as we haue sayde 35. And the seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer but the Sonne abydeth euer Bv. Now followeth the denouncing of punishment belonging to seruauntes vnder the similitude taken from lawes and pollitique gouernment As the seruaunt though for a tyme hée rule and gouerne is not neuerthelesse the master of the house but is thrust out of the Doores or chaunged at the pleasure of his Lorde euenso the bondeseruaunt of sinne though for a time he playe the Hipocrite and counterfaite pietye and séeme to haue God fauourable vnto him is notwithstanding in due tyme excluded from the presence of God and fellowshippe of Sayntes for the house figureth the fellowshippe of God and of the Saintes C. Whervpon it foloweth that there is no libertye perfecte and perpetuall but that which is gotten by the Sonne of God By this meanes Christ reproueth the Iewes of vanitye because they bragge of a counterfaite shew as if they had the thing it selfe For wheras they were the carnall progeny of Abraham they were nothing but counterfaites They had aucthority in the Church of God but such authoritie as Ismael vsurped to him selfe for a short time the seruaunt exalting him selfe against the true and lawfull Sonne The summe is this whosoeuer boaste themselues to be the sonnes of Abraham doe nothing else but make a certaine colored and counterfayte shewe 36. If therefore the Son make you free then arre you free in deede M. Christ speaketh here of hymselfe but in the thirde person Bv. As if hée shoulde saye Whosoeuer trulye desireth to be frée and to be the heyre of euerlasting lyfe let him séeke to be made frée by me which am the Sonne of GOD that is to saye Let him beléeue mée and abyde in my wordes and the truth shall make him frée C. By these wordes hée declareth that the power of freedome belongeth to hym aloane and that all other being borne seruants are not made frée but by hys grace onelye For whatsoeuer he hath proper by nature hée giueth vnto vs by adoption when we are by faith ingraffed in his body and are made his members Therefore our goodnesse commeth by the fréedome of Christ Freedome commeth by Christ but yet we obtaine the same by fayth Which also bringeth to passe that Christ doth regenerate vs by his holye spirite M. This clause in déede reiecteth all the fréedome that commeth by fleshe and bloud because the same is not true libertie So that libertie is sought in vain without Christ For he geueth vnto vs his Spirite whereby wée béeing free follow with willing mindes those thinges that belong vnto God which only is true libertie For what doth it profite in fleshe to the rule the whole worlde and in mind to be the seruaunt of death For so long as concupiscence beareth any rule inv vs as it bringeth vs to synne so also it leadeth vs to death For the reward of sinne is death Rom. 6.26 Iam. 1 Rom. 8.13 Also S. Iames saith Lust when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne and Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death And the Apostle Paule sayth yf ye liue according to the fleshe ye shall dye 37. I knowe that yee are Abrahams seede but yee seeke means to kill mee because my worde hath noe place in you Bv. Now our sauioure Christ doth more strongly confute the swelling and vaine glory and boasting which was in the Iewes by which they boasted them selues to be the seede that is to saye the posteritie of Abraham As if hée shoulde say Admitte I shoulde graunt vnto you this thing in the which yée so greately glory what notwithstandyng doth it profite them to be called the Children of Abraham which rage and fume against God and his ministers who being mooued with wicked hatered against the trueth are swiftly caried to shedde innocente bloud R. Ye are in déede the posteritie of Abraham but not the true spirituall but the carnall seede the which maye manifestlye appeare hereby for that ye go about to kill mée beléeuing not my word For so were the carnall sonnes of Abraham woont to persecute the spiritual B. These thinges he spake spiritually to those hipocrites and enimies the Iewes which beléeued not in him Gala. 4.29 Howbeit hée ment by these wordes to declare vnto those men also that God nothing regardeth the libertie of the fleshe Hée taught that boath true libertie and nobillitie must be estéemed and iudged by workes and that it is nothing to be borne after the flesh of Abrahā if the spirite of Abraham be not also adioyned there vnto whereof followeth both the lyfe and purpose of Abraham C. When hée sayth that they sought to kill him because his worde had no place
are lame and corrupt Therefore they are here called the doers of good workes whome Paule calleth zealous and louers of good workes Titus 2.14 But this estimation and iudgement dependeth vpon the fatherly clemency and acceptation of our God who alloweth that fréelye for good which deserueth to be reiected as euill and vnperfect M. Moreouer here shal appeare a doble ende of humaine things in the resurrection euen as also the very wordes of Christ doe sufficiently declare and not without cause for there is a diuersitie among mortall men Elect and reprobate some are elctted othersome are reprobated to the ende that euerye parte might haue his right ende Therefore Christ sayth that when he hath gathered togither all Nations before him he will seperate them as a shéepheard deuideth the shéepe from the Goates and will place the shéepe on his ryght hande and the Goates on his left hande Mat. 25.33 Wherefore let it not trouble any man if he shall sée in this life Tares mixt with good féede and the stincking Goates mingled among the shéepe When that houre of iudgement shall come that is to saye when these endes that are appoynted from the beginning of the world shall come euery man shal be seperated and appoynted to his proper ende For the reprobate shall go into euerlasting paine that is to the resurrection of iudgement or condemnation and the Iust into eternall lyfe that is to saye into the resurrection of life For the Angels shall go forth and shall seperate the wicked from amonge the Iust and shall throw them into the furnace of whot burning fyre where shal be weping and gnashing of teethe Mat. 13.41 Bv. All men therefore enioy the common naturall and sensible life as well good as euell and they shall all rise from the same againe notwithstanding by the iudgement of the Iust Iudge Christ Iesus the condition and state of theire lyfe to come shall not be a lyke Psal 5 M. For seeing he is a God which is not pleased with Iniquity A. When he hath gathered the wheate into his barne that is to say when he hath called and receyued the faithfull which imbraced Godlynes to possesse his kingdome for euer he shall burne the chaffe that is vnfrutefull men and workers of iniquity with vnquenchable fyer Mat. 3.12 The whiche Sainct Iohn expressed in these woordes He which ouercommeth shall possesse all thinges and I will be his God and hee shall be my sonne But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and abhominable Apoc. 2◠and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyers shall haue their parte in the lake which burneth wiih fier and brimstone which is the seconde death For there shall enter into it no vncleane thing neyther whatsoeuer worketh abhomination or maketh lyes but they which are written in the Lambes booke of lyfe The which also the scripture setteth foorth in other wordes saying Ver. 27 Esa 66.24 Mar. 9.41 Their worme shall not dye and the fier shall not be quenched M. The which manifestly maketh against those which pronounce generally all men to be saued For as euerlasting life is layde vp for the elect euen so there wayteth for the reprobate that eternall fier whiche is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels C. Mat. 25. ◠And wheras the Papistes of these places gather that euerlasting life is gotten by merites they may easely bée refuted for Christ speaketh not only here of the cause of saluation Merites deserue not euerlasting lyfe but also putteth a noate and difference betwéene the elect and the reprobate the which he doth to wyn and bring his seruauntes to holynesse and innocencye And wée trulye doe not deny but that faith ioyned with a desire to lyue well and vprightly iustifieth but do onely teache that we cannot repose our trust and confidence in any thing else saue in the mercy of God A. But concerning this wée haue spoken more at large Mat. 16.27 and .25.34 in our exposition of Mathew 30. I can of my owne selfe doe nothing as I heare I iudge and my iudgemen is iust because I seeke not my owne wyll but the wyll of the Father which hath sent mee I can not of my owne selfe Bv. After the confirmation and probation of his diuinitie and that he was the sonne equall to the Father in all thinges hée returneth to the proposition and occation of the disputacion from the which hée was digressed and gathereth all thinges into a certaine particular Epiloge or conclusion M. And because hée had arrogated to him selfe many thinges hée sheweth that he hath done the same iustlye and vppon good consideracion As if hée should saye B. I haue declared vnto you what I am with the Father and what I haue receyued of him that I worke all thinges with the Father and that with him I raise the dead to life By these thinges you sée that I am farre from doing any thing which is contrary or against him eyther by breaking the Sabboth or else by orrogating to my selfe that which is proper to him alone I confesse that of my selfe I can do nothing being a man as you sée these thinges are geuen to me of the Father hée bringeth all thinges to passe in mée As I heare of him and as I knowe by experience so I iudge in all thinges there is nothing in mée I saye nothing I doe nothing which belongeth not to the Father I knowe no part of my wyll which is not agréeing to the wyll of my Father I desire nothing I goe about nothing which is not according to the good pleasure of my Father so farre I am from prophaning the Lords Sabboth and that which is more from blaspheming him the which falselye ye obiect against me C. Therefore Christ speaketh not here of his bare diuinitie but as hée is endewed with our fleshe he admonisheth vs not to estéeme of him according to the outward shewe because there is more in him than there is in a man Secondlye we must sée and consider with whom he had to do His purpose was to refell the Iewes which sought to oppose or set him against God Therefore he doth deny that he doth any thing as man because God which dwelt in him was his guide moderator This alwayes we must remember that so often as Christ speaketh him selfe he doeth onely assume or take to him selfe that which is proper to a man because he had respect vnto the Iewes which wickedly sayd that he was a priuate person and no better than one of the common sort of people After the same manner he referreth to the Father whatsoeuer is aboue man This woord Iudgement as it doeth properly belong to Doctrine so also it doth appertaine to the whole administration as if he should say that he hath the Father his aucthour in all thinges whose wyll is to him a rule in all thinges And my iudgement is iust M. This is not to be
yet notwithstanding they doe not giue him thankes for these good workes but theyr mallice had so blinded them that although they coulde not condemne the workes of Christ yet neuerthelesse they went about to stoane him to death Many such enimies of the truth there are at this daye which condemne the louers of the Gospell whose life and doinges they cannot condemne C. The name of blasphemie the whiche prophane wrighters vse generaly for euery kinde of reproche the Scripture referreth vnto God Blasphemy of two sorts when hys maiestie and glorye is defaced And there are two sortes of blasphemie as eyther when God is robbed of his proper honour R. as if so be a man shoulde arrogate that vnto himselfe which is proper to God or else when any thing is attributed and giuen to him which his nature will not beare Therefore they call Christ a sacrilegious and blasphemous person because hée being a mortall man vsurped to himselfe deuine honour And this was a true definition of blasphemie yf so be Christe had bene nothing more then a man Onely they sinne in this that they refuse to behoulde the diuinity whhich was euident to be séene in his miracles 34. Iesus aunswered them is it not writen in your Lawe I saide yee are Gods Bv. The Lord doth wonderfully temper and frame his aunswere C And doeth clere him self of the crime which was obiected vnto him not denying him selfe to be the Sonne of God but defending the same to be truly spoken And he vseth an Argument taken not of the equalles but of the lesse to the more The scripture calleth them Godes to whome God geueth an honorable function he therefore is farre more worthy of this titell of honour whom God hath chosen to excell all others Wherevpon it followeth that they are euell and false interpretours which doe admit the fyrste but in the second do take occasions of offence B. he vseth this word lawe here for Scripture which often times is called the Lawe C. But the testimony which our Sauioure Christ bringeth is taken oute of the eyghtie two Psalme where the Lord findeth falte with the Kings and Iudges of the earth Psal 28.6 Exod. 22 which abuse their Rule and power tyrannically to enioy their owne pleasure to oppresse the miserable and to commit all wickednesse at their will B. That is to saye which Iudge falslye C. And he vpbraideth them that they were so forgetfull how and from whence they receiued so great dignitie and béecause they prophaned the name of God This Christ applyeth to the presente cause that they are honoured with the name of Gods who are appoynted ministers to gouern the world In the same sence also the Scripture calleth aungels Gods because by them the glory of God doth shine in the world 35. If hee called them Godes vnto whome the vvorde of GOD vvas spoken and the Scripture cannot bee broken C. By these wordes oure Sauiour Christ meaneth that Princes are ordered by the sure commaundement of God Rule appoynted of God Whereby we gather that gouernement and rule sprang not vp rashelye or by the errour of men but by the will and appointment of God because hée would haue politticall order among men and gouernement by equitie and lawes For the which cause Paule calleth them Rebelles vnto God which resyst power because there is no power but the same is appoynted of God Rom. 13. i If any man obiect that other callinges also are of God and are allowed of him and yet for all that Husbandemen Neateheardes Shoomakers and suche lyke are not called Godes we aunswere that this is not general that whosoeuer are called of God to some kinde of lyfe shoulde be called Godes but Christ speaketh of Kinges whome God hath aduaunced to a hyer degrée that they might rule and excell To be shorte we knowe that magistrates are therefore Gods because God hath committed gouernement vnto them M. And Christ might haue sayde If so be he call Iudges and princes Goddes but it pleased him rather to saye If hee called them Goddes vnto whome the worde of God was spoken that hée might also noate the subiection of Iudges and Princes and might extoll the maiestie of GOD. For the worde of God in this place is taken for the commaundementes which GOD commaundeth and inioyneth them to obserue And the Scripture cannot be broken C That is to saye The doctrine of the Scripture is inuiolable insomuch that it neyther can nor ought to be dissolued and broken of any man This place ought to be well noated that the Scripture may haue his aucthoritye M. For the same is manye wayes defaced by wicked men and by the wisemen of this worlde when they eyther adde vnto the same straunge and forged doctrine or else corrupt the same by sinister and wrong exposytions drawing it into a contrarye scence But the Scripture cannot be broken or made frustrate And wherefore because it is giuen by deuine inspiration and leaneth not vppon humaine but vpon diuine aucthoritie 36. Saye yee of him whome the Father hath sanctified and sent into the worlde Thou blasphemest because I sayde I am the sonne of God Saye yee of him whome the Father C. There is a certaine sanctificatiō which belongeth to all the godly but Christ in this place chalengeth a far more excelent snactifycation namely for that he is one chosen out from amongst all others that in him the power of the Spirite and the maiestie of God maye appeare Ioh 6.27 Euen as hée himselfe sayeth that hée was sealed of the same Father M. Hée sayth not Whome the Father hath begotten béecause hée thought it better to signify vnto vs that he hath receyued the dispensation of mankinde and the state of a kingdome of hys heauenlye Father as hée is a man Wherevpon also hée added this And sent into the world The Father hath sent hys Sonne Iohn ◠i6 Esay 6i i Luk 4.18 not onely vnto you Israelites but into the worlde For so GOD loued the worlde that hée gaue his onelye begotten sonne So that this sanctifycation in other places is called annoyting And thys is properlye referred to the person of Christ Math 3 i6 as hée was manifested in the fleshe M. And concerning this sanctifycation the aperition of the Dooue testifyed which Iohn the Baptist sawe lighting vpon the heade of Christ when hée baptised him in Iordan Therefore the father hath sanctifyed the sonne by whome we also are sanctifyed by whome he giueth vnto vs the spirite of sanctifycation by reason wherof the Apostles in diuers places calleth the faithful seruauntes of Christ sanctified Thou blasphemest C. The Arians haue wrested this place to prooue that Christ by nature is not God But Christ doth not here dispute who he is in him selfe but what men ought to Iudge of him by his miracles being in humain fleshe For we can neuer apprehend his eternall diuinity except wee imbrace him as he is appoynted a redéemer