Wherfore Remyssion of synnes is the woorke of GOD although God woorketh it by man Thus then must Remission of synnes be required in the worde which is put in mans mouthe and in the Sacramentes whiche are ministred by men and no where els For it can be found no where ells Who can not vnderstande this that my woorkes are farre otherwyse whyche I doo than the worde and woorkes of God What madnesse thenne moueth the Papists to attribute the Remission of their synnes to theyr workes Wherefore whenne they in the laste daye shall comme foorth with their workes CHRIST shall aske theym and saye Where is my worde then I ordeyned in my Congregation Baptisme the Sacramente of my body and bloode absolution the open preachyng of my word that men myght by them obteyne remission of their synnes and be partakers of my grace Why haue not ye vsed this way and trade Here might ye haue had a sure way of remission of synnes but in your workes there is no certayntie Wherfore you must marke this doctrine diligētly what is proprely the remission of sin how we may be assured therof wherof we muste aske it receyue it Uerily in this ye must haue respect only vnto the holy church wher the word sacraments are ther is it found not in heauen as the Phariseis thynk supposyng that Christ blasphemeth God because he remitteth syn But beware thou of that and say God hath bestowed remission of synne in Baptisme and in the worde yea he hath put it in euery Christian mannes mouthe when he conforteth thee and sheweth to the the grace of God that thou mayste receaue and beleue it no otherwyse then yf Christ hym selfe had pronounced it by hys owne mouthe as he pronouncethe to the man that was sycke of the palseye Wherefore these heretikes are greately deceaued where as they sunder the woorde frome Remission of synne Thys myght be doone yf it were the woorde of man but it is Gods worde and Gods water He that goeth about to take that frome man and to defraude hym of it takethe awaye frome manne also remission of synnes neyther is there any remedye agaynste it Wherefore the Anabaptistes and other heretikes do loose also the Remyssion of synnes Baptisme the Sacramente the holye Congregation and all christian woorkes because they caste awaye the worde that they heare of theyr mynister and care no more for it then yf it were the voyce of a beast God spake ones by an asse and yf he should yet speake by an oxe or by any other beast he ought to be hearde Why should it not preuayle than when men speake by the commandement of God For althoughe thou doest heare the voyce of a manne yet doste thou heare God and receauest for a suretie Remission of thy synnes frome GOD if thou embrace it onely with Faithe I thought it good to make mention of this matter in thys place that ye myght make stronge your selues agaynste sectes and that ye myghte bee prepared agaynst theyr assaultes For as I said in the Popedom they knewe nothyng lesse then this doctrine For this they thynk in the popedome that baptisme came to an ende nowe longe agone But if they haue nede of remission of synne then that contrition confession and satisfaction are requisite For thus dydde they describe penaunce But thys diuinitie is suche that the dyuell canne well awaye therewith For it hurteth not hys kyngedome This is trewe that contrition is requisite and that we must be sorie for our synnes but we obteyne not remission of synne thereby For Remission of synnes commeth onely hereby yf that I haue respecte to the worde and promyse of God and embrace that with a stronge faithe But they inuert this and turne it vp syde downe They omytte the worde they regarde not what the Minister pronounceth by the commandement of Iesu CHRIST they haue respecte onely to theyr contrition and penaunce But by this meanes they lese bothe Christe and all his benefyttes Neyther is it possyble that they shoulde conforte or solace as much as one troubled conscience For they lette passe the woorde in the whiche onelye remayneth all hope of saluation and bryngeth menne to contrition and rightuousnesse But lerne you this as concernyng Remission of synnes to conforte both youre selues and other also For as muche as God in Baptisme in absolution in the open preaching of his word in the sacrament doth talke with vs by his minister and by al other christians to this must credence be geuen and then for a suretie we obteyn remission of our synnes whiche remission in the Popedome was dead and buried For as touchynge it there is not a woorde mentioned in all the Popes bulles onely they make rehersall ▪ of contrition and referre the remission of synnes vnto it And thus haue we remit synne Now let vs briefly touche the hystorie The sycke of the palsey is an example of all synners For this is the propretie of this disease The members can not do their offices and when a man goeth aboute to drawe his fete or his handes to hym the farther they falle frome hym Wherefore Aristotle in his Ethikes compareth suche a man to wylde and fierce youthe whyche can by no meanes be tamed But he that wyll wel vnderstande this disease muste take it to be spoken of hypocrites that wyll be iustified by theyr woorkes For the more that these labour to drawe nyghe vnto God and to pacifie hym the farther they ar cast from him And when they thynke that they do hym moste pleasure they displease hym most For they haue no Faythe He therfore that coueteth to be ridde of this euyll let hym come to this man which deliuereth on this wise when he saith My sonne be of good comfort thy synnes ar forgeuen thee By such a worde is strengthe restored to the membres that they maye healpe one an other For where as is remission of synnes there shall ensue very true good workes for sinne is taken away This was Christes especial meaning with the sick of the palsey He laye downe sicke in his bed for his disease woulde suffer hym to do no otherwise he was as a killed hog and vnprofitable in all his mēbers But when Christ biddeth him to rise he riseth and is strong and lustie where as he was wont to be caried from home now he beareth home his owne couche This wold Christ that we herof shold take and behold an example and signe of that that he hath power in earth to forgeue synne He speaketh playnely in the earth that we shold not loke for it from heauen or as the Pope taught to hope for remission of syns in purgatorie by other mens workes and merites For so it is in this place that remission of synnes is a power which is geuen to men in earth at Baptisme at ministryng of the sacramente in absolution and in open preachyng Contrarywise whatsoeuer is bound that is
Wherfore if the eie be single all the body shal be full of lyght But and if thyne eye be wicked all thy body shal be full of darknes Wherfore if the lyght that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknesse It becommeth not them that professe them selues to be guides of the blynde lyghtes of them which are in darknesse informers of them whiche lacke discretion teachers of the vnlearned c. to be ignorant and vnlearned voyde of the knowledge of Gods mysteries and vtterly estraunged frome the true and perfect vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures All suche the worde of God calleth blynde guydes dumbe dogges not able to barke horses and moyles that haue no vnderstandynge euyll woorkemenne whyte daubed walles greuous and rauenynge wolues hyrelynges theues robbers murtherers foolyshe shepeheardes Idolls c. Sainct Hierome saieth It is the office of Priestes whenne they be demanded of the lawe to answere If he be a priest let hym knowe the lawe of the Lorde If he know not the lawe of the Lorde he declareth euidently that he is no priest For it pertaineth vnto the Lordes priest to know the lawe and when he is asked to make answere of the lawe Agayne he saythe If after the mynde of the Apostle Paule Christ be the power of God and the wysedome of God it foloweth well that he that knoweth not the Scriptures knoweth not the power of God and the wysedom of hym For the ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christe Leo the byshoppe saythe If ignorance seemeth intollerable euen in laye men howe muche more is it worthye neyther of excuse nor of forgeuenes in them that beare rule In Concilio Toletano wee reade on this manner Ignoraunce the mother of all errours is moste of all to be eschewed in the Priestes of GOD whyche haue taken vppon theym the office of teachyng amonge the people of god Priestes are warned to reade the holye Scriptures as Paule the Apostle sayeth vnto Timothe Geue attendance vnto redynge and exhortation and to learnynge and continue alwayes in these Lette priestes therfore knowe the holy scriptures and Canons and lette all theyr worke busynesse and trauayle consyste in preachyng and doctrine And let theym edifye all men so well with the knowledge of Faith as with the good information of workes Thus see you dere brethren that it is required of you not onely that ye shold be faithfull but also wyse seruantes which wysedome ye can by no meanes obtayne excepte ye gett vnto you the knowledge of the holy Scriptures which alone make the man of God wyse as the Psalmograph saith The vndefiled lawe of the Lord turneth soules the faithfull wytnes of the Lorde geueth wysedom vnto Babes Litle can fidelitie profite where this wysedome wanteth Thyrdly it is required of you that ye geue meate to the Lordes household in due tyme or in season Thys houshold of the Lord is the congregation of God whom the Lord Christe hathe purchased and reedemed by his precious bloudde Thys householde thys Congregation thys fellowshyppe thys companye of the Lordes seruauntes muste ye feede To them muste ye geue meate This meate is the woorde of God that is to say the lawe and the Gospell With this â—ode is the Christen mans soule fedde as Christ saieth Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery woorde that commeth out of the mouthe of God This meate is ministred vnto them by preachynge the lawe and the Gospell the lawe to this ende that they may learne to know them selues and the heauy wrathe of God agaynste synne the Gospell that they maye by the preachyng thereof receaue consolation and confort ioye and peace agaynst the accusation curse and condemnation of the lawe against the terroures of Gods iudgement agaynst the assaultes of Sathan c. and so through faith in Christ be at peace with God And this is it that the Lorde Christe speaketh in the Gospel Euery Scribe which is taught vnto the kyngdome of heauen is lyke vnto a man that is an housholder whiche bryngeth foorth out of his treasure thynges newe and olde After his resurrection he also sayde to hys disciples Thus is it written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer and to ryse agayne from death the thyrde day and that repentance and remission of synnes should be preached in his name amonge all nations And this trade of teachynge vsed CHRIST and his Apostles and all other godly preachers as wee maye euidently see bothe in the diuine and ecclesiasticall wryters and so frome tyme to tyme they fedde the Lordes householde not wyth the leauen of the Pharyseys but with the sweete breade of purenesse and truthe And here see ye that ye are appoynted offycers in the Lordes house vnto thys ende not that ye shoulde be loyterynge lubbers marchantlyke Mammonistes gredye gathergoodes Ethnyke Epicures voluptuous worldlynges dumbe dogges vnpreachyng prelates ydell Idols c. but that ye should geue them meate in due tyme that is preache the lawe and the Gospell and so fede them not with the fleshe pottes of Egypte but wyth Manna that celestiall foode that came downe frome heauen The office of preachyng therfore is committed vnto you Looke well vnto it and take heede that ye defraude not the Lordes familie of theyr foode and sustenance euer settynge before your eyes this saying of the wyse man when the word of God is not preached the people peryshe It is not the quarter sermon preachyng that ought to suffise the Lordes householde The worde of God oughte continually to be ministred and sette before the Lordes familie as God hym selfe saieth by the Prophet Cry cease not lyft vp thy voyce as a trompe and shew vnto the people their wickednesses and to the house of Iacob theyr synnes Agayn I haue sette watchemen vppon thy walles O Hierusalem whyche shall neyther ceasse daye nor nyght to preache The godly inspired Apostle sainct Paule saithe wrytyng vnto Byshop Timothe Preach thou the worde be feruent in season and out of season Improue rebuke exhort with all long sufferyng and doctrine For the tyme wyl come when they shall not suffer wholsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares itche gette them an heape of teachers and shall withdrawe theyr eares from the trueth and shall be turned vnto fables But watche thou in all thynges suffer afflictions do the worke throughly of an Euangeliste fulfyll thyne office to the vttermoste Blessed Luke in his Chronicle of the Apostles actes wytnesseth that Sainct Paule sendyng for the Elders of Gods congregation at Ephesus to come to Mileton vnto hym among other spake these woordes vnto them I take you to recorde this daye that I am pure from the bloode of all menne For I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsayle of God Take hede therefore vnto your selues and
aduanced by God yet be they soone broughte downe agayne Wherefore when the Angels Cain Ismaell Esau Elias and the Iewes waxed proude and applyed theyr preeminence and priuiledge geuen vnto them to knowledge Gods goodnes thereby fyrste to their own priuate pleasure and commoditie and then to the oppressyng of other they were reprobate cast out of Gods fauor notwithstaÌ„dyng their fyrst birth-right and outlawed out of Gods kyngdom into the kyngdome of the deuyll And this practise of God is described in the Psalme 103. Who is lyke vnto the Lorde oure God that hath his dwellyng on high and yet humbleth hymselfe to behold thynges in heauen earth He raiseth the symple out of the durst and lifteth the poore out of the myre And the virgin Mary in her songe He hath put down the myghty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meke This is Gods maner He wholly resysteth the proude neyther doth hee enryche and beautifie menne with his gyftes that they therby shoulde become extorcioners and oppressours And lest he should seme to be ouercome of the proude he aduanceth nowe and then â–ª most basest persons to high honor and contrarywise throweth down kyngs from their thrones and bryngeth them hedlong to extreme calamitie whereout they can neuer escape Wherfore among the Iewes the fyrst borne hadde great priuileges in the priesthode and kyngdome was due to them by gods ordinaÌ„ce But when they proudly abused this honor God dyd not alwais ratifie this lawe Ruben also was the firste begotten but he is so cursed of his father Iacob that he obteined by his birthright neither kyngdome nor priesthode Abraham also as men thynke was the youngest amonge his brethreÌ„ But GOD bestowed on hym that was due to his brother And this may ye learne by many examples that the first borne dyd for the most part degenerate And there was no other cause of this then pride whiche thought this I am the first begotten wherfore my priuiledge is chiefe in this house I am Gods holy one and his peculiar good Wherefore lette no manne be proude yf he excelle in any gyfte of God more then other If thou be endewed wyth the gyfte of learnyng vse that gyfte to Goddes glorye and to the profyte of thy neyghbour Boast not thy selfe so muche thereof as though thou receauedst it â—â—t They that passe other in holynesse beautie rychesse or any other gyfte Lette hym beware of thys as muche as hee woulde of death that he chalenge not those thyngs as his own and so cast hym selfe out of Gods kyngdome by commyttynge sacrilege For GOD in the fyrst moste excellent and auncient Patriarkes hath declared howe greately he was offended with pryde and statelynesse where as they all for the most part degendred Iohn the Baptist continued accordyng to his fyrste birthright and almost none els But all other for the most part were of suche intollerable arrogance that they obteyned not this chiefe commoditie of thys renoume vntyll at laste the Iewes by theyr fall and ruyne gaue vp their ryghte to vs Gentiles For nowe the byrthryghte of the churche before God consisteth not in ciuill and corporal matters as the Pope boasteth countyng himselfe chiefe Bishoppe wheras he is scarsly a dreame But the priuiledge of the Churche is in baptisme in the worde of GOD. For although our bodelye and corporall birth maketh greate diuersitie in vs yet by baptisme we are all equall For we are all borne out of the churche whiche is an vndefiled virgin in spirit For it hath the pure worde of God his SacrameÌ„ts And the church is pregnant and great with child and alwaies bringeth forth Christians which are the first frutes proper goods of God And one man no more than an other God will haue vs acknowlege our honour and renoum in this that we through baptisme are borne the sonnes of God and his proper goodes He did not so by all nations he shewed not the iudgements of his mercie and grace to them whether they be Turkes or sarasens For they regard not these priuileges of the first begotten Neither will they hear or see these thinges that make vs first borne before God And for as muche as we obtaine this honour from God and his grace all Christians a like we ought not by our fault so to behaue our selues that the thinges that are geuen to our coÌ„fort against the wicked shold through pride be our destructioÌ„ It is the greatest renoum of Christs churche For she as a mother by baptisme the worde and faith bringeth forth Christians the meÌ„bers of the church Wherfore in all those things if christiaÌ„ men will haue respect to their birth condicion they shal haue no occasioÌ„ to be proude For whatsoeuer they be it coÌ„meth of the grace of God by baptisme faith the worde which are equallie belongyng to all Christian men makyng no man more Christian then an other before God through his mercie All before God are priests and kynges And of this renoum can neither Turke nor Sarasyn boast Yet is not this renoum graunted to our ambition to corrupte seduce as the Pope doth that vsurpeth the supremacie ouer all christendome without the commandement of God by the instinkte of the deuil only For this is a continual and vnchangeable rule among the ChristiaÌ„s as it is taught in the parable of the hired laborers that no man in dignitie and worthines prefer hymselfe before other For there is but one baptisme of all And wher as there must nedes be teachers and pastours yet these be but ministrations and offices that haue no power to make the children of God For baptisme and the worde and fayth in the worde causeth vs to be the children of God and the first borne Wherfore it is well set foorth in the churche for a doctrine that the example of the firste borne in the olde Testament and their pride shoulde teache vs that GOD can not suffer pride And he that wolde be safe from this daunger must nedes humble and submitte hymselfe But this tale were as well tolde to a deafe man as to the worlde For it abuseth the most folishe and vaine thynges that be to pride And for as muche as the worlde will in no wise folowe better councell GOD ceaseth not to withstand the stubborne and proude They are by daylye examples caste downe euen as Lucifer and his angels were out of heauen And this is one part of this gospell as muche as belongeth to the historie and the presentynge in the churche After this doth the Euangeliste reherse what chaunced when they presented Iesus as theyr firste begotten sonne in the Temple and redemed hym wyth a gyfte We wyll take that in hande at an other time to entreate of And nowe let vs pray vnto GOD that he will preserue vs by his grace againste all pride and kepe vs in obedience and lowlines to his most godly wyll Amen
vtterly put away the inward curse cōdemnatiō of the law so that for euer after it cā no more bynd vs nor hurte so many as beleue in Christ. For although outwardly wee are cursed euill spoken of despised and condemned as it chaunced vnto Christe and muste nedes so likewise cōme to passe with vs for we must be made cōformable and like vnto Christ in bearing the crosse yet inwardly we are free and blessed and the curse of the lawe can not preuaile againste vs neither can the lawe it selfe any more accuse vs and condemne vs. For if God thorowe Christ be with vs who can be againste vs So lykewise reade we in sainct Paules epistle to the Galathians when the fulnes of tyme was comme God sent his sonne made of a woman made subiect to the lawe that he might deliuer them that were bounde to the lawe Christe for our sake fel into the lawe that is to saye into the payne of the lawe that we might be deliuered from the same and obtaine that portion of enheritaunce whiche is due to the sonnes of God Wherof the prophete Esaye also sayeth ye are frely bought ye shall frely bedeliuered S. Peter also sayth we are deliuered by the precious blood of Christ that innocent lambe of God The second fruit profit of the passion of Christ is that by it we are made free from sinne and it is in a maner all one with the first For when we be free frō the lawe then are we also free from sinne not that we synne not or can not offend but that synne is no more imputed vnto vs nor brought in againste vs by the law Therfore saith blessed S Iohn in his epistle The blood of Christ maketh vs cleane from all synne And Paule in his epistle to the Hebrues sayth that the blood of Christ purgeth our conscience from deade workes to serue the lyuing God Again to the Corinthians he sayeth God made hym that knewe no sin synne for our sake that in him we might be made that righteousnes whiche is alowed before God Christe for our sake was made sinne that is to say a sacrifice and oblation for synne by this meanes hath he recōciled vs vnto god and made vs before god of vnrighteous righteous of sinneful wicked perfect good Now forasmuch as we be free from the curse of the lawe and from sinne it foloweth that we also are free and safe from death deuil and hel whiche is the thirde fruite and profit of Christes passion For seing death is the stipend and rewarde of synne as the Apostle sayeth and synne is abrogated and taken awaye from vs by the passion and death of Christe it foloweth that death is also taken awaye so that it hath no power againste vs. Therfore doth Christe threaten death by the Prophete and sayeth O death I will be thy death For seinge that Christe was the true lyfe he could not be ouercome of death but he being the noble cōquerour valiant victoure of death toke awaye the stynge from death and flewe hell as Christe him selfe saith by the aforesaid Prophet I wil deliuer them from hel from death wil I make them safe So was Satan also cast out as Christe sayth in the gospel of Iohn so that he can not execute against vs the paine of hell death And al this is comme to passe because Christ hath fulfilled the law for vs and purged our sinnes by the sprinklyng of his blood The fourth fruite profite of the passiō of Christ is that we are not only deliuered from the law sin death hel deuil but we are also thorow the merites of christs passiō receaued into the grace and fauour of god For he hath satisfyed the father for vs and hath reconciled vs vnto him as Paule testifieth sayinge when we were yet enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne Again God hath reconciled vs vnto hym by Iesus Christ. ones again God the father hath deliuered vs from the power of darcknes and hath translated vs into the kyngdome of his welbeloued sonne Yea we are not only by the death of Christe reconciled and set at one with God the Father but also wyth all the Angels and heauenly spirites For when the father thorowe his sonne fauoreth vs and is mercifull vnto vs then do al creatures the same thorowe him and be at concorde and perfecte agrement with vs as S. Paule saith It pleased the father that all fulnes shoulde dwell in hym and by him to reconcile all thynges vnto hymselfe pacifying by the blood of his crosse things both in heauen and in earth And ye which some time were farre of and enemies in your minde thorow euil workes hath he nowe reconciled in the body of his fleshe by death that he shoulde make you holy blameles and without fault in his sight And in many other places it is declared how we are reconciled set at one with the father and made heires of the kingdome of heauen thorowe Christe The fyfte fruit and profite of the passion of Christe is the newe testament whiche he promiseth vnto vs and bequethe vnto vs remission of synnes sealed and confirmed with the death and blood of Christe as it is written He is the mediatour of the new Testament that thorow death whiche chaunced for the redemption of those transgressions that were in the firste Testament they whiche were called mighte receaue the promesse of eternall inheritaunce For whersoeuer a testament is there muste also be the death of him that maketh the testament For the testament taketh authoritie when men are dead for it is of no value as long as he that made it is a liue Of these wordes it euidently appeareth that the newe testament wherin we haue remission of sinnes is sealed and ratifyed by the death of Christ. Therfore doth Christ cal the cuppe the cuppe of the newe Testament in his bloud which is shedde for remission of sinnes Last of all Christ with his death and passion hath goten vnto vs this fruite and profit that our crosse suffrance pleaseth GOD that after this it should no more be a cursyng or payne but an holy blessynge and mortifying of our olde Adam and wicked fleshe And by this meanes our tribulation persecution and death is an holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto god And all this comme to passe thorow the merite of Christ and his death as Paule sayth to the Romains Those whiche he knewe before he also ordeined before that they shoulde be lyke fashioned vnto the shape of his Sonne that he might be the firste begotten sonne among many brethren As the sacrifice of Christ and his death was a pure and acceptable sacrifice to god so likewise the death of al the Christians shal be an holy sacrifice to god not
holy ghoste after these fewe dayes When they therefore were come together they asked of hym sayinge Lorde wylt thou at this tyme restore agayne the kyngdome of Israell And he sayd vnto them It is not for you to know the tymes or the seasons whiche the father hathe put in his owne power But ye shal receyue power after the holy ghost is come vpon you And ye shal be witnesses vnto me not on lye in Ierusalem but also in all Iewrye and in Samaria and euen vnto the worldes ende And when he had spoken these thinges whyle they behelde he was taken vp on hye and a cloude receyued hym vp out of their syght And whyle they loked stedfastly vp towarde heauen as he went behold two men stode by them in whyte aparell which also sayde Ye men of Galile why stande ye gasynge vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene hym goe into heauen THE EXPOSITION THis daye is celebrated and kepte holy the feast of the Ascention of Christe that we maye the better be instructed concernynge thys Article of the Christen Fayth He ascended into heauen and sytteth on the ryght hand of God the Father almyghty frome thense he shall come to iudge the quycke and the deade For the trewe vnderstandyng of this article two thynges are necessarye to be knowen One concernynge the hystorie of the Ascention of Christ. The other as touchyng the mysterie of Christes Ascention what he hath done why he dyd ascende and what profyte he hath brought to his Churche and faithefull congregation by that hys meruailous and glorious Ascension As concernynge the hystorie blessed Luke in hys Chronicle of the Apostles actes dothe very diligently describe it and set it foorthe when he maketh mention of the daye of the place and of the persones that were present after this maner That the Lord after that by the space of fortie days he had shewed hymself aliue to his Disciples after his resurrection spokē vnto thē of the kingdom of God gathered them together and brought them vnto mount Oliuete not farre frome Hierusalem and gaue them commaundemente that they shoulde not departe frome Hierusalem but to wayte there for the promise of the Father euen the Holy Ghost and that afterwarde they shoulde publyshe the Gospelle thorough out the worlde And when he hadde spoken these thynges whyle they behelde hee was taken vp on hye and a clowde receaued hym vp oute of theyr syghte And whyle they looked stedfastly vp towarde heauen as he went Beholde sayth Luke two men stoode by theym in whyte apparell whyche sayd vnto them Ye menne of Galilee why stande ye gasing vp into heauen Thys same IESVS whyche is taken vp frome you into heauen shall so come euen as ye haue seene hym go into heauen This is the historie of the Ascention of Christ as it is described and sette forth by blessed Luke In this hystorye fyrst of all is this miracle woorthye to be obserued that the Lorde Christ before hys Disciples is caryed vp into Heauen and by a cloude taken oute of theyr syght whiche is a manyfeste declaration vnto vs what the state of glorified bodies after the generall Resurrection shall bee For it is not the naturall propretie of mens bodies to be caried vp Notwithstandyng that shal be the condition of glorified bodies that in a moment they maye go to all places without impediment of any thyng as the example of Christe teacheth whome when he rose agayne from death vnto lyfe the stone of the graue could not hynder hym nor afterwarde the doores shutte coulde kepe hym out He pearceth thorow all thyngs He maketh hym selfe vysible when he wyll agayn inuisible when his pleasure is That same felicitie and blessed state shall our bodies also haue after the resurrection when the bodies shall be immortall and no more subiecte to infirmities as they are nowe in thys lyfe wherein we are combred with many diseases and necessities But of these thynges we shall speake more at an other tyme whenne wee shall treate of the Article of the Resurrection of the deade Lette vs nowe come vnto the principall poynte of the whole matter wherunto also the Angels had speciall respecte when they called agayne into the waye the Disciples that gased here and there that they should rather consider why Christe is ascended into heauen then how he beyng a littell afore seene is nowe seene nomore The doctrine of the Apostles in all thynges moueth specially to this poynt that we should consider vnto what ende all the actes of Christe were doone as for an example They referre Christes deathe vnto our sinnes and his resurrection vnto oure Iustification and so likewise of the other After this sorte muste we nowe also see why Christe ascended into heauen and what commoditie and profyt we haue by that his ascension And fyrst of all lette vs behold the nature and state of his kyngdome For in that that he is gone vp into heauen he declareth that his kyngdom is not of this worlde and that his administration shall not be after the maner of worldly kyngdomes When the Disciples demaunded of Christe at what tyme he woulde restore the kyngdome to Israell they were of this opinyon that Christes kyngedome shoulde be a corporall and worldly kyngedome But by his ascension they are taught otherwyse to thynke of his kyngdom that is to saye that it is no worldely kyngdome oute of the which great richesse dignities and promotions are to be looked for but rather a spirituall and euerlastynge kyngedome in the whyche hee shoulde geue Spirituall gyftes vnto menne Therefore lette no manne become one of Christes flocke to the ende that he wyll gette temporall goodes and worldely possessions or to come vnto great honour for these thynges are not to be found in this kyngdome Baptisme the ministerie of the worde and the Lordes supper were not instituted for tēporall thinges neither shold Christ euer haue ben reueled in the world if it had not bene for a more graue and weighty cause then this For our euerlastyng saluation and rightousnes came he down from heauen There was therfore an higher greater matter why the sonne of God did either descende or ascend verily that he might prouide for vs euerlasting goodes as are the fauor of God remission of sinnes the gift of the holy Ghost righteousnes euerlastyng lyfe Such gyfts must we loke for at Christes hand which continued not in this life but wēt into an euer stinge life euen into heauen and there hath begun a spirituall inuisible and euerlasting kingdome Whych thing was longe before prophecied by Dauid in a certaine Psalm which S. Paule reciteth in his Epistle to the Ephesians and interpreteth it of the Ascention of Christ and of his spirituall kyngdome The words are these Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue and
in the felde or in the Citie he is taken to be in heauen for that that god the father the sone and the holy ghoste doth come vnto hym and haue their abydinge with hym And this thing haue we heare in this lyfe in the worde and do fele it inwardly by fayth but all these thinges shal be felte in dede in the lyfe to come For to haue god dwelling in vs in this lyfe is none other thynge then that all thinges that we do saye thinke or suffer are acceptable vnto God and that al thinges when we eate drinke worke slepe wache praye reade singe learne c are alowed of hym This were the very felicitie it selfe yf we were so wyse as to consider and beholde it with true eyes wyth a sure faith For the glory of the godly doth herein passe the glory of heauen For God sayth not so by heauen that he will dwel in it but thus he sayth that heauen is his seat and the Earth his footestole But the heart of the godly is the very habitation wherin god dwelleth if so be that he can but so much apprehende Christ that he beleue surely that he suffred and died for vs for these benefits loue him And so all thinges are consistinge in this that we should loue Christ and as for the rest there is no cause why any man should greatly feare For this loue shal make all other thinges easie and tollerable whatsoeuer shal chaunce for hym and his worde sake where as contrariwise without this loue all thynges shall seme intollerable and aboue all mens power as Christ sayth in the wordes folowing But if a man doth not loue me He will not kepe my worde Where as Christe is loued this is also certayne that the father for Christes sake doth loue againe and doth not onely loue vs but commeth vnto vs and he with Christ the holy ghost maketh his dwellyng with vs. This thing is so great that if we consider it well we could not but patiently suffer all thynges that chaūce vnto vs for Christs sake Where this loue of Christe is not and wheras men receaueth the gospell to the entent that they maye inuade the Churche goodes and make hauoke therof to their owne profite and commoditie and to serue their owne lustes as it is the fashion of the worlde in all thynges to seke his owne vantage and profit ther can not the worde of Christ be long kepte For it is very necessary to haue loue if a man wyll be constant in trouble profite gaines doth nothyng helpe in this case Wherefore if we loue godlines in dede that we wold not depart from the golspel we must so vse all thinges that we may saye In the name of our Lord Iesu Christe was this begon and by his commandement do we this Wherfore no case so harde can moue vs but that we take all things well in worth that God sendeth But what is the cause that we should styke vnto the worde so constantly and that we shold geue no place to anye danger or perill Surelye because Christe sayth furthermore the worde that I speake is not myne but my fathers whiche sent me And after this maner doth Christe often times speake And this is the pyth of that that Christ speaketh If ye do receaue me and embrace me that is my worde and promesse then be ye sure of this that the true GOD hath receaued you neyther must ye thinke besides of any other GOD. For ye shall find god no wher els but in me and in my worde The reason why is that the worde that I speake is not mine but the worde of my father If ye receaue this worde ye receaue my father If ye beleue in it ye beleue in my father Wherefore nowe it is easie to iudge howe the worlde stande Mahumet the Turke the Pope the Iewes do crake much of GOD they praye muche and affirme them selues to be the true worshippers of GOD. But the matter is plaine that Mahumet the Turke the pope the Iewes do not fynde the father neither knowe anye thynge of hym For they haue not the worde of Christ which is not Christes but the fathers Wherfore Christe by these wordes geueth a sure doctrine to beware by as thoughe he shoulde saye Yf ye will heare GOD and haue hym ioyned vnto you ye must tourne awaye your eyes and eares in no case from him But heare me and ye heare God see me ye see God For this it is decreed eyther must ye heare god by me or neuer heare him Wherof this muste by reason folowe that Christe when he vttereth the bountefull worde the hole godhed doth alow it so that neyther the deuyll nor the worlde can make it frustrat and false The reason is this Christs word is not his but the fathers as he saith the wordes that ye heare are not mine but my fathers that sent me The wordes be so simple and plaine that nothyng can be more simple and plaine Wherfore whan the men that are worldly wyse chaunceth vpon these words they thynke that they are but wordes coldlye slenderly spoken that in great and wayghtie matters he woulde haue vsed more earnest and pythye wordes Howbeit what great matter there is included in these wordes that are so basse and slender that doth then appeare when great perill and feare is at hande Wherfore Christ here maketh an ende of his sermō and saith these thinges haue I spoken to you whan I was byding with you but the holy ghost the conforter whome my father will send in my name he shal teache you all thynges and shall put you in remembrance of those thinges whiche I haue spoken vnto you For if a man shoulde bestowe neuer so manye wordes yet if the holy ghoste shoulde be lackynge the matter coulde not be perceaued Nowe whatsoeuer remaineth in this gospell it is the conclusion of the whole sermon that Christ in this chapter made to his Disciples that they should be of good confort and not be troubled nor offended for the spiteful death that he shoulde suffer and so be dismayd forasmuche as they shold therby obtayne their saluation Of this dyd we speake here tofore Therfore nowe we wil be cōtent with this doctrine that we haue taught which Christ doth cheifly entreate of in this part that then specially shall we kepe the worde and shall not go from it for feare of any peril if so be that we loue god And that this is the onely waye to make God loue vs and to come so nighe vnto vs that he dwell in vs. But he that goeth to God by any other waye then by the loue of Christe he fleeth frome God and can neuer come nygh vnto hym and whatsoeuer he dothe or suffreth all is but loste labour and in vayne Wherfore seyng that our Lord saith that these wordes that he spake are not his but the fathers all men