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
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
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
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
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
No mā sayth he can come vnto me y t is beleue in me except it be gyuen him of my father Thou wylte saye then If the matter be so the faut of vnbelife in mē is rather of god y t fa ther y t wil not giue it nor y t wil not drawe vnto Christ than of men God forbid The father which wyll haue all men saued offreth fayeth vnto all men and draweth al men as touchynge hym selfe to Christe but all menne receyue not fayeth neyther do they obaye vnto the wyl and drawing of the father I know that no man can resist the omnipotent power of God but the mooste parte of men wythstand the wyll of God which he him selfe openeth by his worde Howe often sayeth he woulde I gather together thy children and thou wouldest not And a gayne you haue alwayes wythstand the holy gost as your fathers haue done so do you also Were not in the parable of the kynge whyche made a mariage for hys sonne and of y ◠man that had prepared a great supper many bydden to come And the rest that were not byddē yet are called yea and some of theym were compelled But beholde the sluggyshnes and leudnes of mā Som dispised and go aboute theyr busines some did vilainie and killed his seruauntes that bad thē to the mariage Other althoughe they come yet brynge thei not with them theyr mariyng garmente Wherefore the faute of vnbeliefe must not be ascribed to god but to the wicked wyl of man which furiously reiecteth that good thynge that god mercifullye offereth For where Christe sayeth no man can come vnto me excepte it be geuen hym of my father he sig nifieth not that god is the authour of vngodlines in men but he sygni fieth that in dede he wyll obaye the wil of his father neither that he wil take vpon him any outwarde regimente whereby he maye compel mē violently to receyue hym and that god the father is no regarder of per sonnes but that he bryngeth to hys sonne and gyueth vnto hys sonne those whyche receyue the gospell of hys son thorowe fayeth yea what so euer they ◅eme to be in their per◅ōs For God loketh not vpon the multitude not the power not the wysdome not the outward holines and honestye of lyfe but he loketh onely vpon hys owne mercye wherewyth he choseth theym whyche wyll receyue theyr eleccion and obeye their vocacion whether they be fewe or abiectes or dyspised of all other men I thanke the father sayth he O lorde of heauen and earth that thou hast hyd these things frō wise men and prudent men for they wyl not receyue these thynges and hast shewed them to litle ones Uerely fa ther so hath it pleased the. No man therfore oughte to be moued either w t the multitude or w t the power ei ther with the wisdom or holines of vnbeleuers and naughtye men to cast away the gospel of Christ folow euē together w t the vnbeleuers an other doctryne but must knowledge y ◠gospell of Christe thorowe fayth stil continue in that with cō stant faith If he do this there is no dout but god the father wil so giue him to his sonne Christ y t he shal ne uer lese hys saluacion for euer But for asmuche as we haue expounded this saying of Christ before also let vs now go forth run ouer the rest From that tyme forth many of his Disciples forsoke hym and wente awaye nor walked any longer wyth hym That y t Christ sawe should come did prophecie of y t thing came now to passe in dede The greatest parte of the hearers Disciples fell from Christ The twelue only abode stil. Here therfore consider me partely y ◠wickednes of man partly theyr ingratitude It was wickednes that they beleued him not whych had so many witnesses of hys authoritye But thys was a cōmon fortune to Christ his gospell y ◠men fel from him when they sawe y ◠by him there came no cōforte of worldly felicitie And it is ingratitude that for one word a litle as they iudged to hard they dyd dispise and forsake theyr benefactor For a litle be◅ore they had receyued of Christ a great bene fite in the deserte And I doubt not but there were manye in this companye whiche obtayned health by hym For or euer Christ shewed the miracle of the fyue loues and two fyshes in deserte and made this ser mon he had healed all those that were sycke whyche were come vnto him and that were dyseased with diuers syckenesses and ◅ore paynes and suche as were possessed of dyuyls lunaticke y ◠had the paulsy Yet lo all these were so vnkynde frowarde that they could not beare in theyr benefactoure not so muche as one harde a◅d sharpe worde And put case I saie let vs put case for in dede no suche thynge can be spoken no nor thoughte nether of Chryste that Chryst in hys wordes had a litel swarued from the truth or that he hadde bene somewhat to vehemente or harde other then i◅ had bene mete oughte they not to haue pardoned so litel a faulte for so greate and so many benefites But the vnkindnes of man is very greate Excepte you alwayes conti◅ue to heape benefites vpon benefites and stil to encrease them they wyll not knoweledge and confesse thē no nor they wyl not knowledge thē although you do so in dede And the prouerbe that is vsed in oure cōtrei is veritrue y t the ingratitude of men is so greate that if you wold carrie a man to Rome vpon your ◅hulders and laie hym downe sumwhat vngoodlye or hardelye you shulde lese al youre benefite W ha shu◅d we do then Shuld the ingra titude of man be so much regarded of vs y ◠we shuld therfore do good to no man God forbyd Let vs doe our duty y ◠God hath commaunded vs. For althoughe man be vnkind yet God is very kinde with whom a great reward is laid vp for al mē that do good dedes And now let vs se what Christ taketh vpon hym to do against these that fal from him Peraduenture he wyll strike them with lightening or wyll kyll them with his sword Uerely nothing so For where the Lorde saith in Moses He that wil not heare y ◠wordes whiche he shall speake in my name I wyl be the reu◅nger Christe geueth the reuengement to his father And tourneth him self to his twelue Apostels which only of al the num ber of his disciples ◅aried s◅yll and saide vnto them Wyll you also go yo◅ waye And he axed thē not that he was ignoraunte of the purpose of their minde but that by this occasiō they shulde shewe vnto hym their fayth and they shuld be strengthned in it ◅imon Peter therfore aunswered hym Lorde to whom shall we go Thou haste the wordes of eternall ▪ lyfe And we do beleue and haue knowen that tho◅ arte
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