of the Lord. Gene. 5 Lykewise Henoch of whom it is written that hee walked with God Noe thereby was not onely saued frō drownyng Gen. 7. but also hath obtained this godly title euen to bee called The preacher of righteousnes 2. Pe. 2. A notable tytle What neede I to speake of Abraham Loth Isaac Iacob Ioseph c. which in steed of preachers retained the true faith suerly grounded vpon goddes woorde and by good exāple and doctrine haue taughte the same to their families and posterytie A noble example to all gouernoures parentes and maysters is set forth in Tobie Tob. 1. which as it is written taught his sonne from his youthe vp to feare god and to refraine from euell And to the end that no manne should wante the godly lessons that hee taught lo here they folow Tobi. 4. Haue god in thy thought all the dayes of thy lyfe and beware at any tyme thow cōsent not vnto synne and lest thou lette slyppe the commaundementes of the Lord our God Gyue almes of thy goodes and turne neuer thy face from the poore and so shal it come to passe that the face of the Lorde shall not be turned away from the. Be mercifull after thy power Yf thow haue muche gyue plenteousely Yf thou haue lytle do thy diligence gladly to geue of that lytle For so gatherest thou thy selfe a good rewarde in the day of necessitee Laste of all hee departed this lyfe in peace but yet before he should depart he called vnto him his sonne his sonnes vii children saiyng My children Tob. 14 heare your father Serue the Lord in truth seeke after his wyll and doo the thynge that pleseth him Commaunde your children that they do right gyue almes be mindeful of God and euer to be thankefull vnto him in truthe and with all their power Prynt this godly example in your hartes and for want of a curate let this booke be your teacher if you can not reade lette your childe seruaunt or prentyse reade And hear you and learn to entre in at this straight gate and to walke in the narrow way that leadeth vnto life whiche these godly fathers entred and walked in So doyng you shal be suer as Toby departed in peace to haue a quiet houshold obedient children and faythfull seruauntes yea and that which is great deale better the quietnes peace of conscience through our Lord Iesus Christ to whom with God the father and the holy gost be al thanke prayse and glory Amen Pray ye the Lord of the haruest to send furth labourers into his haruest So be it The Gospell on the fyrste sonday in Aduent Mat. 21. AND when they Mat. 11 Luc. 19. drew nigh vnto Ierusalem and wer come to Bethphage vnto mounte Olyuete then sente Iesus two disciples sayinge vnto them Go into the towne that lyeth oueragaynst you and anone ye shall fynde an asse bounde a colte with her lose them and brynge them vnto me And yf anye man saye ought vnto you say ye the Lorde hath neede of them and straight waye he will let them go All this was done that it myght be fulfylled which was spoken by the prophet saying Es 62. d Zac. 9. b Io. 12. c Tel ye the doughter of Sion beholde the kynge commeth vnto the meek syttyng vpon an asse and a colte the fole of the asse vsed so the yoke The disciples went and dyd as Iesus commaunded them and brought the asse and the colte and put on them theyr clothes and set hym thereon And many of the people spred their garmentes in the way other cut downe braunches from the trees and strawed them in the waye Moreouer the people that went before and they that came after cried saying Hosanna to the sonne of Dauyd Lu. 19. f Io. 12. b Ps 118. Mat. 11 Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lorde Lu. 19. t Io. 12 b Ps 118. Mat. 12 Hosanna in the hyghest THE EXPOSITION SEyng that nowe from the beginnynge of the worlde amonge all Godes elect hath beene hitherto obserued and in this latter dais throughe the synguler grace of God indespite of the deuell by noble victory hath beene recouered and wonne Gen. 15 Abac. ◠Ioh. 3. that only fayth by Christ maketh a man ryghteous good and blessed It shal be therfore very expedient that we whome God hath called to thoffice of preachynge the Gospell faithfully and with all seueritye and treuth do often handle earnestly and beate into the heddes of men the doctrine of faith with repentaunce For suerly the deuel the very enemy of this doctryne slepeth not nor can by any means leaue of his peruerse malice and deceitfulnes For it is trewly alwayes his propertye to sowe cocle that is to say false doctryne amonge wheate Mat. 13 and when he hath done harme amongest the god wheate priuely to wipe hym selfe awaye Therefore when we shall preach or speake any thing of faith to the people we muste wiselye playnly and circumspectly declare what maner of faith it is that scripture so greatly commendeth Whence it commeth what it worketh in vs what her fruictes be and what things be contrary to the same or els our aduersaries shall alwayes be readye to slander and misreport vs saying that thorowe such learninge wee geue occasion to synne and forbidde good workes to be done Therefore that I may briefly sette forth vnto you an exaumple of this thinge ye shall vnderstande that faithe is a trewe trust Fayth and perfect hope in God That God by Christe forgeueth synnes iustyfieth vs and will graunt eternall lyfe of his only grace and mercy without any our merites or workes And such faith haue we not of our selues Rom. 12 but receiue it by the word of God the holy ghost And whē it is so by the word of God and the holy ghoste made liuely and effectuall in vs Righteousnesse of faith Gal. 5. then thorough Christe it maketh vs good iuste and blessed as the prophet Abacuc witnesseth saying The iust mā lyueth by fayth And suche a faythe can not stande without hope loue it must needes break out and by good conuersacion and godlye workes be made apparaunt not after the nature and custome of hypocrisy whiche is contrary to faith but of a voluntary wyl and an vnfayned harte Lo Mat. 7. this is the faithe that wee here speake of which is commended by the testimonye of scripture Eph. 4. And in likewise ye muste instructe of the repentaunce Repentaunce of a christen man That penance is nothing else but with all thy harte to be sory for thy synne to leaue synne and by fayth to cleaue to rigteousnes But of these things we shal speak mor at large an other tyme let vs nowe see what is to be noted in this Gospell ☞ Fyrste of all let vs considre what may alure and prouok vs to the same faith here mentioned of
more parte cloak their erroures with scriptures falsly alleged lest their deceite shuld be espied oute And of these speaketh S. Paule to the Corinth saying 1 Cor. 11 There must also rise sectes among you whereby they that be approued shal be made manifest Nowe yf there shal be amongest the trew christian men How he râ—tickes shuld be handled false chrystians Howe shall I behaue my selfe towardes them Shal they be clean cast out of our coasts or put to death No not so but thou mayest yf thou knowest such tares common with them in scripture instruct them admonish the oute twise or thrise vntill thou se that they be fallen into a false and reprouable opinion and that they wyll not amende and leue theyr opinion and theÌ„ thou mayst eschew them Mat 18 Tit. 3. and repute them as Christe and S. Paule hath taught the as hethens publicans open sinners and other commaundement thou haste none And when harueste commeth that is the ende of the worlde then shall they haue theyr iudge the worde of God that shall iudge them But and yf of thyne owne pryuate person Ioh. 12. or as a christian man thou wylte dooe somethynge else that shulde profyte in this behalfe go to then and praye to God earnestlye in thy mynde that he wyll voutchsafe to brynge them to the trewe knowledge of fayth and of his great goodnes wyll kepe and conserue vs from all erroure and false doctryne The payns of hypocrisie Fourthely in this similitude also is shewed the punishment of hypocrisye and the rewarde of trew doctrine and fayth The son of man sayth he shal send forth his auÌ„gels which shal gether out of his kiÌ„gdom al occasion of slauÌ„der offendicles the workers of iniquitie shal cast theÌ„ into the burniÌ„g fornace there shal be waylyng and gnashing of teeth Here thou seest the reward of hypocrisy The rewarde of faith Now harken to the reward of fayth Then the goodmeÌ„ shal shine as the sonne in the kyngdome of their father This text is cleare of it selfe God graunt all only that we may be numbered amongest the good and faithful and not amongest the hyâ—ocrites And as for the rewarde I remit it to Christ The sonday called Septuagesima Mat. 20. FOr the kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto a man that is an hosholder which went out earlye in the mornyng to hyer labourers into his vinyeard and when the agrement was made with the labourers for a penye a day he sent them into hys vineyard And he wente out aboute the thyrd houre and he saw other standyng ydle in the market place and sayd vnto them Go ye also into the vineyard and what soeuer is ryghte I wyll geue you And they wente theire waye Agayne he went oure aboute the sixte and nynthe houre and dydde lykewyse And aboute the eleuenth houre he wente oute and founde other standinge idel and sayde vnto them Why stand ye here all the daye idell They sayde vnto hym bycause no man hath hyred vs. He sayeth vnto them Go ye also into the vineyarde and whatsoeuer is ryghte that shall ye receaue So when euen was come the lord of the vyneyarde sayth vnto his steward Cal the labourers and geue them theyr hire begynning at the laste vntyll the fyrste And when they didde come that came about the eleuenth houre they receaued euery man a penny But when the frste came also they supposed that they shulde haue receaued more and they lykewyse receaued euery man a penny And when they had reseaued yt they murmured agaynst the goodmaÌ„ of the house saying These last haue wrought but one houre and thow haste made them equall vnto vs which haue borne the burthen and heate of the day But he answered vnto one of them and sayed Frende I do the no wrong diddest thou not agree with me for a penny Take that is thine and go thy way I wyll geue vnto thys laste euen as vnto the. Is it not lawfull me to do as me lysteth wyth myne owne goodes Is thine eye euell bicause I am good Mat. 19 Mat 10 Luc. 13. So the laste shal be the fyrst and the fyrste shal be last For many be called but few be chosen The sonday called Septuagesima Math 20. The grace mercy of God THis gospel doth chiefli coÌ„mend and extol the grace mercy of God by the which he calleth a sinner and maketh hym iuste and good in that that the housholder gaue lyke rewarde to them that came laste into his vineyarde as to theÌ„ that came first wherthrough is taken away al presumption of theÌ„ that putteth trust in their workes seing that reward is not distributed accordiÌ„g to the merite but according to that wil pleasure of the housholder Who dare now bost of his workes All is in the good wil of this housholder He geueth so much Ephe. 4 to whom it please him Therfore euery maÌ„ shuld submit himselfe and knowledg the vncleanlines of his workes and to put his whole trust in the grace and mercy of God Presumption is euen grafte in vs and therefore we truste that by the merites of oure workes we shal be iustified which yet by no meanes be sufficient But god is as S. Paule so calleth the father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. as for this opinion must we cast out of our mindes and only haue respecte to the meeke and gentell will of the housholder He hath mercy vpon whom he list and whoÌ„ it please him Rom. 9 he doth harden And to be short when by his word he calleth me into his vineyard he maketh me righteouse blessed Then muste I geue thanks to him allonli seing that bi his grace and no merite of myne it was so doone Likewise when god geueth this grace to me through Christ that in this diuine vocacion or godly callynge I can perseuer and paciently suffre the crosse and other afflictions I shulde not adscribe the same to mine owne strength but geue thankes to god the father by Christ for his such greate goodnes and clemency with the which he hath loked vpon me a miserable sinner For lyke as he by his word called me to faith and commaunded me to go into his vineyard of christianite it is necessary Rom. 11 Phil. 2. that he giue also to me his grace wherthrough I may abide perseuer euen to the end Yf therefore I be ioyned to euerlasting felicity without any my merite but by the grace of god not of mine owne strengthe am so susteined in the same what is it I pray you that this housholder oweth to me Nothinge at all excepte of his very liberality he will giue me somewhat Then yf he owe oughte to no man and yet so plenteouslye doth distribute the treasure of hys grace trewli ther is no cause whi I shuld discorag in my mind or dispaire although I were the greatest sinner vnder the son for therfore
sheweth vs so great grace and fauoure and voutchsafeth to haue his kingdome in vs and whiche doth dayly deliuer and defend vs frome all false doctrine and temptacion of the diuell and finally Mat. 17 frome all euell withoute doubte in the life to come will graunte vs also euerlastingly to lyue and raigne with him without ende So that in any wise we take hede in the mean season that we loue and beleue his worde and fulfill his will To this pertaineth the sayinge of S. Paule where he saith that we are the temple of god 1 Cor. 6. And also in an other place that god lyueth dwelleth and moueth in euerye one of vs Act. 17. as it is written in the actes of the apostels Thirdely this gospell learneth vs wherefore and for what cause the holy ghost shal be sent which Christe before with so many wordes promiseth to sende for thus he saieth That Comforter The office of the holy goâ— euen the holy ghoste whom my father shall send in my name he shall teach you al thinges and bring all to your remembraunce what so euer I haue tolde you Whereoute it is euident and playne that the holy ghost is sent into the worlde to teach Now yf wee cannot know god in Christ without the holy ghost muste be presente and learne vs so muste it needes folowe that we as of our selues can do nothing Ioh. 3. in those thinges that pertayne to godlynes and saluacion And that without we are lightned of this spirit there is nothinge in vs but darkenes The fleshe is darknes Ioh. 1. as S. Iohn the Euangelist witnesseth saying The lyght shineth in the darkenes and the darkenes comprehended it not Wher is now I besech you the glory of the flesh what can oure reason and oure wisedome bringe to passe Thinke you that the holye ghoste was promised to the apostels and all goddes electe without a cause But I wolde haue the verely beleue that Christ did well perceaue and know that no mortall man coulde haue come vnto the knowledge of god then by this spirite Wherefore else wolde he haue promised and sente it Nowe for as it is expediente playne that the office of the holy ghost is to teache not part or halfe but al. Print this in thine harte that foloweth He shall bring in to your remembraunce all that I haue spoken For I heare not in this place that he shall teache anye other thinge than Christ taughte before but onlye that he shal bring into the disciples remembraunce the â—â—ataynge whâ—ch Christe had preached The holy ghoste dothe in spite Hereto pertaineth that the foresayde spirite shal be sente in Châ—istes name Moreouer yf the holy ghost shall teache no newe thinge vnto thapostels but make them meete to take and vnderstand the preachinge of the gospell who then hath giuen such power to the Romish spiritualtie to ordaine and make in the church so many traditioÌ„s of men against this text Let a christian man learne here also that the doctrine of Christ is sufficient to our saluacion as S. Peter sayd vnto Christ Thou haste the wordes of euerlasting lyfe And in no wise forget that no mortall man can vnderstande this doctrine of Christ excepte it be written in the harte of man through the holy ghost as the prophet Ieremy clerely sheweth in the 31. chapiter The peace of Christe Fourthely Christ promiseth his peace vnto hys disciples and all his elect in this gospel And there is a notable vehemeÌ„t significaâ—â—oÌ„ in this worde My peace For Christe sheweth here a difference betwene his peace the peace of the world The peace of the worlde The peace of the world thoughe it be an excellente gyft and a gift that all only cometh of god for the which accordinge to the doctrine of S. Paule a Chrâ—stiane man is bounde to praye yet notwithstanding yt is teÌ„poral not song durable And it may oft chaunce that outwardly I shal fele peace inwardly warrâ— in the conscience But it goeth not so with theim aâ—â— peace For though that it haue outwardly resistaÌ„ce and is teÌ„pted yet nowithstanding it remaineth vnmouable not due not â—uerâ—â—â—e bicause it knoweth that with Christ the prince of the world hath no â—ight in him 〈…〉 Christe that god in heauen is a merciful father 〈◊〉 him Yâ— knoweth that nothing can chauÌ„ce vnto him against the good wil of god and that persecution shal not indure for euer Ioh. 14 Finallye Act. 14. that throughe suche lyke tribulacion he shal haue a celestial entringe into glorye This peace Christ left and did giue vs. Furthermore as Christe gaue vs this peace of his great mercy and grace without any deseruing so that it is necessary that we comprehend it in our hartes with fayth For works can do nothing in this behalfe as witnesseth S. Paul saiyng Rom. 5. Bicause therfore that we are iustified by faith we haue peace with god Fiftely this gospel teacheth vs The worde of god doth comforte vs in persecucion that in persecutioÌ„ tribulacion is nothinge so suer comfortable as to be furnished armed with the word of god And for that cause Christe shewed before vnto his disciples that he shulde suffre his passion therby entre into the glory of his father saiyng And now I haue tolde you before yt come that when it is come to passe ye maye beleue Rom. 15 And in lyke manner saieth S. Paule What so euer things are written afore tyme are written for oure learninge that we thorough pacience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope Therefore in as muche as the confession and knowledg of the worde of god and the gospel cannot be brought to passe in this worlde withoute persecution seynge that the diuel is so playne an enemye and aduersarye thereof it is meete and couenience to al trewe Christiane menne to bee so instructed and armed with the worde of god that our house buylded vpon a rock do not fal in tyme of persecution stormes of temptacion Mat. 7 and great windes Whiche God graunte to vs euerye one Amen The gospell on Trinitye sonday Iohn 3. THere was a man of the pharyseis naâ—â— Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes Ioh. 7. The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayde vnto hym Rabbi we know that tho◠〈◊〉 a teacher come from god for no man couâ—â— do suche miracles as thou doest except god were with him Iesus aunswered and lord vnto him Verely verely I say vnto the excepte a man be borne frome aboue he can not se the kyngedome of god Nicodemus sayth vnto hym how can a man be borne when he is olde can he enter into his mothers wombe and be borne again Iesus answered Ioh. 4. and. 7. Tit. 3. a Rom. 8. Verelye verely I saye vnto the Excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot entre into the kingdome of god Ioh.
ghost be all praise and honoure Amen The gospell on the sixte sondaye after trinitye sonday Math. 5. FOr I saye vnto you Except your rightousnes excede the rightousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kyngedome of heauen Ye haue hard that it was sayd vnto thē of olde tyme Exo. 20 Leu. 18. Deut. 5. Thou shalt not kill whosoeuer kylleth shal be in daunger of iudgmēt But I saye vnto you that whosoeuer ys angry with hys brother vnaduisedly shal be in daunger of iudgmēt And whosoeuer sayth vnto hys brother Racha shal be in daūger of a counsayle But whosoeuer sayth Thou foole shal be in daunger of hell fyer Therefore yf thou offerest thy gifte at the aultare and ther remēbrest that thy brother hath ought against the leaue there thyne offerynge before the aultare Iob. 42 and go thy waye fyrste and be reconcyled to thy brother and than come and offre thy gyfte THE EXPOSITION FOrasmuche as oure lorde Iesus Christe deuideth his righteousnes frō the righteousnes of the scribes and phariseis Two rightousnesses The rightousnes of workes it is to be noted that ther is two righteousnesses that is to say the righteousnes of workes and the righteousnes of fayth The righteousnes of works is when I intende and go aboute to do workes withoute fayth in Christ thinking that by suche outward workes the law is fulfilled And suche righteousnes did the Iewes vse for the moste party and in especiall the scribes and phariseis For the flesh wherin is graft hipocrisye is so affectioned and of suche nature that nothinge can please yt so excellentlye as the outward shine of workes and it canne haue none other iudgemente herein then that suche workes are acceptable before god and that the same are rewarded with euerlasting life Hereof commeth this damnable and detestable truste in workes with the whiche the holye prophetes haue so warred and foughten Esai 1. and. 19 and especiall Esaias complaininge on the Iewes bicause that they did worshippe the works of their owne handes And in an other place he saith This people draweth nigh me with their mouth and praiseth me highely with their lyppes where as their harte neuertheles is farre frome me But how doth Christ lyke this righteousnes Truly he thrusteth it into the deep pit of hell in so much that hee denieth his disciples the entringe into the kingedome of heauen excepte theyr righteousnes excede the rightousnes of the scribes and pharises How could this rightousnes of the Iewes be more contemptuously depressed If our spiritual men in tyme paste and so likewise nowe a dayes were and had beene so iudged and condemned vnto hell for their hypocrisy good lord I thinke for very pure angre they wolde spewe out tier But the spirite of Christe which is sent to rebuke the world of this in credulity setteth little by their threatnynges and angre Righteousnes of fayth The righteousnes of faith is when I hope and truste in Christ and not in workes but in such wise that I open and declare my selfe in the meane-while to haue this truste and confidence throughe fulfilling of his cōmaundementes good workes And suche righteousnes is the worke of the spirite and can not be comprehēded nor vnderstand of the flesh And forbicause she geueth god his honour looketh and trusteth allonly in his grace and mercy whiche is giuen vs in and by Christe therefore she pleaseth and is so acceptable before god that she is suer to haue euerlastinge life Good workes Marke that this inwarde righteousnes canne in no wise consiste or be without charity and good workes and withoute an honeste lyfe or conuersacion For it is the same good seede that fel in the good ground brought forth muche frute Againe contrary wise the outewarde righteousnes as a worke of the fleshe may be done without the righteousnes of faythe as we see in the phariseis Mat. 24 whiche be likened vnto painted sepulchres that apeare beutyfull outward with in are full of deade mens bones and filthines But thou wilte say vnto me Doth not Christe himselfe here call the righteousnes of the phariseis a righteousnes Yes Act. 10. but bicause god hathe not respecte of persones that is he careth not so much for the outwarde shininge of thinges as he dothe require the harte faith and spirite therfore he attributeth and giueth euerlastinge lyfe vnto the inwarde righteousnes forasmuche as the same neuer seeketh nothing so muche as the glorye of Christe And to the hipocrisye of the phariseis he hathe assured euerlasting damnacion Secondarily Christ proueth by a declaracion of a cōmaundemēt takē out of the law that the exterior outward rightousnes is not acceptable nor of valu before god wtout we haue ioyned therūto the inward rightousnes which procedeth from the harte Yee haue harde saith he how it was saide to theim of olde tyme Thou shalte not kill for whosoeuer killeth shal be in daunger of iudgement But I saye vnto you Whosoeuer is angry with his brother is in daunger of iudgement c. Likewise also Saint Paule saith Rom. 7 The law is spirituall that is the lawe cannot be fulfilled excepte the spirite faith and the harte be ioyned with the outwarde workes seynge that the lawe requireth not allonly the outward fashion but also the affection of the harte Therfore Christe in this commaunde mente that pertayneth to man slaughter maketh foure degrees wherein hee counteth giltye not allonly those that kyll and slaye with the swearde but also all them that with thought and worde sinne against their neighboure Anger The firste degree is the anger of the harte which Christe doth lyken vnto the outwarde worke of man slaughter And forasmuche as this angre is grafte in euery one of vs no man canne kepe this cōmaundement and precept except he be new borne againe through the spirit The second degre is Racha Racha by which worde is signified tokens of wrathe and hatred that is when I beholde my brother wyth a lowrynge and a grimme countinaunce or passynge by do disdaine to speake familiarlye vnto him And those outwarde misfashioned manners dooe condemne euen as muche as the deede it selfe The thirde degree is if I call my brother Foole Foole. By whiche worde is signified and vnderstande all manner of opprobrious and ignominious wordes and those wordes yf they come oute of rancoure and malyce they condempne me as well as man slaughter But it is possible also that such iniurious wordes ofte times procede of a faithful hart as we see that the pharise is were called fooles often tymes of Christe Mat 14 Manne slaughter and that is nother hurtefull nor damnable The fourth degre is man slaughter euen committed with the deede that is when I not being contente with mine iniurious and opprobrious words and straunge vncorteous countenaūce but go farther to handstrokes with my hande as did Cain I kil my neighbour
2 where shee had her childe with her Wherefore yf Christe did not spare his welbeloued mother but will teache that we muste come into heauen through many tribulacions verelye he will not suffre vs to bee withoute vexacion and trouble Act. 14. What thinkest thou that Mary coÌ„ceaued in her mynde when shee had loste her welbeloued sonne Doughteles she thought on this wise Alas God committed this childe to me that I shulde take the charge of hym And how is it that I haue thus loste him Verelye it is throughe my faute And paraduenture God nowe wyll not lette meÌ„ anye lenger take charge of hym Such thoughtes withoute doute dyd very sharpely perse throughe Maryes harte And heere nowe shee hadde not onlye the losse of her sonne but also the losse of faythe whyle shee toke this care thynkinge God is angrye with the and now paraduenture wyll let the no longer norishe his sonne Psa 24 These be the greate weighty temptacioÌ„s that God suffereth his electe sometime to fall in leste they shulde glory in them selfe and not learne to knowe that al perseueraunce and continuauÌ„ce in faith and vertu cometh of hym Christe is found in his worde And Mary findeth comfort no where but in the temple where she founde her sonne not ydel but hauing the word of God before hym And shee receiueth no comfort with her kinesfolkes and frendes nor in the citie of Ierusalem but in the temple So likewise we as often as we fall into tribulacioÌ„ yea into such depe temptacions that no man vnder standeth but he that by experience hath lerned we shulde seeke for helpe and comforte no where but with Christ which neuer offereth hiÌ„selfe to be seene but in the temple that is in his word althogh that oftentimes for a while he wil be hid from our eyes Beleue allonlye and dispaire not Esa 57 for the scripture saith He wyll not be angry for euer The obedience of children Forthly we lerne here the obedience of children towarde their parentes For although Christ saide to his mother that he must be busied in his fathers busines yet he submitted himselfe when he hadde done his fathers busines and went home with his parentes Here do we lerne not onlye that obedience shuld be gyuen to our parentes but howe and in what manner and howe longe also it shulde bee geuen As longe as thy parentes be no hinderauÌ„ce to thi faith in Christ but studieth to set the forward therein and agreeth therein with the then in no wise must thou deny thy dyligente attendaunce toward them Thou hast besydes this for an example the commaundement of God Exo. 20 Honoure thy father and mother And to this commaundement is added a promise which none of the other hath Wherby it appeareth that it is greatly required that this commaundement be obserued But if thy parentes will cal the from thy faith in Christ to olde abuses and mens tradicions then know thou that obedience is no longer to be geueÌ„ to them in as much as pertayneth to religion but we must folowe the saiyng of Christ Mat. 10 Luc. 14 He that hateth not his father and mother c. is not meete for me And in this wise did Christe For when he must be in his fathers busynes then did he forsake Ioseph and Mary But after that busynes done he cometh and is subdued to his parentes againe The second sonday after Epiphany day Io. 2. ANd the third day was there a mariage in Cana a citye of Galile and the mother of Iesus was called there And Iesus was called and his disciples vnto the mariage And when the wyne fayled the mother of Iesus saide vnto hym They haue no wyne Iesus sayth vnto her womaÌ„ Luc. 2. what haue I to do with the mine hour is not yet come His mother saith vnto the ministers What so euer he saith vnto you do it And ther was staÌ„ding ther vi water pottes of stone after the manner of purifienge of the Iewes contayninge two or thre firkynnes a peece Iesus saieth vnto them fill the water pottes with water And they filled them vp to the brim And he saith vnto them Draw out nowe and beare vnto the gouernoure of the feast And they bare it When the ruler of the feast had tasted of the water that was torned into wyne and knewe not whence it was but the ministers which drewe the water knewe he calleth the bridegrome and saieth vnto hym Euery man at the beginning doth set forth good wine and wheÌ„ meÌ„ be dronken then that which is worse but thou hast kept the good wine vntill nowe This begining of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galile and she â—ed his glory and his disciples beleued on them THE EXPOSITION FYrst in this gospell it apeareth manifestlye that matrimonye pleaseth God greatlye in so much that Christ was not only preseÌ„t at this mariag Mariag but with his miracle did adorne the same And howe shulde not the creature and ordinaunce of God please hym Gen. 1. It must needes be very good that he himselfe made This is veri necessary to be knowen of euery christian man that will geue him selfe to that state of lyfe Gen. 3. In the first booke of Moises it is shewed that for the transgression of oure first parentes a greate yoke and paine was geuen to matrimony Man saith God in that place shal eate his bread in the swete of his face and woman in sorowes and paine shal conceue and bring forth children and be subiecte to her husbande c. And that sorowe sawe Sainct Paule when he saide Yet shall suche haue the affliction of the fleshe Now then yf this kinde of lyfe so compassed with many troubles and vexacions were not agayne decked with consolations and comfortes of God who I pray you wold loue it or who wold iudg matrimonye to be a good thing ye who could suffre so manye bruntes of all manner aduersities Wherefore we maye here learne that seinge God himselfe did ordaine matrimony and by Christe dydde so noblye sette it forthe that trewly there is nothinge vnder this crosse but the very grace and mercye of God And if therefore vnder this crosse and carkes and laboures of this lyfe is hidden so greate grace of almighty God no man shuld be afrayd or abasshed of that state of lyfe what bruntes or sorows so euer he shal think to abyde but rather shall by all meanes geue his dilygence that in this crosse or sorowe In the crosse we shuld loke to the good wil of God he haue a respecte to the good will of God by the which yf anye afflictions bee sente they are both sente and dryuen awaye also And for that cause wee trauaile in this worlde that oure wyll maye be broken Mat. 19 and Goddes wyll whiche alwayes is good be fulfilled Therefore yf anye manne thynke hymselfe not mete to kepe him chast and wyll auoyde the horrible
could auoyde this sentence The wrath of god hath fallen vppon vs all And nowe cometh Christ and wil teache vs how we shal be delyuered from the same sentence that is by his word In the whiche is shewed vnto vs his passion and death considering this alwayes that we trewlye vnderstande and kepe this worde There is greate power and strength in this word Mine for by that he excludeth the lawe of al meÌ„ and of Moyses also and geueth iustification only to this gospell And yf we wolde well looke vppon the matter The difference betwene the doctrine of Moyses Christ we shall perceiue greate difference betwene the doctrine of Moyses and Christ Moyses doth only shew sinne in that that he commauÌ„deth and forbiddeth those thinges whiche of myne owne power and strengthe I can nother doo nor leaue vndonne And yet dothe he gyue the holy ghost wherwith I myght doo that he wolde to be doone But Christe in his worde dothe graunte the holye ghoste that I maye freelye and willynglye do those thinges that bee both good and righteous yea and by the gospell hee gyuethe me remission of synne ryghteousnes inheritaunce the kyngedome of heauen and euerlastinge lyfe that without any my merites or desertes of his onlye grace and mercye And this can no man nor Moyses â—y their lawes do Neither doth Christ aske any thinge of vs again but that we kepe his his his worde I saye And how shuld it be kepte We must in our hartes heare it What it is to kepe the worde of God Mat. 10 receyue it and kepe it The world goeth about to take it from the wheÌ„ she bringeth the to the trust in thine owne workes But thou must be stroÌ„g bold and hardy and suffre not Christ and his word to be taken from the but receyue it into thy hart kepe it which if thou do thou shalt liue for euer althoughe thou caste of this corruptible bodye Mat. 22 Abraham with all the Prophetes bee deade but yet they lyue with god bycause they beleued in Christe which was before Abraham and dyd ascribe their righteousnes to hym And yf thou do not receaue his word thou shalte dye for euer But paraduenture thou wylt say againe Yt were good for a man to heare and beleue this word sauing that so many wise and holy menne haue resisted it But what is that to the Doest thou not know that Christ is set as a token that shal be of many spoken against Thou arte not better then he If the Iewes wolde haue stoned him to death for his doctrine and holsome sermons as this gospell sheweth vs then must not thou looke to bee safe and sure frome aduarsities but muste suffre as he dyd seynge the seruaunte is not aboue or more theÌ„ hys maister And to make an end In the only worde of Christ is gyuen vnto vs remission of sinnes righteousnes euerlasting lyfe yf we beleue therein and will in no wyse be pulled from it which I pray almighty god through Iesu Christ to graunte to vs foreuer Amen The gospell on Palme sondaye is the same whiche is before on the fyrst sonday of Aduent The gospell on Easter day Math. 28. And beholde there was a great earthquake For the aungell of the Lorde descended from heauen and came and rowled backe the stone from the dore and satte vppon it His countenance was lyke lyghtenyng and hys tayment white as snow And for feare of him the keepers were astonyed and became as dead men Mar. 16 Luc. 24 The angell answered said vnto the wemen Feare yt not for I know that ye seeke Iesus whych was crucified he is not here he is risen as he sayd Come se the place wher that the lord was laid go quickely and tel his disciples that he is risen agayne from the dead And behold he goeth before you into Galilee there ye shal se him Lo I haue tolde you THE EXPOSITION THe EuaÌ„gelistes haue with great diligence written of the resurrection of Christe The resurrectioÌ„ an article of fayth and not without great and euident causes For it is an article of great grauitie in the knowledging of our faith one of the chieffest 1 Cor. 15 to beleeue that Christ rose from death and is become the first frutes of theim that sleepe And that it is an article of great weight and not easy to be vnderstand in especiall of a fleshly man so many actes and ensamples in this history declareth it that further proofe or more euident declaracion doth not neede Ys it not written in the Gospell of S. Luke Luc. 24 of the women that when they had declared to the Apostels that which they had seene their wordes were counted as wordes of no reputation or treuth Dyd not Christ himselfe shew them before Luc. 18. that all that was written by the prophetes of the sonne of man shuld be fulfilled and that he shulde bee delyuered vnto that heithen and shuld be mocked and when they had scourged him that they shulde put hym to death that vppon the thyrd day he shuld rise againe Yet this notwithstondinge they didde not beleue but through seinge touching handelynge and finally through many wordes and greate miracles at the lane were brought vnto the fayth Yea the angell here was not beleued vntyll suche tyme that Christ himselfe came and confirmed the Apostels in the faithe Therfore this article of the resurrection is not so hard to be taken and vnderstanded but it is as needefull and necessery to oure iustification and saluacion For without we do comprehend and beleue this article we shall neuer be holly iust or blessed Rom. 4 And this proueth S. Paule to the Romaynes brilfely but with wordes of greate efficacy and power saying Christ was gyuen for our synnes and raised vp for our righteousnes Thorow the resurrection of Chryste we haue obteined the iustification of God Esai 53 Wherin he sheweth two thyngs Fyrst he ascribeth to the passioÌ„ death and blode of Christ remission of sinnes which vndoubtedly by none other worke or deseruing maye be taken awaye as Esai witnesseth He is wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednes Secondarylye he assigneth vnto the resurrection of Christ our iustificacion Wherout it doth folowe â—hat the death of Christ how profitable so euer it be profiteth me nothing except that the same sauiour â—nd my Lorde Iesu Christe had risen from deathe Therefore yf I desire to bee discharged and loused â—rome those synnes that do stirre and pricke me Howe a man shal be deliuerâ—d from synne so â—s it requisite and needefull that I beleue that to be doone allonly throughe the passion and death of our Lord Iesu Christ without any worke or deseruyng of man And furthermore If I be made righteous the same righteousnes is obtained through the resurrection of Christe Now seing that our saluacion commeth and is brought to passe throughe the death and resurrection of
the grace and mercy of the gospell that the church gathered of the gentyles and of the Iewes shal be made one flocke and haue one shepeharde But here marke and take hede in what manner this callyng shal be Christe alone must bringe it to passe and performe yt as he saithe I haue yet other shepe that be not of this folde and those same must I bring also c. Christe muste bringe the gentils whereout it foloweth necessarily that the gentiles of them selues without they be brought by Christe can not come And yf they can not come of them selues it is manifest and playne that we throughe grace and mercye be iustified and saued as saith S. Paule By grace are you saued throughe faythe Ephe. 2. and that not of your selues for it is the gifte of god not of workes least any man shulde boaste him selfe Now yf we are called to righteousnes and euerlasting lyfe by grace why do we then boast vs of oure workes Whervnto is now free wil become why do not you leaue Christe his honoure Wylte thou become a thefe and priuily steale awaye christes honour Is it not sufficient that the pharisies those glorifiers in workes are called theues If ye are wyse take counsayle with the scripture and beleue the same if ye will be saued which saith No man knoweth the father Ioh. 14 but the sonne and to whome the sonne wil reuele it .. Marke diligently that he saith To whō the sonne wyl reuele it And in this gospell he saith also I I I my selfe muste bringe them When Christe doth bringe vs through his word and spirite then do we heare his voyce then do we willingly obey him and mortefie the old Adame in vs. To make shorte we lyue according to goddes will and pleasure Some there be that suppose that by this sentence Ther shalhe one flocke and one shepard is promised through out all the worlde Vnity concord in the doctrine of Christs faythe is not to be loked for vnitie and concorde in the doctrine and faithe of Christe but they be deceyued For this saiyng is fulfilled when both the Iews and gentyles are called by the word of god into the communion of one churche And in th ende of the worlde finally it shal be fulfilled when the faithfull as well of the Iewes as of the gentiles shal be disseuered diuided from the kiddes that is frome the vnfaithfull and taken into the kingdome of Christe Whiche God the father graunt vs through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The thirde sonday after Easter Ioh. 16 AFter a whyle ye shal not se me Ioh. 7. agayne after a whyle ye shal se me for I go to the father Thē sayde some of hys dysciples betwene them selues What is this that he sayeth vnto vs after a whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a while ye shal se me and that I go to the father◠They sayde therfore what is this that he saith after a whyle we can not tell what he saith Iesus peceaued that they wolde aske hym and sayde vnto them Ye enquyre of this betwene your selues bicause I sayde After a whyle ye shal not se me and agayne After a whyle ye shall se me Verely verely I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament but contrary wyse the worlde shall reioyce Ye shall sorowe but Ioh. 2◠your sorowe shal be turned to ioye A woman when she trauayleth hath sorowe bycause he thow◠is come but as sone as she is delyuered of the chyld she remembreth no more the anguyshe for ioye that a man is borne into the world And ye now therefore haue sorowe but I wyll se you agayne and your hartes shall reioyse and your ioye shall no man take frome you THE EXPOSITION Chryste sheweth his passion resurrectiō to his disciples IN this gospell diligently we shall note foure thinges First how Christ shewed before vnto his disciples his passion and resurrection Furthermore in what wise through his resurrection he shuld raign in his kingdome and go to the father This sermon and teaching muste needes be verye necessary whē Christ so oftentimes and with so many wordes repeteth it and sheweth yt his disciples Yea truly it is very needful considering the infirmitie of our flesh and the hard vnderstandynge of these articles Wherefore Christe after the manner of a faithfull maister and instructours ceasseth not contynuallye to inculcate and driue into the apostles hartes suche artycles that in all poyntes he mighte trulye and iustelye execute hys office And this is the exposition and meanynge thereof After a little while I shal be delyuered vnto the Iewes and they shal condemne me scourg me and at the last crucify me And lykewise as Ionas was three dayes and three nyghtes in the belly of the whale Mat. 21 so shall I be three dayes and so manny nyghtes also in the hart of the earth And that is the same that I say vnto you After a little while yee shall not see me and yet after a litle that is the thirde daye whan I am risen frome deathe yee shall see me But that shal be no great whyle for I muste go to the father and receaue my kingdome whiche is spirituall With the whiche hee instructethe and teacheth his dysciples what maner of kyngedome hee shall haue and in what wyse he shall entre into it The kīgdom of Christ Eph. 14 The kyngedome of Chryste lyeth herein That Christe hath ouercomme sinne deathe hell and the dyuell and hathe all the auctorytye and power of the father in heauen and in earthe that hereafter he beinge ordeined the moste mighty kinge vppon the hollye hyll of Sion Psal 2. shuld strength and rule his faithfull and electe through the holy ghoste And into this kīgdom he hath entred through his passion death and sheding of his blode as the prophete Dauyd sheweth before Psa 109 He shall drynke of the brooke in the waye therefore shall he lyfte vp his heade The Apostles knewe yet but little of the spirituall kingedome and thought it shulde haue been temporall vntill suche time that they receiued the holy ghost which opened their eyes and instructed them what manner of kingedome it shulde be how we shulde come vnto it and abide in it And if we desyre to enter into this kingedome and wyl ouercome synne death the diuell and hell it is moste conuenient necessarye that we know Christe oure Lorde and sauioure oure kinge and bysshoppe and that by his bloode wee are reconcyled to the euerlastinge father And we must do also as Paule monissheth vs in the epistle to Timothe sayinge 2 Tim. 2 If wee be dead with him we shall lyue with him also If we be patient we shall also raigne with him If we deny him he shall denye vs. Secondarily here is layde before vs in the apostles an exaumple of our ignoraunce An exaūple of our ignoraunce For as the
mercifull to me a sinner For none other worke can helpe hym Here you haue now the discription of the publicane which knowledged his offences and asked mercye Thirdely lette vs see and heare what sentence iudgement Christe did giue ouer them both Of the publicane he sayth He wente downe into his house iustified more then the other For wosoeuer exalteth him selfe shall be broughte lowe And hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted But how commeth that to passe that so righteous a man is here condemned and contrary wise so great a sinner receyued saued So yt is This publican knowledging his offences perceaueth and feleth his vicious and sinful nature and out of this knowledge he fyndeth himselfe so vnprofitable and miserable that he cannot in anye wise ayde and socoure hym selfe Wherefore he is not pufte vp he trusteth in no workes he dispaireth of hymselfe he mekeneth himselfe yet notwithstanding vpon that hope and confidēce that god will be vnto him a merciful god and forgiue him his trespasses he asketh mercy and grace And this hope and confidence meruailously pleaseth god Wherfore this publican is pronoūced iuste that by this exaumple the righteousnes of faythe myghte be knowen And contrary wise Righteousnes of faith Bicause the pharisey not knowledging himselfe to be a synner but proude and pufte vp for his workes sake whiche notwithstanding were doone without faythe and dispisinge other menne and exaltinge hymselfe of verye righte hee is broughte lowe And forbycause that he before the worlde toke the highest place Luc. 14 nowe with shame he must giue place vnto the publicane and sytte beneth For god wyll not regard his fained ypocriticall works Notwithstandinge wee dooe not reiecte good workes so that they come freelye oute of faythe and are frutes of a good tree but if they procede not of faith wee improue theym sayinge wyth saynte Paule What so euer is not of faythe that same is sinne Ro. 14. though the outward apparance shyne neuer so excellentelye For we knowe that hypocrisye pleaseth not god as scripture testifyeth saying The ioy of hypocryte continueth but the twinklynge of an eye Iob. 20. and the prayse of the vngodly is shorte thoughe hys pryde ascendeth vppe to the heauen and his hedde reacheth vnto the cloudes yet hee shall perisshe at the laste like donge in so muche that they whiche haue seene him shal saye Where is hee Lette this be sufficiente for this gospell The gospell on the twefte sondaye after Trinitye sondaye Mar. 7. ANd he departed againe frome the coastes of Tire and Sydon and came vnto the sea of Galyle Mat. 15 thorowe the myddest of the coastes of the ten cityes Mat. 9. And they broughte vnto hym one that was deafe and hadde an impediment in hys speache and they prayed hym to putte hys hande vppon hym And when he had taken hym a syde from the people he put hys fyngers into his eares and spitte and touched his tunge and loked vppe to heauen and sighed and sayde vnto hym Ephata that is to saye be opened And strayght way hys eares were opened and the stringe of hys tunge was losed and he spake playne Mar. 1. And hee commaunded theym that they should tell no man But the more he forbad them so much the more a greate deale they published saying Hee hathe doone all thynges well he hathe made bothe the deafe to heare and the du◠to speake THE EXPOSITION An other mānes faith FYrste in this gospell is praysed and commēded an other mannes faythe whiche afther she herselfe had knowen Christe to be a sauiour putteth al her trust in him willingly she breketh forth throughe charitye takynge thought for other men prayeth for thē seketh Christ for thē that thei also might come into the knowledg of faith to embrace Christ to be their allōly sauiour This we see in those men that brought vnto Christ one that was deafe and dumme prayed Christ that he wold vauchsafe to lay his handes vppon him Laying on of hādes The layinge of handes vppon was a custome vsed in the olde Testament and remained likewise by Christ and his apostelles in so muche that often tymes when they healed the diseased or wolde giue the holy ghoste Luc. 4. the layed their handes vpon them as we reade in the fourth chapiter of Luc. that Christe laied his handes vppon those that were sycke Act. 14. and .8 and healed theim And also in the actes of the apostels is written They laide their handes vppon them and thei receaued the holy ghost So these men bicause they hadde ofte seene Christe laye his handes vpon those that he healed they prayed him likewise that he woulde vouchesafe to laye his hande vpon this deafe man Here note that these men had true faith and confidence in Christe For if they had not had faythe why woulde they haue brought that poore man vnto Christe or why would they haue prayed him to heale this manne For to brynge the sicke impotent menne vnto Christe and not beleue that he could heale theim were not called seekinge of Christe but rather a mockinge of Christe Vndoubtedly they had a very true faith and did knowledge Christe to be the sauiour bothe of bodye and soule And that thou mayst easyly perceiue in that they praying vnto Christe obtained their peticion and throughe their prayer and meanes the deafe was restored vnto health Further thou shalt note that this deafe is come to faithe and health thorough an other mannes faithe but not thereby iustified and saued For to iustificacion and saluacion euery manne muste haue his owne faithe An other mannes faithe maye praye for me that God through Christe wyll make me faithfull but to get remission of sinnes I my selfe muste beleue and haue a perfecte faithe For it is written He that beleueth in me he saithe not he Iohn 6. that trusteth in an other mans faith hath euerlasting lyfe Secondarely for as muche as we haue harde Howe Christe behaued hym towardes vs. howe euerye man is bounde to beleue and hope in Christe therfore let vs likewise heare on the other partye howe and in what manner Christe behaueth himselfe toward those that beleue And here he is described how familiar friendely and mercifull he is which when this sicke man was brought vnto him their desier and praier ended straight wayes he tooke him a side frome the people and maketh answere with the deede that their prayer was harde And so in likewise how the prayer of all those that pray vnto the father in his name shal be hearde But what did he whan he toke hym asyde from the people He did spitte saithe he and touched his tung but why did he not make hym hole allonly with a word of whose power vertu Centurio spake Ioh. 14 Mat. 8. saying Speak but allonly a word my child shall be hole Truly he did knowe that in the latter daies ther shuld come
sufficiently approued and he that nowe seeketh any more signes or myracles let him heare this sentence Mat. 12 This aduouterous generacion seeketh sygnes c. Wherfore tokens and myracles whiche were doone in the beginning of the gospell by Christe bare witnes vnto the worde that it was of god and was the truthe The worde that Christ spake here to this Ruler which was Go thy waies thy sonne lyueth is approued by a token insomuch that the seruauntes come and shewe the maister at what hower the feuer had left his sonne And more ouer through this miracle they were all alured vnto the faithe as the Euangelist declareth it Hither pertaineth that Christe spake in the fourtenth chapiter of S. Iohn Ioh. 14 saying Beleue me that I am in the father and the father in me Or els beleue me at the leaste for the woorkes sake Out of all these thinges yt appeareth why in the begynnyng of the gospell were doon so diuers and many myracles God graunte vs the true knowledge of his holy worde Amen The gospel on the .xxii. sonday after trinitie sonday Math. 6. THerefore is the kingdome of heauen likened vnto a certaine manne that was a kynge whiche woulde take accomptes of hys seruauntes And when he had begon to recken one was brought vnto hym whiche ought hym ten thousaÌ„d talentes but for as muche as hee was not able to paye hys Lorde commaunded hym to be solde and hys wyfe and chyldren and all that he had and payment to be made The seruaunt fell downe and besought hym saying Syr haue pacience wyth me and I wyll paye the all Then hadde the Lorde pitye on that seruaunt and loosed hym and forgaue him the dette So the same seruaunte went out and founde one of hys felowes which ought hym an hundreth pence and he layed handes on hym and tooke him by the throte saying Pay that thouowest And his felowe fell doune and besought him sayinge Haue pacience with me and I wyll paye the all And he would not but went and cast hym â—nto pryson tyl he shulde pay the det So when his felowes sawe what was doone they were very sory and came and tolde vnto their lorde all that had happened Then hys lorde called him and sayd vnto hym O thou vngracious seruaunt I forgaue the all that dette whan thou desiredst me shuldest not thou also haue had compassion on thy felowe euen as I had pitye on the And hys lord was wroth and delyuered hym to the taylers tyll he shulde paye all that was due vnto hym So Iacob 2 Mat. 6. Mar. 12 lykewise shal my heauenly father do also vnto you if ye from your heartes forgiue not euerye one his brother their trespasses THE EXPOSITION THe summe of this gospell is We are bound to kepe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god that by grace our sins are forgiuen vs wherfore we likewise ar bound to forgiue our neighbour their offeÌ„ces done vnto vs. But forasmuch as it is wrytten here goodly in order in what wise a manne is iustified therefore dilygently we shall entreat of euery parte therof as yt stondeth Fyrste we heare in this parable a certaine part of the lawe There is no man vnder heauen but is bounde to obserue the lawe and yet neuertheles is a transgressour therof Psa 110 in especiall if god woulde contende with vs in iudgement For how shulde a maÌ„ here be iustified through his works yea though he had doone outwardly all that were coÌ„maunded hym It must be fulfilled and done with al thy hart with al thy soule and with all thy might according as god hath coÌ„maunded it And forasmuche as the saintes and the elect of god often times do stumble here offend and haue need to praye vnto god for to obtaine forgiuenes of their sinnes at all houres how shall an ypocrite then be iustified beefore god through his workes For the prophete Dauid did not pray without a cause Ps 142. when he said Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunte For in thy syght shal no man liuing be saued And in an other place Psal 31. he saith Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes is forgiuen and whose sinnes ar couered Blessed is that man vnto whome the lorde imputeth no sinne in whose spirite ther is no gyle Wherfore we must needs say that we all are this kinges detters that is we be al sinners For els how can my sinnes be forgiuen me without I felt them and knowledged them Yf thys physicion Christ shal be profitable vnto me so must I needs knowledg my deadly syckenes infirmitie And also yf I shal know my synne and debte so must this kyng bryng furth his reckenyng booke whiche is the lawe wherein my synnes traÌ„sgressioÌ„s be noted to shew me the same to th entent that I may meke my selfe aske mercy where at the last I fall doune prostrate before his feete and knowlege my selfe a very debter SecoÌ„darily Thrugh grace are our siÌ„nes forgeuen vs. after that this seruant was brought vnder synne and had knowleged himselfe a debter the parable sheweth in what wise he was released discharged therof whiche was through mercy and grace For thus goeth the text Then had the Lord pitie on that seruant and discharged him and forgaue him the debt This seruant promised to paye it all as troubled consciences are wont to do but the kyng knewe well that it was impossible for him to doo Wherfore he discharged him and forgaue him of very pitie and mercy the debt frely Out of all this we must learne from whence forgeuenes of synnes commeth For remission of synne standeth not in workes or in any deseruyng but is graunted and geuen vs frely by Christ of mere grace mercy For why would this kyng haue had mercy of this seruant and forgeue him if he had had wherewith to paye But truely Forgeuenes of synnes reason and the fleshe vnderstandeth not this nor comprehendeth it but goeth aboute to bryng this thyng better to passe through workes Surely there is contencion and strife throughout all the worlde of this one article The worlde will not permit and suffre that Christe is true herein and yet notwithstaÌ„dyng reason shall here bee confounded and Christ shal be true or els wee certainly shal be dampned euerlastyngly For thou must needes bee sure and certaine if you wyll be saued that thy synnes bee forgeuen thee And thou canst neuer bee sure of this article if thou do leane and haue confidence in woorkes or merites Wherfore if thou desirest a peaceable conscience thou must comprehende the great grace and mercy of God in Christe and that through fayth And if thou doest perceiue this thou hast on thy syde the holy Gospel that euery where ascribeth remission of synnes vnto the grace of God not to thy workes Ihon. 1. Dyd not sainct Ihon Baptist declare euidently that Christ was the Lamme of God that taketh away the synnes of the worlde Now
consider it and endeuour theim selues All preachers should cōfirme their saiynges with scripture that whatsoeuer they teache preache or otherwyse do in their office that they do it vpō a good foundacion of the holy scriptures so that they may euer be ready to answere to those as are not sufficiently instructed in their doctrine or workes or that vnderstand not their preachyng For euen Christ him selfe in likewyse approued his doctrine out of the olde testament and the Prophetes and that in many places And did not the Apostles in like maner Howe excellent an artificer dothe Paule shewe himselfe in recityng the textes of the olde Testament For whatsoeuer it be that is buylded vpon that sure foundacion of the holy scripture be it doctrine or worke begon or finished it standeth sure and stedfast Contrary whatsoeuer is not buylded vpon that foundacion there is no remedy it must nedes fall God through Christ geue vs the knowlege of of his holy worde Amen The gospell on the conuersion of S. Paule the Apostels daye Mat. 19. THen aunswered Peter and sayde vnto hym Beholde Mat. 4 Mar. 10 Luc. 18. we haue forsaken all and folowed the what shall we haue therfore Iesus sayde vnto them Verely I saye vnto you that when the sonne of man shall sytte in the seat of hys maiestye ye that haue folowed me in the regeneraciō Luc. 22. shal sit vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue trybes of Israel Deut. 33 And euery one that forsaketh house or brethren or systers or father or mother or wife or childrē or lands for my names sake Ioh. 13. shall receiue an hundreth fold and shal inheryte euerlastynge lyfe THE EXPOSITION IN the gospell of S. Mathewe ys made mentiō of a certaine ruler which did aske Christ what he shuld do that he might inherite and haue euerlasting lyfe Vnto whom Christ answered saying If thou wylt entre into lyfe keepe the commaundementes And forbicause he dyd aske lyke a iustifier that wolde be iustifed by his owne workes without fayth therefore he receaueth suche an answere as concernyng workes This ioyly felow by and by boasteth and rufleth out as the fashion of iustifiers alwayes is for to do and proudely answered of his works which he had done and sayth All these haue I kepte from my youth vp What lacke I yet Iustifiers are boasters of their workes What shall we say or think of thys vaine and proude confidence Peraduenture he shuld not haue had answered much amysse yf the law had not been spiritual as sainct Paule sayth and had not required the affection of the heart and the inwarde man and not only the outward apparance of workes workes wherin this iustifier was deceiued Nowe for-because that he should learne to knowe his imperfection and hypocrisy Christ sayth vnto him One thyng ye wāt If thou wilt be perfect go thy way sel that thou hast and geue it vnto the poore Here was sodenly a wyndow opened into his heart so that he might haue sene vpō what a feble weake foundacion imperfect fayth he stode But what doth he He goeth not about to do that Ryches are a let vnto life euerlastyng whiche Christ cōmaunded him but left him goeth his wayes Wherout it cōmeth well to passe whiche Christ sayth O how hardly shal they that put their cōfidence in ryches come into the kingdom of god It is easier sayth he for Camel to go thorowe the eye of a nedle than for a riche mā to entre into the kyngdom of heauen c. Whiche thynges when S. Peter had heard that it was no smal thing to leaue all folowe Christ and that he had already done it voluntarily not compelled thervnto he doth aske Christ what shall become of him thother Apostles It cānot be denied but that S. Peter with his brother Andrew frely voluntarily did leaue forsoke al although it was but litle folowed Christ And surely if Peter had been so riche as euer was Cresus yet when he had heard Christ speake in his hart this saiyng Folow me A carnal affectiō was in Peter he would haue left al folowed him Neuerthelesse it was a carnal affectiō in him taking thought for his reward before he had done his diligence or before he had brought his worke to an end And as touchīg this matter it semeth that Peter was like vnto those workmen which when thei were agreed for their wages wēt into the vyneyard but yet requireth a greater reward then thei that came about the ix and xi hour For when did Abrahā I pray you require any such thyng when he was commaunded of God to forsake his fathers house and folowe the Lorde into a strange lande Therfore Peter is set furth in this place as an exāple of mans infirmitee which notwithstādyng Peter s fayth of Christ Christ accordyng to his gētle fatherly affection doth gladly beare take in good part euē as it often tymes chaūsed in the Apostles whō Christ with such lenitie myldnes of mynd did so long beare withall vntill at his tyme he did bryng thē vnto perfection Yea if that good most bountiful Christ should reiect cast away all them whiche were weake in the fayth what should become of vs I beseche you There is not one of vs whiche would not gladly take a reward though he had not deserued the same by any maner of seruice Besides that all wee with good wyll would raigne with Christ though we haue neueer suffered any thyng with him or for him But loke not that that shal so come to passe but thus it shal be He that suffereth with me shall also raigne with me Secōdarily though it be mete and cōuenient that we do our dutie seruice vnto God of very loue of the heart without any respect of reward for the reward shal folowe of his owne accorde yet notwithstandyng Christ sheweth vnto Peter to the other Apostles how he will intreate them and what they shal at length receiue of him And this his promise he also confirmeth with an othe saiyng Verely I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shal sit in the seate of his Maiestie ye whiche haue folowed me in the newe byrth shall syt also vpon the twelue seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Heare howe large a promyse is made in this place vnto the Apostles For he wyll not onely conferre this benefite vnto theim although a greater can not be desired that by him they shall be made good and righteous The reward of the Apostles and if they perseuer vnto the ende in a true fayth partakers also of euerlastyng life by his only grace and mercy but also he wyll make them iudges that in the newe byrthe when we shal be receiued into euerlastyng health they shall sitte nere vnto Christ Of the whiche iudgement sainct Paule also speaketh 1. Cor. 6 Do ye not
shal come or do we loke for an other Iesus answered end layde vnto them Go and shewe Iohn agayne that ye haue heard and seene Esa 6. c The blynde receaue theyr syghte the lame walk the lepers are clensed and the deafe heare the deade are raysed vp and the poore receiue the glad tidynges of the Gospell And happy is he that is not offended by me And as they departed Lu. 11. d Iesus began to say to the people concerninge Iohn What went ye out in the wildernes to see A reed that is shaken with the wynd Or what went ye out for to see A man clothed in softe rayment Beholde they that weare softe clothing are in kinges houses But what went ye out for to see A prophete Verely I say vnto you and more then a prophete For thys is he of whom it is written Mal. 3. Mar. 1. Behold I send my messanger before thy face whiche shall prepare thy way before the. THE EXPOSITION FYrste of all in this gospell we are taught The office of a preacher what besemeth the ministers of the worde to obserue as well in their lyuyng as in theire learnynge For Saint Iohn is here so sette before our eyes that no man can denye but that he was a good preacher as for the office of a trewe preacher is this together with the faith that is in Christe What penauÌ„ce is iÌ„ scripture earnestly also to teach instructe of penauÌ„ce PenauÌ„ce I cal wheÌ„ a maÌ„ with his hert is sory for his sinne willinge to amend and after that to liue iustely as scripture speaketh of this penaunce Flee from euell and do good Psal 30 Ephe. 4 and He that hath stolen let him steal no more It is alwaies necessarye that I acknowledge my syn and corrupt nature if the preaching of Christ shall any thing profite me Now seyng that I must come to suche knowledg of corrupte nature and hatred of my synne then must needes the minister of Goddes worde sette before me the law fear me ther with Esa 40 shewing vnto me that all fleshe is as haye the glory thereof like the floure of the felde that is That I am a greate damnable sinner and that of my selfe I can nothinge doo and so muche the lesse shuld glorye or magnifie my selfe Knowlâ—â—ge of synne is sprituall pouertie And where suche knowledge of sinne is there the gospel is sowen with fruict in the whiche through Christ allonly is geueÌ„ vnto vs remission of syns And peradueÌ„ture this is the pouertye that Christ speaketh of in this gospel These two thiÌ„gs shalt thou find in S. Iohn First he speaketh of penauÌ„ce ccoÌ„cludeth euery maÌ„ to be vnder sin lest thei shuld glori in the selues And for that cause dothe baptise in water as a token of penaunce Rom. 3. And after he hath brought the people into the knowledge of theire sinne he teacheth the Gosspel Iohn 1. saiyng Behold the lambe of God that takith away the sinne of the worlde And in this wise vseth saynt Iohn the office of a good preacher and continueth in the same in so muche that he sendeth his disciples to none other but to Christe not that he doughteth of Christ but that thei should also learn that Christ is the only sauiour of the world and the very samet hat sainct Iohn testifieth of Christ also praiseth him for his coÌ„tancy and stablenes sayinge He is no reede that wauereth hither thither with the wind nor is of that sorte that to daye teacheth this and to morowe in contrary wyse And to this purpose it pertaineth also that Iohn is more then a prophete Which thing againe muste be referred to his office The prophets before him did only prophecie that Christe our Lorde and saue oure shulde come Iohn poynting with his fynger dyd shewe him then present The lyfe of sainte Iohn Wyll ye heare any more of the life of Iohn then is mentioned in the third chapter of Mathew Hear what Christ sayeth here He is not clothed in softe garmentes as who saith His lyfe is not set in voluptuousnes but is mortefied from all carnall concupiscence and pride and liueth iustly to Gods worde Neither sytteth he in the palace of a kynge but in fetters and cheynes Now lyke as Saint Iohn did sincerely execute his office and kepte him selfe in good conuersation so likewise it becommeth the ministers of the Gospell to do Also in this gospell the person of Christ is so touched and set forthe The goodnes of Christ that thow maist know wel him to be gentel meke and lowly For he dyd not hardly intreat or driue away the discipls of Iohn althogh they were of small fayth but gentely in worde and deede did instructe them And saide Go your way and tell Iohn what ye haue seene The blynd doth see and the lame doth go c. As who sayeth Iohn knowech very well by the prophete what workes Messias shal do and yet go you and shew vnto him what ye haue sene that afterward he may tel you whether I be the same Messias that the prophecy speketh of or whether any other be lokid for Esa 35. Thys be the words of the prophet God hiÌ„ selfe shall come and redeme vs. Then shall the blind see and the defe here Then shale the haiting lepe like the harte and dume men shall speke And Christ further saith Poore meÌ„ do hear the glad tidings of the preachers of the gospel As he shuld say again Hitherto ye haue had Moyses the law But Moyses could not geue you the spirite wherwith ye myght haue fulfilled the lawe And nowe ye heare of an other maner lernyng that is the gospell verely by the which they that be poore in spirit and knowledg their synnes do frely through Christe receiue remission of synne without merite of workes and shal be pertakers of the kyngdom of heauen with the childreÌ„ of God so that they beleue in Christ Rom. 1. The very poore And in suche wiâ—e also speaketh S. Paule The gospel is the power of God to euery man that beleueth to be saued thereby And Christe speaketh by these wordes Tel Iohn Lo yt is preached to the poore people that is to them that be contrite in herte and be destitute of all helpe and comforte A ioy ful mesage trewly that through my benifyte they shal hereafter haue a mercyful God remission of all sinnes iustice and euerlasting helth by very grace and mercye withoute any merite of workes And now yf Iohn hear of these thinges agayne yt muste playnly be manifest vnto you whether I be Messias or not And he knoweth wel ynough wher to suche message is sente vnto hym namely that he shulde shewe it to men Lo in this wise Christe teacheth Iohnes disciples not with wordes alonly but with deeds also that they might beleue and obtayn euerlasting lyfe Now if any man were taught outwardely by this worde
hilles and reade sea wher was so great trembling fear that they thought it impossible any of them to escape the wrath of Pharao But god by by layde a block in Pharaos way Al thes things knew Mary wel inoghe Yea and although Christ sayde Woman what haue I to do with the yet was she not astonyed by and by although Christe sharpely did answere but sayde to the seruauntes and ministers What soeuer he sayth to you do the same And therfore she obtayned the thynge that she desired of Christ Which raigned with the father and the holye ghoste worlde withoute ende Amen The thyrde sonday after Epiphany Mathew 8. WHEN hee was come downe from the mountayne muche people folowed hym And beholde Luc. 5. Mar. â— there came a leper and worshiped hym saying Maister yf thou wylâ—e thoâ— canst make me clean And Iesus put forth his hand and touched hym saiyng I wyll be thou cleane and immediatly hys leprosyâ— was clensed And Iesus sayth vnto hym se thou tell no man Leu. 14. but go and shewe thy selfe to the priest and offre the gyfte that Moyses commaunded to be offered for a witnesse vnto them THE EXPOSITION The goodnes oâ— Christ IN this gospell we se fyrste of all how greate goodnes mercye and loue God had not allonly towarde the leprouse man but also towarde the capitayn beyng a gentyle yea and how ready he is to yelde hymselfe wholy for vs al yf we knowyng our owne disease and sycknes wil seeke him the faithfull physicion for the sowle and long for his help and grace They be al lyuely examples that be here layde before vs. Fyrst the benefyt of loue and beneuolence of Christ is conferred to the leper For at his instaunce and desyre Iesus put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou cleane O what great clemencye here is As sone as the lepper had spoken one word and asked helth Christ by and by was redy and holpe hym Further marke that this word I wyll I wyll is nother vayne nor ydell but full of comfort For suche promise as he made to the leper by the same worde he wolde generally to be a promise to vs all whereby he certefieth strengneth our hartes also that wee should not dought but that he is ready in all necessities without any denay to geue vs his continual helpe And hereto may be applied that is sayde by S. Marke Cap. 1. that Iesus had compassion vpon this man For in this compassion wee maye see that Christ hath pity vpon our misery The pitefulnes of Christ Heb. 4. and that we haue suche a bishoppe which in his harte is moued and stered with our miserye Now as the goodnes and loue of Christ doth appeare and sheweth himselfe towarde the lepoure so likewise the moste gentell harte of Christ is shewed and commended towarde vs in that he did so soone promise at the fyrste desyre of the Centurion to come and helpe his seruaunte And althoughe Christe came not but to redeeme the lost sheepe of the house of Israell Mat. 15 yet in this doinge he wolde shewe vnto vs that after his resurrection The callinge of heithen he shuld cal the Iewes and gentils to the felowshippe and communion of one faythe as he saith here That many shall come from the easte and the west and shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Seynge nowe that God the father of heauen hath so plenteouslye on euery partye shewed and geuen vnto vs throughe Christ his grace and mercy yt is meere that we knowe this grace and attaine vnto it by faith wherthrough we may be by hym kepte and reserued both in body and sowle for euer Secondarely Exaumples of fayth we haue in this place two goodly examples of faith One of the lepour and thother of the Centurion or capitayne And it appeareth manifestly by the lepoure that he had a righte and trewe faith in that that he draweth neare Christe asking his helpe and knowledging that he cannot helpe himselfe And although by Moyses lawe he was set aparte from the communion of men and muste therefore escâ—ewe their company yet he ronneth to Christ faithfully beleuing in his mind that he is lord ouer the law and the leprye Wherin he expressed the nature property of fayth whych hasteth not but only to Christ of hiÌ„ in euery necessitie she loketh for his comfort and help norwyl suffre her to be stayed nor letted by no meanes from the fruicioÌ„ of this Christ As it is written in S. Mat. of the blynde men Mat. 20 which the more the people dyd for byd them to cry the lowder they cried But how came this lepoure by such faith He had herd that Christ was a man of greate humanitie and gentelnes and that he was very diligent ready to help and geue health to the sicke and so by such heariÌ„g he conceaued such a trust of Christ that he wolde as verely help him as he had holpen many other diuers times Faythe And this is the trew fath when I beleue that god the father through Christ wil make me whole righteous and blessed by his grace and mercy withoute any merite of mine owne workes And such a faith was in the Centurion For by hearing the gospel he learned and knew that Christe was lord ouer syn and al sickenes and diseases He did not onlye beleue that Christe coulde helpe if he were present but also yf he were absent and spake but a word And therfore wolde not the Christ shulde enter into his house as he offered to do but in speaking of a word beleued that his seruaunt shulde be healed I sayth he haue seruaunts vnder me to whome if I saye come hither they come And if I byd them go theyr waye they do by and by departe Howe much more must those thinges needs be done which thou commaundest that arte not such a capitayn â—as I am but lord of heauen and earth This faith did Christ coÌ„mend and said that he had not found so great faith no not in Israell Now if thou wilt be made cleane from the leprosye of false doctrine and stedfastly abide in the gospel euen to the ende go to then Christe wil be prayed vnto and call vpon Christ that he maye geue you his spirite and grace and he shall saye vnto the I wyll I wyll geue the my spirite Forthermore yf thou wylt thyselfe and all thine to be saued bodye and soule seeke oute Christe and dispaire of thy selfe then shal he saye vnto the Be yt vnto the as thou beleuest Thirdely we learne of this lepour that whatsoeuer we aske in our prayer To commytte al thinges vnto God we shulde remitte all to the goodnes and wyll of God consyderinge that wee bee so ignoraunte of oure owne saluacion that wee knowe not what wee shulde pray as wee oughte to dooe The leapoure asketh of Christe
The hired seruaunt flieth bicause he is an hyred seruaunt and careth not for the sheepe I am the good sheephâ—rd and knowe my sheepe and am knowen of myne As my father knoweth me euen so knowe I also my father And 2 Tim. 2 Mat. 11 Mar. 10 Luc. 10. I geue my lyfe for the sheep And other sheepe I haue whych are not of this folde them also muste I bringe and they shall heare my voice and there shal be one folde and one shepeharde THE EXPOSITION The good shephard The hierynge IN this similitude firste of all a good shepeherd and a hyred seruaunte be compared and the nature and propertie of both be described But this is to be noted that this present gospel is part of the similitude which Christe in the 10. chapt of Iohn put forth to the Phariseis of the dore the sheepefolde the shepharde and the porter For the Phariseis herde and taught the lawe but they vnderstod not Moyses which did not all only require of them the outeward workes but rather the affection of the harte Wherof it came that they coulde not teache the rightousnes of faith that was accepted before god nor yet could print it rightly in peoples hartes Then for as muche as in the steede of this righteousnes they taughte the righteousnes of workes and soughte saluacion by an other meane then by the seede of Abraham promised vnto theim willing other also to seke the same Therfore Christ sayd not withoute a cause in the beginning of this similitude that they entred not in at the dore but that they were theues murtherers For there cannot be begonne or raysed vppe in the church greater mischiefe or murther then to teache to trust in workes Phil. 3. Dogges Of the which doctoures Paule speketh when he saith Beware of dogges beware of euel workers He calleth the false prophetes dogges that for theyr owne lucre and aduauntage wil not teache the people the righteousnes of faithe but the righteousnes of workes against the wholsome doctrine of Christe And Christe called theim hyred seruauntes Wherefore Forbycause they care not for the sheepe bycause they regarde not the helth and saluacion of the sheepe neyther wyll daunger them selues therfore And so it is written in the prophete Soph. 3 Her prophetes are lyghte persones c. For the hyred seruaunt tarieth while he findeth aduauntage but when he perceyueth none aduauÌ„tage he flyeth awaye ye thoughe the wolfe shuld eate vp all his sheepe But Christ doth not so for he saith I am a good shepehard c. Surely all only Christ is the good shepeharde for he hath got and obteyned for his sheepe through his death the pasture and feeding of euerlastinge lyfe Out of this office of Christ we may knowe what mynde Christ beareth toward vs. For he beareth vs such affection that he will saue vs and not destroye vs. Howe doth he confirme that vnto vs In feedinge dyinge Feedyng is in the scripture a common terme Feding and is as much to saye as to teache goddes word rightly without mingling therwith false doctrine as thou seeste in the laste chapiter of Iohn where Christe saithe Peter feede my sheepe And in the actes of the apostels Act. 1â— The holye ghoste hath sette you to be bysshoppes to feede the congregation of god With this feedinge with this doctrine hathe god fyrste serued his sheepe and afterwarde with his death and shedinge of his precious blode that they being saued for euer shulde not be a praye to the wolues Who to dye wolde not beleue suche a shepharde Who wolde desire other feeding Now compare Christ and the hiered seruaunte togyther Christe seeketh the commoditie and profyte of the sheepe The hierelynge seeketh his owne wealthe and commoditye The one hath the worde of lyfe the other of condemnacion The one quickeneth the other slayeth The one refresheth and comforteth the other chargeth and troubleth mennes consciences The one abideth with the shepe in al need and necessitye and the other flyeth away Briefely Christ is allonly the good shepeharde which thorough his doctrine and death hath made vs iuste righteous and hollye Secondarily wee haue here in this gospell a meruailous coÌ„fortable saying in that that Christe repeteth that he is the good shepeharde c. In the which wordes he declareth what thought and care he taketh for his sheepe that they be well kept and haue good feeding And that wee shulde vndoubtedly bee suer that he careth for his sheepe he ioyneth and addeth that he knoweth vs none otherwise then the father acknowledgeth him and hee the father For Christe and the father be one substance vndeuided so that Christ can not be seperated from the father nor the father from Christ For if Christe coulde be seperated from the father then coulde there not be one god And that meaneth the father Mat 17 when he sayeth Here is my welbeloued son in whome I delite heare him Whiche is euen as much to say as to heare obey Christ my son is to heare and obey me Lykewise here the son meaneth the same thinge when he sayethe Ioh. 1â— I and the father are one Also to Phylippe he saith Ioh. 14 Phylyppe he that seeth me seeth the father Hereoute thowe mayest lyghtelye gather howe that Christe acknowledgeth the father and lykewyse howe the father acknowledgeth Christe Nowe If Christ knoweth vs as he knoweth the father the father knoweth Christe so muste wee needes be one body and one substaunce with hym Yea euen his brethren Then when I am one body and one substaunce with Christe my lorde when I am Christes brother will not he defend me wil he forsake and leaue me withoute comforte No suerly but will knowe me and stand by me vntil the consumacion and ende of this worlde So that and if I as a shepe were in the middest of the wolues ther were no ieoperdy only yf this Christ wold acknowledge vs. But howe can I bring that to passe that I may be the brother of Christe and grafte in him and that I maye knowe hym as he knowethe me Or howe doth he acknowledge me Before the foundacion of the worlde was layde he dyd electe me and predestinate me to saluacion 1 Tim. 2 of his greate mercye withoute any deseruing of workes And after that he became manne he called me throughe his worde to the same saluacion so that yf I nowe beleue in him he and I bee one This to beleue frome the botome of oure hartes What is to knowe Christe is to knowe Christe in the whiche knowledge consisteth oure ryghteousnes and saluacion as yt is wrytten in the gospell of Iohn Ioh 17 Thys is the euerlastynge lyfe that they knowe the that thow only arte the trewe god and whom thou hast sente Iesu Christ The calling of the Heithen Thyrdly wee haue here the callynge of the Gentyles how that they shall come to the knowledg of theyr sinnes and to
sondaye after triuitye sondaye Luc. 14. Mat 22 Apo. 16 A Certayne man ordayned a greate supper and bad manye and sente hys seruaunte at supper tyme to saye to them that were bydden come for all thynges are nowe readye And they all at once began to make excuse The fyrst said vnto hym I haue bought afarme and I must go and see it I pray the haue me excused And an other sayd I haue bought fiue yoke of oxen and I go to proue them I praye the haue me excused And an other sayd I haue maried a wyfe and therfore I can not come And the seruante retourned and brought hys mayster worde agayne therof Then was the goodman of the house displeased and sayd to his seruante Go out quickely into the stretes and quarters of the city and bringe in hyther the poore and the feeble and the halt and the blinde And the seruaunt sayde Lord it is done as thou hast commaunded and yet there is roome And the lorde sayd to the seruauÌ„t Go out vnto the hye ways and hedges and Gen. 19 compell them to come in that my house may be filled For I saye vnto you that none of those menne whyche were bydden shall taste of my supper THE EXPOSITION IN this similitude The grace of God fyrste of all is praysed the great godnes grace mercy of god whiche he hath so mightely shewed vs by his sonne Iesus Christe without any deseruing of our workes in that that he compareth it here to a supper For all suppers are moste chiefely prepared and ordained for myrth and not for heuines that a man shulde eate drinke and be merye Lykewise as a supper here vpon earth is ordayned and prepared to make men merye and lighte harted euen so this greate supper of the grace of god and the gospell hath god prepared for our greate consolacion and comfort wherin we shuld reioyse be mery glad For what other thing is the gospell by the which the great goodnes and mercye of god is shewed vs so gentely and sweetly through Christ then a good and mery tidinges The gospell It could be no lye that the aungell shewed vnto the shephardes when Christ was borne saying Beholde Luce. 2. I bringe you tidinges of greate ioye whiche shall happen vnto all people Neither doth the prophete Dauid monish vs with out cause to reioyse in these dayes of grace saying This is the day which the lord hath made Ps 117 let vs reioyse and be gladde in it Nowe seing that god our mercifull father hath so louingely prepared for vs this supper Supper through Christ without any deseruing of our part Without dout it is a tokeÌ„ of his great loue toward vs specially if we considre that not allonly the Iewes but also al the heitheÌ„ publicans siners ar called hervnto And therfore Christ might wel say Ioh. 3. The loue of god That god so loued the world that he gaue his only son Here thou hearest that alloÌ„ly loue moued god by Christe to prepare this supper of the grace of the gospel Then if loue moued him to prepare this supper so it is a greater token of loue that he hath called vs therunto For what shulde it auayle me that this greate supper is highely praysed coÌ„mended yf I were fayne to sit without the dore were not called nor letten in And that we shuld peâ—ceaue that Christ hath not allonly prepared this supper but hath bidde al men thervnto the euaÌ„geliste saieth here that the lord of the supper sent his seruauÌ„t to them that were bidden to tell them that it was supper tyme and to byd them come for all was readye This seruante signifieth thapostels whiche Christe firste of all sent to preach to the Iewes and after when they hadde despised the preaching of the gospel and made them vnworthy thereof they were sent to the Gentyls Thappostels calleth vs to this supper And what did they preach They said Al things are redy now come Christ hath shewed vs the will of the father Christe hath suffered death for our sinnes is risen for our rightousnes asceÌ„ded vp into heaueÌ„ hath gotteÌ„ vs the holy ghost wherfore al thingê pertaining to our saluacion are ready This did the holy apostels so diligeÌ„tly prech so that Esaias did not speake in vain of them when he said Esai 52 O how bewtiful are the feet of thembassadour that briÌ„geth good tidings precheth helth What caÌ„ we desire any more Helth is obtained vs of meer grace Bi grace we be called vnto saluacioÌ„ This alloÌ„ly is now required of vs that we come Therfore let vs not dispise this supper but rather let vs hast vs to Christe that we may get righteousnes saluacion Secondarily Firste the gospell was preched vnto the Iewes Mat. 15 we se in this similitude the calling of the Iewes to the grace of the gospell and in what wyse they be reiected for ther incredulite For they were the first that shulde be called as Christe hymselfe witnesseth saiyng I am not sent but vnto the loste sheepe of the house of Israell And Paule withe Barnabas in the actes of thapostles sayde Act. 13. It behoued first the word of god to be spoken vnto you c. But how did the Iewes heare the callyng They begon all to excuse theÌ„ contrary to the counsel of the prophet Dauid saiyng Ps 49. To day yf you wil heare his voyce harden not you hartes They wyll not folowe this faithfull counsaile but they excuse themselues wil not come The first saithe The Iewes in obedience and incredulitye I haue bought a farme and muste nedes go forth to looke vpon it I praye the holde me excused The other said I haue boughte a yoke of oxen and muste go forthe to proue them I praye the holde me excused The third sayd I haue maried a wyfe and I caÌ„not come as though he could not be a maried maÌ„ and a christian but this it is From the beginning hath the Iews euer beÌ„ stubborn disobedieÌ„t wretches How ofteÌ„ times I pray you did thei murmur agaiÌ„st god iÌ„ the wildernes How ofteÌ„ did thei prouoke god vnto angre Act. 7. doth not s SteueÌ„ bear witnes that the Iews wer both the betrayers and murtherers of Christ sayiÌ„g Yee stiffe necked ye haue alwayes resisted the holye ghost Now yf he that bought the farme set more by the farme than he didde by the supper for bying of the farme he shulde haue bene damned For he that hath much riches is not damned but he whose hart is set vppon riches â— Co. 6. For as Paule saith we shulde be as hauing nothing yet possessing all thyngs AbrahaÌ„ bought a pece of land of the childreÌ„ of Heth for hys sepulchre and other vses Ge. 24 was he damned for so doinge No For to bye lande and oxen or other cattel pertayneth not to the kiÌ„gdom of Christ but
eye Eyther howe canste thou say to thy brother mat 7. Brother let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye when thou seest not the beame that is in thine owne eie Thou hypocrite caste out the beame out of thine owne eye firste and then shalte thou se perfectly to pull oute the moat that is in thy brothers eye THE EXPOSITION Faithe maketh vs acceptable vnto God HItherto throughe many instructions examples we haue sufficiently proued how that we attaine and gette remission of sinnes rightuosnesse and saluacion only throughe faithe And moreouer that no worke how holy or precious so euer it mai be can make a man acceptable before god excepte only faith which we haue declared and taught you out of the holye srripture For this faith so comprehendeth the goodnes and the loue of god through Christe that vtterlye he canne truste to none other thing then to the merites of Christ through whom also he hopeth to obteine saluacion Heb. 11. By faith saith the apostle wee haue an entraunce vnto god And lykewise as a true and lyuing faith which knoweth that he hath a mercifull father through Christ hanleth himselfe towarde his god and father so muste yt likewise breake forth toward his neighboure to helpe him in all neede and necessity that he may be knowen therby vnto the world to haue a right and a good faith and not fained The workes of charity be contrary to hipocriticall and fained workes for it is the nature and disposition of hipocrisy euer to seke his owne aduauntage and not the profite and vtilitye of his neighboure in so much that Christe himselfe for this cause saide vnto the pharise is for that that they condemned for a lyghte matter his disciples Ose 6 Goe your waye saith he and learn what it is I wyll haue mercy and no sacrifice Therfore likewise as Christ sometyme reacheth faith and adscribeth righteousnes allonlye there vnto yea and commendeth it as a fountaine whereout all goodnes floweth Iohn 6 so other whiles he teacheth the frutes of the faith not that we are iustified by them but that they be suer tokens and testimonialles of that faithe whiche wee oughte to haue in oure harte as saincte Peter sayeth 1 Pet. 1. Brethren giue the more dilygence to make youre callynge and election sure Neuerthelesse sometyme Christe teachethe these workes of charitye with longe processe some tyme with shorte and fewe wordes Hee declareth yt shortelye when he sayeth Thou shalte loue the lorde thy God Mat. 22 Luc. 10. Mat. 6. with all thy harte with all thy strengthe And in an other place What so euer you wolde that menne shulde dooe vnto you the same dooe vnto theym lykewise But in the gospell of this daye hee teacheth the workes of charitye in manye wordes and plentyfullye For hee thoughte it not sufficiente to speake yt generallye Be mercyfull but hee declareth the same mercifulnesse here by partes namelye Iudge not sayth he c. To bee mercyfull To bee merciful in this place signi ieth to helpe oure neighboure of oure goodnes and charitye of what so euer neede hee is oppressed withall Luc. 10. as wee see in the Samaritane whiche did so greate mercye on hym that fell amongest the theues Oute of which wordes yt foloweth that they bee good workes wherewith we helpe oure neighbour in all neede and necessity Which deedes of charitye wee wyll by ordre recyte one after an other To iuge To condemne Fyrste of all Christe saith Iudge not and ye shal not be iudged CoÌ„demne not and ye shal not be condemned With the whiche wordes Christe teacheth euery christian man to looke vpon his owne workes and not vpon the workes of his neighbour thoughe his neighbour sin erre he shall not therfore sodainly or rashly dispise hiÌ„ For it may chauÌ„ce that he that standeth to day maye fall to morowe 1 Cor. 10 he that falleth to daye may rise to morow Furthermore it is not a point of mercy that thou shuldest iudg or coÌ„deÌ„ne thy neighbour as sone as he of infirmity sinneth For the hipocrites and those that glory in workes were wont to do so which for the most part damne that that of it selfe is nothiÌ„g daÌ„nable Therfore we shall not folow the ypocrites but that that our father in heauen teacheth vs which although lawfully may iudge coÌ„deÌ„ne vs for our sins yet neuertheles rather wold shew vs his mercy in through his welbeloued son our lord Iesu Christ so that we are nowe become the children of god by adoption if we do beleue in the name of his son Iesus Christe Ioh. 1. Wherfore if god when I was an enemy vnto him receaued me into his grace Rom. 6 why shulde not I lykewise shew charity mercy vnto my neighbour with teachinge him enforminge him exhortynge him and prayinge him For he doth not saye Iudge and condemne a sinner but helpe him dooe good vnto him Here is now a differeÌ„ce to be had A diffe betwene the office the persoÌ„ betwen a man hauyng an office and a pryuate person For it is for bidden a priuate persone to iudge or condemne but the magistrate the iudges by the vertue of their office ought to iudge punish the euel doers yea with extreame punishmente Likewise a preacher as coÌ„cerniÌ„g his own persoÌ„ shal not iudge but by reason of his office the word of God shall do yt For Christ saith The word that I haue spoken Ioh. 12. shall iudge him at the laste daye Here of knoweth nothinge the Pharise but with a proude hart iudgeth and condemneth al men ye in those thingê also that hee himselfe is culpable in Rom. 2. Wherefore Christe calleth him here a leader of the blinde that leadeth himselfe into the diche Also a disciple that wil be aboue his maister And one that seeth a mote in his brothers eye and considereth not the beame that is in his owne eye And so accordinge to hys owne iudgemente he shal be condemned To forgyue Secondarily Christ teacheth vs here to forgiue and we shal be forgiuen with which wordes he teacheth vs an excellente worke of mercy so that wee muste needes looke againe vpon oure celestiall father but how so Bicause that he hath pardoned forgiuen vs all oure offences and trespasses of hys mere grace without any deseruing that through his only sonne Iesus Christe so that we now being clensed from our sinnes are become heyres of his kyngedome Nowe for as muche as accordinge to this exaumple oure heauenly father requireth the same thing of vs that is that we hartely shuld for giue them that trespasse vs why be we then in this behalfe so negligent why do we hate and enuy one an other Yt is to no purpose and if thou shuldest complain The enuious maÌ„ harh no excusacion and say This man hath done me greate iniurye he hath hurte me
folke shall entre into the kingedome of heauen Those saith Christ that fulfil the will of my father that is in heauen But what is the wil of the father in heauen That we shulde beleue in him Ioh. 17 whome he hathe sente Here thou doest heare that the kingdome of god is promised not to fained workes but to those that haue fayth in Christ We do not speak here of an historical faith as the call it but of that fayth that commeth by hearynge of the gospell the whiche also the holye ghoste worketh in vs. This fayth lyke as it obtayneth the grace and mercye of god in Christe and setteth all his truste in him and finallye seeketh his rigteousnesse allonly in the merites of Christe so likewise it worketh doth good workes throughe loue and causeth vs to mortefye the olde Adame in vs and dye vnto all creatures he prayeth prayseth and comendeth god withe giuinge thankes in what so euer state and degree he is in Finallye he lyueth accordinge to the wyll of god and throughe Christe shall hee obtayne euerlastinge lyfe Whiche god graunte vs all Amen The gospell on the nynthe sondaye after trinitye sondaye Luc. 16. ANd he sayd also vnto hys disciples Ther was a certayne ryche man which hadde a stewarde and the same was accused vnto hym that hee hadde wasted hys goodes And he called him and sayde vnto hym Howe is it that I heare thus of the Gyue accompte of thy stewardeshyppe for thou mayest be no lenger stewarde The stewarde sayde within hym selfe What shall I do For my mayster taketh awaye frome me the stewarshyppe I can not digge and to begge I am ashamed I wote what to dooe that when I am putte pute of the stewarde shyppe they maye receaue me into theyr houses So when he hadde called all hys maysters detters togither hee sayd vnto the fyrste Howe much owest thou vnto my maister And he sayde an hundreth tunnes of oyle And he sayd vnto hym Take thy bylle and sytte downe quickely and wryte fyftye Then sayd he to an other Howe muche owest thou And he sayde an hundreth quarters of wheate He sayde vnto hym Take thy byll and write â—oure score And the lorde commended the vniuste stewarde bicause he hadde done wysely For the chyldren of this world are in their nation wiser then the chyldren of the lyghte And I saye vnto you Make you friendes of the vnrighteous Mammon that when ye shall haue â—eede they maye â—â—ceaue you into euerlastinge habitacions THE EXPOSITION THere be three thinges in this gospell to bee noted Fyrste Worldlye wisdome we rynde in the similitude of this gospel how the wicked steward is praised not for his iniquitie and deceitfulnes but as a wordely childe which handlethe himselfe wiselye For the children of thys world in al that they go about seeke their owne profite and ease and not the vtilyty and profyte of their neighbour They geue great diligence that they theÌ„ selues may be ful and haue sufficient care not how they get it other by right or by wrong so that they haue it and maye be suer that they do not lacke not coÌ„sidering the need pouerty of his neighboure This word MaÌ„mon signifieth here goodes riches and ar called wicked not the of theÌ„ selues they be euel but forbicause the thorow great abuses they be both kept spent and not distributed to the profit vse of the poore needy And therfore Christ fetteth before our eyes the wisedome craftines of this world not that he praiseth or commeÌ„deth the disceitfulnes where through the goodes of this world be gathered togyther gotteÌ„ but that we therby ar admonyshed the which lyke study dilligeÌ„ce we do indeuor our selues to obtain get celestyal heueÌ„ly ryches wheÌ„ we ê‘ceaue marke that the chyldreÌ„ of this worlde seke with so greate studye that which is transitory and earthlye And if they dispise and scorne oure eternall and celestiall goodes that wee seeke here wel let them seeke their treasure here on earth and lette vs gather our treasure in heauen And then hereafter it shal be tried which haue kept the better treasure Moreouer this admonicion that we with all diligence shulde seeke eternall ryches is uery necessary for we be very flowe and negligent and shulde very lightely forsake the faith and feare of god yf we were not with suche godlye exhortacions well instructed and armed Slothefulnes is pernicious For what greater ieoperdy can be vnto a christian man then to be negligent and slacke in the worde of god We muste euer wake and stande in awe and feare with continuall prayer that oure faith may be increased and daylye waxe more and more And in any wise lette vs beware and take hede that we be not carelesse Ma. 24 and to saye with the wicked Pax securitas there is no ieoperdy Let them that dispise goddes worde do so whiche saye in their hartes that there is no god And do thou accordinge to the doctrine of the prophete Dauid 1 Tes 5 Psal 2. saiynge Serue the lorde with feare and reioyce before him with reuerence which if thou doest thou shalt not leese the greate benefite that thou hast gotten through the gospel Surely thou shalte go and abide in the right way and thou shalte auoyde all daunger to fall into the broade waye Mat. 7 that leadeth to damnacion according to the saying of the wise man Who so feareth god walketh in the right pathe Pro. 14 and he that regardeth not hym goeth out of his wayes Then yf those go the ryghte waye that feare god then take earnestlye to harte this exhortacion of Christe and all security or rechelenes layd a parte with all diligence do that that is commaunded the of Christe leaste the children of this world be found in their kynde more dilligent then the children of lyght Secondarely we see in this gospell that our study and diligence to get euerlastinge treasure lieth herein that we do make vs frendes of the wicked Mammon To make friendes of the wicked maÌ„mon But how doth this agree with our doctrine For we haue taughte hitherto that allonly throughe faythe we be iustified and saued shall the workes do it nowe No not so The wordes sounde as thoughe it shulde seeme so but well expounded and vnderstande they pull nothing frome faythe Christe speaketh here of good frutes and wyll not that the tree that beareth those good frutes shulde be reproued and caste awaye For how wolde you haue good frutes yf there were not fyrste a good tree And howe wolde you haue frute yf the tree didde not beare it and bring it forth Therfore it is necessarye that the tree be good before it bringeth forth good frute What good workes do pleese God And so likewise we speake of good workes No worke how precious or excelleÌ„t so euer yt bee can be acceptable or pleasauÌ„t before god except the person which doth
the worke be first iustified acceptable before god If thou wilte be iuste and acceptable thou must beleue And yf thou beleuest then arte thou iustified For fayth appreheÌ„deth thou mercy of god in Christ through the which we obtain righteousnes without any work or deseruinge And therefore when the person is accepted iustified before god then likewise are the works accepted not that the works be of them selues of such reputacion and worthines but forbicause they bee wrought of that persone that is iustified and accepted before god Wherfore whan Christe doth admonishe vs for to make vs frendes of the wicked Mammon and to do good works doth not regard so muche the worke as he doth the fountaine from whens the worke floweth He doth hate setteth so litle bi hipocrisy that it is to be thought that he teacheth not workes without fayth For what be workes withoute â—aithe but hipocrisy Those workes which the Iewes did obserue in the law which also were commaunded of god himselfe did not please god when they were done without faith much lesse shall those workes please god whiche be inuented made of men Although Christe saide Make you frendes of the wicked Mammon teaching vs therwith the workes of charity yet doth he not adscribe righteousnes to the same but he wyl that our faith be declared by them and brought to lyght for it is needefull that the tree be knowen by the frutes Faythe is knowen by workes CoÌ„sidre also that Christe in these wordes Make you friendes of the wicked Mammon did loke vpon yâ— workes of charity namely that then our goodes ar good right when they be tourned and distributed to the vse and helpe of the poore and needy and contrary wise they are naught wicked when we seke in theÌ„ only our pleasure and voluptuousnes Therfore saith Salomon Pro. 14 He that dispiseth his neighboure doth amysse but whosoeuer hath pity on the poore is blessed Thirdly we haue here the reward that is giue to the faithful which worketh through a liuely faith works of charitie for as much as the poore whom we haue succoured helped with our goodes shal receiue vs into euerlastiÌ„g tabernacles This text the papists apply vnto saintes that ar departed out of this worlde and go about to stablishe therewith that vngodlye doctrine of inuocacion vnto saintes But take heed of this opinioÌ„ for it is against the first coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of god agaiÌ„st the gospell also Ioh. 16 which teacheth vs to pray vnto the father in the name of Christe And it is against the doctrine of S. Paul which techeth vs that we haue but only on mediatour 1 Tim. 2 Furthermore this gospel speaketh not of the dead but of those saintes that be a liue And those shuld we make our freÌ„des do our charity vpoÌ„ Wherwtal With the wicked MaÌ„mon That is Let vs think that our goods riches are not giueÌ„ vs of god for our pomp volupteousnes but that therby we ar ordained deputed to be goddes ministers to deale giue it out to the poore needy and to serue theim in their necessitye Which if we do thei at the dai of iudgment shal bear witnes of our charity done vnto theÌ„ by which meanes we shal be receiued into the euerlastiÌ„g tabernacle This exposition the bare texte giueth it selfe For the that Christe will do for the poore he saith that hys christiaÌ„s do it As in an other place he saith vnto that apostels Luc. 20. In that day ye shall sit vppon the twelue seats to iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Finally what soeuer we do vnto the poore by faithe shal be plenteously recompensed and rewarded vs of God throughe Christe our Lorde Amen The gospell on the tenthe sonday after trinity sonday Luc. 19. ANd when he was come neare he beheld the citye and Ioh. 11. wepte on it saying If thou haddest knowen those thinges which belong vnto thy peace euen in thys thy day thou woldest take heede But nowe are they hidde frome thyne eyes For the dayes shall come vpon the Iere. 52 Ma. 14 that thyne enemyes also shall caste a banke aboute the and compasse the rounde and kepe the in on euerye syde and make the euen with the grounde and thy chyldren which are in the And Mich. 3. Mar. 13 Luc. 21. they shall not leaue in the one stone vppon an other bicause thou knowest not the tyme of thy visitacion * mat 21 Mar. 11 Iohn 2 And he wente into the temple and beganne to caste out theim that solde therein and them that boughte saiynge vnto theim It is wrytteÌ„ ♣ 3 Re. 8 d. e. f. My house is the house of prayer but ye haue * esa 51. made it a denne of theues And he taughte daylye in the temple THE EXPOSITION IN this gospel we learn how we must receiue Christe two manner of wayes One waye as a gifte an other as an exaumple Therfore when I take and receaue hym as a gifte Christe is giuen vnto vs. muste I vnderstand and know that this his weeping hath doone me seruice and that hee is so gyuen me that hee with all that he hath is myne owne And also I muste know and beleue that he careth for me and hath compassion with me and pytieth me in my calamity and misery For there is no greater coÌ„fort to vs neither in heauen not in earth then to know when we are assaulted with temptacion that god careth and prouideth for vs. If thy sinnes bite the yf thy conscience accuse the if thou feare the wrathe and vengeaunce of god returne and looke vpon Christe by whome thou art promised remission of sinnes Esai 53 For it is he that alone hath taken awaye oure infirmitye and sinnes and beareth oure payne And in any wise take heed that thou takest not him for so cruel that wil not be intreated or pleased and which will not be spoken withal but rather perswade thy selfe that he is suche a one that is not allonly displeased with those that neglect him and seeke and other waye to saluacion but also that hee was sory and wept for them as wee maye lightely perceiue out of this his compassion that he is redy and prest to help euery man so that we acknowledg our sinnes and hate them desiring to be delyuered from theim For it is he he alone I saye through whome the father wyll helpe troubled consciences and saye in oure hartes Bee of good comforte thy sinnes be forgiuen the which also in worldly tentacion and trouble doth the same For yf in my trouble and misery I call vnto god through Christe I am suer that he wyll helpe For Christe hath saide What so euer ye aske the father in my name Ioh. 14 it shal be giuen vnto you And in an other place he sayth Be of good comforte I haue ouercome the world that is Ioh. 16 Through me ye shall nat
before his eyes plainlye that hee might vnderstand yt and saith on this wyse A certaine man went downe from Ierusalem vnto Ierycho c. In th end of this similitude this scribe knowledgeth himselfe that he was neighbour vnto hym that fell amongest the murtherers which holy hym that was wounded and had compassion vpon him wher Christ teacheth vs not only who is my neighbour namely he that needeth of my helpe whether he be frend or fo but also mihtely coÌ„cludeth that this scribe had not kept this second coÌ„maundement in louing his neighbour wherout it must needs folow was euideÌ„t that he had not obserued the first coÌ„maundemeÌ„t wherin he is coÌ„maunded to loue god For why else wold Christ haue sayd Go thy way then and do thou likewise If he had done it there had bene no nede of a commaundemeÌ„t to haue done yt againe Wherefore in conclusion Though this scribe outwardely appeared neuer so vertuous iuste yet is he here ouercome that he neither kept the fyrste nor the second commaundement Wherfore let vs take here an example not of the scribe but of the Samaritan whom the loue of god so allured to do this benefyte vpon him that was wounded But note this also how priuily he toucheth this scribe in speakiÌ„g of the Priest and of the Leuite that passed by thys wounded man without shewing of any mercy vnto him For therwith all Christe accuseth al the priestê at Ierusalem that they had neither the loue of god nor of their neighbour without there chauÌ„ced therby some profite Euen like as they be painted and sette forth by the prophet saiyng Soph. 3â— Here iudges ar as wolues in the euening which leaue nothinge behinde theim till the morowe The gospell on the fourtenth sonday after Trinity sonday Luc. 17. ANd it chaunced as he went to Ierusalem that he passed thorow Samaria and Galilee And as he entred into a towne there mette him ten men that were lepers whych stode a farre of and putte forthe their voices and sayde Iesu maister haue mercy on vs. When he saw them he sayde vnto them Luc. 14. Mat. 8. Go shewe your selues vnto the priestes And yt came to passe that as they wente they were clensed And one of them when he saw that he was clensed turned backe againe and with a loud voyce praysed god and fel downe on hys face at hys feete and gaue hym thankes And the same was a Samaritane And Iesus answered and sayd Are there not ten cleÌ„sed But where are those nyne There are not founde that retourned againe to gyue god prayse saue only this stranger And he sayd vnto hym Aryse gooe thy waye thy faythe hathe made the hol THE EXPOSITION FYrste this gospell declareth vnto vs meruailous excellent examples of fayth in these leepers whiche togither with one voice cryed and called vpon Christe for helpe And these examples are meruailouslye well ioyned to that doctrine that Christe taughte before teaching vs as S. Luc. testifieth to saye and confesse Luc. 17 We be vnprofitable seruauntes yea though we do all that is commaunded vs to do Out of which wordes wee maye gather that seying there is no worke sufficieÌ„t before god without fayth that there is no worke at all wherby we can get or obtaine any thing of god in especyall yf it pertayne vnto saluacion For that that he gyueth he gyueth of hys mere mercy wherfore if we will obtayne any thinge of hym we must gape after mercy For yf we regard our workes and haue confidence in theym yt ys vnpossyble but wee shall doubte whether he wyll helpe vs or not for as muche as no mortall manne doeth so muche as hee ys bounde to dooe Is yt not blasphemye to god contrarye and repugnaunte to the fayth in Chryst to doubte whether wee be hearde or not Wherefore wee maye see in these tenne lepoures that they beleued and doubted not but that freely wythout anye deseruynge Chryst wold restore them to helth Whych yf they had doubted surely they wolde not baue hasted vnto Chryst with so great desier neyther wolde haue cryed oute so loude before they came at hym But thys ys the matter They had herd how meeke and mercifull Christ was and that he mercifully helpt euery manne that desired helpe of him Through suche fame and speakyng of Christ they conceiued a certain hope trust to be restored vnto helth And so was it brought to passe When Christ is found through fayth the menne staÌ„d styll and seke none other And whan as he entred into a certaine toune there mette him ten Leperous men whiche stode styll for ioy accordyng to the nature and disposicion of fayth They stoode as though they would saye Here is he that can helpe vs and wyll helpe vs what wyll wee go any further Let vs open oure infirmitie to this mercyfull Lord and suerly he wyll not suffre vs to go away without comfort Rom. 8. And after foloweth their peticion whiche was not done priuely but with a loud voyce wherout we may note howe they hoped for great coÌ„fort of Christ But what say they Iesu maister haue mercy vpoÌ„ vs. Howe could they haue made suche an excellent prayer if they had not been instructed by the holy ghost For to acknowledge Christ to be their gouernour and maister is to professe that he was sent from God and his doctrin to be suche as is worthy to be receyued of all menne And to desire of him to shewe his mercy vpon vs is nothyng els but to confesse that wee of oure owne righteousnesse goodnes and woorkes can obtaine nothyng but must receiue al thyng through grace Wee geue vnto God his owne honour when wee knowlege him true in his saiyng where he sayth Without me ye can do nothyng Iho. 15. Nowe forasmuch as these Lepres haue so great hope and trust in the goodnes of Christ and doubt nothyng but that he wyll helpe them We must nedes confesse that thei had a true fayth Wherfore let vs here coÌ„sider that we learne likewyse to seke and call vpon Christe in our trouble and necessitie Secondarily we see in this Gospel that if we seke Christ with a true fayth he wyll shewe him selfe as good and mercyfull towarde vs as he hath done towarde these Lepres Fyrst he beholdeth them Blessed are we if Christ with his mercyfull eyen loketh vpon vs Christ shewed himselfe vnto vs fyndeth fayth in our heartes For where that chaunseth we be sure to haue saluacion both of body and soule And that the beholdyng of Christ signified no wrathe but grace the woordes that folowe declare it for he sayth Go your wayes and shewe your selues vnto the priestes For vnto those were geuen power by the law Leui. 13 to discerne and loke vpon Leepres Nowe when Christe perceiued the fayth of these Lepres he sayth not that he wyll helpe them but as though they were alredy holpeÌ„ he biddeth them to go and shewe them selues to
his dede his doctrine of christian pacience in those thynges that pertayned to his person Loue is the maister of al the lawes Wherfore Christ after his accustomed maner though the Phariseis neuer so muche wayted him healed this dropsy man vpon the sabboth daye shewyng with the same miracle that aswell Gods lawes as mannes lawes ought to serue and geue place vnto charitee And though the sabbot was cōmaunded vnto the Iewes most straightly to be kept yet that commaundement did not extende to the hynderaunce of charite wherof Christ in another place sheweth the reason why saiyng The sabbot was made for mans sake Mar. 2. and not man for the sabbothes sake 1. Ti. 1. And S. Paule sayth The chiefe somme of the commaundement is loue from a pure heart and of a good conscience and of fayth vnfayned Wherfore when I see my neighbour in necessitee I am bounde to shewe him charitee and loue if it were xx tymes holy day because loue is the rule and maistres of all lawes Nowe consider well with thy selfe whether Christe did not right in healyng of this manne that had the dropsye howe frowardly soeuer the Phariseis toke it If an Oxe or an asse had fallen into a hole on the sabboth day thynkest thou that they would haue taryed tyll the sabboth day had been past No surely Why then should not Christe shewe vnto a manne that they shewed vnto a beast Christiā libertie Ro. 14. And so let vs likewise vse the libertie that we haue in Christ Iesu our Lorde Let vs receiue those that be weake into the faith beware to trouble not their conscience And as for these obdurate and stubburne iustifiers of theim selfe whiche haue heard oure doctrine of christian libertie and yet dispiseth it against theim let vs vse the same libertie For whatsoeuer we do or leaue for their pleasure and weakenesse sake it wyll healpe nothyng at all but styll they wyll obstinately remayne in their blyndnes For so are the Phariseis against Christ and Christ against the Phariseis yet is there so great power strēgth in the trueth that the Phariseis are constrayned to holde their peace Secondarily Christ gentely handled this sick man we see in this gospel howe familiarly and gentely Christ handeleth this man sicke of the dropsy he handeled healeth him letteth him go Fyrst he was in hand with these Pharisies whō he would haue gladly instructed howe all lawes in tyme of neede are bounde to geue place vnto loue and charitee but they would neither heare not yet receyue his doctrine their heartes were stricken with so great blyndes Yea they would not onely refuse to heare Christe but sought alwayes meanes to distroy him whiche thyng happened chiefly vpon the Sabboth daye Deu 18. Mar. 3. when in the synagoge he made whole the mans hand that was drye and wythered Neuerthelesse Christ is frendly to this man that had the dropsy he healeth him byddeth him go his waies Howbeit it is to be thought that this man that had the dropsye had a good hope trust in Christ insomuch that he folowed Christ into the Phariseis house And without doubt he had not been healed if he had not had suche an hope in Christe And as the blyndnes of these Phariseis ought to abashe and feare vs because that thei had eyen and sawe not eares and heard not an heart beleued not so the goodnes benignite of Christe shewed vnto this man that had the dropsy ought to moue vs to lift vp our heartes and to put al our trust and confidence in Christ Therfore this miracle and suche like Rom. 25 are written vnto vs that therout we may learne what maner a man Christ is why the father hath sent him into this worlde and what from him is to be hoped for of a christen mā He did good vnto this man that had the dropsye because he hoped well in him Wherfore then should he deny vs any good thyng if we beleue in him Is his hand shortened Esai 59 that it can not helpe No truely His mercy endureth for euer The faute is in vs not in his helpyng hand that forbecause we wyll neither acknowlege our infirmite nor yet beleue But if we wyl acknowlege our imbecilite weakenes specially in those thinges that partayne to our soule and aske grace of Christ in a true fayth it is not possible but it shall be graunted vs. Furthermore it is requisite that we once obtaynyng this his grace and mercy endeuour our selues to shewe lyke loue and charity to our neighbour as Christe shewed here vnto this man that had the dropsye Thirdely The Pharises styl remaining in their blyndnes and so that they could neither throughe Christes wordes nor yet through his myracles be moued to beeleue Christe payed them home and forasmuch as he perceaued in them a desirous appety of vaine glory and euer chosing themselues the vppermost seates at feastes and sayd Christ reprehended the ambitiousnes of the pharises When thou art bidde to dinner to a mariage thou shalt not set thy selfe in the highgest place lest peraduenture one that is more honourable then thou be also bidden And then he that bad bothe the and him come and saye vnto the Giue this man place But when thou art called set the doune in the lowest place that he may say Friend syt vp higher With these wordes Christ would haue corrected the ambitiō of the phariseis For they sought the glory of thys world and were in their hartes al giuen to pomp and pride Mat. 23 As he saith in an other place That all the workes they did were done for the intent that thei might be seen of men Mat. 6. And in the syxt chap. of Math. wher Christ taught vs truly to pray to fast giue almes Ther likewise hee warned vs to take heede of suche phariseis and not to do good works in that intent like as thei did ther he addeth sayīg Thei haue receaued their reward He hath teached vs here mystically that if any man be called to the mariage of the godly grace he must not bee pufte vp nor yet thinke of him selfe more then becometh him but rather he ought to take heed that he beareth hīselfe vpright and be euer in feare lest he leese the goodnes and gifts that he hath receiued For thus it stondeth in the kingdome of Christe that he that exalteth him selfe shall come low he that meketh him selfe shall he exalted And in an other place He that will bee greatest amongest you Mar. 20 let him becom your seruant The same thing aloweth Christ Mat. 19 whē he toke a child and set him in the middest of his disciples and said Except ye tourn and become as childrē ye shall not entre into the kingedome of god Luc. 28. Likewise What happened vnto the pharisey in preferring himselfe before the publican Very this The
then if Christ taketh away synne through his owne merites and deseruyng how can our workes do it then Further more thapostles teacheth vs so likewse iin the Actes Act. 4. where they treate of this article say There is no other name geuē to mē wherin we must be saued c. And here on this parable we haue howe the kyng of great mercy and compassion forgaue this debt Thirdly this seruant should haue been myndful of the great benefite whiche was shewed vpon him and by right should haue had pacience with him that was in his debte forasmuche as fayth whiche comprehēdeth remission of synnes in Christ is euer wont accustomably to come vnto light and breake furth through charitee But as an vnthankefull forgetfull man of suche great goodnes done vnto him he would haue no pacience with his companiō whiche ought him an hundreth pence Doth this mā seme vnto the a christiā mā although his synne afore was dimitted him No surely For a christian mā knoweth that of mere grace through Christ his synnes bee forgeuen him and knoweth also that in like maner he should handle his neighbor Therfore in that I apprehende forgeuenes of synne by fayth in Christ and for Christes sake serue and forgeue my neighbour in so doyng and cōtinuyng in the same I am a christian man Whiche if I do not I am no christian man Mat. 22 For the scripture witnesseth that all the lawe and the Prophetes hang and consist in the loue of God and my neighbour as in two of the principal cōmaundemētes Luc. 6. Wherfore Christ in another place saith Forgeue and you shal be forgeuen Whiche thou mayst not vnderstande as though thou couldest deserue remission of synnes throug thy forgeuyng The fyrst part of this knowlege is the preachyng of repentaunce declaryng vnto the what thou oughtest to do with thy neighbour namely to forgeue him And the second parte is a promise that thy synnes shal be forgeuen the in Christ by grace and mercy And hereto pertayneth our dayly prayer wherin we say Remitte nobis debita nostra c. Forgeue vs oure dettes as we forgeue oure detters Wherfore if thou haue pleasure to do good workes to testifie by charitie that thy fayth is a right a true fayth in Christe serue thy neighbor as God by his sonne hath serued the. For by this shall euery man knowe that ye are the disciples of Christ if you haue loue one to another as Christ sayth in the xiiii chapiter of Ihon. Iho. 14. Fourthly we see in the fourth part of this parable howe God shall punishe those that leaue departe from the fayth forget the charitee and loue The punishmēt of those that do fall from fayth that they owe to their neighbor For assone as the kyng had heard howe extremely the seruaunt to whom he had forgeuen his debt had handled his companion he was very wrothe Wherfore he called him before him and rigorously rebuked him and deliuered him to the iaylours vntyll he payed all that he ought This worde Vntyl signfieth here tyme without ende As though the kyng would saye Of my great mercye and grace I forgaue thee all thy synnes that thou beyng myndefull of this great benefite shouldest haue likewise hādled thy debter But forsomuche as thou arte so vnthankefull and hast vtterly forgotten charitee thou shalt be dampned euerlastyngly Out of all these thynges consider howe euery thyng ought to bee done in the kyngdome of Christ Fyrst we ought to knowlege our selfe to be synners and that we cannot be iustified in the sight of God by workes And that is the fyrst parte of this parable Secondarily we must knowe that oure synnes bee forgeuen vs of grace through Christ and that teacheth the second parte of this parable And thyrdly wee are here taught that when we haue receiued remission of synne by fayth it is needefull that we by charitee testifie to haue this fayth Fourthly wee bee here taught that if wee do not these foresayd thynges wee shall be dampned without mercy that is the last parte of this parable Geue thankes vnto God The Gospel on the xxiii sonday after Trinitee sonday Mathewe 22. THen went the Phariseys Mat. 12 and toke counsell howe they might tangle him in his wordes And they sēt out vnto him their disciples with Herodes seruauntes saiyng Luc. 20. Mayster we knowe that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the outwarde apparaunce of men Tell vs therfore Howe thynkest thou Is it lawfull that tribute be geuen vnto Cesar or not But Iesus perceiuyng their wickednes sayd Why tempte ye me ye hypocrites Shewe me the tribute money And they toke him a peny And he sayd vnto theim Whose is this ymage and superscripcion They say vnto him Cesars Then sayd he vnto thē Ma. 17 Ro. 13. Geue therfore vnto Cesar the thynges that are Cesars and vnto God those thynges that are Gods THE EXPOSITION WE haue in this Gospell a very subtill and crafty inuented question of the Phariseys wherwith they went about to take Christ in some tryp in his wordes wherby they might haue brought him in some slaunder Whiche question diligently considered we shall fynde that the children of this worlde in their kynde to bee no fooles but neuerthelesse their wysedome craft subtiltie euer beyng clothed and myxt with great maliciousnes and blyndnes Therfore fyrst of all the Phariseys tooke counsayl But at what thyng Certainly of an euil matter For when they could fynd no occasion nor meanes wherby to hurt Christ they toke counsayl and with one consent did al agree determyne to take trippe Christ craftely in his speakyng Whereout we may consider the Phariseis to be of that sort of whom the Prophete Dauid had before spoken saiyng Psal 2. The kynges of the yearth stande vp and the rulers are come together against the Lorde and against his annoynted But whereof do they treate in their counsail and what do they conclude They conclude to sende their ministers with thofficers of kyng Herode to aske and demaunde of Christ whether it were mete to pay tribute to the Emperour or not For herein he was cōstrained either to say yea or nay If he had sayd no it was not lawful to paye tribute vnto themperour straight were the officers ready to accuse him before Herode as a sedicious person And if he had sayd and affirmed that they should haue payed tribute then should he haue lost the fauoure of the people because he spake against the liberty of the Iewes so beyng out of fauour in great displeasure thought by that meanes he might be deliuered into their handes This was a subtill deceiptful deuilishe pollice And without a christian mā had not the wisedome of Serpētes The wisdom of the serpētes Mat. 10 whiche was cōmaunded also to the Apostles to haue who could withstand
doth bothe scorne deride and blaspheme the doctrine workes and myracles of Christe ye his harte in his bodye laughed at it But what get they thereby Herken The people is put forth that they shuld not be present at the raysing of this dead vnto lyfe Lo so it goeth with them that scorne and dispise the gospel of Christ Rom. 1. that god giueth theym vp vnto shameful lustes and blyndeth their foolishe hartes so that they shal neither se nor vnderstand the great misterye of the death and resurrection of CHRIST but shal be euerlastingly dampned Herevnto is to bee referred the saying of Dauid the prophete saying Psal 1. Blessed is the man that goeth not in the councell of the vngodly that abideth not in the way of synners and setteth not in the seate of the scornefull But delyteth in the lawe of the lorde and exerciseth himselfe in his lawe bothe daye and nyghte Scorners calleth Dauid here all those that thynketh all to be both foolyshnes and trifles that god hath spoken and doone Scorners And hee counteth theym blessed that medle not and haue nothinge to doo with suche scorners Out alas howe full is the worlde nowe a dayes of suche scorners They bee counted glorious and goodly felowes in this world whiche scorne dispise persecute and blaspheme the woorde of CHRIST They bee loued and muche made of yee with goodes and ryches accumulated so that they shall lacke nothyng neither cease to skorne Christ and his membres But good menne shall here thynke and haue in remembraunce howe this is not onely chaunsed vnto theim but afore tyme hath suche like blasphemye happened to our sauiour Iesu Christe For if they haue called the good man of the house Mat. 10 Belzebub howe muche more shall they call them of his householde so Besydes this wee haue also a cause of greate consolacion and comforte insomuche as our quarel is iust godly conformable and consonant with Goddes holy woorde For wee can not glorifye God more highely then to adscribe vnto his onely begotten sonne whom he hath for great loue and mercy that he bare vs sent into the worlde to bee crucifyed to bee our righteousnes holynes and redempcion so that we may remayne and assuredly stande nowe in him as oure onely saluacion For if we should adscribe vnto our workes righteousnes or saluacion we could neuer be sure Wherfore lette all the worde skorne blaspheme and persecute this our doctryne Hereof wee are sure that God Christ the woorde of God and all the Angels in heauen bee all on oure syde From the beginnyng the preachyng of the gospel was foolishenes vnto the Gentyles and occasion of fallyng vnto the Iewes 1. Cor. 1 as sainct Paule beareth wytnes and so shall remayne vnto the ende God almightie so merciful geue vs grace through the vertue of the holy ghost that we may dayly more and more increase in holsome doctryne true fayth and godly conuersacion vnto th ende that at the last through Christ we may obtaine and get euerlastyng saluacion Amen The sonday next before Aduent ye shall fynde in the fourth sonday in Lent and is written Iohn 6. Here endeth the sermons vpon the sondayes through the whole yere IESVS Suffre the children and forbid theim not to come vnto me for of suche is the kyngdome of heauen Math. 19. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are laden and I wyll ease you Take my yoke vpon you and learne of me for I am meke and lowely in heart and ye shall fynde rest in your soules For my yocke is easye and my burden is light Math. xi THE SECONDE PARTE of this boke contayneth the sermons vpon the gospels whiche commonly are read on the feastiuall dayes through the whole yeare The Gospell on sainct Androwes day Math. 4. AS Iesus walked by the sea of Galilee he sawe two brethren Symon whiche was called Peter Andrewe his brother castyng a nette into the sea for they wer fishers he sayth vnto them folowe me and I wyll make you to become Ier. 46 Eze. 46 fyshers of menne And they straight way left the nettes and folowed him And when he was gone furthe from thēce he sawe other two brethren Iames the sonne of Zebede Ihon his brother in the shyp with Zebede their father mendyng their nettes and he called them And they immediatly Luc. 5. left the shyp and their father and folowed him THE EXPOSITION ORDINATELY and very fruitful hath sainct Mathewe the Euangelist discribed howe and by whom it were mete and necessary that the kyngdome of Christ wer ministred For inasmuche as the same is brought to passe through the worde of God by ministers therefore he declareth fyrst in what maner of wyse Christ begāne his preachyng and afterward howe vnto the same gift of preachinge he called certaine of his disciples and sayeth From that time forth beganne Iesus to preache and saye c. Here he nameth the man that fyrste preached the gospell yea which by his word offered vnto all men the grace of God vnto saluacion and nameth hym Iesus and that for the same intent and purpose that we might clearly perceaue and vnderstand by the name what manner of preacher he is For he doth not onlye preache and offre vnto all men saluacion freely and willynglye but also hee wyll geue it vnto all those that hope and truste in him onlye by his propre merites and desert without any respecte of our works yee of mere grace and mercy Iohn 1. according to the saying of Saint Iohn which saith The lawe is geuen by Moyses but grace and truthe by Iesus Christe The sum of the preaching of Christe Now peraduenture thou wilte demaund of me what the preachinge of Christe was and the some thereof In shorte woordes he spake as foloweth Amend your selues for the kinkedome of heauen is at hande To amende our selues to walke in a newe lyfe and to forsake our olde vitious lyuynge requireth the preaching of the law of penaunce And forasmuch as the preaching of the gospel of the grace of god bringeth little vtilitie or profite to mā except he first be brought to the knowledg of his offences sinnes Rom. 3. haue a contryte harte therefore it is very requisite necessary that the lawe whereby we be brought to the same knowledge be euer fyrste preached and taught The kīgdome of heauen Whych done the other foloweth namelye this The kyngedome of heauen is at hande The kyngedome of heauen in this place is taken for the godly grace of the gospel As though Christ would say If I may this only thyng obtayn of you that your synnes may earnestly displease you aske for grace with all your whole heart it shal be brought to passe that grace shall not bee denyed you For nowe truely that acceptable tyme and daies of saluacion be at hand in the which remission of synnes is not onely offered vnto you but through my
Ye haue a custome that I should deliuer you one lose at Easter will ye that I lose vnto you the kyng of the Iewes Then cryed they all again saiyng ♣ Act. 3. Not him but Barrabas Thesame Barrabas was a murtherer THE EXPOSITION AS before the Euangelist hath plainly described the hypocrisy of the Bishops and Phariseis in that they as men zelous for the lawe tooke Christ and bound him caried him to and fro from post to pyller nowe hether nowe thyther euen so now in this part of the gospel is set out the hypocrisy of al the people so that it is true that the prophet Oseas sayth that as the people is Ose 4. suche are the priestes For in that they ledde vnto their lawe hall Christ that innocent lambe of God there to deliuer him to the slaughter they haue no coÌ„science nor grudge at this but rather they are persuaded that they do God high seruice The hipocrisye of the people Furthermore they thynke them selues sufficieÌ„tly clensed and pure if they take hede to this onely that they go not into the lawe hall What is this Mat. 23 but to strain out a gnat and swalow or deuour a Camel to make cleane the outwarde part of the cuppe and platter but to leaue it within full of rauin and intemperancye To this also pertaineth it that thei say vnto Pylate It is not leful for vs to sley any maÌ„ I beseche ye durst not they murther a man that in their heartes had adiudged Christ to death You see now in this what is the nature of Hypocrisy Hypocrisy Truely this with outwarde workes to beare a beutyful shewe willyng outwardly to be reputed good and honest rather then to be so in dede contemnyng all other dispisyng and condemnyng them in comparison to them selues And especially hypocrisy is ragyng wod in a fury against suche as condempne her outward workes and reiecte her as an enemy vnto righteousnes that is of fayth Nowe then begynneth she to bee horne wodde and can not containe her wrath but rather would if she had power so to do murther all men coÌ„myt them to tormentors to be hewen in pieces then she would suffre one iote of her outwarde holynes honestye to bee defaced Ioh. 16 And of this commeth it that Christe sayd himselfe that when suche should murther christians they shuld thynke that they did high seruice to God Wherfore whosoeuer wyl be a true christian he must nedes leaue all hypocrisy onely study howe to abtain the rightousnes of fayth For fayth gladly is occupied in inward and spiritual thinges and forceth not greatly for outward thynges Furthermore it more gladly suffereth paciently all damage and iniurye then to do any to other But how do the Iewes here Forsoth they wyl not entre into the Consistorye but this they woulde A pure hert maketh a pure and good worke an defyled heart maketh an vncle â—n euell woorke ye and that with all their hartes that Christe were murthered and hanged vpon the crosse Neither is ther anye that one whit is moued with mercy or pitye toward Christe but they al at ones with a loud voice crye Crucifie him Crucifie him They all are vnpure in heart therfore must it needes be vnpure all that euer they do Wherfore is it right that the Iewes receiue such reward Contrarily for as much as al christiaÌ„s ar pure in hert al things also that thei do are pure cleane And doubtles this benefite obtain we by the faith which is in Christ Iesu our lord Secondarily The kiÌ„gdome of Christe we haue in this talkyng of Pylat with Christe a notable sentence and woorthy to bee kepte in memorie of the kyngdome of Christ what forme it muste haue in this worlde and what state it shall haue in the world to come For Pylat scornfully aposeth Christ in this manner Arte thou that kynge of the Iewes Euen as scornefullye hee asked him What is trewth And nowe to this question Christ giueth a noble answer not for Pilates sake whiche in deede not so muche as desired to be partener of this kingedome but for oure sake that we myght knowe howe to prepare oure selues well to thys kyngedome and ryghtlye to thynke and teache of it For suerly euerye man can not iudge rightlye of this kingdome for as much as in it all things are done contrary to our iudgment The kiÌ„gdome of Christ is hyd vnder the crosse And I pray you how shuld we haue any beliefe or certain knowledg of this kingdome except God wold giue vs his spirite For doubteles this kyngedome is hidde wyth a crosse in this worlde and lyethe secret vnder it And the lorde of this kingdom was as a malefactor betwene two murtherers nailed to the crosse I assure you Pilate him selfe beleued not that Christ had ony kingdome although he heard that layd to Christes charge Nor the Iewes them selues beleued it that he had a kingdom although in very deede at a certaine time they wold violently haue taken him and haue made him their king as S. Iohn writeth in his gospel Ioh. 6. saying But Iesus when he knew that they wold come by strengthe take him and make him kinge he fled agayne into the mountayne him selfe alone c. Note what is the kyngdome of God Wherefore it is verye conuenient for a christian man diligently to considre note what is here said that he may perceiue and vnderstand it My kingdome saith Christ is not of this world Yf it be not of this world what kingdom is it theÌ„ in what thiÌ„ges coÌ„sisteth it Ro. 14. Blessed S. Paul shal answer this The kiÌ„gdom of god saith he is not meat drink but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy ghoste Suerly he that with these things serueth god is accepted vnto god and aloweable afore men Thou hearest in this place that the kingdome of Christ is nothing else but righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy ghost But froÌ„ whence cometh this righteousnes Rom. 3. Of faith as the scripture saithe To him that beleueth his faithe is imputed for ryghteousnes But now whereof commeth faythe Of the worde as S. Paule saith Faith cometh of hearing Rom. 10 and hearing by the worde of god Furthermore where the woorde is there is also faithe and where fayth is there is ryhhteousnes and wher ryghteousnes is there ys peace in conscience where peace in consciences is there is spiritual ioy Wherfore where righteousnes peace and ioye is there is also the kyngdom of God as the Apostle sayth and we also haue alleged it before Of this nowe it foloweth that the kyngdome of Christe standeth not in outwarde thynges in outwarde power and administracion of cyuil thynges nor in any pompe or any proude porte but in the worde of God in spirite and fayth like as Christ sayd in another place Luc. 17. The kyngdom of God is wtin
happen in his natiuite For and by assone as this childe was borne al the neighbours and kynsfolke did reioyce with the parentes of the child and vpon the eyght day they circumcised the chyld and at the fathers commaundement and writyng they gaue him a name of grace and mercy and this fame is spredde abrode among all theim that dwelt in the Mountaynes of Iewrye and all that did heare it layde it in their heartes cōfessyng that the hande of the Lorde that is The hād of the Lord. the power and helpe of God was with him Lo thus muste men consider Ihon to knowe howe highly he is to bee estemed Secondarily in this gospell fayth maketh Zachary to speake whiche a lytle before throughe his incredulitee was domme And lyke as in this wee see howe great a synne vnbeleife is euen so on the other part wee perceyue howe precious and godly a treasure fayth is The Angel of God sayd vnto zacharye Thy wyfe Elizabeth shall beare vnto thee a sonne To these wordes ought zacharias to haue geuen credite But what doth he Because he was aged and his wyfe well gone in age also therfore he wyll or he geue credite knowe howe these thynges shal be fulfylled therefore he is compelled to silence tyl those thinges were fulfylled that were promised vnto him by the Angel And in lyke maner vnto this day are all they stryken dumme Dumnes in this our time that wyll not beleue the Apostles of God his worde and the Gospell For where as it were their duetye to aduaunce the glory of God the meryte of Christe and to set furth the same there they extoll the righteousnes of their own works as that Pharisei did Luc. 17 God said he I thank the For I am not as the residue of menne extorcioners vnrighteous aduouterers nor yet as this Publycane Call yee this to laude and glorifie the grace of god and merite of Christ Naye truly Thus to boast is worse then to bee dumme For thoughe in this prayer are heard many wordes yet is ther not one heard that seteth vp or magnifieth the grace of god or merite of Christe Nowe thoughe I can speake and vtter many woordes yet as longe as vnbeliefe that taketh away the glory of god raigneth in my heart I remaine dombe afore god as the scripture saith Wysdome hathe opened the mouthe of the dombe that is to say The knowledge of god maketh men eloquent that they knowe how to gyue god his honoure in Christ to praise and glorifie him and fynally to confesse his worde Suche an eloquent Orator was Paul made when he compared his own iustice that he had in the lord vnto myre and dong that by it he might suffre no dammage in that righteousnes whiche Christe hath brought and giueth to the beleuers And such an eloquēt preacher was Zacharias after that the tyme apointed by the angel was fulfilled For by and by after the circumcision of his sonne Iohn he was fylled with the holy ghost and prophecyed praisyng god that had giuen that greate grace vnto him Therfore I saye where faith and the holy ghost are not there muste we needes be dum spiritually yea though we speak many vayne and voide wordes Thirdely the Euangelist heere describeth worde for worde what Zacharias sayd whē he was fylled with the holy ghost and why he so earnestly praised and glorified the Lord his God For thus he sayd Blessed be the Lord God of Israel To blesse To blesse in this place is asmuche as to laude For nowe in as muche as zacharias had receyued the child promised to him also he knewe in spirit what Christe shuld do whose waye this chylde should make ready he praiseth God for that so great and excellent a benefyte Geuyng vs an ensample that wee euermore should thanke prayse God for those his benefites geuen to vs both corporal and also spiritual Now if ye be desirous to heare the cause of this praisyng God of zachary himself For he sayth he hath visited and wrought the redempcion of his people This woorde Visite God doth visite vs ii maner of waies is in the scriptures taken two maner of wayes For sometyme God visiteth vs in his wrath furor as when he punisheth our sinnes as it chaunsed Pharao in the red sea and the Iewes in the tyme of Tytus and Vespasian the Emperor Many tymes he visiteth vs in mercy and grace as it happened to the Iewes when they were brought out of Egypt also when Christ was sent and geuē of the whiche visitacion Christ himselfe speaketh complayneth Mat. 20 because they knewe not the tyme of their visitacion And of this mercyfull visitacion dothe zacharias speake in this place saiyng that God hath visited and wrought the redempcion of his people He knowlegeth also and estemeth this redempcion so certayne sure that he proclaymeth and laudeth it as done already wher in dede it was as then yet to be done in tyme commyng And to this apertayneth the foloweth in this cāticle And he hath set vp vnto vs an horne of health in the house of Dauid his seruāt An horne in scripture An horn in scripture is taken for the power dominion As zacharias would say The corporal kyngdome nowe hath his ende nowe appointed the septer is taken frō the tribe of Iuda But be of good cōfort we shall nowe be better then euer we were For why we shall haue a newe kyng whiche in dede was promised vs long agoo whiche shal set vp a kyngdom not corporal wherin he may reigne with outward power but a kyngdome of helth and eternal lyfe accordyng to the promyse so many thousand yeres promised to the Patriarkes vnto Dauid For doubtles whosoeuer shall beleue in this kyng kepe his word he shal assuredly obtain this helth Now who could doubt in this Dyd not God in tymes past speake these wordes by the mouth of the Prophetes Dissēciō betwyxt Christ the world Dyd not he promyse the same by the Patriarches Notwithstādyng there shall ryse debate discencion betwene this kyng the world For surely he wyll geue sentēce that all suche thynges as the world estemeth right good be vnrighteous and by his worde he wyll cast away all their holynes wysedome vertues and cōdempne them And here out shal begyn this stryfe with contynuance but yet so that at the conclusion the victory shal be Christes not alonly for his owne commoditee or profite but muche rather for al those that beleue in him If thou desyrest to knowe what he shall do He shal deliuer vs from our enemyes and from the handes of all them that hated vs. Furthermore he wyll shewe vs the waye whiche when we entre into we shall not dispayre of mercye for our sinnes for he wyll remembre that faithfull othe that he sware to Abraham oure father Briefely by his owne merites of mere grace without deseruinge of
death but the ende shewed that it was but the purpose of a man The cuppe and baptisme of Christ in this place are taken for his passion and persecucion that he suffered as it is also in the Prophete Psal I wyll take to me sayth he the cuppe of saluacion and I wyll call vpon the name of the Lorde Of this baptisme Christ himselfe sayth I must be baptised with a baptisme and what pangues suffre I tyll it be fulfylled To drynke this cuppe and to be baptized with this baptisme is not in euery mans power but there longeth to it an especial connyng But what is that Forsoth the same commyng that is wrought in vs only by the holy ghost For where soeuer he cometh there must it needes be wrought that in tribulaciō they shall haue paciens But on the other part where the holy ghost is not there are men none otherwise mynded than Peter was when he did strike of the Bishops seruauntes eare And truly these disciples whiche at this tyme were thus presumptuous knewe but litle what the crosse and baptism ment But did god therfore cast thē of No forsoth But he beareth theyr weaknesse and suffereth it very gentelye And also promyseth thme that they shall drinke his cup and suffre wyth him many tribulacions so by many tribulacions at the laste enter into the kingdome of heauen and perpetually raygne with hym Therfore if Christe cast not of his disciples The weak ar to be boren with all bicause of their weakenes but beareth with them with all humanitie and gentlenes tyll they might come to the trewe vnderstanding doubtles no more becometh it vs to condemn those that are weake but muche rather it is our deuty to instructe teache them and to bring them vnto better knowledge Thirdly for as much as these disciples required to sit in Christes kingdome that thei estemed to be a temporall raygne one on the ryghte hande and an other vppon the lefte Christe denayeth not his heauenly kingdome to them only shewing to them of whose hande they shall receiue it To sitte at my right hand saith he or at my lefte hand it pertaineth not to me to giue Christe speaketh some times as a mā and somtyme as God but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father Here note diligently that Christ speaketh sometimes as a man and sometime as god For this is very necessarye to bee obserued and noted if we will at the least vnderstand the scriptures In the gospel of sainct Ihon Christ sayth As the father rayseth vp the dead and geueth life euen so the sonne geueth life to whō he wyll Here Christ maketh himself in all thynges equal with the father Therfore nedes must this place be vnderstand of the godly nature of Christ In this presēt gospel Christ sayth that onely the father and not he geueth to syt on the right hand or on the left Except this be vnderstand of Christes humayne nature I pray you howe shal these two so contrary sentences els agre Wherfore it is very necessary to note diligently as we before admonished when Christ speaketh as mā and whē he speaketh as God And also furthermore note this that vnto the kyngdome of Christ vnto that ioy that is euerlasting none can bryng vs but God only which prepared it for vs from the beginnyng of the worlde This is altogether in his power to geue it vnto whom he wyll Nowe if this power bee all in him where are then oure woorkes where is our vertue righteousnesse or holynes Doubtles we are bound to do good workes ye and to be vertuous righteous holy for Christes wyll is that oure light should shyne before menne to the glory of our heauenly father This is very truth who can deny it But here must wee diligently take hede that vnto our iustificacion no mannes worke or merite be ioyned with al for that cōmeth onely of fayth wherin also the grace goodnes and mercy of God worketh altogether whiche onely is apprehended by fayth And where as this fayth is there is also forgeuenes of synnes righteousnes eternall saluacion is Then folowe good workes as the fruites tokens and argumētes of true fayth But this haue we sufficiently treated vpon before Only the Lord God geue vs grace to perceiue it and retaine it in our heartes Amen The gospel on sainct Bartholomewes day the Apostle Luc. 22. ANd there was a strife among thē whiche of them should seme to bee the greatest And he sayd vnto thē The kinges of nacions raigne ouer them and they that haue authoritee vpō them are called gracious Lordes but ye shall not be so Mat. 20 But he that is greatest among you shal be as the younger And he that is chief shall be as he that doth minister For whether is greatter he that sytteth at meate or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth at meate But I am among you as he that ministreth Ye are they whiche haue bydden with me in my temptacions And I appoint vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appointed to me that ye may eate and drinke at my table im my kyngdome and Mat. 19 syttee on seates iudgyng the xii tribes of Israel THE EXPOSITION The ignorance of the Apostles THis Gospel againe setteth out to vs an ensample of the ignorance and infirmitie that was in the Apostles And surely a mā might wel meruaile that the Apostles whiche had heard Christ so long yet had obtayned no more vnderstādyng of the spiritual kyngdome of Christ and of spiritual thynges Yea and if we consider at what tyme this strife and contencion was surely the infirmitee of the Apostles shal appeare farre more and greater then if it had chaunced at some other tyme. When then chaunced thys contention By and by after that laste supper wherein Christ had said that his Traytours hand was with him at his table and that the son of man shuld passe as it was writtē of him The which wordes suerly should rather haue stricken the Apostels into feare and made them heuy and pensiue seyng that Christ shewed them with these wordes so openly that he shuld suffre yet begin they to striue whiche of them shuld be highest in reputacion Iho. 13 Didde not Christe a lyttle before tell them that a seruaunt is not greater then his lorde Nowe wher did Christe their lord euer desire great dominiōs of this worlde or the great pompes of it Didde not he flye Iohn 6 when the Iewes woulde haue taken hym and made hym kynge Did not he before shew them Mat. 10 that he would send them as sheepe among wolues When was it euer seene that sheepe bare rule as Emperoures amonge wolues But truth it is although this bee preached tyll menne leesse their voice for wearines yet is fleshe flesh still and so continneth excepte the spyrite of God come to yt and lighten it Iohn 2 1. Co. 15 So that
world hath euer bene ful of mischiefe gylty of sinne neither is no man in it but nedeth the merites of Christe yet doo not all men vnderstande this nor acknowledge thys And especyallye the indurate and hard hearted Pharaos Pharao and after them the hipocrites acknoweledge it not For the indurate synners leade furth their lyues euen lyke beastes not greatly forsyng whether there bee any other lyfe after this or no or whether there bee any Christ to bryng them to that life or no. But the hypocrites Hypocrittes that leane to their own righteousnes in dede they can talke of the wrath to come yet notwithstandyng they leaue Christ take thus muche vpon theim selues that they trust in their owne good workes to obtaine that lyfe and saluacion I praye you what good can Christe do to suche Yea what shuld he do with suche This fyrst sort of people are stubburne necked hard hearted and thynketh they haue no neede of Christe The other sorte of iusticiaryers forsaketh the meryte of Christ True synners lyke as they would deserue heauen by theyr owne workes Christ seyng and consideryng this leaueth these two sortes ioyneth himselfe to suche as acknowlege them selues sinners and desire and seke for tomforte and helpe And they also with all their heart with true loue and gladnes receiue him and beleue his preachyng Mich 7 they doubte not his promise but they say with the Prophet Mycheas He shal be turned and he wyll haue mercy vpō vs and he wyll caste all oure synnes into the deapth of the seas Euen so must we do Let vs adioyne our selues to Christ as synners shewe to him our synnes and with teares require his mercye If wee do this with a faythfull heart surely in this gospel he hath declared in dede that he is ready to help suche sinners And furthermore with this his deede agreeth also his woordes that here he speaketh vnto the Phariseys saiyng The whole nedeth not the Physician but the sicke Agayne I am not comme to call the righteous but synners to repentaunce Fourthly the Euangelist discrybeth howe the Phariseys murmured against Christ wherein they open and shewe plainly that notable pryde of theyr heartes But wherefore murmure they Because Christ eateth and drynketh with synners O great holynes of these Phariseys Tell me I praye ye O holy hypocrites where is it wrytten that suche as knowlege themselues synners do repent it ought to bee fledde and their company to be eschewed Is not this thinke you a good vertuous dede to seke out agayne the lost stray shepe and to bryng him agayne into the right waye But I see you do the cleane contrary for ye iudge it both wicked and vngodly Surely Christ sayd well of you in the gospel of Mathew Blynd guydes coulyng out the gnat and swolowe the Camel Ma. 27 Ye obserue mennes tradicions would men should esteme you vertuous and godly yet can ye very well awaye with it that your neighbour should continue in synne and be cōdempned Nowe if ye were vertuous in deede ye would surely neuer do so For true righteousnes because it cōmeth of fayth and therfore also loueth his neighbor with all the heart it wisheth that all men might be vertuous righteous blessed Wherfore wyl ye knowe what ye want Ye haue no fayth and therfore can ye not loue your neighbour for in very deede that is the fruite of fayth Nowe because ye lacke fayth and loue ye haue not only no cōpassion vpō them that be loden with synne and would with al their heartes be deliuered from their synnes but also euen as the nature of hypocrites and iusticiariers is ye dispise them and caste them frome you But this your dispising can do you no good in this behalf Ye must neds take an other trade of liuing yf ye wyll be taken for righteous Wyll ye knowe how so Learn what this meaneth that the prophet Oseas said Osee 6. I will mercye and not sacrifice For all these outewarde woorkes all these outewarde sacrifices profyte nothynge at all excepte there bee presente in the hearte a true faythe in God and true loue to your neyghboure Behold thus haue wee here paynted vnto vs the arrogancy and pride of hypocrisy and furthermore howe Christe stoppeth vppe the Phariseys mouthes and confuteth theym by the holye scriptures God graunte that the aduersaryes of the truthe in thys oure presente tyme maye acknowledge hys holye woorde and beecome wyth the chylderen of god partakers of hys heauenly kyngdome through CHRIST our Lorde Amen The gospell vpon S. Mychael the Archangell daye Math. 18. AT the same tyme came the disciples vnto Iesus sayinge Mar 9. Luc. 9. Who is the greatest in the kingdome of heauen Iesus called a chylde to hym set hym in the middest of them and said Verely I say vnto you Mar. 10 Except ye turn and become as Luc. 18. Actu 2. children ye shall not enter into the kyngdome of heauen Whosoeuer therfore humbleth himself as this chyld the same is the greatest in the kīgdome of heauen And who so receaueth suche a chyld in my name receiueth me But who so doth offende one of these lytleones Actu 9 Luc. 17 whiche beleue in me it were better for him that a mylstone were hāged about his necke that he were doruned in the depth of the sea Wo vnto the worlde because of offences 1. Co. 11 Necessarye it is that offences come But wo vnto the man by whom the offence commeth Wherfore Mat. 5 if thy hand or thy foote hynder the cutte him of cast it from thee It is better for thee to entre into life halte or maymed rather then thou shouldest hauyng two handes or two feete be cast into euerlastyng fyre And it thyne eye offende thee plucke it out and cast it from thee It is better for thee to entre into life with one eye rather then hauyng two eyes to be cast in to hel fyre Take hede that ye despise not one of these lytleones For I say vnto you that in heauen their Angels do alwayes be holde the face of my father whiche is in heauen THE EXPOSITION of this present gospel WE haue againe here in this gospel an example of the Apostles infirmitee ignorance wherin we see howe paciētly Christ beareth their infirmitee And as the goodnes of Christe appeareth in this Gospell euen so the affection of the Apostles sheweth it selfe to bee exceadyng grosse and rude and full of ignoraunce For consider what they do They came to Christ sayd Who is greattest in the kyngdome of heauē What meane they by these woordes Thynke they that Christe shoulde haue a corporall knogdome in this worlde promote his disciples vnto greate lordships as it is done in worldly princes courtes Heard they euer Christ so teachīg Did not he shew them afore Mat. 5. Ye ar blessed whan men shall rayle vpō you
come by these and many mo sectes Furthermore this slaunder is against loue as when I wyll not obey the Magistrate I will not do and paye as other men doo and paye neither beare the common charges as other beare but I wyll be cleane without lawe and haue a singuler prerogatiue afore al other Of this slaunder Christe hym selfe saithe to Peter Mat. â—7 Leaste we shoulde bee a slaunder vnto them go to the sea and cast thy hooke and that fyshe which firste commeth take him vppe open his mouthe and thou shalte fynde a grote take it oute and giue it them for the and me Nowe withoute doubt these slanders shall continue in the worlde vnto the end And especiall the slaunderers of doctrine shall bee both greuous and vehemente But what remedye againste this slaunder Spiritually are the handes and feete cut of I muste cut of that whiche woulde offende me be it either foot hande or eyes that is I must continue in the worde nothing consyderyng what shall chaunce euen thoughe father or mother brother or syster wyfe or children kinne or affinytye monye or ryches woulde plucke me frome it yet muste I sette more by the woorde then by all these For better yt is that I forsake all thynges be they neuer so deere and precious in thys worlde and to bee saued afore god then to haue all menne my friendes and be separated from god And seeynge that god wyll so extremelye punyshe theym that rayse suche slaunders what thynke yee shall come to suche as for those slaunders leaue and forsake the trueth Doubtlesse hee shall punishe theym both alyke Fourthly here is a general admonicion vnto al men that they dispyse none of these lytleones that are dead to the worlde poore in spirit and knyt together one in Christ Yea there is also assygned a cause why they shuld beware of hurtyng them The lytle ones wherfore they are not to be offended Psal 19 For their Angels sayth Christ in heauen alway see the face of my father whiche is in heauen Surely without doubt if God be so mercyful to his seruauntes that he hath appointed Angels vnto this ministery to kepe and defende them doubtles then this wyll please him but a lytle if they be dispised persecuted troubled troden vnder foote For surely the Lord is as careful for them as if these thinges were done vnto himselfe And furthermore he must nedes be discoÌ„tented to se them euil entreated for whose sake he came into this worlde and shedde his precious bloud I pray you who can thynke otherwyse in this behalfe Shall it not prouoke his anger that wee dispyse those whoÌ„ he hath redemed with his death and precious bloud shed For if that lost shepe be so deare to him and he so entyrely loued it that he left nyntye and nyne in the wyldernes and ceassed not seekyng tyll he had founde it why should wee then either persecute or trouble that sheepe Surely he may suffre it but without doubt he wyl not leaue it vnpunished Furthermore he sayth It is not his fathers wyll that one of these lytleones should peryshe Are not these strong reasons that might well refrayne vs from persecutyng of our christian brethren Theyr angels sayth Christe whiche must serue them euer see the face of my father Trueth it is that I wyll be their sauior and my fathers wyll is that they should not perishe Nowe if these wordes wyll not moue vs surely I knowe not what should moue vs to learne to loue christian men and not to despyse theim But commonly it so chaunseth that these poore lytle ones of Christ haue euermore persecucion then fauour in this worlde Wherfore I beseche God graunt vs grace to perseuer in his fayth and paciently for his names sake to suffre persecucion vnto th ende through Christ our Lord. Amen The gospel on sainct Lukes day the EuaÌ„gelist ye shall fynde after Alhalowen day The gospel on sainct Symon and Iudes day Ihon. 15. Greater loue hath no maÌ„ then this that a man bestow his life for his frendes Ye are my frendes if ye do whatsoeuer I coÌ„maunde you Hencefurth call I you not seruauntes for the seruaunt knoweth not what his lorde doth But you haue I called frendes For all thynges that I haue heard of my father haue I opened to you Ye haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordayned you to go and bryng furth fruite and that your fruite should remayne that whatsoeuer ye aske of the father in my name he may geue it you THE EXPOSITION CHrist gaue his disciples this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of brotherly loue after that last supper when he now knewe the tyme of his passion at hand that immediatly he shuld be taken away froÌ„ them Surely this is an vndoubted truth that there is besydes fayth no woorke in the worlde nor none can be that shal be acceptable vnto God saue onely charitee and loue of my neighbour of the whiche Christ speaketh in this Gospel Or els why should Christ with so great seueritee and earnest admonicion in that his last sermon that euer he made Christes coÌ„maundement of charitee haue geuen and inculcate this precepte of charitee And here note two thynges Fyrst that Christ gaue this precept and not Moses For if it were Moses precept it shuld be a precept as the other preceptes were in the lawe whiche in dede taught coÌ„maunded what should be done and what should bee lefte vndone but thei gaue not the spirit wherby it might be done with free heart and courage But Christ doth not here so but as he sheweth what is necessary to be done euen so he also geueth the spirit that we may be able to do those thinges that he hath coÌ„maunded And this is the onely cause why he him selfe sayth of his preceptes My yoke is swete my burthen light And sainct Ihon in his Epistle Canonical saith His coÌ„maundementes are not heauy Wherefore these woorkes of loue are not hypocrites workes like as the workes of the lawe were whiche the Iewes did without spirit but whatsoeuer a Christian doth in this behalfe he doth it with an whole heart 1 Co. 14 euen as sainct Paule sayth Charitee seketh not the thyng that is her owne For why A christian knoweth that Christe requireth not onely true fayth that worshippeth the father in spirit and truth but also he requireth an vnfayned loue Further note that this loue spryngeth not of her selfe but it spryngeth furth of fayth so that whersoeuer there is no fayth there can neuer bee any true loue Fayth Loue. Fayth heareth the woorde of God taketh holde vpon those thynges that the same worde promyseth in the merytes of Christe and so obtayneth without any merites of workes only of mere grace and mercy remission of synnes righteousnes eternal life Nowe if any maÌ„ wyl in this cause of iustifycacion admyxt the myre of his owne workes he goth cleane out of the way
worde of God And therefore the grace of God cannot be in them To conclude As Christ is very God so by this gospel it appeareth he was very man and sent from his father into this world that we by him might enioye euerlasting life The Gospell on Newe yeares day Luc. 2. AND when the eihht day was come that the childe shulde be circumcised his name was called Iesus Gen 17 Mat. 1. Luc. 1. whiche was named of the Aungell before he was conceaued in the wombe THE EXPOSITION FYrste bycause saint Luke the Euangelyste hath so dilligently sette forthe the natiuitie of Christe Nowe he goeth about to declare what profite and commoditie it hathe brought vnto vs. That is to say that through Christ the burden and yoke of the lawe is taken away and a free harte and willing spirite is geuen vnto vs Gal. 4. Esa 44 which not constrained with the feare of paine shuld kepe the commaundementes af God and do that is iust For it is very euident and can by no meanes be denyed that seyng the law is spirituall it doth not only require outwarde workes but muche soner the inward affections of the hart No man by his own power can fulfil the lawe as S. Peter witnesseth in the Actes cap. 15. saying Whye tempte ye God laying the yoke vpon the disciples neckes which our forefathers Gala. 3. nor we were able to beare Now therefore it is necessarye other the lawe to be fulfilled or else vs to be damned as scripture saith Cursed bee euery man that abideth not in all thinges written in the booke of lawe Go to then here of this place I perceyue that the law requireth a perfectioÌ„ And again In my selfe I fele nothing whereby I may fulfil it Rom. 10 what shal I now here do Thou must by faith obteine Christe which hath for the satisfied the lawe and deliuered the from the curse thereof He is the ende of the lawe Gala. 4 as S. Paule saith In whome euery man that beleueth shal be saued And in an other place When the time was fully come God sent doune his sonne borne of a woman subdued to the lawe Abrogacion of the lawe that he shulde redeme suche as wer in daunger of the law and so we shuld be made the children of God And hereto it pertaineth that Christ suffered himselfe to be circuÌ„cised This thiÌ„g betokeneth that Christe came to fulfil the lawe for vs and to make vs free from the curse of the law that by the doctryne of the gospell he might communicate vnto vs the holy ghost that we so by him renewed myght hereafter not constrayned but frely and louingely do those thinges that God requireth of vs. And secondarely it is to be vnderstand and knowen that circumcision was a token and signe of the promise that God made vnto Abraham Signes cofirme faith yea and to his seede also as apeareth in the 17. chap. of Genesis Nother was this signe geuen that men thereby myght bee iustified but that they which shulde heare of the promise of God shulde be confirmed in faith and that the Iewes might be knowen froÌ„ thother Heythen and infideles For trewly euerye signe hath his promise whereunto it is meete that all men sticke and beleue As in the 6. chap. of Gen. it is promised to Noe that he shall not perishe by the floude And in token of that promise he had a ship which he was commaunded of God to builde And in the 9. chap. of the same also it is promised that the worlde after that shulde neuer be drowned or destroyed by floude And in token thereof God gaue vnto hym the rayn bow And in lyke case it is here God promised himselfe to be the God of Abraham and of his sede And therefore gaue vnto hym the token of circumcision wherewith he dothe confirme and certefie his faith that he shuld in no wise doubt but suerely beleue that God wolde kepe his promise But thou must so vnderstand these things that we shal receiue these promises The worde not through the outwarde signe but by the worde in the which the signe is conteined Faithe and oure faithe hath gotten it Alwaies the spiritual thing must be ioyned to the corporal internal thiÌ„gs must be added to the exteriors The outward circumcision Circumcision is nothing without the circumcision of the hart which is made by the spirite is signified by the outward circuÌ„cision And Deut. in the 10. chap. it is saide Circumcide the foreskin of your hartê Yf then the exterior circuÌ„cision did profyt the Iews it must nedê be that they theÌ„ shuld holy stick and abide in faith the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts promises of God seing that the same exterior sign doth but confyrme strength them as thou maist see in Gedeon in the 6. chap. Iud. And in lyke manner we say of the signes of the new testament as yf when I am baptised I haue no respecte but to the water That outward dippiÌ„g in water profiteth nothiÌ„g at al The sacrament of the newe testameÌ„t Baptime But if I regard haue respect to the coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts promises of god wyth the which this water is sanctified and beleue the same so by this means am baptised wtin through the holy ghost theÌ„ trewly this baptism is very profitable vnto me Yt hath the word promise of God and is not wtout a cause called of S. Paule the fountayn of the new byrth Lykewyse when in the supper of our Lord I regard not the commaundement and promise of Christ nor come by faith to receaue yt The supper of the Lorde then the eating drinking of the sacrameÌ„t of the body blood of Christ not only profiteth me not but rather maketh to my damnacioÌ„ as S Paul speketh of such as vnworthely receiue the same And wheÌ„ I behold the coÌ„maundement word and promise of God 1 Cor 11 then doth the eatinge drinking of the sacrameÌ„t of the body blood of Christ profit me much bycause in the word I fiÌ„d remissioÌ„ of siÌ„nes in the sacrament or outward signe I find the confirmacioÌ„ of my faith And it is to be noted that christian meÌ„ in the steed of circumcision haue baptisme begonne of S. Iohn confirmed by Christ as yt apeareth in the last chap. of Mark. The baptisme of children And like as circumcision was communycate to the children so must baptism be conferred to our childreÌ„ although the phantasticall anabaptistes teach otherwise Thirdly we learn by the name that was geuen vnto Christ shewed before of the angel that in matters of faith and in such as coÌ„cern our iustyficatioÌ„ our workes merytes be of no strength before God but alonly grace mercy which God in Christ hath shewed to all the world For the name of Iesus yf thou wylt interpret yt signyfyeth a sauyoure Iesus oÌ„ly iustifieth Nor thynke thowe yt to bee a poore and
bare name but yt ys the thynge yt selfe the worke and executyon as sayncte Paule sayeth 1. Cor. ◠Iesus ys made the wysdome of God to vs our ryghteousnes santyfycacyon and red emptyon as yt ys wrytten He that glorieth or reioyceth let hys glorye and reioysynge be yn God And also yn the Actes yt ys wrytten Act. 4. There ys none other name vnder heauen geuen vnto men where throughe theye muste bee saued c. And ys it not wrytten also yn the 1. chapt of Math He shal redēme his people frō theyr synes The name of Christe Now thā yf we be iustyfyed by the meryte passion death of Chryst whereto cometh the glory of oure workes Here muste I not glorye of myne owne workes but all my ioy must be in Iesu Christ And hereto pertaineth all suche places as be red in the olde testament and the newe of the name and merite of Christe And althoughe it be very necessary and instantlye required of a christian man that he shulde declare and shewe forth his faith with the workes of Charitie and other godlye exercise yet by no worke can he bee iustified but allonly by the merite of Christe Forthlye this gospell teacheth vs that the word of God and his workes do striue with our reason If we go about by reason to knowe the mistery of the circumcision it wold seme a very iest that God shulde adorne with his commaundemente so vile a membre The workes of God bee contrary to reasō But what shuldest thowe thinke seyng it is so Verelye God choseth not those things that be pleasaunt or in great estimacion with vs but suche thinges as be dispised and abiecte before oure eyes And that for this cause bicause that our reason shuld be subdued to the worde of God and his workes and that we shuld commend and accept such things as he hath chosen and not those things that seeme most pleasaunte and goodly to our sight Circumcision was a thinge that was smal of estymacion The worde of God sātifieth al thinges but when the cūmaundement and promise of God came yt was made a noble helthful a godly worke And likewise it is but a trifle to be baptised and washed in water But if the commaundement promise and worde of God be ioyned therto it is surely a thinge wonderful preciouse and helthfull And althoughe to the worlde it appeare but a tryfull to be baptised yet baptisme that is brought in the steede of circumcision must be accepted of vs as an hyghe and precious work bicause it hath the commaundement and promise of Christ To whom be all honoure and praise Amen The gospell on Epiphany daye Math. 2. WHen Iesus was borne at Bethlehem in a citye of Iewrye in the time of Herode the kinge Behold there came wise men from the East to Ierusalem saiyng Where is he that is borne kinge of Iewes For wee haue sene his Nu. 24. starre in the Easte and are come to worshippe hym When Herode the king hard these thinges he was troubled and all the city of Ierusalem with hym And whan he had gathered al the chiefe prestes and scribes of the people together he demaunded of them where Christ shuld be borne And they sayde vnto hym at Bethlehem in Iewry For thus it is written by the prophet Mich. 5 Ioh. 7. And thou Bethlehem in the land of Iuda art not the least amōgst the prynces of Iuda For Mich. 5 Ioh. 7. out the of shal I there come vnto me the captaine that shall gouerne my people Israell Then Herod when he had priuely called the wise men enquired of them diligentlye what tyme the starre appeared he had them go to Bethlehem and saide Go youre way thither and search diligently for the childe And when ye haue founde hym brynge me worde agayne that I may come and worshippe him also THE EXPOSITION THe Euangelist S. Math. after that he had written of the promise made to Dauyd and the other fathers and had broughte in the Aungell Ioseph Esai the prophete as most suer witnes of the byrth and natiuitie of Christ Now in the golpel of this day while he describeth certain circūstances he proueth that this childe is Christ and the very trew Messias Christ the trewe Messias of old time promised to our forefathers now exhibited to the world that all thinges myght be brought to passe in him The cyrcumstances be the place and tyme. In Bethlehē Iuda The place saith the euangeliste Iesus is borne Here now thou hast the place And it is not vnknowē to al mē that this city was ordeined for the birth of Christ of long time before prophecied by the prophetes that so it shuld be Wherfore of this place we maye boldly conclude that thys child newly borne is the trew Messias These be the wordes of the prophet And thou Bethlehem of Iewrye Mich. 5 arte not the leste c. Out of the shall rise to me a gouenoure that shall gouerne my people of Israell Now there is two Bēthlehemes one in Galilee in the trybe of Zabulon and thother in the lande of Iewry Seyng the euangelist with expresse words doth speak of Bethlehem in the lande of Iewrye and ful well agreeth with the prophetes I pray you how durst the Iewes deny that Christ was the very Messias Now lyke as the place so doth also the tyme verye well agre The tyme. as in the 59. cha of Gen. by the patriarke Iacob it was determined by these words The scepter shall not be remoued from Iuda nor a ruler of his posterite til he come that shal come Of this prophecy yt appeareth that Christ muste needes haue then be borne when the kyngdom of the Iewes was so taken away that no kinge or ruler of the tribe of Iuda shuld reign any longer And that did chaūce at the tyme of Herod which was not of the tribe of Iuda nor yet born of the Iewes blod but was an Idumee a straūger and made kyng by the Romanes Wherefore nother yet of this place can the obstynate Iewe deny but that Christe is the son of God and the trewe Messias And it were to be highelye wished and desieed of vs that the Iewes allonlye and no christyan man dyd withstande and speake agayne thys natyuyty For althoughe we often tymes say and confesse that Christ the sonne of God was borne of the virgyne Mary yet when we will not knowe nor vnderstande wherefore yt was done I cannot see what profite wee shall gette thereby Thou muste knowe and confesse that to the to the I saye and to thyne redemption and saluacion he was borne Esa 9. And that the father in this hys sonne allonlye wil be knowen and gloryfied Yf anye chrystyan man doth putte his confidence nowe in the merites of hys owne workes and trusteth to gette euerlastynge lyfe thereby he trewlye doth as greuouslye and dispytefullye withstande this natyuytye as
our workes he will make vs righteous godly and blessed so that we beyng delyuered from the handes of our enemies may serue him all the dayes of oure lyfe not in outwarde ceremonyes and seruices as in tymes past but in holynes and righteousnes that is accepted before him He requyreth the heart he asketh faith he wil be worshipped in spirite and truth and will not be fylled with outwarde woorkes that lacke faith as men haue done in times past Thus you see that Zacharias by the holy ghost acknowledgeth the grace of the gospell that shoulde come therfore he praiseth and glorifieth god as one ascertayned that by this grace we al shal be saued The lorde our god gyue vs grace bothe that wee maye know it and also that for it we may giue thanks to god our father and glorifie him for euer Amen The gospell on sainct Peter and Paules daye Math. 16. WHē Iesus came into the coasts of the cytye whych is called Cesarea Philippi he asked hys disciples saying Mar. 8. Luc. 9. Who do men say that I the sonne of man am They say Some saye thou art Iohn Baptist some Helias some Hieremias or one of the numbre of the prophetes He sayeth vnto theym But whom saye yee that I am Simon Peter answered and sayde Luce. 9. Iohn 6 Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuyng god And Iesus answered sayde vnto him Happy art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto the Iohn 6 but my father which is in heauen And I saye also vnto the that thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke 1 Co. 10. Esa 28. I wyll buyld my congregacion And the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it And wyll giue vnto the the keyes of the kyngedome of heauen and * mat 18 what so euer thou byndest in earthe shall bee bounde in heauen and what so euer thou losest in earth shall be loed in heauen THE EXPOSITION The cōfession of the Apostles WE haue fyrst set forth in this gospel that excellent confession of S. Peter and the other Apostels wherein they confesse that hee is Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god This confession is so excellente and noble yea and so christian that wee dare boldlye saye that where this confession is not doubteles there is no saluacion at all as the Apostell Saynte Paule witnesseth Rom. saying The hearte beleueth vnto righteousnes and the mouthe confesseth vnto saluacion Fyrste CHRIST asketh what opinyon the people had of hym and whome they sayde he was The Apostels aunswered him Some saye thou arte Iohn the Baptist some saye Helias some Hieremias or one of the prophetes Christe was not ignoraunte what was spoken of him and also he knewe it better then the apostels could tell him that where the gospell is preached there muste nedes arise manye lyes whiche are imagined not only against the truth but also against them the preach the truthe whereout it chaunceth often times that the worlde rageth and waxeth woode with them Therfore nedes must it be that Christ aposing his disciples sought some other thinge at his apostels that is to sai their cōfession of faith as ye shal hear For thus he saith But whome say you that I am Thē answered Petre in the name of them al The fayth of the Apostels Thou art the same Christ the son of the liuyng god Considre inwardly this confession thou shalt see that the faith of al the Apostels was a true and a righte faith excepte that as yet it was not confirmed with the crosse and that yet the holy ghost was not come vpon them Fyrst of all they confesse that he is the same Christ that is to saye the same anointed and capitaine whom god had longe before promised Esai 55 to theyr fathers and whome they hadde so long time looked for that doubtles he shuld come and fulfyll all suche thinges as the holy scriptures hadde prophecied of Furthermore also they confesse that he is Christe sonne of the lyuing god sente into this worlde that by hys meryte passion and deathe all menne myghte bee made good righteous and blessed And thus as it is in dead conueniente to do they confesse the same one Christ to be both god and man For as concernyng his humane nature hee is the sonne of Dauyd annoynted of the father kinge and Prieste and that after the order of Melchisedech and God hathe gyuen vnto him the seate of Dauid that is the spirituall kyngedome whyche is admynistred by the spyryte that hee maye sytte vppon it eternallye But as concernynge his godheade he is the sonne of the liuing god one in substance essence or being and maiestye with the father so that neither mai the father bee separate from the son nor the sonne from the father as sainct Paule sayth Collo 2 In Christ dwelleth all fulnesse of the godhead corporally Nowe whosoeuer with suche fayth after this maner as the Apostles here dyd confesseth Christe without doubt he shall also with the Apostles be made partaker of eternal saluacion as Christ here sayth vnto Peter like as to al his disciples Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Iona c. Secondarily we see in this gospel that this confession commeth not of oure strengthes but by the reuelacion of God For assone as Peter had in the name of them all declared what opinion thei had of him Fleshe bloud in scripture by and by Christe sayd Fleshe and bloud hath not opened it to thee but my father which is heauē Shal then our fleshe that is reason wyt prudence freewyll and the strengthes of man bee of no value in matter of our iustificacion confessyng of God Surely nothing For without doubt here nothyng is of value but mere grace and mercy Nowe if it be grace than I beleue that I may do good woorkes that I can confesse Christ as the Apostles do in this place nedes must I let flesh contynue as fleshe and bloud as bloud so the inasmuche as partayneth vnto our saluacion the flesh not only can do nothing but also it can do nothyng but synne as S. Ihon the Euangelist sayth Ihon. 1 As many as receiue him he gaue them power to be made the sōnes of God to those that beleue in his name which are not borne of bloudes nor of the will of the fleshe nor of the will of mā but they are borne of God Doth not the Euāgelist here cleane refuse reiect in matter of iustificaciō al together that is borne of bloudes or of the wyl of fleshe or of the wylle of man Euen so it is necessary that we consider here in this place the cōfession of Peter and the other Apostles that it came not of their reason wysedome or frewyll For surely Christ would in this worde dryue backe make blunt ouerthrow our presumpcion and meke that pride that is borne in vs that we shuld