comforte the sorrowefull to helpe those that are vniustly oppressed to further the simple with cousell to take the miserable out of the mouthes of wolues is a kynde of mercy deseruing no lesse prayse than to clothe the naked or to feede the hungery M. But they alwayes obserue this prescripte nombre whiche feede the poore and hungry not of a Christian affection and sincere loue but rather for an hypocriticall shewe Bu. Furthermore Saint Iames doth testifie that those woorkes whiche are here repeated of Christe are acceptable before God Pure deuotion vndefiled saith he before God the father is this to visite the fatherles and wydowes in their aduersitie and to kepe him selfe vnspotted of the worlde 37 Then shall the righteous answer him 38 saying Lorde when sawe wee thee an 39 hungred and fed thee Or thirsty and gaue thee drinke Thē shall the righteous A. Those whome before he called the blessed of the father he calleth nowe the righteous to the ende we mighte knowe that righteousnes commeth of the euerlastinge blessing of God. Lord vvhē did vve se the hūgry C. Christe here bringeth in the iust doubting who know notwithstāding that he would counte that to be geuen him which is geuen vnto men But because this is not so muche imprinted in their mindes as it ought therfore he doth represent it by a figure called Hypotyposin For how cōmeth it to passe that we are so slacke and slowe to doe good but only because this promise commeth not into our mindes that whatsoeuer we geue vnto the poore shal be rewarded of God in tyme to come with gayne Therefore the wordes of Christ in this place serue to this ende that we might learne to aryse aboue the capacitie of the fleshe so often as oure miserable brethren do craue our faithe and helpe least the sight of a cōtemned man doe staine our liberalitie 40 And the king shall answere and saye vnto them Verely I saye vnto you in as muche as ye haue done it vnto the least of one of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me And the king shall aunvver C. As Christe taught euen nowe vnder a figure that we were not able to conceiue how muche hee estemed the duties of loue euen so nowe he openly pronounceth that he will take that as done vnto him selfe whiche we bestowe vppon his members M. And by an earnest affirmatiō he taketh from vs all vncertaintie by the whiche a mā might doubte whether he woulde counte those thinges done to him selfe whiche should bee done to the faithful C. Wherefore we shal be to sluggishe and incensible excepte this sentence fetche loue euen from the bowels of mercy namely that Christe is either neglected or worshipped in their persone whiche stande in nede of our helpe Therefore so often as we are slowe in helping the miserable let vs haue the sonne of God before our eyes whome to deny any thyng is cruell sacrilege By these woordes also he declareth that he doth acknowledge those good dedes whiche are done freely without any respect of rewarde And truely seinge he commaundeth to do good to the hungry to the naked to the harbourles and captiues of whome no rewarde can bee looked for agayne we must nedes haue respecte vnto hym who of his owne accorde hyndeth hym selfe vnto vs and because it might seame otherwyse to bee loste he is contente to haue it reckened vnto hym and to be put in his accomptes Vnto the leaste of one of these my brethren C. He dothe onely in this commende vnto vs the faythefull by name not because he would haue all others despysed but because the more neare that euery one is ioyned vnto God the more dere they ought to bee vnto vs For although the bonde of societie and loue pertayne to all the sonnes of Adam Yet notwithstandinge the sonnes of God haue a more holye coniunction amonge them Therefore because it is mete that the housholde of faythe shoulde bee preferred before straungers Christe dothe specially commende them vnto vs A. according to the exhortation of saint Paule who sayth Whyle we haue tyme let vs doe good vnto all men but specially to them of the housholde of faith C. The beneuolēce of Christ towardes those that are his is exceadingly cōmēded vnto vs who are so dere vnto him that he doth acknowledge the least of thē not onely for his owne but also for his brethren When as neuerthelesse the world yea those that would seme to be Christiās do reiecte and contemne them The same affection of Christe also is declared in an other place when he sayde See that ye despyse not one of these little ones Also he sayth It is not the wyll of your father that one of these little ones should perishe All the faithful and chyldren of God are called by the name of brethren For thei are the sonnes of God whiche beleue in his name Also they are the sonnes of God whiche are the brethren of Christe Christe therefore must bee acknowledged in his faithfull whiche are called Christians Furthermore we may not reiecte any man as not pertaining to Christ seing we must do good neither ought we to seperate any man from the congregatiō of the faithfull For he sayth That whiche ye doe to one of the least of these By the whiche woordes he declareth that no mā ought to be excepted whatsoeuer he be These thinges ought to incourage vs to be liberall M. Whatsoeuer he be that nedeth and craueth help for Christes sake ought to bee counted of vs the brother of Christe So that if thou contempne this man thou doest despyse Christe For he said also vnto Saule Saule Saule why persecutest thou me When he persecuted his Churche 41 Then shall he saie also to them that shal be on the left hande departe frō meye curssed into euerlastinge fyer whiche is prepared for the deuell and his aungels Then shall he saye to them Now he commeth to the reprobate who are so dronken and bewitched with their earthly prosperitie that they immagin they shal be thereby alwayes blessed He saith therefore here that he shall come to be their iudge and to shake awaye their delightes in the whiche they are nowe drowned not that the commyng of Christe myghte terrifie those whiche thinke that they haue made a couenaunte with death and lyue in securitie but rather that the faythfull being admonished of the horrible destructiō of these men might not enuy their present condition For as the promises are necessary for vs whiche doe stirre vs vp to the study of a godly lyfe so also are threateninges in lyke manner to kepe vs in care and feare For in the electe also there is a certayne feare of helfyer because the godly are set in the fleshe vnder the disciplyne of the spirite of God whiche bringeth them to a voluntary pietie but it wynneth them not onely by the promyses of eternall lyfe as we haue sayde but also
onely from this curse but also he wolde haue her to be his mother Looke in the historie of Iosua Booz begat Obed of Ruthe M. This womaÌ„ was of the cuntrey of the Moabites who afterward by diuine inspiratioÌ„ leauinge her countrey and kynred came with her mother in law an Hebrues to the Israelites and being taken to wife of Booz is made the mother of kinges B. that we may therby see howe louing Christe is to euery one but specially to the desolate gentell and mercifull 6 Iesse begat Dauid the king Dauid the king begat Salomon of her whiche was the wyfe of Vri. Iesse begat Dauid the king C. Only Dauid is described with this title of honour because God hath set forth in his persone the type of the Messias and captayne to come Firste the kingdome beganne of Saule But because this happened by the tumult and vnhonest desires of the people the alteration and chaunge was at laste thought lawfull in Dauid specially as pertaining to the league and couenaunt of God in the whiche he promised that he would be a gouernour of his seruauntes for euer For when the people the yoke of God being shaken of required to haue a king he gaue them by and by Saul But God straightwayes â—…tablished his kingdome which was the pledge of true blessednes in the hands of Dauid Therfore let vs here vnderstande that the seconde state of the people is here noted as it was ordained of the lorde M. But the father of Dauid was of no high bloude but vnknowen and of smal reputation Whervpon also Dauid in despite and coÌ„tempt was called of Saule the sonne of Isai Besides Dauid was the yongest least of his brethren and contemned And yet afterwardes he was not onely chosen to the kingdome but also into this dignitie that he should be specially nominated among the aunceters of Christe yea to whom the promise as coÌ„cerning Christ was renewed That we may learne how that God dothe not cast of those that are humble but leauing the proude doth extolle those that are abiectes and despised Dauid the king begat Salomon of her cet C. Nowe is added of the Euangeliste the humane shame and reproche which after a sorte myghte pollute and defile that glory of the heauenly benediction wherof we spake eueÌ„ now that is to say because Dauid begat Salomon of Beersabe whom wickedly by violence he toke from her husbaÌ„d and to th ende he might vse her still deceitfully he betrayed the giltles man and caused him to be slayne of the enemy This filthines in the beginning of the kingdom might make the Iewes not to glory in the flesh For God would haue it knowen and sure that he in appointing that kingdom did nothing regarde or waie mans merites furthermore to the ende Mathew might more specially admonishe vs that sinners are not reiected of Christ because he thought no scorne to haue his aunceters as concerning the fleshe he rather chose to call her the wife of Vrias then by her proper name Beersabe H. It is to be noted therefore in the geneallogie of Christ that none of the holy women are taken but those whom the scripture doth reprehende that he whiche came for sinners being borne of sinners might cleane put away the sinnes of all men 7 Salomon begat Roboam Roboam begat Abia Abia begat Asa Salomon begat Roboam A. In the beginning of this chapter it was shewed why Luke bringeth from this place the generation of Christe not by Salomon but by Nathan the other sonne of Dauid and his posteritie also euen vntill the time of the captiuitie of Babilon M. The scripture maketh mention of RoboaÌ„ that he was euill whose harte was not righte with god His mothers name was Naama an Amonnites WheÌ„ this man raigned Iuda was stricken vanquished and the gould of the temple caried away by Pharao kinge of Egypte also in this mans tyme the tenne tribes rebelled Note therfore here that both the good bad kinges are set forth by the Euangelist RoboaÌ„ begat Abia. M. This maÌ„ also was euill his harte being tourned from god Notwithstanding this man being kyng God had mercy vpon Iuda so that he suffered them not to be geueÌ„ into the hands of Iheroboam king of Israell He had fourtene wyues of whiche he begat .xxij. sonnes and .xvi. daughters Abia begat Asa This man was good and sought the lorde with all his harte euen as did Dauid his father sauing that in the .xxx. yeare of his reigne when that Baasa king of Israel came against him to fight he fled not vnto the lorde but to the king of Sirria and craued his helpe for the whiche being reprehended of the prophet Ananias was displeased and commaunded the prophete to be set in stockes Againe in the .xxxix. yeare of his reigne being sicke he cried not vnto the lorde but rather trusted to the phisitions By this example we are admonished with howe great diligence we ought to praye vnto the lorde that he will giue vs sound and true godlines euen to the ende For it is written The righteousnes of the righteous shall not saue him whensoeuer he turneth away vnfaithfully 8 Asa begat Iosaphat Iosaphat begat Ioram Ioram begat Ozias Asa begat Iosaphat M. This man also followed the footesteps of his father Dauid sought the lorde with a pure harte notwithstanding in this he sinned that euen at the first he entred into league with the wicked king Achab and assisted him in battayle for the whiche he was sharpely blamed of Iehu the prophete with the whiche being nothing moued after Achab also he was at peace with his sonne Ochosias for the whiche also he was againe reprehended of the prophet Eliezer the sonne of Dodan of Maresa As concerning the which loke in the .ij. booke of Chronicles cap. 17.18.19 20. So that we may se nothing to be perfecte no not in holy men A. Wherfore with the greater carefulnesse we must wishe that the continuall fauour of God may abide with vs to amende our corrupte and vitious nature Iosaphat begat Ioram A. This man followed the wickednes of the house of Achab and made Iuda and Hierusalem to swarue from the lord their god Moreouer he killed all his brethren the sonnes of Iosaphat when that he was stablished in his kingdome whiche wickednes and crueltie the lord suffered not to scape vnpunished Loke in the 21. chap. of the second booke of Chronicles So that many tymes we sée of honest and godly auncestours and elders to spring a wicked posteritie Ioram begat Osias C. In this successioÌ„ whiche Mathew describeth there are thrée kinges omitted as appeareth by the sacred history M. For IoraÌ„ did not beget Hozias but Ochozias Ochozias begat Ioas Ioas Amazias and Amazias begat Hozias otherwise Azarias C. They whiche affirme that these thrée were of Mathewe by obliuion omitted are not to be harde neither is their reason to be
certain hidden Antithesis and force in it selfe whiche maketh equall the manifeste presence of God in Christe with the whole kinde and manner of presence as it was manifested to the auncient people before his coÌ„ming And truely he hathe done the office of a mediatour euen from the beginning of the worlde but because this did depende wholly of the laste reuelation he nowe comming openly forth as a priest in the sight of all men which should put away the sinnes of man by the oblation of his owne body and should reconcile them to his father by the price of his owne bloud finally when he hauing finished all the partes of mans saluation he hauing I saye as it were put on a new person worthely is nowe called Emanuel So that the deuine maiestie of Christe in this name is to be counted of vs in the first place and to be highly estemed of vs that it may haue the reuerence of vs whiche is only dewe to the eternall God but in the meane tyme the frute is not to be neglected whiche God afterwarde would haue gathered and receiued of vs For so often as we beholde and sée God and man in one persone of Christe for certaine we may beleue that we shall haue possesse the liuing God if by faith we be ioyned and linked to Christe 24 And Ioseph so sone as he awoke out of slepe did as the aungell of the lord commaunded him and he toke his wyfe vnto him C. The promptnes and redines whiche is here described and set forth maketh no les to the witnesing of the fyrme faythe of Ioseph then it doth to the prayse of his obedience For excepte all doubte and care had bene taken away and his mind very well pacified he had neuer so willingly taken his wyfe agayne with whose company a litle before he thought him selfe to be polluted Therefore some note of godlines was printed in his slepe whiche would not suffer his mynde any more to be troubled or to be caried hither and thether After this the effecte and force of faythe followed that so soone as he knewe the will of God he prepared hym selfe without delaye to obey the same B. Euen so when the lorde shal beginne to speake to oure hartes those thinges whiche séeme vnpossible to the mynde of man it is our partes not only to beleue all those thinges that are absurde and doubtfull but also to followe and imbrace them all Therefore howe obscure and doubtful so euer the woordes of the crosse of Christe do seme to oure mynde to be yea howe vntrewely soeuer the same be preached if the Lorde do teache within nothing at all shall be harde vnto vs to be beleued or done but if he teache not the hearers may seme to haue faythe and workes but they can not haue it in dede nor do those workes no although they hearde Paule or Christe hym selfe perswading them Therfore in that Ioseph did not doubt in him selfe but that the aungell of God appeared vnto him that those thinges whiche he harde were true although they were marueilous and straunge and diligently without delaye did that whiche the aungell of the Lorde had inioyned him to doo she being taken to wyfe whome he fearing a litle before to kepe determined to put away priuely it was the worke of the holy ghost guiding his minde according to the woordes of the aungell 25 And he knewe her not vntill shee had brought forthe her first begotten sonne and called his name Iesus And he knevve her not vntill C. About this place Heluidius maketh a great a do in the churche affirming that she continued a virgin no longer then till the byrth of Christe but that afterwardes she bare more children to her husbande And he proueth it thus The fyrst obiection of Heluidius HE knewe her not vntill she brought forth her fyrst begotten sonne Ergo after she had brought him forthe he knewe her Aunsvvere This worde did knowe in the sacred Scripture is vnderstoode twoo maner of wayes sometime it is taken for the carnall copulation betwene man and wyfe and sometyme pro scientia that is for knowledge or acqueintaunce Heluidius and those of his secte do vnderstande this word know for the copulation betwene man and wyfe where as it is certaineâ—… that it oughte to be referred to acquaintance and perfecte vnderstanding of any thing For although Ioseph was handefasted or bethrothed vnto Mary yet he was not acqueinted at the fyrste that shée was conceyued with the holye ghost and vntyl the almighty had by visions or dreames reuealed his will vnto hym As we hard before in this fyrst cha where the Aungell sayde Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto the Mary thy wife for that which is conceyued in her commeth of the holy ghoste And in the second likewise Arise take the chylde and his mother and fliée into Aegypt and abide there vntil I bring the worde Soo that the knowledge that Ioseph had was the sure vndoubted faith of those thinges that were reuealed vnto him from aboue And that this word know is taken pro scientia in the scripture often times it apereth by this place The chylde Iesus abode in Hierusalem and his parentes knewe not of it This worde vntyll also doth somtimes signifie the certaine and appointed time and somtyme it signifieth the tyme infinite without ende or ceassynge As in these places that followe I am I am vntyll you waxe olde I am Now in this place because he sayth vntyll they be old he wyll be theyr God wyll he therefore when they be olde ceasse or leaue of to be their God And our sauiour Christe to his Apostels Beholde I am with you euen vntyll the ende of the worlde Wyll the lorde therefore after the consummation of the worlde forsake his disciples Agayne the psalmist sayth He shall rayne vntyll he haue put all his ennemies vnder his feete Shall he therfore when his ennemies are subdued raine no longer Agayne As the eies of the mayde do wayte vppon the handes of her mistres euen so do our eies wayte vpon thee vntill thou haue mercy vpon vs. When the lord therfore hath compassion and mercie vpon vs shall we wayte no longer In the lyke sence this worde vntyll is to be taken in this place For the EuaÌ„gelist saith he knewe her not vntill shée brought forthe her sonne that we maye muche more perceiue and gather that he knewe her not after The seconde obiection of Heluidius OVr sauiour Christ was called her first begotten sonne and none can be called fyrst begotten but he that hath bretherne euen as he is called the onely begotten sonne which is the only sonne of his father Aunsvvere But that is not trew for euery onely begotten sonne is the first begotten although he haue no bretherne and therefore in the booke of NuÌ„bers the almighty God dothe define who or what is the fyrste begotten sayinge All that
Edom is called a wyldernes where as it is well knowen that it was in those dayes muche inhabited Also certayne wryters haue sayde that Heluetia was barren without people dwelling therin and that the whole land was called the desert of the HeluetiaÌ„s otherwise Swisers Furthermore th inheritaÌ„ce of the tribe of Iuda is said to haue sixe cities and their villages in the wyldernes Wherfore we may not thinke that Iohn gat him quite out of the coÌ„pany of men as the Heremites seme to do in these dais who dwel leade their liues in solitary woodes but for so muche as his fathers house was in the mouÌ„taines of Iury peraduenture he went a litle into the desert that is through the woodes towards Iordan 2 And saying Repent the kingdome of heauen is at hand And saying repent In this our EuaÌ„gelist differeth here froÌ„ thother two Marke Luke that he in the persone of Iohn sheweth the some of his doctrine but they with their own wordes Although Marke hath more then Luke by one word for he saith he came baptizing preaching the baptim of repentauÌ„ce But in the very thing it selfe they agrée very well in one because all men do ioyne repentaunce with remissio of sinnes as we shal sée by by The wordes of Iohn coÌ„siste of two partes For first he teacheth what we must do theÌ„ he sheweth the reasone why it ought to be done He biddeth repent because the kingdom of heuen is at hande E. The Greke woorde for the which we reade repent is said of vnderstanding the thing which followeth wheÌ„ as one hauing offended doth marke and waye his offence Wherefore the Greke worde MetanoiÌ„a or repentaunce is not only referred to the mind of man but to the worke amendement of life to the whole coÌ„uersioÌ„ of maÌ„ which Peter plainly declareth when he saith Repent you conuert that your sinnes may be done away For that whiche followeth is a declaration of that whiche went before For the kingdoÌ„ of heauen is at hand A. We haue shewed the remissioÌ„ of sinnes is ioyned with repentaunce in the preaching of Iohn that which this reasoÌ„ following doth approue C. For the kingdome of heauen among men is nothing els but a restoring to the blessed happy life so it is the true and euerlasting felicitie Therefore when Iohn sayd the kingdom of heauen drewe neare he ment that those men that were alienate from the righteousnes of God were banished from the kingdom of heauen that they were again to be gathered vnto God that they might liue vnder his haÌ„d But frée adoptioÌ„ forgeuenes of sinnes bringeth this thing to passe by the which he doth recoÌ„cile those that are vnworthy to him self To be shâ—â— the kingdom of heauen is nothing els but a neâ—…nes of life by the which God doth restore vnto vs a hope of euerlasting blessednes For he doth chaleÌ„ge vs to him self being taken froÌ„ the bondage seruitude of sin death that we being pilgrimes vpoÌ„ earth may possesse at length by faith a celestial and heaueÌ„ly life And although we be like vnto dead men yet we knowe are assured that our life is in safetie so long as it is hid in Christ From hence as from the fountaine the exhortation to repentance is brought Neither doth Iohn say repeÌ„t and so by this meanes the kingdome of God shal approche straight way but first he doth propounde set before them the grace of God then be doth exhorte men to repeÌ„t Wherby it doth appere that the foundation of repentaunce is the mercy of God by the which he doth restore those that are lost Neither doth Marke Luke say that he preached remission of sinnes in any other sence For repentauÌ„ce is not placed first as some very ignoraÌ„tly fain as though that were the cause of the remission of sinnes or that it should preueÌ„t God that he might be fauorable vnto vs but men are coÌ„maunded to repente that they may taste of the grace profered vnto them the reconciliation also But as by order the frée loue of God doth go before by the which he doth receiue imbrace vnto him miserable men not imputing their sinnes vnto them euen so we must note that we haue remission of sinnes in Christ not the God doth by his suffraÌ„ce allowe theÌ„ but rather that he may cure deliuer vs from sinne Neither truly can any man taste of the grace of God without he hate abhorre sinne vice But it is conuenient to waye coÌ„sider so much as pertaineth to the sence meaning of this present place that the whole Gospel doth coÌ„sist of two partes of remission of sinnes repentaunce But for so much as Math. did note signifie the first part by the kingdom of heauen we may therby gather that there is deadly warre and contentioÌ„ betwene God maÌ„ that we are quite banished out of the kingdom of heauen vntil he receyue vs againe into his grace fauour B. Therefore very shorte are the woordes of Iohn yet they conteyne the somme of the whole preaching of the Gospell Wherefore both Christ and his apostles haue begonne their Gospell in these woordes And although Iohn propounding the grace of God doth exhorte men to repentaunce yet for all that we must waye and note that this grace is no lesse the gifte of God than is the heritage of euerlasting lyfe For as he doth frely forgeue vs our synnes and doth by his mercy and goodnes deliuer vs from the gulffe and pitte of euerlasting death so he doth make and fashion vs like vnto him selfe that we may lyue to righteousnes euen as he doth adopte vs to be his sonnes euen so he doth regenerate vs with his holy spirite that our life may testifie and witnesse howe that not in vayne we call him father And no lesse doth Christe quicken vs to righteousnes if that we crucifie our olde man vtterly abolishe the whole body of sinne lurking in our fleshe then he doth put away our sinnes by his bloud appeaseth the wrath of his father by the sacrifice of his death Notwithstanding this is the somme of the Gospel that our sinnes being wiped away God doth imbrace vs in his sonne Christe that we denying our selues and our owne nature may leade a godly and holy life and so in earth haue our mindes altogether fixed in heauen 3 For this is he of whome the prophete Esay spake saiyng The voyce of a crier in the wyldernes prepare ye the waye of the lord and make his pathes straighte For this is he of vvhom the prophet M. The auncient latine wrytings haue VVhiche is called by Esaie and so hath the Greke texte also But by Marke and Luke they seeme to be the woordes of the EuaÌ„gelistes M. Some notwithstaÌ„ding referre it to Iohn him self geuing a reason of that whiche he spake of the
their maister For Christe taketh their cause in hande and confirmeth them as you shall here anon But first marke howe they which by the iudgement of men did excell all others in the knowledge of the Lawe holines of lyfe howe they I saye set them selues aboue all other againste Christe By this thou mayest vnderstande that it is moste true whiche is spoken by the mouthe of the lorde saying That whiche is highly estemed among men is abhominable in the sight of god Moreouer these Scribes and Phariseis do all thinges by crafte subtilty and deceite For they obiecte nothing against the lord him selfe knowing that he was not without sufficient vnderstanding but they bende their subtile force against the disciples to beate down them being altogether vnapointed and vnarmed Bu. A good man accuseth him to his face whome he would haue amended and corrected but the spitefull calūniator the reprochefull sclaunderer and shameles bacbiter priuily accuseth not that he may redresse and reforme any thynge that is amis but to the ende be may satisfy and accomplishe his desyre and malicious stomack 12 But when Iesus harde that he sayde vnto them They that be strōg nede not the Phisition but they that are sycke But vvhen Iesus harde that M. Our Sauiour Christe being not asked maketh answere although he knew that thei thereby would be neuer the better yet notwithstanding for his disciples sake he aunswereth and geueth a reason of his doinges both to auoyde the offence and also to styll the murmuringe of the Phariseys By the whiche we are admonished to aunswere al the calumniations of the aduersaries so oftē as nede shal require for the herers sakes yea although we knowe before that they will persiste and abyde in their foolishe opinion but specially suche as are caried by the spirite of enuy against the truthe They that be strong nede not C. By this aunswere of Christe it appeareth that the Scribes and Phariseis synned two māner of wayes First for that they did not regarde the office of Christe Secondly because they did proudly despyse al men neglecting their owne faultes Whiche was a common disease amonge them all For Hypocrites being full and dronke as it were with the vayne truste of their own righteousnes haue no regarde neither do they consider for what end Christ came into the earth No they knowe not how depely mankynde is drowned in the whirle poole of all euell They knowe not howe that the horrible wrathe and malediction of God dependeth vppon all men and howe they are pressed downe in the confused synke of all vice synne And so it commeth to passe that they being amased at the miseries of men neuer thinke vpon the remedy These iusticiaries these hipocrites standing in their owne conceites wil neuer be restrained but take great disdayne to bee counted among synners This seconde errour Christe toucheth when he aunswereth saying that the strong haue no nede of a Phisition By this aunswere our Sauiour Christ doth teache them that they are offended at the sight of synners because they arrogate to them selues righteousnes Because you are whole saythe he the sycke are displeasaūt in your eies you are ashamed of them you lothe the sight of them but the Phisition may not do so And so by this generall and prouerbiall sentēce Christ defendeth his doing in that he went into synners C. Afterwarde he sheweth that he must take vppon him the office of a Phisition because he was sent of his father to call sinners For although our Sauiour Christe began with obiurgation yet if we couet to proffite in his doctrine let vs chiefly note that whiche he put in the seconde place that is to say that he came to quicken the dead to iustifie the gilty and condemned to washe the vncleane to bringe the dāned out of hell to couer the naked with his glory and to renouate those with blessed immortalitie whiche before perished in the corruption of fleshe If we consider and finde this to be his office and that this was the ende of his cōming If we remēber that for this cause he toke vppon hym our fleshe shed his precious bloud did suffer the moste cruel death of the crosse and descēded into hell it shall neuer seme absurde vnto vs that he seketh to saue the moste wicked synners in the whole worlde He semeth vnworthy to thee of the grace of Christe whome thou abhorrest Why was Christ then made a sacrifice and cursse if he myght not reache out his mercifull hand to synners Nowe if disdayne crepe into our myndes that the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Supper of the lorde do ioyne vs to fylthy and synfull men in so muche that their societie and company might seme to defyle vs then by and by we muste descende into oure owne consciences and iudge our selues arighte without parciallitie And this examination wyll brynge to passe that we shall willingly suffer the impure vncleane to washe in and at the same well with vs without respect of persones that we reiecte not that righteousnes whiche he offereth to all the wycked that lyfe whiche he offereth to the dead and that saluatiō whiche he offereth to the loste sheepe of the house of Israell 13 Go ye rather and learne what that meaneth I wil haue mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repētaunce Go ye rather and learne A. By these wordes our sauiour doth reiecte the Scribes and the Phariseis commaunding them to go and learne seing they wyll not learne of hym C. He seeth that they are vnapte to learne and not tractable therefore he sendeth them awaye Bu. Beside that he casteth in their teethe their ignoraunce in the scriptures in the which they were counted studious and skylfull C. Or els truely he declareth that they are at controuersy with God the Prophete whiche being cruel through pride disdaine to helpe the miserable to bring medicine to the sicke I vvill haue mercy Bu. This sentence is taken out of the .vi. chapter of the Prophete Osee where the Prophet preacheth of the vengeaunce of God against the Iewes because they worshipped God with outward sacrifice their myndes being voyde of pietie and their manners alienate frō integritie righteousnes A. This woorde not is here taken for rather as the sentence following in the same chapter declareth saying and the knowledge of God rather then sacrifice or burnt offeringes C. For the Prophet cōdēneth not sacrifice although afterward they should be takē away but he would haue mercy to be preferred before sacrifice and doth teache that the lord doth not regarde outwarde holynes nor the righteousnes whiche consisteth in sacrifices but true godlines and charitie vnfayned For those thinges whiche God hathe appointed in his churche he hathe appointed for this ende that we might be the more exercised in the knowledge of God and in shewynge compassion towardes our neighbour But men do very muche abuse
thyng himselfe to eate but commaunded her parentes to geeue it her So after that Lazarouse was raysed from deathe he caused a feaste to be made Peter also by this argumente confyrmeth the resurrection of Christe because he dyd eate and dryncke with the lorde after his deathe 27 And when Iesus departed thence two blind men followed him crying and saying O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And vvhen Iesus departed Bu. By a newe proofe and a newe benefyte he declareth to the whole world that there is no dyssease so incurable whiche the lorde is not able to heale Tvvo blynde men follovved C. The other twoo Euangelistes omytt this myracle because as sayncte Iohn saythe they determyned not to set forthe all the deedes of Chryste but gatherynge the chyefest amonge a greate maynye go aboute to proue hym to be the Messias Matthewe saythe here that twoo blynde men had theyr syghte restored vnto thē but not so soone as Chryste was wonte to helpe others that were dysseased afflicted troubled For hee geueth these two no answere they crying styll after hym as he wente but as it were faynynge that he harde theim not suffered theym to followe hym to his lodgynge and there at the last he asketh thē what they thyncke or beleue of his power Therefore bothe in dede and wordes he taketh a tryall and iust examination of theyr faythe and pacience in sufferyng them to crye as thoug he regarded them not M. There is no doubte but that by the occasyon of the other myracle goynge before and by the fame of his benefytes whiche was spredde throughoute the whole worlde they were moued to followe after Chryste sayinge Haue mercy on vs. C. They expresse not theyr suite for it is enoughe for vs to call vpon God for our mysery M. Furthermore they callynge for mercye require not that whiche is vaine or without effecte but suche mercye as dyd not onely consyst in the affection of the hart but also whiche in deede dyd helpe theyr mysery which was beyng blynde to be restored to theyr sight Thou son of Dauid C. They call hym the sonne of Dauyd because the promyse whiche was made vnto Dauid was commonly in the mouthes of the Iewes They counted him not therfore as a prophete but they estemed him euen as he was to be Chryst the redemer of the whole worlde B. And it is lykely that Iesus was then commonlye thoughte to be the Messias promysed before in the lawe and prophetes For all the people at that tyme loked for Chryste In so muche that they tooke Iohn to be the Messias Whereby wee maye see howe inexcusable the obstynacye of the Pharyseys was which wolde not acknowledge the tyme of theyr visytation being admonyshed of the same by so many signes and tokens M. Moreouer it appereth howe lyttell fayth thynketh vpon daunger For it was decreed amonge the chiefe Rulars of the Iewes that euerye one that confessed this Iesus to bee Chryste the sonne of Dauyd shoulde bee caste oute of the Synagogge Notwithstandinge these blynde men were nothynge afrayde of this commaundement For their crye dothe sufficiently declare howe sounde in faythe they were 28 And whē he was come into the house the blynde came vnto hym And Iesus saythe vnto theim Beleue ye that I am able to do this They saye vnto hym Lorde we beleue And vvhen he vas come into the hovvse B. The lord suffereth these blinde men to cry after him til he came to his lodging wherby he myghte make them more earneste and try them and make their faythe an exaumple for vs to followe The blinde came to hym A. That is they wente into the howse into the whiche Chryste was entered before theim M which is a syngular exaumple of the stedfaste faythe whiche ceasethe not to hope although at the firste time the petition be not graunted but continuethe mutable till the purpose be obteyned Suche was the faythe of the woman of Syrophenesia Beleue ye that I am able to do this B. He asketh them if they beleeue teachinge that faith is required to the obteininge of the power of Chryste and the wyll of God and that the same faithe by the which we beleue in Christ can heale and saue of his owne proper nature and force without the benefyte of prayer For he saithe not do you beleue that I can obtaine this at the hands of God but do you beleue that I can do this By the which wordes wholely such a faith is required by the which we attribute the dyuine power vnto Christ to obtayne any benefite at his handes Question But here it maye be demaunded whether it be sufficiente to make a faythful man to be perswaded of the power of God and of Chryste For so it maye be gathered by the woordes of Chryst Do ye beleue that I can do this And by many other places of the Scrypture it is manifest that the acknowledgynge of the diuine power is but vaine vnlesse wee be certaynelye perswaded of his wyll Notwithstandynge Chryste beynge contente with theyr aunswere doth commende the same as parfecte in all poynctes Wee aunswere when at the fyrste they had confessed hym to be the sonne of Dauid they were perswaded somewhat of his grace For by this tytell they declare hym to be the redeemer of theyr countreye and the aucthor of all good thynges Faythe therefore comprehendeth the mercy of God his fatherly loue his omnipotencie the good wyll of Chryste also towardes man with his power and strengthe But because men do commonlye attrybute lesse to the power of God and vertue of Chryste then they oughte this question is not withoute reason moued to the blynde whether they beleeue that Chryste can doe that whiche they professe with the mouthe And for this cause theyr faythe is commended because they beleeue hym to be the sonne of Dauyd beyng in so humble and base estate Lorde vve beleue A. Hym whom before they called the Sonne of Dauid they nowe call Lorde attrybutynge vnto hym no doubte the honoure of a Messias 29 Then towched he theyr eies saying accordinge to your faythe be it vnto you Then tovvched he their eies M. It is not necessary that Christ shold toutche theyr eies for he coulde helpe theim with his woorde onelye but for the blynde mennes sakes onely namely that hereby their faythe myght be much holpen Euen so we counte the couching of such as we thincke to be saynctes and holy men of greate force Chryste therefore waying the imbecillitie of mākind to the ende he myght helpe the faythe of the blynd toucheth theyr eyes the which no doubte confyrmed muche the truste and hope of these blynde men to receyue their syghte Hereby we see the nature and goodnesse of Christe who alwayes indeuoureth hym selfe to helpe our imbecillitie in those thynges which require a constante faythe Sayinge accordynge to your faythe be it vnto you E. By this shorte sentence the lord teacheth vs
that all thinges oughte to be asked of hym in a sounde faythe and that the faithfull do aske nothynge of hym in vayne For these aske nothynge but that whiche they are perswaded of by the holy ghost and do it to the glory of God. 30 And theyr eies were opened And Iesus charged them sayinge Se that no man knowe of it .. And theyr eies vvere opened A. Parfecte healthe followeth Faythe Althoughe a syngular benefyte is here declared to be bestowed vppon the two blynde men yet notwithstanding hereupon we may gather a generall doctryne That if wee praye alwaies in faythe wee shal neuer suffer the repoulce in oure petitions Agayne if these twoo of lyttell faythe and beynge as yet nothynge at all furnyshed in faythe obtayned that whiche they coulde desyre muche more then shall wee with oure faythe at this daye preuayle whyche are endewed verye plentifully with the spirite of adoption if we come vnto God bearing our selues boulde vpon the sacrifice of a mediatour And he charged them sayinge let no man knovve of B. This warneth and exhorteth vs from preachinge openly the glory of God by our owne intrusion rashe zeale without occasion mynistred by Goddes holye spirite that is before we be sente 31 But they when they were departed spred abroade his name in all the lād C. In that these twoo hauinge receyued their sighte publyshe by and by the benefyte whiche they receyued contrary to the commaundement they deserue blame For it is not as some fayne that Christe forbadde them to the ende they should be the more desirouse to publyshe the same abroade There is some cause why they shoulde be forbodden which is vnknowne to vs but these men beinge moued with a rashe zeale did spreade his same abroade before the time A. wherfore that whiche they did was worthye of reprehension B. although they emed to do it to the glory of Christe He which is a Christian in deede will alwaies seke to perfourme and fulfill the will of God and wyll also beware that he prefer not his owne wyl before the will of his maister beinge certaynely perswaded that Christ neuer forbiddeth any thyng to be done that is symplely good But where as the name of Chryste was neuerthelesse set forth by their disobediēce which happened to some for the best the oughte to be ascribed to the goodnes of God and not to their disobediēce C. So Paul was gladde that Chryste was preached by any occassion but yet he neuer commended those that dyd so preache M. Let vs therefore learne symplely to obey the commaundementes of God howe so euer it seemeth good in our eies too do the contrarye For it doth not become a man to seeke to be wyser then the wysedome of God it selfe whiche commandeth nothinge without speciall reason weighty matter leadynge the same We know ryghte well what happened to Saule because he dyd contrary to the commandemente of God in reseruynge parte of the praye of Ameleche Agayne we are not ignorant that the man which wolde not smite the prophete according to the woorde of the lorde was slaine of a lyon And whye woulde he not smyte the prophete Because he thought it euyll so to do The lyke did Peter when he wente about to perswade Christ that he sholde not suffer him selfe to be crucified of the Iewes Also when he woulde not permitte Christe to washe his feete 32 As they wente oute behoulde they broughte to hym a dombe man possessed of a deuyll As they vvent out Bu. The blynde men beinge scarce gon there commeth an other very myserable vnworthy of help and yet sekyng a benefyte to whom the mercifull lorde denieth nothinge For he is ryche and plentyfull to all those that call vpon his name The treasury of the Lorde is neuer emptie yea thoughe he spende and bestowe innumerable riches He is that bottomlesse well euer open to the ende men may drawe drinck and be satisfied The fathers haue tasted of this goodnesse of God from the begynnynge of the worlde and yet he hathe enoughe in store for vs and our posterytie euen to the worldes ende Behold they broughte to hym a dombe man possessed This myracle only Mathew maketh mētion of the other twoo speaking nothing of the same It is probable and likely that this man by nature was not dombe but when he was delyuered to the deuil the vse of his speche was taken awaye His ponishement was so laied vpon him that it might appere by manifest signes that his toungue was helde by the euyll spirite M. For Sathan specially at that tyme was wonte to obscure the glorye of God in the giftes of seing and speaking but specially in the vse of speaking For in him of whom mention is made here and in hym of the whiche is made mention in the twelthe of Mathewe and of an other in the seuenth of Marcke we se that Sathā toke away the vse strength of theyr speache or at leaste stayed and letted the same 33 And when the deuil was cast out the dōbe spake the people marueiled saying It was neuer so sene in Israell VVhen the deuyll vvas cast out M. Here we se that Chryste doth not onely helpe theym whiche come to seeke his helpe of theyr own free wyl but those also which were broughte by others as it were agaynste their wyll For the Euangelicall history dothe wytnesse that foure kyndes of men were healed and holpen of Chryste The fyrste kynde are those whiche came to seeke his helpe of their own free wyl as the blynde the leprouse and such like The seconde sorte are they which were brought by others as the Rulers daughter of the Synagogge of whome in the eyghtene verse we haue made mention or suche as he was intreated for they beinge not present as the seruaunt of the Centurion and the daughter of the woman of Canaan The third sorte are they whiche he came vnto and healed of his owne voluntary will beinge not called or sent for as the man whiche was sicke of the dissease thirtye yeres and the man also that was borne blinde furthermore the sonne of the wyddowe whiche was deade The fourth sorte are they whiche came not onely of their owne voluntary wyll but were also dryuen by violence compultion as was this demoniake this possessed beynge dombe whose remedy is descrybed vnto vs in this presente hystorye in the whiche is set forth vnto vs the singular goodnesse and prompte redynesse of Christe to heale the sycke to helpe the impotent and to comforte the afflicted And the people marueyled sayinge C. This miracle is wholly in it self simple good and a manyfeste token of the kyngedome of God but here we se that it is not taken and receiued in this manner for if it had then woulde the multitude haue receyued this dede of Christe then woulde the Scrybes and Pharyseyes haue imbraced not onely the dede but the doer of the same
sayde euen nowe into the whole world His tvvelue disciples M. This number of twelue in the scriptures and workes of god is holy and excellent For this did note and signifie the instauration and reforming that should be of the churche For as the people dyd sprynge of twelue Patriarkes euen so nowe the reliques or remnaunte beyng scattered abroade Christe calleth to remēbraunce his ofspringe that they might haue a sure and certayne hope of his restoring And although the kyngdome of God did not so florishe in Iury that the state of the people was whole and sound but rather that people whiche was nowe miserably falne and decayed in despising the grace and mercy to them offered by their ingratitude deserued double destruction Yet notwithstanding this stayed and letted not but that a newe people might be borne again Afterward it came to passe that God sent from farre the rod and Scepter of the power of his sonne out of Sion that there might spryng out of that well head suche a one as shoulde plentifully water all the foure partes of the worlde Then did God gather from all partes his people Israell that they myghte growe and encrease into one body yea and not only the dispersed and torne members but suche men also as before were altogether alienate from the people of god Therefore the Lorde appointing not in vaine the twelue as Patriarkes testifieth the renuinge of the churche Admitte nowe that he admonished the Iewes by this number of the ende and cause of his comming But because they gaue no place to the grace of God he begat vnto hym selfe a newe people If we haue respect to the beginning this might seme a ridiculous thing but the ende whiche was wonderfull and the fruitfull propagation of the churche declareth that the Apostels do farre excell the Patriarkes both in the degree of honoure and also in the fertillitie of succession M. To be shorte as the multitude people of the Iewes came of the carnall generation of the twelue sonnes of Israell euen so the multitude of the faythfull whiche in number passeth the sande by the sea syde by spiritual byrthe came of the twelue Apostels For if Paule speake truly in saying that he begat those whiche he brought vnto the faythe of Christe Why then should not the like be sayde of the reste of the Apostles According to this exāple the Byshop of Rome obserueth the number of twelue in the election of his Cardinalles whome he choseth in stede of the Apostels His disciples E. Luke saith that Christ afterwarde called them Apostels He gaue them povver Some olde Gréeke bookes haue as it is here He gaue them power against vncleane spirites Other some haue as the olde interpretour also He gaue thē power of vncleane spirites The whiche ambiguitie and doubtfull speache being mislyked of Hilary he readeth it He gaue them power to caste out vncleane spirites The Gréee woorde signifieth power and authoritie to do anye thing the whiche power truely amonge men wanting the strengthe and facultie to execute the Lawe is voyde of the effecte But in deuine matters it fareth not so For to God the facultie and power are ioyned together Wherefore because the disciples receyue here power of Christ the true sonne of God they receiue also with the same the vertue and strengthe which is able to worke the effect Wherupon we reade in an other place that these twoo facultie or authoritie and power are ioyned together But because the Apostels were of no reputatiō almost among men and the Ambassage whiche was committed vnto them was altogether deuine Furthermore when as thei did neither excell in wytte nor eloquence and againe the excellencie and newenes of the thinge required more then possibely could be in man It was necessary that thei should haue farther authoritie from some other Bu. Furthermore when Moyses shoulde promulgate and set forth the Lawe the Lorde prepared hym authoritie by many signes and miracles Therefore it was conuenient that nowe lykewyse by tokens and wonders he shoulde gette credite to the preachers of his Gospell For truely without the authoritie of the teacher the doctrine it selfe semeth weake and of small force although otherwyse it might seme sufficient C. Wherefore Christe seing before hande that his Apostels by shewing of myracles should get great credite and reuerence among the people he endeweth them aboundauntly with heauēly power And hereupon the lawefull vse of myracles may bee gathered whiche was to seale ratifie and confirme the doctrine of the Gospell Wherefore the Papistes are falsefiers and wicked deprauers of the workes of God in separating the woorde from myracles To caste them out M. By this it appeareth that they receiued not power to do with the deuels as them listed but to driue expell and caste them out They coulde not therefore sende them into men and vse their workes to the destruction of mankynde For they receiued power so ouer all kynde of diseases that they mighte make of those that were sick whole those that were blynde to see those that were dombe to speake and those that were lame to walke but the contrary by this their authoritie and power they coulde not do 2 The names of the twelue Apostels are these The firste Symon whiche is called Peter and Andrew his brother Iames the sonne of Zebede and Iohn his brother The names of the tvvelue are Bu. It was necessary that the names of the Apostels should be put in wryting because it was not mete that the heades of our religion the speciall witnesses of the catholique truthe the lightes of the whole worlde should remayne vnspoken of M. This also is the māner and wonte of the scripture not to suffer the names of those whose workes God vsed to his ministery to lye hidden in obliuion but to expresse them by their names what they were partely that we may know that they are not neglected of God whiche serue hym and partly that we being myndefull of their faythe shoulde followe their godly example For it bryngeth vnto vs great vtillitie and proffite to knowe them by name whose ministery and seruice God hath vouchesafed to vse for oure greate commoditie and sauing health Euen so Moyses dothe Chronacle their names by whose industry and labour the tabernacle was made And in an other place their names are rehearsed whiche brought backe againe the Arke of God whiche Dauid made into the Tabernacle The firste Symon H. Here we muste note that the other Euangelistes do not reherse the Apostels names in the same order that Matthew doth leaste that any man shoulde make Peter the chiefest of all the reste because he is put here in the firste place For the other two Euangelistes rehersing the Apostels names by couples place Matthew before Thomas And Matthewe him selfe for modesties sake preferreth Thomas And Paule reherseth Iames in the firste place saying Iames and Cephas and Iohn which semed to be the pillers
That it might be fulfylled M. Againe the Euangeliste sheweth a reason why Christe woulde speake vnto the multitude by parables namely that he might not seme insolent or presumptuouse I vvyll open my mouthe C. The Euangelist Mathew meaneth not that this Psalme whiche he reciteth here was a speciall prophesie of Christe but as the maiestie of the spirite of God shyneth in the woordes of the Prophete after the same maner the force and power of the holy ghost also was expressed in the wordes of Christe In that Psalme the prophete speaking of the couenant of God by the which he adopted the sede of Abraham of the contynuall benefytes bestowed on that people and also of the gouernement of the Churche prophesieth myghtely I wyll open my mouth in parables That is I wyll not intreate of lyght toyes or triffles but I wyl speake earnestly of graue seriouse and weightye matters The same is mente also by darcke sentences For it is a common repetition in the Psalmes For the Hebrewes call comparisons Mesalim Furthermore this name is translated to graue sentences because that similytudes do often tymes beautifye the oration or talke and make it seeme plesant and delectable Also they cal Hidoth somwhile darcke sentences and some tyme shorte sentences For althoughe Matthew dothe seme to allude it to the name of Parable yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that Christ as he knewe righte well spake figuratiuely that the forme it selfe of the worde might brynge with it some dignitie weight He saith that that which is written in the Psalme is fulfilled because by allegories and fygures he admonished and declared that he intreated of the secret misteries of God lest the doctrine shoulde be contempned C. Wherby we gather that it was no absurditie at all in that he spake obscurelye to the people for diuerse endes consyderations For althoughe he woulde hyde from the reprobate that which he spake yet notwithstandynge he soughte by all meanes that they beinge astonied by his woordes might feele and perceyue that there was some celestial and deuine matter contained in the same 36 VVhen the people were sent awaye then came Iesus into the house And his disciples came vnto him sayinge Declare vnto vs the parable of the tares of the field VVhen the people vvere sente A. Nowe followeth the exposition of the parable going before of the wheat of the tares which the lorde declared to his disciples when they were alone Declare vnto vs the parable Bu. The occasion of the interpretation of the parable is here set before vs namely because the disciples prayed the lorde who declared the same vnto them They seme not to doubt as cōcerning the grain of mustardsede or of the leuē any thing at all for they mighte plainelye vnderstand and perceiue therby that they were admonished not to fainte quaile or dispayre at the base symple and rude beginninge of the Gospell In the parable of the tares there were certaine thinges whiche they did not so well vnderstande they request the lord therfore that it would please him to be their interpretoure Let vs also praye being taught by the exāple of the disciples that the lord in mercy will open reueale vnto vs the hiddē secret misteries conteined in his worde For he is ready and easy to be intreated so that we not in any point to doubt of his diligēce 37 He answered and said vnto them He that soweth the good sede is the son of man C. First he said that the kingdom of heauen was like vnto a man that did sowe but improperly Notwithstanding the sence meaning is euident that the like happeneth to the gospell beinge preached that commonly cometh to passe in the sowing of fieldes where the tares and cockell growethe with the wheate sauinge that hee expresseth one speciall thynge sayinge that the fielde is myngled and strewed with tares by the deceyte of the ennemye to the ende wee myghte knowe that it is not doone by chaunce or naturallye that so manye wycked are myngled with the electe and chosen of God euen as if they were good corne but rather by the enuye and mallice of Sathan not that men shoulde be iustified by his damnation but chiefelye that God might not be sprynckeled with any blott for this synne and vice whiche commeth without his defaulte furthermore that we shoulde not meruaile that tares do springe and growe in the fyelde of the lorde when as Sathan alwayes watcheth to do harme He vvhiche sovveth good sede is the sonne of manne C. Where as Christe sayth not that the mynisters of the woord do sowe but hym selfe alone it wanteth not good reason for although it be not meete conuenyent that this be restrained to his person notwithstanding because he so vseth our laboure and diligence as onely meanes and instrumentes to the tillynge of hys fielde he doth rightly take that vnto him selfe whiche after a sorte is common to his ministers Let vs remember therfore that the Gospell is not onely preached by the cōmandement of Christe but also is defended and cōducted by his power that we myght be as it were his hands but he the onely aucthour of the woorke 38 The fylde is the world And the children of the kingedome they are the good seede the tares are the children of the wicked The fyelde is the vvorlde C. Althoughe he sayth that the world is the fielde notwithstandinge there is no doubte but that he applied the same properly to his churche of the which all this communication arose But because hee would bring his plough by littel littell throughout all the partes of the world to the ende he mighte till fieldes vnto hym selfe in al the world might sprinkel the seede of life also he attributed that to the whole world by a figure called Synecdoche which agreed a great deale better to the part onely And the children of the kingdome M. The children of the kingdome that is the elect chosen of God the beleuing in Christ those which pertaine to the kingdome of heauen which also are called the sonnes of God cittezēs with the saintes and the housholde of God. Bu. The sede here properly signifieth the word of God which the sonne of god hath sowne in the fieldes I meane in the brestes of mortal men shewing forthe repentaunce to the worlde and remission of sinnes Thereof truelye were the sonnes of the kyngdome borne namely of the woorde of the kingdome that is of the woorde of God which liueth and lasteth for euer A For he of his owne free will begat vs by the worde of trueth M. He sayth simplely of the kingdome for only the kingdome of heauen is the trewe kingedome the other are but vayne shewes in cōparison of that Bu. In the hartes of the faithful Christe raigneth by faythe by loue by cleannes by al righteousenes and vertue in the which al the sainctes of God florishe being a plentiful field of swete
and requireth greate dylygence to be consydered of C. For it teacheth howe the grace of Christe beganne to appere to the Gentiles For although the ful time was not come in the whiche Chryste shoulde publyshe and reueale him self to the whole world notwithstanding he thoughte it good to geue certayne forewarninges of his cōmon and generall mercy whiche at the lengthe after his resurrection was offered bothe to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles And departed into the coastes of Tyre B. The Euangelist Marcke addeth sayinge And he entered into a house and would that no man should haue known but he coulde not be hyd signifying that Christe wente not directely to Tyre and Sydon but abode in that corner for a time as thoughe hee had ben a pryuate man. But Marke speaketh accordinge to oure fleshely sence and vnderstandyng For although Christ foresawe by his dyuine spirite what should come to passe yet notwithstanding in that that he was the minister messenger of the father he kept him selfe within the limits boūds of the office callinge which was enioyned him therfore the Euangelist Mark saith that he could not be hyd meaning as he was man B. For it is necessary that he shold play the Apostell of circūsition sent specially to the Iewes According to the saying of S. Paule This I say that Iesus Christ was made a minister of the Circumsition for the trewth of God to confyrme the promyses made vnto the fathers Whereupon our sauiour gaue his disciples charge that they shold not come into the way of the Gētiles But because the time was at hande that the Gentiles should receiue Chryst beinge reiected of the Iewes the father wold not haue him altogether hidden from the Gentyles 22 And beholde a woman of Chanaan which came out of the same coastes cryed vnto him sayinge haue mercy on me O Lord thou sonne of Dauid My daughter is pitiously vexed with a deuil And beholde a vvoman C. An excellent Image of faith is depaynted vnto vs in this strange woman that a comparison being made we may know that the Iewes whose impietie was horrible were worthely iustly depriued of the promised redemption For when Christ dyd brynge vnto them openlye the promysed redemption and offered the same with a loude voyce and by doynge of myracles before their eyes they were blynde and deafe When as notwithstandyng they boasted theym selues to be the heyres of Goddes couenant his chosen and peculiar people his priestly kingedome but this woman who had no fellowshyppe with the sonnes of Abraham and to whō the couenaunt as it mighte seeme pertayned not beinge called by no voyce or signe came running vnto Chryst of her owne accorde and voluntary wyll Of Chanaan B. The Euangelist Marke sayth that this woman was a Greke out of the nation of Syrophaenitia Notwithstandinge betwene Matthew Marcke there is no contrarietie for wee knowe that it was a cōmon vse maner among the Iewes to call all forrayne nations Grekes and therfore the Apostel Paule vseth that Antithesis ofte times but specially in his epistell to the Romaines But seinge she came out of the partes of Tyre and Sydon it is no meruaile if she were sayde to be of Syrophenitia when as the Region or countrey is called Syria whiche was a parte of Phaenitia also But the Iewes despitefully called al the inhabitauntes of that countrey Cananaeans And it is likely that they for the most parte take theyr oryginall and begynninge of the people of Canaan who beinge banished out of theyr countrey fled thyther as to the next place of exile In this both the Euangelistes do agree that the woman was of a prophane nacion not brought vppe vnder the lawe of Moyses and that she came vnto Chryste of her owne voluntary wyll humblye to craue helpe at his hands Bu Notwithstanding it pleaseth some to thincke that shee was a Cananeaan so called of the coūtrey Cana which Cana is written without the letter H. This Cana is a greate cittie of Phaenitia borderyng vppon the tribe of Asser of the whiche wee maye reade in the .xix. chapter of Iosua But that Cana is written with the Hebrewe leter P. K. And as concerninge that Chanaan whiche our Euangeliste Matthew hath it is written in all aunciente Greke bokes that I haue sene with this letter χ ch Cryed vnto hym M. For Marcke saythe that shee hearde of hym Faythe therefore commeth by hearynge as saith saincte Paule in the tenth to the Romaines Haue mercy on mee M. Shee calleth vpon and craueth his mercye in whom she beleueth she crieth not to the Apostels but vnto Christ Neyther had she thus desired his helpe vnles she had hoped certainely to obtaine the same O Lorde C. She calleth Christ lorde by the cōmon vse of her speche Thou sonne of Although this woman were a stray and forren ar from the flocke of Christe yet notwithstandinge she had receyued som taste of godlynesse for withoute some knowledge of the promyses she had not called Chryste the sonne of Dauyd For althoughe the Iewes erred and swarued from the pure and perfect doctrine of the lawe yet notwithstandinge the fame of the promysed redemption was ryfe amonge them And because the restoring of the churche did depend vpon the kingdome of Dauid when so euer mention was made of the Messias the name of the sonne of Dauid was by by in theyr mouthes and truely this confession was common to euery man But when the true fayth decayed amongst them by the wōderful inspeakeable goodnes of god it came to passe that the odour and swete smel of the promises came to the Gētiles theraboutes Although therfore this woman was not familiarly taughte and instructed by any maister yet notwithstādinge she did not rashely fayne or immagin a faith as concernyng Christe vnto her selfe but conceiued the same by the lawe and the Prophetes Wherfore very wickedly that dogge Seruetus to the end he mighte despoyle Fayth of her promyses hath very muche abused this example Accordynge to this sence we do not denis but that there may be some detayned faythe at sometime to the which the parfect and distinct knowledge of sounde doctrine is not known this alwayes noted that faythe euer procedeth from the woorde of God and hath his beginning of true rudimētes instructions that it may alwaies be annexed to some light of knowledge My daughter is pitiously vexed C. The Euangelist Mark saith that this womā came fell down at the fete of Iesu prayed him to cast out a deuil of her daughter A. By the which wordes he declareth the she conceiued some greate excellēt thing of Christ in that she attributeth to hym power to cast out a deuyll 23 But he aunswered her nothing at all and his disciples came and besought him sayinge sende her away for she crieth after vs. But he ansvvered nothing Bu. Wonderful lettes and impediments are here obiected against the woman and
deuyll And at the lengthe Herode cut of his head if not by their procurement yet at the least by their consente and willinge mindes M. Christ saith not here They dyd as they ought to do or they did what so euer the lord commaunded to be done but he saythe they dyd what theye wolde or lust to do The lyke saith hee shall they do to the sonne of man And as they dyd nothinge to the sonne of man so did they nothinge to Iohn the Baptiste without the wyll and sufferance of God But they for theyr partes hadde not respecte or regarde vnto the wil of God but rather to the fulfilling of their own wils and maliciouse myndes this God vsed to the executing fynishinge of his worke The lorde therefore suffereth the wicked to do vnto saynctes what so euer theye wyll as towchinge their bodies and vseth their mynistery to the glory of those that are his Wherefore if the lyke happen vnto vs at this day let vs not thinke that we are reiected and caste out of God or that he hath forsaken vs. In lykevvise also shall the sonne of man suffer C. He teacheth that it ought not to seme a new or vnwonted thing if they reiect the master as they dyd the seruante before And least any man shoulde be troubled by the newenes of the thing the lorde saith that mention was made before of this in the Scripture namely that as well the redemer of the world as Helias his forerunner should suffer the repulse at the hādes of false and wicked teachers For Marke addeth They dyd vnto him what so euer they shoulde as it is written of hym 13 Then the disciples vnderstode that he spake vnto thē of Iohn the Baptist A. Because not onely in this place but also in an other place mention was made of Helias where Christe had spoken of Iohn the Baptist by name by this aunswere of Christe the disciples easely vnderstode what he mente 14 And when they were com to the people there came to him a certaine man kneling downe to him B. Luke saith that this came to passe the next daye as they came downe the hill Marke declareth that the Scribes were disputing with the disciples C. For the Lunatike child being brought amongest thē in the absence of Christ the Scribes thought that they had gotten good occasion to inueigh and speake euyl and therfore prosecuting the same they were very earnest with the disciples vrged thē that if they hadde any power to heale the childe they should shew it It is likely that the disciples tried what they could do but in vaine so that the Scribes as conquerers triūphed neither do they onely deride mocke the disciples but also proudely they inuey against Christ as thoughe in the persō of his disciples his power wer abased But this their wicked dealynge ioyned with ingratitude exceded maliciously to suppresse so many myracles by the which they had lerned of what power habilitie Christ was For of set purpose they sought to extinguishe the light sette before theyr eies 15 And sayinge Master haue mercy on my son for he is Lunatike and sore vexed for ofte times hee falleth into the fier and ofte into the water Master haue mercy on my son B. The father had a feruent desire greate care for the health of his son because as Luke sayth he was his only son whō in stede of haue mercy on my son hath behold my sonne For he is lunatike C. The Euāgelist Mark speaketh of an other kinde of dissease saying that this mā was dumbe Yet notwithstandinge these two very well agre betwene thē selues that he was dūbe at certaine times mad also For they are called lunatikes which vnder the wane of the Mene haue eyther the falling sicknes or els are tormēted with a giddines in the brayne It is a very vaine opiniō which som fain saying that this name was inuented by the craft subtiltie of Sathā that he myght defame the good creatures of God for cōmon experience teacheth that those disseases do increase decrease accordinge to the course of the mone yet notwithstādinge nothinge staieth but that Sathā may ad his violent force to naturall meanes It is very probable that this man was neither deaffe nor dombe by nature but that his tongue eares were possessed of Sathā then whē the debillitie weaknes of the braine finnewes made him subiecte to the fallinge sickenes a worse euill was added of sathā Hereupon it came to passe that he sought his owne destructiō that hee wolde lie rent torne and that he wolde fall down like a dead mā For oft he falleth C. Let vs here note the nature of Sathā He is a murtherer ready to destroy hath many waies to hurte were it not that he were staied let by the power of god Loke how many infirmities of the fleshe and minde there are which we feele and know to be innumerable so many dartes hath he alwaies to hurt vs We ar worse than mad if our myserable estate conditiō moue vs not to prayer And in this apereth the inspeakeable goodnes of God namely that where as we are subiecte to so many dāgers he doth vouchsafe to defende vs specially if we consider with how great a desire the deuil our enemie is inflamed to hurt vs But this consolation also ought to come into our mindes that Christ came to bridel so restrain his furiouse rage that therfore we in so many dangers abide in safetie because the heuenly medicine far surmounteth all our euils M. Here therfore the care prouidence of God appereth in that the child is saued and preserued so often times beinge cast by the euill spirite into the fyer water to be destroied for god saued him suffered not the euill spyrite to destroy him This is a great comforte and consolation to the godly 16 And I broughte him to thy disciples and they coulde not heale him A. Why the disciples coulde not cast out the deuill we shall see by and by 17 Iesus answered and said O faithlesse and croked nation how longe shall I be with you Howe longe shall I suffer you bringe him hither vnto mee Iesus ansvvered A. Our Euāgelist Mathew pretermitteth many thinges which are added by Marke Luke O faythlesse C. Although our sauiour Christ seme to direct his speache against the father of the Lunatike sonne yet notwithstandynge there is no doubt but that he had respecte vnto the Scribes For it is certain that the rude and weake are not here reprehēded but such as beinge obstinately wrapped in mallice do resist god Therfore Christ saith that suche are vnworthy to be forborne any longer saith that he will shortly make a dyuorce seperation betwene him them There are some which thinck it better to directe these wordes to the Apostels onely and that because of the woordes following
his handes Thou sonne of Dauid C. In this the fayth of the blynd men doth appeare that they acknowledge Iesus to be the Messias for the Iewes knew that the Messias should come of Dauid They flée therfore for helpe vnto Christ not only as to a Prophete but as to the only author of helth which was promised of god Euen so ought we to thinke of Christ to iudge of hym accordyng to the Scriptures and not according to our owne Imaginatiōs 31. And the people rebuked them because they should hold their peace But they cried the more saying haue mercy on vs O Lorde thou sonne of Dauid And the people rebuked them C. The people rebuked the blinde men eyther because they thought it vnsemelye for beggers to set Christ a worke as though it were againste his glory to haue to doe with men of so base estate ether because they thought that they woulde craue an almes at the handes of Christ which they counted very filthy other because they sawe that Iesus had no respecte to their crye to geue any answer thinking theyr exclamation to be troublesom vnto hym when as he rather of purpose fained as though he had no regarde to their crye because ye might haue the more tryall of their fayth perseuerance in prayer or els because som among the people were offended for that they called hym Christ the sonne of Dauid by the which wordes they cōfessed hym to be the Messias promised in the Prophets But it is here to be merueyled at that the Disciples of Christ which followed him for deuty and reuerence sake would suffer these miserable ones to be driuen from the grace and fauore of Christ would seke them selues also so muche as in them laye to stoppe the waye passage whereby his vertue might appeare But this commeth oftentimes to passe that the greater parte of men whiche professe the name of Christe do rather staye vs from comming to Christ than call vs to hym If Sathan went about by godly and simple men whome zeale and religion persuaded to followe Christ to stoppe the waye against these blinde men of comming to Christe howe much more will he bringe that thinge to passe by hipocrits and vngodly men if we take not great hede vnto our selues We haue nede therefore of constancy whiche may put awaye all impediments Yea the more stomblinge blockes that Sathan dothe caste in oure waye the more we haue occasiō to praye euen as wee sée that the blinde men the more they were stayed the more they cryed For it followeth But they cried the more saying C. They perseuere and abyde howsoeuer the multitude forbid them they had therfore a cōstante faith whiche neuer quayleth in tēptations Yea when they knewe that theire wordes were odiouse in the eares of some yet notwithstanding a feruent desyre ouercame feare in somuche that they cryed with the greater vehemencye Thou son of Dauid haue mercy on vs Euē so we must striue against all stayes and lets and manfully resist them neyther muste we make an ende vntill wee haue ouercome them B. So shal euery mā thē also by trew earnest prayer cal for the mercy of the Lord when he being oppressed with the like necessitye feeleth howe much he standeth in nede of helpe 32. And Iesus stoode stil and called them and said what will ye that I shall doe to you And Iesus stoode still A. The Euangeliste Marke speakinge of one of them only wrighteth thus And Iesus stoode still and commaunded him to be called and they called hym that was blind sayinge vnto him Arise be of good chere he calleth thee and he threwe awaye his cloake and arose and came to Iesus Therefore the Apostles do obey the commaundement of the Lorde they cal him that was blinde and incourage him to hope well saiyng Be of good chere aryse Iesus calleth thee whose helpe thou crauest with so loude a voyce By the which woordes the blinde man conceyued such a hope that he casting asyde his cloake by the which he was defended from coulde ran to Iesus In the which wee must consider the cherefulnes of this blinde man and diligently note the same So often as wee are called vnto Christe wee neyther cast of oure cloake neyther do we leape for Ioye nor runne to him but doe rather tourne our backes differ the time stande still make excuse wallowe still in darkenes and hadde rather in oure fylthy cloake to begge an Almes of this worlde then to receyue the blessed light of Iesus whiche comprehendeth the whole state of felicity If he cast awaye his clocke for Ioye of his corporall sight what oughte wee not to caste of to receyue possesse Christe the moste comfortable and blessed lighte VVhat vvill ye that I shall do M. Christe was not ignoraunte of their demaunde but because it was not knowen vnto the people that they craued so greate a thynge somuche excellinge humaine power thinkinge rather that they desired som almes at his handes he therfore asketh them what they would haue to the ende they mighte make open declaration of the same that is howe greate faythe and truste they hadde in hym whose helpe they desyered wyth so greate a crye For in the qualitye and largenes of the petition the qualitye and largenes of theire faythe appered also C. He doth therefore verye frendlye and courteouslye demaunde what they desyere to haue donne vnto them because he was determined to graunt they re petitions For there is no doubte but that by the speciall motion of the spirite they made their petitions vnto hym because as the Lorde will not haue all men to escape theire corporall diseases so also he will not suffer them to praye There is a rule prescribed vnto vs what howe and to what ende wee shoulde craue anye thynge at the handes of God from the which rule we maye not decline except the Lord by the secrete motion of his spirite doe make vs to wishe for some speciall thinge which commeth verye syldome to passe But Christe as it was sayde euen nowe asketh them what they would haue not so muche for theyr own sakes as for the people that stood by For we doe see howe the worlde deuoureth the benefites of God without sence excepte they bee styrred vp by prouocations Therefore Christe by his voyce maketh the people standinge by to geue hede vnto the miracle euen as hereafter he did by a visible signe when by touchinge he opened their eyes 33. They sayd vnto hym Lord that our eyes may be opened A. The Euāgelist Marke saith that Bartimaeus made answer saying Lord that I may receiue my sighte Vsynge the Chalde woorde Rabboni for the whiche the Hebrewes haue Rab. or Rabbi that is to say Lorde 34. So Iesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediatlye their eyes receiued sight And they followed hym Iesus had compassion on them A. These blind men craued the mercy of Christ to helpe
of age are not able by fayth to comprehende the grace of God yet notwithstanding God speaking to their parentes dothe also comprehende them As wel may be proued by this place I will be thy God and the God of thy seede after thee A. By this place also many do gather that wee could not be saued without baptisme But as S. Paule sayth that the confession of the mouthe is necessary to saluation euenso Christ here speaketh of baptisme Baptisme is necessarily required because it is the pleasure of God to haue vs baptized notwithstandinge wee muste not hereby gather that wee cannot otherwise be saued Fayth also is necessarily required to vnderstande the worde For fayth commeth by hearinge Can not God for al that geue vs faith by some other meane Hee can no doubt but this is the meane whiche hee hath appointed In the name of the father C. This place teacheth that the full and perfecte knowledge of God which was onely obscurely shadowed vnder the lawe and the Prophetes sprange forth at the lengthe vnder the kingdome of Christe The fathers of oulde time truly durst neuer haue called God theyr father except they had taken this trust frō Christ their head neither was the eternall wisedome of God which is the well of light and life altogether hiddē from them But by the beginninge of the Gospell God was more plainlye reuealed vnder three personnes because then the father in the Sonne by his liuely and expresse Image manifestlye declared himselfe but Christe himselfe shyninge throughe the whole world by the brightnes of his spirite so set forth this spirite himselfe that the world might know him But mencion is not here made of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost without cause for that the force of Baptim cannot otherwise be apprehended than to begin at the free mercye of God the father which reconcileth vs to himselfe by his only begotten Sonne then we must behould Christ with the sacrifice of his death last of all wee must remember the power of the holye Ghost by whom he doth wash and regenerate vs and make vs partakers of all his benefites So that wee see God cannot be rightlye knowne except that our fayth do distinctly conceiue three personnes in one essence and that the efficacy and fruit of baptisme doth come hereof because God the father doth adopt vs in his sonne and doth bring vs vnto righteousnes beinge purged by the spirite from all the filthy spots of the fleshe Therefore to be baptised in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holye Ghoste is to enter and consecrate those which are baptised into the fayth and Religion of one God that they maye beleue the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to be one God to whom alone they oughte to truste and that the Sonne and the holye Ghost are nothinge els but the very essence of God acknowledginge the father who hath adopted them The Sonne by whom they are accepted and the holye Ghoste by whom they are regenerate Furthermore hereby the godhead of the personnes is proued against all heretiques For if wee be Baptised in the name of the Sonne then the Sonne is God if in the holy Ghost thē the holy Ghost is god The Euangelist Marke addeth sayinge Hee that beleueth and is baptised shal be saued but hee which beleueth not shal be damned C. This promise was added to draw all mankind to the fayth as was also the threatninge of dampnation to the vnbeleuinge to terrefye them Baptisme is ioyned with fayth of the Gospell to the ende we might know the marke of our saluation to be ingraued in the same For except it were effectuall to testifye the grace of God Christ improperly had sayde that they shal be saued which beleue and are baptised Moreouer he cannot be sanctifyed inuisiblelye whiche contemneth and regardeth not the visible Sacramentes not that they are so necessarye as wee saide before that we cannot be saued without them but because thereby wee shew our obedience to God who hath ordayned this thinge And he which beleueth not shal be damned C. Christ by this part doth declare that the obstinate in reiecting the grace offered vnto them do bringe vnto themselues the greater punishment The Lord himselfe in another place expoundeth what it is to be damned sayinge Hee that beleueth on the Sonne hath euerlastinge life hee that beleeueth not the Sonne shall not see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him 20 Teachinge them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you And lo I am with you alway euen vnto the ende of the world Teachinge them to obserue C. This is the other part of Christian doctrine that when wee shall beleue the Gospell and beleuing the grace of Christ and remission of sinnes shall apprehende true saluation we might obey the commaundementes of the Lorde and maye keepe those thinges whiche are taught by the Apostles as if they were commaunded of the Lorde Moreouer by these woordes Christe doth declare that he doth not wholy resigne vnto them his office as thoughe hee woulde ceasse to be the maister of his Churche For he sendeth forth his Apostles with this exception that they thruste not vnto men theyr owne inuentiōs but that they do pure lye and faithfullye dispense from hande to hande as it were that which hee himselfe hath commaunded And I would to God the Pope would submit the right which he arrogateth to himselfe to this rule For wee would easlye graunt him to be the successor of Peter or Paule if so be hee would not tyrannicallye raigne in the consciences of men But seinge the maistershippe and auctoritye of Christ beinge refused hee infecteth the Churche with his vaine trifles it doth sufficientlye hereby appeare howe farre he is from the Apostolicall office In fine let vs note that such are appointed teachers of the Church not which bring forth what seemeth vnto them good but whiche depende vppon the mouthe of their maister onlye that they may bringe Dysciples vnto him not to themselues Ye know saith the Apostle Paule what commaūdementes I haue geuen you by the Lord Iesus And S. Peter sayth If any man talke let him speake as the words of god M. But Christ speaketh not here of one or two commaundementes but of all hys doctrine which wee haue set forth vnto vs by his Apostles and Euangelistes A. Wherevppon the Apostle Paule going about to shew how faithfully he had done his duty sayth I haue spared no labour but haue shewed you all the counsaile of god M. We must also note that the Lord sayth not Teaching them to know and vnderstand but To keepe all those thinges vvhich I haue commaunded For althoughe the knowledge of the doctrine of Christ be required of the faithfull yet notwithstandinge the ende in learninge is not here prescribed to a Christian that he may only know those thinges which are good right but that he
So that by this only woorde redemption all that the Papistes bragge and prate of their satisfactions is ouerthrowne For those thinges which Christe affirmeth here of himselfe cannot be true if wee be able to bringe in and alleage anye other price or anye parte of a price that hath bene payed for the remission of sinnes To be short seinge the Christ by his death hath made vs a peculiar people vnto him selfe this submission whereof hée speaketh here doth so little derogate from his glorye that it doth rather much more set forth the same For manye E. The Gréeke word doth some what differ from the Lattine The lattine texte hath for many The Gréeke text for the multitude C. But Christ here putteth many not definitely for anye certaine number but for a great nomber because he opposeth or setteth himselfe against manye And in this sence the Apostle Paule taketh it when hée sayth For if through the sinne of one many be deade much more plentious vpon many was the grace of God and gifte by grace which was of one mā Iesus Christ In the which place Paule speaketh not of any certaine nomber of mē but cōprehēdeth all mākinde E. The Lorde also by this place teacheth that those that are his ought so to be the seruaunts of all men that they do not onely bestow all that they haue but their life also if time and occasion so requyre Bu. Not because they are able to make satisfaction for other mens sinnes for that pertayneth onelye to Christe but because they oughte so to loue and desier the healthe profite of other men that they should rather dye than forsake their callinge by the which they are after a sort bound to mē For a good Sheepeheard geueth his life for his shéepe Whereuppon the Apostle Paule writeth thus to the Corinthians I will very gladly bestowe and will be bestowed for your soules thoughe the more I loued you the lesse I am loued againe 29. And as they departed from Hiericho much people followed him And as they departed from Hiericho Bu. The Lorde had saide before that hee came to saue sinners This sayinge hee nowe confirmeth by a certaine benefite teaching that the sauinge health and benefits of Christe are perceiued and apprehended by a true faith For therefore the faith of the blinde men is depainted vnto vs that thereby also wee mighte learne what our faith is Muche people follovved A. This followinge of Christ is often tymes declared of the Euangelist But the more that the tyme of Christes glorification drewe nere the more it is certaine that the people followed hym Whereupon his enemys alytell before his passion sayd beholde all the woorlde goeth after hym 30. And behold two blynd men sittinge by the way syde whē they heard that Iesus passed by they cried saying O Lorde thou sonne of Dauid haue mercy on vs. And beholde tvvo blynd men C. Marke and Luke make mencion of this same history euen as we may gather by the circonstances whiche do very well agrée But the disagrement doth offende some because Marke and Mathewe say that this myracle was shewed vpon one or twoo blynde men as Christ was going out of the Citty But Luke saith it was done before he came into the Cittie Further more because Marke an Luke make mēcion but of one blynd man and our Euāgelist Mathewe maketh menciō of two But forsomuche as this is oftentymes founde in the Euangelistes that in one history the one passeth ouer and omiteth that which is spoken and declared of the other and again that which twoo omitte the thirde declareth it ought not to seme a newe or vnwonted thing in this place We may truly thus coniecture that when Christ drewe nere to the Citty the blind man cryed out But when that he was not heard by reason of the noyse he went and sate him downe in the waye that leadeth out of the towne where at the laste he was called of Christ So that Luke the Euāgelist begā truly orderly at the beginning but doth not prosecute the whole narration to the ende but omitteth the lodging of Christ in the Citty the other two Euangelistes do onlye toutche the tyme which was nerest to the sheweing of the miracle omittyng the beginnyng And it is a probable coniecture that as our sauiour Christe alwayes goinge about to trye the faith of men did differre them for a tyme euen so at this thme he sought to haue a proofe and triall of this blynde man Moreouer of the other doute whether there were two or one we may easely be resolued For we do se also in an other place that Marke Luke do make mencion but of the healeling of one Demoniake or possessed of a deuell wher as Mathewe saythe that two were healed euen as in this place And yet for al that they do not disagrée But rather wee may coniecture that by the example of the fyrst which in the beginning craued the grace and fauour of Christe the second was also moued to com being in the same necessitye So that in the beginning of the miracle of the whiche tyme Marke Luke make mencion there was but one but in the ende of the whiche Mathewe speaketh there were twoo Againe it may be that Marke and Luke do make mencion but of one because in that one the power of Christ did as muche appere as in the restoringe of sighte to twoo And certainlye Marke doth seme to speake of him whiche he best knewe for he describeth him not only by his owne name but by the name of his Father also saying Blinde Bartimaeus the sonne of Timaeus sate by the hye wayes syde begginge Whereupon it followeth that seing his calamity was commonly knowne to all men the miracle was the more certaine and wonderfull The reason why Mathewe maketh menciō of both is for that he was present at the miracle and sawe them both restored to sighte Sitting by the vvayes syde A. Namelye to begge as Marke and Luke make mencion of one of them R. M. In that therfore the Iewes suffered these and suche other to begge openly it is an argument that they neglected the obseruation of the lawe and gaue them selues more to the obseruing of ceremonies For they had a speciall commaundement geuen vnto them as appereth in the booke of Deutronomy where it is sayde Ye shall not suffer any to begge among you But where faith is decayed godlynes integritye can not stand Cryed saying C. This crye was a signe of an earnest affection O Lord thou sonne of Dauid C. We said euē nowe that but one at the firste cryed but whē another being in the lyke necessity heard him crye for helpe he cryed also for the same But these blinde men bringe no smale fame and honor vnto Christ in crying to him to haue mercy vpon them For it must nedes be that they were persuaded that the helpe and remedy whiche they neded was in