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
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
synnes in our owne woorkes contrary to the woorde of GOD. For the Lord Christ doothe not instructe vs here of our woorkes but of the woorde whyche he putteth in the mouth of his Disciples and sendeth them euen as he was sent of his father Nowe where forgeuenesse of synne is and the heartes as Saincte Peter saythe are purifyed by Faythe There out of that good and purifyed hearte shall vndoubtedly issue and flowe foorthe abundance and plentie of all good and christen works For Faythe is not ydell and the holy Ghoste accordynge to hys nature and propretie alwaye mouethe and prycketh forwarde the faythefull vnto the obedience of Goddes holy wyll and vnto the mortification of the flesh and synne God through CHRIST gyue vs hys grace that we may beleue this and truly fele it in our heartes Amen The second sonday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn x. CHriste said vnto his Disciples I am the good shepheard A good shepheard geueth his life for the sheepe An hired seruaunâ— and he which is not the shephearde neyther the sheepe are his owne seeth the wolfe comming and leaueth yâ— sheepe and fleeth and the Wolfe catcheth and scattreth the sheepe The hyred seruaunt fleeth because he is an hyrede seruaunt and careth not for the sheepe I am the good shepheard and knowe my sheepe and am knowen of myne As my father knowethe me euen so knowe I also my father And I geue my life for the sheepe And other sheepe I haue whiche are not of this folde them also muste I brynge and they shal heare my voyce and there shal be one folde and one shepheard THE EXPOSITION THis Gospel as likewise the other workes of Christ may be handeled two maner of wais First coÌ„cerning faith SecoÌ„dly touching charitie It is the doctrine of Faith because it teacheth that Christ is the alone shepherd none other that dieth for his shepe For vnto this work that Christ dieth for vs no maÌ„ no saint no nor yet angâ—ll was mete that he might restore man which was slain of that deuil in Paradise thorow synne so that it shold be the very proper work of this shepherd Christ with whom none is able to compare as none of all his other workes which he dyd in this behalf I meane in making satisfaction for our sinnes can be of any creature imitated folowed and expressed Therfore no maÌ„ can speake these wordes of himselfe which Christ pronouÌ„ceth in this place I am the good Shepherd A good shepheard geueth his lyfe for his shepe so that by these his wordes he allureth vs vnto hym and teacheth vs that we shoulde beleue that none can be like vnto hym in accomplishyng the work of our redemption whyche he broughte to passe by his Passion and deathe Moyses and the Prophets were men of great authoritie and of singuler excellencie whiche taughte truly what we ought to beleue and to do yea they suffered many thynges for this their doctrine yet as concernyng this worke wherof Christ speaketh here I meane to dye for the shepe they are only mercenaries and hirelynges neither can they defende the shepe agaynst the wolfe For this is without all doubt that Moyses and the Prophetes when they had taught a longe tyme and done all thyngs aswell as they 〈◊〉 were not yet able to recouer them selues out of death What then could they be able to do for the shepe against the wolf whiche is the deuill death And verily it is euen as Christ saith The hireling which is not the shepherd to whom the shepe do not belong seeth the wolfe coÌ„ming forsaketh the shepe fleeth and the wolf catcheth scattereth the shepe But the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling the shepe do not pertaine vnto him Therfore he that in this perill desireth to be without ieoperdy not to be rent torne of the wolf must diligeÌ„tly take hede that he put not his coÌ„fideÌ„ce in the law or in good works For ther is no help in the law yea yâ— law is rather against vs accuseth condemneth vs neither can good workes helpe any thyng in this behalf Therfore all our trust concernyng our owne righteousnes and good workes must we vtterly caste awaye and lerne with true faith to resorte vnto him alone which saith I am the good shepehearde I geue my life for my shepe For he fleeth not the wolfe neither is he afraide of him yea he rather offereth himselfe o the wolfe for to be rent and torne on pieces then that one of his shepe should perishe and decay Therfore when we are in daÌ„ger we must resort and flee vnto him alone And this is one thing that we muste stedfastly beleue We our selues can do nothyng in this behalfe but Christe that good shepheard he alone doth it and worketh all good thynges for vs and commandeth vs to embrace it with a sure faith and stedfastly to beleue it The second doctrine is that this act of our shepherd is set forth vnto vs for an example as Peter witnesseth sayinge Christ hath borne our sinnes in his body vpon the tree that we being dead to sinne might lyue vnto righteousnesse by whose stripes ye were healed For ye were sometime as shepe that runne astray but ye are turned vnto the shepheard and curate of your soules This is the doctrine of faythe whiche he afterward applieth vnto Charitie saying Christ hath suffred for vs leauyng vnto vs an example that ye shold folow his steppes As Christe died for vs that by his worke he myght redeme vs without our worke from synne and euerlastyng deathe so are we bounde one to helpe and confort an other when soeuer any man beyng in daunger hath nede of our helpe and confort This is to folowe the example of Christe that euery christen man also shoulde be a good shepheard For although I with my death can not redeme other from death and synne for that is the only worke of thee alone and true shepheard Christe Iesu as ye haue tofore heard yet may I geue my life that other by thys example may be allured vnto the worde and brought vnto the knowledge of Christ as S. Iohn saith By this haue we knoweÌ„ the loue of God because he gaue his lyfe for vs and we are bound also to geue our lyfe for the brethren For this we right well knowe howe great the hatred of the world and the deuil is against the word of God And specially the Pope laboreth with all mayne to oppresse the word yea and so many as be the true pastors preachers therof Therfore we haue nede of faithful and good teachers whiche seyng they be redemed by the deth of Christ ought also they them selues to imitate and folow the example of Christ and also to die for the sheepe and to geue their life for the word This death redemeth not other for saluation cometh only by the death
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
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
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
were lepers whiche stode a farre of and put forth theyr voyces and sayde Iesus maister haue mercy on vs. When he sawe them he sayde vnto them Go shewe your selues vnto the Priestes And it came to passe that as they wente they were clensed And one of them when he sawe that he was clensed turned backe agayne and with aloude voyce praysed God and fell downe on his face at his feete and gaue hym thankes And the same was a Samaritane And Iesus aunswered and sayd Are there not ten clensed but where are those nine There are not founde that returned agayne to geue God prayse saue only this straunger And he sayde vnto him Aryse go thy waye thy fayth hath made the whole THE EXPOSITION YE heare howe Christe in the gospell of this day setteth forth a notable example of faith Thy fayth saith he hath saued thee And by this he ascribeth all the glory of the sauyng of this Samaritan not to hymselfe as he shold haue done if he had sayed I restore thee to thy helth but to faith Whiche thinge is done of Christ to this entent that we also shoulde he encoraged by this example and beleue boldly and thynke surely that thorow Christ we shall obtaine whatsoeuer we beleue If we beleue remission of syn and euerlastinge lyfe that faith shall not deceaue vs. If we beleue that God is fauorable and mercifull that he can not but be fauorable and mercifull So that all thynges be on this wise referred to faith and not to God which in dede worketh all thynges That all men maye learne that whansoeuer we lacke anie thynge that we woulde haue or wherof we haue nede that the fault is not in God but in our selfe because we beleue not For otherwise if we beleued we should surely haue it And this is the firste doctrine of this gospell that we beleue this that we shall be sure of all these thynges which we hope and loke for of GOD with a constante fayth But he that beleueth not neyther hopeth for any thynge of God let him not truste to obtayne any thynge As Iames saith in the first chapter of his Epistle For he that maketh sute to god and asketh any thynge of hym he ought not to doubt and saye Who knoweth whether GOD wyll graunt it or whether I be worthie It ought not so to be sayde but this rather I know that GOD wyll graunt what soeuer I aske of hym And although he doth it not now nor after that sorte yet wyll he do it at an other tyme and after an other sorte For a wauerynge hearte that beleueth not stedfastlye and thynketh not surelye that he shall obtayne obtayneth nothyng at all For GOD can geue hym nothyng if he would He is lyke a vessell that by a mans handes is moued hyther and thyther wherin nothynge can be poured and whatsoeuer is poured it falleth besyde the vessell and is loste This is it also with an vnbeleuynge heart GOD is redie to geue but we make oure selues vnapte to receaue for as muche as we profer nothynge to receaue the gyfte withall And we greatlye offende GOD by so doynge that wheras he is most redie to shewe his liberalitie yet we by our wauerynge do cause that there can be no place in vs to receaue gods gyftes Contrarily to hym wheras is no wauerynge but the minde is still by fayth he will geue gladlye and willingly As it appeareth in these ten leapers They crie Iesu master haue mercie vpon me They all are styll and doubte not but Christe wyll helpe And as they beleue so is it done vnto them This must we learne to truste stedfastly to his mercie and not to wauer in heart but to be stil and truste for that we desire whether it be health or liuelowd prosperitie wisdom or righteousnes In the other part is an horrible example wheras ten beleue and are healed but nine go from their faith geue not Christ thākes for his benefit We ought to referre this exāple to this ende that we may learne hereby to be thanckefull and to auoide the wicked sin of vnkyndnes For God doth worthylye challenge this glorie to hymselfe that we should render him thanckes And that should we do gladlye and willingly For it is a thing of no great labour or difficultie For what labour is requisite to this yf thou tourne thee to God and saye Lord that hast geuen me sound eyes hādes fett ▪ c. I thancke the heartely for thy gyfte So lykewise what hard thinge is it to geue thanckes to thy parentes masters lordes neighbours when they do thee good It is done onely that they maye vnderstande that their benefite is wel bestowed This also doth this Samaritan he retourneth to the Lorde geueth him thankes This required no coste or charge but a fewe wordes and yet it pleaseth Christ maruelously This is acceptable to men also and they take greate pleasure therof and by this they are prouoked afterward to do them good again The very Ethnickes saide this that vnkyndnes is the greatest syn Therfore when a man is called chorle they iudged that to be the greatest reproch that is And we proue by experience that this vice greueth thee parentes very muche They bestow for their childrens sake all thinges bodye life goods faine and al thinges But what recompence do children make for for the moste parte It chaunceth seldome to fynde amongest many one that is thankfull This commeth of nothyng elles but of the dyuell Lykewise also it chaunceth with other Wherefore thynke thys for a suretie that vnkyndnesse is the greatest and fylthyest vyce wherby the springe is stopped vppe oute of the whiche procedeth all beneficence and liberalitie amongest men But all this chaunceth throughe the greate infirmitie and weakenes of men For this is very greuously taken that he that healpeth other by benefites getteth nothyng therby but vnkyndnes Wherfore by this mens mynds are discoraged frō doyng good ar lothe to cast away their kindnes vpon them that are vnkynd Unkyndnes is the cause of all this which neuerthelesse men do oftentimes fele Wherfore if ye regard godlynes earnestly se that ye be thankfull Fyrst to God our father in heauen which geueth and preserueth body and lyfe and afterward geueth all thynges that belongeth to euerlastyng life Then to our parentes frendes neyghbors which haue bene good to vs that ye maye knowledge this and geue thankes although ye be not able to requite it But seyng this is suche an harde thyng amongest men to obteyne thankes howe much harder is it to make them to requite and recompence it There was a maner in monasteries that if the yonger had taken of gifte but a quill of an elder he shold haue declared hymself thankful with these woordes Blessed is God in all his giftes This was no euyll maner For it was doone that youthe myghte accustome them selues to receaue all thyngs with thankes geuyng
house But the people that sawe it marueyled and glorified God whiche hath geuen such power vnto men THE EXPOSITION WE ought especiallie to marke out of this gospel the word of grace which god hath communicat and geuen among vs that we might pronounce it amongest our selues Thy synnes are forgeuen thee that we might merueil at it with those that are present here and geue GOD heartie thankes for that he hath geuen man suche power For it is doubtles a great power wher as Christian men may say one to an other brother mine feare not god is merciful vnto thee only beleue the promise whiche I pronounce in the name of Iesu. And so the matter shall be as sure as though that God had pronounced it himselfe Thy sins are forgeuen thee This power began by Christe as we haue heard and afterward remained with vs men and specially with thē that are ministers Howe be it neuerthelesse euery Christian man hath this power when thou felest desperation through sinne to say vnto thee why art thou sorowful I as a Christian man say vnto thee that thou doest wrong to thy selfe For god is not angrie with thee These wordes ought to haue no lesse estimation with him that his greued than if Christe hymselfe had pronounced them out of heauen neyther ought they to be any thyng lesse estemed for the person that pronounceth them For all the effecte consisteth herein that thy hearte shoulde apprehende and beleue the promisse and thinke it to be moste certaine that GOD will be mercifull vnto thee for Christes sake as is the example of this man that was sycke of the palsie Christ doth first adhort this man to fayth be of good confort saith he and doubt not Thy synnes are forgeuen thee As soone as the sycke of the palsie beleued this worde his synnes were without doubt forgeuen hym So doubtelesse do we obtayne remission of our synnes in the congregation when the minister or any other Christian saith vnto thee GOD is not angrie with thee Beware that thou do no wronge to thy selfe For he hath forgeuen thee all thy synnes for Iesus CHRIST his sonnes sake Now is it thy duetie to beleue this promise with all thy heart and rather to suffer all euill and harme than to doubt of it For if thou boubte absolution doth thee no good no althoughe GOD hymselfe with his angell should pronounce it ouer thee For wher as fayth is not there is god reproued as a light vaine person as though it were not true that he promiseth God saue vs from suche vnbeleife and mistrust whiche is the most greuouse sinne How be it the deuil is a very subtill craftesman to brynge vs to this that we might counte God a lyer that is that we shoulde be loth to beleue gods promise But when the heart doth embrace the promise God is glorified with the greatest glorie whiche pleaseth him most For he is affirmed to be true that he can not deceaue although he promise all thinges that are vnpossible Wherfore this pleaseth Christ speciallie in this man and therfore he speaketh so gentilly vnto him my sonne Thou art vexed wyth syckenes the deuill hath endamaged thee with the palsei and God for thy sin hath suffered it so to be done ther ensueth vpon this also a dread and an euill conscience so that thou thynkest that Christ is angrie with thee that thou hast no way to escape For it is naturallie geuen when the punishment of God is on a man to feare dread in conscience but thou must not geue place to this feare Thou must not thynke this that God hath no regard of thee and that thou canste not tell whether he wyll haue mercie on thee or no and that no sinner ought to be brought to GOD al these thoughtes are wycked Thou muste not haue respect to sinne or to the punishement of synne but to that that CHRIST speaketh euen that thy synnes are forgeuen Wherfore the sycke of the palsie must thinke this that althoughe he suffereth the palsei for his sins yet that his sinnes are forgeuen Such a fayth can be hindred neither by the palsei neither by any disease On this wise ought faith and the worde to be ioyned to gether For none of them both can be without the other He that beleueth and hath not the word beleueth as the Turke as the Iew doth They thinke that god is merciful and fauorable But they lacke a promesse For out of Christ god will not be mercifull If any man hath the worde is without faith there also is the worde of no efficacie so that faith and the word are knit to gether with suche a sure knot that they can not be sundered by no meanes A phātasticall person beleueth that the ende of the world shal be within this moneth but this is but a counterfayted faith For it is without the worde The Turke beleueth that he may hope to be saued through Mahomet but it is a lye For ther is no worde for the profe therof The Pope beleueth that Christiās may get righteousnes and saluation by their owne workes but this is a fayned faith For there is no such worde or promesse So is it possible that there should be a fayth but because there is no worde therfore can it not be a true fayth But we Christians lacke not the worde For we haue the pure and syncere worde But we fele a want in our fayth In that we can not so beleue the word as we ought This doth the deuill and original sinne worke in vs and withdraweth vs from the word vnto lies For all we are naturallie borne with this sin that we are glad to geue credence to lies Wherfore it is a hard pece of worke to shake of this vnbeleife although we haue this worde present For the fleshe and the deuil withdraweth vs alwaye from the word For cōsider thou this with thy selfe if I could trulye and perfectly beleue this which Christe speaketh here to the sycke of the palsie and also that that is spoken to euery one of vs in baptisme In absolution also in common sermons how that ther is no wrath of God to be feared no indignation lefte to be dreadded thinkest thou not that it would be an excedyng ioye vnto me and that all thinges shoulde seme full of ioy and pleasure But for as much as we do not so it is a sure token that the olde man and the deuil do all that they can continually to hinder our faith Wherfore thinke this for a suretie that both of them be necessarie First the worde must be heard thē must it also be beleued that without al doubting as much as is possible and after al this must all those thinges be hoped for which the gospell promiseth that are necessarie either for the spiritual or for the temporall lyfe And they that haue no worde may easelie beleue The reason is Because
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
thing God geueth vs abundantly in all thinges to enioye them Likewise saith S. Peter Cast all your care vpon God For he careth for you I omitte to reherse mo places of the holy scripture These may seme for this present abundantly to suffise Seing then we haue so many noble and liberal promises of god it is mete that we geue credit vnto thē For whatsoeuer God hath promised that will he vndoubtly performe to them that beleue It were then very vnsittinge vnsemely for Christians to doubt of his truth of the performaunce of his promise seinge he is not only true but also the selfe trueth suche one as neither will nor can deceaue and to accuse God of vanitie wheras we ought to be thorowly persuaded most certeinly assured of his promises seing he hath not onely promised but the heauenly father also hath confirmed and ratified those his promises at diuers times with many diuers miracles wherin contrary to all reason he vouched saffe to fede many people when they were oppressed wyth greate penurie and hunger Who knoweth not that God in times past maruelously did fede the people of Israell many yeres in the wyldernes with meate from heauen and gaue them drincke out of the hard rocke so that they wāted nothing that was necessary for them Dyd not God send meat by the Rauens to Helias the Prophete How liberally God dealt with the wydow of Sarepta Helias hostesse who knoweth not did not the Angell of god take Abacuck the Prophet by the top bare him by the heare of the head thorough a mightie wynd set him in Babylon vpon the denne where Daniell was prisoner for the Lords cause gaue him the meate which the Prophet had prepared for his reapers Our Sauiour Christ being at a certein mariage whē they lacked wine supplied their necessitie by turning water into wine And in the gospel of this presēt sonday we heard that Christ with fyue barly loues two fyshes fedde fyue thousand people And yet therof remained xij baskettes ful of the fragmēts At an other time in like maner with seuen loues fewe litle fishes he fedde foure thousand menne besides women and children and yet there remained seuen baskettes ful of the broken meat There are many other miracles which ought to moue vs not to distruse the goodnes of our heauenly father but to flee vnto that as vnto an holy ancker in all our necessities Seing then that God hath corfirmed his promises with so many noble and notable miracles how can we otherwise then resigne and geue ouer our selues our thought for liuing and our whole care for the bodie to the prouidence of God and loke for al necessarie thinges at his mercifull goodnes This requireth our profession our faith our doctrine our vocation calling Otherwise we shew our selues no Christians but Ethnickes not faythful but vnfaithfull not such as beleue the promises of God but suche rather as count God a lyar whiche thinge ought to be farre from a Christen heart If we worship god with a true faith depēd wholly vpon his fatherly prouidence cast the care of our body vpon him and loke for all necessary thinges at his liberal hande we shall do that which most highly please god whose eyes loke only vpon faith as the Prophet saith Yea by this meanes we shall obtaine al things nedefull and expedient for this present lyfe For God geueth to the faithfull his blessing and graunteth to them all thinges whatsoeuer they haue nede of as the Psalmographe testifieth saying I haue bene yonge and am nowe old and yet did I neuer see righteous mā forsaken nor his sede begging their bread Again he sayth in an other place He satisfied the emptie soule and fylled the hongry soule with goodnes These present places such like declare that god wil not forsake the faithful but that he wil helpe blesse them in all their necessities as god himselfe saith I wil not faile thee neyther forsake thee How mercifully dealt he in times paste with that poore widow which was Eliseus hostesse in multiplying encreasing her oyle Herof cōmeth it that Iesus Syrach conforteth exhorteth vs moste goodly saying Abide thou in the word of god exercise thy selfe in it remaine in thy vocatiō Let it nothing moue thee that the wicked are rich welthy put thou thy trust in God abide in thy callyng For it is an easye thing to god sodenly to make a poore man riche God blesseth the goods of the righteous This place fortresseth vs against the couetousnes of the wicked exhorteth vs to truste in god and to do our dutie in our vocatiō in so doing it promiseth that GOD will prosper and encrease the goodes of the righteous that is to saye of them that do beleue Labour or paines takinge is not here excluded but faith is required whiche faith doth her office in euery vocation and yet committeth all care to God Therfore he that desireth to lyue in this worlde cōmodiously and to want no good thinge let him cōmit himselfe wholy to god ▪ and truly beleue in him and at his hand loke for all necessarie thinges so shal he haue good successe in all his doinges and haue abundance of all thinges necessary for this present lyfe Of this thinge the present miracle contayned in the gospell of this daye is a most euident testimonie and sure witnesse wherin is expressed Christes hospitalitie toward the people whiche for the feruent affection and dere loue that they bare both toward the hearing of Christs doctrine and the beholding of his miracles folowed him euen into the wyldernes hauinge no regard neyther to their thinges at home nor to their thinges abrod yea the care of fedinge their belly they vtterlye neglected and thought them selues most happye in that they might heare and see Christ. Here appeareth it manifestly that they shall lacke nothynge whiche follow Christ with a faithfull mynde Moreouer if we cōmit the care of our belly to god then shall we be free from many and diuerse troublesome cares wherewith the vnfaithfull and couetous persons are wrapped vexed and entangled We shall also be preserued and kepte from many greuous and noysome sinnes For we see that the wycked moyle turmoyle them selues swyncke and sweate beyond all measure carcke and care without ende to get the goods of the worlde neither can they haue any quietnes in theyr breaste but are lyke to men that are diseased of the dropsye whyche the more they drynke the more they thyrste For suche insatiable couetousnesse occupyethe theyr heartes that the more they haue the more they couete accordynge to this sayenge of the Poete Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit That is to say The more money a man hath the more dothe he desyre Blessed S. Paule paynteth out this matter very lyuely and truely
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
that mē do not gladly receiue this doctrin as it behoueth them to do but all set naught by it They care more for golde and riches then this incomparable treasure which Christ the sonne of GOD brought downe to vs from heauen Wherfore this punishement is deserued wherwith God plagueth these vnkynde persons If thou sayth he thinkest thy self vnworthy to geue me thākes for that I delyuer thee from great euyls frome syn from death be it so truly And I wil make that thou shalt greuously trauaile vnder sinne and death seyng thou louest it so wel And wher as before thou were in the danger but of one diuel nowe shalt thou be vexed of seuen worse Wherfore I adhorie you to here this doctrine with a godly feare and to be thākfull for it and to pray God with all your harts that he may confirme you in this fayth that ye may kepe suche doctrine Wherby it shall come to passe that we be made daily more sobre more obedient more gentle more chast and better For this is the nature of this doctrine to make men more ful of modestie and softnes of obedience and chastitie But they that cast it from them becom seuen tymes worse then they were when they were without this doctrine as examples doo testifie euery where Wherfore take ye hede truly the tyme will come it will come without doubt when God shall reuenge this vnkyndnes and then shall it be sene what the world hath deserued by this vnkyndnes Wherfore marke wel the hystorie of this gospel For seyng that the Iewes woulde not here the voyce of the prophete this is sayd vnto vs that our kyng commeth meke and poore that we shoulde not be offended neither haue respect to the pōpe riches of the worlde But let vs consyder that this our kinge is righteous and a Sauiour whiche deliuereth vs from sinne and from deathe And when this is taught receaue it gladly and louingely and geue God thankes least after that ye be fayne to receiue the deuyll with howling wailing and gnashing of teeth To the whiche thyng we are adhorted also by the example of the Apostles and of other which were in the trayn of this kyng For seyng that Christ is a kyng he must nedes haue a kyngedome and people and this people muste shewe their due seruice to their kynge What seruice this is the hystorie declareth For here be found some that knowlege that the Lord Iesu the kyng is come and be not ashamed to be amongest the waiting men of this asse and poore kynge Amongest these are the Apostles first which knowledge the Lord Iesu Christ to be the true Messias that shall iustifie and become a sauiour agaynst synne and death Wherfore they bring vnto Christe an asse that is they councell the Iewes to go to Christ whiche hytherto haue lyued vnder the lawe haue borne the burden therof lyke asses Then with the asse they bryng a colt also vnto Christ that is the Gentiles that be not yet tamed neither wer vnder any lawe For Christ is the Sauior of all men Wherfore al true Euangelists and teachers ought to bring men vnto Christ And this is one seruice that is due to this kyng that he be knowen receyued and glorified of all men for the rightuous Sauiour The second seruice is that we sing Osanna to Christ on the Asse that is that after we haue receaued this Sauiour and knowledge hym for our kyng that men wyshe well to him and to his kyngdom and that they do all thynges that belonge to the aduancyng of thys kyngdome although it offend the Phariseis and chief priestes neuer so muche For Osanna signifieth Saue O lord blesse Lord the sonne of Dauid As we say in the Lordes prayer Thy kyngdome come For the diuell and his membres will not cease to go about to abolyshe or at the leaste corrupte this kyngdome Here haue we nede of prayer that it may please God to infringe and represse this enterprise of the diuell The third is that we do not only pray but also put of our clothes and sprede them to our Lord Christ in the way that the pompe of his comming may be more syghtfull and not so beggarly And this is then done when accordyng to our abilitie we helpe the ministery of the worde that there may be plentie of teachers good men which both by teachyng and lyuyng maye be gouerners of the congregation And also that they that nowe are ministers may so be handled that they may see to their duetie and geue them selfe to studye and not to fall away from their ministration for lack of lyuyng or to be busied with other thyngs that they can not haue leasure to doo theyr duetie To be short what soeuer thyngs or riches is bestowed to this vse that the ministrations in the cōgregation may be wel ordred and maie haue true pastors It is to be vnderstanded by the clothes which ar spread for Christ that his commyng may be somewhat more kynglike Thus must this seruice be doone to this kyng neither care thou for the Priestes and Phariseys whiche are moued for this sclender pompe and do al that they can to let it But Christ doth not suffer this For where as he is kynge he canne not be without a people and he hath nede also to be serued like a kinge And happy are they that serue this king For he is such a king that he will serue vs againe not with riches and store for that were to base a thyng for this king but with righteousnes agaynst synne with saluation against death and dampnation Wherefore it is expedient that we should be redy and glad to doo this king seruice Neither let vs be offended with the example of the Pope and bishops and suche other which bring not the asse to Christ as the Apostles did to put him theron but that thei may ride vpon the asse themselues and may kepe men vnder the danger of their doctrine as they list but thei make Christ go on foote neither can they suffer him to come through his Gospell and to turne mens eies vnto hym These false doctours haue their disciples also whyche flatter with theim and strawe boughes of Palmes and Oliues in their waye but they cast stones at Christ. For they persecute hym and his gospell and all that professe it These in that daye shall knowe with the Iewes that they haue despised the righteous kyng and Sauiour and therfore shall suffer the wrathe of God for euer Wheras contrary they that haue receaued hym and confessed hym and hath become parteners with him in all that they haue shall obteine by hym iustice and euerlasting lyfe The whiche thyng as our truste and wishe is might chance vnto vs through our Lorde Iesu Christe and Sauiour Amen The seconde Sonday of Aduent ¶ The Gospell of S. Luke xxi THere shal be signes in the Sonne and in the
fyrst the Iewes and the people of Israel shold receaue it and then the Gentiles That is that it shal be to the ruine and fall of a great parte as we declared vpon the third sonday of Aduent But neuertheles in the mean season herby shold come resurrection and abundance of Saluation to many Besydes this there be dyuers other lessons which we purpose to runne lightly ouer as it were by the waye This hystorie befell when the chylde IESVS was a moneth and a half olde and brought into the temple after the maner of the Iewes and redemed of the Lord by an offring as the first begotten wer wont to be As it is wont to be taught in the day whan Christ is offred in the temple Then cam Simeon into the temple by the holy ghost and began to preache of this chylde that he shoulde become a saluation and lyght not only to the Iewes in one place but to all the Gentiles in the whole world The Euāgelist saith that Simeon caused the father and mother to meruaile greately at his Sermon that he made as touchyng the chyld He called Ioseph Christes father speakynge after the common sorte of other men But the Euangelist was circumspect and warie inough be fore wher as he wrote testifying that Christ was conceiued by the holy ghost and born of the virgin Mary Wherfore that is to be noted that no man take hereof an occasion of erroure in that Luke in this place and the scripture in an other place dothe vse the very same wordes as the other doth in declaring the matter For this was the priuie working of God That the virgin Mary wared great with chylde whiche thing it was Iosephs dutie to beleue after that the Angel opened it vnto him in his slepe And in that that the old man Simeon commeth whose eyes were dimme for age and preached so magnificentely of this chylde doubtlesse there were many that iudged that his wordes came not of a right mynde that it was no meruaile that an old dotysh man spake so dotyshly But the testimonie of the Euangeliste sheweth the contrarie Suche was his sermon saith he that the father and mother were taken with great meruail For as touchyng this matter they were not so well instructed of the aungels as they are in this place of Simeon that is that he should be a lyghte to the Gentiles Wherfore there can be no place for that exposition here which sheweth that this meruailynge signifieth doubte but it is more rather a token of a greate faithe For this is the disposition of faythe the greater it is the more admiration and meruaile it causeth and the more vncredible ioye it bryngeth But where as is no fayth all thyngs are colde without affection withoute all motions And that we may take this for an exāple we haue heard now a fewe days of Christes natiuitie and byrth that this chylde is made our fleshe and bloud that he myght be our sauiour to delyuer vs from synne death and the kyngdome of the diuell And if thou haste true beliefe this faith can not bee withoute admiration Neither can the eye be satisfied by seyng neither the hearte by thynkynge of this chylde Wherefore this is a prayse bothe of the fathers and mothers faythe The mother was excedyng glad that this chylde was put foorthe as a lyght to lyghten the Gentiles in comparison of whome all other kynges and princes shoulde be but very darknesse and nyght which hath no store of coūcell or healpe for other men for asmuch as they are oppressed and bound them selues wyth synne and death If we were not of such a corrupt nature we shold not be voyde of meruaile when we heare these tydinges but oure myndes woulde bee exalted and puffed vp with a prowde ioyefulnes and woulde boaste on this sorte I am a christian and baptised I doubt not but that I haue the maistrie ouer synne and deathe thorough Christe and that Heauen and all creatures shall turne to the best for my saluation Howe greatly dothe a greate gyfte of some greate manne delyghte a poore man But what is that in comparison of this If the Turkes dominion whiche is nowe the greatest vpon the earth were myne yet were that in noo poynt to be compared with this that I haue a portion in the inheritaunce of Christe to lyue with hym for euer But howe many are there that are truely delyted herewith All we haue learned and knowe this but wee beleue it not as it is easye to proue For wee meruayle not therat Wherfore this faith muste nedes be very colde and scarcely half alyue For they that beleue truely are not only glad but also are prowd with gladnesse And lette no manne meruaile at this that pride in Christians is commendable For this is their excellent manfulnes that they haue hyghe myndes agaynst the dyuell and all aduersitie For they knowe that through Christe they are lordes ouer them all Thou muste euer haue respect to that lytle people and chose their felowshyp that neuer falleth but embraceth this kynge and ryseth to saluation Wherfore be not offended yf many peryshe by heapes For this is the very course of all thynges accordyng to the prophecie of Simeon The Pope banneth and curseth our doctrine after suche an horrible sorte as neuer was heard of and goeth aboute with all his myght to destroy it Not because he feareth to be seduced thereby For he vnderstandeth very well that it is the truthe but it is of verye malice and stubbornesse wherewith he is moued agaynst vs. There bee other that are offended euen they that take it heauylye and are greued when they heare that thys chyld is a Sauiour For what say they shoulde thys be nothynge that I doo Should all they be damned that hitherto haue folowed thys kynde of doctrine and religion as I haue Thys is a principall offence of the whiche Simeon speaketh in this place Therefore when soeuer thou seest these thynges call this to remembrance foorth with that they are not doone after Gods commaundemente For the Chylde whome Mary hathe brought foorthe is an offence and a stumblyng block at the whyche the wyse of the worlde and the holye shall stumble and fall headlonge Wherefore where so euer hee is not receaued we muste passe by wyth closed eyes and deafe eares neyther must we change any thyng of our purposed order The Iewes in thys matter geueth vs an euidente example They were greatly offended when Christe disputed with them and spake vnto them on this wise Ye shall dye in youre synnes They iudged this to be the sayinge of a foole For howe shoulde this people be ignoraunt of the truthe and wyll of GOD that hath Moses and the Prophetes Shoulde thys nothynge preuayle nor healpe vs to saluation Are we condempned to suche myserie that a carpenters sonne shal teache vs the way of saluation These men stumbled and brake their necks and were throwen
before hym and praieth Lord if thou wilt thou mayst clense me And here are two things to be noted Fyrst he beleueth steadfastly and without waueringe that Christ hath both will and power and that he can helpe in this disease wher as if all men wold do their beste they can helpe nothing wher as Christ neuerthelesse differed nothing in shape and behauiour from other priuate persons Secondly although he doubted nothing of this yet he yelde all to Christs will If he will not deliuer hym from the disease of the body that is if this be contrary to the will of God and against his owne saluation that he is ready to abyde this euil paciently more lenger And this is not only the propertie of true beleif but also of true prayer as these two are always ioyned to gether by nature He that beleueth truely prayeth truely he that beleueth not truely prayeth not truely For this is wholye requisite to true prayer that the heart doubteth not but that God is good and mercifull and that his whole will is to ridde vs of oure myseries Yea and especially this faith ought to be moste stronge in those things that beloÌ„ge vnto the glorie of God and oure saluation as are the remissâ—on of synnes the restitution from the dyuell and from death and in that that God will geue vs the holy Ghoste and preserue vs in his word helpe vs in temptation minister vnto vs the encrease of faith and charitie c. And these be the things that chiefly pertayne to the glorie of God and to oure saluation Wherfore here haue we nothing to doo with any condition when we pray vnto God for these things as though that God could herein be otherwyse mynded And he that in these things wold vse the leapers forme in praying Lord if thou wilt pardon my synnes If thou wilt saue me c. shold not pray aright For in these thinges we may not doubt of the will of God whether he will do it For he hath put forth his expresse and absolute worde that this is his ratified and vnchangeable wil that all men shoulde be saued And for that cause he procured his sonne to be a sacrifice on the crosse for the synnes of all the world put forth a commandement that al shold heare hym receaue and beleue in hym But where as the leaper doth vse a coÌ„ditional prayer If thou wilt thou maist clense me The thing is to be considered for the which he entreateth We sayd before that whatsoeuer belongeth to the glorie of God our saluation muste be surely loked for without any condition For the willl of God is certain he hath declared it with absolute perfecte promises that as touching these things ther is no misterie more to be required in God But in bodily promises it goeth not so For there may be miserie wordlie calamities yet the true saluation nothiÌ„g diminished therby as al christiaÌ„s are an exaÌ„ple Wherfore sith that true saluation coÌ„sisteth not in such bodyly things yea oftentymes the damage of the body goodes helpeth much to true saluation he that prayeth to be ridde of them as we are to this entised by the leapers exaÌ„ple ought to think surely with hym self that God can helpe that he will helpe yet ought he to ioyne his will with the will of God that if this be against goddes glorie and oure principal saluation then that God will not gratifie and fulfill oure will And in suche things this is the true prayer to beleue surely and yet to point God neither time neither way how to do it and how he shall deliuer vs from this euill For we haue all this fault for the moste part that we know not what how we shold aske As Paul saith GOD doth best know what is for his glorie and oure saluation Wherfore oure will ought to be made conformable vnto his and we ought not to doubt but that he will surely heare vs if such a petition belongeth to his glorie and oure saluation Wherfore this ought to be a very notable example for the congregatioÌ„ that first of all it doubt not of the good will of God toward it self but that he knoweth oure euils and calamities that he hath respecte vnto vs. This ought we to sticke vnto yet not to prescribe any thing as touching the maner deuise tyme or successe therof For the congregation remembreth this that this senteÌ„ce is ioyned with the promises of such things that it be obedieÌ„t in bearinge the crosse As the leapre doth here He doubteth not but that Christ caÌ„ helpe that he hath a redie will to helpe he nothing mistrusteth For what other cause els had he to praye so earnestly But he vnderstandeth that the saluation and health which he now asketh to be such as touching that which he caÌ„ not alledge the absolute will of God as it goeth with the thynges aboue rehersed Suche faith and obedience is meruailously alowed of Christ. Wherfore he suffereth not the desyer of this miser no not in this petition wherin if he had not obtayned yet he might haue retayned the hope of true saluation to be voyde and frustrate This may be set forth as an euident example in the Churche how greatly God is delighted with the prayer of a godly and obedieÌ„t mynde And herevnto belonge the most notable sentences of the Prophetes Dauid saith O tarie thou the leysure of the Lord be stronge and he shall confort thee and put thou thy trust in the Lord. Again My soule doth waight for hym in his worde is my truste from the morning watche vntill nighte Abacuk sayth also If the vision maketh tariance looke for it for it will come spedelye without prolongynge For this is knowen in all hystories that although helpe hath ben delayde yet that it hath appeared at the laste Yea and in this is the proper trade of God wher as he heareth not forthwith he doth it to declare his liberalitie more abundantly toward vs then we desyer or vnderstande as Paul sayth And it is not a thing superfluouse to make inquisition as touching this Why Christ after he had clensed the leaper sent him to the Priests to offer his gifte there as Moses commanded A man may aunswere hereto very well if he say that Christ set foorth vnto vs an example of charitie coÌ„corde and sobrietie wher as he wold nothing diminish the right of the Priests in that that was graunted vnto theÌ„ by God which thing yet he might haue done that we should learne hereby to defraude no maÌ„ of his right But the chief cause of this commandement tendeth to this ende that there might be common testimonials yea by the very aduersaries as concerning this miracle For when the pryest receaueth his gyfte of him and he coÌ„fesseth that he is clensed he testifieth against him self and against all rebelles that this Christ that wrought this
signe ought to be receaued and that we ought to beleue in him as in the true Messias For the Prophesies agree herevnto that Christ shall come with such signes into the worlde And that Christ had respecte vnto this he testifieth by his owne wordes saying Offer thy gifte as Moses commanded for a testimoniall vnto them As though he should say They muste nedes confesse that thou art cleane that thou art truely clensed of the leaprosy But in that that they will not know me for their Messias they bewray theyr vncurable stubburnes which shall be duely punished at their tyme. Yet in the meane season this testimonie against them shall profite other that they may receaue me and beleue in me The Pope of Rome wolde stablyshe confession by this commandement because synne may be compared with leprosie therfore that the Iudgement of the priest and purifyinge from synne is requisite But there is no sure establishement for this sentence For what haue we to do with that that God commāded the Iewes as touching the busynes of leprosie We haue no suche Priests at this tyme. And if we hadde yet this is euident that the Priests clensed not the leapers but that they bare record of their clensinge when they were cleane But I pray you what maketh this for confession whiche was referred to the remission of synnes For the leapers should not offer their leprosie but a cleane body when they offer theyr gifte to the Priest But these thinges are not worthie to be aunswered to at all of a wyseman He that will nedes confesse let hym fulfill his phantasie But we knowledge only that confession to be necessarie when mannes mynd cōfesseth freely his synnes before God This is the confession of the heart whiche deceaueth not as doth the confession of the eares of the mouth And yet such confessiō before God clenseth vs not frō synne nor iustifieth muche lesse the confession of the eares can do it But this doth only clense and iustifie euen the fayth in CHRIST Iesu. The worde is apprehended by fayth and in his name is remission of synnes receaued as the promisse offereth it vnto vs. And let this be sufficient as touchyng the fyrst example The second miracle as concerning the sick chyld is also a testimoniall of the doctryne of CHRIST That these thinges may be knowen to be vndeniable If God with signes and miracles be redye to helpe this man so gloriously then that this doctryne is syncere true and fautlesse and that this is very Messias or Christ. And besyde all this it is an example of a singuler and true faith in the Centurion As Christ hym selfe testifieth as touching his fayth that he found not the lyke in Israel This fayth is hereby tried that where as this Centurion was no Iew but a gentile yet it sendeth hym to CHRIST and beleueth steadfastly that Christes will is not contrarie to his and that as he is able so he will helpe hym For if he had not thought this with hym self he wold neuer according to the wrytinge of Luke had helpe of the elders of the Iewes to intreat Iesus for hym But in that they send vnto hym it is a sure token that he hoped to obtayne his matter And with this faith he ioyned great and incredible modestie and humilitie in that that he counteth him self vnworthy to come vnto Christ and to aske any thing of hym But fyrst he sendeth the elders of the Synagog and afterward when he heard the Lord to be comminge he sendeth his fryndes to mete hym that he should not take the paynes to come any further and that he is vnworthie to haue suche a great man to come vnto hym And that he nedeth not so muche to wearie him selfe syth the Lord cā bryng to effect with a word that that he desyreth although he be not present therat And he thynketh with hym self that this is so sure that he taketh his owne example for a confirmation thereof and sayth I verily am a man subiect to power hauing vnder me souldiers and I say vnto one go and he goeth and to an other come and he commeth and to my seruaunt do this and he dothe it Wherfore if my word that am but a man can doo so muche how muche more shall it be done if thou do but speake the worde And in so doyng he doth not only beleue but therewith also put foorth a true doctryne of faith and of her nature Wherfore this also were to be wyshede that oure faith of CHRIST might be of lyke sort whiche might helpe vs with so great vertue of his word although we see not his person It is an example of exceding faith that this man can be so diligently attente vnto the word of Christ. Fyrst he doubteth nothing of the fauour of Christ towarde hym Then he desyreth no more but that Christ shoulde speake the worde This doth he looke for with as sure truste and persuasion as though he had obtayned all redy the perfecte recoueringe of his chyld Wherfore thou that now hast the worde studie to folow him in this point For there are now extant very large promises that God will be mercifull for Christes sake And that we for the faithes sake in Christ haue remission of oure synnes and lyfe euerlastinge But we for the moste part lacke this faith wher with this Centurion was endewed as we see which thinketh that if he obtayne a word of hym he nede not care for the reste It will forthwith ensue that the word doth promise We can not obtain so much of oure selues And herof it commeth that we regard not the word but in the meane season haue oure recourse to carnall succour wher as the word is almightie and as the Centurion doth testifie here it can not deceaue That that he promesse is sure to haue good successe But this fayth is so much the more worthye to be meruayled at bycause the Centurion is an Heathen to whome the promise was not lykewyse made as it was to the Iewes Wherfore he can not challenge that right which was only belonginge to the Iewes as to the people of God For this is the nature of faith that it maketh humble myndes that thinke not prowdly of them selues nor are high minded and therfore they sticke only to the mercie and grace of God And this ought to be consydered of vs in this example and that for a speciall cause that when anye thought of oure owne synnes and vnworthynes shall vexe oure myndes yet that we caste not of all hope but constantlie embrace the word of God and beleue in hope contrarie to hope This is acceptable to God and this he requireth of vs. For without this there coulde be no grace if that we wold not applye oure selues to the promise without merite or any worthynes at all As this Centurion can not alledge as the Iewes that God oweth any thing to hym And this maketh
hym so humble that he dareth not come in CHRISTES sight He humbleth hym selfe with the loweste as the woman of Canaan dyd so that he sendeth other to entreat Christ for hym and yet he hath so certainly persuaded him self as touching the goodnes and humanitie of Christ that he thynketh with all his heart that he shal haue help of Christ. And this is verily a true fayth and true humblenes that oure vnworthynes cause vs somwhat to doubt but yet without desperation so that the bountie and mercie of God maketh vs chereful again For God requireth both Fyrst that we appeare not before hym with confidence in oure selues after the maner of hypocrytes Secondarily that after the maner of hypocrytes we despaire not vtterly in thynges impossible to reason But that accordyng to the Psalme we may fele that GOD is delighted with them that feare him and that trust vpon his mercy But the Iewes dyd not this For they persuaded them selues that God fauoured and dyd them good because he was bounde so to doo For they thoughte proudly and insolently with them selues that they executed the wyll of God and deserued the benefites of God and vnderstode nothyng of his mercie Wherfore Christe pronounceth so greuous a sentence agaynste them saying Many shall come from the east west whiche shall sytte downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdom of heauen But the children of the kyngdome shal be caste out into vtter darkenesse where as wailyng and gnashyng of teeth shal be The cause of all this is vnbelefe that they trust so much in them selues and in the meane season they set nothing by mercy Wherfore as it profiteth them nothynge in that they are the sede of Abraham so shall it nothynge hynder the Gentiles because they are not the children of Abraham if they do but imbrace Christ with a sure trust and aspire to the grace and mercye of God For this is Gods trade to fyl the hungry with good thinges and to send the riche empty away For before him neither the Gentile neither the Iew neither circumcision neither vncircumcision any thyng preuaileth but only the faith in CHRIST that men beynge destitute of their own helpe may flee vnto the mercy of god And so this Gospell teacheth very exactely bothe of Charitie and Faith what is the propertie and nature of Faith how it imbraceth the worde and looketh after the mercy of god with great humilitie Whosoeuer shall order his faith on this wise he shal obteyn his petition as the leapour Centurion did it shal be done vnto hym as he beleued that is as he hath the bounteousnes and mercy of God onely in his heart and coueteth it and putteth his trust therin so will God declare his mercy to hym receiue hym into his fauour and deliuer hym out of all his troubles Now I pray God to instruct vs with the holy ghoste and to stirre vp in oure myndes suche truste in his mercye and by this meanes to bryng vs to euerlastyng lyfe Amen The iiii Sonday after Twelfth day Upon the Gospell Math. viii AND when he entred into a shyppe his disciples folowed hym And behold there arose a greate tempest in the sea in somuch as the shyppe was couered with waues but he was a slepe And his disciples came to him and awoke him saying Master saue vs we perishe And he sayd vnto them Why are ye fearefull O ye of litle sayth Then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea and there folowed a great calme But the men meruailed saying What maner of man is this that both windes and sea obey hym And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesites there mette hym two possessed of deuylles whiche came out of the graues and were out of measure fierce so that no man myghte go by that way And beholde they cried oute sayinge O Iesu thou sonne of God what haue we to doo with thee Arte thou come hither to tourment vs before the tyme And there was a good way of from them a hearde of many swyne feedyng So the deuyls besought hym saying If thou cast vs out suffer vs to go into the hearde of swyne And he saide vnto them Go youre wayes Then went they out and departed into the hearde of swyne And beholde the whole hearde of swine was cried hedlong into the sea and perished in the waters Then they that kept them fledde and went theyr wayes into the Citie and tolde euery thyng and what had happe ned vnto the possessed of deuyls c THE EXPOSITION THE hystorie that is sette foorth vnto vs in this Gospelle is not suche as teacheth vs what is oure duetie in doyng good workes For it toucheth nothynge the tenne commaundementes it teacheth vs not what we ought to doo but that we ought to haue the ayde of Fayth in all peryls and in the most desperate temptations Wherefore the doctrine of it is of the hyghest sorte and belongeth to Faith as touchyng the whiche all men thynke this that they haue it and it hath place moste especially in aduersitie Wherfore that it may be the better perceiued what the matter is we will deuide it after this sorte Fyrste we wyl entreate as touching the crosse and affliction And then as concerning Christ and the faith in Christ for because that onely he beyng our sure ayde delyuereth frome euyll And laste of all we wyll entreate of the fruite and profite which ensueth after deliuerance out of temptation through faythe And all these partes shall shewe how weightie an hystorie the Euangelist setteth foorth in so fewe wordes which ought greatly to be estemed of vs. The fyrst is for that that Iesus with his disciples taketh shyp then ther is no tēpest but al thing calme quiet yea the sea also is pacified without all tossing For the disciples could not be persuaded to take ship shyppe and especially to their perill But as soone as Christ taketh shyp with his Disciples and loose their cable ropes and tacklings they sayle with all hast into the mayne sea there ariseth sodeinly suche a tempeste that the flouds couer the shyppe and put them in ieopardie of drownynge This hystorie ought to be vsed so commonly of vs that it myghte bee vsed for a prouerbe that when we will signifie the troubles of the Churche we myght speake it in a prouerbe after this sort When Christ dooth into the shyppe enter Peace wyll not longe continue there But foorthwith foloweth storme and tempest thou must not loke for bodyly reste And this order of thynges is verye necessarye As Christ saith A strong armed man obteyneth his palaice in peace vntyll a stronger commeth on hym For then all thynges are filled with enmitie and trouble there is no where peace no where quiete All thinges by malicious enuying and horrible spoylyng falle into a flame To the whiche thynge the whole hystorie of the
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
to praye c. But the whole pythe and summe of the matter consisteth in this and so is delyuerance frome synne obteyned that thou knowest that Christ is gone vnto the Father although good workes may not be left vndone For thou arte commanded of God in the tenne commaundementes to doo them and diligentely to exercise thy selfe in all good dedes commaunded of God and prescribed in hys holye woorde But thow mayste not adde thys vnto theym That thou sekest to bee iustified and made ryghteous by theym For by thys is righteousnesse onely to bee goten that CHRIST is gone vnto the Father Thys is the alone waye and none other whereby wee are delyuered frome our synnes and iustifyed Christes iourneye or goyng vnto the Father is none other thynge thenne that hee hathe suffered dyed on the Crosse and by deathe is gone awaye oute of the worlde vnto the Father that is He is ascended into heauen and there sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD the Father and gouerneth his Kyngedome Wee see not thys but we beleue it Thys is the whole matter whereby we are iustifyed so that ryghteousnesse is not to bee imputed to my strengthe or power but to Iesus Christe because hee goeth vnto the Father And yf wee wylle speake it wyth playne woordes it is thus muche to saye No man is iustified or saued or delyuered from synne but by this onely that Iesus Christ hath suffered dyed and risen agayne This goyng of Christ iustifieth thee and none other thyng But nowe marke howe that doothe agree wyth thys doctrine that the Papistes teache He that wyll be saued say they must bryng that to passe with his owne workes In dede this is godly and truely sayd that a Christen man must lyue in this worlde godlye iustly and holyly but that he shall bee made righteous by his holy and good workes that is most false For it is here playne that the goynge of Christe vnto the Father worketh that onely This is the assured certayn true and infallible righteousnes wherof the worlde knoweth nothynge The Holye Ghoste onely reueleth and openeth that mysterie But the Papistes obiecte thys saying of Christe agaynst vs If thou wylte enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes Thys hathe an other maner of meanynge And by this it appearethe euidentely that the Papystes knowe not what it is to keepe the commaundementes For yf they dydde they woulde otherwyse expounde that sentence of CHRIST Therefore this sayenge abydethe sure and certayne that there is none other Ryghteousenesse and Euerlastynge lyfe for vs thenne thys that the Lorde Christe Iesus is gone oute of thys worlde vnto the Father Holde faste thys Doctrine and lette not the deuyll by any meanes plucke it awaye frome thee The deuyll maye feare me and trouble my conscience for of oure owne strengthes wee are not able to preuayle agaynst hym but there is an other way which not I but Christe goeth thoroughe hyghe obedience towarde his heauenly Father Hym that is to saye CHRIST shall the deuyll neuer bee able to make vnryghteous or a synner althoughe thoroughe synne hee hathe the hygher hande of me Therefore lette thys bee oure assured truste and synguler great conforte and stedfastely beleue that by Christes goyng vnto the Father wee haue ryghteousnesse euen Remyssion of oure synnes and Euerlastynge lyfe For Faythe is necessarie to embrace thys woorke of oure Sauiour Christe The goynge and worke of Christ is certayne Christe hath fynyshed all the whole matter soo that nowe there remaynethe nothynge elles but that we embrace thys woorke of Christe wyth a sure and vndoubted Faythe and conforte our selues therewyth Doest thou beleue it So haste thou it Doest thou not beleue it Then haste thou nothyng Thys is doone that we shoulde vtterly caste awaye our owne ryghteousnesse whyche is altogether spotted and vnpure as the Prophete saythe All oure ryghteousnesses are as a polluted and defyled clothe and sette all oure Faythe hope truste and confydence onely vppon CHRIST alone and vppon his worke or goynge vnto hys Father that we may be at all tymes certayne and sure where to reste and of whome to seeke our saluation For yf oure Righteousnesse dydde consyste in our owne woorkes and satisfactions in oure owne confession and contrition as they preached and yet do in the Popes church so should our heartes neuer be quiet neither shold we at any tyme bee certayne and sure of our saluation For whenne shoulde we knowe and be sure that we haue bene sorye ynoughe confessed doone penaunce ynoughe and made satisfaction ynoughe Therefore hathe CHRIST taken all that matter frome vs and layde it vppon hym selfe that wee shoulde leaue to hym alone moste stedfastely beleeuynge that hys goyng vnto the Father hys deathe and satisfaction is oure Ryghteousnesse For in this behalfe there can bee no vncertayntie For the persone is suche euen CHRISTE Iesus the sonne of GOD as in whome no faulte canne be founde And he it is that dothe thys worke whyche was ordeyned of the Father that by hym we myght haue healpe agaynste synne deuyll and deathe In consideration wherof Iohn Baptist calleth him the lambe of God saying Beholde that lambe of God that taketh awaye the synne of the worlde Thys therefore is a moste perfect determination in thys oure Gospelle that ryghteousnesse consisteth not in that we eyther doo or leaue vndoone but in thys that Christe goeth vnto the Father Whyche ryghteousnesse whenne that thou haste ones gotten through Fayth then do thou also good workes and apply thy self to the vttermost of thy power to shew thyâ—e obedience whyche thou owest vnto GOD. For before thou haste embraced Christe wyth a certayne and sure Faythe thou canste doo noo good woorke The Christen ryghteousnesse therefore is a mooste synguler and excellente ryghteousnesse whiche no hearte can thynke no reason or wysedome can conceaue All the matter is to be knowen and learned of the Holye Ghoste Neyther though we heare it can neither though we heare it can it otherwise be perceaued then by faith alone as Christe sayth here I go vnto the father yea shall se me no more That is to say ye must beleue otherwise shal ye neuer coÌ„preheÌ„de this my worke of your iustification This is the Christian righteousnes whiche the holy ghoste alone teacheth Of the righteousnes of the world Philolosophers Lawyers and the expositours of the lawe do teache parentes also in their familie But a Christen mans knowledge is an other maner of science wherof the worlde knoweth nothing namely that without faith all things are sin that the true euerlasting righteousnes consisteth in this only that Christ goeth to the father we se him no more The third part is that the holy ghoste also rebuketh the worlde of iudgement What maner of iudgement this is Christ sheweth on this wise The prince of the world saieth he is iudged Therfore as the
when thou prayest that the name of the heauenlye Father maye be sanctified that his kyngdom may come and that his wyll may be done On the contrary part that the deuyls name may be cursed and abhorred that his kyngdome maye be destroyed and that his wyl with all hys counsayles and deuises may come to naughte and be made vtterly frustrate and voyd When thou doest this then doest thou stande in thyne armoure lyke a good and trewe souldiour in the fielde and valyantly defendeth the Churche of Christe agaynst the deuyll the Pope and the worlde For euery Christen man is a warriour and myghtyly fighteth agaynst the power of darknesse for the defence of Gods people the preachers wyth doctrine all other godly people wyth Prayer yea the preachers and the people oughte together to fyghte agaynste Antichriste wyth Prayer These are the two thynges wherewyth the deuyll the Pope the Turke and the whole power of darkenesse is ouercome I meane preachynge and Prayer And surely the deuyll and hys kyngdome can not otherwyse bee ouercome then by preachyng and Prayer And oure heauenly Fathers wyll is that we shoulde thus fyght and striue agaynst the enemies of his holy congregation And I nothynge doubte but that thoroughe oure prayer the counsayles and deuices of oure ennemies those vnsatiable bloudsuppers and Neolike tyrantes haue bene disappoynted so that they coulde haue no successe If wee wyll haue the churche of Christe to prosper and to flourishe yea and to bee free from the danger of the enemy let vs earnestly and heartily fall vnto feruent prayer Lette vs not esteme prayer as a thyng vile and of no reputation but rather iudge of it as a thing of high price before the maiesty of the lord our GOD. Therfore exercise prayer and by no meanes neglect it although ye thinke your selues very vnmete and vnworthy For yf we shold respect our dignitie and worthynes so should we neuer pray Let vs not cast the burdeyn vpon other mens backes to pray but let euery Christen man pray and thinke thus with himselfe Forasmuche as prayer is so acceptable vnto God and profitable to me to the congregation to the cōmon welth I wyll go vnto the congregation pray with it vnto the vttermoste of my power For I am sure that I shall not spende my tyme in vayne nor lose my labour This is a meruailous dangerous imagination to thynke on this maner Let other praye what shouldest thou prophane person bee occupied in so holy a thyng Yea rather think thou thus with thy selfe I haue Christ and his worde and I had rather loose all that euer I haue in the worlde thenne denye CHRIST Thus then dothe it folowe that the Father loueth me and that he wyll heare my prayer as Christe hathe here promysed Therefore I wylle make no delaye nor ceasse frome prayenge but leauynge vnto thys promyse of Christe Uerily veryly I saye vnto you what so euer ye shall aske the Father in my name that wyll he geue you I wyll goe vnto my heauenlye Father and craue of hym in the name of Christe suche thynges as I haue neede of either for the conseruation of my body or for the saluation of my soule Nowe as touchynge thys that the Lorde Christe sayeth afterwarde These thynges that I haue spoken vnto you by Prouerbes it is not so to bee vnderstanded as thoughe he hadde spoken these obscurely and darkely vtterynge one thynge and meanynge an other For the woordes are very playne euidente and open But for as muche as the Disciples as yet hadde no experience of thys matter neyther dydde they knowe that Christe shoulde haue a Spirituall kyngedome that is to saye rule by hys woorde and Spirite For they looked for a temporall and worldly kyngedome euen as the Iewes do at thys day and not by swoorde and pollaxe it seemed to be vnto them what soeuer he spake as an obscure and darke sayenge and as a matter vttered in a strange tongue whyche they vnderstode not But sayth he the matter shall bee otherwyse For the tyme shall comme that I wyll speake no more wyth you by Prouerbes but I wyll openly and playnely shewe vnto you of my Father For whenne the Holye Ghoste commeth and kyndleth oure heartes wyth trewe Faith in the goodnesse and mercye of GOD thoroughe Christe then foloweth there an heartye good wylle and feruente desyre to praye For without the Holye ghoste it is not possible that any manne can haue a faythefull and couragious mynde for to praye Therefore the holye Prophete Zacharye callethe the Holye Ghoste the Spirite of grace and of prayer For bothe these muste bee ioygned together For Faythe whiche maketh vs to knowe God that he is our mercyfull Father for as muche as he hathe geuen vs hys sonne is the gyfte of God whyche the Holye Ghost worketh in vs by the Gospell Where thys spirite of grace is there foloweth the spirite of prayer also so that we in all our necessities and troubles calle vppon God for healpe with thys certayne persuasion and assured hope that God wyll heare vs and geue vs healthe and Saluation for his sonne Christes sake Therfore saithe Christ In that daye when I shall frankly and freely shewe you of the Father and teach you by the holye Ghoste that ye may knowe the Father truely ye shall aske in my name and your prayer shall not be frustrate nor vayne For howe can the father denye you any thynge seyng that hee loueth you because you haue loued me and beleued that I came out frome GOD Oute of suche a Faythe muste trewe prayer nedes come otherwyse it is no prayer althoughe it bee made with neuer so fyne and pyked woordes GOD oure deare and louynge Father of hys greate mercye and synguler goodnesse moughte vouchesafe for hys Sonne Christes Iesus sake to sende hys holye Spirite into oure heartes that wee in all oure troubles and aduersities maye so praye and so perfourme this seruice to GOD that we in this worlde maye be delyuered from all temporall myseries and in the worlde to come enioye those trewe pleasures and those heauenly ioyes whiche shall neuer haue ende Amen A Sermon for the feast of the Ascension of Christe made vpon the Epistle of that daye Actes i. IN the former treatise deare Theophilus we haue spoken of all that Iesus began to do and teache vntyll the daye in which he was taken vp after that he through the holy ghoste had geuen commaundementes vnto the Apostles whom he had chosen to whom also he shewed him selfe aliue after his passion and that by many tokens appearyng vnto them .xi. dayes and speakyng of the kyngdom of God and gathered them together and commaunded them that they should not depart from Ierusalem but to wayte for the promise of the father wherof sayth he ye haue herd of me For Iohn truly baptised with water but ye shal be baptised with the
euerlastingly neither can synne condemne them Therefore all thinges are now turned cleane contrarie Before we were holden vnder the captiuitie of synne Before we perceaued that the deuill by the reason of oure sinne was a cruell tyrant againste vs. Before we coulde by no meanes escape the moste bytter payne of death Before we looked for yea and that worthely euerlasting damnation and the most cruell tormentes of hell fyre But fromhensforth it shall no more be so For Christe vnto this ende is ascended into heauen that he shoulde holde in bondes as slaues of no power synne death and deuill that they fromhensforth should not exercise their tyranny againste vs as tofore they haue done or if they do attempt any violence against vs it should chaunce for the best on our behalfe Synne ceaseth not to prouoke vs if by any meanes it may enforce vs to do any thing againste the will of God and so to make vs to haue gyltie consciences And our infirmitie is great We do not resiste sin as we ought to do Dauid was a great man an holy yet was he throwne into two most greuous haynous sinnes Nowe that he was deliuered again frō those sinnes that they were forgiuen him The cause was that he beleued on that blessed sede that was promised to come which shold destroye the power of synne and make it his bonde prisoner It therfore can not only not oppresse Dauid but it is the cause also that he prayeth the more feruently and is the more circumspecte in all his doinges for euer after If he had not thus fallen he had neuer made that moste godly and swete psalme Miserere And so likewise is the matter concerning death It can not refraine his violence from vs neither can we any otherwise then tremble for feare at the beholdinge therof But how cōmeth it to passe that death can do none of all those thinges that it entendeth Because death is taken prisoner bounde so that nowe it can not hurt nor kyl euerlastingly the faithful the styng therof being taken awaye by Christ and it selfe being vtterly subdued and ouercome as Christ him selfe saith by the Prophet O death I wil be thy death Therfore whē death sheweth it selfe moste fearce and vttereth the greatest violence that it can yet it doth no more with the true Christians then that it should be the cause for them to flee vnto the worde of God that they maye exercise them selues in it the more diligently and confirme them selues with it which otherwise they wold not haue done if the terrours of death had not bene Euen the same may be spoken concerning the deuil which is a sutle deceiptfull craftie and cruell enemie He at all times lyeth in waight for the Christians if by any meanes he may make their hope frustrat vaine But Christ is Lord ouer him so that he shal not onely not do bring to passe that he entendeth but also the more that Christians are assalted of him the more ware circumspecte doth he make them and prouoke them the more diligently to geue their mindes to prayer to the meditation studie of gods worde to cōmit them selfe wholly to the tuition defence of god euermore calling on him for helpe and succour And where as if they were without this sutle and craftie enemie they wold become careles and negligent because they should stand in no feare of suche an aduersarie nowe they watch now they are circumspecte and take hede that they fall not into his daunger Al these thinges therfore profit the Christians whiche are to other because of their corrupt pernitious nature a very plague pestilence confusion and destruction And this chaunceth to the Christians because Christ is ascended into heauen and hath by that meanes made them his prisoners so that now they can not do against the Christians what they wold but what it pleaseth Christ to suffer or appoint them Synne wold gladly condēne vs death wold very faine kyl vs The deuil is altogether desirous to cast vs hedlōg into euerlasting damnati ōbut they can not do what they wold forasmuch as they are although enemies yet the captiues bond slaues of Christ so that although they be cruel fearce against vs yet can they not hurt against vs. And this is the noble fruit singuler cōmoditie of Christes Ascentiō that our greate enemies synne death deuill whose captiues and bonde slaues we were are nowe imprisoned of Christe and holden in bondage so that by this meanes we are free from their tyranny For for this purpose dyd he go vp into heauen and sytteth on the right hande of God that he might defende the churche against them It foloweth in the psalme Thou hast receaued gyfts for men that is to saye suche gyftes as thou wilt distribute vnto men and thorowe those gyftes helpe cōfort them What maner of gyftes these are God by the Prophet Ioel declareth saying After this will I poure out my spirit vpon all fleshe and your sonnes your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shal se visions yea in those dayes I wil poure out my spirit vpon seruantes maydens I wil shewe wonders in heauen aboue tokens in the earth beneth And in the gospel of Iohn Christ saith thus If I go away I wil send the confortour vnto you And when he shal come he will rebuke the worlde of sin of righteousnes of iudgemēt Peter also saith Sence now that Christ by the right hand of god is exalted and hath receaued now of the father the promes of the holy ghost he hath shed forth this gyfte whiche ye nowe see and heare Now there are two thinges principally whiche the holye ghost worketh Firste he leadeth vs thorowe the Gospel vnto the true knowledge of CHRIST that we maye beleue to haue remission of our synnes in his name Again that we maye bringe forth the worthy fruites of repentaunce resiste synne mortifye it earnestly begin to obeye god And this newnes of lyfe afterwarde taketh place in oure soule bodye heart and in al the partes of vs. For although because of our sinnefull body we can neuer be so free from sinne that we shall be vtterly without synne yet that sinne that remaineth in vs is not imputed to vs nor layde to our charge for Christes sake neyther doth it condemne vs. And this is the firste thynge that the holy ghost worketh in vs. Secondly the holy ghoste also maketh his instruments that thorowe the worde and the preachynge therof other maye be brought vnto the knowledge of this grace In consideration wherof Paule interpreteth this psalme to this ende that thorowe the Ascention of Christ these giftes chaunce vnto vs that he hath made some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some Shepheardes and teachers to
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
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
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
sayth he but they shall be iudged of their own mouth For this gyft was geuē to all the world and they by their vnbelefe and mistrust of Gods word will not receyue it Yet if a man consider well he shall perceaue that Baptisme and also the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ were ordeyned to the intent that euery man should take this gift free franke as his owne And thus muche haue we spoken generally for the vnderstandyng of this sentence whiche can neuer be sufficiently declared and perceaued For it is the principall doctrine by the faith whereof we dye and obteyne saluation in the whiche Christe doothe describe plainely to oure greate conforte that he hym selfe is wholly geuen vnto vs from the father of pure loue whiche loue he as a mercyfull God performeth to the wicked and vnkynde worlde And here it is playnly sette foorth to all menne what a greate tresure we Christians haue We learne here also what God and the worlde is and howe that we bee made partakers of this grace onlye thorough fayth as Christe sayth all that beleue in hym haue euerlasting lyfe For the doctrine of workes whiche after this fayth ought to ensue by the power of the holy Ghoste is to be placed in an other matter What a Christian ought to do as the obedient Sonne of God and as one shewing himselfe kinde and mindeful for so great a gyfte of eternall lyfe and loue of God as touchyng that I say Christe teacheth nothynge in this place Wherefore we will nowe entreate no farther of this matter that we are saued only by the mercie of god and that we obtaine this grace only by fayth with out vertu without merits and without our workes For all the whole matter that is requisite and necessarie to the gertinge of euerlastyng lyfe and remission of our sinnes is altogether and fullie comprehended in the loue and mercie of God thorough Christ. God graunt vs his grace that we maye beleue and trust hereunto surely and that we may abyde and suffer all thynges with a glad and a redie heart and that we may so die that we may be saued for euer Our God graunt vs this thoroughe his sonne and our Lorde Iesu Christe Amen The first Sermon on Trinitie Sonday Of the feaste MAny thinges shold be spoken as touching this feast For first of all the Gospel is very fruitfull and preacheth of great matters And it is necessary also to speake of the cheife article of our religion for as muche as we Christian men onlye and none beside vs do beleue in god the father and in god the sonne and in god the holy ghost This is the principall article in our congregation which was not inuented by man neither came euer to mans mynde But is only opened vnto vs of god by the worde Wherfore euen as God by other feastes thorough the eare is gloriously set forth by his workes which he hath don that by thē his good will and pleasure toward vs might be knowen as the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ is celebrate kept holy at that time whan Christ became man and the resurrection of Christ whan this man that was god raysed himself from the dead and Whitsontyde when the holy ghost came downe in a visible forme began his operation and so forth so that all feastes do declare with what god is as a man woulde say appareled So this present feaste was therfore ordained that it might be knowen as nigh as it is possible out of gods worde what God is in his nature and substance of hymselfe without any maner of visers or shewes And here are all creatures Angels and heauens to be ouerpassed with a highe contemplation and all inferiour thinges to the whiche we are commonly accustomed are also to be set asyde And these thinges only are to be heard whiche God pronounceth of hymself and his proper substance and nature And here doth appeare what is the wisedom of the worlde and the folyshnes of God For whan the worlde heareth that one eternall God is three distincte persons this it can in no case alowe but iudgeth all mad that either teache those thinges or beleue so as they teache Wherefore this article in the new testament in the whiche it is very euidently set forth hath ben sharplye withstanded resisted So that this was the occasiō as witnesseth the histories that Iohn the Euangelist wrot his gospell For by by there sprong vp the hereticke Cherinthus which had learned of Moyses that ther was but one God Whereby he gathered that Christ could be no God as God himselfe could not be man Wherfore he did vse this sylogisme and sophisme of reason and thought that euen as he hymselfe could vnderstande and gather by reason the thynge that it was so in dede in heauē and could none otherwise be But away with this iudge false estemer of things I meane reason Blind reason where as it is not sufficiētly able to knowe it selfe yet wil it not stycke to be so bold as to iudge of god For yet is there none foūde that can know for a suretie what this is that men see with eyes speake laughe with mouth And yet we stāde so highe in our owne conceite that we will speake dispute of God and of his substance yea and that of our owne proper reason without helpe This is a great folishenes I can not parfectly determine what is seing or laughyng and yet I will take vpon me to knowe and geue sentence of that wherof I knowe nothing at al wherof god only ought to pronounce Yet the worlde setteth muche by this folishnes the Turkes the Iewes mocke vs christiās as half mad because we beleue that Christ is god But if this were wisdō who might not pronounce thinke with the Turkes Ther is but one god Christ is not god But when scripture and the word of god is put forth this thinking and pronouncing is nothing worth But we muste speake or at least wise stammer of those things as the scripture doth point vs that is that Christ is very god that the holy ghost is very god yet that ther are not three gods neither three natures or substāces as we nūber three sons three men three angels or three windowes For so is not god distinct in his substance but there is one only substance of god Wherfore although there be three persons god the father god the sonne and god the holy Ghost yet in substance they can not be deuided or discerned For ther is only one god consistyng of one indiuisible substance For so sayth Paule of Christ whiche is the Image of the vnuisible god the first begotten of al creatures for by hym were all thynges made that are in heauen or in earth visible and inuisible whether they be thrones or dominations or principats or potestats
Amen An other Sermon on Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Iohn iii. THere was a man of the Pharyseis named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayde vnto hym Rabbi we knowe that thou arte a teacher come from God for no man coulde do suche miracles as thou doest excepte God were with hym Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto hym Ueryly veryly I saye vnto thee except a man be borne from aboue he can not se the kingdome of God Nichodemus sayde vnto hym Howe can a man bee borne when he is olde Canne he enter into his mothers wombe and be borne agayne Iesus aunswered Ueryly veryly I saye vnto thee excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdom of god That which is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite Marueyle not thou that I sayde to thee ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but thou canst not tell whence it commeth nor whyther he goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nicodemus answered and sayd vnto hym Howe can these thinges be Iesus aunswered and sayd vnto hym Art thou a maister in Israell and knowest not these thynges Ueryly veryly I say vnto thee we speake that we know and testifie that we haue sene and ye receiue not our witnesse If I haue tolde you earthly thinges and ye beleue not howe shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges And no man ascendethe vp to heauen but he that came downe from heauen euen the sonne of man whiche is in heauen And as Moises lyfte vp the serpente in the wyldernes euen so muste the sonne of man be lyfte vp that whosoeuer beleueth in hym peryshe not but haue euerlastyng lyfe An other Sermon on Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Iohn iii. THis is a speciall good gospell in the which is declared what is the true and only way to euerlasting life It appereth that it was apointed to the feast of the Trinitie because it maketh so plaine a distinction difference betwene the persons in setting forth the high work of God that god worketh amōg vs men whē he iustifieth saueth vs. For it is certainly pronoūced as touching the father that he loued the world gaue vnto it his only begotten sonne These ar two distinct persons the father the son ech of them hath his propre worke The father loueth the worlde and geueth his sonne The sonne is become a gift and as Christe saith here the sonne geueth hymself to be lift vpon the Crosse as the serpent was exalted of Moses in the desert that all that beleue in him should not perishe but haue euerlastynge lyfe And to this worke also commeth the thirde person the holye Ghoste which by the water of baptisme doth enkendle faithe in our heart and so regenerate vs vnto the kyngdome of heauen Which doctrine is full of swete confort ought to fyll vs with a great truste in God when we see that all the thre persons al the godhead tendeth to this end to preserue vs against deathe and the deuill and that Iustice euerlasting lyfe and the kyngedome of God myght be prepared and made redy for vs. What cause shold we haue therfore to feare in the presence of God for our syn How can we doubt of his good will toward vs For if he had ben willyng to condemne vs for our synnes as we always feare the father would neuer haue geuen vs his onely begotten sonne the father the sonne would neuer haue called vs to baptisme the lauer of regeneration vnder the gouernaunce of the holy ghost And this only thinge do I notifie here as concerning the testimonies of the Trinitie For as touching this article and the doctrine that thervnto belongeth we haue spoken in our former sermon more plentuously Now therfore wil we entreae in order of this gospel and all the partes therof Christ entreth into a long disputation with Nicodemus the chiefe of the Phariseis among the Iewes and that of a matter that Nicodemus coulde not vnderstande the doctrine therof because it semed strange vnto him for lacke of custome therto and because he was accustomed to an other kynd of doctrine Nicodemus beyng no euyll man declareth bothe by word and dede how highly he estemeth Christ where as he setteth so much by him whom his own companions hate so extremely and commeth vnto hym albeit by night to testifie this openly before Christ that he acknowledgeth the power of God to be in him and doth not condemne him against his conscience as dyd the other Phariseis and Scribes Neither is it to be counted blame worthy in this man that he doth acknowlege Christ for the man of God and thinketh him worthy to be receiued of all men for that that he is sent from god What is the cause then that Christ doth seme to receaue this man after an vngentyll sort which gaue suche an excellent praise as concernynge Christe Uerilye there was a verye deadly error in this man whiche ought not to be ouer passed of Christ least that he should seme to consent to Nicodeme in such a great matter wherof yet he was most blamelesse For as touching the knowlege of god he shewed himself here to be very perfect and certain in this that he pronounceth that he knoweth that Christ was sent from God to be a teacher in that he toke the miracles which Christ dyd for the very workes of God But Christ doth declare by his answere wherein he reproueth Nicodemus opinion as touchyng the kyngdome of God what this knowledge preuayleth Nicodemus therefore thynketh this that he knoweth what is the kyngdome of God bycause he knowethe God and vnderstandeth how al things are wrought and gouerned by hym It were true that if he knewe GOD well he muste nedes knowe hys kyngdome But bycause the firste is false CHRIST rebuketh him in the laste that is that he knoweth not what is the kyngdom of God as he thynketh that he doth Wherfore all the disputation standeth in this poynte what is the kyngdome of God and who dothe see it and know it Nicodemus neuer had other opinion before this tyme but that the kyngdom of God had his description in the lawe that out of it might be vnderstande the holynes and sanctitie of God the whiche ought to be performed and fulfylled of all mē yf they wold liue with God most holy in his kyngdom He neuer thought how the synne can not be takē away by the lawe and that the lawe should be but a testimony to declare to vs our synne that it myght be a begynning of a hygher knowledge as concernynge God and hys kyngdome in vs. For he that is ignorant of the kyngdome of grace is ignorant bothe of God and also of his kyngdome Wherfore we muste
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
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
is very true that we cā not be without tēptacion when it chaunceth to vs as it did to Peter To labour all the night and to take no profite thereby we take it vnpaciently and goe about to lay all aside and depart But we ought to ouercome this temptacion and sticke to our vocation stedfastly and to caste all our care on the Lorde For I haue knowen this often tymes by experience when the obedient children in a familie hath had misfortune and contrariwise the disobedient and stubburne good fortune But at laste the hard case of the good was more commended and the wicked had an euill ende Wherefore if it chaunce likewise to thee that all thinges goe not well be constaunt and strengthen thy self that thou be not ouercome of temptacion For better is misfortune with obedience then good fortune with wickednesse The reason is that GOD at the laste casteth awaie the disobediente with their prosperitie bee it neuer so greate and exalteth the hūble and meke to great renoume This example of Peter is studiously to bee followed in that he hath respecte onely to the worde and followeth that and is nothing moued with these thoughtes whiche surely would greatly haue troubled vs and doubtles thei were in his minde also For we are commaunded aswell as Peter to labour and to serue in our vocation He that taketh holde to his vocation and suffereth not him self to be withdrawen from his purpose although it doeth but slowly prosper and the blessyng is lōg in comming yet must he not doubt of a prosperous ende For GOD can do no otherwise but at length haue respecte to obedience although he differreth it for a tyme and proueth vs whether we regarde his commaundement or not Wherefor no manne ought to be weary if he hath laboured all the night without profite For if Peter had gone about this draught in the night he would haue imputed it to his cunnyng and labour neither would he haue thought any thyng els requisite to suche a successe But whereas he fisheth all nighte and taketh nothyng and Christ first ministreth his woorde biddyng hym there with to assaie againe there hath Peter a sure triall that this good successe came not by fishyng and labour but of Gods worde and blessyng And lette this suffice you as concernyng the firste doctrine whiche is corporall and pertaineth to the bodily liuelode that Christe will be present with all his that laboure by his blessyng and not suffer them to perishe for hunger The second doctrine is spirituall For thus doth it followe in the historie that Peter is astonied by the draught of fishe and cōmeth to the knowledge of Christe that he is not onely man And whereas he acknowledgeth hymself a synner and falleth doune at Christes feete saiyng departe from me Lorde for I am a synner It is a spirituall matter and fewe vnderstande it For it semeth hereby that Peter did it of a certaine religion and that he desired for a reuerence to departe from Christe But the meanyng of it is not so The consciēce is in this case When GOD commeth with his grace and promiseth remission of synne and life euerlastyng frely for Christes sake the grace is so large that all thinges seme to greate for vs neither dare we approch nigh thereto for the greatnesse thereof It is easie to beleue that GOD is good and mercifull but that he imbraceth vs with his greate mercie our heart can not be made to beleue that All men thinke if I wer so pure and rightuous as Marie the virgin sainct Peter sainct Paule I would couple my self also to his grace but I am a sinner I am not worthie of grace but rather of wrothe Then commeth the Deuill and he inlargeth sinne so muche in thy heart that thou maiest see nothing but thy vnworthinesse and thou canst not but wonder and be amased at the greatnes of that exceding grace This is a spirituall temptacion whereof the prophane and rude as wee bee almoste all haue no perceueraunce nor vnderstanding For this is learned by experience onely and no otherwise Wherefore the greatest sort liueth on such wise that thei thinke not muche either of their sinne or of the grace of GOD. But true Christian men doe alwaies tremble and feare that that is to muche that GOD doth on his owne behalf Who am I saie thei O Lorde GOD that thou bryngest me thus farre I am not worthie of so greate mercie of GOD. And herevnto belōgeth that Christ comforteth Peter to be without feare for bicause he goeth not about now to iudge Peters synnes but to deliuer hym from sinne and to sette hym in suche an office that he maie bryng other also to the same grace So that all this comforte maie bee applied if wee should chaunce to haue suche thoughtes and be put in like feare to encourage vs to resiste theim and not to giue place vnto them For Christe came not to driue synners from hym but he came into the yearth for their sakes Wherfore he comforteth Peter against suche thoughtes and biddeth hym not to feare as he saieth also in an other place Feare not little flocke it is my fathers will to giue you the kyngdome In that place Christe talketh also with suche that thinke How canste thou come to heauen and to eternall life Canst thou obtaine to the fellowshippe of Angelles If thou were holier there were no cause why thou shouldest despaire But as thou art now all thy hope is in vaine But Christe answereth otherwise you feare saieth he but dooe not so For it hath pleased my father to giue you the kyngdome and that of his owne free will For whereas you are vnworthie beyng synners this is his mercifull will to giue it you of his grace and mercie wherefore feare not but receiue it ioyfully and with a gladde hearte For if GOD would not giue vs vntill wee were worthie wee should neither haue meate nor drinke But he will not haue respect to our worthinesse merites but to our nede and to his owne goodnes mercy And this is the cause that he giueth vs not onely thynges requisite to the bodie but also euerlasting life with suche temptacion is Peter also here encombred He perceiueth the greate goodnes of Christe and casteth in his mynde howe vnworthie he is thereof and therefore he beginneth to despaire what place saieth he is there for thee with vs Couple thy self with the rightuous I am a synner But Christ comforteth hym and sheweth hymself to be farre vnlike that that Peter thought of him commaundyng hym to bee of good chere and to take heart of grace and that the matter as concernyng the fishe is but little in comparison of that that he will make hym a fisher of men Now thou art a Fisher but I will giue thee an other office to enter into other waters and to take other Fishe that is men that heauen maie haue store of suche fishes
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
altogether pure again that God of his liberalitie and munificence will rewarde them in the lyfe to come as we hearde before out of the gospell of S. Mathewe And Paule saith that the passions or suffringes of the Sainctes shall be rewarded in the lyfe to come Therfore when Christ sayth make you frendes of wicked Mammon that when ye departe or fayle they maye receaue you into euerlastinge tabernacles the sence and meaning of these wordes can be none other but this If we be the Disciples of Christ and do good workes that god will rewarde those good workes in the life to come But what saith Paule good workes can not be don but of fayth And Christ saith that we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe by fayth Thou must conferre these sentences with this present text But howe can these be made to agreee Uerily none otherwise then that thorowe fayth in Christ we haue remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe and that god for this faithes sake doth approue and allowe our Almoses and other good workes and of his owne liberalitie for his promise sake which we do firmely beleue and sticke vnto will abundantly liberally rewarde in the worlde to come So that although it be laborious and painful vnto vs when we do obey god and worke well yet this hope conforteth vs and maketh vs chereful and encourageth vs to go forward in doing good workes forasmuch as we are most certeinly assured that they shal not be vnrewarded at gods hand in the lyfe after this This is the proper true natiue sence or meaning of this sentēce and a good and substanciall answere vnto the question of good workes God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ helpe vs and by his holy spirite stirre vp our heartes that this exhortation vnto good workes the liberall promes ioyned to the same beinge done in fayth maye take good effect in vs and so worke in our mindes that in this worlde we maye plentifully sowe the seede of good workes and in the worlde to come reape the fruites of euerlastinge lyfe thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde and alone Sauiour to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie both now and euer Amen The tenth Sonday after Trinitie sonday ¶ The Gospell Luke xix AND when he was come nere to Ierusalem he beheld the Citie and wept on it saying If thou haddest knowen those thynges whiche belong vnto thy peace euen in this thy day thou wouldeste take heede But nowe are they hyd from thine eyes For the dayes shall come vnto the that thy enymies shall caste a banke about the and compasse the rounde and kepe the in on euerye syde and make the euen with the grounde and thy chyldren whiche are in thee And they shall not leaue in the one stone vpon another because thou knoweste not the tyme of thy visitation And he wente into the Temple and began to cast out them that solde therein and them that boughte sayinge vnto them It is written my house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a denne of thieues And he taught daylye in the Temple THE EXPOSITION THis Gospell ought diligently to be remēbred weighed considered of al Christiās that they also hereby maye learne to feare God For of all the histories that be contayned in the gospell of Luke it is moste terrible fearefull horrible it ought worthely so to moue vs that we might neuer forget it For in this our gospel is mentiō made how great anger vengeance god shewed against the Citie of Ierusalem the inhabitants of the same for their incredulitie and disobediēce And it is a most certein sure doctrine vnto vs that all such as are obstinate secure and carelesse in their sins despysing the iudgement of god shall euen finde at the hand of god the very same anger vengeaunce so that they shal neuer escape it For if the most noble goodly beautifull citie were not spared because hauyng the worde of god it repented not let all men thincke this for a moste certeintie that except they repent in time amend they lykewise shal neuer escape the dreadful displeasure whote vengeance of god Christ himself is marueilously troubled concerning the heauy destruction of so great so noble a Citie wysheth that it wold call it selfe to remembraunce and well consider aforehande the wrath that is to come and addresse it selfe vnto amendement mourne wepe and lament desire god to be merciful vnto it to forgeue it tourne awaye those plagues that it worthely hath deserued And although Christ speaketh here only of Ierusalē yet he willeth that his commination commonition that is to saye that his threatning warning shoulde be vnderstanded to pertayne vnto so many as haue the worde of god and yet heare it without fruite yea despise it that they shoulde not be carelesse nor thincke with themselfes that god wil forgeue them this fault This punishment shall as surely chaunce to all suche as god lyueth Therfore let vs repent in tyme cease from all sinnes but specially from that sinne that despiseth the worde of god or the tyme of visitation and that heare the sermons and yet truly tourne they not vnto godlines but goeth forth in all kynde of wyckednes whatsoeuer is preached and taught to the contrarie For the paine is not therfore taken awaye because it is differred for a time For here is set before vs a terrible example of the most fearce and horrible iudgement of god against a Citie that he most dearly loued and was counted the holiest Citie in the world and against a people which God had chosen as peculiar to himselfe before all other nations vnder heauen This Citie was the house and dwelling place of god and the people therof were his owne familie houshold For next vnto heauen Ierusalem was the holiest place where god and his Angels dwelte where al the seruice of god was appointed to be done where almost all the Patriarches lyued and were buried where also Christ the Sonne of God was walked in the fleshe died and was buried rose again and sent the holy ghost so that this Citie in holynes passed all Cities in the worlde neyther was the lyke euer founde on the earth neither shal be vnto the worldes end And yet for all that all these thinges nothyng at all regarded seing it receaued not the word of god nor obeyed the same god did so seuerely punishe that offence for the honour of his worde that he woulde rather haue that Citie ones tenderly loued extirped and plucked vp by the rootes then he wolde suffer his worde so to to be dishonoured and the glorie therof defaced If God delt thus with his best beloued citie is it to bee thought that he will spare other cities kyngdomes and nations where he hath not dwelt and where the people
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
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
of his subiectes that he leaueth vnto them sufficient wherwith they may defende them selues exercise theyr occupations and norishe bothe themselues and suche as appertayn vnto them When any other great peryll and daunger is at hand there to maynteyn the publike peace and to defende the countrey all thyngs ar to be don of the subiects All that euer they are able to do eyther in body or in goodes they ought to do it at the magistrates commandement But in all other matters the magistrate ought not to forget righteous moderatiō tēperat rule that he oppresse not his subiects with vnrighteous and vnlaufull exactions but be content wyth that whyche is sufficiente and that is all redy appropriated to his office and callyng Otherwyse the Magistrates are vnrighteous and wicked and take away that whiche is not theyr owne and they doo geue GOD a greate cause to bee angrye with theym and surely he wylle reuenge it by one meane or other by seditions conspiracies insurrections inuasions of foreyne ennemies or by some other waye as he saythe by the Psalmographe For the oppression of the poore and for the pitifull complaynte of the nedye I wyll nowe ryse vppe saieth the Lorde Thus muche haue we spoken of this Gospelle GOD geue oure magistrates and vs grace that wee together maye geue that vnto God whyche is due vnto hym agayne that we whyche are subiectes maye geue wyllyngely and gladly that to our rulers whyche is dewe vnto theym and that they therwyth may be content So shall we in this world leade an honeste and godly lyfe wyth all peace and tranquillitie and in the worlde to comme thoroughe Faythe in CHRISTE obteyne euerlastynge Saluation Whyce thyng the Lorde our God graunt vs thorough Iesus Christe hys sonne and our alone sauior To whome wyth God the Father and God the holy Ghoste be all honour glory and prayse both now and euer Amen The .xxiiii Sonday after Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Math. ix WHyle Iesus spake vnto the people he holde there came a certayne ruler and worshippede him saying my daughter is euen nowe diseased but come and laye thy hand vpon her and shee shall lyue And Iesus arose and folowed hym and so dyd his Disciples And behold a woman which was diseased with an issue of bloud twelue yeare came behynde hym and touched the hemme of his vesture For shee said within her selfe If I may touche but euen his vesture onlye I shal be safe But Iesus turned hym aboute and when he sawe her he sayde daughter be of good comforte thy faythe hath made the safe And the woman was made whole euen the same tyme. And when Iesus came into the rulers house and sawe the minstrelles and people makyng a noyse he sayde vnto them Get you hence for the mayde is not dead but slepeth And they laughede hym to scorne But when the people were put forth he went in and toke her by the hand and sayde damosell aryse And the damosell arose And this noyse was a brode in all that lande THE EXPOSITION IN this Gospell are sette foorthe two miracles which ought bothe depelye and diligently to bee consydered and pondred of vs. First of the diseased woman which hadde so stronge faithe in Christ that if she myght but touch his garment only although he knew not of it she doubted not but that she should recouer her healthe The second is of a certain ruler which beleueth also that although his daughter be deade yet that Christ wyll make her alyue agayne And truly Faithe is meruailously sette foorthe in bothe these miracles yea and that for oure sake that we maye know vnderstand of how great vertue myght strength and power the true christen faith is and what excellent and great thinges it worketh agayn that whosoeuer hath thys faith that leadeth vnto Christe he shall neuer lacke healpe and confort at Gods hande but abundantly receaue what soeuer he hath nede of accordyng to this promyse what thynges soeuer ye desyre when ye pray beleue that ye receaue them and ye shall haue them But fyrst of all let vs consyder the exaumple of the woman that was troubled so longe with a greuous and noysom disease Marke the Euangelist saith that she had spent all her substaunce vppon phisitions For she had ben diseased of that sicknes by the space of .xii. yeares and was alwaye worse and worse so that it is meruayle that she continued alyue so long hauyng that disease and yet is she easily restored to her helth doyng nothing els for as much as she had heard that some had recouered theyr healthe onely by touchynge Christes garment but labouryng that she also myght come vnto the touching of his vesture Therefore she enforceth her self asmuch as she can to go throw the gret throng of people vnto Christ. For she is afraid to make intercession vnto Christe for her health so that of very humilitie and lowlines of mynd she cometh behynd as though Christ shold not knowe of it toucheth his garmēt streight wais as she beleued she begā to be better the issue of bloud was staied where as before she had proued all things ye that with great losse of her goodes and yet founde she no ease but dayly worse worse as S. Marke in his Gospell dothe testifie And this also is diligently to be noted that Christe not haue thys miracle of healyng the woman kepte secrete but he demaundeth who touched hym The Apostles also thought that it was a matter almoste worthy to be laughed at that Christ shoulde aske this question who touched hym seyng there was so great a thrōg of people about him on euery side But Christ felt that which they knew not For there was not only the touchyng of handes but also of heart and of a certayn and sure faithe confidence and trust in Christ whiche was the cause that so great power wente out of Christ so that he hym selfe perceyued it And Christ would not haue that touchyng hyd yea and that for our sake By askynge the question who touched him he vrged and as it were enforced the woman to com-foorth and to declare openly al thyngs before so many as were presente what hadde chanced that he myghte haue an occasion to commende thys womans Faith For this is the moste acceptable and hyghest honoure that we can geue vnto Christ euen to beleue in him and to looke for all good thynges at hys hande Therfore he prayseth the womanne and speaketh vnto her moste curteously sayenge Be of good confort daughter Thy Faithe hath made thee whole Go in peace and be whole frome thy disease And here now must the disciples needes confesse that it was not for nothyng that Christ asked who touched hym Agayn that it was no common touchynge but some notable and excellent thynge seynge that Christe so greately cōmendeth the woman calleth her daughter ye also maketh her whole with no small praise of
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
Ihon. x. i. Peter ii A newe life is required oâ— euery true Christian. What mercie is Math. v. Roma xii Math. v. The exceadyng greate mercie of god toward synners This is proued true in our Corne-mongers A goodly similitude God the father is sette forthe to vs for an exaÌ„ple Math. v. Math. v. Roma xii All reuengemente is not forbidden The Magistrate beareth not the swerd in vaine Roma xiii Folishe pitie marreth the citee A good lesson for rulers Gene. 37. To punishe euill doers is a great work of mercie Youth ought to be brought vppe in the knowledge of Gods misteries Synne scapeth not vnpunished for euer Mercie is to bee shewed not onely to frendes but also to foes Christes exhortacion to the christians The loue of the christiaÌ„s differeth gretly from the loue of the Gentiles The heauenly father iudgeth vs not neither ought wee to iudge other Math. xviii Deut. 32. Romo xii How God measureth to vs before faithe Math. xviii Psalm iiii Ephe. iiii Confession of the faulte is necessary vnto the forgiuenes of synnes i. Reg. xiii The similitude of the moate The moate we euer beholde the beame we regarde not Why God coÌ„cealeth our synnes What fruite commeth of the woorde of God Whatsoeuer is dooen in faithe pleaseth God Rom. xiiii All our doynges in Gods woorde Psal. cxix A difference betwene the woorkes of the Christians and Infideles Ephe. vi Exod. xx Psal. cxix Christe helpeth vs after pouertie commeth We muste not cease froÌ„ hope and labour i. Peter v. God giueth all good thinges yet he giueth not the Bull by the hornes Peter obeyeth the word Reason doth alwaies correcte Gods woorde God requireth obedieÌ„ce to his worde We muste not despaire if it succede not The example of Peter Marke well Christe hath mercie on synners Math. ix Luke xii God giueth to the vnworthie of his mercie A Nette for spiritual fish True godlinesse The rightuousnes of the Phariseis What is greatest rightuousnesse The rightuousnes that is required Psal. xxxii Roma iiii Actes xv Wherein the christian purenesse consisteth Math. v. Luke xviii The errour of the Phariseis An exposition of the sixt coÌ„maundement What it is to kille Luke xvi i. Ihon. iii. Fower maner of waies the sixte commaundement is transgressed and brokeÌ„ 1. Hearte 2. Gesture Racha 3. Mouthe â–ª 4. Hande â–ª Math. v. Deut. 27. Gala. 3. What is to be doen concernyng the fulfillyng of the sixt commauÌ„demente The Pharisaicall rightuousnesse The christiaÌ„ righteousnes Confession of our synnes to God is necessarie Praier Faithe The Papistes interprete not this lawe a right Math. v. In dissention there are two parties What the partie ought to doe that hath doen hurte Gene. iiii Leuii xix Math. xxii Marke xii Luke xx Roma xiii Math. vi Eccle. 28. Follow this counsail Math. v. Note well What the partie ought to doe that is hurte â–ª The Iudge is God The Sergeaunte is the Angell The prison is helle Luke vi Superiours maie lawfully punishe ofâ—endours Roma xiii i. Peter ii Psalm iiii Ephe. iiii The kyngdoÌ„ of Christe and of the worlde Titus ii Why this gospell is redde in the church this tyme of the yere The incredulitie of the worlde The coueteousnes of the wicked worldlynges reproued What this miracle teacheth Christes blessyng pertaineth to them that regarde his worde Math. vi Psalm 34. Psalm 37. Math. vi The greate miserie is the lacke of gods worde which is the foode of the soule Priestes giuen to priuat lucre more then to consider their cure A shepe with out a Shepheard Pro. xxix Where the word of God is not taught the people are sone seduced Psalm 34. Eccle. xv Hebr. iiii Marke vi Christe firste regardeth the soule and afterwarde the bodie Math. ix Luke x. The louyng affection of Christe towarde the people The punishment of them that haue not brought their people vnto the true knowledge of christ Why princes are set in aucthoritie Esai xlix and .lx. The highest seruice that we can doe to GOD is to bryng men to the knowlege of his worde Note well â–ª Christ fedeth the body also Mat. ix xv Luke xix The bodie with to much labour is not to be destroid Petturie is not to be feared of a christian Proue x. Psalm 127. How christian meÌ„ ought to behaue theÌ„ selues in euery kynde of fortune Christes blessyng enricheth Couetuousnesse Math. vi Psalm 34 35.37.55.104·145 i. Timo. vi i. Peter v. Against delicate fare Sumptuous fare health of bodie seldome agree Epicures How greate euilles come of excesse in eatyng and drinkyng Eccle. 27. Luke xvi Esai lviii Exod. xvi Nume xi i. Cor. x. Gen. xxviii iii. Reg. xix iii. Re. xvii iii. Re. xvii Daniel i. Dani. xiiii i. Timo. vi Math. vi Luke xi Prou. xxx Luke xxi Roma xiii Math. vi Psalm 34. With the sede of gods word heresi alwaie groweth· Math. xiii Math. x. We ought diligently and aboue al thinges to holde fast the word of God Gala. ii Ioan. epi. ii Sectaries come of the Deuill Newe faugled Gospellers The Cathechisme necessarie to bee knowen of al degrees The woorde of God is a defeÌ„se against the Deuill and all his ministers Ephe. vi Math. iiii Sectaries Schismatikes and Heretikes ii Cor. xi Carnal securitie openeth a waie to the Deuill for to enter into the hartes of meÌ„ Negligence of Princes bryngeth destruction of the common wealthe Note well NegligeÌ„ce of housholders bryngeth destruction of housholdes Disobediente seruantes The disobedience of seruauntes vnto their masters comâ—th of the deuyll Ephe. 6. Coloss. 3. Tit. 2. 1. Pet. 2. The deuyll can not abyde gods ordinances Scismatikes Sectaries Heretykes· All mens doctrine must be tryede by the worde of god Gen. 3. Ephe. 2. Rom. 5. The word of god is a sufficient armour agenste the deuyll and antichriste Gen. 3. Rom. 5. The first rule The nature of wolffes Shepes clothynge is not to be regarded Shepes clothyng what it signifiethe Flattiringe wordes 2. Cor. â—1 Office vocâ—cion title c. Math. 23. Marcke well Holynes of lyfe Anabaptistes Act. 2.4 The errores and heresies of anabaptistes Great giftes The seconde rule The fruites are to be considered The fruite of a true preacher or prophet What the wyll of god is Iohn 6. The fruite of true prophets and teachers Godly lyfe of the teachers Not the lyfe but the doctrine of the preacher is chefelye to be consydered Howe the pope and hys churche are to be tryed The doctrine and lyfe of the pope and hys churche The reward of false prophetes Mammon what it signifieth Why it is called vnryghteous MammoÌ„ Esa. 61. Goods wroÌ„gfully gotten are to be restored Ezech. 6. Note well Christen men ought not to spende their goods vnprofitable Riches ought to be bestowed vpon the poore Coueâ—osnes rulethe generally Behold ye oppressors of the poore Math. 25. Iac. 2. Act. 20. Good works are wytnesses of our faythe Ephe. 5. Couetousnes Gen. 4. Howe the master praised the vnrighteous stâ—eward
families and subiectes maie be brought vnto the true knowledge of the worde feare GOD become rightuous and Godly in their conuersacion and so at the laste obtaine euerlastyng saluacion Therefore this is the highest woorke and the moste principall seruice that we can doe vnto God in this worlde euen to bryng all suche as be committed to our charge vnto the true knowledge of God and of his blessed Gospell For who seeth not how earnestly the Deuill labour partly by sectes and partly by tyrauntes to stoppe the procedinges of the Gospell that no kinde no age maie come vnto the religiō feare of GOD As I maie speake nothyng how laborious and painfull a thyng it is to bryng the people vnto the true knowledge of God Suche seruice to God and suche almose to the peoples soulles doeth Christe here firste of all declare to them that come vnto him that is to saie he first fedeth their hongrie soules with the worde of God And this is truely to sanctifie the Sabboth daie I meane to preache and heare the woorde of God in so muche that thei whiche doe this please God more then if thei should offer to hym greate mountaines of golde We therfore must also followe this example And verely if Princes Parētes Gouernours of housholdes c. would dooe this thei might deserue heauen by this their office that is to saie thei should doe vnto God moste high and acceptable sacrifice for asmuche as thei to the vtteryng of their poore labour and doe their true diligence that the soulles whiche are committed vnto them maie be brought vnto the true knowledge of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ and so be deliuered from the kyngdome of the Deuill and bee made inheritours of euerlastyng glory After this spirituall refection I meane the preachyng of Gods woorde followeth the seconde refection or almose when Christ also taketh care for the bodie For Christ came not into this worlde to destroie either soule or bodie but to saue bothe Therfore the Carthusian or Monke of the Charterhouse went not the right waie to worke whē he thought his greate abstinence and longe praiers hindered the health of his bodie The bodie is subiect to labour that it should not be idle yet must that so be dooen that the bodie loose not his healthe For he that destroieth his bodie as the Monkes many tymes enfebleth thē selues and weaken their strengthes by their loude syngyng long fastyng and tedious praiyng doeth nothing els then murder him self This muste bee auoided as a moste greuous synne as Iesus Sirach prescribeth The fodder the whippe and the burthen belongeth vnto the Asse meate correction and worke vnto the seruaunt But saieth he doe not to muche vnto hym in any wise and without discretion doe nothyng For the body is mortall and therfore it hath nede of meate that it maie be in healthe It is also to be put vnto labour that it waxe not wanton and imagin some euill Moreouer it hath nede of correction and discipline that thereby it maie be prouoked excited and stirred vp vnto labour that it waxe not idle and negligently do the thinges that are to be doen. And yet in all these thynges there must be a measure or meane For the bodie can not alwaies labour It must somtime haue rest And for this cause hath GOD appoincted not onely the daie vnto labour but also the night vnto slepe and reste And the middaie serueth vs to eate For GOD is no murderer as the Deuill is whiche Deuill laboureth to this ende that the Monke maie vtterly kill hym self with the immoderate exercises of fasting watchyng praiyng c. But GOD will none of this He will haue measure to be kept in all thynges Measure is a merie meane as thei vse to saie This is the seconde comfort that we should goe the right waie to worke and aboue all thynges seke after the worde of GOD whiche when we fall euen into the desert and wildernes and therefore are in daunger of famine yet lette vs not despaire nor be dismaied For euē here is the lorde with vs which is moued with our necessitie and also is carefull for vs yea and that muche better then we be able to care for our selues For we with our care can bryng nothyng vnto good effecte But where Christe careth there must nedes be greate plentie of all thynges though there were nothyng els in the worlde then highe penurie and moste miserable lacke as we se here The Apostles also take care But what is their care For sothe this whens shall we gette bread here in the wildernes that we maie fede this people This their care is suche that no goodnesse cometh of it But when Christ ones taketh care of the people and appoincteth with hym self how he will fede them although there be present onely .vii. loues and a fewe little fishes yet through his blessyng thei be made so great and plentifull that thei suffice fower thousande menne yea and there remain of their fragmentes seuē baskettes full Women and children are not nombred whereof it is to be thought that there was also a greate nomber Now tell me if any man were certain and sure that he should go as farre and dooe asmuche with one pece of golde as a riche manne should doe with many thousādes would not he wishe that his one pece of golde cast a side all care and be as mery and as frolike as the riche man with all his thousandes And if the riche man should boaste auaunce hym self bicause of his riches would not the poore man mocke hym and saie Thou hast no cause to be proude for all thy riches For although thou hast muche yea more then I yet art thou in no better case then I am For my one pece of gold is as muche to me as all thy heape of golde is to thee Neither can thy so many thousandes any lenger indure then this my one pece of golde Therefore I am in as good state with my little as thou with all that thou hast c. But how come this to passe when we be christians or at the least will so be coumpted that we dooe not in all poinctes so behaue our selues that neither in wealthe and plētie we waxe proude nor yet in penurie and scarsenes we faint are dismaied or despaire For if we earnestly and diligently seke the worde of GOD there shall bee no perill of scarsenes Christ will be carefull for vs neither shall we want any good thyng at all For this is nothyng to the purpose whither wee haue muche or little This is altogether that Christe maye blesse that we haue When he putteth his blessyng vnto that little thou hast then shalt thou not onely not lacke any thyng ▪ but also for that blessynges sake thou shalt haue more remainyng then thou haddest at the beginnyng If we would truely and earnestly beleue this doctrine we should
not onely be without carefulnes but we should also represse couetuousnes whiche maketh vs almoste as persones besides our selues or out of our wittes For suche wickednesse ruleth and reigneth in the heartes of coueteous people that the more thei haue the more the couite Yea the couetuous man dooeth as well lacke that he hath as that he hath not and for the moste parte couetuousnes doeth so blinde his eyes that he falleth into al kinde of mischief fearyng neither GOD nor manne But he that would consider this miracle a right should be of an other minde I meane he would neither because of plentie bee to bolde or trust to muche nor yet for his penurie despaire or be vtterly dismaied For this he knoweth that he whiche hath Christe hath suche a dispensatour and stewarde as is able to make muche of a little And again contrariwise that where Christe is absent with his blessyng all thinges out of hāde must nedes come to naught be thei neuer so great and plentuous Paraduenture these seuen loaues and a fewe fishes were for Christe and his disciples For seyng this was Christes maner oftētimes to go into desert solitarie places to praie and to fight against Satan it is to be thought that the disciples prepared victuall for their purpose Therefore so sone as Christe taketh the breade into his handes it is straight waies increased as it maie bee perceiued so that although he distributeth thereof yet remaineth there in his handes still more and more This arte and connyng Christ knoweth and gladly exerciseth the same for their sake whiche loue and embrace his worde and yet not before that the lacke be perceiued and felt Therefore he that desireth to haue this blessyng let hym not bee greued though he suffer penurie for a little tyme. Embrace thou the worde constantly and liue accordyng to thy vocation For this doeth Christe require of thee and as for all other care caste it vpon him and he shall nourishe thee For no man hath euer either heard or seen that a Christian man hath perished and died for honger Thei haue been afflicted and caste into prison but after thei haue receiued the fatte almoste of the worde of GOD thei haue founde other meate sufficient neither haue thei lacked any good thing Neither ought this to moue a christian man any thing at all that he hath not suche and so great deinties as the riche worldlynges haue For Christ did not ouer deintely fede his geastes Bread and fishe was their meate water was their drinke He setteth not before thē many dishes and varietie of precious and pleasaunt wines as the maner is of rich men and of men of power that haue plētie and superfluitie of al worldly thinges He willeth that meane meat and drinke shuld be our fare while we are in this world that therwith we ought to be content For what requirest thou more then that thou maiest represse and slake honger and preserue thy health Be therfore content herewith If other fare more daintely thei haue the more cause to thāke God for it and to take heede that thei doe not abuse that their abundaunce and large blessyng of GOD nor make it an occasion of wickednes For experiēce teacheth that deintie fare can not agree with all men and that good health and delicious foode haue seldome concorde betwene them so that bread salte and water with prosperous welfare and good health is more to be wished then al the deinties of the worlde with sickenesses diseases and tormētes of the bodie As we haue examples by diuers riche menne whiche rather followe their beastly pleasures then their naturall appetite of feedyng But thei receiue a reward with their foolishenes For where as if thei would liue soberly temperatly and accordyng to the desire of Nature thei should bothe haue their health the better and also be the more able in good and semely order to doe suche thynges as belong vnto their vocation and callyng and so please both GOD and man Now oppressyng nature by their to muche ingurgilatiō and excesse by their surfettyng and dronkennes thei doe not onely make thē selues vnapt vnto the seruice of GOD of their neighbour and of them selues but also thei fill and infect their myndes and bodies with many synnes and diseases yea and haste death vnto theim selues before the naturall tyme as the wiseman saieth Excesse of meates bryngeth sickenesse and glotonie cometh at the laste to an vnmeasurable hate Thorowe surfette haue many one perished but he that dieteth hymself temperatly prolongeth his life Moreouer through this their to moche delicate fare and varietie of dishes the poore people are defrauded of their porcion For the more that the rich glotons spende thus wastfully vpon theim selues the lesse haue thei to bestowe vpon the poore yea thei are moned nothyng at all with pitie and compassion toward the nedie people as we maie see by that voluptuous Epicure in the Gospell of Luke whiche faryng deintely euery daie hymself disdained to geue vnto poore and beggerly Lazarus so muche as of the cromes that fell from his table so farre was it of that he shewed any obediēce to this commaundement of GOD Breake thy bread to the hongrie As for the nedie and waifaring men leade them into thy house And when thou seest a naked man clothe hym and despise not thyne owne flesh But these cormorantlike Epicures little regarde this and suche like commaundementes of GOD. Therefore in makyng prouision for their owne bellies thei spare no coste but vnto the maintainaūce of the poore all that euer thei geue is not worthe God a mercie We ought therefore to haue a speciall regard to this simple fare whiche is here setforthe and greatly garnished with the moste comfortable blessyng of GOD and therewith to be content seyng as the Philosopher saieth we liue not to eate but we eate to liue And nature is content with a little When GOD gaue to his people Manna in the wildernesse daiely for their foode suche as were thākfull and Godlie minded receiued it not onely as a moste goodly noble meate but thei also thought it to be sufficient for their corporall necessitie neither required thei any other kinde of meate or varietie of dishes But the delicate belligoddes it could by no meanes suffice whiche desired rather to retourne into Egipt and to sitte there emong the greasie fleshe pottes But what the reward of thē was the holie scriptures doe manifestly declare The Patriarche Iacob departyng frō his countrie when he praied vnto GOD asked no more of hym but foode and raiment GOD gaue to Helias the Prophet by his Angell a loafe of broiled bread and a vessell of water At an other tyme he fedde hym by a Rauen twise a daie with bread fleshe and willed hym to drinke the water of the Brooke Cherith Here is no varietie of dishes nor delicate wines Daniel