Christ hath not the holy Ghost neyther can he thynke any godly thinge aright And although he doth that which of the owne nature is not vicious and wicked but agreable to the commaundementes of God yet dothe he the same as a seruant onely for feare not frely to shew his obedience to the will of God so that the worlde is euen suche one as lyke a most bondslaue is ledde of the deuyll which can neither speake do or thinke any thing that good and godly is as S. Iohn saith The world is altogether set on wyckednes The reason hereof is this For incredulitie is the fountayne and welspring of all euyll And he that exactly and throughly desireth to describe the worlde may well saye on this maner The worlde is a multitude of men which beleue not in Christ and therfore hate curse and blaspheme his worde whiche inwardly in their heartes outwardly in their dedes and workes steale robbe kylle commytte whoredome and are bent to all kynde of lewdnes and wickedly abuse all the good gyftes of God All suche sayth Christ in this place shall you myne Apostles and ministers of the worde haue euermore your aduersaries with suche muste you haue to doo This rebukyng of the worlde shall not be taken away before the laste daye but it shall bee continuallye taught that whatsoeuer is the worlde that beleueth not on Christ that pertayneth not vnto the kyngdom of Christ but vnto the deuyll not only for the notorious and outward syns but also for this principall and moste greuous synne I meane incredulitie or vnbelefe Neyther dothe this profite any thyng at all that thou keepest this or that monasticall rule that thou doest this or that woorke For so longe as incredulitie is presente thou arte a damned synner neyther canste thou auoyde damnation so longe as thou remaynest in that state The one and alone waye to escape damnation is to geue ouer thyne incredulitie and to beleue in Christe and to holde fast this confort agaynst synne deuyll and deathe As concernyng Faithe what it is it is not vnknowen vnto you and ye haue many tymes heard that Faythe is not onely to knowe and beleue that the hystorie of Christe is true but faithfully to be persuaded that all that euer Christe dydde was doone for thy sake for thy cōmoditie and wealthe for thy health and euerlastynge saluation For the deuyll also knoweth that Christ dyed and doothe as certainly beleue it as all the Papistes of the worlde but he beleueth not that Christe dyed for hym and for his saluation Thys Fayth that we here speake of that all that Christe dyd was done for our sake and for our saluation is onely the gyfte of the holye Ghoste Hee that hath not thys Faythe that he can saye Christe dyed for me that I myghte be delyuered from synne and euerlastynge deathe is vngodly and appertayneth not vnto the kyngdome of Christ neyther hath he remoued synne from him whatsoeuer good works he dothe and taketh neuer soo muche payne otherwyse And this is the firste parte of the office of the holy Ghost that all thyngs are wrapped in synne and that we with all our good workes are not withstandyng iudged of the holy Ghoste synners and so damned forasmuche as we beleue not in Christ Iesu. Therefore lette vs refuse and vtterlye caste awaye coules monkyshe orders foolyshe vowes superstitious fastynges vnfaythfull prayers mens wicked traditions vnfruitfull ceremonies and ydell obseruations of mennes mooste ydell inuentions and carnall imaginations and moreouer what soeuer we haue taken vppon vs to this ende that we maye obteyne Remission of oure synnes and lette vs laye on hande and holde faste trewe Faythe in Christe For these thynges can not agree together that I should saye Christe dyed for me and yet I dooe and obserue certayne woorkes that I maye bee iustified and saued by them He that can not abyde to bee rebuked of the holye Ghoste for suche thynges It is a manyfeste signe that he doothe not beleue and that he is a damned synner and of the number of them that doo not beleue in Christe Iesu. The seconde parte is that the Holye Ghoste wyll rebuke the worlde of ryghteousnesse Thys alsoo is an harde sayenge The worlde hathe Synne but it hathe not Ryghteousnesse neyther dothe it knowe howe it shoulde bee Iustifyed and made Ryghteous But what is thys Ryghteousnesse Lawe and righteousnes be the chiefe thynges of the worlde And the Philosophers haue prescribed Rules and Preceptes of the Offices and dueties of Righteousnesse and of other vertues that menne myght lyue an honest and Ciuile lyfe Neyther canne thys be counted vnrighteous to hange vp theues to punyshe adulterers c. Yea it is an acte bothe ryghte and good But Christe speakethe not here of that Ryghteousnesse whiche the world counteth righteousnes but of that righteousnes whyche is of valour and wyll goe for payment before God He speaketh not here of politike and humayne iustice or rightousnes but of that which is comprehended in this worde of Christe I go vnto the Father and ye shall see me no more This is more mysticall and harder to be vnderstanded then the last where it is pronounced that it is synne not to beleue in Christe For thus men thynke that they haue naturall strength inough to lyue godly to prepare them selues vnto grace and to praye for it And that is the cause nowe a dayes also that the Papists can not perceaue nor vnderstand this doctrine so far out of frame semeth here the description of righteousnes that thou art then righteous when Christe goeth vnto the Father and thou seest hym no more This is a meruailous goodly text and nothynge can bee more euident and playne then this description For what will man nowe glorye and boaste hymselfe of his good works Christes worde is manyfest in this place that righteousnes is not gotten by woorkes but it is gotten by this meanes onely that Christe gothe to the Father This his iourney and goynge vnto the Father is the true and euerlastynge righteousnes This knowledge is vtterly vnknowen vnto the worlde For in all his monumentes and bookes there is not one syllable of this rightousnes This is sette foorth in theyr bookes that he whyche kepeth the tenne commaundementes dothe nothyng agaynst honestie publique ordinances lawes custome c. is a good honeste and righteous man But Christe speaketh not one worde here what I ought to doo or to leaue vndoone but he speakethe symply and onely of his owne worke that is to saye that he goeth vnto the Father and that we shall see hym no more and that this is our righteousnes and none other thyng Therefore when we doo determyne to get vs true ryghteousnesse we maye not go about to obteyne it with our owne workes and with our owne righteousnes It maketh nothyng vnto this matter to become a Monke to watche to faste
The wisedom of this world is foolishnes before God Again The wisdom that descendeth not from aboue is earthy naturall deuillish For this cause the holy apostle termed the great learned wise Gentiles which stode much in their owne conceite thought them selues to knowe all things fooles and vnwise Their foolish heart saith he was blynded in so much that whē they counted themselues wise they became fooles In consideration wherof if was wel said of that great lerned philosopher Socrates which notwithstanding by the oracle of Apollo was iudged of all men the wisest and best lerned This one thing I know saieth he that I knowe nothynge Uerily although a man know all natural morall thynges with the documentes therof and whatsoeuer other doctrine science or knowledge can be reckned vp besides so that in his one brest there is conteined whatsoeuer knowledge hath ben found in the breastes of all naturall men from the beginnynge of the worlde vnto this day or shal be vnto the end of the same yet yf he knowe not Christ he knoweth nothyng Notable is this Distichon and worthy for euer to be remembred Hoc est nescire sine Christo plurima scire Si Christum benescis satis est ▪ si caetera nescis Whiche is thus englished This is doubtlesse to know nothyng at all Without Christ many thyngs to know and see If thou know Christ well as it thee befall Thou nedest no more it is inough for thee But this knowledge of God and of his sonne Christ can we by no meanes obteyn but by the word of God only as our Sauior Christ saith Serche the Scriptures for in them ye think that ye haue eternal life and they ar they which testifie of me And as Abraham sayd to the riche man beyng in the tormentes of hell fyre They haue Moses and the prophets let them hear them Agayn as the Euangelist S. Iohn writeth No mā hath sene God at any tyme. The only begotten sonne whiche is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared hym This word therfore is diligently bothe day and nyght to be read heard considered weighed and pondered Yea our whole delight and pleasure is to be reposed in it that we may truely vnfaynedly and from the very bottome of the heart say with the disciples vnto our Sauior Christ Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlastyng lyfe And we beleue are sure that thou art Christ the son of the liuing God And also with the Psalmograph on this maner I haue had O Lorde as great delyght in the waie of thy testimonies as in all maner of rychesse For thy testimonies are my delight and my councellers The lawe of thy mouthe is derer vnto me then thousandes of golde and siluer For I loue thy commandementes aboue gold and precious stone And I am as glad of thy word as one that fyndeth great spoyles O how swete are thy wordes vnto my throte They are sweeter then honye vnto my mouth They are more to be desyred then gold yea then much fyne golde sweter also then the hony combe The woordes of the Lord are pure wordes euen as the syluer whiche frome earth is tried and purifyed seuen tymes in the fyre c. Moreouer thys worde of God is that hydde treasure in the fielde whyche whenne a manne hathe founde euen for verye ioye thereof he goeth and selleth all that he hathe and bieth the field Yea it is that precious pearle whiche when a merchant man by long sekyng hath ones found he selleth all that euer he hath and byeth it It is that swearde for byenge wherof Christe commandeth vs to sell our very cote signifieng hereby that aboue all thynges the worde of God and the knowledge therof is to be gotten as he saith in an other place Seke fyrst of all the kyngdome of God and the ryghteousnes therof And as he sayd to Martha which was busyly occupied about housholde businesses and preparynge for meate for the body her sister Mary sittyng at Christes feete hearynge his worde and doctrine Martha Martha sayd he Thou art carefull and troubled about many thynges Uerily one is nedeful Mary hath chosen the good part whiche shall not be taken away from her It is that meate which perisheth not but abydeth vnto euerlastynge lyfe Yea it is that heauenly Manna whych that princelike Prophete and moste counnyng musitian Dauid the Psalmograph calleth the bread of Angels and the wyse man termeth it not only the foode of Angels but also suche a meate as was very pleasant and of good taste It is that rock and fountayn of liuyng water wherof who soeuer drinketh shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that he shall drinke shal be in hym a well of water springyng vp into euerlastynge life It is that piller of fyre which geueth lighte to them that walke in darknes and syt in the shadow of death to guyde theyr fete into the way of peace as Dauid saithe Thy worde O Lorde is a lanterne to my feete and a lyght to my pathwaies And Salomon saith The commandement is a lanterne and the lawe a light yea it is the waye of life Likewise saith S. Peter We haue a right sure word of prophecie whervnto if ye take heede as vnto a lighte that shyneth in a darke place ye do well ▪ vntill the day dawne and the day starre aryse in your heartes To ende it is the power of God vnto saluation for so many as beleue Furthermore who is able to expresse what a ioyfull iewell precious pearle incomparable ouche and moste noble tresure the worde of God shall be founde if we in fewe wordes consider the commodities fruictes and profites that come thereof It turneth soules saieth Dauid It maketh of an vnfaithfull man a faithfull beleuer as the Apostle saieth Faith cōmeth by hearyng and hearing commeth by the word of God It maketh of an Idolater a true worshipper of God as the Psalmograph saieth The people whome I knewe not hathe serued me in the hering of the eare they haue ben obedient vnto me It maketh of a sinner a righteous person as we reade of Noha Loth Moyses Dauid Manasses Zachee Peter the thiefe Mary Magdalene c. It conuerteth synners and maketh them to be sory for theyr former wycked lyfe and to become newe creatures as God saieth by the Prophete Ieremie Loke that thou kepe not the worde backe if peraduenture they will herken and turne euery man from his wicked way Likewise said the Angell of Iohn Baptist to his father Zacharie the priest concernyng his preachyng He shall turne many of the sonnes of Israell vnto the Lorde their God And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Helias to turne the herts of the fathers to the children the vnbeleuers to the wisdome of the iust mē to make
and with one mynde approche at this present vnto the gracious throne of thy diuine maiestie moste humbly besechyng thee that forasmuche as we of our selues and of our owne nature are altogether corrupte ignoraunt blynde and vtterly estranged from the felyng and perceauynge of thy diuine mysteries suche is our ignorance and blyndnesse thorow olde Adam it may please thee of thy mercyfull goodnesse by thy holy and blessed spirite to open our senses to leade vs into all truthe to purifie our heartes and to make oure myndes mete vessels to receaue the swete wyne of thy most swete and glorious Gospell O open thou our eyes that we may see the wondrous thinges of thy lawe Hyde not thy commaundementes frome vs but teache vs thy statutes and make vs to vnderstand the way of thy commaundementes that we may talke of thy meruailous workes Teache vs O Lord the way of thy statutes and make vs to go in the pathe of thy commandementes Encline our heartes vnto thy testimonies quicken vs in thy wayes and take not the worde of truthe oute of our mouthe O geue vs vnderstandyng acordyng to thy word that we may learne thy commandementes and be occupied in thy lawes Let oure heartes be sounde in thy statutes that we be neuer ashamed O shewe the lyght of thy countenance vpon vs thy seruantes teache vs thy testimonies and so order oure steppes in thy worde that no wickednes may haue dominion ouer vs. Sanctifie vs thorowe thy truthe for thy woorde is the truthe Geue to me thy Minister and stewarde of the mysteries of God a well learned tongue that I may confort them whiche are troubled yea and that in due season that I may shew good tydynges vnto the poore that I maye bynde vp the wounded heartes that I may preache deliueraunce to the captiues and open the prison to them that are bound that I may make ioyfull all them that are in heauynesse and thorowe thy worde geue to them that mourne beaultie in stede of ashes ioyefull oyntment for syghyng and pleasant rayement for an heauye mynde that I may hold vp the weake that I maye heale the sycke that I may bynd together the broken that I may bryng agayne the outcastes and seke vp them that are loste so that thys people may be called trees of righteousnesse and a plantynge of the Lorde for hym to reioyce in O geue me that mouthe that spirite that wisedome agaynst the whyche all the aduersaries of thy truthe shall not be able to speake nor resyst Geue to me that preache thy worde with great power that I may be able to exhort by wholsome doctrine and to improue them that speake agaynst it Geue me grace also O Lorde that I may not only be the salt of the earth but also the lyghte of the worlde namely that I may not onely truly and faithfully sincerely and purely reuerently and godly bryng foorthe oute of the treasure house of thy holy worde thynges newe and olde that is to say the doctrine bothe of the olde and newe testamente euen the lawe and the Gospell but also that in my lyfe and maners I may be an ensample to the faithfull in worde in conuersation in loue in spirite in fayth in puritie and in all pointes shew my selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that nedeth not to be ashamed distributynge the woorde of truthe iustly so that I may be to the flocke an ensample of good workes in honestie and grauitie that he whyche withstandeth maye be ashamed hauyng no euyll thyng to speake of me lest by any meanes it come to passe that when I haue preached to other I my selfe should be a cast away and so become a slaunder to the good doctrine that I professe and teache Geue also to the people that are here gathered together to heare the worde of their saluation a good spirite that al cloudes of ignorancie brought in by olde Adam vtterly dispelled driuen away they may learne to knowe thee to be theyr alone Sauiour which knowledge is perfect righteousnesse and the roote of immortalitie yea it is euerlastyng lyfe and without the whyche knowledge we all are but as moyles and horses voyde of all goodnes and grace walkyng in the vanities of our owne imaginations vtterly estranged from God and all godlynesse O moste louynge Lorde open theyr heartes that they may vnderstand thorough the preachyng of the word thy holy and blessed wyll and always doo that not whiche carnall reason fleshly imagination blynd zeale good intent and humayne wysedome iudgeth to be good and holy but that only whiche thou in thy blessed lawe commaundest to be doone all strange woorshippynges vtterly excluded and banyshed O swete sauiour make them that good earth which receuing the healthfull sede of thy moste wholsom worde may bryng forth fruite plentuously some an hundred folde some sixty folde some thirty folde Geue theym grace so to lyue and so to behaue them selues in all poyntes as it becommeth them that embrace thy Gospell Lette theym not bee of the number of those whyche wyth theyr mouth professe God and with their deedes denye hym but make them not onely diligente hearers of thy woorde but also feruent and earnest doers of the same Let them not be lyke the fyue foolishe virgins whiche hadde lampes and no oyle but rather so woorke in theym by thy holy spirite that they maye worthyly be resembled to the fyue wyse virgins whyche had not onely lampes but also oyle in their lampes that is to saye they dyd not onely beare the name of Chrystians but theyr conuersation also was garnyshed wyth woorkes meete and seemely for Christians Make them suche as no man can iustely complayne on euen the vnfayned sonnes of God without rebuke shynynge as greate lyghtes in the worlde euen in the myddes of a croked and peruerse nation holdyng faste the woorde of lyfe that they whyche backebyte them as euyll doers seynge theyr good workes may cease to speake euyll and glorifie thee our Lord God in the day of visitation Fynally graunt bothe to me the Preacher and to these the hearers and to so manye as vnfaynedly professe thy blessed name grace and strength from aboue that we maye soo handle and heare thy woorde that we beynge no forgetfull hearers but diligent doers of the same may thorowe Faithe in thee obteyne that blessyng whyche thou haste promysed to all theym that heare the worde of God and kepe it Grant thys O moste louyng lorde and swete Sauiour for thy greate mercy and goodnes sake Amen A shorter prayer before the Sermon O Almyghty God and moste mercyfull Father the Authour and geuer of all wysedome whych at the intercession of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour diddest sende downe accordyng to thy promyse thy holy spirit to lyghten the heartes and senses of the apostles before they could syncerely vnderstande the
came for the same purpose that men should beleue in hym and obtayn saluation by hym But where as they will not there is no faulte in Christ. For it were mete that they should lyue after the maner of CHRIST whiche is their Lord and not Christ after theirs And the Gospell is for no other cause And we ought to haue respecte therto But he that is loth to do so can blame nothing but his owne stubburnnes and damnable wickednes and not the Gospell which is without faulte And this is the fyrste parte of this prophecye But where as Simeon turneth his speach to the mother with these words And the sworde shall perce through thy heart that the thoughtes of many hartes may be open That semeth litle to agree with the words of the Euangelist wher he said Simeon blessed her For what blessing or wishing of any good thing can there be wheras he prophecieth so to come to passe that her heart shall be perced with a sworde This is not only written for Christ or Maries sake but for our learning is it written that haue nede of it that we may fashion oure iudgement therby For what man is there not only I but of the chiefe Apostles that wold haue suspected that the malice of the world wold haue ben so great except the Gospell had geuen vs a reuelation herof before For there were many good men before this reuelation whiche lyued very soberly and godly There were many wyse for whose honestie a man might well pronounce with an othe And this is no litle renoume of the worlde without the Gospel to haue such science wisdom and honestie c. But it is also a greater thing in religion that the worlde hath inuented and ordayned these religiouse orders The Popedom is an example For what man when he beholdeth it wil not conceaue a great opinion of godlynes This is it in the worlde if the Gospell be not there shyneth wyse men honest sober and vpright men And all this is by the reason of ciuill vertues and partly by iugling ceremonies that excepte the goodnes of God helped all should be cast headlong into destruction with this pretence that they were iuste holy wyse and pure from synne But when the Gospell is opened and the child Iesus preached there is it almoste proued to the sences declared with pictures that these saynctes are moste synners and these wyse most foles and these sober men moste cruell tyrantes Neither hath the Gospell any enemies more spitefull than these men that are great wyse prudent vpright in lyuing good and holy And the more they excell with these vertues so much the more they behaue them selues enuiously against the Gospell as we proue by experience The more religion the Mounkes shewe in praying fasting and other chastisings the more furiously do they behaue them selues against the Gospell And this it is that Simeon speaketh of in this place What a great shew saith he maketh the worlde in both administrations as well ciuill as religiouse They lyue honestly and holyly with great sparing and defrauding them self of their pleasure and they may soone be taken for Angels and the sonnes of God for their great wisdom and holynes Who could beleue that there might lie hyd suche corruption vnder such a fayer shew And here is no art so full of knowledge out of the which this might be iudged and perceaued excepte this only texte wheras he saith that the Gospell shall vtter this poyson Wherfore when this is opened it moueth to wrath these so great so holy men so that they muste nedes betray them selfes and shew before all men that all that they do is but hypocrisie For there are other exaÌ„ples besyde this caste against this There are very wyse Princes that are earnestly moued with the care of sauing their subiectes they are not couetouse no dronkards no gluttons they be diligent in doing the busines of their realme to defend men from wronge they are chast husbandes to be short if a king should be prayed for and wished they wold be thought moste mete for theyr vertues prudeÌ„ce goodnes holynes c. But wilt thou know how the matter goeth For scarsly at the publyshing of the Gospell may a man perceaue this vncredible hypocrisie and this bloud thyrstye hearte which gapeth for the shedding of innocentes bloud whiche myngleth all things with great deceites and letteth passe no kynde of subtiltyes to oppresse the Gospell and to ryd it out of the way so that yet by this occasion that is made open whiche before no maÌ„ wold beleue that so great synnes should lye hyd vnder such an holy apperance It chanceth by the launcing or cutting of no thing that this pestilent poyson gusheth out but only by the Gospell My reason is this that if the Gospell should with mans coÌ„sent be taught that they should be the fyrst alowers therof that do of set purpose professe religion But who so euer thou art aunswer me this Is not the Pope the Bishops the Priests the Mounkes the vniuersities with their Doctours the most spitefull enemies of it that be Which thing Simeon meaneth here and saith to Mary This thy child shal be author of so great a tumult and shall bewray them that myght sone haue lyen hyd from al men ye that wold scarsly know them selues he shall open their heartes that they that were counted for moste holy may be knowen to be blasphemeâ—s full of gyle deceit periurie hate enuie and all malice Suche fylthynes shall be opened in them by hym whiche neuer the lesse for their dyuers vertues wisdome innocencie vprightnes and holynes might be counted worthye to rule all the worlde ye and heauen also This opening of the heart is administred by this chylde At the fyrst whan the Gospell came abrode I neuer thought that the worlde wold be so madde I Iudged all men after my self whereas I thought this that all men wold triumphe for ioy that they are deliuered earnestly From the tyranny of the Pope and by Christ made partakers of all that good thing the whiche before they studied with great coste and payn to purchase and yet all in vayne And I thought that these things wold specially please the scoles and Byshops if it wold please any But how are we handled For this doctrine are we intreated without all mercye And no man hate vs more than the religiouse men We muste accustome our selues to suffer this iniquitie and must not caste of the Gospell for this wickednes of the worlde But set forth the doctrine therof the more earnestly For it is such that bewrayeth the dyuell and his members how great an enemy of God is the world with all his giftes and vertues For I could neuer know by my self that so great wickednes and contempt was in mans heart But the Gospell teacheth vs to knowe well what is the Pope the Bishops the Princes the Nobles the Citizens the Rustykes euen
vs. For it is neuer suffered in any place of the worlde long without persecution For the dyuell can not abyde it It is a very busy and styrryng kyngdome of hys He suffereth not his seruauntes to be ydle as we proue and feele by the Papistes dayely more and more Thyrdely he muste take diligent hede in this poynt also that the thornes trouble it not that is that he regard not his substance rychesse pleasures concupiscence of the flesh and eies and the pompe and pryde of lyfe so muche as he dothe the woorde And worldly trauayle is not more to bee estemed then the worde of God But as CHRIST saythe Fyrste seeke the kyngdome of GOD and the ryghteousnesse thereof When the heart is becom studious strong religious with the fear and loue of God then it is pure and apt to this purpose to yeld fruict in pacience and long sufferance For the crosse tribulation affliction caÌ„not be lacking at al. For as Paul saith all that will liue godly in Christ shal suffer persecution Wherfore pacience is a necessary remedy in christian men and so is praier For fyrst of all our greatest incommoditie is that wee are tangled and combered wyth suche lettes we can not by reson of our natural inclinatioÌ„ neglect and despise worldly things Besides all this the deuil letteth no occasion passe but deuiseth all meanes possible to take the word from vs and to put in the place therof couetousnes pride wrath and other thinges of like sort As there be exaÌ„ples to shew For ther shold be many excellent persons in the coÌ„gregation if they wer not hyndred by auarice ambition lechery so that they can not regard Gods word Wherfore it is very expedient diligently to marke our vicious nature and not to lyue so carelesly as the most part doo but to entreate God for the gift of the holy ghost which he promised for a suretie to geue vs. The father geueth that holy ghost to all that aske it that he may remoue froÌ„ vs all suche stops and staies and that he wold cut a sunder these thornes and snares that we may heare and kepe the worde of God and bring forth true fruicte of faith in Christ. By the which faith we may shew not onely obedience to God but may become also his children and heires For this is the chiefest cause why this seede is spread and the Gospell preached throughoute all the worlde euen to yelde suche fruictes into euerlastyng lyfe Nowe after this description of true godlynesse and hope of good encreace therof this doctrine is not to be let passe in this parable Let it not seme any meruaile vnto vs that Gods worde shoulde not euery where yelde fruict For that we learne by the distinction that Christ maketh of fower kynds of hearers wherof one onely is good the other thre ar fautie Yet they ought not to hynder or let the fourthe in doyng theyr duetie For the maner of Gods worde is suche neither can it be otherwise It is put forth to men for their saluatioÌ„ But in the most part of men it nothing preuaileth as this parable specifieth Howebeit the worde and the precher is not in the fault as the ragious and furious Papists thinke they may boast against vs in that behalfe for that there rose also many sectes and offences with the settyng foorth of our doctrine But if this made any thing against vs what wold they saye to the example of Christ Iohn and the apostles Were not all thynges in their tyme also full of greuous offences and trespasses Do not hystories record that there were that hearde Iohn and yet sayd that he had a diuell Herode hym selfe that so greatly estemed hym and was delighted with his doctrine as the Euangelistes testifie at last caused hym to be â—mprisoned beheaded They heard Christ the sonne of God and yet crucified hym Why saiest thou not nowe that Iohn Christe and the Apostles were false teachers for that there was suche incredible stubbornes and malice that verye fewe were conuerted by theyr woorde But here they dare not speake what they thynk lest they should openly betray them selues to be Antichristes They think that they haue a lauful cause therfore to raile vpon our doctrine What is the cause of oure doctrine and by what right we may maintayn it and set it foorth I will not shew at this tyme I haue only respect that it is Christes worde For thus he sayth The sede is the worde And verily it can not fall into a wicked Papistes heart to saye that this worde that Christ speaketh of here is euill and corrupt But now what saieth Christ as touchyng the pure and good ground what encrease coÌ„meth therof The fourth part saith he commeth to good and groweth to ripenesse Who therfore can doubt but that the worlde continueth in wickednes without amendemeÌ„t although the worde and the doctrine be pure true and without faulte I pleade not the cause as I sayde before for our doctrine But we at the least proue this that oure aduersaries the Papists can not but confesse whether they will or no that the wickednes of the worlde can not bee amended thereby or taken awaye althoughe that bothe pure doctrine and preachers come vnto it The very example of Christ besydes Iohn and the Apostles sheweth sufficiently that the matter can not be brought to suche case that all shall beleue and embrace the worde It is the greater parte and it wyll be alwaies euyll lewde and vnfruictfull and very fewe be conuerted and brought to beleue Now if it so chanced to the sonne of God what meruaile is it if it chaunced so to Iohn and to the Apostles and now to vs also at this time Shal the fault therfore be layde to the doctrine Why doo they not as well blame and denie the good sede that fell vpon the way the stones and the thornes But they should rather folow the truth and refrayn from railyng and backbityng His worde is the sede that is sowen And that is neuer euyll neither dooth it of his owne pure nature bring forth any other fruicts then good And if fruicts folow not thereafter beware thou blame not God and his word The fault is in the ground wherin the good sede is hurte corrupte and made vnfruictfull Wherefore this is but a sclander of the Papistes where as they mysreport our doctrine for that it is assaulted with so many offences and sectes Let them condemne them selues rather and such other that wil not receiue the worde with a true heart For the fault is not in the word but in the hearte and mynd They are corrupt also stirred by the diuel to forsake Gods worde As Christe sheweth in an other parable of a good ground which is sowed with good sede and yet it can not be without tares If ye demand how this commeth so to passe the diuel saith Christ soweth theÌ„ in the
without the luste thereof And likewise in all other preceptes For the Lawe requireth not onely to dooe woorkes but that the heart also be pure and agreable in all poinctes to Gods worde and lawe But thou wilt saie where maie suche an hearte be founde Uerely neither I neither thou haue it in store For we se how sone we fall into wrothe and how sone also sensualitie riseth in our heartes yea otherwise then wee thought or willed Yea and where we purposed the contrary and hate our selues therefore What must be dooen then We haue not suche perfect rightuousnes and a cleane heart and yet we heare the sentence that the Phariseis rightuousnes hath no place in heauen Truely this must we doe We must not followe the Scribes and Phariseis to thinke our selues rightuous for our woorkes But for all our rightuousnes what soeuer we dooe we muste shewe suche submission and humblenesse before GOD that wee maie saie O Lorde I am a synner be thou mercifull vnto me and enter not into Iudgement with thy seruaunt as touchyng workes but deale with me accordyng to thy mercie and grace whiche thou haste promised and performed to vs in Christ. This doctrine tendeth to this ende specially that spirituall pride maie therby be restrained and wee by that meanes come vnto the knowledge of our filthy hearte and moste corrupt nature and so at the laste be brought to the hope of Gods grace fauour and mercie And this is the very rightuousnesse that obtaineth the inheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen whiche hath her foundation of our workes although thei ought to be good and Godly but of the remission of synne and of the grace of GOD. For although we preuaile som what by that we labour to offende no bodie by our leudnes and studie as muche as wee can to accomplishe Gods will yet the greatest fault remaineth still wheras the hearte is vnpure and full of sensualitie and wickednes But he that obtaineth remission of his sinnes is rightuous not by his owne power but by grace forasmuche as his synnes are forgiuen hym for his fathers sake in Christ. Wherefore Peter in the Actes of the Apostles saieth that our heartes are purified by faithe But this purifiyng is not on suche wise as though no euill thoughtes or vncleane concupiscence should after that be felt in our heartes for that should neuer come to passe before this bodie of synne bee laied in the grounde and a passage made vnto euerlastyng life then shall the hearte be cleane in deede and pure of his owne nature But so long as this life endureth all the purenesse is in faithe and in the woorde that GOD for Christes sake will not impute our sinnes to vs nor punishe vs for them but rather remit pardon and forgiue them And this neuerthelesse must followe therof that afterward by the help of the holy ghost we begin to leade a pure holy and Godly life and shewe GOD due obedience But as I saied before this is an vnperfect obedience Therefore the whole rightuousnes before GOD consisteth onely in the remission of synnes And this is the true meanyng of these wordes where Christ saieth Excepte your rightuousnesse excede the rightuousnes of the Scribes and of the Phariseis ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen These wordes are not to be vnderstand as though all that the Phariseis dooe is naught by nature For where as the Pharisie in the Gospell of Luke boasteth that he is not vnrightuous no robber no adulterer againe that he fasteth twise in a weeke and paieth tithes of all that he possesseth to do these thinges is not euill and we would wish that all men wer suche euen vnto their liues ende then should the Maiestrates Iudges and parentes with suche like haue lesse businesse But herein is the fault that for this outward rightuousnes sake the Pharisie boasteth himself to be rightuous before GOD neither thought he that he had neede of Gods mercie and remission of synne for the obtainment of true and perfect rightuousnes Christ resisteth this leude persuasion that wee should not trust in suche rightuousnes before GOD but make inquisition for better if we determine to haue any hope of the heauenly inheritaunce And he putteth forthe vnto vs the sixt commaundement for an example that by that wee maie learne what is the rightuousnes of the Phariseis and beware of it The sixt commaundement as ye knowe is this Thou shalt not kill Here the Phariseis persuaded them selues that if thei did but onely abstain from grosse murder thei neded not to care for any more and that thei had fulfilled this commaundemente againe that nothyng els was required of them in this behalfe But Christe requireth greater thynges For the woordes of this commaundement are not Thy handes shall not kill but Thou shalt not kille That is to saie Thy hearte thy mouthe thy tongue and all the powers in thy senses and what soeuer is in thy bodie besides whereby murder is committed thou shalt auoyde so that thou doe not onely eschewe grosse murder but all other thinges in hearte in minde in woorde in gesture in countenaunce c. whiche are as a manne would saie the waie and preparatiō vnto murder For this saiyng Thou shalt not kill Christ doeth not so nakedly expounde it that it should signifie slaughter onely whereby mennes bodies are slaine and depriued of their life but what soeuer is doen besides wherby murder ensueth As when thou hatest any man ▪ and wilte in no condition helpe hym but art so affected toward him as the riche glottō was toward poore Lazarus Suche through thy faulte might perishe and so art thou by this precept giltie of murder as Ambrose saieth If thou hast not fedde thou haste slaine and committed murder And S. Ihon saieth he that hateth his brother is a murderer And ye knowe that a murderer hath euerlastyng life dwellyng in hym Therefore he that purposeth to kepe this commaundement must not onely refraine his handes but his harte also muste be voide of wrathe so that he neither shewe churlishe countenaunce nor giue cruell woorde against them that haue deserued an euill tourne at his hande yea and that by all mennes iudgement For Christ saieth plainly that this commaundement is transgressed and broken fiue maner of waies Firste with the hearte when it is moued with anger displeasure against thy neighbour Secondly when the hearte betraieth it self outwardly and sheweth by some externall gesture that it is angrie in deede as when we passe by any man and tourne awaie our faces from theim that salute vs and will not ones giue them an answere no not so muche as a louyng looke For this worde Racha pertaineth specially to a disdainfull and angrie mocion as when the anger is Iudged by the eyes by the countenaūce or by some croked worde Thirdly when wrathe procedeth out of the heart into the mouthe
as when we raile vpon any man or obscure his good name by our slaūderous wordes Fourthly whiche is moste grosse and wicked when all these thynges come together a wrathfull hearte an angrie mocion a leude tongue a fearce hande c. and when violence is doen slaughter is committed or at the least the will to doe it is plainly declared And albeit that emong these thynges some be more greuous then other for Christe hym self declareth that by the diuersities of their punishementes yet all as well the little synnes as the greate are against this commaundement and he that offendeth againste the leaste is a murderer before GOD. Now call thy self to a rekenyng and proue whither thou hast doen this cōmaundemēt so sincerely perfectly in all thy life tyme or yet canst doe as it is here required of thee And thou shalte easely finde that neither haste thou doen it neither is it possible for thee at any tyme to doe it What then must be doen For we knowe what punishmēt is appoincted for the transgressours of his worde Cursed saieth Moises is euery one that abideth not in all thynges that are written in the booke of the lawe that he maie doe theim Dooe as Christe biddeth them in this place Be no Scribe or Pharisie that is thinke not thy self rightuous because thou haste dooen no murder with thy hande But looke rather on thy hearte on thy mouthe and other mocions and when thou perceiuest that thou art enuironed besieged and compassed round about with ire and wrathe straight waies tourne thy self to GOD and saie Lorde I as a synner haue offended against thy sixt precept I haue giuen place to wrathe I haue vsed angrie tokens and woordes against my neighbour Forgiue me this great sin and so enstruct me that I trespasse no more against thee And this is one thyng that thou oughtest to doe whiche the Phariseis do not Then must thou adde this also that thou temperate thy self and by no meanes suffer wrathe to rule in thee And although thou canst not vtterly expell and put it out of thy hearte yet confesse thou this thy synne and aske forgiuenesse thereof and euer after so stoutely fight against it that the residue of thy ire gette not vnder her daunger the other mēbers as the countenaunce mouthe tongue handes eyes c. that by this meanes at the laste thou maiest represse thy wrathe and so subdue it that thou maiest not onely not be angrie with thy neighbour but also shew vnto hym all gentlenes whiche thyng thou shalte finde again at thy neighbours hand By this meanes shalt thou by little little driue out al wrathe out of thy hearte and make it vanishe awaie as the smoke This did not the Phariseis Thei had wrathe in their hearte malicious signes in their countenaūce railyng wordes in their mouthe and yet tooke thei all these thynges for no synne For this is the propertie of this vice to shewe outwardly that it doth nothyng without a iuste cause Why saie thei shal I suffer this being so vnworthely prouoked Shuld I by my sufferaunce giue them an occasion to doe worsse We maie not giue place to the wicked that thei maie thereby waxe the more licentious And so are thei that are wrathfull by nature more enkendled and sette on fire when thei are perswaded that their cause is iuste vntill that by the deuilles helpe the flame increaseth so muche that their wrathe must nedes be ended with violence Therefore Christe admonisheth vs that we bee not prouoked vnto euill through the opiniōs of the Scribes and Phariseis But this is required of Christian men that either thei doe good or els confesse their synne and desire GOD to forgiue theim and to create in theim newe heartes And he that after this sort exerciseth hymself in the preceptes of GOD is it not to be thought that he shall haue at all tymes sufficiente cause to confesse his synnes to desire forgiuenesse of the same to exercise his faith and to applie hym self to the studie of the woorde bothe night and daie For confession is necessarie either then wrathe or any other cōcupiscence hath oppressed vs so that wee can not deny or excuse it but must nedes confesse to GOD that we haue synned After this also muste wee praie vnto GOD to forgiue vs and to giue vs his grace from henceforthe better to doe To this praier must faithe also bee ioyned that we by no meanes doubte but that GOD will forgiue vs bothe our synne and all other for Christes sake This is the true practise of the Lawe Neither must thou seke any other woorkes or rites to worshippe GOD as the Pope and his complices dooe whiche are whollie giuen to the rightuousnesse of the Phariseis as their saiyng touchyng this precept testifieth It is necessarie saie thei to put aside rancor but not the signes of rancor that is when thou art hurte beware thou be not angrie therfore as for not speakyng vnto them and fliyng their cōpanie it maketh no matter it is no synne Therfore thei coumpted the commaundementes to be but a vile doctrine whiche prophane persones should hādle For them selues thei haue founde out workes and worshippynges of GOD of a more excellencie and greater price as thei thinke But he that would kepe well the tenne commaundementes as I haue now declared of the sixt should haue enough and to muche to doe so farre is it of that he needed to deuise any other seruices or worshippynges of God Christe maketh this doctrine a matter of greate necessitie and willeth if we will be christians that wee continually excercise our selues in these and suche his woorkes For as it is a sentence graue waightie and of greate importaunce whē he saith first Excepte your rightuousnes excede the rightuousnesse of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauē so likewise doeth he earnestly in the ende conclude and deuideth thē into partes For where dissention and wrathe is there are twoo partes One whiche hath hurted and doen vniustly the other whiche was hurt and suffered wrong As concernyng him whiche is the cause of anger and hath hurte other Christe teacheth hym a good lesson and commaundeth hym diligently to take heede that ye meddle not with GOD nor with any thyng that belongeth vnto GOD till he be agreed with his aduersary If saith he thou offerest thy gift at the alter and doest there remember that thy brother hath any thing against thee leaue there thy gifte before the altare and go thy waie first be recōciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gifte For if thou dooe not this all thyne Oblation shal be in vaine neither shall it please GOD what so euer thou offerest In these woordes Christ tareth and reproueth the thoughtes and fansies of the Phariseis which imagined that thei should so bleare the eyes of God that he should not
and right vp behauiour For it oftentymes chaunceth that when a manne perceiueth that he is not trusted he sheweth hymself the more negligent in doyng his duetie As loue with loue so faithe also is bought with faithe and trust with trust Notwithstandyng this matter is to bee handled with measure and discrecion so that we shall not rashly and without good aduisement commit all thinges to all men neyther at all tymes nor in all places And men are so to be trusted that not withstandyng they shall thynke that the Father of the houshold hath also hymselfe an eye to his thynges and that he wyll easily perceaue it if any thynge be doone amysse of suche as he trusteth or hath in his house For the negligence of maisters is many tymes the occasion that seruantes are negligente and geue them selues to a more licencious and retchelesse lyfe when notwithstandyng the householde seruantes ought not to be carelesse but studiously to obey the wyll and commaundement of theyr maisters and not to suffer theym selues by any meanes thorough the counsayle of the wycked to bee broughte vnto lewdnesse For what good successe of thynges canne be there where the maysters commaunde one thynge and the seruauntes neglectyng theyr maysters commaundement thoroughe the wicked aduyse of certayne naughty persones do the contrarye yea geue theyr myndes to idlenesse to plays to pastymes to dycyng to cardynge to drynkyng to whooryng c. And yet many in these theyr lewde doynges wyll beare a faire face outwardly as thoughe nothynge were amysse but all thynges welle yea as though they dydde theyr office accordynge to theyr bounden duetie But yet for all that seynge disobedience is shewed to theyr maisters it must nedes come of the deuyll whatsoeuer they doo in this behalf And many tymes seruauntes dwell with suche maysters as by no meanes can abyde suche neglygente lewde and lyghte behauioure But here commeth in the deuyll with hys subtilties and craftye deuices whyche by somme naughtye packe goeth about to persuade them that suche seruice is myserable bondage and therefore they oughte to caste awaye that captiuitie and seeke more libertie whyche they shall easylye and with greater profyt fynd in some other more conuenient place Awaye therfore with the olde maisters and seeke after newe The vnwise seruantes thynke thys to be good councell and to come from a louyng and frendly hearte towarde theym and therefore they bothe obeye and disobeye The dyuell they obeye God they disobeye whyche hathe commaunded to obeye theyr bodyly maysters in all thynges yea and that with simplenesse of hearte But the symple are soone deceaued specially when frendeshyp is pretended and those thynges vttered which delite the foolyshe fancie of men But why make I many woordes The wolfe is redy at all tymes both in weightie and in slender matters For all thynges that with trewe diligence and good mynde oughte to bee doone in the Churche in commune wealthes or in householdes the deuyll by no meanes canne abyde but all offices that are ordeined of GOD hee goeth aboute to hynder and lette yea vtterly to subuert and to destroy them that that whyche is ordeyned vnto the conseruation bothe of thynges presente and of thynges to comme maye be euyll spoken of that no goodnesse maye ensewe thereof· We muste therefore dilygentlye take heede and marke what the deuyll at all tymes goeth aboute leaste wyth hys fayre face and pleasant countenance he deceaueth vs and bryngeth vs into erroure For all suche as wyth whome wee haue to doo are not syncere in Relygion but manye are hypocrites They doo pretende Relygion and godlynesse but they haue not one poynte of trewe Relygion in them Wherfore it is harde for to knowe the wolfe thoroughly except we be very diligent circumspecte and discrete But thys thynge is moste daungerous and grienous in the Churche For scismatykes sectaries and heretykes comme in wyth suche pretence as though that earnestly and euen frome the verye hearte they dydde regarde the saluation of mennes soules and that they hadde a feruente zeale and greedy desyre to sette foorthe the woorde of GOD and the truthe thereof Whenne the symple sely shepe behold theyr shepishe garmentes they suspect no euyll no deceit no crafte no subtiltie They streyght waies embrace them as trewe and godly teachers For who woulde not greatly regarde suche and so noble professoures of Gods woorde and of the truthe But the Christians must knowe thys that the deuyll also is wont to bragge and boaste of the truthe and woorde of God no lesse then the very godly Therfore they ought to be so enstructed that they myght say on this maner The truthe and woorde of GOD I loue fulle derely Notwithstandyng I wyll regarde no mans authoritie so muche but that I wyll conferre thys woorde that he speakethe with my Catechisme and wyth the doctrine whyche I haue hytherto hearde He that is so circumspecte and is not moued wyth euery newfangled fancie but hath respecte vnto the worde he is without all danger neither can he be deceiued He that dothe otherwise it is not possible but that he must fall into bothe errours and heresies and be seduced from the truthe of the worde Eue in Paradyse is an example for thys matter The deuyls oration vnto her was moste pleasaunte and full of sugred eloquence He paynteth foorth god to be so gentyll and meke that he knoweth not what anger meaneth Why saieth he hathe not God geuen all this gardeyn into your power that ye shoulde doo wythall what ye wylle and enioye the commodities therof after your owne luste and pleasure Howe vnsyttynge then were it that hee shoulde denye you this one only tree whych can so greatly not hurt you that by the benefyte thereof ye shall gette wysedome comparable with the wysedome of God Honylyke and mete to deceaue are these wordes whiche were able in dede easyly to seduce Eue that she myghte fall away and forgette the commandement whych God had geuen to her and to her husbande And although she hadde not forgotten it yet she beganne to doubte of it And there came in her myserie Fyrste of all whenne the deuyll assaulted her she behaued her selfe wysely and gaue the deuyll a repulse by the vertue of che commaundement whyche GOD had geuen vnto them But when Sathan went an other way to woorke because he hadde no good successe in the former enterprise and broughte the matter to thys poynte that if the commaundemente concernynge the tree were true GOD muste nedes be malicious and full of enuy whyche woulde not also grant them the lyke wysedome with hym thenne she out of hand casteth awaye the woorde plucketh the apple and eateth By the eatynge of the whyche apple she and all we were most myserably yea for our disobedience moste iustly caste into all kynde of euyls Nowe for the lyke peryll because that we also shold not be deceaued on suche sorte Christe warneth vs and saythe
bothe from God and manne Wherfore although this was not always done with the heart yet the vse of these wordes were good So out of the .116 Psalm what shall I render to the lord saith Dauid for al that he geueth me I wil take the cup of saluation and cal vpon the name of the Lord that is I will praise hym glorifie him and geue hym thankes and confesse that he hath ben beneficial vnto me God answereth to this My sonne this is inough for me But the bountifull Father can obtein this of few A great part dothe persecute him and his word thinkyng nothyng how that we haue all thynges by hym and of his grace But this is but a small thynge They hang on the crosse his only begoten sonne whiche he hath sent for a gift to vs agaynst syn and euerlasting death This world wer well worthy with his great madnes to be cast cleane out of Gods sight yet God doothe not so but is presente euery where with his goodnes and helpe Wherfore we must not onely lerne the office and propretie of kyndnes but we must put in practise also this vertue with his propre office whych is not made werie of well doyng for vnkyndnes sake And this is the peculiar vertue of God and of all true christians For there are examples inough which testifie that the world through chorlishnes doth make men cease from wel doyng Amongest the Gretians were there noble men whiche had done muche good in their countreis and put all their goodes in hasarde for theyr countreies sake But as soone as they felt vnkyndnes so that they not only receued no fruit for their industrie and laboure but were also more in peryll then other they became vnpacient and as they defended before their countrey agaynst the enemies so they fled afterward to their enemies and assaulted theyr countrey with moste spitefull myndes Wherefore a christian must not be ignorant herof that vnkyndnes ensueth after the most excellent merites of good men lest they should therby be discoraged from wel doyng For this is christian vertu the true fruit of faith that when thou hast declared thy study and great loue toward other also haste proued what recompēce the vnkynd world is wont to make yet that thou shouldest not be dehorted from well doyng therby For Christians behaue themselues after the exāple of god which doth not only good himself to the vnkind but doth requite recōpence them that do good amōgest men which they regarded not It is a christanis dutie therfore to do good to the vnkind yea to them that do euil for good according to Salomōs saying to hepe coles of fire vpon his head Thou maiest not take the world for an exāple in this matter For it doth clean cōtrary If it perceiue vnkindnes it think al lost cast away and that it will neuer after that bestow any benefits It is the father of heauen that can teache the truly this In the day he suffreth his son to rise not only vpon the good that geue thāks but vpon the euil which geue no thāks yea rather thei misuse gods gifts God him self also might wel say this These many yeres haue I geuē thee the light of the son haue found the vitall all kind of goodnes but ther cōmeth litle thanks of it I wil make an end of my good doing I wil deny liuing to the vnkind world But the merciful father doth not so he suffreth not his goodnes to be ouercome with the vnkindnes of the world If men will not be thankful now he wil punish them herafter for their vnkindnes So must we do also if we wyll be christian men For this is the nature of Christian charitie to suffer and abyde all thinges not to be made vnpacient therby But there bee very fewe that are endued with thys charitie wherfore there are also very fewe christians Neuerthelesse if we wyll be Christians we muste be ready to doo good neyther ought we after the example of the worlde to geue vp oure studious zeale in doynge good bycause of vnkyndnesse If thou haste ben beneficiall thys daye to any manne and hee the morowe after shewe hym selfe straunge through vnkyndnesse be not greued therewith For at his appoynted tyme he shall suffer due punyshment for his faulte Do thou onely continue and saye If this benefite be caste awaye vpon thys man I wyll studye to doo good for an other If thy benefitte be neyther well bestowed in hym despaire not of the thyrd and so foorthe That thou also myghteste saye soo as Christ saith here were not tenne made cleane where be the nine becomme Christe hath lyttell thanke for this benefite yet is hee content with that the tenthe retourneth and geueth thankes yea he woulde not haue made mention of the other if it hadde not ben for thys that wee myghte learne that they dyd wyckedly For he declareth by thys inquisition that the vnkynde shall not escape vnpunyshed for beecause they are not thankefull to GOD for hys benefites Than veryly shall they knowe howe greately they offended through theyr wycked vnkyndnes Wherfore after the example of Christ must we also care nothyng for mennes vnkyndnesse The matter is playne that for so many benefites of God that we receaue dayely frome hym he receaueth very colde and slender thankes Wherefore lette not thys thynge moue vs but lette vs thynke it sufficient yf there be one amongest tenne in whome a benefyte is welle bestowed Other shall feele and proue by experience at theyr tyme appoynted that that they woulde not beleue nowe by oure warnynge For they shall not escape so vnpunyshed from God that requireth faith The seconde of two moste beautyfull vertues that is of kyndnesse and of pacient sufferyng vnkyndnes at other mennes handes The Samaritane by hys exaumple teacheth vs to be kynde and to thanke bothe God and man for the benefyte that we receaue But the exaumple of Christe dothe admonyshe vs not to bee vnpaciente neyther to ceasse frome well doynge althoughe oure benefyttes prosper not well and although they that receyue theym be vnkynde For this is the maner of the worlde that thoroughe vnkynde persons they that are beneficiall are vnthankfullye entreated and discouraged frome their well doyng so that afterwarde for one chorles sake manye fare the worse But yf thou bee a Christian doo not so althoughe nyne deceaue the of thy hope be contente that the tenth is founde thankfull For Christ himselfe founde them not to geue thankes for suche a greate benefite What wylt thou looke to bee in better case then he was Wherefore take not greuously the losse of nyne Thou shalt haue no more losse thereby thenne Christe hadde But all this shall turne to their greate losse when these wycked persons shall be destitute of all good successe in theyr matters And these are the thynges that make trewe christians fyrst that they haue
redy a perfect people for the Lord. That Iohn turned many by the preachyng of Gods word vnto the Lord it is manifest in the EuaÌ„gelical history What great multitudes of people S. Peter as I may speake nothing of the other apostels turned vnto Christ by preaching the word blessed Luke in his Chronicle of the Apostles acts doth partly declare Was not the holle world in a maner turned vnto the faith of Christ thorow the preaching of the word As sainct Paul saith Faith coÌ„meth by hearing and hearing coÌ„meth by the worde of God But I aske Haue they not heard No doubt their sound went oute into all landes and their woordes into the endes of the worlde In matters of controuersie concernyng religion it declareth and sheweth who maintaineth truthe and who approueth falshode It is the true touchestone wherby we easily discerne the true doctrine of Christ froÌ„ the fals corrupte teachyng of Antichrist And therefore it is called of the Psalmograph the faithfull testimonie or wytnes of the Lorde And in all matters of doubt the Prophet exhorteth vs to flee vnto this word of that to learne the certaintie of al matters coÌ„cerning Faith and Doctrine If any man saieth he want lyght lette hym looke vpon the law the testimonie whether they speake not after this meanyng If he doo not this he stumbleth and suffreth hunger And if he suffer hunger he is out of pacience and blasphemeth his king his God So reade we of the noble men of Thessalonica whiche when they herd Paul and Sylas preache that Christ muste nedes suffer and rise agayn frome death for the saluation of the worlde receaued the word wyth all diligence of mynde and yet notwithstandyng searched the scriptures dayly whether those things were euen so as Paul and Sylas preached And therfore S. Paul afterward writing vnto theÌ„ as one greatly alowing this their act saith in his epistle Quench not the spirite despise not prophecyings Examyn al things kepe that which is good And. S. Iohn in his canonicall Epistle saieth Derely beloued beleue not euery spirite but proue the spirites whether they are of God or not c. It geueth wisedom to the simple to the poore in spirit to the huÌ„ble to the meke to the litle ones to the babes This wisdom is the true knowlege of god of his blessed wil. This wisedom caÌ„ we not haue but by the word as God himself saith by the prophet Unto whom shall I haue respect but vnto him that is poore of a lowly troubled spirit and standeth in awe of my wordes The fyne Phariseys the sawcie Saduceis the subtil Scribes the lustye Lawyers the biteâ—hepe Byshoppes the patteryng Priestes as I maye speake nothyng of the eloquente Oratours noble hystoriographers learned Poetes quickewitted Logitians farre syghted Astronomers c. were before the worlde great wyse learned men and yet vnderstode they nothyng of God aryght The symple ideots and vnlearned men had more true knowledge of God then all they as oure sauiour Christ sayd vnto his heauenly Father I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these thynges from the wyse and prudent hast shewed them vnto babes Uerily Father eueÌ„ so was it thy good plesure Likewise sayth S. Paule Not many wise men after the flesh not many myghty not many of highe degree are called But God hathe chosen the foolish thynges of the worlde to confound the wise And God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde to confounde thynges whiche are mightie and vile thinges of the world and thynges whiche are despised hath God chosen yea and thinges of no reputation for to bring to naught things of reputation that no flesh should reioyce in his presence S. Iames also saith Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde suche as are riche in Faith and heyres of the kyngdom which he promised to them that loue hym It reioyceth and maketh the heart mery as the Prophet Ieremie saieth When I had found thy wordes I dyd eate them vp gredily They haue made my heart ioyfull glad For thy name was called vpon me O Lord God of Hostes. The Prophete Ezechiel saith also I dyd eate the boke and it was in my mouth sweter then hony Were not these the woordes of the two disciples that went vnto Emaus after that Christ had interpreted vnto them the scriptures which wer writen of him Did not our heartes say they burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the scriptures Who is able to expresse what ioy what mirth what solace what confort Adam and Heua receaued after their transgression when they heard out of the mouth of God that the sede of the womaÌ„ should treade downe the serpentes head Who can sufficiently declare how greatly king Dauid being rebuked of the prophet Nathan for his whoredome and manslaughter was conforted and replenished with all true perfect gladnes when he heard out of the prophetes mouthe these most swete and confortable wordes The Lorde hath put away thy synne thou shalte not dye What ioye and confort the synfull woman conceaued in her heart which before was almost swalowed vp of sorowe for her wicked and synfull life past as her teares and outward behauiour do manifestly declare when she hearde these wordes out of the mouthe of Christ Thy synnes are forgeuen thee Go in peace no man is able to expresse The thefe likewise hanging on the crosse and hearyng these wordes spoken vnto him of Christ Uerily verily I say vnto thee This day shalte thou be with me in Paradise conceaued in his heart an vnoutspeakable ioye Many suche examples fynde we in the Scriptures bothe of the olde and newe Testament The worde of God I meane the Gospel of our Lord and Sauior Christ Iesu apprehended and layde hande on with a sure and strong faith bryngeth to the heart and conscience of man peace rest ioy solace confort c. For thys cause it is called the worde of reconciliation or attonement of ioy of peace of confort of helth of spirite of lyfe c. It lyghtneth the eyes It sheweth vnto men the ryght waie howe they ought to walke to please God and to doo those thynges which are acceptable vnto him It deliuereth men from the cloudes of ignorancie and from the darknes of mens traditions and openeth vnto them the glorious God that they may not stumble and walke safely in that way that the Lord hath appointed declinyng neither on the righte hande nor on the left hande as the Psalmographe saieth Thy worde O Lord is a lanterne vnto my fete and a lyghte to my pathewaies For this cause it is termed of the holye writers Light in diuers places of the sacred Bible Our Sauior Christ saieth This is condemnation that the light is come into the world and men haue loued
darknes more then the lyght It is a myghty shielde and stronge defence agaynst Satan and all his infernall army as Salomon sayth The worde of God is a bucklar to such as beleue it Therfore S. Paule in a certaine Epistle where he appointeth what armour we shold put on that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill and to resist the gouernours of darknes in the euyl day and to stande perfect in all thynges exhorteth vs among other weapons to put on the sworde of the spirite which saieth he is the worde of God With this spirituall sword dyd our sauiour Christ in the wyldernes fight against Sathan and mightily ouercame him by this his conflict declaring vnto vs what a noble weapon the word of God is to vanquishe and to ouercome Satan so that who soeuer putteth on this swearde and with a myghty faith falleth in hand with this olde cankred ennemy of mankind he may be sure to haue the victory For this word is that percyng stone wherewith Dauid ouerthrue and kylled that mighty great gyant Goliath that prowd Philstine and blasphemous rayler vpon God and his hoste It ouercommeth and subdueth Antichrist and all the aduersaries of Gods pure and true doctrine as S. Paul witnesseth saying That wycked that synfull man that sonne of perdition whiche is an aduersarie to Gods trueth and is exalted aboue all that is called GOD or that is worshipped so that he dothe sitte in the Temple of God bostyng himself to be God shall be disclosed vttered and broughte to lyghte whome the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouth c. Agayn As Iames and Iambres withstode Moses euen so do these also resyst the truth men they are of corrupt myndes and leude as concernyng the Faith but they shall preuayle no longer For their madnes shal be vttered vnto all men euen as theirs was Of this thing God be thanked wee haue experience at this daye wherein Antichrist is reueled and all his wycked doctrine disclosed so that the very blynde begynne to see hys iugglyng And though there be whyche after the manner of Atlas susteyn vnderprop and hold vp wyth their shoulders that is to say with their writynges and preachings the kyngdom of Antichrist so much as they can with his Antichristian actes deuillish decrees croked cōstitutions trifling traditions drousie dreames idle inuentions vnwritten verities c. yet is the tyme of the iudgement of that great whore of Babylon at hande wherin she with her marked merchauntes wyth that blasphemous beast and false prophete shall bee caste into that lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone He whome Iohn sawe syttyng vpon a white horse clothed with a vesture dipte in bloode whose eies were as a flame of fyre and whose name is the worde of God and out of whose mouthe went a sharpe two edged sworde shall smyte kyll and destroy them Euery plant saieth Christ that my heauenly Father hath not planted shal be pluckt vp by the rootes Agayn The Gospell of the kyngdome shall be preached in all the world for a wytnesse vnto all nations and then shall the ende come It defendeth the louer and embracer therof frome all synne wyckednesse and lewde behauiour as the Psalmograph saith Thy wordes haue I hydde within my heart that I should not synne agaynst thee Agayne wherwithall shall a yonge man clense hys waye euen by rulyng hymselfe by thy word Ones agayne Order my steppes in thy worde and so shall no wickednes haue dominion ouer me It comforteth the troubled in his tribulation so that it suffereth not hym to faynt or to be of a desperate mynde as Dauid saythe If my delight had not bene in thy lawe I should haue perished in my trouble Agayne O thinke vpon thy seruant as concernynge the woorde wherein thou haste caused me to put my trust The same is my conforte in my trouble For thy woorde hath quickened me In an other place he also sayeth Though I walke through the valley of the shadowe of deathe I will feare no euyll for thou art with me Thy rod and thy staffe confort me It cureth and healeth all spiritual sicknesses and diseases as the wyse man sayth It is neyther herbe nor emplasture that restored them to health but thy woorde O Lorde which healeth al things Likewise saieth the Psalmograph He sent hys word and healed them they were saued frō their destruction It purifieth and clenseth the hearte of man yea the whole man as our Sauiour Christ saieth Nowe are ye cleane thorowe the worde that I haue spoken vnto you Hereto pertaineth the saying of thapostle Christe loued the congregation and gaue hymselfe for it to sanctifie it clensed it in the fountayne of water thorough the worde S. Peter also saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God whiche lyueth and abideth for euer It bringeth peace rest quietnes ioye and conforte to mens consciēces as the Psalmograph saith Great is the peace that they haue which loue thy law and they are not offended at it Peace peace vnto thē that are farre of to them that are nye saith the Lord and I make him whole But the wicked are lyke the ragyng sea that can not rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell Euen so the wicked haue no peace saieth God It bringeth the holy Ghost to them y◠beleue as we rede in the chronicle of the apostles acts while Peter yet spake these wordes saith the blessed historiograph S. Luke the holy gost fell on al them which heard the preaching Likewise saeith S. Paule In Christ also we beleue forasmuch as we haue herd the word of trueth euen the Gospel of your saluation wherin when ye had beleued ye were sealed with the holye Spirite c. And in his Epistle to the Galathians he saieth that they receyued the spirite by the preachyng of the Faithe It is able to make a man learned vnto saluation thorow the Faith whiche is in Christ Iesu. It teacheth al degrees how they ought to behaue thē selues euery one in theyr vocation and callyng that they may please God and woorke that whiche is acceptable before the eyes of hys diuine Maiestie It bryngeth health lyfe saluation glorification to so many as beleue accordyng to this testimonie of S. Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one the beleueth Likewise saith sainct Iames in his Epistle Lay apart all filthynes and superfluitie of maliciousnes and receaue with mekenes the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules As I may ones make an ende if an ende may be founde in an endlesse matter All scripture geuen by inspiration of god is profitable as the Apostle saieth to teache to improue to amend
lyfe And to this comforte belongeth the goodly similitude of the trees In the spryng sayth he when wynter is at an ende and all the earthe is renewed when colde departeth and heate approcheth and the bare trees begynne to bee greene wyth newe bowghes no other thynge foloweth hereof but that the trees bryng foorthe buddes and after that spreade abroade theyr leaues Then it is the common saying Wynter is gone and goodlye Sommer draweth nyghe We gladly let wynter depart and imbrace pleasant Sommer at hys commyng Therfore in his similitude of the trees may we haue euident resons declaring after what maner we ought to loke for this last day For as after leaues commeth sommer so when the earth shal be moued and the heauens shall tremble and when the sonne and Moone shall appere mourneful let these thyngs seme no more dreadfull vnto vs then when the tender leaues crepe forth of the trees when sommer begynneth to come in For these sygnes are to vs euen as the leaues and iuyce of the trees that we may ioyfully looke for that euerlastyng sommer For this presente miserable lyfe is very well compared to bareyn and euil fauored winter In the whiche all thyng dye and wyther awaye But these thynges shall then come to their ende and euerlastynge sommer shall come in theyr stede that is the kyngedome of GOD whereby the kyngdome of the deuyll shall peryshe Why are there so manye myseries geuen as a punisshement in the earthe because ye lyue amongest the couetous and wycked that blaspheme and curse the Gospell and stirre vp all mischiefe in the worlde This muste we see and here and looke daiely for worse Frome all these thynges will I deliuer you by my commyng that ye may not be constrayned to behold any longer their wickednes Wherfore this terrible state of the world doth not com for you but for your enemies They haue a good cause to be afrayde and sorowfull But reioyce ye as godly Loth dyd whiche sayth Peter dwelt in Sodoma and was constreigned with his innocent eyes and eares to heare and se the detestable synnes vntill they grew to such fulnesse and ripenesse that God coulde no lenger refrayne There came two Angels whyche ledde godly Loth out of the citie Surely this thyng was not without a terrible sighte when the element was horrible wyth clowdes when thunder was hard and the clowde wente aparte with a great wydenesse and brymstone and fyre fell downe by rayne and the gaspyng of the ground ensued and swalowed in all thinges It is not otherwise to be thought but that Loth was greatly dismayd at these thyngs But this comfort was at hande that this horrible and dredful tempest dyd not strike hym but the Sodomites whyche beleued not the word of God but gaue themselues to all kynd of most abhominable lewdnesse yea and that without al mesure These must nedes be meruailously troubled at this fyry rayne But godly Loth behelde this tempest as a pleasant tree in the spryng tyme that putteth forth his buddes and beginneth to be grene For he feeleth and receyueth helpe and mercyfull deliuerance against the wicked So shall it chaunce to vs also in the latter daye if it befall in oure lyfe tyme. It shall seeme a terrible thyng when heauen and earthe shall burne and we shal be changed in a moment and dye But a christian man must not here take his eyes for iudges but marke howe Christe doeth expound it That these flowers and boughes are moste pleasant So that albeit that the greuous syght of the worlde shall terrifie and abashe reason yet let the heart truste to the worde of God that it may not feare that outeward syght but say Mystrust not there is no hurte or damage This dothe not signifie as Christe sayth any euyll but that my redemption and redemer is at hande Hayle my redemer Christe therfore and come on as thou art wyshed for as I haue desyred oftentymes and prayed for whyle I lyued that thy kyngdome myght com vnto me He that can receyue Christ at his commyng after this maner shall in a momente be chaunged into that glory that he may shyne with the sonne for euer After this sort dooth Christ teache vs to knowledge truly the last day that we may lerne how great succour we haue therin and why also we ought to loke for and feruently to desire his comyng The Pope preacheth of Christe that he is a seuere Iudge and that we must haue healpe before hym by our good woorkes and that the Intercession of saintes are to be hadde yf any manne wyll be sure from damnation For so hath he put it foorthe in picture howe Christe commeth to iudgement and howe he holdeth a swoorde and a rodde in his mouthe whiche bothe are signes of wroth And where as Mary and Iohn standeth on bothe sydes it shewethe that the prayers and intercessions of them and of other suche good Sainctes muste be soughte for and trusted in As the good father Bernard persuaded hymself that when the mother sheweth her pappes to the Sonne that he can not denye her any thyng Whiche was an euident proofe that Christe should come lyke a seuere Iudge But in this Gospell he teacheth vs otherwyse that is that he shall not come to iudge and condemne vs but to deliuer redeme vs and that he wil graunt in dede that that we praied for and bring vs to his kingdom And as for other that beleue not in him and vexe the Christians with railyng and reuilyng he will by his sharpe sentence punishe greuouslye Thys saieth he beleue ye onely and looke for my cōmynge ioyfully for it shal be to your welthe that ye may be saued by me for euer from synne deuyll deathe hell and the worlde This is a greate comforte But in thys place one thyng remayneth wherby the fearefull consciences are troubled For Christ saieth that that daye shall come vnloked for So that it shal chance likewise to men as it chanceth to byrdes which flee in the mornyng hungry out of the woddes to fynde meat somwhere suspectyng no euyll bycause they were not deceiued of their hope in that place before and sodeinly they are wrapped in the nettes taken and killed But thei that feare God wil take hede therof And because they proue by dayly exaumples howe soone they that stande fall they are weake hearted and soone ouerthrowen For they thynke it vncertayne what shall become of them to morowe Perchance the houre wil come when thou shalt be most vnready and dydst not see it before orels thou shalt be entangled with this or that sinne Then art thou vndone and this ioyfull day shal be chaunged into mourninge In this doubt Christ leaueth vs not comfortlesse but teacheth christen men howe they shall bee rydde from this pensifenes and sayth See that your heart be not ouerladen with surfet dronkennes and with the cares of this lyfe least this daye oppresse
may be geuen to the diuell and to the world I truely wyll not caste away my ioy for thy sake neither doo I regard muche thy displeasure Away from me I haue more pleasure and delite of Christe then thou canst worke me sorowe Suche a mynde dothe the angelles wyshe vs in this verse The dyuels songe is cleane contrarye wherein GOD is blasphemed and cursed where slaughter is commytted and all thynges so ordered that all thynges are defyled with care and sorowe and moste myserable calamytie And to the furtheraunce hereof doo the Secte maysters bestowe all theyr laboure and dylygence They are the dyuelles mouthe they banne God in heauen they sette Prynces at varyaunce and discorde they thynke nothynge of Amitie and Peace they feyne good wylle in syghte but priuilye they entende myschiefe by moste subtyll deuyses Thys pleaseth me wel saith the diuell And it is thys Glory be to the dyuell in hell and sedition in earth and amongest menne a desperate mynde and full of all care and whote blastynge myserye And manye are founde to be of suche a mynde which hath store of all goodes were it not for thys that theyr myndes are possessed with vexation and diuers torments and grypinges It helpeth them nothyng although they be in the myddle of all pleasure This doth the diuel wish to al his that gods gifts may be vnfruitful vnto them But the Angels songe is contrarie They wyshe a bold and couragious heart that is as vnmouable as the Marpese rocke and that glorieth agaynst all stormes of temptation most bitter tribulation This is the song of the angell that is found in no other bokes For it was not made amongst mē in earth but sēt down frō heauē Our God with his holy spirite help vs that we may holde it faste and fulfyll it in dede thorough Iesus Christ his sonne and our Lorde Amen The fourthe Sermon as concernyng the hystorie of Mary and the Shepheardes THus farr in the hystorie haue we proceded and taught how God sent his angels euē that great Princes to preach vnto two or thre shepheards The which were not only a few but also were rude people to sing vnto them the ioyfull verse as touchyng the chyld Iesus after the whiche nowe foloweth this hystorie And it came to passe that when the angels departed from them into heauen that they sayde one to an other c. BY this dothe it appere that the sermon and song of the angels was not vnfruitfull For the shepherds set not so much by theyr flocke but that they take their iorney to the child whom the Angel called their Lord. And this is one fruite that spronge of the Angels sermon An other is that the very shepheardes are made preachers and shewe to other men all that they heard of this chylde And the Euangelist saieth all that herd these thinges that were declared by the shepheards meruailed But this admiration continued not long with the greater sorte For this thing dothe testifie that such men are belongyng vnto the kyngdome of God that can not kepe long in mynde neither Gods mercye nor wrathe neyther his punyshemente nor benefites So wycked is mans mynde that it quickly forgetteth the examples of God shewed vnto vs and therby prouoketh God always to shew new examples by signes and plagues that he may not vtterly falle out of oure remembrance And so is it to be taken wheras the Euangelist saith All that heard merueiled so that this communication and talke was of no longe cōtinuance but endured only a few monethes how that a childe was borne in Bethleem for whome the Angels triumphed in the ayre for whome wyse men came from the easte to grete and worshippe him But after one or two yeares al this was cleane out of memorie and after that no man cared for it and wheras after thyrtie yeares CHRIST began to come abrode by teaching and doing miracles no man called to remēbrance these fyrst things And we verily are not much better than they For a man may scarsly finde one amōgest a thousand that remembreth the miseries and in especiall that great calamity vnder the which the doctrine and worshipping of God lay oppressed in the Popedome In all places was there tormēting of cōscience no where confort The Iewes were in lyke case Ther was no measure nor ende of complayning and lamenting when they were vexed in Egypte They had scarsely bene foure dayes in the desert after their deliuerāce but they desired to retourne into Egypte being mindefull of their old state Suche is the vnstablenes and vnconstancie of mannes mynde It forgetteth almost in a moment greuouse punishements howe should it long remēber a benefyte And in this case can not the prouerbe seme vntrue Nothing is so sone out worne as the remembrance of a good turne Although GOD sheweth examples of his wrathe by sendinge sycknes and such other euyls yet there commeth no more profit therby than if he should wash a tyle on a howse When there is grefe and payne in the body we are somwhat moued but assone as that is at an ende all is quite forgotten And this it is in all thyngs This is the meaning of the Euāgelist wheras he saith Men dyd meruaile But this meruaile had no longe continuance Yet there were some diligēt disciples to obserue this matter Certayne of great grauitie were there which set not lyghtly by all these thyngs as the world doth For the Euangeliste saith moreouer Mary kepte all these sayings and pondered them in her heart And this is nowe an example how the worde of GOD is truely to be hearde She pondreth it in her hearte and hath diligent meditation theron As they do that kepe Gods word diligently serchyng and puttyng it in practise Suche are dayly encreased more and more in vnderstandinge and surely confirmed It chanceth not so with the negligent which receaue with the one eare and forget with the other Whatsoeuer is put in them it fyndeth no more place of abyding then water doth in a botomles barrell But Mary doth otherwyse she kepeth pōdereth it in her heart She perceaueth that it belongeth vnto her wherefore she prynteth it in her mynde she pondereth it and bestoweth great studie in so great a matter howe it could come to passe that she should be called the mother of this chylde whom the Angels called Lord and as concerning whom they preache so magnificētly And after this sort did these thoughts caste so depe rootes in her heart that if all the worlde had afterward spoken agaynst this matter yet she could not be persuaded to thinke otherwyse But she was very certainly assured herof that her sonne was the sonne of GOD and the sauiour of the worlde The word of God wold haue it selfe so familiar vnto vs that it might by custome be turned in to oure nature As it is in the Balad of Ballades .8 Put me as a token of remembrance
vpon thy heart as a bracelet on thy arme Here it requireth a signe or marke not onely that it may flowe aboue in the heart as fome doth in the water or spettle in the tongue which is caste out but that all thynges might be surely printed in the hearte that it might be so surely graued therin that no man might abolishe it no other wyse than if it were geuen by byrth and nature whiche can be extinguished by no power Suche was the hearte of Mary whiche kept these words as sure as though they were graued therin And all that doth receaue the word on this wyse hath the true marke of CHRIST the true cautery and signe They will not suffer the word to be wreste out of the hands of their harte Whatsoeuer sectaries or scysmatykes rise agaynst it ye or the dyuell hym self as they haue once beleued and knowen of this chylde so they kepe it constantly But we must marke this also If we will desire that Gods word should enter after this maner in to our hartes we muste also take more hede Lett vs learne of this lytle example How oftentymes one thing is taught and repeted to childern vntill they beare it away And thynke we that such great matters be gotten with so lytle care By and by assone as the sermon is done we go vnto other busynes we care not for that that we hearde we vse deaffull ouerthwartnes in all things We ought fyrst to seke the kyngdom of God and to haue diligent studie theron But we think that that may be done laste we do all oure owne busynes fyrst as concerning oure wordly welth and pleasure c. If this were not we wold sett by Gods word as much as we do oure busines But men can not be persuaded so to do Wherfore it is no marueill if ther be such great infirmitie that we quickly forgett altogether as it appeareth in temtation Yet Christian men know their duetye They counte nothing better or more precious then GODS word Wherfore their myndes dwell only in it And although they haue muche wordly busines to do yet their mynde inclineth to this wherin lyeth matters of greater weight And this farre haue we spoken of the example of Mary whiche the Euangelist thought worthy to be rehersed because it is of no small commoditie and profite It foloweth The shepheards retourned glorifying and praysing God in all things which they had heard and seen as it was said vnto them AFTER that the shepheards hade spred abrode the fame as touchyng this chylde IESV so that it could now be vnknowen to no man in all the towne of Bethleem they retourne to their flockes they glorifie and prayse GOD. For the Angels gaue them this commandement in their verse This doctrine therfore besyde all other is to be taken as most worthy to be remembred that the shepheardes after they had gotten the great light and knowledge of Christ they go not to the desert they take not vp their lodgyng in a monasterie or abbey after the maner of Mounkes and Nonnes But they see to their vocation and bestowe them selues to serue and helpe their neighboure For they that leaue this kynde of lyuinge in this body and take on them to lyue after an other sorte be neuer made such by faith As the Mounkes were of this opinion that they could not be saued excepte in the ende they shewed them selues to be vnlyke other men For excepte they wore other apparell and dyd eat after an other sorte and also watche c. they thought thē selues also to be prophane vnreligious as other Wherfore they inuēted out an vnused trade of liuing peculiar to them selues for their apparel meate tyme place This did they count Christianitie naming it religiō And in dede it was religiō but yet of the diuell For he also hath his religious But Christ came not to change externall things and to subuert his creatures and make new Wherfore the body may be appareled fed and constrayned to labour as nede and necessitie requireth For the creature is to be vsed by Gods ordinance without any chaunging He came not to chaunge any thing therof It is permitted to mannes free will to chaunge apparell and meate when the matter require it And as for this chaunge it may be done in beastes also This chaunge is a thing of no great estimation neither was it is necessary for CHRIST to set it foorth How much more is it against reason that such mutation and change should be estemed for Gods seruice and for a religious obseruation But herein consisteth the true mutation for the which came Christ that men should be chaunged inwardly in their heartes Before this openinge of the Gospell at oure tyme I thought that God had no regard of me and that the gouernance of my saluatiō consisted in my self I knew nothing herof how synne or death ought to be ordered And therfore many fell vnto Mounkerie But there is not so great vertue in a cowle apparell eating and faste c. death is not slayne herby syn is not put asyde by this For both they remayne vnder a cowle as well as vnder other garmentes But this thing is here gone about that the heart it self may purchase a new light and a new token of remembrance as it was said before that it may be surely persuaded that GOD hath respecte vnto it and regardeth it For he sent his sonne into the flesh that I by hym myght ouercome death and obtayn euerlasting lyfe This is the true change For before my heart knew not but now it knoweth And this chaunge is now brought by CHRIST that the heart and mynd may be renewed and that an other vnderstanding will and affection might rise therin For where as before there was great loue of mony and riches now after that Christ is knowē not these things only but also body and lyfe and all other things are rather to be put in perill than that Christ should be forsaken and his word Before thou woldest not bye Christs fauour for an half peny now there is nothyng so hygh of pryce that thou woldest set more by than Christ. Before thou thoughtest that thy saluation consisted in a fryers wede now thou hatest it worse than a madde dogge or an adder Before we counted it a great synne if we hade eaten fleshe on frydaye nowe doo we abhorre and execrate their wickednes whiche made it deadly synne to doo it This is an inwarde chaunge whiche belongeth to the heart whereas is an other will and affection of the heart than was before and yet it forsaketh not his vocation but kepeth his old kynd of lyfe as the example of the shepheardes teacheth vs to do At the fyrst the shepheards neuer thought that a sauiour was borne But after that they knew it by the Angels they make haste to the towne and seke the chylde And when they had seen hym and declared
the prayse that was geuen of hym and rendred thankes for his great benefite they retourne to their heardes and chaunge no part of their apparell They remayne shepheardes as they were before they kepe their accustomed kynde of lyfe And this is a very Christian doctrine and lyfe For Christ cam not to chaunge these creatures vntill the laste day When the sowle shall be perfecte and renewed whiche thing is begonne in this lyfe then shall the body be chaunged and all mannes vnperfections taken awaye We shall go vp and downe in the ayer lyke Angells and be as bright as the starre And there because oure body shal be spirituall we shall nede no helpe to oure naturall necessitie Then shall the externall things be channged Before that come to passe nothyng is to be innouate of oure customably lyfe But all Gods ordinances are to be obserued and vertue is to be exercised in them For they are no hinderance to Christes religion Neither doth CHRIST regard of what cōdition and state thou art of For in hym is neither man nor woman Lord nor seruant neither superior neither inferior neither circuncision neither vncircuncision but a new creature And whan that is gotten as touching other things that thou hast he changeth nothing But commandeth the in that kynd of lyfe to shewe obedience to God and to care diligently for it Wherfore there are no more things set forth in the hystory of the shepheards than that they praysed and glorified GOD. They cast no new additiō to Gods religion to institute after that new ceremonies in solitarie places and to lyue a strange lyfe cōtrarie to the common example worshipping God with contemplations For this is not Gods seruice nor true religion but it is as much as to despise obedience due to God and to delight them selues in their owne inuentions and phantasies Wheras this is the true worshipping of God to execute diligently that kynde of lyuing as God gaue them to be content with thy state to desyre no more Thynke for a suertie that it is thy duetie to beautifie order that person that is geuen to the of God and nature that euery man in his degree may know God and glorifie hym This seruice is pleasant and acceptable to God if it be done God requireth not a garmēt of heare neither fasting neither a coule But that thou shouldest obey his word glorifie his sōne He is pleased with this seruice and with no other The Prophetes describe the great wrathe of God when they rebuke the hypocrites on this wyse Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me take to your selues your burnt offringes with your offered beastes If I hunger I will not tell you The world is myne and the plentie therof I gaue ye no cōmaundement as touchyng burnt offrings c. But this did I cōmande ye Heare my voyce glorifie my name and geue thankes I gaue beastes vnto you to eate therof but you referre them to my worshyppyng seruice as though I should receaue them at your handes By the which and suche lyke the Prophetes declare that it was also at that tyme their duetie to entreat men of the change and mutation of theyr heart and inward sence This dothe God require especially by his word And as for the residue it causeth no change or mutation in our kyndes and vocations of lyfe Loke what soeuer any man hath to do after his inward renouation let hym shewe his odedience with diligence therin And this truely is the ecclesiasticall doctrine in the example of the shepheardes that they returned wyth thankfulnes and ioy They do that that belonged vnto shepeheardes as they dyd before onely this ioyned therunto that they praise and glorifie God There is an euident example of this in Vitis Patrum of a certayn man whiche semed to hym selfe very holy And when he would be more certayne hereof what place degree he should haue in heauen he was bounde to a mynstrell to learne by his example what should be his degree He demanded therfore of him by what thyngs he could do his duetie The mynstrel answered by no speciall thyng but in that he bestowed his worke and labour on the husbandmē when they daunce and that where as his companions woulde at a certaine tyme haue rauyshed a maiden he letted them and defended the mayde agaynst wrong Not long after he would knowe the seconde tyme also the same thyng And he was cōmanded to go to two maried womē Neither dyd they geue hym any other answer when they wer demaunded of their duetie then the mynstrell did before but that she dyd vse no other holye exercise in her lyfe than in seyng to her familie and children and to cause them to doo the best they can with all diligence And that euer she endeuoured to haue this commoditie to refrayn from braulyng and chidynge He learned so muche by these two examples that he confessed openly to bee no kynde of lyuynge so vile that is to be despised and that a man can no where lacke occasion to doo the woorkes of charitie and godlynes and that GOD dothe allowe obedience in all kynde of lyuynge Peraduenture thys was not doone in dede yet was it necessarye that such a fame shold be spread wyth wysedome that the world myght auoyde monkerye For Christianitie and pleasyng of God consysteth not in externall obseruations but in the inward hearte where as thou mayste this thynke surely that Iesus is thy Sauioure and haue thy truste in hym for this be myndful and kynd and prayse hym And after that God wyll not count the common practises of this lyfe for vnpure thynges Wherfore we must stick surely by this and beware that Christen righteousnes be not separated frome the worde and that it be not coupled with appoynted vestures whiche are oftentymes for theyr coloure worthy to be iested at That is surely a very fond thynge and contrary to the propre and true sentence of Christian godlynesse which the hearte requireth Let there be outwardly no change but as God hath called euery man and as it is vsed in mens honest conuersation and custome And this trade oughte to endure to the ende of the lyfe and to the lyfe to come when the body also shall be rydde and strypped cleane from all his fylthynes and impedimentes The which thyng god graunt vs thorough the healpe of oure Lorde Iesus CHRIST Amen The sonday before Newe yeares daye ¶ The Gospell Luke ii ANd his father and mother meruailed at those thinges which were spoken of him And Simeon blessed them and said vnto Mary his mother Behold this childe is appointed to be the fall and risyng again of many in Israel and for a signe whiche is spoken againste And moreouer the sworde shal pearce thy soul that the thoughtes of many heartes may be opened THE EXPOSITION THe chiefest part of this Gospel is that Simeon doth prophecie of Christ his kingdome howe
that they be vexed as dyuels for as much as they doo not only refuse this holsome doctryne but persecute it also with all spite and despise it very prowdlie I perceaued not this before that I learned the Gospell but thought that the holy Ghoste had reigned in their doyng And this is the pith of this saying whereas Simeon saith that Christ shall open the thoughtes of mennes heartes But why doth he open them Truely for oure instruction coÌ„forte To instructe vs after this sorte that we be not offended and troubled when the folishenes of such men betrayeth it selfe For this matter can not be without admiratioÌ„ when these goodly and wise princes other good meÌ„ procede to such madnes that they can not suffer the word of God but do curse it moste wickedlye For this thing the Gospell geueth succoure and openeth this mysterie Before tyme the thoughtes of the hearts were secret but now coÌ„meth he forth that both is in dede also called the opener of the heartes He doth so open the secretes that it may appeare what mennes thoughtes be whiche neither they them selues neither any other knew before and yet were they to be opened for they were no better before than now but they were ouer couered with a colour that they could not be seen and the thoughtes of the heartes lay hyd But now after that the Gospell is set foorth it appeareth as playne as the sonne what was hyd before euen a very pit of al myschefe And there is no state of maÌ„ wherin it goeth not after this sorte ye as well amongest the hye Lords as the low loordaynes And look how much the better and holyer they be in both partes so much the more they hate the Gospell and are full of poyson and blaspheming of God And that Momus thought to be omitted in the perfecte making of man that is accomplished by the Gospell euen an open place to se into the heart and breast that the priuities of the heartes may be seen and that nothing according to the saying of Simeon may be hyd SecoÌ„darily this opening of the heartes is for oure confort seing the world can be brought by no meanes to allow Gods word and yet it sheweth outwardly a great pretence of holynes that we should not feare it but thinke this surely that whatsoeuer apperance of righteousnes ther be yet for as much as it is found giltie in this vyce euen that it can not abyde Gods word but persecute it that it is condemned with the dyuell and with all that thereto belongeth and that all his holines and workes are but counterfaited For if things be considered by their proper nature it is no euill thynge to be indued with wisdome rightousnes and sobernes But this is euill when excellent vertues be vsed for clokyng of most greuous synnes that is of cursing God and persecutynge his worde Uirginitie is muche craked of as it is in dede a rare and great gifte But what commendation woldest thou leaue for that Uirgin that woulde commit murder The commendation of this gyfte shoulde not seme so great seing it is ioyned wit suche a great crime that it myghte be thought worthie of lyfe Lykewyse also goeth the matter in this case it is accordinge to the sayinge of Simeon speakynge this vnto Marye Thy sonne shall conuicte the worlde of greate crimes of thefte of man slaughter of murderynge of fathers and that euen them that are nowe almost counted for gods He shall so open them and their heartes that they shall declare euidentlye themselues to be the extreme enemies of god This hypocrisie is now to be suffered wherin the outwarde apperaunce hydeth greate offences but this will not continewe longe Let CHRIST onely come abrode with his gospell and it shal be euident that all the worlde is full of leude persons of the enemies of God of theues and robbers They can not pacientlye suffer themselues this to be named yet before GOD they can not purge themselues of these crimes For althoughe the outwarde lyuynge be vpright yet is there this faulte that there is so greate vngodlines in them that they can not suffer gods worde whiche can make good that this name is most agreable to men For the tounge and handes are with a lytle thynge and by a smale occasion driuen to slaughter wheras the hearte before is ful of slaughter This vice is opened by the Gospell whiche otherwise no man could knowe and no man also beleue Wherfore Simeon addeth nowe furthermore in his spech to Mary A sworde saieth he shal perse thy soule For she was faine to behold and fele this outragiousnes of the world and not only she but all the vniuersall churche Nowe it is vnpossible for a man to see all this without sorowe and greate trouble of minde As Peter sayeth by Loth. That he dwelled amongest them being a righteous man both in seing and hearyng from day to day vexed his righteous soule with their vnrighteous workes This is then the sworde that perseth the hearte that is to saye the hearte is tormented for that the wickednes of the worlde is so greate and so full of dissimulation and worketh in the meane tyme all kynd of iniuries and infamies against God and his saintes And this is one of the crosses of Christian men euen the sorow of the hearte whiche passeth all other thynges that greue them and causeth them beinge so vexed to groue for payne Whiche when they haue doubtles the paynes of the wicked tarrieth not longe after And this is spoken as touchyng the Prophecie of Simeon With this prophecie of Simeon is ioyned the hystory of Anne the Prophetesse which testifieth preacheth also herselfe through the holy ghost of christ Of her this reporteth the Euangeliste How she serued God daye and nyght in prayer and fastynge This do our aduersaries the Papistes caste in our teth as thought it made for them Wheras yet we neuer denied that God must be serued with fastynge prayer For seing that fastynge that is temperance in eating and drâ—â—kynge and prayers also are commanded of God we also count them to be a portion of gods seruice For obedience is commanded But the Papistes are not content with this but they cast an addition therto requiringe that this obedience shoulde belonge to the obtayninge of remission of synnes and euerlastyng lyfe But we denie that precisely and answere with the angel that that is don only by the child Iesu which is called Iesus and a Sauiour that he maye saue his people from their synnes But here let vs make an end and cal to god for his grace that he will be mercifull vnto vs defende vs against al offences and geue vs so muche power that we maye rise in Christ and neuer stumble with offence at his doctrine the which thinge Christ our Lord vouchsalf to graunt vs. Amen The Circumcision of Christ and of the Iewes The fyrst
excuse of their ignorance as though they knew not that this kyng was borne For they were troubled by the tydinges of the wyse men yea and for a greater witnes also they declare to Herode and to the wyse men the place wher Christ should be borne Wherfore they are conuicted both by their owne record and also by the record of the wyse men that this kings byrth was not vnknowen vnto them The doctrine therfore of this example is put forth to vs that we should looke for no other ways No man can come vnto this chyld or fynd hym but he that foloweth the word as a leader and neuer goeth from it the bredeth of a nayle For if we let passe the word we stumble euery where This chyld is to lytle regarded and to muche despised Wherfore it is not possible but the reason muste nedes stumble and be offended euerye where when it considereth with how great pouertye this chyld was borne into the worlde For what other thyng is all his lyfe els but very pouertye myserie affliction calamitie contempte reproche He therfore that setteth a syde the word and careth not what he heareth or what be preached of this chylde but will onely take his eies for his iudges in this matter can be no more ioyned with Christ than the Iewes were And this thinge is most perillous when it is done in the conscience As the example of the papistes doth testifie whiche omitte the worde applie their mynd to suche Imaginations that they phantasie Christe to be such a one as they conceaue of their wit and reason They allowe not this in hym that he onlye sholde be their sauior wherfore they patche therto their workes and looke for saluation as well by thē as by Christe They praye vnto Marie also that she maye recōcile her sonne to them And in suche prayer they holde opinion that she is a Sauiour where as it is not so in dede but a very false imagination For what soeuer is bestowed in the serche of Christ without the word all that goeth to the dyuell whiche afterwarde causeth men to thynke this that Christ is a iudge and appoynteth moste cruell punyshementes for men but he that wolde not be confounded in his presence must be well defenced with the intercessions of Sainctes of Mary Wherfore this was a maner in the popedome to put more trust in theyr supplications then in Christe hym selfe And it can neuer come to any other poynte where as the worde is caste asyde And verily the dyuell because he vnderstandeth that hys chief safegard of al his matters consisteth therin he laboreth all that he can to make men forsake the worde and to folow their own imaginations For he perceaueth that by this means he shal be sure to haue the victorie ouer vs. Wherfore nothynge is more necessarye then to hold fast by the word to haue no other trust as touchyng matters that belong vnto godlynes and holynes than as the worde it selfe prescribeth but this is not so easye for men to beleue and to persuade them selues There be many that can not be entreated to beleue the wordes of the Lordes Supper They will beleue no more then their reson and sence can perceaue Thei beholde the worke it selfe without the word and they see no other thyng than bread and wyne But this is nothyng els then to behold the outward shale and to let passe the thyng which is in Christes wordes The wise men also had first high cogitatiōs as touchyng Christ when it was opened vnto them by God euen that a kyng of the Iewes was borne They take their iorney forthwith to Ierusalē thinkyng that they shold fynd this king there in his noble court and gorgious palaice For what other thing could reason conceaue in suche matters But when these thoughts are without the word they come soone to nought neyther do they find the child at Ierusalem which neuertheles was the holy citie and habitation of God They must nedes haue the word to bryng them to Christ. This is the true starre and sonne which leadeth to this chyld Wherfore this example of the wise men is to be counted a singular an excellent thyng where as they remoue out of their eies and hearts all their thoughtes which they and other men had and folow the worde which was put forth to them out of Micheas the prophete For they ar abashed and offended when they be sent into an other place frō Ierusalem where the true seruice of God was and where God abode hymself from God himselfe and his temple vnto Bethleem a vile town wheras neuertheles they cam not to salute any person of lowe degree or any workeman but the kyng of Iewes They folow the word streight way and care nothyng for any other thoughtes They haue onely respect to this what Micheas sayth they sticke sure to that This faithe is a thyng of no common example For if I had ben in this case I wold not haue departed from the Temple For where is it more like that the kyng of Iewes should be found which is so famous than where God hath his habitation where the priesthode and all the religion hath his fundation But it goeth otherwyse with this kyng He alloweth it not that his place should be amonge the priestes at Ierusalem as he is neither at this tyme founde with the Pope and his congregation But he gothe about rather to abrogate and take away both the priesthode and the kyngdome where as they had so great confidence in these thynges in that they were the Priestes Leuites and people of God and had his temple This dothe Christe thynke that it ought not to be suffered For suche a defilyng of the Temple priesthode and of all the seruice myght not be suffered or if they would stubbornely procede in suspendynge it Moyses and all the seruice was to be disanulled for that prophanation and defylynge As at laste it came to passe But the obedience of the wise men commeth of true godlinesse and therefore they haue theyr dooynges confirmed by GOD soo that theyr waye is shewed vnto them frome Ierusalem vnto Bethleem and to the house where the chylde was by a Starre And they hadde no lyttell neede this to be confirmed least they shold be offended by that strange sight Pouertie was euidente euery where Ioseph and Marye were not at theyr owne home The Chylde was layde in a maunger There were there no thynges necessarye How shold this be with suche a great kyng It might rather be counted a thynge woorthy to be laughed at But the good wyse men bee not offended with suche thynges but regard rather the saying of the Prophet and the signe of the Starre Wherfore how soeuer the matter gothe they geue and perfourme that honoure due vnto the kynge they fall downe before the chylde and worshyp hym they open theyr treasure and take foorth a kyngly present And this
we yelde or be discoraged by thē For although al things are ful of miseries paynes yet this recōpenseth maketh amendes for them al in that that God doth greatly fauour matrimonie and is especially delighted with this functiō of the maried This felicitie is worthy of thanks great ioy that he maketh vs partetakers therof excludeth not vs out of this most gloriouse sacrarie and acceptable state If thou shalt be vexed with pouertie thou must not despaire As he declareth here in this mariage that he is delighted with such helpinge of the maried This ought now to be learned out of this Gospell and we must call for the helpe of God that we may neuer forget it and that we neuer cease diligently to serue oure vocation according to the commaundement of God to whom be glorie for euer Amen The thyrd Sonday after the twelfth day vpon the Gospell Math. viii WHEN he was come downe from the mountayne muche people folowed hym And beholde there came a Leper and worshipped hym saying Master if thou wilt thou canste make me cleane And Iesus put foorth his hande and touched him saying I will be thou cleane And immediatly his leprosie was clensed And Iesus sayd vnto hym Tell no man but go and shewe thy selfe to the Priest and offer the gifte that Moses commaunded to be offred for a witnesse vnto them And when Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came vnto him a Centuriō and besought him saying Master my seruaunt lieth at home sicke of the paulsey and is greuously payned And Iesus said when I come vnto him I will heale him The Centurion aunswered and said Syr I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe but speake the worde only and my seruaunt shal be healed For I also am a man subiect to the auctoritie of another and haue souldiers vnder me and I say to this man go and be goeth and to another man come and he commeth and to my seruaunt do this and he doth it When Iesus heard these wordes he meruayled and saide to them that folowed hym verily I say vnto you I haue not foūde so great faith in Israel I saye vnto you that many shal come from the East and West shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen but the chyldern of the kingdome shal be cast out into vtter darkenes there shal be weping gnashing of teeth And Iesus sayde vnto the Centurion Go thy way and as thou beleuest so be it vnto thee and his seruaunt was healed in the selfe same houre THE EXPOSITION TWo things are set forth before vs in this Gospell The first of the leapre whom the Lord doth purifie The other of the Centuriō which asketh help of Christ for his sick chyld And the Euāgelist sheweth that Christ did these miracles forthwith after the lōge sermon which he made in the mountaine For this was the very meaninge of his so doing that first he might teache afterward cōfirme his doctrine by signes that all might iudge this doctrine to be true and without fraud beleue it the more gladly We haue no nede of miracles For the doctrine is so cōfirmed with them alredy that no man can doubt therof Yet neuerthelesse is this very requisite that they especially which beare the office of teaching pronoūce not only the words of godlines but also shewe and declare their godly life by the works of godlines For the kingdom of God cōsisteth not as Paul saith in words but in power Wherfore when the doctrine and lyfe agree they moue the hearers earnestly but when the lyfe accordeth not to the doctrine this is an occasion of stumblinge to manie And now these signes are not only to be cōsidered as testimonies of the doctrine For where as they passe al power might of men reason it self also is cōstrayned to subscribe herevnto As the example of Nicodemus is plain That no mā can do these signes except God be with him Wherfore these thinges also ought to be takē for exāples of faith charitie For who may not perceaue the gentle heart of Christ his redy wil where as he is moued with a worde to bestowe this gifte of health wher as otherwise there was no hope of helpe in al the goodes of the world This is a sure token that he wil gladly ease the poore the miserable the wretched and the vexed or els he wold haue folowed oure exāple which when we are wrothe behaue oure selues frowardly chorlisly to thē that come vnto vs to desyer oure helpe This doth not Christ. The leaper had scars lie ended his speche but the Christes will was ready to helpe and dyd helpe hym This benignitie of Christ shold not only moue vs to aske helpe of hym in trouble and aduersitie and to be of a sure hope that he wil not denie vs his helpe But ought also to be an example vnto vs to shewe lyke gentlenes and benignitie to oure neighboure And as Christ dyd so we should haue no other respecte then the obedience whiche we owe vnto God the profite and commoditie of oure neighboure For Christ seketh not his owne glorie or profit by this benefite He only hath respecte to this that this miser lacketh help that it pertayneth to the glorie of God that obedience may be shewed vnto him For thinke not that this is done to God when thou geuest a benefit to him that can requite it and recompence lyke or more for it This thou doest to thy selfe wher as thou sekest thy owne profite by doing good But he that will occupie hym self wel in doing his duetie toward God and his neighboure let hym not haue respecte to his owne profyte but only to the vrgent miserie whiche requireth present helpe And to that where as God wold haue it done yea although the least profite in the worlde should come vnto vs therby yea or although the benefit were but loste vpō a chorle As we are taught also in an other historie where as Christ healeth the ten leapers and one only returneth to geue thāks to Christ. Nine of them dyd not as muche as remember of whom they receaued that benefite It is not possible but that Christ dyd forsee this vnkyndnes Yet he refuseth not for this to do good to the misers When they call on him he is redie to helpe and as for the residue he committeth al to God And lykewyse may it be sayde of charitie in the second signe with the Centurion Christ referreth all to this ende that the goodnes and bounteousnes of the Lord may be glorified and the miserable ridde of their miseries This is true charitie which hath respecte to nothing sauing to the word of God and commandemente The example of faith is meruailous where as this miserable person that was by the lawe forbydden the companye and felowshippe of mē commeth to Christ without doubting and falleth flat
God vntyll at laste they yealde them selfe wholly into the kyngdom of the deuill And so shall they haue at the last a worthy reward of their foly and madnes neyther is there any other ways for them Withoute these troubles and miseries there can bee no man lyuynge although the Gospell be away There are always mutuall wronges hatreds battailes c. The imperie of Rome which neuertheles was most mightiest in power coulde not be without calamities diuers cōmotions yea before they hadde the Gospell Wherfore it ought not to be imputed to the Gospell in that they wer plagued after the receiuyng of the Gospel All the faut therof lyeth in the deuyll and in our vnkyndnes The dyuell can not abyde the Gospelle he woulde haue it wholly destroyed and for that cause he stirreth vp so great tempestes at the commyng therof and by howe muche the clerer the lyght of the Gospell goeth abrode so muche the more cruell and greuous is the deuyll agaynst it But God is moste offended with oure vnkyndnes for that that we regarde not suche a greate treasure and wyll not suffer oure selues to bee helped in a matter that bryngeth death He punisheth the vnkynde as it is mete with all calamities and plagues that men may perceaue that there is no helpe in idols against these euyls And this is the first part of the thre matters whereof wee purposed to entreate If thou lykest the state of Christianitie refuse not to abide tempests But if thou doo not thou shalte not be violently handled therfore but thou shalt perceaue what thou haste doone when thou muste suffer the agonie of deathe The seconde part is as concernyng Faith which in temptations agonies fleeth to Christ and awaketh hym This also is worthy to be printed in mynde For our aduersaries the Papistes doo all that they can to deface faith But they greatly extoll fre will But they should wyshe for this that they might be receyued into this shyppe that they myght at the lest proue what power and strengthe free will hath in temptation and daunger The apostles fele how the matter goeth For although their faith was very smalle yet if this smalle faith had not ben they would haue despaired through their free wyll and sunke downe with desperation but when there is but a lyttell fayth as Christ witnesseth sayinge O you of lytle faithe they are helped so that they doo not vtterly perishe They flee to Christ they wake hym they call to hym for helpe If a small and lytle fayth can doo so muche what can a greate and stronge fayth doo As of late the examples of the leapre and Centurion declared Wherfore freewylle when his vertue and strengthe was moste requisite was nothyng at all It vanysheth away and can not stande styffe Then man feleth no other wayes to escape peryll but by wepyng and cryinge and wysheth hymselfe afarre of That is to saye freewyll can geue no comforte in peryll but casteth vs into desperation by a lytle more and more so that at the last they tremble at the sounde of a leafe blowen by the wynde But Faith although it be litle and weake yet standeth and striueth against desperation As it is perceyued in this place by the Disciples For the waues fell so vehemently that they couered the shyppe who would not be afrayde in suche a doubtfull danger and peryll But Faithe although it be but lytle yet it standeth sure as a rocke of the sea and as lytle Dauyd holdeth vp hym selfe agaynst great Goliad comyng towarde hym that is agaynst deathe synne and all daunger It despaireth not but seketh helpe there as it should that is of CHRIST It styrreth hym out of slepe it cryeth Lorde saue vs wee peryshe So is Faithe wonte to doo Althoughe destruction and myschiefe hangeth ouer vs yet it looketh and prayeth for helpe As sayth the Psalme I beleued and therfore I haue spoken and prayde For no man can praye excepte he beleue And free wyll can not doo it For it onely beholdeth the peryll and daunger but it consyderethe not the persone of whome he must aske helpe in suche a tyme. Neyther can a man be defended against synne and deathe by any thyng that belongeth to free wyll But faythe be it neuer so lytle yet dothe it apprehend Christe and obteyneth helthe And if this faythe were strong and sure as was the fayth of Ionas the Prophete whiche endured in the whales bealy thre days they myght haue sayde to the sea and whaues We no thynge feare you neyther all your ragyng and vnrulynesse we shall haue a quiete hauen agaynste youre wronges in the myddest of youre surges for to escape all perylle This is therfore true Faith which hath not respect onely to thynges presente as hath freewyll and therfore it feareth and dispaireth but it considereth the promyse whyche is not yet presently perfourmed and in the myddest of mischiefe hopeth for saluation Wherfore although he be in the middest of the wide chaws of deathe yet he casteth not of hope of saluation but trusteth constantely that he shall come to lande As it appeareth in this place in the small faithe of the disciples Wherfore faith is a thing of no common small efficacitie neither is it without strength but it is the power of God which cōmeth not by fre will but by the word through working of the holy ghost Our aduersaries the papists know not this for if they knew it they wold not set thēselues so stoutly against this sentēce wherin we say that only faith iustifieth saueth that is only faith bringeth comfort when synne death hell and damnation falleth on vs sheweth all their poison against vs. wherfore they ar only fierce and stout when the sea is calme the wether fayre But when a dark cloude stādeth ouer the hed that maketh it to seme night and winter when the water waxeth darke There dothe their heartes fall into their heles and desperation ensueth forthwith For they haue no faythe but freewyll whiche is voyde and without helpe because it forgetteth the worde of God and fyndeth no where any place of refuge And this a very dangerous thyng that Christ sleapeth when they are in peryll of death and lyfe Which thyng perchance came hereby for that he was wearye of teachyng in the day and praying and fightynge against temptations in the nyght For this doo I surely thinke that he was muche vexed in the night season of the diuell whiche tempted hym As he complaineth in the .88 Psalme I am poore and in greate trauaile from my youth I haue dronk of thy wrath and was troubled And this was the cause that he was counted of the people a melancholike person which shewed mery countenance but seldom but went musyng and hangyng downe his heade shewyng outwardlye no pryde or stoute stomacke And although this slepe had a trewe cause yet it behoued that
attentiuely here Gods worde and studiously exercise thē selues therin They must desire of God the holy ghost and neuer cast away Gods worde they must always be ready to fight against the deuyll and his subtilties desiryng God alwais to send them helpe defence and pacience And such men waxe perfect christians wher as contrarywise they that thinke it Gods will not to be that all should be saued either they fall into desperation or els into a dissolute careles liuing whiche afterward nothing differ frō beasts in their cōuersatiō whilest that they thynke on this wise Now it is decreed alredy whether I shal be saued or damned Why then should I bestow labour in vayn But thou sholdest not on this wise take thy beginnyng where thou shouldest haue ended This commaundement of God is put forth before thee that thou shouldest beleue in Christ that he is thy sauiour that hath satisfied for thy synnes This cōmandement must thou folow And if thou felest that thou haste no faith or very litle pray to god for the holy ghost and doubt not Christ is thy sauiour and thou arte predestinate to be saued yf thou beleuest that is if thou with a sure faithe trustest in hym and commyttest thy selfe vnto hym The which GOD graunt vs all through the same our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen Amen The Sonday called Sexagesima ¶ The Gospell Luke viii WHen muche people were gathered together and were come to him out of al Cities he spake by a similitude The sower went out to sow his sede and as he sowed some felle by the waye side and it was troden downe and the foules of the ayre deuoured it vp And some fell on stones and assone as it was spronge vp it wythered away because it lacked moystnesse And some felle amonge thornes and the thornes sprang vp with it and choked it And som fell on good ground and sprang vp bare fruict an hundreth folde And as he saide these thynges he cried He that hath eares to heare let hym heare And his disciples asked him sayinge What maner of similitude is this And he said Unto you it is geuen to knowe the secretes of the kyngdome of God but to other by parables that when they see they should not see and when they heare they shoulde not vnderstand The parable is this The sede is the words of God Those that are besyde the waie are they that heare then commeth the deuyll and taketh away the worde out of their heartes least they should beleue and be saued They on the stones are they whiche when they heare receyue the worde with ioy and these haue no rootes which for a while beleue and in tyme of temptation go awaie And that whiche fell amonge thornes are they whiche when they haue hearde go foorthe and are choked with cares and richesse and voluptuous lyuyng and brynge foorth no fruite That whiche fell in the good ground are they which with a pure and good heart heare the worde kepe it and bryng foorth fruite through pacience THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell are put foorth fower kynd of disciples that heare the word of God to th end that euery man shold cōsider with himselfe of what sort he him self is of and endeuour with all diligence to be made a part of that good ground and soile that he maye bee fruictfull The first saith Christ be as the sede cast by the hie way and that can bring forth no fruict For because it is either trode vnder foote or deuoured of birdes The second are they that heare and professe it not onely in worde but beleueth so groweth as though it wold bryng forth fruict as that doth that is sowed amongest stones but yet they can not abyde heate for that they can not deepely caste their rootes and so by iuyce and moysture saue them selues agaynste heate Wherfore they when there cometh any tempestuous persecution and temptation wyther away before they yelde fruict in pacience long suffering and hope The third sort at most easiest to be knowen They are christians and as a man would saye sede vnder thornes which although it bringeth forth blade yet before haruest it is ouergrowen of thornes and choked vp But the fourth ar true disciples whē a pure mynd is ioyned with the word is not cast out therof vntil it bring forth fruict in paciēce For they suffer all things for the wordes sake their study is wholly to loue obey God yeldeth fruict a thousand fold And these ar the foure sortes of mē that hear the gospel Now let euery mā search himself cōsider of which sort he is of For thre of them be naught vnfruictful And specially the first are worst of all which heare the word when it is herd saith Christ the diuel cōmeth taketh the word out of their heartes that they may not beleue be saued Marke this wel For by myne owne iudgement I wold neuer haue thought that the herts whilest thei hear the word of God ar besieged assaulted of the diuel that though they here it yet litle regard it neuer remēber it but vtterly forget it It semeth to our resō to be but a chaūce that these mē are so careles light negligēt enē as it is a natural vice of negligēt forgetfull persons to take litle hede to things that ar most profitable necessary And it semeth also to be a like matter to our iudgemēt whē the word of God is heard not regarded but forthwith forgottē But Christ iudgeth other wise euē that the diuel stealeth the word out of the herts of mē And here ye se what ye ought to iudge of those men that ar forgetful when they here the word For thei behaue themselues so afterwarde as though they had neuer heard it They can not trust that they haue the holy ghost for the deuil is so nigh thē that he putteth his hand into their heart stealeth out the worde Wherfore all kind of vice must nedes ensue therof stubbornesse disobedience vnfaithfulnes iniquitie filthines diuelish desire to reuenge For if the word remained still in the heart they had herd it attentiuely it wold haue garnished their heartes with true obedience faith modestie mercie such lyke vertues And these are the first worst of al. Christ is not a littell offended with these vntoward persons and therfore he rebuketh none so sharply as them For this he opēly affirmeth that the dyuels flying in the aire steale the word out of their hertes that they may not regard it nor set so much by it nor thinke it to be so great a faulte if men lightly esteme the voyce of Gods worde But if thou wilte knowe how this trespas is to be iudged heare the iudgement of Christ which without doubt vnderstandeth better thā al the wisedom of the world can And he saith precisely that the diuel doth it wherfore whersoeuer any such be that
here the word yet ar no more moued therby then blocks as we se the plaine experieÌ„ce herof by the examples of the couetous byers and sellers of husbandmen and townes men and especially of our aduersaries the Papistes which regarde the doctrine of the gospell no more than the wolfe dothe the lambe Thinke here verilye that the diuell dwelleth in their hearts and swaloweth vp al the word of God that coÌ„meth therein that they may not beleue be saued For if the diuel wer not present or if this forgetfulnes came of nature as we se that one man hath a better remeÌ„braÌ„ce memory then an other yet the ferueâ—t desyre losse of it would constrayn hym to thynk this How miesrable am I that I can not remember muche O Lord bee mercyfulle to me and fashion thou my mynde that I may regard and marke these thynges whiche are set foorth vnto me in thy Gospel With such as on this wise thirst after the worde and embrace it with their full wyl the deuil can not preuaile For this hartie desyre and the deuyll can not abyde together But these forsayde persones that are described of Christe care not a iote when Gods word is sente vnto them No they thynke it not so muche worthe as is a lytle gaynes or lucre Lette no man thynke otherwise but that these men are in the deuils power And verily the greatest part of men ar of this sort they here the word and regard it not because the deuill plucketh it out of their heartes The other two sorts ar not so wicked but ar weake they despise not to be instructed they begyn well and are delighted therwith Wherfore Christ doth not here say that they are so farre in the diuels daunger as the fyrst are although neuerthelesse there appeareth not in them the true fruites of godlynes that should therof consequently succede And first ar they of both that in tyme of persecution temptation forsake the worde Which after the maner of corrupt fruicte as long as they are not shaken with the wynde abyde in their place with the other but as soone as a tempest ryseth shaketh the tree they fall of one after an other So they also accordyng to Christes wordes for a tyme beleue but when they see the crosse commyng they can not abyde that terrour and they seke how to be out of danger as the multitude dothe So that here can not folow the fruite of euerlasting life nor any other good fruict that springeth of the worde and faith The thyrd be they that for loue of worldly riches pleasures regard not the worde For he that is geuen to worldly cares seketh sercheth scrapeth togither bestoweth all labour that he can to get hym store of riches This man ouerladeth his heart as Christ saith in Luke and so it cometh to passe that the fruicte of godlynesse is choked vp euen as the corn is with thornes Substance must be gotten by labour and euery man acording to his vocation is bouÌ„d therin to shew industrie and diligence as God hath coÌ„manded But when al the mynd care is bent al thy heart wholly addict geueÌ„ to such kynd of study care that almost thou studiest nothyng els this is that mischief of thornes that presseth down Gods word that it cannot grow vp to bring forth fruit For it is not studied as it shold be but other things are alwais set more by then it And these are the thre sortes in whom Gods word taketh no place neither can it bryng forth in them the feare of euerlastyng lyfe which thing is not to be couÌ„ted any small losse Wherfore Christ exhorteth all that heare saith Se that ye geue good eare For to him that hath shal be geuen and to hym that hath not shall that also be taken from hym that he thinketh that he hath By these wordes it appereth that he speaketh of no light matters For it is no litle daunger thus to neglect and contemne the word As when a maÌ„ doth this deuise with hymselfe I wyl without cessyng vse my customable trade in bargainyng in occupying in gaynyng in winnyng in takyng my pleasure in folowing my heartes lust and in dissemblyng what I thynk of gods truthe and worde I shall haue tyme sufficient to heare it and to lyue accordingly therunto hereafter when I shal haue more leisure to take the fruition of my goodes But take diligent hede that thou be not preuented in making thyne accompt Thou knowest not how long thou hast to liue neither whether thou shalt euer again haue such oportunitie occasioÌ„ to heare it neither what chaÌ„ce god shal seÌ„d the. And al this deuise is to thyne owne peril danger only Al thy craft shal turne to no mans hurt but to thyne owne Wherfore heare Christ when he warneth thee He that hath eares to heare let hym hear By the which saying he meaneth that we shold not in this busines prolong lynger and delaye the tyme as it is the maner of vs all Begynne nowe sayth he whyle thou hearest to study for this that death may not come out of season Wherfore let vs so order our selues that we maye be in the fowerth sort although it be small Let vs by prayer and diligence so prouide that our mynde be not sinistrall and vntoward Let vs regarde the worde of God and kepe it and bryng forth good fruicts And of this sorte is the company of sainctes I meane not of the Pope holy sainctes which are disguysed shorne whyche are Massmongers and fryday fasters whose holynes is in their wedes strange vestures c. But they that heare the word of God wher as contrary wise the Pope his holy ones as it euidently appereth are very extreme persecuters of Gods worde They that heare the word bringeth foorthe fruicte yea a hundred fold that is much and plentifully or as Mathew speketh in parcels som a hundred fold som sixtie fold som thirtie fold For as the ministrations offices ar sundry so are the fruits vnlike The ministration of the precher in the church is better in the coÌ„mon congregation thaÌ„ is the craftesman in rulyng his owne house And yet bothe are Christians made free from synne and death and ordeined heires of euerlasting life through Christ. Let vs be of this number which truly is small But we haue nede of a toward and pure heart as Christ saith that is suche a heart that is not negligent and forgetfull but careth earnestly for Gods woorde For that thynge is fyrst of all necessary that the deuyl may haue no waye in leste he come and steale awaye the word Secondarily it is necessary to haue a strong and a couragious heart and not a feareful dastardly that wyll be moued with terror and dreade or care for mens hatred or fauor For except we loue God aboue all thynges and dread hym the woorde can not longe endure with
night which can not suffer that all thyngs shold be cleane pure and albeit he can not vtterly roote vp altogither yet he mingleth his tares with the residue that is pure Now who can blame gods worde as though it wer the cause of al sects Wherfore let al mē take hede to thēselues by this doctrin For this propretie of the gospell will neuer be other Som shal therby be restored brought to ripe corne But cōtrarywyse the greater part shal alwais remaine vnfruitfull Wherfore here it cōmeth to passe that Christ said in the last part of the Gospell Many are called but few are chosen For when they wil not make their mynds agreable and conformable to the Gospel but hearkeneth rather to the diuel let passe the word they can not by such wickednes please God Wherfore they fal not only into cōmon vulgar sins offēces but also as Christ saith here thei are strikē with madnes blindnes as with a plague for their vnclenlines so that in seing they see not in hearing they vnderstād not nor know not howe that matter stādeth Wherfore let euery mā here beware he fall not neither let him blaspheme the Gospel for it For it neuer cōmeth forth without offences falling which is not the fault of the word but of the malicious diuelish hert As the fault is not in the sede that in the way it bringeth forth no fruit nor amōg stones thorns We must fight agaīst this offēce labor rather that euery mā mai get this sede and praye God that he will fascion forme and frame our heartes through his holye spirite and so prepare a way that when we heare the worde it may perce into our heartes and bring foorth fruict in pacience and that we may obteyn saluation by our faith in Christe whiche the holy ghost by the word of God and the sacramentes worketh in vs. Which thyng God graunt luckily to come to passe Amen The Purification of S. Mary the virgin The first parte of the Gospel Luc. ii ANd when the tyme of their Purification after the law of Moses was come they brought hym to Ierusalem to present hym to the Lord as it is written in the lawe of the Lord euery man chylde that fyrst openeth the matrix shal be called holy to the Lorde and to offer as it is said in the law of the Lord a paire of turtle doues or two yong pigeons THE EXPOSITION IN the historie of this Gospell is set foorth howe the chylde Iesus was presented in the Temple after the time of his mothers in lying And the Euangelist after the maner of the lawe calleth the whole tyme of her lyinge in the dayes of Purification For the same terme is vsed of Moses This was not the law of nature wherfore the Gentiles vsed it not But God dyd constitute this lawe amonge his people for a peculiar purpose that the mother if she brought foorth a man chylde shoulde after .xxxiii. dayes come to the temple but if it were a woman after .lxvi The very same law hath the Pope made for churchyng as it is named of women that haue layne in chyld bed cōmandyng that after certain dayes they should returne to the churche to be purified and halowed of their vncleannesse As though by a certaine lawe they were vncleane therfore vnmete to be present at any holy ceremonies or to haue companie with the congregation But the Pope doth this without right For ceremoniall vncleannes was not natural but a ceremonie cōmanded by a certayne law whervnto none wer bound but the Iewes neither ought other to be yoked with this lawe But this was specially commaunded in the lawe that the first begotten after the forsaid tyme was expired should be presented and dedicate vnto the Lorde For so is it written in Moyses law Euery man child that openeth the matrix shal be called holy to the Lord And that not only of men but of beastes also All that was called the Lords and was the Lordes And herof sprong the prerogatiue and interest of the eldest son or first begottē so that they wer preferred in the priesthode and in other things And because that in so great a numbre of people this wold haue growen to an infinite multitude if al the first begotten should remain in the temple to serue the Lord therfore GOD permitted the parentes to redeme their children by price as by a lambe of one yeres age or by a paire of turtle doues accordynge to euery mans habilitie And so the sonne was restored to his parents and yet was called the chylde of the Lord. Here it appereth that Maries substance was not great for that she offred but a pair of turtill doues whiche was the gyfte of the poorer sorte By this gyfte she redemeth her sonne and so by this meanes confesseth that although she be the true mother yet that it is not her sonne only but the sonne of God also as wel as her owne For he was the first begotten The Turke in this counterfeiteth God where as he taketh from the parentes the most towardest sons and daughters causing them to be brought vp for his vse And this is the cause that he hath such store of mightye warriours But god dealt more gentilly He required the fyrste borne for hym selfe after suche maner that he neuerthelesse gaue power to redeme them and to the ende that the Iewes should knowe theyr God to be suche as delyuered them oute of the bondage of Aegypt and destroyed in one nyght all the fyrst borne of the Egyptians Therfore he commanded that the fyrst begotten of the Iewes for a memoriall of thys wonderfull deliuerance shoulde be presented and offered in the temple And thys lawe is nowe also abrogate and abolyshed neyther are we Christian menne bounde to this law no more then we are to other ceremonies made peculiarly for the Iewes And in all these thinges there is no great thyng for vs to learne except that only wherof we haue entreated before as concerning the circōcision of Christ euen that Christ is vnder the law as though by no right he was subiect nor bound therunto Wherfore this obedience of Christ I will now shew foorth but yet not applying it to such an high degree as I did before For as I applied my doctrine before to the furtherance of rightuousnes before God that is how we were made rightous in the sight of God so nowe lette it be vnto vs an exaumple of charitie and good workes For the humble obedience of the chylde Iesus is so hyghely praysed and sette before oure eies to make vs ashamed for that he by all hys laboure and longe trauaile can not stirre vs to doo halfe our duetie There is so muche crookednesse in vs that we can not doo that that is commaunded to be done vnder peyne of damnation and euerlastynge punyshemente Where as Mary neuerthe lesse whyche was a virgin and
The second Sermon of Simeon in the Temple ¶ The Gospell Luke ii AAnd beholde there was a man in Ierus a lem whose name was Simeon And the same man was iust and godlye and loked for the consolation of Israell and the holy ghost was in hym And an answere had he receyued of the holye ghoste that he shoulde not see death except he first sawe the Lorde Christ. And he came by inspiration into the Temple THE EXPOSITION THis is a notable hystory wherwith is ioyned also a notable Sermon whiche Simeon preached openlye in the Temple as concernynge the childe Iesu. And it pertayneth vnto other reuelations openynge this child to the worlde especially to make him knowen amonge his owne people The fyrste reuelation was made to Marye by the Aungell The second to Ioseph and that also by an Aungell The thyrd by Elizabeth Iohns mother whā she receued mary great with child and when the child sprang in her wombe The fourth by Zacharie Iohns father And although he named not the person yet he declareth euidētly that Christ was cōme that it was the time of Messias to be borne in wheras god being mīdful of his holy couenaunt now performeth it And after these reuelatiōs whiche be fel before Christs byrth other folowed whē Christ was newe borne The firste was of the Angell vnto the shepherdes watchinge their flocke And the shepherds also kepte it not priuie but spred abrod the sermon of the angell euery where After that was there made a reuelation by the starre vnto the wise men And last of al these two reuelations by the testimonie of Simon and Anna the prophetesse which both bare record in the temple of this child That he is the comforth of Israell whiche shall helpe the worlde againste synne and death And first let vs accordyng to the description of the Euangeliste consider the matter as concernyng Simeon And he saieth the texte was a righteous man godly and suche a one that feared God lokyng for the consolation of Israell that is hauing a ful hope that God would shortly fulfill his promesse send Christe And it is a sure token that he had a pefect hope faith in this for that it was reueled vnto him that he shold not see death before he had sene Christ the anointed of the Lord. And this faith was not a vaine opiniō nor rashlye conceaued as men do commonlye imagine in matters that fall by chaunce and fortune But the holy ghost had touched his heart that doubtles by gods worde after that he had considered the prophecie in Genesis That Christ shold come at that time when the sceptre was taken from Iuda and foreiners had it likewise he had caste the count and duly numbred the times as touchyng the weekes of Daniel These prophecies cōpared with the tymes semed plainlye to him that the time was come wherin Christe shold be reueled But this motiō in his minde was wrought by the holy ghost and by his peculier operation that he shold liue vnto that time and see Christ the Lords anointed with his eyes Wherfore by the singuler procurement of the holie ghost when Marye and Ioseph came into the temple to present the childe before the Lorde and to redeme hym by an offeringe Simeon also commeth into the temple not by chaunce or of custome but by the motion of the holy ghost which put in his minde that it was the very houre wherin he might behold the borne Messias in the temple whome he had hitherto loked for Wherfore he toke no doubtful deliberation about the matter when he saw the child but went forthwith and toke him in his armes shewinge therwith all maner of ioye myrth that is accustomed to be shewen in suche greate and comfortable matter And there he pronounceth before them all suche an hartie thankes geuinge vnto God that teacheth that he truely estemeth this gyfte and certified other also of this great matter And he appered to other and especially to the priests not to do this of any custome Simeon semed to them not to haue his right wittes For all that was done was litle estemed the chyld beyng yonge the parents poore and nothing had in estimation But Simeon is nothing moued with this poore shew neither regardeth he the iudgement of other in this behalfe but boldly and frelye affirmeth that this is the very child in whome God hath ordayned succour and saluation not only for the Iewes but for the Gentils also and for all men If a man shoulde demaunde of Simeō howe he knewe this wher as there appered at this tyme in hym no notable thynge more than in other wher as there had ben many before this time more likelye persons whiche for their magnificence might seme more apte for this purpos he might haue had a iuste cause so to haue done Wherfore this is a merueilous case that causeth the parents Ioseph and Mary to wonder when they see this man Simeon without externall signes to perceaue such an inwarde light in this childe as wherby he acknowledgeth Christe notwithstandynge that he was hid by that poore shewe The parents were certifyed of this child what he was by the Angels neither could these thīgs appeare to be opened and reueled to Simeon by flesh bloud And this was a certain token of the church and congregation of GOD at that tyme when certayne were confirmed by reuelations from GOD. They that were chief at Ierusalē as the high priests Herod the Scribes the Leuites and Phariseis dyd not muche regarde the scriptures and the promises as touchyng Messias All their mindes were bent to encrease their power their dignitie their authoritie and riches And amonge them was there a litle number despised and vnknowen of the faythfull Of the which was Mary Ioseph Zacharie Elizabeth the sheppeherds Simeon Anne the prophetesse These had all their hope fired not in wordly things but in the promises as touchinge Christe They looked for them to be fulfilled and with them they comforted themselues and obtayned them as they trusted wheras the hye Priests and suche lyke were sent awaye emptie And after lyke maner is the state of the church at this tyme. There is alwayes a people that is poore hungrye whiche hath God and his worde for their falsegarde That doth it only regard without anye further care Wheras the Pope and his adherentes in the meane time which are named the holy churche knoweth nothing of God nor of Christ nor of his worde For they regard and esteme only things of this worlde boaste themselues for Christian men because that they can do more with their riches and power than the other common sorte in the congregation Wherfore you must beware in both parts that ye be not seduced The hie priest execute the administration yet they are not in the true church And so y◠pope the bishops take vpō thē the gouernance of
and death herein may they haue a sure hope thereof For thus hath God that most mercyfull father prepared and ordeyned it Wherefore hynder not thy selfe by stubborne refusynge of hym For so shalte thou make thy selfe voyde of all comforte and healpe the whiche GOD hathe not onely promysed but also performed it faythfully as Symeon here testifieth And least small credence shold be geuen to those wordes for the shortenesse thereof he addeth thervnto an euident exposition of the wyl of God as touchyng this saluation sayinge To bee a lyght to lyghten the Gentiles and to bee the Glorie of thy people Israell Nowe hee vttereth the matter playnelye that it might be vnderstande which all those people are that God will haue to be receiued Fyrst therfore he saith if thou knowest not whiche be all people they bee the Gentiles and the Iewes Let no man come and mystake my wordes Then that thou maist know whose saluation this is and in what myseries and euyls we must vse him consider that the Gentiles are drowned in all ignorance and darknesse For syth they be without Goddes worde they can haue no certayne knowledge of God They put no difference betwene GOD and the deuyll they feare the deuyll as well as God for their destruction Yea they haue more hope in the deuyl then in God as we are taught by examples And out of this ignorance there procede other synnes idolatrie blasphemye and many other vices And suche are the Gentiles But God prepareth saluation for the Gentiles If they wer not deliuered out of darknes they shold find no saluation for all that euer they can doo Wherefore this sauing helth helpeth them against this ignorance and darknesse geuynge the Gentiles lighte that is the knowlege of God by his word for their saluation These thinges are geuen to the Gentiles which are idolaters and filthy synners through Christ by the appointment and wil of God By this may the louing liberall bounteousnes of God the father be estemed that we flee not from hym for feare of his wrathe or crueltie As Christ saith So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that as many as beleue in hym shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlastynge Wherefore there can be doone no greater dishonour to God then to thynke that he hateth vs for our synnes and that we shall peryshe in our synnes yet this thought causeth gret trouble in our hearts so that the lyght of Gods mercy can scarsly be kindled therin For if we were not combred with this euyll we would not be of suche fearful and desperate heartes whiche dare scarcely in aduersitie and trouble to looke vnto God to his word or put any trust therin And hereby is it now euident again that Simeon bestowed great study in readyng the prophets For he conceaueth not these things of himselfe but as he had marked the tyme by the prophecie of Iacob and Daniell and as he knew by the promise made to Abrahā that this saluation was appoynted to all people and kynredes of the earth that hereby they shold be saued from malediction and curse and be defended against syn and death So learned he also of the prophet Esai that this chylde shoulde be the lyghte of the Gentiles For thus sayth the Lorde by his Prophet Esai It is but a small matter saieth he vnto Christe that thou shouldest be my seruant to stirre vp the tribes of Iacob and to turne the remnant of Israel I haue geuē thee to be a lyght to the Gentiles that thou myghtest be my saluation to the vttermost partes of the earth It is lyke that Simeon exercised hymselfe well in the vnderstandyng of this sentence forasmuch as he applieth it so fitly in this short sermon Wherfore the Gentiles haue a great gyft in this chylde to be their lyght to open vnto them the ioyfull tydynges and to set vp for them a kyngdome of saluation And for this cause was he prepared and brought foorth of God But the Iewes in this behalfe are preferred before the Gentiles for that that God cōmitted vnto them the lawe the Prophets and named them his people Wherefore in this the Iewes haue a greate prerogatiue and preeminence before the Gentiles But what then Is Christ therfore not necessary for the Iewes haue they therfore no nede of his saluation It is sayd before that this saluation belongeth to all Howbeit all are not of lyke state and condition that are healed by this saluation For the Iewes are not suche synners as the Gentiles were as Paule putteth a difference in his epistle to the Galathians yet forasmuche as they are not iustified by the workes of theyr lawe they haue not to glorie before God Wherfore Christ is become their glorie For although that God hath greatly glorified this people in cōfirming their seruice with his word and in geuyng them many other excellente thynges as priesthode and a kyngdome c. yet could they neuer obteyne purenesse of hearte thereby whereby they myghte bee delyuered frome synne and deathe And thys dyshonoure is suche in the presence of Almyghty GOD that they coulde neuer obtayne the trewe and gloryous herytage of God thereby Wherefore Symeon sayth furthermore The Iewes glorye is for that they are not so foolyshe and vnwise as the synners of the Gentiles were But yet it is a greatte dishonoure to theym that where as they haue the lawe yet they are not iustified by the lawe And now is this saluatiō prepared also for them that they myght bee iustified by Faythe in Iesus Christe and so obtayne glorye for that that they coulde not obteyne it by the woorkes of the lawe and that soo they myght be heyres in Gods kyngdome for this saluation Christes sake And thys is veryly a playne and euidente Sermon of CHRISTE shewynge after what sorte Saluation shall be geuen so that all shoulde be saued by hym as by an onely Sauiour and that we shoulde wyth a ioyefull hearte and a constaunte mynde ouercomme the assaulte of deathe and suche other myseryes belongynge therevnto thorough hym And after thys meanynge shoulde the Hystorye of thys feast bee handled and especially for that that Simeon as an exaumple layde before vs sheweth the waye to all teachers But beholde the Pope in hys stage wyth hys hallowed candels Is not thys I praye you necessarye geare to haue leaste any christian man should depart without blessyng of an holy candell And thus hathe the dyuell by his Papistes mocked Goddes Churche and congregation And where as they shoulde haue extolled thys lyghte and glorye of the Gentiles euen thys chylde IESVS they haue in steade thereof ordeyned thys triflyng custome of halowynge Candels that the congregation beynge kepte occupyed thereby myghte not regarde thys trewe and necessarye lyghte Looke what saluation was ordeyned in thys chylde by GOD that haue they taughte to bee in an hallowed candell Then haue they ordeyned also a pompe
his woorde should haue ben taken otherwise And this is the fyrst part of this gospel euen that we should beleue Christes wordes boldely and withoute wauerynge The Pope is ignoraunt of this Faythe But we must knowe that this is the Christian fayth to heare the woorde of God wherein is promysed remission of synne and by no meanes to doubt of it but to beleue constantly and to assent to that promyse although neither reason nor sence vnderstandeth or perceaueth any thynge of this matter And such a fayth and hearte is alwayes requisite to gods worde This faith whersoeuer it bee fyrste it is sure afterwarde to take effecte so that all that obey the worde shall say they were happie that they went not frome faith after the maner of other But the Pope the Turkes and the Iewes shall then curse them selues for that they were so stubborne agaynst the woorde of God And then they shall perceiue the pride and foly of their owne reason But it shall be to late when all hope of saluation is paste This is therfore the doctrine that we go not frō gods word if reason be offended no although it seme without reason contrary to iudgement vain vnpossible But let vs sticke sure to this inuincible argument If God haue said it it is a thyng most certayn demand not whether it be possible but whether God hath spoken it For if God hath spoken he is so mighty true of promise that it may be counted done as soone as it is spoken Wherfore the word of God is forthwith to bee beleued Hee that beleueth not is a blasphemer of God The first cōmandement requireth suche faithe to Gods word that God by this meanes myght be religiously and deuoutly glorified of vs. When we beleue constātly that ther is nothing that he speaketh which commeth not to passe This worde doth God speake vnto vs euery where in the lord supper in baptisme in absolution in the gospel He absolueth vs. Of him we receaue the bodie and bloud of his sonne This must we beleue constantly and thynke it to be true wtout all doubtfulnes This is the firste part of this gospell In the second part the Euangeliste by the example of the blind teacheth vs the crafte to begge euen that we shold lay a syde al shame which is vnprofitable for beggers and neuer cease from crauyng but to be earnest For he that is shamfast colde and weak hearted is sone dashed out of countenaunce and is vnapte to be an oratour or spokes mā He must not be ashamed For god requireth them that make sute vnto hym to be bold and importunat For he taketh delight to haue his glory knowen that he may geue bounteously and that all may vnderstande that it is moste acceptable vnto him when men loke for most at his hāde For he that looketh for a time wherin he maye be worthy to receaue gods gyftes shall neuer be mete to pray Wherfore ther is no better way then to lay a syde al shame and boldly with confidence to open oure griefes and troubles to GOD. Beggers in this behalfe haue no nede of this precepte For they are of their owne accord very troublesome vnto men But God counteth it no trouble or paine as men do but taketh it rather for his renoum to be stirred of vnshamfast beggers to exercise his great liberalitie We haue an exāple of importunitie vnshamfastnes in this blind man All his sute is to obtaine sight Wherfore whē he seeth the multitude passe by first he asketh what this meant Assone as he heard of Iesus he neuer spareth criyng Iesu sō of Dauid haue mercy vpon me They that went before rebuked him to put him to silence But he crieth the more at their rebuke wareth more earnest in prayīg This blind mā is set forth here for an importunat vnshamfast suter wherwith god is greatly delighted Wherfore we ought to take it for an exāple to bolden vs to come vnto Christ to pray before hī Lord I am a sinner graunt that thy kyngdom may cōme vnto me forgeue me my dettes Helpe me in all places He that praieth earnestly after this sorte doth wel god accepteth it thākefully For it is not tedious to god as it is vnto men It is troublesome to vs to be called muche vpō But god coūteth it a glorious thing to him whē we trust most to his liberalitie and goodnes Suche prayers are of greate force to impel God to heare vs. When we after this maner of necessitie entreat him lord this is thy glory this belōgeth to the honor of thy name for me to aske of thee Wherfore cōsider not how vnworthy I am But how muche nede I haue of thy helpe For my prayer vnto thee is to thy glory also for my necessitie And after this maner crauing and almost impudent prayers are acceptable to GOD as it appeareth in this blind man Assone as he begynneth his prayer Christ commandeth him to be brought vnto him all are commanded to make rome for him Nether is the blind mā afrayd he goeth boldly vnto him Christe asketh What wilt thou that I do vnto thee herby is declared his great redines For the blind is put in choice what benefite he wold aske of Christ. Nether doth the blind take lōge deliberatiō Maister sayeth he that I may see the light Christ answereth looke vp therfore christ hath a greater wil to heare thē the blīd to aske And this boldnes is to be vsed of al men in prayer when the Pope reigned there was no such teaching in magnifying of prayers We euer did put more trust in other mens prayers But this rusticall shamfastnes ought to be farre from a Christian. Whensoeuer perill or danger riseth we must not prolonge and doubte we muste go to some solitarie place and shewe forth our destresse necessitie aske helpe of god with the forsaid cōditiō that although we be vnworthie yet that we haue nede of gods succoure that it behoueth god to see to his owne glorie And we must iudge this to be agreable to the office of Christiās when they regard no lawe or ceremonie of shāfastnes in their prayers And god can not but see to our saluatiō profit for his promesse is euidēt Whatsoeuer ye aske in the name of Iesus it shal be done vnto you Only sticke cōstātly to it For he is not offēded with the importune beggyng crauing And it is possible that a feruēt earnest prayer shall out of hāde obtaine wher as contrary wise a cold and weake prayer is longe before it preuaile For feruent prayers impelle enforce god to geue spedie helpe And for this cause I trust that the cōming of Christ is not farre hēce but that it will spedily approche as he putteth forth an exāple of the wydow that called often on that Iudge And at last the iudge which feared neither god nor mā
GOD that he hath geuen so greate vertue power and strengthe to so weake instrumentes For what are we poore men in respect of the deuill Therfore if his power were not repressed by Godes power by his worde c. We were not able somuche as one moment of an howre to stand againste hym But what doth God he kyndleth that poore litle strawe thorowe his worde that heauenlye fyre that it maketh suche a lyght and brightnes in the worlde that the deuill knoweth not wheare to abide so that he must this daye flee from this place to morowe from another place and so vtterly at the last be driuen out In consideration wherof sainct Paule calleth the Gospell the power of God whereby men obtayne euerlastynge saluation that is to saye suche a might and strength as is named the power of God and restoreth man from synne vnto righteousnes from death vnto life from hell vnto heauen from the deuils regiment vnto the kingdome of God These things must we Christians learne and thancke god for them highly esteme his holy worde blessed Sacraments as our moste precious reliques iewels As for the vnfaithful they are not worthye to behold the greate power and maiestie of gods word according to this saying Tollatur impius ne videat gloriam dei Let the vngodly be taken awaye that he see not the glory of god And as Esay saide of the Iewes ye shall heare and not vnderstand ye shall see and not perceyue We therfore are muche bounde vnto God that we haue both knowen and felte the greate maiestie and power of his worde And in this behalfe we ought greatly to reioice that although we be poore and beggerly synners yet we be endowed with suche power as the deuill is not able to abyde Thus see we that this worke amonge the Christians is perpetuall I meane to caste out deuilles to make the dumbe to speake and the deaffe to heare althoughe it be not done corporally For this is a matter of greater wayghte and of more excellencie to caste the deuill out of mens heartes and to driue hym out of their bodies For he sytteth faster in the heart thē in the body But Christ driueth him out corporally also that we with our eyes maye beholde his power and the soner beleue that he will driue him also out of that place where he muste stedfastly syt I meane the hearte yea and that by playne and homely thinges as by the worde by baptisme by the Sacrament of his body and bloude c. These singuler gyftes and noble graces hath God geuen vnto vs and therfore ought wee continually to thancke hym and to vse the same vnto oure comforte againste the deuill that wee by that meanes maye dryue hym out of oure heartes and not be dismayde thoughe he suffer vs to haue no rest in this worlde but continually heape vpon vs afflictions troubles persecutions hatredes of men tormentes of tyraunts and at the laste death For these thinges shall he be paide home at the last daye when without anye returne he shall for euer be caste out into hell fyre there worldes without ende to remayne This is the fyrste part of oure gospell for the whiche we are moste endebtedly bound to geue vnto GOD moste heartie thankes and to reioyce in the same Nowe followeth it in the gospell what the worlde iudgeth of so greate and waightie matters And here are set forth vnto vs in this Gospell three kyndes and sortes of menne whiche diuersly take this miracle of Christe The firste is the best sorte I meane them whiche maruell at this worke of Christ and without doubte geue thanckes vnto God for it These be but fewe in nomber and suche as be of no reputacion whose eyes are opened to see the glorie and power of Gods worde to knowe the same And this thinge semeth vnto them suche and so greate that they can not merueill ynough that the worde so quicklye and easely can turne so many men and by the power there of caste oute the deuill For this cause can not they heare of this matter ynoughe But besydes these there are two other sortes Their heartes are so hardened that they seing see nothyng at all neyther perceyue they that thorowe the mightie power of God the dumbe and deaffe do as wel nowe speake heare as any other man that he whiche before was wont to be madde and out of his wittes is now in his hole mynde and doth all thynges soberly quietly and in good order But let vs nowe consider these ij sortes of people seuerally or euery one by them selfes The firste of these ij sortes beholde this noble worke and maruelous miracle of Christe but they are so blynde madde and doltyshe that after the maner of spyders they gather poyson of this flowre whereof the other of whom we spake afore gathered good swete hony for these men do not onely not interpret this castinge out of deuils a certein arte or singuler gyfte of God but they also boldly pronounce that this worke is not of God but of the deuill and done by arte magike Shoulde this be a miracle saye they yea it is the worke of the deuill and done by Nicromancie so stockblinde are they and so hard hearted that they cannot see the wonderful worke of GOD but ascribe altogether to the deuill And this setteth forth their insolent arrogancie and excedynge greate pride in that they call the prince of the deuilles Beelzebub which soundeth in our English tōge an hūble bee or a great flye Howe can the deuil be more despised They haue so good an opinion of their owne holynes and spirite that they cōpare the deuil flyes together Uerely I can not esteme the deuill so lyghtly neither could Paule which calleth him the prince and God of this worlde But these good holye folke thincke the more they can despise the deuil the more shal they make the art of Christ in casting out the deuils to be despised What great matter is this saye they that the greater flye casteth out the lesser Thus they blaspheme the worke of Christ although they haue nothinge to saye againste the truth But this they consider not that they them selues haue a legion of deuils in them For they are full of blasphemies of murders of lyes of deceauinges c. They fulfyll the deuils wyll vnto the vttermoste in that they thincke that the deuill hath nothing to do with them and that they are in no danger of him Euen thus goeth it nowe a dayes also the gospell God be thancked in this our time is taughte purely syncerely with all quietnes modestie And this is our comforte that some good men do truly receaue this doctrine are glad of it wonder at the great mercie and goodnes of god and most heartely thācke him for it Contrariwise some there are that fele no swetnes at all in the preaching of the Gospel and
the wicked and vngodlye against the day of iudgement vnto their condemnation and euerlastyng payne as S. Peter in that place bringeth in Loth and the Sodomites for an example He that on this sort setteth before him the word and promyse of GOD and holdeth theym faste wyth a stronge Faythe hym all the reasons of the worlde though they shoulde fayle can not dismay nor cause hym to despayre For he dothe knowe that the Lorde is aboue them whyche ruleth in the myddes of hys ennemye and therefore is he contented wyth all thynges that he maye gloryfye his name agaynste theym that are aduersaries to his worde vexe the churche of GOD and make neyther ende nor measure against God and hys woorde euen as Pharao and the Egyptians dydde so that through the helpe of the word the Christians thoroughe Faythe haue a mooste certayne and sure hope where reasone seeth no hope at all For reason when it perceauethe no healpe to bee at hande despayreth streyghte wayes But the Lord sheweth trewe healpe yf wee holde it faste and followe godlynesse For he that geuethe hys mynde to wyckednesse and synne and careth not for his conscience thoughe it be neuer so muche defyled and spotted with all abhomination and yet thynketh to enioy the promyse and the comfort therof he is vtterly deceaued and shall brynge nothynge vnto good effecte And thys faulte was in the Disciples Wyth reason they were well instructed but they had no respect vnto the healpe of Fayth neyther dyd they consyder what a Lorde they had of Christe Or elles Phylippe would haue tolde an other tale after this sorte Two hundred penye woorth of breade are not sufficient for so greate a multitude that euery one myght haue a lyttell morsell But we are in case good ynoughe in as muche as thou arte wyth vs whyche art able to fulfyll and to make good what so euer we doo lacke for as muche as wee are in suche place where no prouysyon canne bee made For thou haste that power and knowledge the whyche other haue not Andrewe also wold haue spoken otherwyse as thus There is a boye here that hathe fyue barley loaues and twoo fyshes If I shoulde haue the distribution of theym they woulde scarcely suffise two persones But forasmuch as thou art present put thy helpynge hande vnto it and they shall suffise as manye as are here ynough and inough agayn with a great portion left This would the word and faith haue taught thē But when by the reason of their carefulnes both the word and Faith was vanyshed away it was no meruayl though they could remember no such thing Therfore this rule is to be obserued If thou louest the name of Christ and notwithstanding thou leanest vnto reason and vnto the deuises therof beyng compelled as it were of necessitie yet see that the woorde of GOD beare the chiefe rule and haue the vppermoste place alwaies so that thorowe Faith thou depende wholly vpon God and his promyse Otherwise thy helpe wil be vncertain yea it wyl be nothing For cursed is that man saith the Prophet that putteth his trust in mā and maketh fleshe his strength and suffreth his heart to go from the Lord. After that Christ hathe moste noblye declared hys blessyng among vs we may not forget this commandement that Christ gaue his disciples concernyng the gatheryng vp of suche bread fyshe as remained that nothynge myght be lost For as our reason in tyme of necessitie can do nothing but recken and acompt how to compasse thinges to serue our ned◠and can not away with Faithe nor yet constantly cleaue to the promyse of God so lykewise when the blessyng of God is plentuous the world neither can nor will rightly thankfully vse the same For many do abuse the blessynge of God vnto excesse prodigally and wastfully they spende it about naughte as experience teachethe vs. If there bee a good wyne yeare so that there is plentie of wyne then fall the people to drinkyng gullyng glosyng quaffyng and most vnthankfully abuse that precious and good gyfte of God as though god that yere had sent suche abundance of wyne onely to this ende that the people shoulde drinke dronke The blessing of God they ought to vse not to abuse if we haue more then presēt necessitie requireth it ought diligently to be gathered to gether laide vp in store that it may supply the lacke necessitie that is to come as Ioseph coūcelled Pharao king of Egipte that with the greate plentifull encrease of the seuen former yeres he should prouide for the other seuē dere yeares that shold followe that by this meanes there mighte be store of grayne for all his lande In like maner when god sendeth to artificers men of occupation a good yeare so that their wares be well solde they haue good vtteraunce of such thinges as they occupie they maye not therfore abuse this blessing of God wastefully spēde away their gaynes but they must kepe them in store warely laye thē vp that they in time to come may serue the lacke that is lyke to followe But forasmuch as many do not this but spēd as faste as they get spare nothyng for the necessitie that is to come therfore in time of nede they lacke God withdraweth from thē his blessing It is mete that they whiche abuse the gyftes of God riotously wastfully spend them away should at an other time lacke that by this meanes they maye learne what it is to neglecte not to regarde the blessing of god And as some do to much wastfully consume the good gyftes of god so on the cōtrary part som do abuse thē by hourdyng them vp niggardly kepyng them yea that vnto this ende that when a dearth come they may haue the more gayne thoughe it be vnto the vtter vndoinge of their poore neighbours as we may see in our couetous cormorantelyke cornemongers whiche hourde vp corne in the time of cheape that in the time of dearth they maye sel it the dearer vnto the profit of thē selfes but vnto the disprofit of other so that they bringe not forth the blessyng of God to the comoditie of other as when they ought but only at suche time as maye serue their couetous desires they reape the greater profit Salomon sayth He that hourdeth vp his corne shall be cursed of the people but the blessynge of the Lord shal fall vpō the heades of them that bring it forth sel it for a reasonable price These catarpillers of the comon wealth whiche only seke their owne priuate lucre whether it be in Corne cattel or otherwise are a spitefull kinde of people hated of God and of all godly men For as touching that Christ cōmandeth y◠fragments suche thinges as weare lefte to be gathered vp it was not cōmanded to that end that it shold serue the
and to shake for feare seinge that dāmnation hangeth vpon it as Christ sayeth he that heareth not the worde of God is not of god but he is the sonne of the deuill namely when they are so frowarde and wicked that they wil not only not do well but they wyll also defende their euill as the Iewes in this our Gospell do and saye Saye we not well that thou art a Samaritane and hast a deuill This is the very deuil that chalengeth vnto hym the honour of God desiereth to be counted holy and by no meanes suffreth to be reproued And this is one parte that whosoeuer heareth not gods worde the same is not of God but of the deuill But this is not so to be vnderstande as thoughe the deuill had made them and geuen them their mouth eyes reason and so forth Nay all suche thinges are of Godes creation and gyfte Therfore muste a man make a difference betwene the thinge and the vse thereof That man whiche lyeth and deceaueth had a good tonge geuen hym of God but the abuse of the tonge is of the deuill because he geueth his tonge vnto the deuill to be abused euen to blaspheme God his holy worde So lykewise God geueth hole and good eyes But he that abuseth them vnto the contemplation and beholdynge of vayne fylthy and vnhoneste thynges that cōmeth of the deuill In lyke maner when the hearte thincketh vncleane and cruel thinges the very hearte it selfe of the owne nature is not euil and is of god but the euil vse thereof is of the deuill Cōtrariwise that is vnderstād to be of god when the eares are put to this vse that they heare the worde of God can be contented to be reproued when they do amisse Also when the tonge is occupied in prayer in teachinge in edifyinge and confortynge other suche eares and tonge are of God and without faulte For they are put vnto that vse for the which god made them So in like maner whē the heart thincketh honest pure chaste godly things as howe our neighbour maye be edifyed and not offended howe Godes glorie may be set forth and not hyndred suche an hearte is the creature of God as the eares and the tonge lykewise are and doth right wel please god ▪ But they are therefore named to be of god because they wolde not that these their mēbres shold thincke speake and heare anye thing that shoulde be againste God And if it chance at any time that we fall by speakynge euil by beinge angry c. Yet we returne again we confesse that we haue done amisse and aske forgeuenes This cōmeth sometime to passe thorowe the euill behauiour of other or by chaunce and somtime before we be aware of it But we repent vs hereof and make haste to come again into the right waye with a ful purpose neuer to fall into the lyke againe But they are the deuilles children which stubburnely go forth styll on in doinge euil and yf they be reproued they stoutlye and arrogantlye answer what care I for it as disobedient and styfnecked children do when they are corrected of their parentes These are of the deuil and become daily worse and worse For the deuil will not suffer them to rest nor to be quiet Fyrst they despise the worde afterwarde they blaspheme curse and speake euill last of all after the maner of the Iewes they take vp stones and go about murder By these properties the deuils whealpes be knowen For he is a murtherer a calumniatour an accuser a pycker of quarelles and a despiser of god and his worde euen from the beginning Therfore let this doctrine be a defence vnto you againste this moste abhominable synne that ye also do not despise the worde of God but gladly heare it and diligentlye exercise youre selfe in the meditation and study therof both night and daye and learne to frame your lyfe accordyng to the same Then shall you be the sonnes of God other are the children of the deuill For they haue lost the worde lyfe righteousnes and are the very bonde slaues of the deuil Neither can this any thing at all helpe them that they are of great power riche In this synne stycketh the Pope euen vp to the harde eares with all his complices For he is euer against the worde of God and for it persecuteth and formenteth the Christians more cruelly then the Turke doth And by this may ye know that the deuill is in him that he belongeth vnto the deuil with all his But they that gladly heare the worde of God are of god Nowe what is god he is no murtherer but a creatour and maker frō whom all lyfe cōmeth But the deuill neuer made man nor gaue hym lyfe Therfore as God is a lyuing god so lykewise is he the very lyfe of all them that are of hym and heare his worde This doth Christ confirme here with this his notable saying worthy for euer to be remembred berely verely I saye vnto you if any man will kepe my worde he shall neuer see death But what other thinge is it to kepe the worde of God then neuer to departe frō it and to beleue that whatsoeuer Christ hath promised vs in the gospel concernyng forgeuenes of synnes and euerlastynge lyfe is true and to remayne in the same faith and hope vnto the ende he that doth thys saith Christ hath euerlastyng life neither nedeth he to feare sinne hell nor the laste iudgement For to suche one all is grace and mercie death in dede shal assaulte the faithfull and flea the bodies of them yet shal they not fele it as they do whiche are vnder the power of the deuil and dye without the worde of God For they die vnwillingly spurne against death take on as though they were madde rore out lyke lyons refuse death and wold by no meanes dye and yet dye must they Yea if it were possible they wolde leape thorow a thousand fyres to escape death But so shall not they do sayth Christe that be my disciples that heare my worde and kepe it For when they lye vpon their bed and muste dye they shall haue no suche trouble turmoyle and disquietnes They shall haue ioye and peace in their heartes towarde God confortyng them selues with the hope of a better lyfe to come in that hope as persōs fallen on sleape swetely departe without feare or tremblinge For although death shall corporally flea them yet shal that death be so apalled and made of no force that it shall not be felt at all euen as though a man should swetely fall a sleape vpō a softe pillow as we many times see in suche as for then offences are condempned to die when they go to suffer being before wel instructed in the worde and faithfully beleuinge the same they offer them selues gladlye willingly with a mery and chearefull hearte to dye They feare not neyther
y◠which we heare in the word must we iudge and saie I see that I must die but I heare the promise and word of Christ my Lorde that thorow hym I shall haue life For as touchyng sinne for the whiche I must nedes suffer death it is vtterly taken awaye by hym so that God for his deathe and resurrection wyll be mercyfull vnto me and geue me euerlastynge lyfe This is truely to kepe the woord of Christe But it is an harde thyng to haue this faythe For fleshe and blood can not otherwise bee persuaded then as they fele and proue Against this peruers and froward reason must we striue and aske of God hys holy spirite that he may stablishe our hearts throughe the worde that they may retaine and keepe the true Faith What the cause is why the worde of Christ is of so great efficacie myghte and power Christe hym selfe sheweth in the ende of this Gospell And in thys poynt he so greatly moueth the Iewes and stirreth them vnto anger that they are ready to stone hym vnto deathe For this troubled the Iewes that Christe said his worde preserueth and defendeth from euerlastyng death forasmuche as they sawe that Abraham Moyses and other holy men which be greately commended in the holy scripture wer dead They thought that Christ was muche inferiour to them and that it was a matter worthy to be laughed at that he should so muche bragge boast and sette out his worde But Christ answered Abraham desired to see my daye he sawe it and reioyced that is to say If Abraham had not kept my word he had dyed euerlastyngly and ben damned for euer Before Abraham was saith Christ I am And that is thus muche to say I am almightie and euerlasting God Now he that wil be deliuered from his synnes escape euerlastyng deathe and come vnto euerlasting life he must be holpē by me and seke help at none others hād but at myn alone This could neither Moses nor any of the Prophets speke truly of them selues For they were all men But Christ is god and man Therfore is he able to geue life euerlasting saluation none but he alone This is a great consort and a most sure confirmation of our faithe where we confesse that Christ is true euerlasting God as we haue the like testimonies of this thing in many diuers places of the Euangelical history that our whole trust shold be in hym in his word in none other For this is the word of god can by no means deceue vs. What soeuer he speaketh is certain and sure is neuer void but is as sure as God by his word made heauen earthe of nothing Lerne this diligently and with thankful hearts knowledge this inestimable benefit and pray that God by his holy spirite may kepe you in the truth of his word receiue you into euerlasting life through Christ his sonne to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen The Sonday next before Easter cōmonly called Palme sondaye ¶ The Gospell Math. xxvi AND it came to passe when Iesus hadde finished all these sayinges he sayd vnto his Disciples Ye knowe that after two dayes shal be Easter and the sonne of man shall bee delyuered ouer to be crucified Then assembled together the chief Priestes and the Scribes and the elders of the people vnto the Palace of the high Priest whiche was called Caiphae and healde a Counsell that they myght take Iesus by subtiltie and kill hym But they said not on the holy day lest there be an vprore amonge the people When Iesus was in Bethanie in the house of Symon the Leapor there came vnto hym a woman hauynge an Alabaster boxe of precious oyntment and powred it on his head as he sat at the boorde But when his disciples saw it they had indignatiō saying Wherto serueth this wast This oyntment might haue ben well sold and geuen to the poore When Iesus vnderstode that he sayd vnto them Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wroughte a good woorke vppon me For ye haue the poore alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes And in that she hath caste this oyntment on my body she did it to bury me Ueryly I say vnto you Wher so euer this Gospell shal be preached in all the worlde there shall also this be tolde that she hath done for a memoriall of her Then one of the twelue whiche was called Iudas Iscarioth wente vnto the chefe Priestes and sayde vnto them What wyll ye geue me and I wyll delyuer hym vnto you And they appointed vnto hym .xxx. pieces of syluer And from that tyme foorth he sought oportunitie to betraye hym The first daye of sweete bread the disciples came to Iesus saying to him Where wylt thou that we prepare for thee to eate the Passeouer And he sayde Goo into the Citie to suche a man and say vnto hym The master saith my tyme is at hande I wyll kepe my Easter by thee with my disciples And the disciples dyd as Iesus hadde appoynted them and they made redy the Passeouer When the euen was come he sat downe with the twelue And as they dyd eate he sayde Ueryly I saye vnto you that one of you shall betray me And they were exceadynge sorowfull and beganne euery one of them to saye vnto hym Lorde is it I He aunswered and sayd he that dyppeth his hande with me in the dyshe the same shall betraye me The sonne of man truely goeth as it is writen of hym but wo vnto that man by whom the sonne of man is betrayed it hadde bene good for that man yf he had not bene borne Then Iudas whiche betrayed hym aunswered and sayde Master is it I He sayd vnto him thou hast sayde And when they were eating Iesus toke bread and when he had geuen thanks he brake it gaue it to the disciples and said Take eate this is my body And he toke the cup thanked gaue it to them saying Drynk ye all of this for this is my bloud whiche is of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes But I say vnto you I will not drinke hense forth of this fruite of the vine tree vntyll that daye when I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kyngdom And when they had sayde grace they went out vnto mount Oliuete Then saide Iesus vnto them All ye shal be offended because of me this night For it is writtene I wyll smyte the shepherd the shepe of the flock shal be scattered abrode but after I am risen again I wil go before you into Galile Peter answered and saide vnto hym Thoughe all men be offended because of thee yet wyll I not be offended Iesus saide vnto hym Uerily I saye vnto thee that in this same night befor the Cocke crowe thou shalte denye me thryse Peter saide vnto hym yea
wolde god as the euerlasting truth performe according to his promes sende the Sauiour suffer him to be crucifyed and slaine as witnesseth S. Peter in the Chronicle of the Apostles actes writtē by blessed Luke God saith he hath performed those thinges whiche he before declared by the mouth of all his Prophetes That Christe should suffer c. Christe also speaketh thus after his resurrection with the two Disciples that were iourneying towarde Emaus It was necessarie that all thinges shoulde be fulfilled that are written of me in the lawe of Moises in the Prophetes in the Psalmes What testimonies there are of the passion of Christ in the scriptures of the olde Testament ye may easelye see in the Euāgelicall historie of the passion death of Christe whiche I wolde wyshe you diligentlye to note for the confirmation of your faith in this behalfe The last cause is the induration or excecation and blyndnes of the Iewes which thorow their great cōtumacie stubburnes thorow their impenitēcie or vnrepētaūt heart being forsaken of god were punished blinded that they should heare and not vnderstād that they should see with their eyes and discerne nothynge as it is written in the scriptures By this meanes they flewe the sonne of God and so prouoked the fyerce vengeance and hote wrath of God against them as the Apostle sayth The wrath of God is comme on them euen to the vttermost For althoughe God from euerlastinge had determined that his sonne Christ shoulde suffer and dye and it could none otherwise be but as God had before decreed yet were not the Iewes excused For they founde no cause of death in hym And although they did not know that he was the sonne of God yet they knewe this for a certentie that he was a godly and innocent man whome they of mere enuye and malice slewe as Pilate againste hym selfe testified this saying I fynde no cause of death in hym Therfore they sought an other thyng then god did whiche appointed his Sonne to suffer and to dye that he by his sufferance and death myghte deliuer them that beleue from synne death deuill and hell and that he by his resurrection myght be glorifyed and become of moste worthie renoume But Satan with his mēbers the Scribes and Phariseyes sought an other thyng euen to slea Christe to bringe Christ to shame and vtterly to roote hym out of remembraunce both hym and his doctrine that there might be no more mention made of hym And so the wicked Iewes thorow their enuie their blinded heart and their vngracious coūcel executed contrary to theyr wyll and deuice the decree and determination of the heauenly father wherby thorowe the mercie of Christ dying for them health and saluation chaunced to so many as beleue Yea the vugodlye Iewes worthelye blynded were deceaued of their purpose and aduaunced Christ whome they determined vtterly to destroye vnto glorie as it is written The Lorde bringeth the councell of the heathen to naughte and maketh the deuices of the people to be of none effect But the councell of the Lorde shall endure for euer and the thoughtes of his hearte from generation to generation When we earnestlye consider these causes then shall we see how miserable and damnable synners we are verely euen suche as coulde none otherwise be saued but only by Christe so that for vs and for our saluation he muste neees dye yea and that the most ignominious and spitefull death of the crosse Again we shall see the moste brenninge heart and incomparable fyre of the loue of our heauēly father and of his sonne Christ which hauing no regard to our synnes nor yet that we were his enemies died for vs that we shold not perishe in our synnes Moreouer we see how faithfull and true god is and that all his wordes and promises will take place and procede against all the violence force power strength crafte and suttiltie of the deuill and the worlde and that heauen and earthe shall sonner fall perishe and cōme to naughte then one iote or title of gods worde shal be founde vntrue and false By the first we learne of the lawe howe greate and horrible a thynge synne is before the eyes of Gods maiestie for the abolishing wherof the onely and innocent sonne of God must be scourged and dye so bytter ignominious and spiteful death yea and that onely to take awaye other mennes synnes By the second we learne the Gospell and the louing gentle and mercifull hearte of GOD toward vs whiche for vs for our saluation sent his only begotten sonne that incomparable treasure into this world and suffred him to be nayled on the crosse By the third we learne assuredly to truste and beleue the promise of God and not to feare the vngodly and wicked persecutours forasmuche as we see that he hath so faithfully and so abundantly performed by his sonne all that euer he promised Again he hath confounded and brought to shame the deuill and all his children of this worlde and hath made frustrate and voyde all their deuices councels and imaginations in so muche that where as they thought with this their worke vtterly to kyl confounde and extinguish Christ they haue moste of all aduaunced Christe vnto his great honour and glorie and by this meanes brought to passe that all the faithfull shall receaue saluation by this crucified Christe For howe could Satan and the stifnecked Phariseyes thincke that Christ by death vnto life by buriall vnto resurrection by ignominie and contempt vnto glorie and honoure shoulde be brought and made king and ruler ouer all creatures both in heauen and in earth But mightie is the lorde our God to performe his promise and to confounde the worlde with his God the deuill as he both doth and shall do euen vnto the very ende of the worlde But now followeth the third thing which we ought to consider about the passion of Christ. This is howe great paine and affliction Christe suffered inwardly outwardly Of the externall passion outward suffring we haue abundantly in the Euāgelical history where we rede how he was taken be spitted whypped beaten crowned with thornes and at the last crucifyed put to death Of the inwarde passion and suffrynge that he had in his hearte and conscience when he must striue with death which was before his eyes hell and deuill Luke writeth in his gospell on this maner he was in an agonie and prayed the longer his sweat was lyke droppes of blood tricklynge downe to the grounde Of the whiche wordes the excedyng greate horror and torment whiche Christ suffered in his conscience may be estemed and iudged and how horrible the sight of death of sinne which he toke on him of hel and deuil was before hym seing that his sweate contrary to al reason of nature was bluddye and so came from hym Againe in that the cōfortour creatour of all the
priestes hande and so afterward folowed the absolution remission of synnes and by this meanes was the forgeuenes of sinnes afterwarde grounded in that contrition And it is possible that in this behalfe they folowed the example of the Elders which pronounced absolution to no man except he first of all cōfessed his synnes and shewed outwardly manifest signes and tokens that he was sorie for his sinnes This is right and ought so to be But notwithstandinge to gather hereof that suche sorowe contrition deserueth remission of synnes that is false and erronious For cōtritiō is no merite but it is the selfe synne truly fealte in the heart and the power and kyngdome of synne neither is remission of sinnes and grace grounded in this For before there be suche contrition the synne is not cured For although synne be there present yet is it only a lurckyng and dead sinne as Adam sayde of Cain But when it waxeth aliue again and sleapeth no more but is truly fealte and perceaued that it tormenteth fraieth the heart this can no man iustly truly call a meritorious worke but as S. Paule calleth it the right liuing sinne Now who wil saye that synne deserueth grace Therfore men in the papacie were most miserably deceaued and seduced for asmuche as they put all their hope of remission of sinnes in their cōtrition as though it were such a good meritorious worke as of it selfe deserued their sins to be forgeuen therfore the Pope in all his bulles indulgences pardons put in these wordes Contritis confessis that is to saye to them that are contrite and confessed All such for their contrition and confession sake shall haue absolution pardone of their sinnes For where true contrition is there is none other thing then the kyngdome power and regiment of sinne Now what can this deserue There is remission of sinnes where faith is geuen to the commandement of Christ the word whiche is pronounced at his commandement in his name is layde hād on with a sure and constant faith of this faith and not of contrition commeth the forgeuenes of sins Cōtrition is of it self none other thing then the very lyuing and feareful makyng synne vpō that is not grounded remission of synnes but vpon the worde of Christ. For suche contrition and felynge of synne doth none other thing but that it should plucke vs frō faith make vs flee from Christ and be a fearde of him This is to stirre vp sinnes and to make them greater and more horrible and in dede to do none other thing then synne is wont to do that the outragiousnes of the euils may be encreased and that syn maye be heaped vpon synne none otherwyse then when a theife is conuicte of theafte and condemned vnto the punishment of theafte hath not only done the theafte but he nowe addeth mo synnes vnto hys theafte he hateth iudgement lawe and maiestrate yea and God also which is the author both of iudgement lawe and maiestrate and wysheth that there were neither iudgement nor lawe nor maiestrate no nor yet God that he might go forth to sinne frely and without punishment This thing doth sainct Paule lyuely expresse when he saith That synne thorow the lawe and commandement is out of measure synnefull that is to say when the lawe ones commeth and worketh her force then is synne beyond all measure knowen to be synne in dede Nowe wheare synne doth so worke and of one synne infinitie sinnes are made so that the synner can fynde no rest by the reason of his synnes That haue the papistes called contrition But where suche contrition and sorowe is and remayneth alone that is to saye with out faith or hope of gods mercie as the lyke also was in Iudas the traytour there foloweth and floweth nothing out of that but plaine desperation Christe muste also comme with his confortable worde and commaundement concernynge remission of synnes and as it were preache in the hearte of the sinner saying Thou art ful of sins and goest about the lōger the more to fall awaye from me shall I therfore forgeue thee thy synnes Oh naye Thou must in dede haue contrition and sorowe for thy synnes For without this thou canst neuer hate synne frome thy hearte nor neuer heartelye desire remission of sinnes But nowe this way shalt thou walke vnto saluation that thou make haste vnto my worde heare it and beleue it so shalt thou haue remission and forgeuenes of sins So taught not the papistes but they enioyned theyr penitētes and ghostly children as they call them to go this and that pylgrimage to say so many orysons and prayers c. and so to make satisfaction for theyr synnes But as concernyng the worde and commandement of Christe they make no mention of it at all The worde commandemēt of Christ is this whose synnes ye forgeue shall be forgeuen them But whose sinnes ye do retaine shal be retained Her hearest thou that no man ought to seke forgeuenes of synnes but in the wordes of the lorde Christe Whosoeuer seketh it any other where he shal neuer fynde it What hath this then profited or holpen that we haue tormented our selues so greatly with fastīg singing praying watching massinge c. That we might obtayne remissiō of sins was not this great wickednes a lamentable thinge to heare that they haue taught vs to loke for remissiō of our sinnes thorow contrition Which notwithstandyng when it is most earnest and stronge is nothing els then plaine synne If the vertue of my worke of my contrition and of my confession be suche and so greate what nede we then the worde of Christe And to what end serueth his commandement in this place We in this behalfe differ nothynge from the Turkes and Iewes whiche also beleue that they shal be saued although they haue not CHRIST but the Pope is worser thē any Turke or Iewe for to mainteyne his wickednes and abhomination his false and corrupt doctrine he without all shame abuseth the name of Christ. Therfore let vs diligently marke that Christ includeth forgeuenes of synnes in his worde not in pilgrimages in masses in almose dedes or in any other workes by what soeuer name they be called He therfore that desireth forgeuenes of his sins lette hym go vnto hys Pastor that is learned in the worde of God and heare of hym the glad and ioyful tydyngs of the Gospell and faithfully beleue the same and he may be sure to haue hys synnes remytted and forgeuen hym For thys is certayne and sure that we can not ouercome synne with any woorke But whatsoeuer we be able to doo though we should torment our selues neuer so muche is altogether vayne and nothyng to the purpose as they hadde experience in the Popes kyngedome that hadde an euyll conscience and therfore gote them selues into Monasteries and became cloysterers or tooke vppon them other
workes that they myght be deliuered from their synnes and haue quiete consciences But at the last they were compelled to graunt that neyther garment nor monasticall order nor prayers nor fastynges nor Masses nor Pylgrimages nor anye other kynde of paynefull dedes coulde appease and quyete the griefes and tourmentes of theyr conscience Why so Because that synnes can neyther be retayned nor remytted by any other waye then by the worde as we haue tofore hearde Therfore who soeuer embraceth not this word wherin alone is Remission of synnes he muste nedes be vnder that worde wherein synnes are retained For there is none other waye or meane to forgeue synne but the worde Therfore whatsoeuer a man dothe yet shall his synnes be retained excepte he commeth to the worde For the Lorde our GOD hath sette the forgeuenes of synnes in no worke that we do but in thys one onely worke that Christ hath suffred and rysen agayn from deathe And this worke by the woorde hath he putte in the mouthe of hys Apostles and preachers yea in the mouthe of all christen men if nede require that by it they may distribute and declare remission of synnes to so many as desire it If thou wilt fetche forgeuenes of thy sinnes from thens thou shalt not be deceaued of thy purpose For the cōmandement of Christ is at hand that synnes shold be forgeuen If thou wylt not fetch forgeuenes of thy synnes from thens I meane from the word of God thy synnes shall styll be retayned and holden doo what thou wylte For as it hath bene many tymes sayde Wythout the worde there is no Remission of synnes CHRIST hath put thys woorde in the mouthe of his Apostles and mynisters yea in tyme of nede in the mouth also of al the Christians to declare the same vnto the comfort of all troubled consciences He that will not fetche it there and beleue the worde he shall dye in hys synnes doo what he wyll For this commaundement is strong and sure that the Lord taketh away from the whole worlde and from all works the forgeuenes of synnes and repose it onely in his word there hangeth all the matter But this is not onely to be vnderstanded of absolution or of the preachyng of the worde but as it was sayde in the begynnynge Christe comprehendeth the whole ministerie in this commandement that remission of synnes should be declared and distributed to the faythfull bothe in the worde and in the sacramentes For to this ende is the Gospell preached that menne may knowe theyr synnes afterward thorow faithe bee iustified and so for euer after leade a godlye and vertuous lyfe We also to this ende are baptised that oure synnes should be forgeuen vs thorough the death of Christe Agayne the sayde Christe hath ordeyned his holy Supper vnto this ende that we shoulde beleue that his body was betrayde for vs and that his bloud was shedde for vs and that wee shoulde not doubt of the remyssion of our synnes And that faith myght be constant sure and throughely perswaded that oure synnes are forgeuen vs thee and me and the whole worlde if the whole worlde would repent beleue and amend Christ hath ordeyned not that one for an other shold be baptised and receaue the Lordes supper but that euery one should be baptised receiue the lordes Supper for him self and require priuate absolution if he can not be sufficientely confirmed and comforted by the publike preachyng so that no man ought any thyng at all to doubt but that as hee heareth Remission of hys synnes in the name of Iesus so lykewise hee dooth receaue it and is vtterly made free frome his synnes before GOD in heauen Therefore the woorde and the Sacramentes are not to be separated for Christe hathe ioyned the worde and the Sacramentes together so that wythout the woorde the Sacramentes can brynge no consolation or confort at all yea withoute the woorde we coulde not knowe what the Sacramentes were nor vnto what ende they serue Therfore it is not only a great blyndnes and erroure but also a moste greuous myserie that the Papistes prate muche of the forgyuenes of synnes and yet vtterly forgette the worde wherin all the whole matter consysteth and telle the people a tale of a tubbe that they muste gette them Remssions of theyr synnes by theyr owne workes by theyr owne inuentions But seyng that oure Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesu hath placed forgeuenes of synnes in the worde And as it hath often ben sayde hath commytted the same to his Apostles and to the Ministers of the woorde yea and to all Christians in tyme of necessitie to bee pronounced and declared so foloweth it that we must beleue the forgiuenes of sinnes that this forgeuenesse of synnes commeth vnto vs onely by Faith geuen to the worde and promise of Christe as this is the foundation of oure doctrine that we are freely iustified and saued by faithe alone in Christe For this can no man denye that the word of Christe whyche he put in the mouthe of his Disciples can not be comprehended nor gryped with handes nor yet with the woorkes of fastynges prayers almosse dedes pylgrimages or what soeuer kynde of work it be besides It is Faith alone that laieth hand on this worde and receaueth it and the heart only is the very true cheast wherin the word can be included or shutte in so that by this it is most playne and euident that we are iustifyed by Fayth alone seyng that Remyssion of synnes is onely comprehended in the woorde and the worde can not otherwyse bee apprehended and layd hand on than by Faithe alone But this knoweth not the Pope with all his sectaries neither doo they vnderstand this doctrine of Christe yea they are so blockyshe and doltyshe so mad and so farre estranged from the knowledge of Christen doctrine that they neither can nor will vnderstande it and so blynde that they wyll by no meanes se it yea so stubborne and so styffe necked that in no wyse they wyll receaue and beleue it Therfore bothe Faithe and the worde were neglected and nothyng regarded in the Popes churche The people were taught commanded to trust in the merites of their own righteousnes and woorkes But GOD confounde Sathan Antichriste Pope and all Sectaries which wyth their wycked doctryne of woorkes laboure to obscure yea and vtterly to extinguyshe the glorye of GOD the merites of Christes deathe and Resurrection the Iustification of faythe c. It shall therefore at all tymes bee mooste necessarye and conueniente that wee conferre the Popes doctrine wyth ours whyche is the trewe and sounde doctrine and that we neuer forgette the abhomynations whyche hee hathe broughte into the Churche of Chryste and wyth fyre faggotte sweard halter drownynge and all other kynde of force and tyrannye goeth foorthe to defende the same that we bee not ledde agayne oute of the trewe waye nor seeke remyssion of our
be offended wyth his Passion and death nor be taken as a matter of sadnesse but that we should rather vse it vnto the confirmatiō of our faith and vnto the cōsolation comfort of our conscience for as muche as by this meanes the tiranny of the deuyll is destroyed and the holy ghoste is gotten and geuen vnto vs. What the holy Ghost shall doo what he shal bring what he shall declare teche that doth Christ expresse in these wordes When the holy Ghost saith he shall come he will rebuke the worlde of synne of rightousnes and of iudgement Christe in these his woordes comprehendeth many great thynges and saieth that the holy Ghost shall not only rebuke small companies certaine kyndes of men certayne nations or people but the whole world He had nede be well fenced and armed that will take vpon hym to haue too do with the whole worlde For the world is what soeuer hath growne vp from Adam hytherto Monarches Emperors Kynges Princes no man vtterly no not of the hyghest degree excepted All these muste be rebuked of synne by the Apostles and by the ministers of the worde at the motion of the holy Ghoste The holye Ghoste by the preachers shall rebuke theym all of synne of righteousnes and of Iudgement none neither high nor low excepted not Hierusalem for her holines not Rome for her wisedome c. All must receaue this correction and rebuke of the holy ghost that they may be saued For al men with all that euer they haue are vnder the kyngdome of the deuyll Neither theyr righteousnesse nor their holynesse nor yet theyr good workes can be of suche force and vertue that they can healpe anye thynge at all agaynste damnation And thys is the office that the holy Ghost wyll doo in the worlde by the Apostles menne beggerly and of no reputation euen to rebuke the worlde of synne It is no small thynge but a matter of weyghty and great importance to rebuke the worlde of hygh and great matters For he hath an office to rebuke the world of synne of righteousnesse and of iudgement Seynge that all thynges are full of synne and no righteousnes and iudgement is in the worlde what shall then remayn The whole world therfore together is condemned in this sermon wyth all her ryghteousnesse and it is openly sayde that it can not ones aspire and come vnto the kyngedome of God excepte it be delyuered from synne by the holye Ghoste and iustified and by this meanes escape euerlastyng damnation Suche lyke sentences also are there many in the holy scriptures as when Paule saythe God hath comprehended all thynges vnder synne Againe We are by nature the chyldren of wrathe And Christe hym selfe saythe Except a man be borne agayne he can not see the kyngdome of God This is truely the sermon of the holy Ghost thus to rebuke the worlde for synne But what is synne Is it to robbe to kyll to commytte adulterie c. These are synnes in dede but not the chiefest whyche the holye Ghoste rebukethe For there are manye whyche are not gyltye of these outewarde synnes But of those synnes whereof the holye Ghost preacheth all are gyltie otherwyse he coulde not rebuke the worlde of them And this synne is to bee shorte not to beleue in CHRIST Of this synne the worlde knoweth nothynge It is the whole and alone doctrine of the holy ghoste For the worlde counteth those synnes onely whyche are forbydden in the seconde Table of Moyses Of Christ it knoweth nothyng muche lesse knoweth it that it is synne not to beleue in hym But what shoulde we wyth manye woordes rebuke the ignorancye of the worlde seynge that euen in the schooles amonge the learned incredulitie infidelitie or vnbeliefe is taken for no synne namely for no originall synne For it belongeth to no science to teach that incredulitie is synne but to the holy Gost. And he by this doctrine maketh the whole worlde gyltie of synne where as many tymes the worlde is able to proue her externall iustyce and outwarde ryghteousnesse Thys is therefore the Doctrine of the holy ghoste that it shoulde reproue the whole worlde of synne no manne excepted The worlde hathe not bene accustomed vnto suche an vnwonted kynde of doctrine neyther knoweth it any thynge of that that it is bounde to beleue in Christe Thus it thynketh If wyth the Phariseye it be noo murderer no adulterer noo vnryghteous persone it is ynough and the worlde requireth no more But the holy ghoste preacheth otherwyse and sayth I knowe well that amonge men as concernynge outwarde and bodyly righteousnesse one is better then an other But thys is the chiefe and principall synne that all bee subiecte vnto that is That they do not beleue in CHRIST Iesus Thys syn no man excepte he hath learned it of the holy Ghoste seeth knoweth or perceaueth Therefore be thou bolde thus to saye Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is synne be it monkery prayer fasting almose dedes or any thing els If there be no faith in Christ Iesus then as thou hearest here will the holy Ghost rebuke it Neither is there any other way to be delyuered from this synne then to beleue in Christ Iesu Nothyng can be more playne nor more euidente then these wordes are and yet the Pope and his complices can not away with them Notwithstandynge when they haue nothyng to say against Faithe then they inuent this comment and Glose He speaketh De fide formata per charitatem that is to say of Faith formed framed and fashioned by charitie But conferre thou this their interpretation with the text No man can deny this that Christe speaketh here of syn and he expoundeth that it is syn not to beleue in hym wherof it muste nedes folowe that what soeuer they babble de forma de bonis operibus yf there be no Fayth in Christ man with all his good workes and vertue is a damnable synner and can not escape the rebuke of the Holy Ghoste Therfore incredulitie or vnbelefe is the principall greatest synne and the fountayne out of the whyche all other synnes and vices doo issue and sprynge For where incredulitie is in the heart and men beleue not in Christ this then immediatly foloweth that the worde of God is not regarded but either despised or els vtterly reiected and cast awaye for heresye and lyes as though the deuyl were the author of it And after this folowe other synnes as disobedience towarde parentes maiestrates rulers ministers of Goddes worde c. neglectyng theyr vocation and callynge a wicked and synfull lyfe besides other moste greuous vyces which either for shame or for feare of punishment they dare not do And these are the leaues yea and the hole tree of incredulitie whiche spring out of these rootes for the whiche the holy Ghost rebuketh the world neither suffreth he any thyng to resist and withstand his office For he that beleueth not in
he may boldly open his mouth and lippes and declare the matter both for hymselfe and for other and saye Lorde this haue I nede of that hath my neighbour nede of Geue vs this for Christes sake c. Our times be suche nowe that we can neuer want necessarie causes to pray Calamities and publique miseries are there plentie Perils and daungers cōpasse vs rounde about The cause of all these euils is the deuill which is a murtherer and a lyar with lying he goeth about to oppresse the worde of God and with commotions insurrections and murtheringe one of an other he troubleth the ciuile state publique peace The Pope the Turke and the other tyrauntes which all are enemies to the worde of god helpe the deuyll also forwarde in all his matters yea we also priuatly euery one of vs haue oure priuate incommodities and afflictions so that we haue causes sufficient to moue vs vnto prayer They that can not aptly expresse in prayer these most haynous and greuous euylles let them take vnto them the Lords prayer whiche containeth seuen petitions wherin are cōprehended abundantly all thinges that we haue nede to praye for In the first petitiō Halowed be thy name we pray for the ministery for all true ministers againste heretikes vngodly personnes againste the Iewes Infidelles Turkes and againste the Pope all Papistes for all these blaspheme the name of God and dishonoure it that god will represse confound them send faithfull workemen into his haruest and conserue and kepe his worde sincere and pure againste heresies In the second petition Thy kingdome come we desire that the kyngdome of the deuil and death may decaye and come to naught which is a very ample and large petition For it comprehendeth al the deuils kingdome that god maye make an ende of it and vtterlye destroye it and set vp his owne kingdome in vs and in all menne thorowe his worde and the holy ghost In the third petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen we praye that all other wyll whiche is cōtrary to the mercifull will of god may be restrained hindered so that it maye take no place This prayer can not the deuill his Impes abide yea this prayer preserueth and kepeth vs safe from many incommodities and combraunces which the deuil the worlde would dayly attempte and bring to passe againste vs-if they were not letted by this petition In the fourth petition Geue vs this daye our dayly breade we praye for the maiestrates for our parentes for our wyfe and children for the fruites of the earth for seasonable weather for peace and for all thynges necessarie for this present life euery man according to his vocation and calling that it wil please god to prosper all these thinges and to defend them against euil In the fyfte petition And forgeue vs oure trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs we desire that god wyll be merciful vnto vs turne awaye his wrath from vs that we haue iustly deserued not deale with vs accordinge to our sins but that he wil forgeue vs our trespasses geue vs grace that we may waxe daily better and better shewe beneuolence an good wil one toward an other and one of vs forgeue an other how great soeuer the offences be In the sixte petitiō And leade vs not into temptation we aske the god specially will helpe all afflicted consciences that they perishe not in tentation but that they may be deliuered from it by the worde by the holy ghost In the seuenth petition But deliuer vs from euill we pray for a blessed a prosperous end that we may be deliuered from al sinnes calamities of this lyfe be brought vnto a glorious an euerlasting lyfe there to remayne with god in his kyngdome for euermore Thus see we that in the Lords praier are contayned abondātly al thinges necessarye to be prayed for whether we will be deliuered from those thinges that are euil or holpē with those thinges that are good And all these thinges are necessarie to be daily prayed for For there is great plentie of necessities and perils first publiquely and afterwarde priuately in euerye mans owne busynesses Onely this one thynge is greatly to be lamented that we are very colde and slouthfull vnto the Godly exercise of prayer neyther do we resorte vnto it wyth suche earnest desyre and fayth as we ought to do There is a commandement set forth that byddeth vs to pray There is also a promes that we shal vndoubtedly be heard And because we shold lack nothing that might furder vs in this behalfe Christe in the aforesaide prayer hath prescribed and appointed vnto vs a certein forme or maner of praying But for asmuche as oure indignitie and vnworthynes by the reasone of our synnes doth alwayes trouble vs so that eyther we praye nothyng at all or els whē we pray we doubt whether we shal be heard or not we must encourage and confirme our heartes with this that Christ commandeth vs with expresse wordes that we shoulde aske and praye in his name And he promiseth for a certeintie that whatsoeuer we aske in his name we shall surely receaue and haue it And by these wordes he vtterly remoueth this worshipping of God by prayer from all creatures either in heauen or in earth vnto this onely person Iesus Christ. Therfore all prayer that is not made in the name of Christ is no prayer nor worshippinge of god As when the monckes praye that god will haue mercy on them for Fraunces sake for Dominickes sake for Benet and Bernardes sake and that he wil graunt their petitiōs for their owne workes sake or for the fastings almose dedes and prayers of other c. This is no prayer For it is not made in the name of Christe but in the name of Fraunces Dominicke Benet c. or in theyr owne name suche is the prayer of the Iewes of the Turkes of the Infidelles yea and of the Papistes For they wil not haue the name of Christ only in their prayer but they adde vnto it also the names of Mary of the Apostles and of other Sainctes But as concerning all such Idolatrous prayers the end of them is this God heareth them not they please not but rather displease god They are no honoring but rather a dishonoring of god And although such hipocrites do many tymes obteyne that which they aske yet were it muche better for them neuer to obteyn it then after this sorte wherby they be only confirmed and hardened in their impietie and vngodlynes But the godly praye not so They despaire of theyr owne name neyther wyll they at any tyme praye in that But forasmuche as they knowe that GOD is mercyfull for Christes sake and they haue a commandement that they shoulde praye in the name of Christ that encourageth
the worlde with all his tyranny shall shortly vanishe awaye and for euer after be plagued in hel fyre But contrariwise thy affliction shall not endure long but euerlasting ioye shall come in place thereof where a momēt of an houre is better then a thousand yeres in this lyfe although the worldly ioye were not entermedled with any greife or sorowe This consolation confirmation doth so replenish Iohns hearte with ioye that he doth not only not feare death but he also geueth God thankes that by this meanes he is deliuered from this body of synne and translated and remoued vnto euerlasting lyfe But from whence hath the holy ghoste this cōfort from the father saith Christ here For the holy Ghoste procedeth from the father And this is a noble and notable sentence to confirme our article of the Trinitie For if the holy ghoste procedeth from the father then must it nedes folowe that he is euerlastinge For nothinge can procede from the father but that is of his owne nature essence and substance Therfore as god the Sonne is euerlasting because he was begotten of the euerlastinge father for god can beget nothynge but that is like to hymselfe so is this also a necessarie consequence that the holy ghost whiche procedeth frō god is euerlasting But this article we will leaue at this presēt whē time requireth we will speake more largely of it But where with doth the holy ghost cōforte Of me saith Christe shall he beare witnesse As though he shoulde saye In this worlde loke for nothinge els but for persecution emprisonment losse of goods and at the last death This is the rewarde of the true Christians in this lyfe But be not dismayde The holy ghost shall come vnto thee conforte thee He shall testifie of me He shall put thee in remēbrance of me He shall so encourage thee enflame thee with the loue of me that thou shalt feare the tyranny of the worlde nothinge at all He shal not encrease the with vaine richesse as the worlde doth but he shall beare witnes of me so that although thou shouldest loose al that euer thou hast thy wife thy children thy lande thy possessions thy houshold stuffe c. Yea thy head life This yet should be thy confort that Christ Iesus remaineth vnto thee safe sounde vntouched which for thy sake for thy health saluation for thy cōmoditie and profit came down from heauē was made man died rose again ascended into heauen according to the articles of the Christen faith If this be true as nothing is more true why thē sholdest thou feare Thus speketh the holy ghost dayly in the heartes of the afflicted Christiās vnto their great encouragemēt cōfort And verely he that died for our sake can not hate vs nor beare any euill will against vs. If he then loueth vs what shold we feare as though he loued vs not Yea what shold we not be cōtent to suffer to lose so that we may obtaine Christ his richesse as the Apostle saith I thīcke al things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Iesu my Lord. For whome I haue coūted all thing losse and do iudge them but vile that I may wynne Christ and be foounde in him c. And this is that which Christ here saith He shal beare witnesse of me for in this testimonie or witnes consisteth the whole confort Therfore these wordes Of me are worthie to be writen in letters of gold diligently to be obserued For these wordes are able to assure vs that the holy ghost bringeth no new doctrine neyther setteth he forth vnto vs Moises or any other thing to cōforte the conscience but Christ alone his worde For nothing can cōforte the conscience but the testimonie witnesse bearing of Christ of his death resurrection All other thinges trouble fraye the conscience by whatsoeuer name they be called lawe good workes Pilgrimages worshippinge of saints c. For god him selfe when we deale with him withoute Christ is terrible neither can we finde any fauour or conforte at his hande but anger wrath displeasure as Christ sayth I am the waye the truth and the lyfe No man cometh vnto the father but by me Hereto agreeth the saying of S. Ambrose Christ alone is our mouth whereby we speake to the father oure eye whereby we see the father our right hande whereby we offer to the father whiche Christ excepte he make intercession for vs neither we nor all the saintes haue any thing to do with god The doctrine that setteth forth Christ that bringeth true consolation maketh the heartes of men mery All other bring to the afflicted conscience not conforte but disconforte not lyfe but death not saluation but damnation Therfore all the matter cōsisteth in this one point that thou truly rightly and certeinly know this consolatiō confort so mayste thou be bolde to saye I beleue in Iesus Christe whiche died for me And I know that the holy ghost whiche is and is called a conforter wil bring none other testimonie confort then this alone that he shal testifie and beare witnesse of Christ which alone and non other will I admitte and receaue For if there were any conforte better or surer then this the holy ghost wolde also haue brought it but he doth nothing elles then testifie of Christ. But why doth Christ vse the worde of testifyinge or bearing of witnes This is don to this ende that we should the more diligently attende and marke the worde For this is certein and true that the worke of the holy ghost is inwardly in the hearte But yet will not he administer this worke otherwise then by the outwarde worde as Paule also saith that fayth cōmeth by the hearyng of the worde Therfore Christe calleth the holy ghost a witnesse nowe doth he beare wytnes by the mouth and word of the Apostles and Preachers whiche sincerelye and purely set forth the gospell of Christ. Therfore he that desireth conforte may not tarye tyl the holy ghost come personally and preache Christ vnto him or speake vnto him frō heauē He geueth forth his witnes openly in the worde ther is he to be sought and loked for tyll by the worde which thou outwardly hearest he touche thy hearte so inwardly thorowe his workyng thou felest his testimonie of Christ. But this inward witnesse cometh not except the outwarde witnesse of the worde goeth before wherin it is declared that Christ for oure sake became man was crucified died and rose again So that the summe of this gospel is that if we entende to be Christians we maye not in this lyfe loke for richesse dignities renowne glorie c. But rather thincke most certeinly that for this our profession we shall haue the world an enemy to persecute vs besydes the vexatiōs of synne deuill and death Therfore when these tormentes
ryse vp in the breaste of a Christian he is by and thynkethe on this maner with hymselfe Alas what haste thou doone Thou myghtest welle haue bene a Christian and yet neuer haue comme to this myserie and daunger Thou art come to thys poynte thoroughe thyne owne faulte c. Nowe when suche horrible examples come also to mynde as putteth vs in remembraunce howe greuously greate and vertuous menne haue in tymes paste fallen and coulde not escape tentation then sayeth Christe is it tyme for the comforter to come whyche without doubte will not longe tarye awaye but wyll spedylye come and teache you that suche greuous and fearefull imaginations and thoughtes are not of hym but of the deuyll The reason is For suche thoughtes bryng trouble and disquietenesse yea and dryue vnto desperation But the holy Ghost maketh not afrayde but comforteth encourageth and so handleth the matter that he testifieth and beareth witnesse of me that I haue ouercome the worlde with his prince and God euen the deuyll Therfore all other thoughtes that brynge with them heauynes sorowe and discomfort are not of me but of the deuyll But the holy Ghost bryngeth and geueth confortable and ioyefull thoughtes for as muche as he beareth wytnesse of me that I haue bestowed my lyfe for you dyed for your synnes and rose agayne for your Iustification Of thys testimonie or wytnesse ye maye easyly gather that I hate you not and that I doo not entende to condemne you but to saue you The whole substāce of thys matter therfore resteth in this point He shal beare witnes Of me This is principally to be obserued and diligētly noted against the Sectaries and false teachers For here it is surely determined that when the holy ghost shall bryng foorth comfort he shall doo it by the testimonie or witnesse of Christ that he may stablish and print Christ in their hertes Wher as contrarywise the deuyll goeth about to plant in the heartes of men feare the wrath of God syn death and damnation This wicked spirite dothe the holy Ghost by his testimonie resist by the word speaketh in our hearts and sayth Ah man what dost thou Canst thou doo none otherwise but alwayes thynke on death synne and damnation Turne thyne eyes from these greuous and terrible sightes and loke vpon me Doest thou not know that man whiche is called Christ Iesus Of hym it is thus written that he was conceaued of the holy Ghoste borne of Mary the virgin that he suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dyed was buried that he descended vnto hell rose agayne from death the thyrd day ascended vnto heauen c. Wherfore was all this doone thynkest thou Was it not doone for this purpose that by this meanes thou shouldest comfort thy selfe againste deathe and synne Therefore leaue of and cease thus to feare to trouble thy selfe for thou haste no cause so to doo If Christ were not and if Christe had not doone these thynges for thee so shouldest thou haue had a iuste cause to feare and to be sadde But Christe is by thee and rounde about thee as he hym self saith I am with you for euer euen vnto the ende of the worlde Moreouer hee hath suffered deathe for thee and sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD hys Father to comforte and to defend thee agaynst all thyne enemies Where this doctrine soundeth there is the voyce wytnesse and worde of the holy ghoste But what so euer soundeth not on this maner be it neuer so fyne and pleasant it may bee the witnesse of Moyses or rather of subtill Satan of hypocrites and heretikes whyche seke saluation peace and reste of conscience by workes and so trouble che consciences of menne and dryue theym to desperation but the wytnesse of Christ it is not nor yet the voyce of the holy Ghoste God for his mercies sake kepe vs and defende vs agaynste all witnesses and voyces of Sathan of the Pope of the Turk of hypocrites of sectaries of heretikes of scismatikes and of all the wycked and vnto our laste ende conserue vs in thys holy witnesse of the holy Ghoste Amen This is the fyrst part of this our gospel concerning that comforter the holy Ghoste howe hee comforteth the Christians Nowe lette vs come vnto the seconde part as touchyng the Crosse and affliction And here muste we note specially the sayenge of Christe to hys Disciples They shall excommunicate you out of their Synagoges These wordes declare euidentely that they whyche excommunicate the Christians and driue them out of theyr synagoges maintayn this title and doo greatly glory that they are the Synagoge or true churche yea and they wyll also be counted suche as are alone the true woorshyppers of God and that in handlyng the Christians on this wyse they doo God great true and faithfull seruice For ells what needed Christ to haue spoken these wordes The houre commeth that who soeuer kylleth you shall thynke that he doothe an acceptable sacrifice vnto God and an hygh greate seruice It is therfore necessarie at al tymes that we make a difference betwene the true and false churche That is the false churche whiche chalengeth this name and is so called and yet not withstandynge is not the trewe churche The true churche is that which is not suffered to bee called the churche and yet is the trewe Churche in dede But it is an harde thyng to discerne these two churches For thys hyndreth greatly that the false Churche also hath the office of mynisterie in it as it is to be seene We frankely and frely confesse that the Pope and his sect is not the trewe churche and therfore we condemne theim as the Synagoge of Satan Notwithstandynge when they baptise ordeyne pastors confirme maryages we fynde no fault wyth these thynges for the ministerie and wordes sake but we confesse theyr baptisme to be trewe and therfore doo not we baptise the chyldren agayne whiche were baptised of them Whyche thynge notwithstandyng Cyprian dyd not folowe who was of this mynde that he thought that the baptisme which was ministred of heretikes was no ryghte and true baptisme and therfore that the chyldren whiche they had baptised ought to be baptised againe as thoughe they hadde neuer ben baptised And this was his reason Heretikes saythe he are not in the vnitie of the Christen churche Therfore can they haue no Christen ministerie But this is not true For the mynisterie and the person ar to be discerned a differēce is to be put betwene them A notorious synner also is not of the vnitie of the Churche yet hys mynisterie that hee hath in the churche is not to bee despised The reason is thys For the mynisterie is not hys but Christes If he woulde go aboute to alter or breake the cōmandement of Christ if he wold otherwise baptise preache and minister the Lordes supper then Christe hymselfe hath appointed and cōmanded then is there here a sufficient
to do the same must nedes be occasion of great feare and dreade inwardely For herof it doth folow that a man thinketh that he is condemned alredy of God to death orels that he shall forthwith suffer the paynes of deathe Wherfore the Pentecost of the Iewes is a remembraunce of a great and necessarie thyng yet the consideration therof can not be pleasant and acceptable For the example of the people dothe declare what thys mysterie woorketh inwardly When they desyre Moses to be a mean betwene them and God and when they thought it necessarie in theyr heart to haue a meane yet could not fynde who might be this meane and mediatour But GOD hym selfe hathe promysed a Mediatour whyche is a Prophete lyke vnto Moyses c. And by thys he doothe declare what shoulde bee the Whytsontyde of the Newe Testamente that it is fulle of comforte swetenesse ioye and peace For thus sayeth the Euangeliste as it is rehersed that in the daye of Pentecoste whenne the Iewes dydde kepe holye the feast of theyr lawe at what tyme that the Apostles and Disciples were gathered togyther sodeynelye there camme as it were the sounde of a vehemente wynde and fylled the whole house and there appered vppon them clouen tongues as it hadde bene of fyre and so the Holy ghoste was opened there bothe to the syghte of the eyes and the hearynge of the eares For in the sounde was he hearde and seene in the fyre as Christ hadde promised before and Iohn Baptist prophecied that they shold be baptised in fyre and spirite But all these thynges haue theyr signification and meanynge The tongues doothe sygnifie the office of preachynge whiche thenne shall woorke with effecte when the holy ghost worketh therwith that therby maye be enkendled a newe lyght inwardly And forthwith after this sounde and fyry tongues he sytteth on eche of them and so dothe inflame their heartes and with such a blast and motion perceth their vnderstandyng that in a momente of an hower they knowe bothe God and his sonne Iesus Christ they vnderstand the scriptures and waxeth so bold in heart that they dare openly professe the true knowlege of God so that thei can speake with all languages where as before they knewe but their owne For out of Sion it behoued that the lawe shoulde procede and the woorde of the Lorde oute of Hierusalem and that afterwarde the Gospell shold be heard in al lāguages And forasmuch as the Gospel shuld be publyshed not only in Iury but also in all the worlde therfore the holy ghost dothe instruct his apostles with languages that it myght bee vniuersally sette foorth throughout all the earth This is our Whitsontide and Pentecost in the new Testament wherby the trewe knowledge of God is ordeyned not with feare and dreade but with ioy and peace whereby there ryseth suche a conscience at the length which turneth not from God but abydeth all things for Christs sake as the apostles by theyr examples doo shewe Not only Christ at his laste supper prophecieth of this Whitsontyde but also the Prophetes Dauid Esaias Hieremias Ioell Zacharias and other Wherfore we shall not lose our labour but rather bestowe our tyme very well yf we at a certayne appoynted tyme enstructe men of the holye Ghost teaching what he is and what is his propretie and what is nedefull for vs to doo that we also maye obteyne the same spirite And fyrst of all we muste not thynke that the holy ghoste was then firste in the congregation and neuer before For hee is God eternall and almyghtie as Christ sayth that he cometh of the father Wherfore he is of one substance and nature with the Father and there be many euident testimonies that the holy ghoste hath always bene effectuous in men and hath lightned them and broughte them into the waye For Christ hymselfe and Peter also sayth that the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets and the Euangelistes doo testifye of Anna Zacharia Elizabeth Iohn Baptist that they had the holy ghost Wherfore we must thynke and beleue none other thyng of the holy ghoste then wee beleue of Christe which hath ben for euer and forthwith after the fyrste promyse made in Paradyse exercised his office and stode in battaile against the deuil and began to breke the head of the serpent This worke was long agone began of the sonne of man and euer diligently done and at laste fully accomplyshed at what tyme he became manne and dyed on the Crosse and the thyrde daye rose agayne from the deade Therfore the workynge of the Holy Ghoste was therewyth and the holy Ghoste was alwayes in the worlde gouernyng mens hearts and stirryng vp their faith by the word in them he kyndled a lyght and them he cōfirmed and brought into all truthe But yet he dydde at lengthe perfectly and absolutely fulfylle thys greate woorke vppon thys Whytsondaye wherein hee was not secrete and priuie as hee was before But hee declared hym selfe openlye that all that dyd see myghte perceaue and confesse that the holy ghoste was present For where as there were some amongest theym in thys place that iudged the woorkynge of the holy Ghoste to be dronkennesse it was doone of an aduysed and purposed madnesse For they are proued false by theyr owne reason wherby they may knowe that diuers languages commeth not of dronkennesse or of newe wyne It shoulde make muche with oure matter to consyder why the reuelation of the holy Ghost was deferred vnto this daye For euen as after the delyuerance of the old people there folowed immediatly the couenant betwene GOD and the people so after our delyuerance whyche commeth thorough Christe doothe this pledge of the Holy Ghoste ensue whereby we myght be made certayne and confirmed as concernyng the couenant betwene God vs. For fyrst was it mete that this deliuerance shoulde be made and confyrmed thoroughe CHRIST and that he should entreate the Father to sende vs the Holy Ghoste And by hym onely are we made parte takers of thys greate gyfte as wee sayde in the daye of the Ascension prouynge it by the thre score eight Psalme That hee ascended on hye and receaued gyftes for men For thus doothe Peter also expounde that saying in his sermon of this daye where as he saieth Wherfore Christe beynge exalted on the ryght hand of God when he had receaued the promise of the holy ghoste of his father he dyd shedde foorth this as you now see and heare And this is the fyrste worke of his but hath bene alwayes in the worlde wyth dewe administration and workynge But yet on this daye at the laste dyd he openly declare hymselfe where as he shewed foorth hymselfe with greate vertue and strengthe so that by this reuelation we maye knowe what a greate thynge CHRIST hath wrought and brought to passe for vs thorowe his death and resurrection
Secondarilye this is to be noted that as the scripture geueth a peculiar name vnto CHRIST and calleth hym the worde of GOD So doth it also geue a proper name to the sprite callynge it Spiritus Sanctus that is the holye Ghoste whiche by his grace doth sanctifye the heartes whiche were before vnholy and defiled with synne This name bringeth greate conforte to all good Christian men For they perceaue that they are weaker then the deuill and vnable at all times to resyste hys temptations And as they are verye sorowfull that they fele the euyll spirite sore sette agaynste them so are they put in good hope that by CHRIST they obtayne the holye Ghoste whiche pardoneth theyr synnes and styrreth them to obeye God truly But howe the holye Ghoste dooth bringe thys to passe it is shewed in Iohns Gospell The holye Ghoste shall reproue the worlde of synne of iustice and of iudgement For so are the properties of the Trinitie discerned in the articles of our faith that GOD the father gaue vs bodye and lyfe and made vs to his Kyngedome And after that oure parentes became the firste synners and vnder deaths danger and we also as by enheritance succeded vnto their synne and forfet The sonne of god was made man and thorough his death restored to vs that that was loste deliuered vs from sinne and death This deliuerance doth the holy ghost set forth by the Gospell and so instructe the heartes of men to beleue therin that is to haue sure confort therin that CHRIST died for them and that they maye not doubt but that they are reconciled to God the father by that death so that he wili no more remember their synnes but will forgeue them for Christes sake This doth signifie the sanctifiynge of the heartes or the purifying by fayth as Peter speaketh in the Actes of the Apostles And wher as is suche remission of synnes by faith so that we do not despaire althoughe diuers sinnes remaine but take sure conforte thorowe the death and resurrection of CHRIST There foloweth at the lenght the second sanctifyinge of the holye Ghoste wherein oure bodyes also are sanctified by the holye Ghoste as when we geue ouer oure selues no more to sin nor be delighted therwith but abstayne and studie to do those thynges that please God as Paule teacheth He that stole set hym steale no more but rather let hym labor with his owne handes that that is good that he maye haue to geue to the nedefull c. This is the propertie of the holy Ghoste to begin in vs a newe and true obedience towarde GOD that we maye resiste synne and mortifye the fleshe and so obtaine remission of oure sinnes by faith But this sanctifying is not parfect by and by with the first For if the fyrst were not the second coulde not muche preuayle For fleshe and bloud are full of infirmitie but the deuill is excedynge mighty against vs and we haue receaued onely the firste fruites of the spirite Wherefore this obedience can not be parfect and there is no sanctifyinge to attayne vnto ryghteousnes before GOD and euerlastynge lyfe than the sanctifyinge of fayth wherof is spoken before For thereof dependeth the whole matter wheras the second sanctifyinge when it hath done all that it can confesseth his owne vnprofitablenes and stycketh onelye to the sanctifyinge whiche commeth of Gods grace and mercie Hereof then is it plaine why the holye Ghoste is so called because it doth make holy and sanctifye that is by the word it stirreth vp in vs fayth towarde CHRIST that thereby we maye obtayne remission of oure synnes Besyde this office of sanctifyinge the holy Ghoste hath other offices as he hath other names in scripture For Zacharie calleth hym the spirite of prayer because he encourageth the heartes to truste surelye in GOD and to call vpon hym in their necessities Also CHRIST calleth hym the conforter whiche helpeth oure heartes by stirringe vs to take paciently all thynges that they shoulde be feared by no misfortune or combrance of the worlde Also he calleth him the spirit of truth because to withstand lies and heresies and to confirme the pure word and true faith he is alwayes bent Wheras contrariwise the deuill by our reason and false doctrine woulde caste vs hedlong into errours and lyes These are the proper offices of the holye Ghoste besyde that he garnisheth the heartes of the faythfull with diuers vertues and gyftes and is suche a conforter that bydeth with vs alwayes where as all the worldlye conforte is but for a tyme and at laste forsaketh vs. Seynge then that the holye Ghoste dooth worke suche greate thynges in vs. This also is to be learned Whiche is the waye to attaine to suche greate gyftes and howe they maye begynne to growe in vs and that we maye receaue the holye Ghoste and thereby be sanctifyed and saued As touchynge this thynge CHRIST hymselfe doth teache vs. Luke xj Wheras he sayth on this wise Seynge that you that are euyll can geue good thynges to youre sonnes howe muche more can youre heauenly father geue his holye spyrite vnto them that aske it of hym Yt is a sentence worthy to be rehearsed teachynge fyrste that GOD woulde that the holye Ghoste shoulde be obtayned by prayer of hym and that he geueth it to them that wyth humble prayers desire it of the father Wherefore when thou haste a desyre in thy mynde to obtayne the holy Ghoste of GOD continewe in prayinge and doubte not but thou shalte obtayne This is the redye waye to obtayne the holye Ghoste For CHRIST hym selfe dooth teache thee so to doo and to call vpon GOD the father often for the holye Ghoste but this prayer as all other prayers muste be made also in the name of IESV and on suche wyse muste we praye GOD that he for CHRIST his Sonne sake wyll geue vs the holye Ghoste And to the attainement thereof haue greate helpe in that that Christ ascended to the father for no other cause but to receaue these gyftes of the father and to geue them vnto vs. Wherfore in our prayers we can not doubt for it is not onely commanded of God that we shoulde praye for the holye ghoste and also promised that we shall obtayne but also his wil is redie to geue it For as muche as Christ therfore sitteth at the right hande of God the father to distribute amongest vs these gyftes For he also receaued them of the father as it is writent in the .lxviij. psal Not for hymselfe but for men to geue them vnto them Besides prayers there are other things also necessary to the obtayninge of the holye Ghoste For we muste haue a feruent studie to read or heare the worde of God and to vse often the Sacraments that all these thinges ioyned to gether may make opē the way for the holy ghost For this is once for all
decreed of the holy ghost to worke in vs by the worde sacramentes He therfore that litle regarde these thinges to him shall the holy ghost never come For to this entent are we baptised receaue we the Supper of the Lorde and heare the worde of God For we know that all these thinges are as instruments by the whiche the holye ghoste doth accomplishe his operation in vs. As examples doth shewe The three thousand soles whiche were conuerted this daye of sainct Peter had neuer ben conuerted if they had not hearde the worde before After that they heard the worde and their heartes were therby moued they came to baptisme For Christ so commanded So the chamberlain of the Quene of Aethiops could not obtaine the holy ghost without the worde whiche Philippe spake by the interpretinge of scripture When his heart was touched by the preachynge of Philippe it behoued hym also to receaue baptisme that the holy Ghoste myghte worke therby Wherefore if thou be desirous to haue the holye Ghost first of all thou must pray to the father for it and after that thou muste geue diligent hede to the worde and preachinge thou must often call to minde thy baptisme what God promised thee there and what maner of couenaunt he hath made ther with thee Thou must often come to the Lords Supper For by the worde and sacraments the holy ghost doth kendle oure heartes with a new light of fayth that we maye not onely heare the worde as the harde hearted Iewes dyd heare but that we maye vnderstand it also that therby we may become new men and get vs new heartes Furthermore we must beware that we do not let the holy Ghost in his worke by fylthy and shamfull liuinge and that we caste hym not out of vs by wanton an sinfull maners For one place can not serue both for the holy Ghost and the deuill Therfore when the deuill tempteth the with couetousnes wrath lechery and other synnes flee straight waye to prayer as thou woldest to an anker in a tempeste that GOD maye preserue thee against temptation and kepe the obedient vnto hym For it is necessary to abstayne frō sinne the workes of the fleshe eyther that the holy ghost may remayne with thee styll after thou hast receaued hym or that thou mayst obtayne hym that was neuer in thee or if by infirmitie thou chaunce to fall thou mayst ryse again retourne to the newnes of liuing And then specially shal we perceaue that the holy ghost must nedes take place in vs and helpe vs against the deuil death and hell wheras contrarie wyse they that continew in voluntarie synnes willinglye by a lytle and a lytle fall more and more into the deuils power liue with out all repentaunce and neuer are part takers of the holy Ghost whose proper office it is as I sayd before first to sanctifie vs thorowe faith and remission of our synnes and then to be an helpe vnto vs against sinne that we may shewe obedience to God But we saide before that we receaue only the first frutes of the holy ghost and that fleshe and bloud doth yet remaine in vs shall as longe as we liue abide in this worlde And herof it is that they whiche haue receaued the holy ghost are neuerthelesse weake and doth fal often Let no man here be offended and thinke as the Anabaptistes do whiche are of this opinion that no man can fal which haue receaued the holy ghost This opinion shold be true if euery man would folow the holy ghost alwayes For than shold we neuer fal But that is not possible because of the craftes and giles of the deuil and the offences of the worlde and the infirmitie of the fleshe Wherfore it is alwayes necessarie to praye that the lord wil not take his spirit from vs but that he wil of his goodnes kepe vs in his grace dayly encrease in vs this gifte of the holy ghost and to forgeue vs our trespasses as we pray in the lords prayer For the holyest that be can not liue without such trespasses but yet by fayth in Christe are they pardoned that they hurt vs not Ye haue hearde therfore what is your true whitsontyd and pentecost Whiche is much more glorious than the whitsontide of the Iewes For the holye Ghoste is shedforth vpon all fleshe that we by the Gospell may knowe God and maye be sanctified and iustified by the holye ghost both in bodie and spirit if so be that we fulfil the office of true religion by prayer by hearynge the worde and bringing forth the true fruites of the spirite Whiche thing the holy ghoste graunt vs all to do thoroughe Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all glory for euer Amen The second Sermon on whitsonday ¶ The Gospell Ihon. xiiii IEsus sayde vnto his Disciples yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes and I wyll pray the father and he shall geue you another comforter that be may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whom the worlde can not receyue because the world seeth hym not neyther knoweth hym But ye know hym for he dwelleth with you shal be in you I wyll not leaue you comfortlesse but wyll come to you Yet a lytle whyle and the worlde seeth me no more but ye see me For I lyue and ye shall lyue That day shall ye knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you He that hath my commaundementes and kepeth them the same is he that loueth me And he that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I wyll loue hym wyll shewe myne owne selfe vnto hym Iudas saiethe vnto him not Iudas Iscarioth Lord what is done that thou wylt shewe thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the world Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto hym If a man loue me he wyll kepe my sayinges and my father wyll loue hym and wee wyll come vnto hym and dwel with him He that loueth me not kepeth not my sayinges And the worde which ye hear is not mine but the fathers which sente me These thinges haue I spoken vnto you beyng yet present with you But the comforter whiche is the holy ghoste whom my father wyll send in my name he shall teach you all thinges and bringe al thinges to your remembraunce what soeuer I haue saide vnto you Peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you Not as the worlde geuethe geue I vnto you Let not your hartes be greued neyther feare ye haue hearde how I said vnto you I go and come againe vnto you If ye loued me ye would verily reioyce because I sayd I go vnto the father For the father is greater then I. And nowe haue I shewed you before it come that when it is come to passe ye mighte beleue Hereafter wyll I not talke many wordes vnto you For the Prince of this
worlde commeth and hath naughte in me But that the world may know that I loue the father And as the father gaue me commaundement euen so do I. THE EXPOSITION THis gospell is a part of Christes Sermon whiche he made to his disciples before he suffred And for that cause ought it greatly to be estemed For Christ setteth forth in it a singuler doctrine and lesson whereby he teacheth that all reason is but superfluous to the attainement of the knowlege of God if it take not his first foundation of the loue of Christ. When this is not taught all thinges are vncertaine wauering of no strength that are eyther taught or imagined of god For they can not be comprehended or knowen by any meanes But he that loueth Christe is so farre brought that he loueth the father also But what is the cause of this worde why doth he make mention of loue and speaketh not after his olde customable maner saying he that beleueth in me Is loue the cause of our saluation and not faith wher as he saith if any man loueth me But they are both of like efficacie power strēgth For thou canst not loue Christe except thou beleue in him and dost put thy trust in hym with a certain and sure faith And the worde of faith is somwhat more euident wheras it declareth that we muste withholde our eyes from all other thinges that be and fasten thē in Christ Iesu only For this is the nature of loue that it embraceth that thinge only that it loueth in that thinge doth it set al here felicitie therwith only it is satisfied and careth for nothing besides Suche maner of loue doth Christ require of vs that we shold embrace hym with all oure hearte whiche thynge can not be done but by fayth Wherfore this sentence maketh nothynge againste faith But is spoken to the entent that the nature and condition of fayth with his proper vertue and efficacie might be the better vnderstanded An other cause of this worde is that Christ dyd perceaue that he that receaueth the worde and purposeth to kepe it can not do it without greate endeuor and industrie For diuers temptations do chaunce to them whiche do rebuke and embrayde suche as hath entered into the profession of Godlines of folie and rashnes wher as they reason on this wise with them selfe Alas what haue I done whan I tookee vpon me the office of teachynge I might haue holde my peace and thought wyth my selfe that GOD woulde haue set foorth other Other might haue come that shoulde haue had better successe in this matter Nowe am I in doubt and do not onely litle profit but put my selfe also in perill of lyfe If we will ouercome suche kynde of temptation that the worde maye be surely maintained this onely succour must they especially vse as Christe here sheweth that they loue Christe and put their hole delight in him so that all the professours of the gospell al the good may thus conforte them selues whatsoeuer be cometh of me let it be at the pleasure of God for whose cause and glorie and not for mans sake was this begon of God Wherfore I must endure it And looke wher this loue is not ther can they not endure saith Christe For I geue not goods nor golde but euerlastinge life wherof the possession is not taken in this life but after this life Wherfore all the matter resteth herein that ye loue me If loue be in you ye wil kepe my saing and contineue constantlie although that ye should do it to the perill of your life But if ye loue me not ye wil not kepe my wordes For ye shall haue so many dangers calamities and afflictions that they shall make you faint and put you in desperation But he that knoweth Christe truly beleueth in hym and loueth him he is troubled by no aduersitie For he thinketh surely Christ dyed and was buried for vs and rose againe wherby all suche gather surely that Christ doth greatlye fauor them So that this loue procedeth of faith which afterward is able to withstand all perils and dangers neither doth it feare the greate threatnings wrath of the worlde For it setteh more by Christ and his worde then by all these threatnings and displeasures of men And that is it that he saith if any mā loue me he wil kepe my word my word of my death resurrectiō not the worde of Moyses or ten commaundements That worde is not to be caste awaye nother is any thing to be done contrarie therto For God commanded that worde to be fulfilled but with that worde is there ioyned no consolatiō as is with my worde the conscience is not therby made quiet but the more that we therby know our disobedience toward GOD so much the more we dread feare the wrath indignation of God For the worde of Iesu Christ is the fondation and pillar of all thinges He that hath this saith Christ neither suffereth hymselfe to be plucke frō thence ought not to doubt but my father doth loue him And this is the peculiar phrase of Iohn whiche hath a proper kynde of speache beside all other Euangelistes that first he ioyneth men to Christe and then thorough Christ bringeth them to the father For this is the order and proces in this matter As Christ here teacheth that first we must know Christ loue hym and take him for one that is most desirous of our saluation and profit When we haue suche trust loue toward Christ there foloweth also a sure confidence that the father also loueth vs. And although we had none other confort before our eyes but only this perceauinge and vnderstanding that we nede not feare any crueltie or any wrothe or yre of God yet were that sufficient to certifie vs that we nede not feare synne or the deuill because god loueth vs for that that we loue Christe This is a great confort in all tribulation to beleue constantly that GOD is not againste vs but he louinglye embraceth vs if so be that we loue Christe kepe his worde stedfastly But in the tyme of tribulation oure heartes can hardlye thus be persuaded But we thinke rather contrariwise that God hateth vs and hath no regard to vs but that he goeth about rather to prouide punishmēt for vs. But these thinges are false For Christe doth not lye whan he sayth yf we procede so farre that we loue hym and count it abhominable to hate hym that then we muste not doubt but the father doth loue vs and will so declare hys loue toward vs that he wyth his sonne and the holy ghost will haue their abyding with vs. It is a greate matter and a singuler confort that a righteous man by fayth doth not say in his heart who is ascended in to heauen c. For in whatsoeuer place he be whether he be at Ierusalem or at Rome or
ought to take diligent hede and to beware that they receaue no other doctrine or worde but that that commeth foorth of this mouth For then surely is there a perfect waye to seke out God that can not deceaue where as otherwise God can not be sought and foūd out by any meanes But it chanceth nowe a days as it chaunced amongest the Iewes They hadde their mercy seate and their tabernacle where they dyd pray and trusted certaynly that they should be heard there and no where els But what dyd they They refused the places that God appointed theym and chose them selues certaine places as they thought good in theyr owne eyes So commeth it to passe euen now Christ saith If ye purpose to serche out God and bee desyrous to make hym to loue you fyrste come vnto me loue me and receaue my worde But what doth the Pope what doo the Anabaptistes the Iewes the Turkes and suche lyke they lay asyde Christ and his worde and applye theyr myndes to mens traditions The Pope trusteth in Masses vowes and absteynyng from mariage The Anabaptistes in theyr streight kynde of lyuyng in their homely apparell and vndefenced trauaile The Iewes and Turkes haue theyr order also These thynges must wee diligentely eschewe Christ and his word is onely to be imbraced For this is Gods commaundement heare him And Christ saieth here The wordes that I speake be not myne but my fathers Wherfore it is vnpossible that he that dothe not loue Christ and herken to hym only shoulde heare God and come vnto hym Nowe the mercyful Father graunt vs his grace that we may loue Christe and kepe his woorde and that we maye through the holy Ghoste constantely cleaue therto and so come to euerlastyng lyfe Amen A Sermon for VVhitson Monday ¶ The Gospell Iohn iii. SO God loued the worlde that he gaue his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not peryshe but haue euerlastynge lyfe For God sent not his sonne into the world to cōdempne the world but that the world through hym myght be saued But he that beleueth on him is not condempned But he that beleueth not is condempned already because he hath not beleued in the name of the only begotten sonne of God And this is the condemnation that lyghte is come into the worlde and men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr dedes were euyll For euery one that euyll doth hateth the lyght neyther commeth to the lyght leste his dedes should be reproued But he that dothe the trueth commeth to the lyght that his dedes may be knowen howe that they are wrought in God THE EXPOSITION THIS Gospell is one of the notablest that a manne can fynde in the Newe Testamente and woorthy to be commended with all kynde of commendations that at the least men myghte set by it and count it as a thing moste necessary And that they might learne also the text by heart and rehearse it dayely with theym selues that they maye come to the vse and the true knowledge therof For the woordes be suche that they can ease a mynde that is troubled and restore to lyfe agayne the soule that is dead yf so be that they beleue them stedfastly But forasmuche as it is not possible that a man shold sufficiently expresse thys sermon of Christ by wordes Fyrst lette vs call vnto GOD that he wyll expound these woordes more playnely in our heartes then we can by oure wordes and interpretation and that hee wyll enkendle them and make theym so playne that our conscience may receaue conforte and peace thereby Amen The pythe of this excellent sermon is That God so greatly loued the world that he deliuered his only begotten son for it that we men shold not dye but haue euerlastyng life As though Christ shold say Beholde I wyll shew the such a thyng as thou neuer heardest of and put forthe before thee such an ensample as thou neuer hast sene or heard Where he that geueth the gift and he that receaueth the gift for to geue to other and where the profit and gaines are so great that no man by words can expresse them And fyrst let vs se who is the geuer Here is no mencion made of kyngs of princes of other mighty personages in the world but God himself is set forth which is incomprehensible and almyghtie which made all things by his word and still dothe preserue them which is aboue al and in comparison of whom al things create heuen earth al that is therin are but as dust He is the geuer in respect of whom all Princes and Kynges with all their gyftes are nothing in comparison And oure heartes myght worthely bee lifte vp and exalted with a godly pryde in that we haue suche a geuer so that all that shoulde chance vnto vs by any other liberalitie might be counted of no price in comparison of this For what thyng can be sette before vs that is more magnificent and excellent then God almightie Here God whiche is infinite and vnspeakable geueth after suche a sort as passeth also all thynges For that that he geueth he geueth not as wages of desert or for a recompence but as the wordes dothe sounde of mere loue Wherfore this gyft is wholly proceding of Gods excedyng and diuine beneuolence and goodnes as he saith God loued the worlde There is noo greater vertue then Loue. As it may hereby be wel vnderstand that when we loue any thyng we will not sticke to put our lyfe in danger for it Uerily great vertues are pacience chastitie sobrietie c. but yet they ar nothing to be compared with this vertue which compriseth and includeth in it self all other vertues A good man dothe no man wrong he geueth euery man hys owne but by loue men geue their owne selues to other and ar redy with all their heart to do all that thei can for them So Christe saith here also that God geueth to vs not by right or merite but by this greate vertue that is by loue This ought to encourage our heartes and to abolysh all sorow when this exceding loue of God commeth in mynde that we might truste therto and beleue stedfastly that God is that boūtifull and great geuer and that this gifte of his procedeth of the great vertue of Loue. This sort of geuing whiche hath his spring of loue maketh this gift more excellente and precious As the kynde louynge and syncere mynde of the geuer is most acceptable in giftes geuynge So contrarywise when men perceaue not what is the mynde of the geuer they regarde the gifte so muche the lesse Yea and where as gyftes be sclender and faultie in the thynge as if they be maymed or halfe blynd or hath any other fault yet if they come of loue and of a fatherly mynde is not one eie in this case or one foot more acceptable then many eies and fete without this condition And the words of Christ
are playn that God loueth vs. Wherfore for this loues sake ought we greately to esteme all thynges that he geue vs. And especially those gyftes whiche are ordeyned and geuen of hym to vs for our saluation and confirmation of oure faithe as Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord is c. For all be it that the worlde doth not regard these thyngs yet they ought to be estemed for oure chiefe felicitie that by them we myght put asyde all sorowe and be ioyful in heart forasmuche as these thinges are of a fatherly loue and beneuolence ordeyned for our saluation Wherfore Christ in this place sheweth not only that the father will geue vs any thinge but also he describeth the way how the father will geue vs that is of a fatherly and of a godlye loue And as hytherto wee haue spoken of the geuer and of his louyng mynde so is the gyfte it selfe no lesse to be estemed For God geueth not riches here nor kyngdoms nor any creature but geueth his onely begotten sonne which is no lesse than the father If wealth and prosperitie causeth ioy howe great ioy ought this gift to be to them that it is geuen vnto For as God the geuer is excedyng great and his loue also wherof the gyfte procedeth So is the gyft that he geueth which is his onely sonne For he geueth hym selfe wholly in this gyft as Paul saith to the Romains seyng God hath geuen for vs all his sonne how can it be that with him he should not geue vs all thynges also Sinne death hell heauen rightuousnes and life al are ours for that that the sonne as by gyft is ours also in whom are all thynges Wherfore if we beleue truly and receiue this moste excellent gift by faith it must nedes be that euery creature fautie or not fautie muste be ours and geuen to our cōmoditie as saint Paule saith in an other place Al things ar ours whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas either the world or life or deth And you ar Christs Christ is Gods For if we cōsider this gift well we shal perceiue that it passeth all that is either in heauen or earth and in respecte wherof all the goodes of the world are but as it wer a graine But here doth incredulitie misbeliefe trouble vs as Christ himself dothe afterward complayn and also incredible darknes and ignorāce as whē we heare of this so great a gift yet we do not beleue it the words of such great matter goeth in at the one eare and rūneth out at the other neuer perceth to the heart When men conceiue any hope of purchasing possessions or of bying landes they can neuer haue their heart at rest for the feruent care and gredy desyre to obteyne the same But where as it is declared here that God hath geuen vnto vs his sonne of mere loue we are slouthfull and sluggyshe without all desire to receiue it What is the cause that we sette so lyghtly by suche an hygh gift and do not embrace it worthily as we ought to doo The deuyll truly whiche casteth a myste ouer our heartes that we care not for the worde and promise as touchyng this gifte but in the meane tyme we bestow all our cares in worldly thynges Wherfore in the beginnyng I sayde that these woordes oughte dayely to be rehersed and vsed when we rise in the morning when we go to bed at nyght that we might print them in our hearts geue God thankes for this so great benefite For all things are so great that they can be no greater the giuer the loue of the geuer and the gift it selfe that is geuen vs of mere loue not of merite and is so geuen that it remaineth with vs not as borowed nor lent nor recompensed For the whiche also is nothing geuen agayne neither is any thinge required therefore but that thou shouldest ioyfully embrace it and so declare thy mynd But alas what an vnworthy thynge is this that neither heartes neither handes there be to receaue this gyfte as it is proffered that this should be our Christ and shold remayne with vs for euer vnto euerlasting lyfe But herein chaunceth a very leude and greuous thing that they to whom this gift is offred although thei haue great nede therof yet they regarded it not but refuse to receiue it If a riche man shold proffer a gift to a nedy begger that he might therby liue in more welth more at ease and yet that riche mā wold require nothing for himself but that the poore wolde receiue this excellent gift gladly Now if the begger were suche an vnthriftie person that he wold not take the gift but wold set more by his owne miserable state than by this gifte might ye not count him worthily to deserue yet more greater wretchednes thā he was in before but here to this beggerly world the is void of al life saluatiō is profered the son of God And god demādeth nothing els of vs but to receiue it to take it as our own but this is our madnes that although we be starke beggers yet we think scorn to be prouided for Iudge thou therfor here of what a greuous syn is vnbelefe It is not agreable to mans nature to be agaynst oure owne profite and gaines and not to receaue it when it is proffred Hereof it appereth how madde the worlde is that it hath no ioy and felicitie in this gift of God and putteth himself in such great blame that it wil not receue and take to his vse that that is proffered If it were neuer so little gold that were proffred we woulde be ready to receaue it with bothe handes yea and with al the other lymmes of the body also Wher as the sonne of God is proffred for a gift al men ar in doubt whether they may embrace hym or no and beare themselfe in hande that they haue no nede of hym Wherfore he hath his proper name geuen hym to whom the gyfte is proffred and is called the worlde which is worthy to be hated and specially if it bee compared with the gyfte For so littell dothe he deserue this loue and gift of God that nothyng can be more againste God nor nerer vnto the deuyll than the worlde is And yet this is the very testimonye and witnesse of Christ saying God so loued the worlde that he gaue his only begot-sonne Print this thyng well in thy mynd After that thou haste heard what God is and what is the gift that he geueth freely of mere loue learne this thynge also what is the worlde truely a great multitude of men that hath no faith that thinketh God vnfaithful of his promise yea and blasphemeth curseth and persecuteth his worde whiche are also disobedient to father and mother murtherers aduouterers traitours theues wicked persons c. as dayely examples shewe vs playnly that
bytyng worme of conscience forasmuche as God is not now angrie with vs but standeth sure by his promise of grace and mercy which he hath made with vs for his sonne Iesus Christes sake He that beleueth thys is sure to be saued For this gift is geuen to make vs safe from death and synne For euen as a great flame is in comparison of a droppe of water so is Christe in comparison of the synnes of the worlde As soone as they touche Christe and as soone as the gift is receyued by Faith our synnes are quite consumed and abolyshed euen as a drye stalke is by an hot fier For here thou hearest by the worde of Christ that God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for the worlde that all that beleue in hm shoulde not peryshe but haue euerlastyng lyfe He saith precisely here They that beleue in hym He saith not he that taketh vpon hym this or that worke and thereby endeuour hymselfe to purchase Gods fauour Only Faith it is that purchaseth this gyfte Wherfore lette our aduersaries withstand this sentence neuer so muche lette them rayle neuer so muche agaynst it yet is this sentence sure and inuincible that they that beleue in him shall haue euerlasting lyfe and shall not perishe And se thou put nothyng hereto nor take nothyng from it lest thou shouldest seme to take vpon thee to correcte Christes iudgement These are excellente woordes and the wordes of lyfe God graunte vs hys grace to print them in our heartes For he that hath these wordes surely fixte in his hearte can be feared neyther of the deuyll nor of synne nor of helle but wyll be of a quiete heart and say I am withoute all feare For I haue with me the sonne of God whom God hath geuen vnto me by loue and by the word of God that is by the gospel which certifieth me therof And thy word O lord thy son Iesus wil not deceiue me in whom alone I put my truste If I be any thynge weake in Faith grant me that grace that I may beleue more stedfastly For I besydes this haue no other healpe in thys euident gyfte and loue of GOD but that we shold all by a lyttell and a lyttell beleue more and more in this gyft For Faith is requisite as thou hearest here of CHRIST And the stronger that Fayth is the greater is the ioy pleasure and securitie that is felt risyng in the mynd so that after that the mynd is most prone and readye to doo and to suffer all thynges whyche we knowe that God doothe requyre of vs and wylleth vs to doo knowyng that he is louyng and vseth nothynge but loue towarde vs. But thou wylt say If I were as Peter Paule and saint Mary were this gift would be confortable vnto me For they are saintes and therfore doubtlesse this saying pertaineth but vnto them Howe should I that am a synner by any meanes vnderstande that it pertaine vnto me whiche haue so often offended God by my synnes and haue made hym my enemie Such thoughtes can not be auoyded when the hearte after this kynd of preaching reasonyng beholdeth it self considereth his syns And here must we be circūspect and ware least we laying aside Gods word geue our selues any long tyme to such thoughtes but forthwith must we returne to the word and order oure Iudgement accordynge to the same For those thoughtes ar nothyng els but very incredulitie and vnbelefe which goeth about to withdraw vs from this swete gospel And trewely vnbelefe can be ouercome by no other meanes but by the worde of God Of this preacheth CHRIST that wee shoulde not doubte of thys woorde sayenge that his Father the trewe and eternall God in heauen dyd so loue the worlde that he delyuered his only begotten sonne And this is sure that the world here dothe not signifie Mary Peter Paule onely But the worlde signifieth all mankynd Therefore if thou takest thy selfe to be of mankynde or if thou doest not beleue that compare thy self with other mortall men that thou mayst vnderstande that thou art a man For why shouldest thou not suffer thy selfe to be of thys name seyng that Christ with plain wordes saieth that GOD gaue not his sonne onely for Mary Peter or Paule but for the worlde that all shoulde receaue hym that are the sonnes of men Then yf thou or I wold not receaue hym as though he dyd not appertayne vnto vs truely it would consequently folowe that Christes wordes are not true where as he saith he was geuen and deliuered for the worlde Wherfore hereof appeareth that the contarye therto is moste assuredly trewe that is that this gift belongeth as well vnto thee as to Peter and Paule forasmuche as thou also art a man as they are and a portion of the worlde that God maye not be iudged in his worde and this thought rise in our heart thynkyng on this wise Who knoweth whether I am also of their number to whom the sonne of God is geuen and eternall lyfe promised For that is as muche as to make God vntrewe of his promise Wherefore whenne thys thoughte commeth vpon thee suspecte it as thou wouldest suspecte the deuyl least thou be therwith deceaued And say thou what is that to me that I am neyther Peter nor Paule If GOD woulde haue geuen thys gyft to them only that should haue ben founde worthy he wold haue geuen it to the Angells to the Sonne and vnto the Mone For they are pure and vndefyled creatures whyche alwayes obeye God and neuer doo declyne and swarue frome hys Preceptes But thys is the truthe of the matter hee gaue hym to the worlde And the worlde is no woorthyer thereof then as I sayde before Wherefore although I am neyther Peter nor Paule yet wyll I not suffer my selfe to bee putt besyde thys gyfte but wyll challenge as muche thereof for my part as dydde Dauyd and all the holy Apostles For what was Dauyd Dydde he not trespasse heynously and greuousely Also what were the Apostles were they not synners and vnworthye Wherfore lette no man folowe thys reason saying I am a synner I am not iust and holy as Peter was Wherfore I dare not bee so bolde as to chalenge this gyfte for myne But rather reason on thys wyse What soeuer I am yet God is not to bee taken as vnfaithfull of his promyse I am a portion of the worlde wherfore if I wold not take this gift as myn owne I shoulde make God vntrue But thou wilt say Why dothe he not shewe this to me alone then I wold beleue and thynk surely that it apertained vnto me But it is for a great cōsideration that God speaketh here so generally to the intent verily that no manne should thynke that he is excluded from this promyse and gyft He that doth exclude him selfe must geue a count why he dothe so I wyll not iudge them
is of strēgth to be borne again wher this is lacking there is no hope to come to the kingdom of God All our powers with the lawes and preceptes are of no efficacie and strength But thou wilt say If it be so I had rather doo no good worke at all then to take muche peyne if I obteyne nothynge therwith in the kyngdome of God But to thynke or saye this is an euident token of vngodlines Wherfore do both Fyrst see diligently to the lawe with all his woorkes then know thy self to be a synner and that thou canst not by thy workes escape damnation Then turne thy selfe to the doctrine of Christ and hearken what hee preacheth of the kyngdom of God after that he hath declared that the old man can not enter into the kingdome of God Nicodemus perceaueth the straighte Iudgement of Christ that without the newe Byrthe there is no hope of the kyngdom of GOD and he is soone reformed and persuaded that the carnall byrth healpethe nothynge thereto And therefore he asketh howe the newe byrthe might be And CHRIST And doth redyly shew a notable doctrin therof saying on this wise Uerily verily I say vnto the. Except a man bee borne agayn he can not enter into the kyngdom of God Whatsoeuer is borne of the fleshe is flesh what soeuer is born of the spirit is spirite This is the second sentence against the first byrthe shewyng that it is carnall synful and that it can not be encouraged to obteyne the kingdome of God As though he should say Thou demandest whether thou shouldest otherwise be borne of thy mothers wombe although thou were borne a thousande tymes of thy mothers wombe yet thou shouldest not bee borne to the kyngdom of God Ther is no nede of father and mother to the kyngdome of God which are also them selues fleshe but there is nede to haue water and the spirite but he that hath ben so borne agayne is a new man and shall come to the kyngdome of God This doctrine had Nicodemus neuer learned in Moses He had learned there what he should doo or not do by the preceptes But as touchyng this new creature he had learned nothyng at all not as muche as by a dreame Wherfore he is so confounded that he graunt that all this while he had lerned nothyng at all But the wordes of this sentence ar not so lyghtly to be passed ouer the sentence is perfect that good works must be done and obedience is to be geuen to the lawe But the seyng of the kyngdom of God cometh not hereby But if we will come to the seyng therof not good workes but a newe man is requisite thereto And that is not doone by the carnall manne but by water and by the spirite They are the verye parentes that are mete to bryng forth this new chyld of God Water is nothyng els but baptism For so saith Christ in y◠last of Marke He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued Thys strength of the water is not of his owne nature For water is water that is to say an elemēt and creature whiche can not change the hert and wash away syn But the water wherof Christ speketh here and which we call the water of Baptisme is not only water naturall but water in the worde and promyse of God Two things are here ioyned together the water the word and are so ioyned together that they can not be sundred If thou sunder the water from the worde it is no baptisme If thou sunder the word from the water neither than is it Baptisme But when the word and water ar ioyned together this water is such with the whiche the holy ghost will come vnto thee and regenerate thee to the kyngdome of God Whiche is as much to say as to forgeue synnes and to bryng saluation This sentence therfore is not lyghtly to be regarded and especiallye because of the Anabaptistes whiche holde opinion that the Baptisme of infantes is nothyng woorth where as yet Christ in this place applieth water to regeneratiō to the new birth and ioyneth it as the cause therof with the holy ghost If children therfore haue nede of this new byrth and can not see the kyngdome of God without it and seynge Baptisme is ordeyned of Christ as the cause of all that muste bee newe borne It is not onely an vnmercyfull thynge but also violence in the kyngdome of god and playne tyranny to exclude them from Baptisme and from the kyngdome of God for whome Christe dyed and decreed that this benefite should be free to all them that are newe borne that they myght be baptised to dye with hym and be borne agayn Wherfore this newe byrth is also necessary for children that they may see the kyngdome of God And although the water dothe nothing profite without the holy ghost yet the holy ghoste by the water of Regeneration muste woorke in vs as Paule dothe so ioygne them bothe together Accordyng to his mercy saith he he saued vs by the water of regeneration and renuyng of the holy spirite the which he shed vpon vs abundantly This lauer or washyng can not be without regeneration and renuyng of the holy spirite Wherfore the errour is detestable that in certaine places dyuers preachers doo baptise chyldren without water For it is not only requisite in baptisme to haue the word spirite but also to haue water For so did Christ ordein no man hath power to change his lawe institution The baptisme of water is seene with the eies but the worke of Regeneration and new birth whiche is wrought by the holy ghost inwardly is not sene Therfore this outward ceremonie of the water of baptism may not be omitted because of the priuie and inuisible administration of the holy ghost Christ sayth furthermore vnto Nicodemus Meruail not that I sayd vnto thee thou muste be borne again from aboue the wynd bloweth wher he will and thou hearest the soūd therof but thou canst not tel frō whence it cōmeth and whether it gothe So is euery man that is born of the Spirite These wordes are very simple as the ceremonie is it selfe For it is not estemed with reason when an infant or an aged man is offered to make his confession on this wise that foloweth Behold the yoke of synne and of the deuyll is so great that there is no helpe or remedy against it but that he whether he be chyld or man be baptised and washed with water in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost But here must we rather marke what Christ sayth where he biddeth vs rather to consyder what is done by priuie operation then by the open ceremonie outward signe For the worke of the holy ghost is priuie hyd from the eies Wherfore we must beleue it as it is set forthe in the worde Thou shalte neuer perceaue it by the eies
As it chanceth in the wynd The sound therof is heard but we can neither declare the risynge nor the slackyng therof So is it in the newe byrthe The outwarde ceremonie commeth by the water vnto the eyes and the word is heard that the woorke is done in the name of Iesus vnto the absolution and remission of synnes He that regardeth not the worde and spirite and the vertue thereof and seketh it not after that sorte as Christe hath appoynted shall bee deceyued For nothyng els is requisite to the getting of the newe birth and spirite but that thou must be baptised with water and take diligent hede to the word This is the newe birth to the kyngdome of God and no other way is there What wil these sectaries say here which only crake of the spirite and in the meane tyme lay asyde baptisme the sacrament worde Wherfore Christ here doth not teache but he sheweth by a plain demonstration baptisme the word And doth admonyshe vs that if we will not be content to vse the water and word that we shall haue nothing of the holye ghost neither shall we euer atteyne to the new byrth Wherfore let vs haue diligent regard of our baptisme and of the word as of the chief part of our saluation Where we know for a suretie that if we kepe that we are new borne vnto the kingdome of God And this doctrine how we must be new borne that is how we must come to the kingdom of God is strāge and not heard of in the world and yet it is only true vnfallible where as of the contrary part all other doctrines deceaue seme they neuer so good by the iudgemēt of the world of reason The life of the phariseis the rules of monkes the deuotion of the single shauelings are very fantasticall And the works of vertue of the ten cōmandements do not a little cōmend them that haue them Yet there is none of al these things that doth regenerate It is only water and the spirite that doth worke these thinges which spirite will no otherwise be knowen of vs or felt but as the wind is knowen by the sound He that heareth the sounde that is beleueth is baptised he is new borne shal be saued But Nicodemus is so deepely drownde vp in his phantasticall imaginations of the law and good workes that he can not cōprehend this doctrine as it doth also chaunce in those Papistes that are moste wittie For it hindreth them alwayes when they think thus should all this be nothing should not this please God that we fast that we pray that we geue almes Wherfore Christ hādleth hym with the more austeritie for that he wil not beleue knowledge the true doctrine saith Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these thinges As though he should say How then doest thou thy dutie as a maister of Israel seinge thou knowest not the way of true saluation This doctrine of the newe byrth and regeneration is the doctrin of the prophets necessarie to saluatiō Now art thou so ignorāt that thou doest not knowe that vice in oure nature whiche hath neede to bee abolished by regeneration But for what purpose is this reprouing of a maister in Israell Uerily that all preachers of religion and of true saluation may know that all learninge which is without the doctrine of regeneration is naught and false Not because it is a faulte to teache good workes and to adhorte men therto For so doth the lawe of god and doth wel therby But herin are they to be blamed that beside this doctrine they teache men nothyng els as though nothing els were requisite to euerlastinge life For it is euident in this place that although the lawe and good workes be done yet they profitte nothynge to the attainement of the kyngdome of god but that there muste nedes be the new byrth of water of the holy ghost And it is the spirite which by the water worde doth make other new men The lawe and the workes do change neither the men neither the workes Wherfore he that thinketh with himselfe how he might bring men to saluation let him haue respect to the newe byrth as Christ hath here let him not beginne it by good workes but let hym laye the fundation by that thing that can make a new heart that is let hym lead men to baptisme and to the spirit ye and to the word by the whiche the holy Ghoste doth worke in mens heartes For as the winde nothing is knowen but the sounde so of the holy ghost nothyng is perceaued but the worde That must ye kepe surely and then looke for the operation of the holy ghost Nowe what maner of worde this is and how the holy Ghoste doth make a sounde Christe here teacheth No man goeth vp into heauen but he that came down frō heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen This begynninge of the sermon is of that wherof Christe sayth ye beleue not me if I speake earthlye thinges to you how wil ye beleue if I speake heauēly things vnto you For this sermon can not be inuēted by any man but the only begotten sonne which is in the bosom of the father hath declared it vnto vs. Of this sermon or saying ther are two partes The fyrste is somwhat harde For of this it is certainely decreed No man ascendeth into heauen but he that came downe from thence the meaning wherof is all one with the saying before Except a man be new borne he cā not see the kyngdome of God That is No man can be saued or obtaine remissiō of his sinnes rightousnes neither by the law neither by good workes reason or free wil. And he that hath no more then these things although they be neuer so good he is dāned can haue no hope of saluation It is a very euident plaine sentence whiche if the Iewes papistes wold beleue it wold make them to forsake al the trust that they haue in their owne workes and righteousnes For what man hath his birth from heauen None no not the first that were Adam and Eue. It is only the sonne of Mary as Christe here saith Therfore if none shal enter vp to heauen but he that came downe frō heauen it is plaine that all men as they be borne of their parēts can not ascend into heauē If they can not go vp into heauen what place is there for them For they can not cōtinew in earth for death If therbe no going vp to heauen than can no man escape damnation This is the iudgement of Christ as touching all the worlde no man excepted whether it be Adam Eue Abraham Moyses or Dauid all they can not enter in to heauen For he only ascēdeth into heauen that came down frō thence What do we then preuaile by good workes merits the law or free wil All these things are
of no strenght they can not bring vs to heauē But thou wilt say Are al condēned are al wtout saluatiō This sentēce is against al mē neither can it be otherwise for asmuch as it belōgeth to al mē of whatsoeuer cōditiō or state they be There is but one way to heauē which we do not opē make but the son of god doth it And of this speaketh christ now immediatly saying As Moses lyfted vp the serpent in the desert so much the sonne of man be lifte vp that all that beleue in him may not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe This is the secōd part of this celestial heauēly sermō of the very soūd of the holy ghost now he mitigateth the sharpnes of his first sermō by these words For it is an horrible fereful sayīg that no mā shal go vp īto heauē get saluatiō But it is spokē to the intēt that we shold learne that our first birth is al sinful ther can nothing be foūde in vs that may seme worthy of euerlasting life that not only to put down our prid carelesse liuing but that we shold tourne hūble our selues before god aske grace And this is the beginning of the true gospell that according to my former sayīg euē as no mā ascēdeth īto heauē so that here thou maist know that al that beleue in Christ shal not perish but haue euerlasting life This is a swete voice soūd by that which the holy ghost may be felt perceaued And both these doctrines are necessary in the cōgregatiō The first of sin of our corrupt nature that we might despaire of our workes of al things that we shal neuer go vp into heauē for their sake And whē our heartes are terrified abashed by such wordes then must that cōfortable worde be put forth that Iesus Christ the son of god descēded frō heauē came into the world tooke our flesh blood died for our sins that we might be free frō syn get the inheritāce of euerlasting life He that beleueth this sayinge purposeth surely to sticke therto is now saued shal not be forsakē of Christ nether in life neither in death but shal be takē vp vnto hī into heauē This sermon is a heauenly thynge which can not sufficiently be set forth commended vnto men especially to Nicodemes that is to them that thynke that the law must be obserued vnto iustification and that it is sufficient vnto saluatiō For these are they which knowe not the firste doctrine of sinne that although the lawe be iust holy and good yet we are so corrupt and euill that for our naturall vice we can not obey the lawe although to syght we do good workes Furthermore they muche lesse know that we must ascend into heauen by this man the sonne of Mary which only came frō heauen And so it cōmeth of such ignorance that they do not only thynke that they shal be saued by their owne righteousnes before god but also they persecute the righteousnes which cōmeth of faith in Iesu Christ as we see by the examples of the papistes which can suffer nothyng lesse in our doctrine striue againste nothyng so much as that we teache that we are iustified only by faith and saued therby not by good workes But compare our doctrine with the doctrine of Christ and ye shal fynd no diuersitie In the fourth booke of Moyses ther is such an hystorie The people of Israell when they were werye of suche thynges as they had in the wildernes They murmured against god Moses despised Manna as a light meat This sinne trespas dyd god punishe after this sorte He sent amōgest them ferye serpētes by and by at their styngyng followed a swellynge an inflammation in their bodies so that they fel down on heapes died Then came they to Moyses said we haue trespaced in that we haue spoken againste God and they pray hym that he wil take away from vs these serpētes And the lord spake vnto him Make a brasen serpent and put hym vp for a signe he that is stong and loketh vpon it shal liue Christ here maketh mention of this historie applieth it to himselfe that he must be lifte vp also as the serpent was And he that looketh vpon him that is he that beleueth in hym shal not perish but haue euerlasting lyfe First let vs learne the cause of this dreadfull iudgement whiche Christ hath pronounced twise before againste all men that is that no man can go vp to heauen but the sonne of man that came downe from heauen And again except a man be borne again he can not se the kyngdom of god Wherof came this great misery to man that he is thrust out of heauen should for his owne desert perish for euer It came of no other thing than that the old serpent the deuil dyd so byte hurte the first man and so corrupted him infected hym by syn That he is now in danger of euerlasting death can not by himself get any remedie against it as the type figure in the Iewes doth shew also whosoeuer were stonge they died al. So is it with vs also the reward of sinne is death And looke wher synne is ther must death nedes folow For as much then as al men as soone as they are borne be sinners this iudgement is geuen on thē that they must dye as god by name doth threaten Adam Eue whatsoeuer daye ye eate of this tree ye shall dye the death But here doth God shew his mercie in that he casteth not awaye men that are in this miserie and so infected damned to death but euen as in the figure and tipe of the brasen serpent he put forth a cōmandement which serpent was in all points lyke other serpents sauing that he had no poyson was a remedie against poyson so doth he procure that his son shold be lyfte vp on the crosse that all that looke on him sholde not perishe but escape the danger of death get euerlasting lyfe Yea he himselfe on the crosse had y◠forme of a poysonful serpent but yet hath no poyson but the lykelines therof For although Christe had our fleshe bloud yet that fleshe and bloud was without sinne yea and is of such strength that it deliuereth vs from poyson and sinne This is the very voyce and sound of the holy ghost by the whiche he beginneth the newe byrth in oure heartes that faith may conceaue and that this serpent by true faith may be in our syght and geue saluation But this sight of Christ is not regarded because of folishe reason As it is very lyke that so it chaunced thē also with the Iewes which wold not be brought in beliefe that ther was so great vertue in sight of such a dead
defende them selues thereby against this daunger He was after the descripciō of Christ moste wretched But because he suffereth not the promesse of Christ to be taken from his mynde but loketh stedfastlie for euerlastyng life in the meane season obeieth Gods will in all poinctes he is gloriously recompensed for all this at his tyme and in stede of a little paine he obtaineth euerlastyng pleasure and comfort This is the example of Lazarus whiche christian men in al their crosse and trouble ought to beholde that thereby thei maie be admonished what is beste for theim to doe The other example is of the riche man whiche in this life liued in prosperitie at his desier but in the life to come was in all miserie and paines And here muste wee consider the certaintie of Christes testimonie For he putt foorthe this example speciallie that carelesse and coueitous hypocrites might knowe of their miserable ende in the life to come Wherefore we ought to consider the truthe of this matter with our eyes howe the riche man is horriblie tormented in flames in suche wise that it can not be written with penne nor expressed with wordes And that the chiefe and speciall cause of these tormentes and paines is bicause he beholdeth the felicitie of Lazarus whom before he despised and disdained neither can he haue asmuche as a droppe of water from him to coole his burning therewith And furdermore he is constrained to suffer this paine perpetually without hope of remedie But what is the cause why that miser is caste into suche pain without ende Not his riches neither for that he apparelleth hymself and liueth by his gooddes For these are the giftes of GOD so that there bee measure in vsyng them and be not wasted riotously For if these thinges be vsed in the feare of GOD and with thankes geuyng GOD will not disalowe it But this is the cause for that this riche manne hath store of goodes clotheth hymself and liueth riotouslie yet he hath no respecte of the life to come he hopeth for no longer life when this life is come to an ende he careth not what becommeth of him in the other life All his care and studie is to geue him self to pleasure and pastyme in this life as though he had nede of nothyng els As Christ doeth admonishe in the Gospell of this that our heartes be not ouerladen with surfet and drounkennes and with the cares of this worlde This is one cause of his damnacion For of this it foloweth that he regard not the worde of GOD neither is he any thyng moued either at his promises or at his threatninges so that in this life he maie not bee defrauded of his luste and desires The second cause is that he sawe Lazarus nede before his face but yet accordyng to the Prophet he openeth not his hand to the nedie but rather after the Euangelist the dogges shewed more humanitie to this miser then did the riche man He thought not on this that the great plētie was geuen to hym to th entent that he should help the needie But like an vnsaciable gredie gutte he loued greate heapyng of all thynges together and yet is he nothyng moued with other mens lacke and nede These sinnes crieth for vengeaunce before God that after a little pleasure of this life he maie haue euerlastyng punishement This example doeth Christ setforthe before vs that we might beware of his iudgement and of synne that we might not geue our selues without care to surfetting in this life as though there were no other life to come and that we should not forget the poore For he that hath suche plentie of goodes that he maie helpe the poore and yet doeth not he shall in the laste daie suffer greate paine and tormente at what tyme he shall see the poore whom he despised before his face in greate ioye and felicitie to his owne greate sorowe as the riche manne did the Lazer Contrary wise he that hath helped many and doen them good shall take greate pleasure thereof in the life to come This is a more harde case that the riche man in all his heate and burnyng is denied a droppe of colde water Wherefore let vs not forget the poore and nedie but let vs helpe and succour them not onely after the accustomable maner as when we geue a half-penie to beggers or suche like as euery man is able after his degree But an almose shall then bee moste acceptable when euery man after his power in his vocation doeth maintaine the commō felowship and whom he can That is that euery manne vse and tourne his crafte and gaines and what so euer he occupieth to suche purpose that no man be deceiued no man be defrauded and that loketh not onely to his owne vantage that he deceiueth no man by waight and measure For it is not vnknowen what craftes and guiles be emōgest them that fell A daie were to little to expresse all the fraudes that are vsed in certaine occupations for gaines Wherefore when it is vprightlie doen yea in the leaste contractes and bargaines that be it is in a maner a very almose deede And contrarywise that that is doen with fraude and deceite is plaine theft And thei shall be iudged no otherwise then for theues of GOD in his Iudgemente whereas all these couetous and riche shall behold Lazarus whom thei haue deceiued so many waies in their bargaininges and hath spoiled them of their goodes and after the maner of this riche man thei shal be punished with euerlastyng paine After this sort maie euery man make his craft and occupaciō to be an almose pleasyng God and not onely temporall blessynges shall therof ensue but as Christe saieth we shall gette vs frendes in this life whose testimonie shall profite vs in the life to come But the worlde can not bee brought vnto this beliefe He that hath a stocke will nothyng diminishe thereof but rather encrease it He that hath none studieth al that he can to make hymself an heape of substaunce caryng not how he come by it Wherefore God can not but plague the worlde vntill at the last hell maketh an ende of all And yet can not the worlde be amēded neither by plagues neither by threatnynges But is not this the greatest madnesse that is to prouide in perilles that we suffer not hunger when there is scarcitie of victuals But why then doe we not take hede in that case whereas if we offende there shall ensue eternall paines This iudgemente is so muche the more greuous bicause it can neuer be chaunged beyng ones dooen For there remaineth no hope of remedie Abraham and Lazarus as thou hearest here are not onely vnwillyng to coole the heate with a little water but also vnable What an ouerthwartnesse is this then that we so little regarde this greate daunger of ours and seke not rather remedie for it The light trifles of this life
For whilest thei are so obstinate thei can not be deliuered frō their straiyng so that at the lengthe thei shall be torne and plucte in pieces of the Wolues in wildernesse Wherfore the comfort of the Gospell for sinners ▪ ought not lightly to be estemed bicause Christ their shepherd seketh theim and taketh thē vp as straye shepe Furdermore his doctrine also is necessarie to knowe what is our duetie to this shepherd euen to heare his voyce and to tourne vnto him as the historie of the Publicans and synners maie be an example vnto vs in that thei were conuerted at the woorde of Christe This woorde teacheth nothyng els but that GOD is mercifull vnto synners to saue them for Christes sake so that thei doe not harden their heartes at the voyce of their shepheard and delight with longer wanderyng and straiyng but that after thei haue heard the voyce thei caste thē selues on Christes shoulders whiche hath satisfied for their synnes and reconciled them to God the father And we can not without great synne seyng that GOD hath purchased our deliueraunce so dearely despise and set naught by it but we must with greate and studious labour worship and reuerence his worde and shewe our selues worthie of the companie of sainctes Wherefore this worde ought greatly and studiously to be regarded that we may be defended and strōgly armed against the deuill and our owne hearte least we be in suche an opinion of GOD that he hateth synners For suche a sence and felyng is in all mennes myndes But the helpe of Gods woorde is to bee preferred against this in that that he is the shepheard and doeth proclaime his woorde openly in the worlde to the intent that the stray shepe maie heare it and tourne againe vnto hym Wherefore if thou dooest knowledge this that thou art a straie shepe which by synne art banished farre from the kyngdome of GOD and despaire not but haue respecte to the woorde of Christe as touchyng the shepheard For he is set forthe for thy sake and for all suche as are like thee that thou maiest beginne to repent that thou maiest haue trust before GOD through Christ and walke worthie of God in his kyngdome Neither thinke that thou haste a long respite to take councell of this matter whē the voyce of the shepherd commeth vnto thee but tourne thy self forthwith vnto hym and embrace hym Whiche thing if thou doe thou art saulfe and giuest the Angelles a greate cause of ioye whiche after that will be verie desirous of thy companie and will kepe and defende thee against all perill Where as cōtrariwise the vnpenitent tourne the Angelles to mournyng and therefore are faine to bee without their helpe and defence And in that that Christe is not contente with one parable but putteth there vnto the seconde as concernyng the woman that had loste a grote he doeth it to the intent that other should folowe his example and not vtterly giue vp synners but hunt for them and bryng them to repentaunce For the first parable belongeth onely to Christ our sauiour whiche is onely the true shepherde that embraceth straye shepe with true saluation where as he vestoweth his life for them that thei maie be deliuered from destruction and defended againste the deuill The seconde parable of the woman perteineth to the congregacion which is there in her ministracion and office that synners might be called to repentaunce and deliuered from eternall death and damnacion and obtaineth euerlastyng saluacion She reioyceth also euen as doeth the shepeherd when she findeth her grote she lighteth a cādell euen Gods woorde and swepeth the house that is she teacheth of rightuousnesse and of comforte for Gods mercies sake in Christe before the iudgement of God And by this doctrine commeth the loste grote to light And this is the true and glorious commendacion of Gods woorde whiche onely hath suche vertue that it taketh a waie synne and all the infectiō that came thereof as death damnation the deuill and helle so that wee are no more synners and the enemies of GOD but suche as of whom the Aungelles in heauen and the sainctes in yearth reioyce Wherfore we should worthely magnifie this word and highly esteme the teachers thereof to the ende we might achiue and get this greate benefite therby that is be deliuered from this wanderyng and deuilles daunger so be saued for euer The which thyng the moste bountifull and louyng shepherde of our soules our Lorde Iesu Christ graunte vs through the holy ghost Amen ¶ The .iiij. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Luke vi BE ye mercifull as your father also is mercifull Iudge not and ye shall not be iudged Condēne not and ye shall not bee condemned Forgeue ye shall be forgeuen Geue and it shal be geuen vnto you good measure and pressed doune and shaken together and runnyng ouer shall menne geue into your bosomes For with thesame measure that you mete withal shal other men mete to you againe And he put forthe a similitude vnto them Can the blinde leade the blinde Doe thei not bothe fall into the diche The disciple is not aboue his master euery man shal be perfecte euen as his master is Why seest thou a mote in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beame that is in thyne owne eye Either how canst thou saie to thy brother Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye when thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Firste thou hypocrite caste out the beame out of thyne owne eye then shalt thou se perfectly to pull out the mote that is in thy brothers eye THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell Christ teacheth his disciples and vs what we should do one to an other For after we beleue and are become christian men therby bicause we are sure that we are deliuered from death synne and all euill through Christ now is it necessarie to liue after a newe sorte and that frō henceforthe we shewe our selues obedient vnto hym This newe life doth Christ comprise in one worde saiyng Be ye mercifull as your father is mercifull And all knowe this what is mercie truly suche an affection whiche conceiueth a sorowe at the verie hearte when a man seeth his neighbour troubled either in body or soule and is stirred by his will to helpe hym Christe requireth here suche a minde of all men not that there should be suche mercie as is betwene light and lende persones For suche mercie extendeth no farder then emongest the felowes of that leudenes tarieth no longer then thei haue power to do that leudnes As experiēce declareth A thefe is not mercifull to him that stealeth not for if he were he would robbe no man But he is mercifull onely to hym that stealeth with him and this is the mercie of euil doers But we that are christians muste be mercifull euen as our heauenly father is not onely
mirthe for whatsoeuer is dooen in faithe be it neuer so little pleaseth God and are moste excellent woorkes But after that this also is necessarie for the cōmon life whereof commeth the congregation of God that is that euery man maie be certaine as touchyng his doynges and degree Wherfore of this also doeth God put forthe a sure woorde and commaundeth obedience toward parentes Wherefore whatsoeuer worke office children seruauntes be in the housholde all that is sanctified by this worde so thei that doe these thinges in a familie maie well boaste of a sure commaundemente of God and by this worde are the officers and maisters of householdes blessed and sanctified For thei are the ministers of this common life wherein God would haue tranquilitie and quiet for the continuaunce of his congregation And as touchyng their honor God hath put forthe lawes that thei might accordyng to their honour behaue them selues in their offices and bee sure of their dooynges by the lawe that thei are doen accordyng to Gods woorde and commaundement And as their conscience maie be established whiche followe Gods woorde in their doyng so he that hath not his worde can haue no sure ground to sticke vnto and is tossed hither and thither with euery little blaste like a moueable Rede Wherefore we ought highly to esteme Gods worde that as the Prophet speaketh but of the old age of youth that it should correct his waie in kepyng Gods wordes So all ages al kindes offices and functions might haue wherto thei might vprightly order their life Onely this trade of life hath asure and quiete conscience Neither the Turke Iewe nor Gentile Monke nor Papist can obtain this so greate a thyng This Science belongeth onely to the good that thei maie knowe for a suretie that bothe their inwarde iudgemente and outward actions procede accordyng to Gods woorde Wherefore thei set on their matters without waueryng and feare although thei bee perilous For all thynges belongyng to their vocation are sette forth by Gods commaundement neither haue thei any thing wherein thei ought to feare vngodlines This doctrine ought chiefly to be taught vnto all Christian men that thei might knowe how to sette on all thynges and to bryng theim to passe in Gods worde and so shall thei the soner beware all the tyme of their life of supersticious and wicked perswasions If Monkes had folowed this trade thei had neuer fallen to so greate vngodlines by the preceptes of mennes traditions Neither doe the Apostles care for any thyng more then to propound the plaine and simple worde of Gods commaundement as touchyng Iustification before God and the residue of the life to be passed ouer with Godlines Thei that followe the obedience of this worde can not be put beside saluacion although thei either in warfare for their countrie or doyng some other daungerous charge of their vocatiō chaunce to die The reason is thei serue in their vocation and obeie God and knowe for a suretie that thei doe all thinges according to Gods commaundement And so might this life bee passed ouer of all men Godlie and vertuously if thei would onely order it after the tenne commaundementes and the faithe in Christ. But the Deuill withstandeth this withall his might least the worde of GOD should come in mynde at any of our doinges Neither when we rise nor when we goe to bedde nor when we eate haue we any care or thought on Gods worde And it is no maruaill if thei before thei are wares are oppreste with the wicked worlde But christian men must haue more regard of so great and necessary a thyng that thei maie be sure at all tymes to be of Gods Kyngdome so that thei maie haue Gods worde for a testimonie whiche sanctifieth all thynges in al their matters The thinges that are doen be not alwaies greate nor glorious and the moste part are common bothe to the Ethenike and Christians But in this there is greate difference onely the Christians hath Gods worde for their leader wherby all their workes are sāctified before God As for an example when Paule saieth seruauntes obey your bodily maisters in feare and trembling through singlenes of heart And againe Children obeye your parentes in the lorde This worde and faithe sanctifieth all their woorkes that thei maie be pleasaunte vnto GOD whereas emongest the vnfaithfull thei can not bee acceptable for lacke of the worde and faithe For there is nothyng holy in the yearth besides Gods name and faithe And all thynges that are sanctified are sanctified onely by the name and worde of GOD. And surely by the worde of the fifte commaundement all mannes life bothe in the gouernement of a commonaltie and also of an houshold is blessed if so be faithe lacketh not but that thou doest euery thyng obediently in the name of GOD. But lette this be sufficient to admonishe here that we maye vnderstande that this example of Christe was put forthe to the intent that many of them that folow Christe should be prouoked and stirred studiously and diligently to heare the worde of GOD whereas it is setforthe for them onely that thei maie not bee confounded when thei looke on all his commaundementes But as for the other muste needes abide confusion bicause thei haue no light of gods worde in their doynges Now therfore as we intended at the beginning let vs come to the historie wherof are twoo partes The firste is a doctrine as touchyng this corporall life that GOD also will prouide for the necessities of the bodie after that of the Spirituall life that he will not leaue vs destitute of hope for our synnes sake but bee mercifull vnto vs and recouer vs from destruction Bothe these doctrines are very necessary and profitable and are worthy to be learned with all diligence of the godly The comfort of the corporall life resteth herein where as Christ commaundeth Peter to caste his Nettes and Peter obeieth and taketh a great scull of fish Here is a good steward if a man could make hym ouersear of his businesse For nothyng could lacke where he is present But the Euangeliste declareth sufficiently that Christ will not doe so to al men but to theim onely that all the night laboured in vaine and afterwarde heard Gods woorde that is he will helpe the righteous and poore that felt nede For the Christians in this life hath many troubles and temptacions But when thei are tempted and yet sticke constantly to their vocation and to the worde Christ is ready to helpe them And this is one comfort put forthe for vs in this place that wee maie retaine faithe and although we are now and then in pouertie and lacke thynges necessarie yet that we despaire not nor vnpaciently murmure but to stande in good hope that blessyng shall not long cease For it chaunceth likewise with Peter his fellowes to spende a whole night in vaine and to take nothyng Afterwarde commeth Christ. And first he putteth for his
worde and maketh them Christians Then he commaundeth them to launche forthe and to caste their Nettes for a draufte Peter obeieth and hath his purpose This should we doe in our owne matters also GOD giueth vs not by and by in the beginnyng all thynges plenteously For if he should giue it vs as sone as we were Christianed and receiued into the catholike churche we would not thinke it came from hym Wherefore he sendeth vs pouertie for a tyme that we should not be ignoraunt of trouble and that one should almoste be faine to despaire in that he lackyng all thynges can not tell what to doe or whiche waies to take and also is in perill to be famished In this case then that mercifull Steward Christe will bee at hande and saie sette thy heart at reste I knowe all lose forthe thy net cease not to labour and looke for a blessyng For although thei be nedie yet must thei not despaire and deny Christ and murmure against God but trust that GOD at his time will sende thinges necessarie and that he will not suffer them to be ouercome in doyng their labour and vocacion For Christ giueth not Peter fishe on this wise that thei should leape into his boate but he muste launche forthe his shippe prepare his Nettes and dooe all thynges as Fishers are wont to doe Although he became a Christian now first he muste commit the successe thereof into Gods hande So must we also walke as euery mannes vocation is If thou labour for the maintenaunce of an housholde or art an officer with aucthoritie apply thy vocation diligently For this is not against thy religion and thou maiest by so doyng doe that that is acceptable to GOD. As for all other charge and rare caste it on GOD as how he should nourishe thee and finde thee thinges necessary And despaire not bicause thou must striue with nede and pouertie For there remaineth time inough wherin thou canst not tell what thyng or blessyng shall chaunce as thou seest here Remember this onely that thou must kepe constauncie and continuaunce least thou be ouerthrowen with impacience He that can not be content to doe this but casteth awaie his nettes assone as he looseth his purpose and forsaketh his vocation and fall to an other kinde of life it is no marueill if this man hath no good and prosperous chaunce in all his life This is the first doctrine that we be not discoraged and vexed in pouertie and necessitie if we fele not Gods blessyng by and by at our nede We muste not require this of God to fulfill our desire whē we will Bee thou not lothe a while to take labour in vaine and to be paciente Thou muste not refuse to lose a nightes labour so that thou maiest thereby hope that the heauēly father will helpe thee at his tyme with his blessyng accordyng to the common saiyng Dat deus omne bonum sed non per cornua taurum Labour and pacience is requisite Thou maieste looke for Gods blessyng so that thou forget not the first poincte that is to lende thy shippe to Christe as Peter did that he sittyng therein maie teache and that we heare the worde diligently and learne it exactly For this is specially to bee marked in Peters example that he suffereth nothyng to hinder hym but casteth from hym the frowardnes of the vnbeleuers and goeth wholly to Gods worde And that it maie be well vnderstande how greatly this is in Peter he is not feared by that that is Gods common practise in all his woorkes and is vsed also of GOD in this draught wheras he pointeth the matter first to be doen after a triflyng sort For this is commonly the waie of Fishyng not to looke for any greate praie out of the water at middaie The night is more fitte for this gain And the Fishers are not wont to fishe in the main but nigh to the bankes Christ regardeth not this common trade of fishers but commaundeth Peter to launche forthe to the depth and whereas thei had taken nothyng in the night in that place Now he biddeth them at middaie to lose their Nettes for a draught This semeth an absurde and foolishe thyng to Peter and he seeth that Christ knewe not the arte of Fishers well but yet he answereth manerly Lorde saieth he we haue laboured all this nighte and haue taken nothyng If wee should followe the preceptes of our occupaciō we should haue no great hope of a praie yet will I proue at thy woorde If that helpe not all is but loste laboure If Peter would not haue shewed his reuerence towarde Christ he might haue spokē vnto him more roughly bicause of his ignoraūce on this wise How presumeth this man that he taketh on hym to teache a Fisher his crafte whereof he is ignoraunte Why should he put his ower into an other mannes bote ▪ It is not one thyng to bee a teacher and a Fisher Christe when he teacheth ought to bee heard But when he teacheth to fishe who should heare hym Thus would we perchaunce answere Christe For so are we alwaies wont to doe We will bee wiser then Christ. But Peter is wiser then so he laieth aside all suche thoughtes and thinketh thus what soeuer my craft be I will not despise this woorde And so he embraseth it with all his hearte and he letteth passe bothe his science and his reason and all suche like This is marueilous as touchyng the faithe of Peter whiche could folowe Christes commaundement and laye a side all his owne thoughtes and sticke surely to the woorde For this is euident by common experience that men are well pleased whē their commaundementes are doen although there come little successe thereby Contrariwise thei are greued when the maister commaundeth and the seruaunte obeyeth not but thinke his owne waies better In our owne matters we cā not abide suche menne yet wee shewe our selues suche alwaies toward GOD settyng so muche by our owne reason that we obeye not Gods worde But what vntolerable arrogance is this when GOD is controlled in his worde Who can abide this in his seruaunt if he stande proudlie against his maisters commaūdement and thinke his owne reason better Wherfore GOD iudgeth that he is specially worshipped when we shewe our selues suche toward hym and his worde as this Peter did And although we be otherwise entised yet let vs bridle our selues that we maie preferre the worde of GOD before al reason He that holdeth the worde after this sort pleaseth GOD and all his Angelles And if the congregacion could obtaine this it could not be so encombred with sedicion there would be no sectes no heretikes but all congregacions should perfectly agree as touching doctrine and sound faithe Now thei can not be perswaded hereto and bicause euery man trieth the opinions of religion by the measure of reason and mannes wisedome it commeth to passe that all thynges are full of errours and discorde This
to be saued as thy shippe is now full of fishe I will finde thee an other Nette for that draught that is the Gospell By this shalt thou take the elect that thei maie bee Baptized beleue and haue euerlastyng life And that not in one place but that in all the worlde thou maiest tourne to the faithe in one place a citie in an other the whole people This is a spirituall comforte whiche GOD putteth forthe to his disciples that he will not onely satisfie their hunger but gouerne their spirituall administration and sende them into all the worlde to Kynges and Princes with the Gospell And although the deuill withstandeth those Fishers with all his might yet the vertue of this Fishyng can not be restrained but that the worde breaketh thorowe and getteth many Christians enuieth the deuill neuer so muche And the Gospell Baptisme and the Lordes Supper are our instrumentes for this matter whereby the waie to euerlastyng life is opened vnto vs. It is a greate thyng that we are appoincted to euerlasting life and a thing hard to be beleued But consider on the contrary part what a great thing it is to burne in hell fire and that we might escape this punishement GOD giueth vnto vs his worde and sacramentes whiche are Nettes prepared for the draught of suche fishe Wherefore Christ comforteth and saieth feare not consider not whether ye hee worthie It is my fathers will that ye should not perishe as your synnes haue deserued Wherfore cleaue to me onely come to Baptisme vse the Lordes supper shewe your selues obedient to my Gospell and there shall be no perill We haue now intreated of these twoo doctrines with the example that Gods woorde might be greatly studied The first is that although there be pouertie and lost labour for a tyme yet that GOD will helpe vs at the length by his blessyng The seconde is that he helpeth vs against sinne that we maie not be damned And for this cause he giueth vs his worde that we maie be certified in our selues to bee the soonnes of GOD. The whiche thyng our heauenly father graunt vs through Iesus Christe his sonne and our Lorde Amen ¶ The .vj. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. v. IEsus saied vnto his disciples expcepte your righteousnes exceade the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Ye haue heard that it was saied vnto them of old tyme thou shalte not kill whosoeuer killeth shall bée in daunger of Iudgemente But I saie vnto you that whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly shall bee in daunger of iudgemente And whosoeuer saie vnto his brother Racha shal be in daunger of a counsaile But whosoeuer saieth thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fire Therefore if thou offerest thy gift at the aulter and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought againste thee leaue there thyne offeryng before the aulter and go thy waie first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gifte Agree with thyne aduersarie quickely while thou art in the waie with hym least at any tyme the aduersarie deliuer thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliuer thee to the minister and then thou be caste into prison Uerely I saie vnto thee thou shalte not come out thence till thou haue paied the vttermoste farthyng THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell we vnderstande that it is Christes counsaill and purpose here to teache his Christians after thei beleue and are Baptised and hath obtained this glorious name of Christians and besides that diuerse good thynges and spirituall giftes to order their life soberly righteously and Godly whiche procede of a true and not of an hypocriticall trade For neither did he shewe vnto vs any fained grace whiche semeth grace to sight but euen as our synnes were not fained but very deadly and felenous so was not his grace counterfeited nor forged but true and sincere in deede Wherefore must we also endeuour our selues not to doe fained woorkes towarde our neighbours but true and hartie euen as GOD wrought the woorke of our saluation in verie deede And for this cause Christe taketh on hym this Gospell to expounde the first precept and putteth forthe to vs an example to beware saiyng Except your rightuousnesse exceade the rightuousnesse of the Phariseis and Scribes ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen The sentence is shorte he must haue more rightuousnesse then the Pharisie that aspireth to the kyngdome of GOD. What is then the rightuousnes of the Phariseis This is not to be blamed that thei liued an honest and sober life refrainyng them selues from sinne c. For GOD requireth that of vs as is his commaundemente Thou shalte not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalte not beare false witnesse And he that obeieth thereto dooeth well But this was to be blamed in the Phariseis that thei thought theim selues rightuous for these woorkes and that thei were fautlesse in all that the Lawe requireth as though thei had whollie accomplished it And least we should haue suche an opinion Christ warneth vs in this place that although we doe the woorkes of the lawe and liue blamelesse in the sight of mē yet that we should not be so arrogant as to thinke ourselues iuste before GOD therefore and in perfecte obedience For as Christ saieth here Although a manne hath not killed with the hande yet maie he be a murtherer and a breaker of the lawe before GOD. The reason is For GOD hath forbidden all anger in the heart euery wrathfull worde and all angrie signes in the face by this commaundement So that the Phariseis rightuousnes signifieth outward rightuousnes as not to kill not to commit adultrie and to thinke that all rightuousnes and holinesse consisteth therein and that the Lawe hath nothyng against vs but that we haue fulfilled it and haue no neede of Gods mercie although the heart inwardly be full of suche sinne and concupiscence For this rightuousnes saith Christ there is no place in heauen but rather in helle For woorkes fulfill not the lawe but an heart is requisite thereto whiche is pure and voide of ire hatered enuie lecherie other concupiscences He that can doe so muche is sure of rightuousnes As long as sinne and concupiscēce are not mortified in slaughter but hath stil their motions although thei procede not to effect and worke yet beware thou think not thy self rightuous or to be in heauen Ye haue neede of more rightuousnes saieth Christe For ye can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen by the rightuousnes of the Phariseis and Scribes What is this greater or more perfecte Iustice Truely this when the woorke and heart are both rightuous and fulfill the woorde of GOD so that not onely the hande doeth not kill but the heart also is without ire and desire of reuengyng and that thou be not onely no adulterer in worke but that thy hearte also be pure
workes not in the grace and mercie of god Thus could Christ by no meanes abide neither ought we to suffer it but by the word of god to resiste it vnto the vttermost of our power For without this there is no waie vnto saluation Men must be brought froÌ„ their owne workes and merites vnto the sacrifice and merite of Christ vnto the mercie of god afterwarde they must be exhorted vnto a godly lyfe that they folowe not their owne imaginations but the worde of god and frame them selues in all pointes according vnto that He that doth this vseth the temple the ministerie aright he that doth otherwise abuseth them is a theif murderer of soules as Oseas the Prophet also calleth the priestes in the kyngdom of Israel As theaues armed saith he waite for him that passeth by the waye such is the councell of the priestes which with one agreed couÌ„cell murder cruelly such as kepe the waye yea they dare do all vnspeakeable mischeife By these his wordes the Prophet describeth the great slaughter that they made amonge the people with their false doctrine For wheras their duetie was to coÌ„mend set forth to the people the sacrifice of Christ they coÌ„meÌ„ded the sacrifices of beastes For that was for their aduaÌ„tage that made their kitchin to smoke For they had alwayes a portion of those sacrifices But by this meanes men were not only polled and pylled of their money but they were also in daunger of their soules saluation Christ by no meanes could abide this and therfore he made hauocke in the Temple He did cast out such as bought sold in the temple He threwe downe topled ouer the tables of the money chaungers c. He wold rather do any thing then suffer that suche thefte murder should be maintayned yea and that vnder the pretence of gods seruice But as Christ did this at the time by miracle so is the same exaÌ„ple exercised diligently by the iudgement of god against Schismatikes The vngodly Bishops priests monkes whiche for couetousnes of worldly things defende the wicked sacrifice of the Masse the other ydolatrie shall shortly feele this zele and whote indignation of god wheÌ„ they shal be worthely cast out of the temple be had in contempt of all men And this muche haue we spoken of our gospel God the father of mercies for Christes sake mought vouchesafe to raise vp his holye spirite in our heartes vnto his feare faith and loue and mercifully kepe vs in his worde and defend vs against all euil both bodely and ghostly to the glory of his blessed name Amen The xi Sonday after Trinitie sonday ¶ The Gospell Luke xviii CHriste tolde this Parable vnto certayne whiche trusted in them selues that they were perfect and despised other Two men went vp into the Temple to praye the one a Phariseye and the other a Publican The Pharisey stode prayed thus with hym selfe God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extorcioners vniust adulterers or as this Publican I fast twise in the weke I geue tithe of all that I possesse And the Publican standynge a farre of woulde not lyfte vp his eyes to heauen but smote on his breaste sayinge God be mercyfull to me a sinner I tell you this man departed home to his house iustified more then the other For euery man that exalteth hym selfe shal be brought lowe And he that humbleth hym selfe shal be exalted THE EXPOSITION CHrist in this gospell teacheth vs to be humble and lowly as it becometh true Christians For by this vertue onely by none other is the grace and fauour of God obtayned as it is described set forth to vs in these two men that is to say in the Phariseye and in the Publicane The Phariseyes were amonge the Iewes euen as the Monckes and Nonnes were amonge vs in the tyme of Papistrie For they ware apparel contrary to the coÌ„mon fashion they had certein daies appointed for fastinge and prayinge and they pretended suche an holynes in their life and conuersation that al other men in comparison of them were counted very sinners And therof had they their name For a Phariseye in the Hebreue tong is asmuch to say in Englishe as a man that is exempted and deuided from the nomber of other people suche one as by no meanes can abyde to be counted lyke other The Publicanes were as the officers are with vs that gather tribute tolle custome c. of the people They hyred the offices for a certein summe of money and afterwarde by pollynge and pilling and suche other craftie and iniurious wayes they made the moste of them that they could deuise vnto the greate greuaunce of other And therfore they were reported of all men to be couetous persons synners and naughty packes for asmuche as suche as were in those offices polled and pylled all that they could get and wrongfully vexed the people by takyng of them more then was their dutie to haue Therfore it was not very lyke that there was any of them righteous as it was also iudged that amonge the Phariseyes ther was none euill But Christ iudgeth here farre otherwise pronouncing the Publican righteous and the Phariseye a synner yea and that a greuous sinner For Luke prosecuteth the description meruailous odiously doth so bytterly reporte the matter that a man would maruaile at it For thus beginneth he this parable There were certein men which trusted in them selues that they were righteous and despised other These are two moste fowle and filthie vices and Luke describeth the Phariseyes to be such in that they were not content with this one sinne that they trusted in them selues which is a sinne hainous ynough but also they despised other Now consider thou this with thy selfe what fastynge praying can profite such a moÌ„ster whome the deuil hath puffed vp â—â—th suche pride both spiritually corporally that he doth not only glorie in himselfe and in his owne workes merites but he also despyseth other As though he should saye If I shoulde not testifye of mine owne righteousnes I should in vaine looke for the equitie and sinceritie of god in my cause So great and often are my fastes my almose dedes my prayers c. That the residue of the Iewes are not able to compare with me I pay faithfully truly all my tithes As for other if they could defraude and deceaue the priestes of their duties they wold do it such is the vnrighteousnes of other but iÌ„ me ther is no such thiÌ„g In this holy man and god wil we finde as I said two moste haynous vices an incomparable pride or haultines of minde and the contempte or despysynge of other yea and that suche and so great that he counteth all other to be extorcioners vnrighteous persons adulterers c. But the poore Publican he specially and namelye pointeth setteth foorth saying As for
openeth their eies and loseneth their tongue For this is certaine and sure that all saluation commeth to vs onely by the worde of God Otherwise what coulde we knowe of Christe and his sacrifice of the holy ghost of the wyl of God c. Wherfore this also euen in these our dayes is an excedynge great miracle and a moste hygh benefite when God geueth to any man such an eare as gladly heareth his worde and suche a tongue as dothe not blaspheme but blesse and glorifie God Our aduersaries the Papistes are muche more miserable and in aworse case then this dumbe mā was For their eares are stopped And although they heare the worde of God yet can they not heare it I meane vnto their profite and edifying But they heare it as the Iewes did when Christ most excellently preached of the forgeuenes of sinnes and of euerlastynge lyfe they vnderstode nothyng they delyted not in the sermons of Christ but contrarywyse they were vtterlye madde and blasphemed Christ and his doctrine Suche are all they that wyll not heare the worde of God They are deafe and dumbe and in a farre worse case then this miserable man was of whom our gospell maketh mencion For they can doo nothynge ells with their tongue then blasphem and most spitefully rayle vpon the worde of God that most excellent and precious iewelle But they that gladdely heare the word of God and vnto whome Christ saythe as he sayd to this dumbe man Ephata that is to saye Be opened and haue the benefit of hearyng are those to whom healpe is geuen in dede against the deuyll For God hath opened vnto vs none other way vnto heauen then his word and his holy Gospell He that gladly heareth that diligentely kepeth that and hath hys chiefe delyght in that is safe and without all danger This is one miracle whiche is euen at this daye in the churche among men that our eares whiche the deuyll thorowe synne hadde stopped are made open by the word that we may heare the worde of GOD which is the doctrine of our saluation An other is that he toucheth the tongue and maketh it to speake as Paule saythe With the hearte it is beleued vnto righteousnesse and with the mouthe confession is made vnto saluation For when we beleue in Christ we obteyn therby remission of our sins But after this it is necessary also to confesse and to open by speache that which is felt and beleued in the heart And this maketh a christenman All other workes can not doo it It is possible that a Monke may faste watche and wearye his bodye more thenne a Christian but by that hee is not made a Christian manne For in thys one thynge he fayleth that he is yet deafe and dumbe He wyll not heare the worde and muche lesse confesse it But a christen manne heareth and beleeueth and afterwarde confessethe These two thynges make a christian manne Thus CHRIST exercysethe hys woorke dayely in the Congregation spiritually and by the woorde which he wroughte thenne corporally that hee myghte testifye howe hee geueth healpe agaynste the vniuersall myschiefe of the deuyll but specyally agaynste the spyrituall wyckednesse of Sathan the deuyll that wee myghte stedfastely beleue and put oure whole truste in hym Nowe muste we consyder thys also what Christe meaneth by thys ceremonie that he vseth about thys deafe and dumbe persone The people broughte thys wretched man vnto Christe and desyred hym to lay his handes vppon hym Christ taketh hym asyde from the people putteth his fyngers in his eares he spitteth and touchethe hys tongue hee looketh vp to heauen he mourneth and sayeth Ephata All thys muste sygnifye some speciall matter seyng that Christ vseth suche circumstances in doyng this miracle passyng all other that he wrought Nowe therfore for as muche as we haue declared what it is to be dumbe and deafe lette vs consyder also what meruaylous Ceremonye thys is and why CHRIST woulde specially vse it in thys miracle where as neuerthelesse hee myghte haue doone it wyth one woorde For thys is moste euident and playne that when so euer Christ spake the worde streyght wayes the woorde tooke effect Ueryly Christe by this soo exquisite a ceremonye hathe respecte to a spirituall miracle For by thys he wyll shewe what an harde matter it is to restore the deaffe to theyr hearynge and vnto the dumbe their speache Hee rayseth vppe Lazarus with one woorde To the manne that was sycke of the palsey hee sayde Ryse and walke and he immediatly was made whole But wyth thys manne whyche was deafe and dumbe it pleased hym not to vse suche speede But hee doothe vse a syngular kynde of proceedynge and order in woorkynge of thys myracle He puttethe hys fyngers into the deafe mannes eares Hee towcheth his tongue wyth spetle Hee looketh vppe into heauen He mournethe and then at the last he saieth Ephata that is Be thou opened that by this he might signifie vnto vs that yf we will escape the bondes of the deuyll and haue a redy tong to speake open eares to heare it must be done by the external outward worde and by the ministerie of the same agayn by the outwarde signes or sacramentes that he hath appoynted to bee vsed in hys churche For the worde is fyrst to be hearde and then Baptisme and the Lordes supper must be ioyned therto vnto the whyche thinges the holy ghost commeth and deliuereth the eares and tongue frome their bondes that they may lerne to auoyd all sectaries which despise the outward word and sacramentes and loke tyll God talketh with thē inwardly But Christ saith Thys is my fynger euen the outward worde Thys oughte to sounde in mens eares This is my spettle wherewith their tongue muste be touched and made moyste Then shall my woorke very well and prosperously procede as ye may see For where the outward word is sincerly taught there are christians but wher it is not taught there are none Therefore lette euery man prouide that they followe these steppes Let hym gladly heare the worde of God For God wil not shyne nor geue the glorious lyght of his Gospell into thy hearte except thou firste heare his woorde If thou bee desirous to see and to knowe hym it must be done onely by the worde and sacramentes For without this the holy Ghoste wille not procede to his workynge as God hymselfe euen from the very heauens protested vnto vs whenne hee sayde This is my derely beloued sonne in whom I greatly delyte Heare hym Christ also gaue this commandement to his disciples Go into all the worlde teache and baptise all nations Agayn he that heareth you heareth me Here dothe Christ with open mouth cōmaunde that his Gospel shold be preached to men that they should be baptised And by this his cōmandement he sheweth that this is the true way vnto saluation and none other He that heareth you saith he heareth me Therfore
if thou wilt heare the worde of God heare thy father and thy mother thy preacher and pastor and finally thy Prince and magistrate c. what they saye when thou hearest them thou hearest God except that in executynge their office they commaunde any thynge that is contrary to the worde of God Then are they not to be heard For we must obey God more then men We must fyrst here the word of God in the congregation and afterwarde menne But this one case excepted what soeuer thy pastor or curate thy parentes or magistrates saye to thee that saieth God vnto thee that must thou remember to receaue and to obey For what is hee amonge vs all that woulde not take a long iorney to go vnto suche a churche wher he might heare God preache For all men would be glad to heare and to know that voyce But Christe saieth I wyll brynge that to passe nerer home so that thou shalte not nede to trauayle so farre Heare thy Pastor and thy parentes and so haste thou hearde me For these are my disciples when thou hearest them I wil sound in thy heart Ephata Be thou opened as I did to this deafe person that thy eares maye be opened thy tonge set at libertie and that thou from hensforthe may be no more deafe in thy heryng nor dombe in thy speaking as thou wer afore But how goeth the world The children and housholde although they heare theyr parentes and maysters yet woulde they not doo the least thynge that is commaunded theym except they were compelled suche stubburnesse and disobedience reigneth nowe a daies in the heartes of theym that oughte to be moste humble and moste obediente And as in families so lykewyse in common welthes men are very negligent and slow to obey the officers What soeuer they ordeyne in a realme or citie ye shall fynde very fewe amonge so greate multitudes that wyll trewely and syncerely execute the commaundement of the magistrates The subiectes shewe more disobedience towarde the hygh powers in this time of this theyr so great knowledge then they dydde in the tyme of darkenesse ignorancie and blyndnes suche is the wyckednes and ingratitude of this oure moste wycked and ingrate worlde And it is apparant also howe fewe there are whiche with true zeale and feruent desire heare the sermons whyche is euidentely knowen not onely by their fruictes but also by thys moste specially that the men of townes and villages yea and of cities also do moste vnworthyly handle theyr ministers and pastors not onely by railyng vnreuerently of them but also by takyng awaye vniustly from them suche tythes and dueties as by publyke order are apoynted vnto them Therfore a worthy payne foloweth euen this that when the worde of God pronounced by parents ministers of the churche and by magistrates is neglected nothinge set by the deuill by litle and litle shold stop their eares more and more and tye theyr tongues streyghter then it was afore and so set them in suche case that they can not abyde either to heare or to speake the worde of God But on the other parte it maketh their eares wide open to heare the dotyng dreames of the sectaries and their false and diuellyshe doctrine agayne to heare baudye balades fylthy fables triflyng talke whorish wordes and suche lyke as corrupte bothe bodye and soule It loseneth and setteth at libertie also their tong to blaspheme God to slaunder theyr neyghboure to lye to backbyte to rayle to scoffe to ieste c. that it maye be an offence to all good and godly men And this is a rewarde worthy suche ingratitude vnthankfulnesse vngentylnesse yea playne churlyshenesse and it worthely chaunceth vnto theym on such sorte because they wyshe it to bee none otherwyse But what shall bee the ende Uerily that all thynges shall go to hauocke the woorde of God shall be taken awaye from vs seynge wee haue noo delyghte therein As it is wrytten He would none of the blessing therefore shall it bee farre frome hym And as oure Sauiour Christe sayeth This is condemnation that lyghte is comme into the worlde and menne haue loued darkenesse more thenne lyght For their woorkes were euyll And in the place of the woorde shall the wycked decrees of Antichriste bee thruste into the churche Our countrey shall be oppressed with diuers kyndes of plagues as pestilence famyne tempestes c. Oure common wealthe shall be tourned into common wo. Myseries yea and those mooste greuous and intollerable shall ouerflowe this oure countreye Insurrections commotions Rebellions Conspiracies tumultes ciuile warre murderynge one of an other c. And after al these things except we repent tourne vnto God with all our hearts gladly heare the word with our tong magnify the same to the vttermost yea frame and fashion our lyfe and cōuersation according to the doctrine therof shal this our realme be a spoile to foreyne nations This hath our ingratitude worthely deserued whiche beyng prouoked so often with so many benefites at the hand of God wyll notwithstandyng not onely not repent but also where as we ought to procede from faith to faith and from vertue to vertue we go from vice to vice from syn to synne and so we cease not daily more and more to heape the whote wrath and most horrible vengeance of God vpon vs to the destruction of our countrey vnto the damnation of our selues both body and soule And this is the cause why Christ loketh vp to heauen mourneth and as one greatly troubled saith Ephata Be opened For this greatly greueth our sauior Christe that where as the good pleasure and mercyfull wille of GOD is to delyuer vs frome the bandes of Sathan thorough the woorde wee as people without all reason refuse oure owne Saluation and thorowe our contumacie and stubbornesse haste vnto our selues euerlastynge damnation and prouoke the wrathe and vengeance of God to fall vpon vs. Therfore let vs consider well this miracle and folowe the example of these good men whiche glorifye commende prayse and magnifye CHRIST affyrmynge and openly confessyng that he hathe doone well in that hee of his greate mercye and infynyte goodnesse hathe made the deaffe for to heare and the dombe to speake And thys dooth our Sauioure Christe by his fynger and spetle euen at thys houre yea continually in the worlde that the eares of the deefe maye bee opened and the tongues of the dumbe losened by the outewarde woorde whyche we heare in the Churche of our Pastours and Mynisters and at home of oure parentes For by thys woorde the holye Ghoste woorketh myghtely in vs and by none other thynge Marke that welle and soo muche the more studiously and diligently embrace thou the word For thys is the next and most certaine waye that our eares may be opened oure tongues losened and we our selues at the laste obteyne euerlastyng saluation Whyche thynge oure Lorde and Sauiour Christe Iesu
of suche force and might that it putteth awaye death and restoreth lyfe But for asmuche as we knowe that Christ can so soon rydde vs from death and restore vs to lyfe let vs se also how redie he is and willing to do it For there is none amongest them all that desire this of him only is he moued with the miserie of the widow and goeth vnto her without askynge and restoreth her son vnto her alyue again Wherfore let vs thinke that this example belongeth vnto vs that we should not feare death For this was done for our sake As though he shold say It is not vnknowen vnto me that you feare death but put awaye all feare For what power can it haue on you at all It maye make you feare but prouide you such sauegard against it that ye may not only iudge according to your sense which is the verie cause of your feare but haue ye respect vnto me also what I can do what I will do euen that I can as easely raise you from death as you are wont to rayse a mā that is a slepe wil do it gladly desirously so that there can lacke neither power neither will therto Wherfore it foloweth therof that they that are buried in their graues do slepe more lightly then we in our bodies For it is possible that thou be in such a deade slepe that although thou be called ten times yet thou cāst not heare But the dead awake at one word of Christ as ye see by the example of this yonge man of Lazarus Wherfore death before god is not called death before vs it is both death is so called but before god it is so quiet light a slepe that nothing can be lighter And this wold Christ haue to be wel beaten into vs that we shold not feare when the pestilence or death it selfe taketh vs but that we shold with a bold minde answere thus against it What is thy greatest might then Tou layst before me very greuous matters thou puttest me in great feare how thou wil execute punishmēt on me like a tormēter But I wil cōsider what god on the contrarie part can do wil do whē y◠hast slaine me For he feareth thee not neyther do he care for thy outragiouse furie but iesteth more rather vpon the saying O death I wil be thy death o hel I wil be thy destructiō If thou killest my Christians I will kil thee again restore them to life This is the cōfort that Christe setteth forth in this gospell that although Christiā men dye yet they be not dead but slepe a slepe yea that such a light slepe that Christ can awake thē with his litle fingar but this is but a litle praise for death that whē it doth here the worste yet it can do no more by all his rage but cast a mā into a slepe so that Christ may raise him vp with one worde As it is written The hower cōmeth when they that are dead in their graues shall heare the voice of the sonne of man and shall come forth they that haue done wel to the resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of Iudgement This hope haue Christians but the Turkes the Iewes haue it not neyther the Papistes This they knowe that they must die and that there remaineth iudgement and hell But what do they They haue no truste in Christ But they seeke helpe of their diriges Masses trentalles pardons fastes such other thinges And they take Christe for no other but for a Iudge whiche hath onely the office to iudge and condemne This is the greatest wickednes that is that they Imagin that Christe is crueller then death Wherfore when they heare of the day of Iudgement they are afraid they tremble quake in their heartes So do not Christian men They know that Christe in that day shall iudge them that beleue not whiche will not receaue the worde or beleue it And therfore they boldly say I am baptised and do beleue in Iesu Christe my Lord that he dyed for my synnes and that by his resurrection he hath gotten me righteousnes and euerlasting lyfe Why shold I feare therfore he is not mine enemie but my frend and patrone with the father Wherfore although the laste day draweth nigh or death chanceth vnto me by anye other meanes al this shall not put me beside my state My Lord Iesus Christ holdeth himselfe stil for a time at the iniuries that death doth vnto me But when death thinketh that I am wholly opprest then am I only holden with slepe and that with such lyght slepe that Christe can scarselye speake a worde but I heare and rise vnto euerlastyng life Let this seme a necessarie lesson for vs that we may feare neither at death nor at the laste daye For Christ cōmeth not to iudge and condemne vs. He commeth as he came in this place to the widow and to her dead sonne to rayse vs from death that we may heare see speake again and do other thynges After this sorte will he come to all vs that beleue and saue vs. But they that beleue not them will he iudge Wherfore we must accustome our selues to looke for this our Sauiour to beleue in hym that by a litle a litle we may be more and more certified of this oure hope and saluation that we may feare neither death neither the laste day But he that feareth foloweth the fleshe and the olde man and not Christe his worde For the matter is playne that Christ shall come and rayse vs from death Where Christians bodies reaste in their sepulchres slepe vntil Christ come knocke at the sepulchre and saith Arise arise Then shall we rise as out of a most quiet and swete slepe we shall lyue and reioyce with Christ our Lord for euer And thus ought Christians to haue other thoughtes thā the Turkes or Iewes haue whiche are vtterly confounded with feare Yea and the Papistes mōkes all are dismayd in their heartes And this chaunceth vnto them worthily For why come they not to learne this lesson and beleue that CHRIST is the helper of them that beleue the iudge of them that beleue not If thou art a Christian and hast hope in Christ he will not take away his helpe succour and saluation from thee when deliuerance defence shal be requisite for thee against death and the deuill But if thou trustest for helpe any where els and despisest his helpe as the Pope both teacheth doth so in dede looke for no other of Christ but a very Iudge for because thou art the seruant of the deuil the minister of death and takest that on thee that is the worke of the deuill and of hell They hate Christ and care not for his kyngdome Wherfore he can be no other to them then a iudge But for the good
this vice is geuen by nature that we are glad to beleue lies for because our heart is proue therto By this meanes the Pope and his sectaries beleue constantly in the masse and in the seruice and intercession of sainctes in monasticall vowes ceremonies fastes c. But it is a false and fayned fayth and by your reuerence ful of whoredome baudrie The heart is full of fornication False faith causeth spiritual whoredom But on the contrari part we which thankes be vnto god haue the pure and chaste spowse for the word is doubtlesse sincere and true do not beleue constantly wher as neuerthelesse we sholde beleue cōstantly But they can not beleue so constantly seing they haue not the worde All the cause therof is in oure olde man in the deuill for that that we thorow originall sinne depart from the worde and truth vnto lyes Out of this gospell we must first learne that we haue nede of the worde And then that we embrace it with a sure faith And that afterwarde doth therof ensue remission of sin and euerlastyng lyfe so that we are surely ridde from all difficulties and dangers both in this life and in the life euerlasting But when the worde is lackyng ther is a faith also as the Anabaptistes Arrians Turkes Iewes Papistes haue a fayth But it is a faith without the worde which is ingenerat in vs by nature through the fall of Adam This is a lying fayth which by nature we may kepe more surely then the worde of God After that Christe had preached this to the sicke of the Palsye and forgaue his sinnes The scribes thinke that Christ blasphemeth God in that he forgeueth sin This part is necessarie also and of greate wayght For this is euident by the example of all phantasticall persons that all are in this errour that they know not howe synnes be forgeuen Demaunde this of the Pope and of his doctours add they can not tell thee what absolution doth For all the Popedome holdeth fast by this doctrine and it is surely holden vp therby that grace is powred into them that he that would obtaine it hath nede of contrition confession satisfaction But when it is demanded what is the office of absolution and of the keies they answere that it is an exterial administration which is obserued in the church So saye the Anabaptistes also what shall baptisme preuayle to the obtayning of remission of sinnes sith it is but a litle water The spirit is requisite To be short no secte maker no monke no priest could see this that remission of sinne is a power geuen to man As it is here in the gospell Wherfore learne thou this and say I know that God doth onely forgeue the sinne that I confesse yet this is also to be knowen by what I may be certified that my synnes are forgeuen or what is the meane by the whiche my sinnes are forgeuen And there say If I desire remission of sin I must not go into some corner and say O god forgeue me my sins And thē loke for som Angel whom god shold send vnto thee to say that thy sinnes are forgeuen For god promiseth that he will come vnto vs that baptisme may be amonge vs and his word most holy that it might be said I baptise thee in the name of the father of the son and of the holy ghost He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued But thou sayste that baptisme is water onely It is true but this water is not alone but Gods worde is with it Therfore when I come to the minister whiche hath the peculier commandement of GOD or to any other Christian and desyre remission of my synnes There doth the minister pronounce I in the stede of GOD declare vnto thee through Iesus the remission of all thy synnes And here mayste thou surely truste that thy synnes are forgeuen For baptime and the worde will not deceaue thee This dyd they not teache in the Popedome neither doth any of their preachers vnderstand this Wherfore geue you thankes to God for this benefite light and learne diligently that God alone forgeueth sinne But how verely no otherwise then it is here in that he hath geuen men such power As Christ begynneth that in this place and afterwarde geueth commandement that frō henceforth it shold alwayes be obserued and kepte in the congregation vnto the ende of the worlde that repentaunce remission of sinnes sholde be preached in his name So is remission of sinnes amongest men to be required or in the worde and no wher els For ther only may it be founde This suffereth thee not to ascend into heauen therfore But whē thou desirest remission of synne receaue baptisme if thou be not yet Christined or if thou be see that thou doest call to minde that promesse and be not harde of of belife Go also and be at one with thy neyghbour then aske absolution And as thou hearest that remission of sinne is pronounced vnto thee in the name of Iesu so beleue and thou shalt obtaine thy desire So that baptisme absolution the publike worde the sacrament maye not seme a lyght thing vnto thee but that remission of sin may be asked and required therby For to this intent God hath called and ordained thy Pastour and Curate thy father and mother thy Christian neyghbour hath put his word in their mouth that thou shouldest aske confort and remission of syn of them so that this maye so be counted the commandement and ordinance of god that we shold geue credence to the wordes of men when they according to Christes worde and commandement vse their ministration and office For these are not the wordes of men but of God Wherfore these wordes are to be beleued constantly and not to be despised When the minister baptiseth a childe accordyng to Christes commādement There thou hearest the wordes pronoūced of a man But they are the wordes of God neither must thou take them any otherwise then if god had pronounced theym hymselfe So whenne thy synnes are forgeuen thee in absolution thou mayest no more doubte then yf God hadde spoken theym hymselfe For GOD hym selfe pronounceth this sentence that thy synnes maye be forgeuen thee Wherefore learne in this place the waye howe to aunswere these phantasticall persons when they crie on this wyse What is water but water We know thys also But they are ignorant hereof that the worde of God is ioyned with suche water Wherfore it is no longer pure water but diuine water whyche the mynister geueth not of hymselfe but God commaunded it so to be geuen to the intente that by it we myghte haue a new byrthe to enter into the kyngdome of God and Remyssion of all oure synnes And as GOD geuethe the worde whyche is hys and not oures so dothe hee geue also Faythe vnto the worde For bothe of them are the gyftes of God Faithe and the worde
healpee theym by my worde and they wyll not Therfore if they wil not hear my word let them heare the deuyls worde and let them perishe also in the kyngdome of confusion Thus hath it chaunced to the congregations of the east and to the mooste flouryshynge communalties and to greate regions whyche are nowe vnder the Turke Hungarie also is almoste vndoone vtterlye In other places they wyll not heare the gospel Wherfore for a punyshment they are constreigned to heare the Anabaptistes and other diuelyshe doctoures This is the punishement where as Gods worde is despised and not hearde For it is the greattest and moste haynous synne and therefore the moste greatest and greuousest punishemente is prouided for it This is gods will that we should embrace the worde most louyngly and not onely write it in fine letters in our bookes but also in our heartes But the world will not grant hym this place and it scarcely suffereth it to be in bokes sermons it had rather haue the dyuel in the hert and it shall haue hym at length Wherfore learne this also that God hath cause inough to punishe other synnes of oures But this synne passeth all whenne his worde is set at naught and when they are yll ordered that call men to this mariage He therfore that is holden wyth thys synne lette hym learne to see vnto hym selfe by thys doctrine that he may know that it is no lyttle synne but the moste greatest and most greuous of all synnes whiche God canne not suffer but punysheth it most greuously All men crye out agaynste periurie and auarice that they beare such route in the worlde And thus is trewe that these thynges canne not longe escape vnpunyshed But in that we haue the Gospell and care soo lyghtely for it and in the meane tyme sette our myndes idelly vppon trifles whyle that the woorde is preached this is a synne passynge all other synnes and doubtlesse shall so bee punyshed of GOD that errours and lewde teachers maye enter in wyth all power to take awaye all thynges As it is in Grece and in other Regyons where as nowe Mahomette reygneth whych at thys time dryuethe theym to the abhominations of the dyuell whyche before hadde the worde of GOD but wold not beleue it In the Popedome it chaunced thus also There was first the trewe doctrine When menne were vnkynde and despysed the doctrine God punyshed that synne on thys wyse that they allowed monkery and mooste impudente lyes Nowe also is thys commynge to passe agayn For there must nedes chance to thys synne bothe corporall and spirituall punyshementes where as the dyuell castethe amongest vs Arrians and Anabaptistes For why is not Goddes woorde regarded Why is it not receaued thankefullye Remember ye therefore that we muste beware of thys synne and magnyfye the woorde of GOD and heare it dylygently For although we had none other cause to doo it yet this were a sufficient cause that GOD hathe commaunded it for that it is a mooste acceptable seruice vnto hym For it is no littell matter that we doo serue suche a greate Lorde Hee canne requite and recompence it moste lyberallye Wherefore thys seruyce oughte to be moste acceptable to all Christian men that they might thynk Trewely yf my Lorde and my GOD requyre thys that I shoulde heare hys worde I wyll gladly doo hym thys seruyce that I may boaste of this that I haue bestowed an hower of a daye in Goddes seruice This shoulde be a sufficient cause for vs to regarde Gods word But besydes these there are other causes also more euidente For thys doth GOD promyse to the also yf thou wylt heare my woorde and kepe it Thou shalt subdue the deuyll so that he wyll not be so bolde as to come nere vnto thee For where my word is there am I. And where I am the deuyll can haue no place And besyde all this profite thou shalt haue all thy synnes forgeuen thee and thy hearte inflamed to the true study of religion and obedience towarde God and man and to be short thou shalte obtayne at last lyfe euerlasting For I poynt and prescribe to thee suche seruice to do as for the whiche great profit may redounde vnto thee For if there were no profite for thee at all yet were thou bounde to doo it because it is my will that it should be doone But now I commaunde thee to do such seruice as is moste for thy profite As we proue by experience when we do nothing but repete the ten commaundementes and the Lords prayer there commeth always therof a newe profite that we may vnderstande some thyng that came not to our mynde before And this commoditie is specially therwith that the dyuell therby is dryuen frome thee that he may not hurt thee Wherfore lette no christian be so arrogant that he thynke that hee vnderstandeth now the Lordes prayer and the ten commandementes And if any suche thynge come in mynde iudge it to be a temptation and say If I haue sayd it to day nowe wille I saye it agayne that thou mayest alwayes repelle and put awaye the deuyll frome thee and so shalte thou doo vnto GOD moste profytable seruice If thou doest not so thou shalte offende God greatly But who would gladly proue and fele so greate wrathe of God But alas thus goeth the matter A great parte nothyng regardeth the worde But yet nothyng is more certaine then that if for sinnes pestilence and warre befalleth that God will not regarde thee but that he will stoppe his eares at thy crie Euen as thou also hast deafe eares at his worde As it is in Salomon Because sayth he I haue called and ye haue refused I haue put forth my hand and there was none that would see ye haue despised all my councell and neglected my discipline I also will laugh and scorne you when that that ye feared is chaunced vnto you When sodein miserie shall fal vpon you and destruction as a tempest breake in on you When tribulation and anguishe shall come vpon you Then shall they call m to e and I will not heare them in the morning they shall ryse and shall not fynde me because they hated to be reformed and receaued not the feare of the Lorde and obeyed not my councell but did caste of all my correction This shal be the punishement of this synne when thou shalte at thy appointed tyme be bytterlye punished euen then thou shalte haue GOD to laugh thee to scorne which shall say that this chaunced worthely vnto thee because that wheras he put forth vnto the doctrine of sincere councell thou despisedst it now therfore it chaunceth worthely vnto thee that thou hearest the deuil If thou wilt not heare him that saith Come vnto me all that labour and are heuie burdened I wil refresh you heare thou the vngodly souldier which first curseth and banneth and afterward thrust thee through with a speare Thou cāst not refuse this as
that thou perceauest not how it should come to passe But when Dauid which was of no high blud heard the word of God by Samuell the prophete as touchyng the kyngdome of Israell the ende and successe therof could not be voyde or frustrate whatsoeuer Saules frendes dyd to the contrarie So is it here also This Ruler where as he requireth a signe and present ayde of Christe somwhat importunately is by Christ wholly dryuen to the worde And although that Christ woulde nowe also shewe a signe and healpe the Ruler out of hande yet he wold haue hym endewed with Faith before he fele healpe And when the woorde appoynteth hym so to doo Go thy wayes thy sonne lyueth There doothe the Ruler beleeue as concernynge the lyfe of hys sonne by the worde And as Faithe foloweth the woorde so doth lyfe folowe Fayth thorough the woorde As we also haue the worde and promyse where as God doth generally confort all the worlde and saieth He that beleueth in me shall neuer see deathe Likewise sayeth Iohn Baptist of hym Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh away the synnes of the world These are vniuersall and generall sermons whiche pertayne to all men For he saythe not when he or this man shall beleue But he speaketh generally He that beleue the in me shall neuer see death Likewise Iohn saieth not that Christ the Lambe sent from God shal take away the synnes of this man or that man but the synnes of all the worlde Wherfore if thou bee a synner and art in the worlde thynke that it appertaynethe vnto thee and doubt not but that thy matter is in hāde and that it is done for thy sake This is the foundation wherin our Faith as muche as belongeth to Remission of synnes and euerlastyng lyfe ought to leane And shall no more deceaue vs that doo sticke thervnto then the ruler was deceaued by his Faith For we must not thinke that it was an easier matter for so great a ruler than it is for vs when Christe puttethe foorthe vnto hym suche a certayne woorde where as hee sayeth Go thy way thy sonne lyueth But it is an harder matter for vs because there is noo suche certayne woorde putte foorthe vnto vs but generallye to vs all For CHRISTE hym selfe althoughe he putte foorthe a generall worde yet as hee speaketh it here priuatly to the Ruler sayinge Go thy way thy sonne lyueth So doth he speake this to euery man by himselfe Sonne thy synnes be forgeuen thee thyne is that life euerlastyng For to what other man dothe he speake thys but to euery one of vs that are baptised Dothe not baptisme belonge to euery man If other wil be partakers of baptisme they muste take it for them selues But what dothe God saye to thee and to all that are baptised Is not the promise that who soeuer beleeueth and is baptised shall bee saued Lykewise thou arte baptised to dye with Christe because he dyed for thee and by his deathe redemed thee frome synne and deathe Howe can God speake with thee more certainly or ioyn thy persone more certainly wyth his woorde thenne it is doone in Baptisme wher as it is bestowed in thee alone and is thy propre Baptisme So whenne thou wouldest bee absolued frome thy synnes and comest to the Mynister or to any other Christian wyth the hope to heare the woorde of GOD and to obteyne conforte thys woorde that thou hearest there openly to all that Christe dyed for the synnes of all is pronounced to thee alone that this deathe is auaylable for thy synnes For the woordes of Absolution bee these Brother myne all we are synners and therfore all shoulde abyde and susteyne damnation But the sonne of God is becom man for our sake and dyed also and rose agayne from the deade for our Iustification Despaire not therfore Christ hath satisfied for thee thou must pay nothyng onely sticke vnto his passion and trust in the same Thus is it also concernynge the Supper of the Lord. There is the body and blood of Christ geuen to thee alone and there is it pronounced to thee alone that his bodye was geuen for thee and his blood shed for the that thou maiest not doubt but trust to such a sacrifice of Christ as though it wer proper vnto thee alone For it is put in thy mouth geuen peculiarly to thee that thou maist eate and drinke for thy self There dothe God medle with none beside he speketh with none but with the that cōmest vnto his supper there doest eate and drink as he cōmanded thee And here consider thinke with thy self what maner of christiās they be which let passe such oportunity neuer come to this most ioyfull supper of the Lorde Wherfore if thou desire not this that God shold cōfort thee alone and speke with thee pronounce vnto thee remissiō of thy sinnes life euerlasting thou art worthy to talke and company with the deuill Wherefore this is not lacking as though God spake not with vs but the fault is in this that we folow not the example of the ruler that we receue not neither beleue it to be true whatsoeuer Christ speketh vnto vs priuately The Ruler also had occasion not to beleue yf he wold haue folowed his reason and hadde no respect to the worde For howe coulde hee beleue that thys lyttell worde woulde haue ben so effectuous so farre of and brought suche a greate thyng to passe He might haue sayde It is not vnknowen to me in what case I haue lefte my sonne Seynge there is no hope of lyfe agaynst so great perill so small a woorde can be of no efficacitie He must nedes come more nere and do greter thynges if he will bryng to passe so great a thing But the Ruler omitteth all these thynges and onely embraceth the woorde and geueth so greate credence therto as thoughe hee sawe the healthe of his sonne presently before his face For except he had ben of this mynde hee woulde not haue departed as contente with this word But he was content as Iohn saith very well The man beleued the woorde that Iesus spake vnto him and went his waie And here doest thou knowe what Faith is proprely if thou seekest the definition thereof euen no other thynge than to beleue that that Christe promyseth Gette thee therfore acquaynted with it and first lerne whenne God promyseth to thee in Baptisme Christe in the Gospell and in his Supper Embrace that promyse with all thy heart and lette nothyng hynder thee therin although thou shalt haue many lettes We fele synne and deathe whyche offer them selues alwayes to our syght and sence And if thou let passe the word in thys case synne and deathe wyll oppresse thee and caste thee headlong into destruction But what doth a Christian he confesseth his synne neyther is he vncertayne of deathe But yet hee despaireth not therefore But hee taketh holde of the worde as muche
heauenly thynges then by men God forbydde that we shoulde growe vnto suche madnesse so to doo and so to offende the Lorde our God The magistrate ought to looke better vnto his office then to compell his subiectes so to doo If CHRIST hadde thus sayde Geue to Cesar all that he desyreth or all that thou haste he myght lawfully haue requyred it of his subiectes and if they would not haue geuen it hym wyllyngly he myghte iustely haue taken it awaye frome theym But oure Sauioure Christ in thys place saythe thus Geue those thynges to Cesar whyche are dewe vnto Cesar. That is to saye It is certayne and determyned what is hys and therewyth he ought to bee contente Ciuile obedience outwarde honour tribute toll and suche lyke worldly thyngs are due vnto hym All this geue him This oughte to suffice hym If he wyl require more and chalenge that whyche belongethe vnto GOD then know ye that in this behalfe ye owe him nothing at all No man vnder paine of euerlasting damnation ought to geue that to the temporall magistrate which is due to God alone For as Cesar can not lawfully require it so dothe God streightly forbyd the subiects to geue that to Cesar which he vniustly asketh Therfore this is a greate impietie and wyckednesse that certayne Popyshe Princes but chiefly Byshoppes whyche in deede are nothynge ells thâ—n Princes and worldly potentates are so proude and stately toward their subiectes For they are not content with this obedience that they haue bothe the bodies and goodes of their subiectes not onely to serue theyr necessities but also their pleasures excepte they also require this that the subiectes do beleue and serue GOD as it pleaseth them not onely not agreable but also contrary to the worde of God The true religion of God they forbid They wyl not suffer their subiects to resort vnto such places where the woorde of God is truely taughte They forbyd bothe the bokes of holy Scripture and also all other good and godly woorkes that their subiectes shold not rede them and so come vnto the knowledge of their saluation They hyre blasphemous preachers to sette forthe and mainteyne the olde abhominations of Antichriste at whose mouthes not one worde can be heard that may comfort the conscience of the weaklyngs or edifie in true knowledge such as be ignorant yea and that is most horrible these sycophantes do nothyng els thenne in all theyr sermons blaspheme the Gospell and moste spitefully rayle on the professoures of the same And they thynke they haue done theyr duetie notablye well yf they maynteyne the sacrifice of the Masse the Inuocation of Sainctes Pylgremages Purgatorie pardons the Monasticall lyfe the syngle lyfe of Priestes the receiuyng of the Sacrament vnder one kinde the Popes primacie c. and confirme a false perswasyon of the remission of synnes for confession contrition satisfaction penaunce wyll woorkes c. But they exercise theyr tyrannye chiefly when theyr subiectes receyue the holy misteries of Christes body and bloode vnder bothe kyndes when notwithstandyng it is most euident and playne that so is the institution of Christe and the primatiue churche and the holy Fathers vsed the same order many hundred yeares after Christes Ascension And notwithstandyng this popyshe and wicked order they will haue to be obserued of their subiects yea and that vnder the pretence of the obedience that is due vnto the magistrate As though it were here thus commanded Geue all thynges to Cesar and to God nothyng For in matters of religion to obeye Cesar and not the word of God is to set Cesar aboue God to robbe God of all thynges and to geue to Cesar all thynges But so ought we not to do God dothe not onely graunt to Cesar the obedience of his subiectes but he also stablysheth the same with his commandement and defendeth the same so earnestly that no sedition agaynst the magistrate dyd euer escape vnpunyshed as examples bothe diuine and prophane doo euidently declare But in the meane while God also requireth his obedience He willeth body and goodes to be subiect to Cesar only this he requireth that the hearte and conscience be kept for God that he by his worde and by his holy spirite maye gouerne there alone But whenne GOD may not thus doo for as muche as Cesar contrarye to ryghte chalengeth also that is none of his euen to bee Lorde of the conscience and that menne should haue no other opinion of religion then it pleaseth hym and not as God appointeth in hys worde the ende of this violence tyranny and wyckednes can not be good For God by no meanes canne abyde that hys kyngdome shoulde bee destroyed or that his worshyppynge and seruice which he hath commaunded in hys worde shoulde be abolyshed That magistrate whyche taketh vppon hym so to doo muste nedes come to confusion as the exaumples of moste myghty kynges and princes do testifye So soone as they chalenged altogether to them selues and left nothyng for God God defended and recouerd his owne right and as for the tyrantes the brought them to nought shame and confusion Therefore this is woorthy here to be remembred that Christe hath appoynted certayne lymittes beyonde the whyche Cesars power ought not to go namely that he rule in hys courte and that he meddle not wyth Gods kyngdome Geue to Cesar saieth he the thynges that belonge to Cesar. As though he shoulde say That whyche is Gods and not Cesars looke ye geue it not to Cesar leste ye fall away from me and obeye Cesar to muche whyche peraduenture wyll rewarde you for a tyme but notwithstandynge whosoeuer shall thus disobeye me eyther for feare or for fauoure eyther for rewarde or otherwise he shall surely suffer the paynes of hell fyre Lette Cesar therefore bee contente wyth hys owne or yf hee wyll not so doo neuer geue thou that to hym whiche is none of his For there muste bee a difference kept betwene these two kyngdomes that there bee made no confusyon that GOD maye haue hys and Cesar lykewyse that whyche is although in corporall matters also Cesar ought to keepe a meane and to excede in nothyng For there is a difference betwene a laufull magistrate and a cruell tyraunt A tyrant violently plucketh vnto hym all that he can gette Hee measurethe hys ryghte by hys power and pleasure But a Godly and lawfull magistrate knowethe that hee is appoynted of GOD for the healthe and preseruation of hys subiectes and not to oppresse and to destroye them whyche Christe also declarethe by thys in that he maketh a difference betwene euerye priuate mannes goodes and possessions and betwene that whyche is dewe to Cesar or to the Magistrate The temporall ruler therefore doothe not hys office whenne thorough hys pollynge and pyllyng he dryueth hys subiectes vnto slauerye and beggery Shepe are to be shorne and not to be all rent and torne The magistrate muste so take tribute and toll
hom Dignus est merâ—en c. Math. 24. The rewarde 1. Pet. 5. Dan. 12. Math. 13. Math. 22. Math. 24. Luc. 12. Esa. 66. Apo. 21. 1. Cor. 2. Esa. 64. Math. 12. Iohn 6. Rom. 1. Iac. 1. Psal. 51. Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 2. Ephe. 2.5 Tit. 3. Luc. 24. Iohn 16. Math. 9. Psal. 119. Iohn 1â— 1. Cor. 4. Esa. 50. Esa. 61. Ezech. 34. Esa. 61. Luc. 21. Act. 6. Psâ—l 68. Tit. 1. Math. 5. Math. â—3 2. Timoth. 2. Tit. â— 1. Cor. 9. Sap. 15. Iohn 17. Math. 13. Phil. 1. Tit. 1. Iac. 1. Math. 25. Phil. 2. 1. Pet. 2. Iac. 1. Luc. 11. Eccle. â— Iac. 1. Iohn 14. Luc. 24. Act. 1.2 Math. 5. Iohn 6. Of the kyng Christ and of his kyngdom Why Zacharye prophcied the low degre of Christ long before his coÌ„commyng Zacharie 9. What is the power of this kyng and his righteousnes and how it is ioyned wyth pouertie The kyngedome of the worlde is no suche power as Christs is The ryghtuousnes saluation of Christ in baptisme in the supper of the Lorde and in the Gospell The lyfe and saluation of the congregation lyeth hid in the pouertie of Christ. The worlde is vnkynd for this lyght Luc. 11. An abhortatioÌ„ to be ware of danger To vs is this spoken of the kyngdome of Christe The example of the apostles The fyrst seruice of thys king halowed be thy name What the Asse and the colt signifieth The seconde worship Thy kingdoÌ„ come The third Thy wyll bee fulfylled Who began the seruice of this kyng The signes of God goeth be fore strange new mutations The apostles asketh of the destruction of Ierusalem also of the destruction of the world Question Where the signes muste be marked Signes in the Sonne Moone The signes in the sea and waters The sygnes in men A speciall conâ—usion in men The wycked despise the sygnes The coÌ„myng of Christ after the signes These signes are not geuen to terrify the congregation These signes are not geuen to terrifie the congregation The cause of ioy by these signes The sainctes also fear these signes but not deathe The last daye the day of daÌ„nation and redemption Myth 24. Christes commyng is terrible that the oppressed congregation myght be delyuered Christes coÌ„myng is lyke the sprynge The figure of the destructioÌ„ of Sodome compared to the destructioÌ„ of the worlde The suÌ„me of the doctrine coÌ„cernynge the last day The Popes doctrine of Christes coÌ„myng The daye of Iudgemente shall come sodeynly What is to be done â–ª that the day of iudgement be not sodayn vnto vs Watche Prayer Repentance The work of God is hyghly to be magnified The question of Iohn by his disciples Deuter. 18. What Iohn mente by sendyng his disciples vnto Christ. Esay 35. Of Christe his kyngdom Christes doctrine Moyses doctrine Moyses doctrine can doo nothynge against deathe An hystorie Workes can not quiete the conscience of a synner The Gospell is a doctrine of comfort What the gospell is Difference betwene the kingdome of Christe and the worldes The kingdoÌ„ oâ— Christes right hand The doctrine of the gospell is wath offence The doctrine of the Gospel forbyddeth not good workes but the trust in them Christ an offenceful preacher wicked worldlings can not abyde the gospel nor the preachers therof Math. 11. Christe alone saueth Iohn 14. The patriarkes and Prophetes were saued by faith iâ— Christ. Withoute Christe there is no saluatioÌ„ Gen. 3. The office of Iohn Esaye 40. Iohn 8. Esa. 20. Iohn declareth his baptisme The Iewes regarde not Iohns doctrine Papistes can not abyde the word of God Papistes seke saluation by theyr owne workes Matth. 116 Good workes Phil. 3. The differeÌ„ce betwene the righteousnes of faith and good workes Papistes sell theyr words Monasteries Good works ought diligeÌ„tly to be done Math. 1. The cause of the feast 1. The tyme of this byrth 2. The place Miche 5. 3. The Emperour of Rome helpeth knowing not what he doth 4 The maner of the byrth Why this hystory is writeÌ„ We are made on fleshe and blâ—d with the sone of God Hebr. 4. The incarnation of Christ Gen. 1.2 Heb. 4. Phil. 2. The humblenes of Christ. 1. That this natiuite might be confortable to vs. 2. And also that he myght make vs humble and meke 1. The honor of the congregation 2. An example of loue and patience Christ not knowen profiteth lytle Prouerb Gods messengers conforte the fearefull SataÌ„ thorow sinne reigneth in men Christ only ouercommeth Satan Math. 1. Luc. 1. Psal. 51. Ephe. 2. Phil. 2. The byrth of Christ ought to moue vs vnto mutuall charitie and loue Note What Christ is Christ is no corporal thing Christ is the sauiour of meÌ„ Miche 5. Gene. 3. Why the Angell calleth Christ a Lord. Christ is true and naturall God Christ is the Lord of Angells also Why the Angells reioyced in the byrth of Christ. Esai â— Ioan. 3. Rom. 8. The Angel is an huÌ„ble spirit Christes people are pore nedy If Christ be the sauiour thâ—n can not the saincts works be By the ministerie of the worde is the doctrine preserued Good preachers helpe much By the Angels doctrine are al false doctrines to be iudged The office of Christ. Note well Withoute Christ god caÌ„ not be knoweÌ„ nor glorified God is diuersly dishonored in the world Originall syn broughte in ambition To glorifye God The worlde dothe chaunge this verse There is nothynge in the worlde but synne Christen men are peaceable Peace what it signifieth The dyuell changeth this verse what is good wyll Papystes The sermon of thangelles was not vnfruitfull The world forgeteth Gods miracles We also to forget the miseries in the Popedome Nihil citâ—us senescit quam gratia Mary forgetteth not Gods word The word of God is not lightly to be regarded Great diligeÌ„ce is to be geueÌ„ to the learning of Gods word Math. 6. He that will serue God must not chaÌ„ge his vocatioÌ„ as Mounkes do Christ commeth not to change externall thyngs Christ chaungeth the heart The example of the shepheards The chaunge of creatures in the last day Galat. 3. The prophetes do alwais require the inward change True godlynes consisteth not in outewarde obseruations Luke calleth Ioseph the father of Christ Math. 1. This meruailyng ryseth of faythe we ought not to be voyde of meruailyngâ— It becoÌ„meth a christen maÌ„ to be proude Howe offence is hadde in Christ. The offence to the Iewes Iohn 8. The offence to Monkes Christen men are offence to other Christ is put foorth to be a risyng Math. 18. 1. Cor. 11. The Gospell is not the cause of trouble but mens stubbournes The Gospell openeth the heartes The Gospell plucketh of the visards of the world and openeth the heartes The Gospell openeth the heartes The holyest hateth the Gospel moste This opening pertayneth to Iudgement The opening pertayneth to confort The greatest vice is to preseÌ„te the word of God to despise it The greateste vice is to persecute
will we chose out of it onely this principall point namelye that Christ sayth we ought gladly to heare the worde of God and that he which heareth the worde of God is of God Contrariwise he that heareth not the word of god is not of god These wordes are so symply and plainly spoken of Christ that no man wil thincke that they be of any great weight or muche to be estemed But he that knoweth these thinges truly searcheth pondereth earnestly what this meaneth to be of God or not of God he shal soone perceaue that the thinges wherof Christ here speaketh are of greate waight and singuler importaunce For this is certen that mā can haue no greater faulte layde to his charge neither can he suffer anye greater infamye then to be reported that he is not of God All the displeasures that can chaunce to a man in this life be they neuer so greuous and many are not to be compared to this that Christ in fewe wordes sayeth to y◠Iewes ye are not of god Therfore all the matter cōsisteth in this thing that we heare the worde of god and kepe it For this is euidēt thorow the whole story of the gospell that they which wil not here the worde of God but speake euil of it and blaspheme it folowe the deuil and are obedient vnto him which caryeth them whyther he wyll and vseth them to what purpose he lysteth and the lenger the worse as we maye see in the Gospell of this present Sonday Firste the Iewes are angrye because Christ begynneth to preache Afterwarde they begin to speake euill and spiteful wordes of hym callynge him a Samaritane and sayinge that he hath a deuill This might seme to be wycked ynough Not withstandynge they procede and go forwarde with their wickednes and ware still madder and madder What makest thou saye they of thy selfe to be shorte they geue ouer themselfes so greatly to all vngodlines and mischife that at the last they bende them selues vnto murder and take vp stones to kyll Christe Into this horrible wyckednes are they fallen because they despise the worde of God because they blaspheme god and his worde and speake euil of the lorde Christ. And here ye see what it is to be of the deuil verely not to heare the worde of god to blaspheme the true god to speake ill of him and to go about to murder him Of this sorte in these our dayes are stubborne disobediēt children which wil not obeir their parētes but despise both them their cōmaundementes Afterwarde they go forward in their wickednes they curse their parēts and rayle on them And although they do not execute the very acte of murder vpon them yet wyshe they their parentes dead or els they them selues lyue so vngraciously that their parentes wyshe them selfes rather dead then a lyue And all this come to passe because such wycked children wil not heare the worde of god nor endeuour them selues to kepe it And thus goeth it thorow out the worlde where they will not heare the worde of God and frame them selfes to liue accordyng therunto as we may see in euill speakers lyars blasphemers fighters ruffins and suche other wicked persons whiche go forward dayly more and more in their wickednes tyll at the last they come to a shamefull ende Of this matter haue we also experience in the Papistes whiche the longer they continewe the worse and madder they are They rayle they speake euill they curse they blaspheme both the worde and the preachers thereof and neuer ceasse frō their furious madnes and mad furie till they condēne the worde for heresie and the professours thereof for heretikes Scismatikes aprehending them casting them in prison and afterwarde moste cruelly murderyng them with fyre with sweorde with halter with water Uerely the contempte and despising of godes worde is the greatest synne that may be For in other synnes when a man offendeth he may be reproued taught to do better the giltie will acknowledge and confesse his fault but in this synne when the worde of God is contemned and blasphemed the professours therof are most miserably entreated at the last most cruelly murthered it is not possible that the auctours of this most abhominable wickednes will suffer them selues ones to be admonished of their faultes or be persuaded that they do euill Yea they thincke they do well and that in so doinge they please god and do god hye seruice As for the doctrine that they condēne it is saye they playne heresie And as touchinge the professours thereof what other are they then wicked heretikes so wers of newe doctrine deceauers of the poore scismatykes Apostatas forsakers of the tētes of Israell enemies of our mother holy churche troublers of the comon weale and at the laste what not whome to destroye and vtterly to take awaye from the face of the earth who is so farre estranged from the rule of reason that will not iudge it a moste reasonable and lawfull acte Thus they please thē selfes in their wickednes They reioyce when they haue done euill and ioye in their synnes so farre is it of that they are ashamed of their euill doing where as in all other synnes comonly the contrarye is founde Therfore it commeth of the deuill not to heare the worde of GOD but to blaspheme it and to persecute the preachers of it This wyckednes of the Papistes aboue all things must be eschewed of them that hope for any parte of gods kyngdome otherwise nothinge is to be loked for at the hande of God but anger indignation at the laste death damnation For this is an harde and greuous worde that Christ speaketh here to the Iewes ye heare not the worde of god therfore are ye not of God For he that is not of God is of the deuill and is opprest with the greatest plagues and pestilences that can be deuised No man can wishe vnto him a greater euill then he is all redy fall into It is lamentable to consider that this great and abhominable synne is nowe cōmon almost among all states I meane the contempte of hearinge gods worde and specially amonge them that be of greate authoritie If a man saye vnto them thou doest not well that thou cōmest no ofter to the sermons What doest thou set them at naught this thinge sheweth euidentlye that thou art not of god The greatest part of thē wil answer on this maner what haue I to do with sermōs I knowe my selfe I trow what is best to be done If thou be importunat vpon them and tell them they must take an other waie or els they can not be saued thou shalte fynde them by litle litle to be exasperate and moued that they will rayle vpon thee threaten the a displeasure if thou hold not thy peace This is suche an horrible wyckednes and greuous synne that it maketh any Christen heart to tremble
trēble they as these do 〈◊〉 fele no consolation nor conforte in the worde for he that feleth death and is not armed with the worde of god against death the terrours of the same he is madde wode frantike fareth as though he were in desperation yea and possessed with the deuil Cōsider therfore O dearely beloued what a great treasure precious Iewel ye get when ye diligently gladly heare the word of God The firste is this ye know the ye are of god haue ouercome the deuil and al his infernal armie that neither sinne nor damnation hath any power ouer you Moreouer what soeuer shoulde be obiected againste you to the hyndraunce of your saluation it can not preuaile againste you but ye shall easely ouercome it But contrariwise the worlde with the leaste trouble that cōmeth waxeth madde is impaciēt falleth vnto vtter desperation The Christians vndoubtedly in this worlde haue many troubles For the worlde the deuil hate thē most extremely Therfore are they at al times in daunger of life of goods of fame of al that euer they haue Now how shal they fynde meanes to suffer these thinges paciently verely by none otherwaye then by holdinge faste the worde and cleauinge harde to the same saying let it go as it wil go I am not of the world but of god for if I were of y◠world that worlde wolde deale otherwise with me But I had rather a thousand times that worlde should hate persecute me then loue me so fal out of the fauour good will of god Where the minde is thus affected setled all the troubles aduersities of that worlde passe awaye as a cloude or as a byrde that is swyfte of wynge They shewe them selues a litle while vnto vs but straight way they are gone Let this be your greate singuler consolation that euen in this life ye fele the power of y◠worde but specially then whē death cōmeth which now thorow the faith that ye haue in the worde is euē as a swete pleasaunt slepe And as he y◠walketh ī darkenes perceaueth not the theaues is y◠soner oppressed ouerthrowen yea that befor he be ware euē so goeth it with the faithful the deuil is the theife mur therer hath sworne our bodely death so that we cā not escape it notwithstāding when we are enarmed with the worde holde faste that we shal scasely fele death or any payne therof For the worde setteth men in a ioyeful and quiet state maketh their cōsciences chereful mery and gladde so that they despaire not when aduersitie cōme neither make they any busines whē they loose their promotiōs lyuinges but kepe pacience in all kinde of aduersitie yea when death cōme they embrace it ioyefully receaue it without any feare at al onely this is their conforte that for Christes sake they haue a merciful father in heauen For this they learne in the word without the word they can learne nothing If there were non other cause that we should desyre the knowledge of gods word but only to learne how we ought to take these dayly cōbrances aduersities that chaunce vnto vs it might worthely seme a cause sufficient But this is nothing in comparison of the last miserie that cōmeth by death For as cōcerning that it is euident that then there is no helpe in any phisition or in any other thinge Christe alone our Lord is he which helpeth vs which also ought to be more estemed of vs then al the things in the worlde But how goeth it with vs whē he offereth vs this helpe remedie yea and bringeth it home to our owne dores we despise it and set naught by it This therfore chaunceth vnto vs worthely afterwarde that we be not of God and so by litle and litle dayly fall more and more into more greuous sinnes and become worse worse as it is sufficiently before sayd When suche are at the point to dye they can fynde neyther helpe nor councel And what remayneth there for all suche then lamentation feare tremblyng horroure yollyng out roring yea desperation and damnation Therfore this is the principal point of doctrine contayned in the Gospell of this present sonday that we diligentlye embrace the worde gladly heare it and faithfully beleue it If ye do this then shall ye ouercome synne deuyll death hel c. And althoughe death shall take you out of this lyfe yet shal ye fele no payne of hym but it shal be vnto you as a moste swete and pleasaunt slepe For the worde of God is suche a conforte and present helpe that it bringeth vnto vs a quiet lyfe a mery cōscience euerlastyng saluation As for the vngodly and suche as despyse the worde of God there can no more mischief be wyshed vnto them then they suffer all redy For seing they heare not the worde of God they are not of God As an vnruly childe whiche despyseth the commandement of God careth not for his parentes What can be spoken more vnto his reproche then that he is the sonne of the deuill and not of God This is not lightly to be regarded or to be set naught by For it were better to be the bonde slaue of the Turke or of any other most barbarous and cruell tyraunt then to to be the captiue and bondslaue of the deuyll which is an accuser a calumniatour a picker of quarels a murderer and seketh all means possible to cast vs into vtter destruction Take hede of this mischiefe and dilygently consider with your selfs in what gret reuerēce and estimation ye ought to haue the woorde of God For there is none other reskue help or remedy against euerlasting death deuyl sinne hell c. then to hold fast the word of Christ that is to say to beleue his promise and thorow faith in his worde to haue a sure hope of euerlastyng saluation For when Christ saith He that wyll kepe my woorde shall neuer see deathe He meaneth not the lawe that God gaue to the Iewes by Moyses Whiche lawe although it bee a trewe holy and profitable doctrine yet seyng we because of our vicious and corrupt nature can not obey that doctrine it is become vnto vs the ministerie of deathe and alwaies reproueth accuseth and condemneth our sinne before God Therfore haue we nede of an other word that we may be delyuered from synne and be iustified before God And that nowe is the woorde of Christe where he sayth He that beleueth in me shall neuer se deathe This worde muste be apprehended and layde hande on with a strong faithe so that we may by no means doubt but that it is true which Christ promyseth For he that refuseth the worde and taketh counsell of his owne deuise he shal fynd death and not life Therfore in the agony of death not according to that we fancie but according to