multitude of people and when they se no meate before their eies they wot not whither to turne them So menne when they se in getting their liuing that nothinge is lefte in earthe they thynke also that nothynge is lefte in heauen and where mannes helpe wanteth they suppose there also the helpe of god to lacke and therefore they lifte not vp their minde to god but rather turne to the craftes of the Deuell They robbe they steale they trifle they studye for deceiptes and craftes onlye yea howe soeuer it be to get them sustenaunce And when they be rebuked they make ex cuses I must nedes sayth one haue to fynde me and my householde Thou sayest well Thy householde in deede muste be founde But to steale and to studie for deceytes and craftes that is not to kepe an householde but to destroye an household for the scripture fayth If thou kepe not the commaundementes of God and amonge the cōmaundmētes of god is conteined thou shalte not steale God shall sende famine hon ger vpon the a cursing vpon al thy workes And againe Some geue parte of their owne waxe rycher some steale away that is not theire owne they are alwayes in pouertie And againe They coulde not do ryght saith the lorde treasuring vp iniquitie and rapine in their houses Therefore thus saith the lorde god The lande shall be troubled and be besieged and thy strength shall bee drawen oute of the and thy houses shall be spoyled Thou seest that to take y t is other mens get riches by deceytes is not to norishe thy selfe thy houshold but rather to caste the into pouertie hōger But to walke thorow faith in the vocacion of god and in thy busines to folow ryghteousenes this in deede is to noryshe thy houshold For the iuste shall enherit the earth shal dwell vpon it for euer And the health of iust men is of the lorde he is their protector in the daye of tribulacion Therfore all disceite must be auoyded iustice and ryghteousenes must be done that beynge receiued into goddes kepinge wee may be saued not only wyth bodely noryshement but also whyche is greateste of all wyth heauenly and spiritual meate thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lorde whyche is together wyth the father and the holye goste the blessed God for euer Amen The second Homelie WE haue hearde howe liberallie howe marueilousli Christ hath behaued hym selfe to ward this multitude of menne whiche folowed him into deserte For wyth fiue loaues and two fyshes he fed more then a thousande and fyue hundred menne Let vs heate howe thys people shewed theym selues agayne towarde thys marueilous feder These men than sayeth the Euaungeliste whan they had fene the sygne that Iesus had done sayed Thys is in verye dede that prophet that should come vnto the world So Iesus when he had knowen that they would come and force him to be a kynge went asyde hym selfe alone into the mountaine There be two thynges that these men take vpon them to shewe theyr kynde mynde towarde Christ. The one is that they prayse hym in wordes and speake openly and confesse that he was the prophet which Mo ses wrot shulde come into the world and the which the Iewes loked for at that tyme. An other that they coū sailed among theym selues to make hym a king for Messias is as much to saye as one annoynted or a kyng They thinke they shoulde do verye great seruice to God if by theyr consentes they shoulde lyfte hym vppe to the dignity of a king And in this the peoples doynge some thynges are worthy prayse and some thynge to be rebuked It is to be cōmended that stiered vp by this miracle they graunt to the doctrine of Iesus and perceyue that he is verye Messias him selfe But it is greately to be rebuked that they thinke the kingedom of Messias should be a corporal kingdom here in this world and that Messias shoulde rule after the facion of the kynges of thys world and nowe they thinke thē selues very happy that they haue got a king whych not onely is hable by hys mi racles to gather vnto hym a gret at mie and ouercome al the world but also by whom they may be fed without any labour of theirs maye get al earthly felicitie Thys opinion of Messias kingdom is carnal worthy to be condemned For the Messias whom the prophetes promised is no earthly kynge And oure blessednes resteth not in this that the bo dy should fare wel that we should rest vs carnally and sluggeshly and be fed for naught but that we shold be well in spirite and be fed wyth meate euerlastynge of the whyche thynge Christe hym selfe wyl preach after wardes more at large And not onely the carnall opinion of the peo ple of the Kyngdome of Messias but also their lyghtnes their wauerynge and inconstaunce yea and the rashenes also of the people is worthy to be rebuked For they whome nowe when he fedeth them desiar to make him a Kynge set hym as hye as heauen hym afterwardes whan he was led prisoner to the crosse eyther dysdaynefully they dyspised or spitefullye mocked or euen wyth the other they cried to nayle hym on the Crosse. Thys is the nature of the common people that they neuer in a meane either fauour them that do them good or hate them that they thyncke to be euel doars Thys is a syknes and fu rie not a iudgement or soūdnes For althoughe we oughte to be mindful and kynde towardes hym that doth vs good hate euill yet hath kindnes hys boundes that is that we do not as the Paganes haue done to make goddes of menne or as is the maner of the Hypocrites to do to make of saynctes our redemers sa uiours frō euil for we so must hate euyll that for all that we forget not what we oughte to do and recompence not euill wyth euil but wyth good Whiche thynges being thus let vs se nowe howe Christ behaued hym selfe towarde thys fauoure of the people Whan he had knowen sayeth the Euangelyste that they woulde take hym and make hym a kynge by and by as Mathew sayth he compelled hys Disciples to take shyp and to go before hym vnto the other syde of the riuer but he hym selfe fled and went agayne aparte in to the mountayne alone Thou wilt say what meaneth thys Why doth Christe flye Why doth he not take vpon hym a princely maiestie whyche is offered hym of the people Is the office of a kynge so abhominable afore God that it maye not be lawefull to take it vpon hym and beare it Uerelye nothynge lesse There is no power sayeth Paule but of god And the powers that be they be ordeyned of God Wherfore he that is lawfully called to offyce of a kyngs maiestye maye with good conscience be occupied in that kynde of lyfe But what saye you Would Christ by thys runnynge awaye sygnifie that althoughe the office of
sayth the Euangelist the only sonne that is in y e bosome of his father he hath shewed hym And agayne No man knoweth y â— father but the soÌ„ne Wherfore in y â— sonne of God which is Iesus Christe the wyll of God muste bee knowen and his counsell seene And we see in thys place the sonne of God to tarye longe in fedynge the hongrye and yet in conueniente time he feedeth them after a meruelouse fashion And euen so playnely be the maners of oure hea uenlie father for he is wont to seme almoste deafe at the praiers of good men and to take no care to saue theÌ„ For what purpose dothe he that For that that he heareth the prayers of good men and wyll not saue vs God forbidde What thinges so euer sayth he you shall axe in your prayers and beleue ye shall haue them And againe I wyll heare them beefore they crye and heare them whyle they be yet speakynge And agayne Call vpon me in the daye of tribulacion and I wyll deliuer thee and thou shalte ho noure me God therefore called vpon in fayeth slacketh in gyueynge healpe not because he wyl not saue you but he tarieth first that by this delay he wold stire vp in the trobled a greter desier to cal vpon hym that is to do trewe godly honoure For the more ferueÌ„tly ye cal vpoÌ„ God the more ye serue God And we are made for this purpose to worshippe oure Lorde God Sertainely he tarieth to geue to the afflicted greater benefites whereby both the afflicted may get greater fe licitie and the glorye of the name of God maye be more shewed out For as a graine that is caste in the grounde is not loste thoughe it be couered wyth yearth and to dye but rather is encreased whyche in the haruest tyme apereth manifestlye so the praiers put in the bosome of god thorowe fayeth are not in vayne although they seme not to be hard but in their conuenient tyme they bryng fruite plentifully and God so much the more aboundantlye is wonte to gyue hys benefyte howe muche the more soâ—…dli he was thought to haue bene a slepe This entente of god in differring his helpe must diligeÌ„tly be learned For as it helpeth a seruâ—…e â—…uche to do his master good 〈◊〉 if he know his wyl and purpose So it helpeth vs to serue our lorde god wel if by prolonging the helpe of god which we call for in our trouble we knowe what is the wyll of god and his entente that is that god doth not defer his helpe be cause he wil not saue vs but that he wyll saue vs more gloriously profitably then any man can thinke Thou wylte saye what helpeth vs then this knowledge Firste it kepeth in vs sufferauÌ„ce which vertue as it is great so is it a plesaunt seruice to god For he that thorowe the holye goste is perswaded that God differreth his helpe not to take it a waye but to geue it more abundane lye to him that axeth it can not bee but he muste suffer paciently whatsoeuer aduersitie happeneth More ouer this knowledge kepeth him y t doth praye in doing his duetye and perseueraunce of prayer This also is a greate vertue seruice very ac ceptable to god For he that wyth a suer hope trusteth that the benefits of God shall be made more howe shuld not he continue stil in praier how shulde not he get forwardes coÌ„ staÌ„tly last of al it kepeth him y â— doth praye in obedience of those offices which by godds vocation he oweth to God and to hys neygheboure for he that thorowe the holy goste seeth that he shall receaue so much y e grea ter benefites of God how much the longer the helpe of God is differred he can not be holden but moste diligentlye wyl folowe the callynge of god lest the benefactor being pro uoked to anger thorow disobedience he receiue an euell turne for a good And what worke pleaseth god better then obedience Better is obedience sayth god then sacrifice Wher fore when aduersitie encreaseth and ryseth against vs let vs not thinke that god hath forgotten vs or that he careth not for vs but let vs acknowledge and well consider gods entent that strengthened in fayth we may go forwardes in the office of our callinge But that the miracle which Christ wyl do may y e more plainly be knoweÌ„ the lacke of bread ought to be knowen not only to the Apostles but vnto the people also So Iesus sayde Make these men sit downe For there was muche grasse in the place so ther sat doune a M. almost v. C. meÌ„ in nuÌ„bâ—…e Other Euangelistes rehearse also the order of their sittinge that is that they sat in the grene fieldes in sonder by hundredes and fyfties and shewe that besyde almoste fiue thousand men in numbre there weâ—… women and children also And what then meaneth Christ that he wolde not distribute the bread except they fyrst sate doune yea and that euerie man in his order Could not the meÌ„ haue eate excepte they fyrste had sitten yes they coulde But as we said before the lacke of bread ought to be knowen also to the people that the miracle myght be the more euident For now wheÌ„ the men wet set doune and were set in order they were thorowe this sighte stirred vp to feele searche out betwixt theÌ„ selues what the matter meante who shulde geue them meate where they shulde haue bread for none of theÌ„ had broughte bread with theÌ„ So here their lacke was opened and they were quickened to looke that Christ shulde geue them meate Yea the order of theyr sitting made the miracle more to be marked So when these thinges were thus prepared Iesus beganne to worke the miracle For he tooke breade and after he had geuen thankes he distributed them to his disciples and the disciples to theÌ„ that were set downe Lykewyse of the fishe asmuche as he wolde We maruayle what Christ ment by bidding them sit doune and now we more marueile what this ceremo nie of thankes geuing meaneth for he dealt not the bread before he had fyrst lifte vp his eyes to heauen and gaue open thankes in the sight of al men What nede had Christ to these ceremonies Is not he the worde of god and god him self He spake and thinges were made he coÌ„maunded and they were created Whye nowe therfore saye but euen a worde that the loaues myghte be multiplied Christ myght not only if he had spo keÌ„ but one worde but euen also by a thought only haue multiplied these loaues but it plesed him to vse these ceremonies first to shew in the sight of the people that he taughte them none other God but hym the true God maker of heauen and earth that he did not his miracles by iugglyng but by heauenlie and power of God Moreouer he wolde teache vs what gyuinge of thanckes was and how muche it was hable to do For wher Iohn sayth
the ship dyd worshyp hym and that worthely as Mathew doth wryghte and confessed him to be the verye sonne of God And nowe we maye not thynke that these thynges were done put in wrytyng for the Dysciples sake onely but they partaine to the whole cōgregacion and set before vs an Image of thynges which be done in al ages in y ◠church of God For althoughe there be not here in the shyp verye manye Disciples yet are they the church of god they are the chosen people of God In thys place is also Christe hym selfe head of the church Wherefore y ◠y ◠here is done is an image of those thynges whych are alwayes wount to be done betwixt the churche and Christ the heade thereof The sea is thys worlde And in thys worlde is the church of God I praye not sayeth Christe that thou wouldest take them out of the world but that thou wouldest saue theym from euyll In thys worlde you shall haue trouble and affliccion And againe you shall wepe and Lamente but the worlde shall be gladde and reioyce And Paule sayeth we must enter in to the kyngedome of God by manye affliccions Further Christe was awaye in the mountayne and yet he sawe hys Dysciples that were in greate ieopardye For althoughe Christ be ascended into heauen is now inuisible to oure corporal eies yet the churche that is in ieopardye is wel seen to of him he is ready to healpe hys church he taketh care for it and loketh vpon all the paynes and trobles of it to help and saue it For he sitteth at the ryght hand of GOD and is thee almyghtye gouernour of al thinges Wherfore neyther heyth nor length nor depth can lette hym that he shoulde not healpe hys churche beynge in paine and sorowe But lyke as he came to hys Dysciples in the myddle of the tempest and was thoughte to haue bene a spirite of the dyuell that woulde haue drouned theym in the watters so he came in dede accompanied in thysworlde wyth a crosse and couered wyth diuers affliccions Wherefore in verye greate aduersitye men that be of a weake fayeth thyncke not that Christe the sauioure is there but a legion of dyuylles that woulde destroye theym euen oute of hande For they gyue not suere confydence to thys promise of GOD whych is in the ▪ lxxxx Psalme I am wyth hym in tribulacion I wil take him out and glorify hym But by cause y t thē they se nothing but aduersitie thei thinke much rather that the deuyll is there to oppresse them than Christe to delyuer But Christe opened him selfe to hys Dysciples by hys voyce and by speakynge vnto theym sayinge It is I be not aferde so also he sheweth hym selfe to hys church by his Gospel For the Gospel is the voice of Christe whereby he declared that he hym selfe to was sente into the worlde for thys purpose that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shuld not perishe but haue lyfe euerlastynge He sayeth also in another place I am the resurreccion and lyfe he that beleueth in me althoughe he be deade he shall lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleueth shal not dye euer lastyngely Wherefore when greate troubles aryse we must giue care to the voice of Christe and to his gospell that thereby we maye take cōforte and be saued But as Christe walked vpon the sea and yet dyd he it not alone but he called also Peter to do y ◠same And althoughe he whan the wynde blewe sore vpon hym began to doute and syncke doune yet whan he called vpon the helpe of Christ he is saued beynge caught by the hande of Christe so Christ preached not hys owne gospel alone and confirmed it with mi racles but he chose vnto hym Apostles to be hys felowes and vnto the also he gaue the gift to do mira cles Then after theym folowe the ministers of the church to shew out the gospell that they haue receyued of the Apostels What hath happened then That that was spoken to the Apostels Beholde I sende you into the myddes of wolues That sayinge stretcheth out not onelye to the ministers but also to the self office of preachynge of the Gospell For in thys worlde so greuous calamities are wont to ryse agaynste the ministers of the churche that it lacketh but a litell to be vtterly destroyed Therfore they that be a litle to weake are diuerslye mynded and almoste fall in dispayre But it is happy Christe is redy at hande and beyng called vpon putteth out his hande and preserueth the ministerye of the churche whych semeth to other to be destroyed The gates of hell sayeth he shall not preuayle agaynste it And agayne Lo I am wyth you al the dayes euen to the ende of the worlde Finallye Christe beynge receyued into the shyppe ther is made a great calme and the shyp is in y e heauen For he that by the Gospell wyll knoweledge Christe and receyue hym by fayeth how can not he be in safty as the prouerbe is haue his shyp in the hauen in dede For wher Christ is ther must the streme nedes be a calme and death lyfe He that beleueth sayeth he in me although he be deade shal liue Let vs take Christe therefore into our shyppe wyth obediente fayeth that we maye safelye come by the stormes of al afflicciō and death in to the hauen of euerlastynge lyfe thorow the grace and helpe of Iesu Christ oure Lord whiche together with the father and holye gooste is god blessed for euer Amen ☞ The thirde Homilie THey be greate and excellent miracles whych hitherto the Euan gelist hath reher sed and we haue metely expounded but much greater and more excellente is the sermō whyche Christ made takinge occasion of the corporall breade for the whyche the multitude of men folowed more than for the spirituall breade Of the Sermon before we nowe speake we wyll a lytell touch these thynges whych happened after that Christe and hys Apostels had passed the sea The nexte daie sayeth the Euangelist the multitude whych stode on the other syde the lea after they sawe that ther was none other vessell there but that onelye whereunto hys Dyscipels were entred and that Iesus was not gone into that barge wyth hys Dysciples but that hys dysciples only wher gone And ther came other boates from the sea of Tibirias nye vnto the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord had gyuen thākes So whan the people had seen that Iesus was not ther nether hys dysciples they also went into boats and came vnto Caparnaū sekyng for Iesus And when they had founde him on the other syde the sea they sayde vnto hym Maister when camest thou hither The miracles that were done in the sea none knowe but hys Dysciples But nowe the whole multitude of men knoweth also that Iesus was not come on y t other side of the banke without miracles Wher fore whan they axe of Iesus whan or howe he
doth declare that one Pambus are Heremite dyd come at Athanasius desiar from the wyldernes to Alexandria He whan he had seene there a woman as men saye muche lyke a player decked wyth muche gold and precious stones he wept Beynge axed why he dyd so Two thynges sayth he moued me That one the death of thys woman The other because I do not so much studye to please God my sauioure as she to please vngracious mē Pambus in dede sayed verye godly But thys is wyth earneste teares to be wepte for that not onelye one or two womē but almost al the whole sorte of men watche with great care and al their thoughes only for this to serue the bealy y ◠whiche what other thynge is it than to go to hys owne presente death destruccion Meates sayth Paule are appoynted for the bealy the bealy for the meates And god wyll destroie both the one the other And againe ma ny walke of the which I haue often shewed you and nowe I speake againe wepinge that be the enemyes of Christes crosse whose end is destruccion and their bealie their God and the glori shalbe to their shame that ca◅e for earthlye thynges And Christ sayeth what profitteth it mā if he wynne al the world haue the losse of his sole Likewise what pro fitteth it to haue your body ful of al kind of diliciouse meates for all y ◠to let youre mynde pyne awaye for lacke of hauēly meate which saueth you for euer For I praye you cōs◅der me what y t ende of these studyes is For if thou worke as Christ speketh or only folow after that meate that perisheth that is to saye bodily and earthly thou semeste in dede to saue thy body for a tyme that nothinge longe but shortly after thou shalt lese euen together w t the life of thy bodye thy whole euerlastinge health And so both the bodye the sole be lost together But if y ◠worke the meate which abideth still into euerlasting life than althoughe thy body be somtyme hungry yea I say more die also yet is thy soule saued And thy soule beynge saued the bodye also is saued thorowe the Lord Iesus Christ which wil transforme our yearthly bodye to make it lyke vnto his glorious body accordyng to that hys myghtye power in workynge by the whyche he maketh all thynges subiecte vnto hym Wherfore let this be our onely studye care let thys be our thought to worcke meate that remayneth ◅n to euerlastynge lyfe But I saye muste we do nothynge els in thys world is it not lawful to seke for bo dilye meate So thoughte certaine folyshe Hypocrites whyche after they had shut thē selues vp in their celles than toke meat of other men ydellye Christe doth not teache vs this For when he biddeth vs praie giue vs thys daye our dayly bread he sheweth plainlye that we ought to seke also for bodilie meate after the facion in dede that-we shoulde seke And Paule also when we were w tyou saith he we gaue you this cō maundement that if any man wold not worke he shuld not eate nether And it foloweth We heare say that some men order them selues among you inordinatelie doinge no worke but lyue curiousli To those that be such we commaund you and we desier you thorowe our Lorde Iesus Christ that worcking quietlye they wold eate their owne breade What meaneth this than y t Christ sayeth worke not the meate that perisheth He doeth not condemne an honest waye to seke for bodily fode but he condemneth the lewde and bacward studye of men Men are wonte to haue a greater regarde of bodilye fode than spirituall and they more care for the health of the body than of the soule But these thynges you must nedes do and not leaue the other vndone That you shoulde be kepte to heauenly and euerlastyng lyfe it is necessarye if you wyl be sa ued But that you should be kept in thys mortal lyfe it is not necessary Fyrst sayeth he seke for the kyngdome of God and all these thynges shall be caste vnto you And man doth lyue not by breade onelye but by euery word that commeth out of the mouth of god Thys worlde is not our very countrie but a straūge land in the whyche we go in pilgrimage And likewise as if a man iorneied forth in farre countreyes he knoweth that this he shuld do only that whan he hath done his busines for the whych he went out he shuld come home agayne assone as might be and although that in the meane tyme he tourne in sometyme to his frendes houses and behold the buil dynges of other Cities yet thys is hys chiefe purpose to come home agayne to hys owne so whan we go on pylgrimage in thys lyfe that we shoulde come agayne to oure heauenly countrye althoughe we may seke for oure bodilye meate as it were in oure Inne yet moste of all the heauenly meate is to be sought for by whyche we maye be s◅ued to euerlastynge lyfe For thys our iorney is takē for that cause But thou wilte say what is y ◠meate y t bydeth for euer vnto euerlastynge lyfe I sayth Christ am y ◠heauēly Bread whyche am come downe from heauen If anye manne eate of thys breade he shall lyue for euer Of the whyche thynge because we wyl speake more at large hereafter we wyll not nowe tarye longe but wyl go forth wyth that we haue nowe in hande and we wyll se who can gyue vnto vs thys meate or bread For Christe addeth the whych the sonne of man shall gyue you For GOD the father hath sealed hym vp That these be spoken by an Antithesis those thynges wyll playnelye shewe which anon after shal folow For the son of man which is Messi◅ as is set agaynste the Patriarckes Moses the Prophetes circumcision and al the lawe and thys is the meanynge Neyther the Patriarekes nor Moses nor the Prophetes are that personne for whose sake men be iustified and made aly◅e Neyther circumcision nor all the lawe be those thynges for the whyche men obtayne iustice before God and euerlastyng lyfe But onely the sonne of man whyche is Messias Iesus Christe oure Lorde is that person and thynge for the whyche men are saued that is are counted iuste before God and receyue euerlastynge health In dede the patriarckes serue for greate purposes so do the prophetes and the law But onely Messias is the true health Abraham was a verye holye patriarcke and verie worthy prayse and yet for Abrahams sake no man ob tayned pardon of hys synnes Moses was a verye good lawe maker and a valiaunt Duke of the Istaelites but for Moses sake no man is saued whan he dieth The Prophetes were verie wel learned and verye holye preachers of the worde of God but for the prophetes sake no man obtained the heauenlye kyngdom Circumcision was a very profitable sacrament but no man had eternal saluacion
of fayeth is shortly contayned Thus in verye dede it appereth vnto men whyche be wythout all temtacion and in prosperitye of al thinges But the truth proueth that y e fayth in Christe is not so often in the. For whan Satan assauteth man yâ—… maye playnely se that fayeth is noâ—… all mens actes as Paule speaketh and that there be verye fewe that beleue And the diuell fyghteth agaynste men diuers wayes Some tyme he styreth them to desiar of reuenging by making to them an ene mie lykewise by offeryng ryches to couetousnes and deceyte besides thys by shewynge an other mans woman to lust and by shewynge an offyce to ambicion and suche other infinite worckes of the fleshe And howe manye be there but that they haue not a fal and that yeldeth not hym selfe prisonar to the diuyll and that doeth not obaye the affeccion of the fleshe stired vp by the deuyle And they the whyche lye downe eyther they beleue not in Christ or els they lose theyr fayeth They that be in the fleshe sayeth Paule cannot please God And agayne if ye lyue after the fleshe ye shall dye And Christe sayth him selfe Euery man that doth synne is the seruaunte of synne And Iohn all that do not iustice be not of God Sometyme be sente vs persecutours of the Gospell of Christe thorowe whom the deuyll entiseth menne to forsake Christe and to fall to synne And iâ—… is manyfeste howe fewe alwayes haue stande in the confession of Christe speciallye if the persequucions haue bene notable cruell And to denye Christe in persequucion it is a manyfeste proofe that eyther youre fayeth was not suer or that Christe was caste awaye Sometyme the Iewes ate seâ—… fore vs the Turkes whych despise oure religion and the Epicures By these Satan bryngeth to passe that the wyckednes of the people is opened For whan they boaste of howe all thynges come well to passe in theyr naughtie or rather no religion and saye Tushe It thy Christe were true God and cared for meÌ„nes matters why doth he not healpe you Christen men why doth he not defende you I praye you howe many bene there comonlye amonge the common people whyche at these wordes althoughe they be openlie againste God and blasphemous wyl not begynne to doubt of Christianitye and if he were set vpon by persecution wolde not fall awaye to vngodlynes and despising of Chryste Thys is a playne token that a greate sorte of men amonge Chrystyans dothe not knoweledge God in deade but onlye dreame of him And at last are cast against vs in oure conscience sinnes death and the paynes of hell Howe manye thynkest y u in these moste greuous temptacions and in the strait iugement of God do fall downe and peryshe For if the multitude can not stande faste at a trifling and plaine wycked obiection of a Turcke or an Epicure against the doctryne of goddes gospell howe wold he stand agaynst the fyrie dart of the deuell whiche he is wont to caste againste men before the fearefull iudgement seate of God Wherefore fayeth in Christe is not as easye and commoÌ„ a matter as easylye and commonly we speake of it but as it is moste ex cellente honorynge of God so doth it passe al mans streÌ„gth and nedes we muste receaue it from heauen and muste be raised vp in vs by the myghte of the holye gooste Fleshe and bloude sayeth Christ hath not opened it vnto them but my father that is in heauen Let vs call therefore vpon God y â— father that he wyl set on fier and instame oure hertes wyth true fayth whereby we beyng iustified may get saluacion thorow the sonne of God Iesus Christ our sauiour which is God wyth the father and the holy gost blessed for euer Amen ☞ The fyfte Homelie IEsus hath preached great thynges and excellent thinges of him selfe saying the sonne of man shall giue vnto you meat whych lasteth into lyfe euerlasting And thys is the woreke of God to beleue in hym whom he hath sente By the whyche sayinge he signified that the beste and most excellente worshypping of GOD is to heare hym and beleue in hym Uerily this is to lifte vp hym selfe not onlye aboue the common state of men but also aboue all Patriarckes and Prophetes For there neuer was anye Patriarcke and Prophete that toke so muche vpon hym nor promised so greate benefites of him selfe to hys hearers Let vs heare nowe therefore howe the Iewes toke thys Sermon or howe they iudged thys hys pride Wherefore they sayed vnto hym what synge doest thou shewe that we maye se and beleue the what workest thou Our fathers haue eaten Manna in the deserte as it is written He gaue theym breade from heauen to eate This is y â— meaning of y â— Iewes answere Thou crakest that thou wilt giue vs great benifits thou tellest vs that thou arte the Prophete whomeâ—… Moyses commaunded to heare and that thou art Messias iâ—… whome the Prophetes badde vs be leue but yet haste thou not proued it by anye signes nether haste decla red thy self in dede such one as thou art If thou woldest giue vs Man na from heauen as oure fathers haue eate in deserte after the saying of Psal. lxxvii He raigned Manna for them to eate and gaue theÌ„ bread frome heauen If thou woldeste delyuer vs frome this harde bondage wherewyth we be oppressed of the Romaines as Moses deliuered vs frome the bondage of Egypte we woulde beleue that thou were sente of god and to be the very Messias But nowe seynge that thy selfe art a poore man and although one eue nyng thou feddest vs yet to day bâ—… we neuer the lesse hongry nedye and wretched we can not knowledge the for so great a Lord and for the true Messias Here agayne man maye se that the Iewes lusted after nothing but that was good for the bodye to seke only an yearthly kingdom â—…eshly ioye in Messias a woful mater and ernestlye to be wepte for that men are wonte onlie to care for thys that theyr body may fare well and thyncke all the rest safe if the bodilye commodities be safe For if they maye gette the pleasure onelye of thys worlde they thyncke that heauenly ioye wyl folowe of it selfe and therefore they take all the care and thought all the paynes labour yea I saye more all iniquytye and vngodlynes to get vnto them these yearthely pleasures Laye vnto thys that they maruayle at and worshyppe those men onely whom they se to be happy wyth these earth ly commodities and whome they hope shall be the helpers that they theim selfes also may get these gayâ—… thynges Amonge theym were hadde in greate price Theodas Iudas Galileus and afterwardes also Cochabas because they promised theym here earthly ioye filicitie and deliue raunce from the bondage of the Ro maynes wher as not wythstanding vnder payne of death the Apostles were vtterly banyshed whyche prea ched true and heauenly felicity and good thynges that shoulde
Althoughe Christe haue suche greate autoritye that all hys sayinges althoughe they haue no profe ioyned to theim must be taken and kepte for heauenly reuelacions yet in thys place he bringeth out for wytnes the sayinges of the Prophetes sayinge in the Prophetes it is wryten all shall be taughte of God All therefore that haue hearde of my father and hath learned commeth to me Let vs seke nowe in what Prophetes thys is written And it is playne in verye dede that thys saying is contained in the. xlv Chapter of Esaie For whan the Prophet dyd discribe the kyngdom of Messias and rekened vp hys benefites whyche be geuen to those y t be subiectes of hys kyngdom amonge other he reherseth vp thys also that al they that pertayne to thys kyngedome are taughte of god and are lightened by the holye goost I wyll sayeth he make all thy children the Dysciples of the Lord For god hym selfe shal be their teacher And the holye goost shal teach theym that both they shall knoweledge the true Messias and obtaine the true benefits of Messias With thys sayinge agreeth thys also that the same prophete wryteth of in an other place All nacions shall slowe sayeth he vnto the mountayne of the lorde that is to wyt whan the kyngedome of Christe is opened and much people shall go and saye Come lette vs go vp to the mountayne of the Lorde and the howse of the god of Iacob and he shall teache vs hys wayes The Lorde hym selfe sayeth he shall teach vs that all maye be taughte of the Lorde To thys agreeth also Hierimye in hys xxxi Chapter after those dayes sayeth the Lorde I wyl gyue my lawe in theyr bowels and I wyll wryghte theym in theyr herte and I wyll be theyr GOD and they shall be my people And a manne shall no more teache hys neyghboure nor a manne hys brother sayinge knowe the Lorde For all shall know me from the lest to the hiest Uerely thys is it y t Esaias had sayed also before Al shal be taughte of god There be also some thynges or places in the wrytynges of the E◅angelistes and Apostles y t agre w t these sayinges of the Prophetes ▪ and by whyche it is playnelye shewed y t as al that pertayne to y ◠king dome of Messias should be taught by God so no mā can acknowledge or cōfesse Messias except he be ligh tened wyth heau◅nlye doctryne In Mathewe Christe sayeth no man knoweth the son but the father nor no mā the father but the son and he to whome the sonne wyll open it And a litell after whan Peter dyd confesse of Iesus boeth in hys own name and in the name of the other Apostles sayinge thou arte that Christ the sonne of the l◅uyng god Iesus answered hym Fleshe and bloude hath not opened thys vnto the but my father that is in heauen Here it is openlye sayde that the knoweledge of Messias whyche is oure true health and as Christ him selfe sayeth euerlastynge lyfe depe◅ deth not by mannes reason or industrye nor of mans merites but onely of the heauenlye doctryne and free mercy of God It is not saieth Paule in the wyllar nor in y e tunnet but in God that hathe mercye And it is sayde to Moyses I wyll haue mercye of whom so euer I wil haue mercye and I wyll shewe mer cye to whom so euer I list There be manye also suche lyke sayinges of Scripture whych testifye that men can get the knoweledge of Messias and theyr saluacion onely by the fre mercye of God whyche wyll drawe by hys holye spirite whome so euer he wyll and lyst Here nowe ryseth a great sorte of questions and as wel the ignoraunte as the connynge the good as the badde may dyspute in thys mater For some say If nedes al men muste be taught of god what nede we to heare sermōs made by men to what profiteth the outwarde preachynge of the Gospel I wil thā heare no more what any mā sayeth vnto me but I wyll loke for reuelacion from heauen to be lyght ned by the holy goost Other make obieccion If no man may come vnto Christe excepte he be drawen by God the father the faulte of vnbeliefe shall not be in the man whych if he were drawen must nedes obey whā God draweth because his vertue is omnipotent For why doeth not god drawe all menne seynge he is hable to do it Why drewe he Ia cob and not Esau Why drewe he Paule and not Caiphas Other thynke If mans saluacion depend onlye of the fre mercye of God whiche choseth whom he wyl what and if thou werte not in the number of them that are chosen by God what if God had caste the awaye whan he chose hys at the begynnynge he those hys before the foundacions of the world were layed These and many other thynges are wonte to be reasoned of by mē whē ther heate that no man cōmeth to Christe nor getteth saluacion excepte he be chosen of god be drawen taught by god Fyrst therefore you must hold vndoutedlye that all the hole scripture in the whyche thys thinge also of gods predestinaciō is contained is inspired of God put in writing for this vse purpose to shew vnto vs Christ to teach Christ to set out Christ to stir vp kyndle strēgth and kepe our faith that is in Christ. It is playne that Moyses whyche is the fyrste and chiefest minister of holy scripture sendeth the people awaye from hym selfe to Christe say inge The Lorde GOD shal rayse vppe vnto the a Prophete of thy people and of thy brethren ◅ym thou shalte heare And Peter sayeth all the Prophetes from Sa muell and after as many as spake hath also shewed of these daies For there is none other name vnder hea uen gyuen amonge men in the whiwe must be saued Wherefore what soeuer place of Scripture semeth vnto vs eyther to take Christ away or to weaken and breake y ◠fayth in Christe we muste thyncke that eyther we do not vnderstand it ryghtlye or that it is the tentacion of the spirite of the diuyll For it cannot be that it shoulde be the holye Gost that doeth leade awaye men from Christe and the fayeth whiche is in hym Furthermore where Christe sayeth That no man commeth to hym excepte he be drawen of God the father And Esaye that all be taughte of GOD It putteth not awaye the outwarde ministery of the preachynge of the Gospell but rather confyrmeth it For whome the father draweth those he draweth by preachynge of the Gospell And those whome God teacheth those he teacheth by the outwarde or as we be wonte by the vocal worde Go you sayeth Christ into y ◠vniuersall worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures Why woulde Christe so sadly and wyth so greate ieopardye also of hys Apostles ordayne thorowe the whole world the open preachynge of hys Gospell if it serued not to learne true godlines and to get
needes counte the also in the number of deceitful persons For what kind of life is there or what order state of men in the whych naughtie men maye not be found Finally Christ prophecieth of the fallyng away of the vnbeleuers of the treason of Iudas to warne in tyme the vnbeleuers and Iudas hym self hys Apostle to repent auoyd the punish ment for his wickednes For Christ made this sermon as I thinke almost two yere before he was betrayed of Iudas and crucified He signifieth therfore in thys communicacion that one of his twelue Apostles shuld be a traytoure that Iudas which was noted bi y â— name of the diuel shuld haue space of repentaunce and beware that he did not fulfil by hys myscheife in dede that which he was called by worde This example is very worthy to be marked For the scripture which is the reuelacioÌ„ of the holy gooste pro phecieth of y â— laste times in y â— which we now liue that many shal fal froÌ„ Christ and folow wickednes The sonne of man saythe he when he shall come shall he fynde faithe in the worlde And agayne The gate is brode and verye wyde whyche leadeth into myscheife and there be manye that go in by that And againe Many false prophets shal ryse and deceiue many And in an other place Many whiche were firste shalbe laste These and lyke to these were sheâ—… before to oure admâ—…nicion that by all diligence and obedience that we maye wee learne that we â—…e not deceiued with these many and led into destruccion but that we tarye in the trewe fayth of the gospell and with good men whether they be many or fewe we may get the heauenly herediâ—…aunce thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lorde whyche together with the father the holy gooste is God blessed for euer AmeÌ„ ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Daie dwelling ouer Aldersgate and Wylliam Seres dwelling in Peter Colledge The yerâ—… of our Lorde God M. D. L. the â—…th daye of Apryll ¶ â—…um priuilegio ad imprimendum solum T The Dysciples of Christ were diuerslye minded God se meth deafe to the pray er of good men Praiers of fayeth Christe ueth th kes Geuing of thankes is blessing The fragmentes be gathered Miracles be done be cause of learninge the gospel God is the housekeper and ca reth for his housholde Thi house holde must bekept but sinne thou muste not Deceiptes do not pro spere The maiestie of a king is the ordinauÌ„ce of God Christes callynge We muste not wythstand goddes wyll the churche in one ship Thâ—… Gospel is the voyce of Christe The â—…uge gâ—…shnes of man in seking heaueÌ„ ly thynges is reproued The sluggishnes of Hypocrits is condemned We be pilgrimes in this world Noman 〈◊〉 perfectely good Fayeth is the most excellent 〈◊〉 of god What it is to beleue 〈◊〉 Iesus Fayth is not euerye mans They seke for an worldlye Messias Bodily coÌ„ modities are couÌ„ted the chefest LactaÌ„câ—… in his bokâ—… of falâ—…e religion La. xxix Floralia 〈◊〉 The cause of vnbelief what it is â—…hrist hath taken vpon him the fashion of a seruaunt The offyce of a magistrate and housâ—… â–ª The 〈◊〉 whereby god is se â–ª Messias y â— very sonne of God The end of Scripture The ministery of the Gospel is necessarye The salua cion of infantes God drawethâ—… how Christ was opened among men euen from the begynning of the worlde The ende of scripture is to coÌ„firm fayeth The predestinacion of god is 〈◊〉 led in christ â–ª Christ is y â— boke of life The cause of goddes predestinaci on The difference of the prophetes visions Christes â—…o 〈◊〉 Christ is to beleue Christ only 〈◊〉 our helth Theâ—…ating of Christes fleshâ—… is necessarys to saluacion What pro fit y â— death of sayncteâ—… hath â–ª The eating of Christes flesh is nece ssary to saluacion The vse of the Lordes Supper The Supper of the â—…ord 〈◊〉 â—…o 〈◊〉 the inâ—…an â–ª although â—…ey haue â—…yeth do not yet â—…derstande thâ—… fayeth What maner of meaâ—… the fleshe of Christ 〈◊〉 Christe is very man 〈◊〉 veâ—… God Men be made gods Men bâ—… made gods by adopcioÌ„ Man is a God 〈◊〉 The Indinâ—… eate â—…eyr paren 〈◊〉 To ascend into heaueÌ„â—…hat it is The gospel is properly y â— doâ—… triuâ—… of Christe The maiestie of Mes sias Christe is the natural sonne of God
¶ A verye fruitful Exposicion vpon the syxte Chapter of Saynte Iohn diuided into x. Homelies or sermons written in Latin by the ryghte excellente clarke Master Iohn Brencius traÌ„slated into English by Richard Shirrye Londoner Inclyte Ioannes Germane gloria gentis Qui toties magno resonasti pectore Christum â—…ternum viuis non inuida tempora nomen Obscutare tuum poterunt per secula foelix O quà m dulce fluit colamus tibitum bone BreÌ„ti Cum seruatorem placidus depingis IeÌ„sum Quae tu Germanis Anglis ego munera grata Ferre meis curiens sermones transfero denos Quos conscripsisti sextum in caput alti Ioannis ¶ To the right Honorable Lorde Wentworth Lorde Chamberlaine one of the Kynges mooste honorable Counsel Rycharde Schirrye wisheth health euerlastynge WHaÌ„ I had fynyshed thys trea tise which I toke in hande to traÌ„slat of good zeale toward y e most sacred and holy worde of God deuisynge wyth my selfe vnder whose proteccion the same beyng printed myght be published abrod althoughe I knowe not youre Lordship by any coÌ„uersacioÌ„ acquaintaunce but only by a general fame that maketh you to be gra cious acceptable to the worlde for thys cause specially that you fauoure all good letters and chiefelye the holie scripture w t those expositours whyche moste sincerelye and purelye expounde the same I coulde fynde out none to whome for the sayde respectes I thoughte more conuenient to dedicate this my traÌ„slacioÌ„ than to your good lord shyp To whom although I be vnworthi to offer this presente boeth for my basenes of degre and also of learninge yet is the worke it selfe of suche pryce that it maye iustelye chalenge so worthy a patrone In thys Chapter ben certaine textes whych beynge cropped oute from the reste haue ministred to learned men muche matter of argumentacion some expoundynge them one waies some an other And forasmuche as there is nothynge but by euyll enterpretacyon it maye be depraued and that in all al coÌ„trouersies to find out the trueth ther is no rediar waies thaÌ„ to heare the hole tale tolde I thoughte it a dede worthy the labour to set out in our English toÌ„ge the exposicioÌ„ of y e righte excellent Clarke Iohn Bren cius which he writeth vpoÌ„ the sixt Chap. of Iohn not leapyng out from one text to an other but thorowely expounding it eueÌ„ in y e selfe same order in whyche the EuaÌ„gelist wrot it so y t the circuÌ„staunces shal not a litle helpe to the true sence vnderstaÌ„dig therof which maÌ„er of exposicioÌ„ is much to be coÌ„meÌ„ded And contra ri thei are worthi dispraise which rashli plucking out the texts as thei come first to haÌ„d not wayinge theÌ„ w t the rest that eyther folowe or haue gone before make theÌ„ serue to their own pur pose and apply theym to suche an exposicioÌ„ as they theÌ„ selues haue conceyued before in their own mynd Wherupon often time ariseth much altercacioÌ„ i wor des whych wold easely be auoided if at y â— begynnyng had bene laied a suar fundacion of reasonyng But thys expositour Brencius declareth hys mynde in â—…o clere an order that auoydynge all confusion the diligente reader maie sone perceyue howe iustlye one thynge dependeth vpon an other so that for thys poynte that is in declarynge howe the textes shoulde ryghtly be vnderstande by the iudgemente of well learned menne he maye be compared to the beste interpretoures that haue bene in anye tyme longe before What shuld I speake of hys eloquence whyche maye be sooner maruayled at than folowed If it please youre Lordshyppe fauourablye to accepte these my laboures not a litle shall I be incouraged to goo forwarde wyth the reste of the Homelies or some other thing of lyke Profite and acquaynte my selfe agayne wyth those studyes whyche beynge begunne of me in youth and so continued forthe certayne yeares haue bene a longe season althoughe not quyghte left of yet very much remit ted and slacked The liuyng God whyche nowe of hys infinite goodnes hath sent vs peace froÌ„ mortal bodili war giue vs also concorde of myndes y â— agreyng in one sound doctryne we may be vnited and knyte as meÌ„bers of one misticall body to our head Iesus Christ our lord to whom be glory for euer ¶ The Preface to the Reader IN these oure dayes whan the monimeÌ„tes of soexcel lente wyttes so plentifullye come abrode that therebye it maye ryght well be knowen ther be ryghte manye not onely perfectlye seen in all humayne sciences but in speciall in the moste fyrme and vndouted Christian religion no doute there is greate cause vnto all good men and to al suche as loue knowledge greatly to reioyse And yet to followe these principal guides and chiefe leaders not a fewe are put in dout either for that y â— iudgementes of men be so various and the wylles of most part so froward y â— to vp hold either this opinion or y t I wot not whither it may seme lesse apt to receiue thanke or more redy to dauÌ„ ger of euil speach extreme ieoperdy Which thing of some men is so feared y t it boeth taketh away theyr wittes wylles to do good therefore passe their life in silence But if this mind should be to al that caÌ„ do wel y t is that for feare of such diuer sitie in iudgement of al sorts of meÌ„ they should leaue of to do such profit as they myght do than myght it fortune to be a greate while or euer the truth were spread abrod and or knowledge should haue the vpperhand of ignoraunce Which thyng certaine persons encouraged by the spirit of God right wel perceiuyng haue valiantly put forth theÌ„ selues aduentured y e daungerous charge of euil tonges secretly regarding ra ther y e right iudgemeÌ„t of a fewe thaÌ„ discoÌ„forted by obloquie euil spech of a great many Thus dyd y t noble Poet Horace whan he was content with the assent of a few wel learned to whom he recited his worckes as appereth in his sermons Thus do also nowe a dayes suche as seke not for y e vaine praise of the multitude but onelye to rest in y â— bosome of the wel learned But sith talkyng there of is so coÌ„mon wittes so manye diuers ther semeth to lacke nothig rather than a iudge to giue senteÌ„ce of this great diuersitie which riseth not so much by douts in seculer science as by sondry opinions in most waightie coÌ„trouersies of our faieth religion Of these is nowe al meÌ„s talke I say they talke of diuinitye yea the learned the vnlearned the woman as wel as the man the rych w e the pore Unhappy be we christian men if in this our religion we be more vncertaine than were the heathe in their doctrine What is more displeasant to man touching the bo dy than darknes what to the mind more greuous thaÌ„ ignorauÌ„ce ThaÌ„ if it be so what can be on the contra
because of circum cision The Sabbath the sacrifices and other worckes of the lawe had their vse and profit but for these no man came to euerlasting saluacion Onely the sonne of man Messias only is the bread of life For whom to al that beleue in hym there commeth forgyuenes of synnes iustice health and lyfe euerlastynge And that ryghte worthilye For it is he whom God the father hath sealed vp For fyrste God the father hathe sealed hym from the begynnynge w t his owne Image that he should be euen together wyth hym the true and eternall God of the same substaunce and maiesty He sayeth the Apostel is the ymage of y â— inuisible god And agayne He is the brightnes of hys glorye and expresse Image of hys substaunce Wherfore seynge he is marcked wyth the deuyne power it is no maruayle that he is hable to saue them that beleue in hym and to gyue vnto theym eternall lyfe Further after he was made the sonne of man god sealed hym by open wytnesses that he is the true Messias and sauiour of all them that beleue in hym For as the seales of common writynges do testifye of the thynges that be done whyche are rehearsed wythin the letters so God the father testified by many miracles as it were by heauenly seales of Iesus the sonne of Marie that he hadde sente hym and anoynted hym vnto the true Messias and gyuer of euerlastyng lyfe The Aungell Gabriell was sent to shewe hys concepcion and hys natiuitye He was borne of a woman that was a Uyrgin He was preached of by the Angels He was vysited and worshipped of the wise kynges and whan he was Baptised of Iohn in Iordane the voyce of GOD the father was heard wit nessynge openlye from heauen that thys was hys welbeloued sonne in the whych he was pleased The holye gooste also came in the lykenes of a Doue Afterwardes whan he preached hys owne Gospell he dyd shewe verye greate and excellente miracles All these are Heauenlye seales whereby GOD the father hathe testified that he hathe sente thys Iesus and confyrmed that he was the verye sauioure of mankynde Whyche seales afterwardes by â—…synge from the deade by hys ascendynge into heauen by sendynge of the holye goost into hys Disciples and by spreading abrode of y e Gospell were made so strong that nowe ther is no dowt at al but that he is the verye Messias for whose sake onely men obtayne euerlastyng saluacion Wherfore althoughe there be a dewe laboure and care for bodilye sustenaunce whych when it is occupied doth perishe yet aboue al thynges must we labour dili getly to get the meate that abydeth into euerlastyng lyfe which is Iesus Christe oure Lorde GOD euen wyth the father and the holy gost blessed for euer Amen ☞ The fourth Homelie ALthoughe it is sayd that the bealye hath no eares yet the Iewes giueÌ„ to the bealy semed not to haue herd Christes sermâ—… deaffly For whan Christe dyd rebuke theÌ„ because thei folowed more the bodily meate than the heauenly and exhorted theym to worke the meate that lasted into euerlastynge lyfe they did well perceiue that theâ—… were bydden to do true iustice and to do this Godly worship that they myghte obtayne euerlastynge and perpetual good thinges Therfore they sayd vnto him Howe should we do to worcke the worckes of God Whether they axed hym in earneste or in game verilye thys is theyr meanynge What preachest thou vnto vs of working the meate that lasteth into euerlastynge lyfe that is folowyng iustice and doing seruyce to god whereby we shoulde come to perpetuall blesse Be we not iuste inoughe by the workes of oure lawe maye we not come vnto euerlastynge ioye by the merites of those worshyppynges of God whiche oure lawe hath prescribed vnto vs. We be circuÌ„cised We kepe the sabboth daye we offer sacrifice we steale not we robbe not we giue the tenthes we gyue almes we faste at tymes appoynted and we do many other good worckes What requier you of vs more or what shoulde we do to be more iuste and please god better Lo this is the old blindnes and ignoraunce borne in the nature of man to thyncke that goddes lawe maye be fulfylled by oure worckes and that they are inste ynoughe before GOD if they folow a ciuil honestye of lyuynge And althoughe we muste alwayes to oure power obey the lawe of GOD and that euery good worcke which god requireth hath somewhat wherefore it serueth yet is there no man in the worlde whyche is able to fulfyll the lawe by hys owne worckes It is sayde in the eyght Chapter of Genesis The felynge and thought of mannes herte is euel euen frome hys youth But the lawe of God requireth a meanynge and thoughte of man that is good wherefore if it can not be that as longe as thys naturall malidye stycketh in man and it sticketh because of originall syn ne yea euen in man also that is good and borne agayne by the holye Gooste and it abyddeth euen vntyll he â—…ye he cannot perfectelye fulfyll the lawe of GOD. The Psalme doeth saye in thy syght is not iustified al liuing creatures But the law requireth to thâ—… fulfillyng of it iuste and holy men Sith therefore that no man of hys owne nature is iust and holy before god it is plaine that no man of him selfe is hable to satisfye the lawe The law sayth Paul is spiritual I am carnal and I knowe y t in my fleshe dwelleth no goodnes If ther be not in the fleshe yea though he be a good man goodnes howe should he fulfil a good lawe And agayne The affeccion of the fleshe is enmitie agaynst god For it is not vnder the lawe of God nor in dede it cannot And althoughe carnall affeccion beare not the rule in a good man yet doeth it abyde in hym styll as longe as he liueth in thys worlde Wherefore he neuer fulfilleth the lawe And agayne The fleshe coueteth agaynst the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe These thynges be one agaynst another so that thou caÌ„st not do those thynges that thou woldest Thou herest that the fight betwene y â— flesh the spirite is perpetuall not in wycked men yet which altogether folow y â— affeccioÌ„s of the fleshe and haue not the holye gost but in good men that be endued with the holy goost But the law of God wyll not suffer any rebellion agaynst the holygoost but it requireth a perfect obedience Where fore seynge in a man be he neuer so good there is a continual fightyng betwene the fleshe the spirite it is plaine y t he neuer fulfilleth perfetly the law of god by his workes And sith it is so ye se how farre mischeuosly thei er whether they be Iewes or ChristeÌ„ hypocrites which thinke wyth their holy thynges and good workes to satisfie the lawe of God to be iust before god What shuld we do theÌ„ to worcke the worckes of God that is to do true
seme to knoweledge Christe thyncke them selues lost of Christe wyncke and they be greuyd wyth pouertye or dye And then in dede they woulde loue Chryste well if he woulde gyue theym yearthâ—…lye ryches and longe lyfe in thys worlde But Chryste teacheth playnelye that he gyueth heauenlye and gyftes euerlastynge I wyll not lose sayeth he And agayne he hathe lyfe euerlastynge And I wyll rayse hym vppe in the laste daye For althoughe he wyncke that they that beleue in hym shoulde be oppressed wyth pouertye sycke â–ª nes and death yet suffereth he not that they shoulde peryshe but throughe hys power and aboundante mercye he bryngeth to passe that they maye haue lyfe euerlastynge and he rayseth theym vppe agayne in the laste daye that they maye raygne wyth hym in euerlastinge blesse Thys is a greate comforte great is all their saluacion that beleue in Christe for what nede they nowe to feare They are troubled wyth pouertye â–ª but they haue Christe obediente to hys father whose wyll is that he lose none of all whyche hys father hath gyuen vnto hym They arefore diseased but Christe prouideth that they dye not in their sicknes they are condemned for synne but christ hath cleansed theyr sinne They dye and returne to duste but Christe saueth theym vnto euerlastynge lyfe and wyll rayse theym agayne in the later daye Wherefore althoughe all the myschefes of the worlde ranne and were ioyned in one yet muste you truste well and knowe that they shall be an healpe to our profite thorow Iesus Christ our sauiour whyche is wyth the father and the holy gost God blessed for euer Amen ☞ The seuenth Homilie NOwe wyll we talke of the Iewes murmurynge agaynste christ For although the Iewes whyche by thys murmuring declared their rudenes ignoraunce and naughtines be vnworthye to take anye care for their vayne wordes yet because that thorowe thys occasion Christ is stirred vp to declare hys Gospell the more playnelye howe so euer it be it is not negligently to be passed ouer Lette vs heare therfore what the Euangelist wryteth The Iewes murmured sayde he for that that he had saied I am that bread whych am come downe from heauen And they sayed Is not thys Iesus the sonne of Iosephe whose father and mother we knowe Howe than sayeth he I am come downe from heauen I dowbte not but yf Christe had preached eyther of theft or of murder or of adultrie or any other such parte of the lawe that not only they woulde haue vnderstande hys sermon but also if ther had bene ani amongeste theym that had loued honestye they woulde haue prayesed hym For mans reason althoughe it be viciate and corrupted wyth originall synne yet hath it kepte styl some intelligence of naturall lawe But nowe because Christe teacheth true religioÌ„ of Messias and of his eternall benefites not onelye they not vnderstande theym but they also grudge and speake against hym For althoughe the Iewes hadde hearde manye thynges oute of the sermons of the prophets of Messias yet because they were not lyghtened wyth the lyghte of the holye goost they dyd not vnderstande the true meanynge of Messias and of hys kyngedome The fleshely man sayeth Paule perceyueth not those thynges whyche be of the spirite of God For they are folyshnes vnto hym and he cannot know For they must be iudged spiritually Furthermore the Iewes dreamed that the kyngedome of Messias shoulde be a perpetuall worldelye kingdome And hauynge thys opinion they coulde not vnderstande those thynges that were spoken of the spiritual benefites of the kingdome of Messias Beside thys the commoÌ„ sorte of the Iewes thought that theyr Messias shoulde haue bene a greate Lorde in dede and borne of the house of Dauyd but yet that he shoulde be a man and not also the verye and naturall sonne of God as when thei were ax ed in Mathewe whose sonne Christ should be they answered Dauides that is man onelye of man Wherfore whan Iesus taught far other thynges of Messias they be so offended that they thoughte hys teachynge to be very vayne What saye they Althoughe thys were Messias of whome we perceyue he boasteth yet can we not maruayle inoughe what he meaneth y t â–ª he affyrmeth he came downe from heauen Wyll he take vpon hym to be God Uerely Messias shal be a maÌ„ We knowe also the kyndered of thys Iesus We knowe hys father and mother poore folkes and abiecte persons Howe dare he be so bolde therefore as to say he is god Here is a double erroure One that of Messias promised by the Prophetes they thincke no hier than of a man in dede verye excellente but yet but a man when for al that god calleth hym openlye after a syngular maner hys sonne saying Thou arte my sonne thys daye I haue be gotten the. And Dauyd by the inspiracion of the holye gooste doeth knoweledge him hys Lorde and set teth hym at the ryghte hande of his father An other erroure is that thei iudge hym after the outwarde sight of hys stocke or kindred yea y wys as thoughe Dauyd also beynge so greate a Lorde dyd not confesse the basenes of his kindred and had not bene wrytten of Messias whyche shoulde be borne of Dauydes sede that he shoulde ascende as a young graffe and as a rote out of a drys grownde neyther that he shoulde haue anye fayrenes or beutye but shoulde be the worste and moste dis pysed Lette vs consider therefore what canse Christ doth rehearse of y â— Iewes errour Iesus answered and sayed Murmure not emonge your selues No man maye come vnto me excepte the father that sente me hathe drawen hym and I wyll raise hym vp in the laste daye It is writenâ—… the Prophetes And they all shall be taughâ—… of God All men therefore that hath heard of my father and hath learned commeth to me not that any man hath seen the father saue he whych is of God he hath seen the father Thys is a memorable Sermon whyche althoughe it seme harde yet is it necessary to be knowen and if ye wyl vnderstaÌ„d it it is very pro fitable It nedeth not saâ—…th he that any man shoulde shewe me why ye murmur I know both that ye mur mour and why ye murmour Thys doeth offende you because I sayed I came downe from heauen And thys is neyther newe nor maruaylouse that you wyll not knowledge me that is verye Messias For no man can come to me no manne can knowledge true Messias and pertake hys benefites excepte the heaueÌ„ly father drawe hym The knowledge of Messias lieth not in mans wytte nor in carnall reason nor in mans merites but it is the worcke of goddes mercye and of the holye gooste But you Iewes you lacke the holy goost and the heauenly father draweth you not Wherfore it is no maruayle that you knoweledge not me that is the true Messias But howe is thys proued that Christe sayeth No man maye come to me excepte he drawe hym that hath sente me
hym to get saluaciō But in that y ◠al men haue not gotten or do not get the knoweledge of Christe and theyr saluacion it is not goddes faute but mennes For they as they do not receiue Christe offered vnto thē their saluaciō offered vnto thē so they wyll not receiue him yea thei do not once desire to haue a wil to receyue hym What should god do then Would ye haue him thrust out his benefits vnto theim that be not wyllynge againste theyr willes and resistynge hym asmuch as they can Caiphas heard the Gospell of Christ he sawe hym him selfe speake wyth Christ face to face I dout not but y ◠Nero which killed Paule heard speaking also of Christ. But what was done They not onelye woulde not learne y ◠trueth of Christe but were so wicked that they had not once a wyl to desire and if a man had wyshed a better mynd vnto them they would yea haue abhorred that Wherfore the faute of the vtter destruccion of wicked men is not to be ascribed vn to the maiestye of God but to theyr naughtines whyche whan they be drawen and taughte of God put awaye saluacion from theym not onelye wyth fote and hande but w t al their hert Furthermore what shal we saye of theym whych beyng weake in fayeth by consideringe of this matter make them selues more weake For they thynke wyth them selues If no mā come vnto christ but whō the father hath drawen what and if thou werte not in the nūber of those men whome the father is wonte to drawe For the father draweth whō he wyll and whome he hath chosen accordyng to hys mercy How than if thou wert not chosen For so althoughe thou seme to thy selfe to beleue in Christe yet at the laste thou shalte fall from C◅iste And further they compare theym selues wyth so manye myghtye men wyse men learned and honeste in thys worlde and thyncke what Shouldest thou alone wyth a fewe yea and those verye vyle and abiecte menne be the chosen churche of god and those be myghtye princes so verye wyse gouernoures of the common weales so excelent men in all kynde of vertue whych know ledge not the Gospell of Christe shoulde they be shut oute from heauenlye saluacion Shoulde God dispise theym and care for the and a fewe other Therfore in these like tentacions we muste diligentelye consider that we spake of before that is goddes eleccion to be shewed in the scripture not to weaken but to strengthen the fayth of good men in Christe Is it not a poynt of rashe madnes to abuse a sweard to destroye t◅y selfe whyche is deliuered the to defende thy lyfe This worde y ◠is sayde I wyl haue mercy vpon whome so euer I wyll haue mercy And it is not of y ◠wyllar nor of the runner is the swearde of the spirite whyche is geuen vs for this purpose fyrste that when we manifestly shoulde perceyue that our iustice is more impure the y t by the deserte thereof we maye be receiued to God and that oure strengthe is so weake that by it we can not ascēde into heauen we shoulde flye to thee fre mercy and eleccion of God But thou wylte saye it is vnknowen vn to vs whom god hath chosen God forbyded God hath opened verye playnelye in oure sauioure Iesus Christe hys wyll and eleccion And if thou wylte assaye to come vnto god wythout Christ thou canst not searche ▪ hys secreat counsayles But if thou come accompayned wyth Christe that eleccion shall be no more darcke vnknowen vnto the. For there is nothynge more certein then that god thorowe his mercye hath chosen hym whyche trusteth to hys onelye sonne Iesus Christe Thys sayeth he is the wyll of hym that hath sente me that all that se the sonne and beleue in hym maye haue euerlastynge lyfe and I wyll rayse hym vp in the last daye And agayne all the Prophetes beare wytnes to thys that he shall haue pardone of hys synnes thorow hys name whosoeuer shal beleue in him And agayne As manye as hath receyued hym to them he hath geuen power that they shall be the sonnes of God namelye to those that haue beleued in hys name To be shorte Thys is the chiefe poynte of all the gospell of Christe that he so loued the worlde y t he gaue hys only son that all that beleue in hym shoulde not perish but haue life euerlastig Wherefore whosoeuer hath founde hym selfe in Christ thorowe fayeth he suarlye hathe also founde hym selfe in the fre and mercyfull eleccion of god For Iesus Christe is the boke of heauenlye lyfe into the whyche whosoeuer shall be wryten by fayeth there is no doute but that he is wryten in the herte of GOD and that he pertayneth to the congregacion of the celestial Citizens But thou wylte saye I feare leaste my fayth either be not pure or faile at the laste What Thynkest thou that God wyll breake a brused rede or quench lint y t is smokynge The mother wyl not yet cast away her litel babe eyther being yet but tender of age or weake by reasō of sicknes but wil so much the more take head of hym howe greuouser hys syckenesses be and shoulde GOD the father be more harde thanne a mannes mother agaynste hym be he neuer so weake in faith to whom he hath promised all mercye in hys sonne Iesu Christe Knowest thou not whither this saying calleth the Lord I beleue helpe myne incredulitye It is not to be feared therfore leste god wyll caste the awaye for thy weake faieth but rather thou muste laboure by continuall occupiynge of the worde of god by prayer and obedience that fayeth thorowe the holy goost may be often encreased more and more And what meaneth that that thou shouldes be thoughtful of thy continuaunce in fayth Do thou whyle thou arte heare thy duetye Let god alone wyth the reste Knowest thou not that god is fayethfull whyche wyll not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we are hable but maketh encrease euen wyth the tentacion whereby we may be hable to suffer My shepe sayeth Christe heare my voyce and I knoweledge theym and they folowe me and I gyue vn to theym lyfe euerlastynge nother shall they peryshe for euer nor no man shall take theym oute of my hande But nowe thou arte made a shepe of Christ bycause thou know ledgeste Christe thorowe fayeth What fearest thou than leste anye man should take the out of the hād of Christe Uerelye as touchynge the wyll of Christ whych is shewed thorow the whole gospel thou canst not dout peraduēture thou doutest of hys power But he addeth my father whyche hath geuen theym to me is greater then they all and no man can take theym out of my fathers hand What Thynkest thou that Christes prayer was vayne and of no strength I praye not say eth he onelye for them but for those whyche wyll beleue in me thorowe theyr preachynge
Set also before thine eyes how great a multitude of men is wont in persecucion to denye the fayth in Christ. For as sometyme the Iews and Ethnikes so now the Byshoppes Turkes persecute y â— doctrine of Christ and the fayth in Christ. But as in tyme past y e greatest multitude of people among the Iewes Ethnikes dyd in persecucion fal from Christ so also in these tymes vnder bishops and Turks sometyme whan no man doth vyolently compel them they fal awaye which certaynly is a manifest profe that sayeth in Christe is not of all men as Paule sayeth also reken me y e hypocrites amoÌ„g christen meÌ„ that put their hope in the merits of their worckes nuÌ„ber also wicked meÌ„ and that do not repent whych holde on still to leade a naughty and synfull life Thinkest thou y t both they and these would liue so wickedly if true fayth in Christ were as comon as y â— name of fayth is common amonge Christen men What shall we do then We muste not thyncke that fayth in Christ is borne in mannes fleshe and that it can be conceyued by mannes strength but to be geuâ—… by the gyfte of the holy goost from heauen thorowe the Gospell Wherefore lette oure cares and thoughtes awake to thys that we may learne the Gospell cal vpon the lord y t the holy gost may worke in vs and not onelye gyue vs true fayeth in Chryste but also kepe and encrease it that we maye walke obediently in the callynges of god But let vs heare nowe what they get what they haue that beleue in Iesus What sayeth he than Saieth he they shall get worldely Empyre ryches of thys worlde Or other earthelye gooddes In dede these be the giftes of god and serue for somewhat in the earth but they are not true felicitye Neyther dyd Christe come into thys worlde to gyue to theym that beleued in hym yearthelye and traunsitorye good thynges but rather heauenlye and euerlasting saying he that beleueth in me hath life What maner of life that fadeth awaye or y t shortly shall perish not so but euerlastyng Also in y â— name of eternall lyfe he vnderstand comprehended althynges y t pertaine to euerlasting life y t is for giuenes of synnes chosyng into the sonnes heires of God rightuousnes before God the holy goost leadynge to obedience of Goddes vocacion deliueraunce and preseruacion in death and finally heauen lye and euerlastynge kyngedome Wherefore he that beleueth in Iesu Christe hath forgyuenes of synnes is chosen vnto the sen of God is couÌ„ted iust before god is endewed wyth the holy gost that he may obey the callyng of God is saued in death and receiueth the inheritauÌ„ce of heauenly kyngdome the whyche he shall enioye for euer Than the whych good thynges nothyng can be spoken more greater nor more excellente But I praye the what thynge is that thorowe whose merite he that beleueth in Christe getteth lyfe euerlastynge and so great good thinges of it Is that thorow the merite and dygnitye of fayeth that is of the woreke that the man doeth Nothynge lesse verelye He that beleueth in Iesu Christe obtayneth in dede euerlastynge lyfe and the profites of it thorow fayth but not for the merite or dignitie of fayeth bycause that fayeth is alwayes weake whyle we lyue in the fleshe nor neuer so greate as the worde of God requyreth But it getteth those thynges for Iesus Christes sake which is receiued by fayth For so it is added I am the breade of life That is He y t beleueth in me therefore hath euerlastynge lyfe because that I whome he receyueth and possesseth by fayeth am the breade that gyueth lyfe I am lyfe it selfe and perpetuall saluacion Wherefore he that hath me thorowe fayth he also hath lyfe and health euerlastynge What lacketh he than that beleueth in Christe He hathe not a rych house in thys world but he hath Christ the Lord of heauen and yearth thorowe whome he is made the heyre of all the heauenlye good thynges He is not garnished wyth some noble kynde of lyfe in thys worlde but he is garnyâ—…hed wyth Christ and for thorow whom he is noble not onely before the angelles but also before the maiestye of GOD in heauen He hathe not stronge health of bodye and longe lyfe in thys worlde but he hathe Christe whyche is perpetuall lyfe and felicity There is no true goodes than y t he wanteth whiche beleueth in christ And coÌ„trary he y t beleueth not in christ hath none of these good things He hath earthli riches but because he lacketh christ ryches are rather hurtfull vnto hym than profite He hath in thys worlde noble kynred but because he lacketh Christ he is not onely obscure before GOD but also shall be coueted wyth perpetuall darcknes He hath prosperous helth leadeth a merye life in this worlde but because he laketh Christ it shal at last be sayed vnto hym that Abraham sayed to riche gloton sayinge sonne remember that thou haste receyued thy pleasures in thy lyfe therefore nowe art thou condemned Wherefore wyth all the thoughte of oure mynde we muste bende our selues to thys studye to knowledge Christe thorowe fayeth and when we knowe hym kepe hym But after that Christe maketh mencion againe of bred whaÌ„ he sayth I am y â— bred of life by by y â— Iewes thou ght vpoÌ„ MaÌ„na as they dyd before so that they thought w t them selues What doest thou boaste that thou arte the breade of lyfe whyche hath come downe from heauen What shall we saye than of Manna whyche oure fathers dyd eate in wylder nes Wylte thou gyue more excellente breade than Moyses gaâ—… 〈◊〉 ourâ—… fathers Of thys thynge also Christe preached before and yet â—…owe also he reherseth agayne the comparacion of Manna wyth hym selfe that hys maiestye shoulde be the more opened saying Your fathers haue eaten Manna in desert and are deade This is the breade descendyng downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ that a man maye eate of it dye not I am the liuyng bread that am come downe from heauen If any man eate of this â—…de he shall lyue for euer Thys is the meaninge of that that Christe sayeth There is greate difference betwixte Manna and 〈◊〉 breade that is my selfe For MaÌ„na hathe not browghte lyfe to theym that did eate it for they that did eat Manna they are all deade But my breade or I my selfe brynge lyfe to theim that eateth me For they that eate my breade that is my selfe neuer dye but lyue for euer And Chryst in dede semeth whan he saieth Thys is the breade descendyng from heauen that a man should â—…t of it and not dye and addeth I am the liuynge breade whiche am come from heauen If anye eate of thys breade he shall lyue for euer â–ª to rehearse agayne playnelye all one thynge but thys rehearsynge agayne neyther is in vayne nor for naught superfluous but y â— one saying is the interpretacion of y â— other
for euer Thys verelye is that that Christ sayth The breade whiche I wyll gyue is my fleshe whych I wyll gyue for y â— lyfe of the world They be very fewe wordes in dede but in theym is comprehended the suÌ„me of al the gospell and the greatest benefites of Christe are set before oure eyes For fyrste whan he sayth I wyl gyue my fleshe for life he signifieth that hys death shal be our lyfe And playnly diuydeth his deathe from the deathe of all other men whither they were patriarckes or Prophetes Apostles or Marâ—…rs For althoughe they were cruellye slayne of the wycked and dyd not deserue before menne eyther for their naughtines or for their myscheuous dedes to be so cruelly kyl led yet is not their death oure lyfe Iuste and holye Abell was kylled of hys brother Esaias is sayed to haue bene cut in two peces by king Manasses Hieremye was stoned to death of his people These mens death was precious in dede in the syghte of God and bryngeth much fruite to the churche of GOD. For it teacheth that good men be sore troubled in this world it teacheth y t the kingdom of christ is not of thys world it teacheth that there is another life after this life for els good men had bene happye in thys lyfe it exhorteth also by examples that we take pacientelye the affliccyons of thys worlde but it is not 〈◊〉 puttynge awaye of oure synnes it is not oure lyfe and redemcion yea the death of saynctes hathe not put awaye no not their owne synnes nor hath not broughte lyfe vnto theym so far forth in dede as apertayneth to the nature of that death but onely the death of Christ putteth awaye the synnes of men bryngeth lyfe vnto theÌ„ Wherfore when we be cast into peril of death as we oughte not to thyncke that we by oure death should satisfie for oure synnes so that death must not be loked vpon and considered after hys owne nature whych he hath by synne but accordynge to the deathe of Christe into the whyche we be Baptised and buried For so it shal â–ª come to passe that lykewyse as we be made graffed into the death of Christe so also we be made pertakers of hys resurreccion Furthermore Christe sayeth not simplye I wyll gyue my fleshe for the lyfe but he sayeth more of the worlde By the whyche word he signifieth that he shoulde suffer death not onelye for the Iewes but also for the Gen tils and for al men in thys worlde what tyme so euer in what place so euer and of what nacions so euer in all the worlde they haue bene He saieth in an other place y t he should die for the nacion y t is of the Iewes and not onelye for that nacion but that the chyldren of God whyche were dispersed shoulde be gathered together in one And agayne He is the propiciacion for oure synnes and not onelye for oures but of all the worlde What is the cause then that all the worlde is not saued but a verye greate forte of men whyche are sygnified by the name of the worlde is loste Thys death is not to be ascribed to the passion death of Criste but vnto the wyckednes of men For as touchyng y â— death of Christ it is a sufficient expiacioÌ„ for al y â— sinnes of al men set out by the gospel to be receiued of al meÌ„ but al ineÌ„ wil not acknowledge receiue it thorow fayth but had rather dye in their wickednes than be saued by y â— death of Christe And what is more folish what is more mad than whaÌ„ you haue helth before you to folow distruccion when lyfe is offered to chose death when heauen is opened to go into hell What is more furious also thaÌ„ if thou thorow thâ—… doutynge or vnbeliefe seperate thy selfe froÌ„ Christ y t is thy hiest felicitie seynge that he doth not seperat him selfe from the nor cast the awaye I wil giue sayeth he my fleshe for the life of y â— worlde Art not thou a part of the world Nay thou art y â— world it selfe For the olde men dyd verye wel cala man a litel worlde And if thou be parte of the worlde or the world it selfe verely Christ gaue his fleshe also for the and that thou shouldest haue life For not onelye Kynges not Prynces not wyse menne onelye be the worlde but the moste abiectes of all whyche in thys worlde also are so muche the more seen of God the hyar that he dwelleth The Lorde is hye sayeth the Psalme and loketh vpon lowe thynges And he raiseth from the ground the nedie and lifteth vp the poore from lowe estate Seynge therefore that Christe neuer fayteth vs wyth his benefites we must not â—…ure selues set naught by our helth but receyue thys presente lyfe obedientlyâ—… thorowe fayeth in Iesu Christe oure saueouâ—…e whicht wyth the father â–ª and the holye Gost is blessed for euer â–ª Amen ☞ The nynthe Homilye MAny are the eares of men many are theyr dedes and occupacions but there are none more noble and more profitable I saye also more necessarye than those that he taken to teache the worde of God Blessed is the manne sayeth the Psalme whose wyll is in the lawe of the Lorde and that doeth â—…dye in hys lawe daye and nyghte Seynge therefore we are nowe come together to learne those thynges whyche the holy gâ—…st hath taughte vs by Iohn the Euangelist goto good fryndes let vs now hearke those thynges whych folow after the serâ—…oÌ„ â–ª of Christ y â— we haue here before declared as oure lytell power serueth For Christe sayed The breade whyche I wyll gyue is my fleshe whych I wyl gyue for the lyfe of the world Howe dyd the Iewes than take thys sayinge The Iewes sayeth he stroue among theim selues sayinge Howe can thys man gyue vs hys fleshe to eate Ryght wyl sayde Salomon if thou beate a foole wyth a pestel as weate in a morter yet wyll not hys folishnes depart from him Iesus in this sermon whyche he made in the citye of Capernaum so often warned the Iewes of the fayth in him playnly declared vnto theym that vnder the name of eatynge of breade he spake of fayth whych oughte to be had in hym as a true gyuer of lyfe yet for al that be they neuer the wiser but continue stil and hold on in their folishnes in the whyche they dreame a carnal tearing of Christes fleshe What say they Seyng we thought that this was Messias we promised our selues that we should get libertye by him that we shoulde haue aboundaunce of al thinges in this world worldly kingdoms and all the pleasure of this world Now in all this gapynge for he offereth vs hys fleshe to be eaten What an absurditye is thys If we shuld nedes eate fleshe we had rather haue calues fleshe than mans fleshe I pray you what is ignoraunce what is folyshenes if thys be not folyshnes The
Iewes sawe a miracle a litle before whych Christe had shewed in the deserte of fyue loues and two fyshes and they confessed that he was the very prophet whych the stripture promised should come but nowe for a worde or two as they thoughte in dede not worthy to be hearde farre oute of tune they iudged hym a very foole and a madde man What can be more folyshe or more impudente Wherefore whan Iesus sawe theire so greate rudenes he went not strayght waye aboute thys to declare hys wordes whyche semed obscure vnto theym and far out of the waye but he continued to speake styll that semed far more out of tune y ◠theyr folishnes myght iustlye be punyshed and that after the Prophet the herte of the people shoulde be made more blynde and theire eares more harde to heate and their eyes stopped because that those thynges whyche if they had take good hede thei might playnelye haue vnderstande they hadde rather lewdely interpretate and set naught by then to learne thē wel For whan Iesus before had resoned of the eatynge of his fleshe as thoughe it had bene a thinge indifferent and at theire libertye to eate hys fleshe or not eate it nowe he requyreth the eatynge as a thynge necessarye to get true lyfe and saluacion For Iesus sayd vnto them Verely ◅erely I saye vnto you except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke hys bloude you haue no lyfe in you He that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll raise hym vp in the daye You se wyth what asseueracion he doeth affyrme the eatynge of hys fleshe to be necessarye and the drynkynge of hys bloude He sayeth not simply except you eate and drynke but he addeth an othe Uerelye verely I saye vnto you y ◠not so much the trueth of thys sayinge maye be confirmed as the necessitye of eatyng and drinckyng signified And because no man shuld dout of what lyfe he speaketh straightwaie he expoundeth it more playnely saying he that eateth my fleshe and dryncketh my bloude hath lyfe euerlastynge For he speaketh of true and eternall life not of thys transitorye and mortal lyfe where vpon he sayeth more And I wyll rayse hym in the last day for althoughe they that eate Christes fleshe and drynke his bloud seme in the eyes of men to die yet before god they are kept in dede in thys life whych also shall be opened by resurreccion Youre life sayeth Paule is hyd w t Christ in god Whansoeuer Christ shal be made o pen which is our life than shal you also be shewed openly wyth hym in glory But ther be some whych haue wrythē thys saying of Christ of the eatynge of his eshe and drynkyng of hys bloude to the takinge of the Lordes Supper and because they sawe that by thys sayinge of Christ that the eatynge of hys fleshe and drynckynge of hys bloude was necessarye to haue lyfe therefore they decreed that the supper ought to be gyuen vnto infauntes also But Christe in thys place speaketh nothynge at all of the eatynge of that supper whyche afterwardes he ordained for a remembraunce of hys death For thys eatyng of Christes fleshe drinking of his bloud y t we speake of nowe is plainly necessary to saluaciō Uerely verely sayeth he vnto you except ye shal eate y ◠fleshe of the sonne of man and drynke hys blud ye haue not life in you What can be spoken more playnely of the necessytye of thys eating and drinckyng But the eatyng of the lordes supper is not simplye necessarye to saluacion In dede great is the pro fit of that supper and in dede whan you maye muste be taken and that after the institucion of Christe and in very dede great thankes must be gyuen vnto the Lorde for this gift but the vse of it is not simply necessary For Christ sayth in Paule do thys as often as you shal drinke in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not except you shal eat this bread drynke this wine you cannot haue saluacion but he sayeth as often as you shal do in dede signifiyng y t the church ought in dede to vse this sa cramēt euen vntil his last cōming but not y ◠the vse of it is so greate y ◠except a man take it he may not tho rowe fayth in Christ get saluacion Infantes at thys tyme vse not this sacrament Shal thei thē if thei die in thier infācie ◅e al dāned althogh thei be graffed into Christ thorowe baptisme What can more vniustly or more cruelly be thoughte of these infāts And what if one of a good age Baptised into Christ should be led of hys enemies into Turkye or euer he receyued the Supper of the Lorde and beynge yet euen in the myddes of Turkye kepte styll hys fayeth towarde Christe and yet coulde neuer vse thys sacramente shoulde we iudge hym to hel Certaynely if the vse of thys sacrament were necessarye symply to saltion it could not be y t he that neuer vsed it should haue lyfe And true health is set in Christ hym selfe and in fayeth that is had in hym not in the outwarde receauyng of the lordes supper There is sayeth Peter health in none other Neyther is there any other name gyuen vnder heauen amonge men in the whych we muste be saued For althoughe in the supper of the Lorde the body of Christe and his blud is distributed yet hath not Christe so bounde hym selfe wyth hys body and bloud to his supper that he cannot be taken but in supper for he is receyued also in the preachynge of hys Gospell yea excepte the preachynge of the gospell be ioyned to the supper there shuld be no distribucion of the body and bloude of Christe He is receyued also in ba◅tisme For who soeuer as Paule sayth be baptised in Christe ye haue put on Christe These thynges be spoken not for thys entent that we shoulde not often and obedientelye vse the supper of the Lorde For vnto a good man and that is troubled wyth diuers calamities as it is much pleasaunt so is it also very profitable to comfort and hold vp hys conscience by the vse of thys Supper but therefore they be rehearsed that we may knowe the sayinge of Christe that he rehearseth in the sermon of thys syxte Chapter of the eatyng of hys fleshe and drynckyng of his bloud not to be vnderstande of the taking of the Supper of the Lorde and that we maye knowe that there is a greate dyfference betwixt Christe hym selfe whyche onelye i◅ oure health and hys Supper whyche is in dede a profitable but not an onely meane whereby we maye receyue Christe And as touchynge Infauntes althoughe it be manifest that in the tyme of Ciprian and Augustine the supper of the Lorde was gyuen vnto Infantes that this dede of holy fathers ought not rashly to be condēned yet we ought not to thincke y t it is necessarye that the supper