the bokes the prophet saying In the pristes lyppes shoulde be sure knowledge that men may seeke the lawe at his mouthe 5 And they sayd vnto hym at Bethlem in Iewry for thus it is wrytten by the Prophete And they sayde vnto hym at Bethleem in Ievvry M. Here is to be considered the wonderfull impietie of the tyrante The twoo thinges whiche he sought as well of the chiefe priestes as of the wyse men dyd wholly consist vpon the detection and reuelation of God that whiche was demaunded of the hye priestes was of that whiche is wrytten in the prophetes that whiche was demanded of the wyse men was as concerning the heauenly sygne So that the maiestie and power of God was on bothe sydes and yet the foolysshe mad man thought he could deceyue god and coulde make all the deuine oracles and tokens as concernynge Chryste of none effecte Euen so the wicked menne in these dayes are wonte to learne the prophesies and to vsurpe the same soo farre as they do séeme to make by any meanes for theyr vngodlynesse or hypocrysie but in howe muche they myghte be withdrawne frō the same in so much with shamelesse obstinacie they doo reiecte it For so it is vvritten by the Prophete C. That the chiefe priestes and scrybes do so syncerely and truely aunswere out of the Scriptures whiche notwithstandynge afterwarde wente aboute furyousely to peruerte the same leaste they shoulde geue any estymation to Chryst was done for this ende bycause as yet Christe was not troublesome vnto them with his Gospell Euen so all the vngodly in generall beginnynges do wyllyngely subscribe and submytte theimselues vnto God but when as the truth of God dothe more neerely begynne to vrge and touche them then they shewe out theyr poysoned cankered dysobedyence Of the whiche thynge at this day we haue a manifeste and playne exaumple in oure Papistes For they wyll confesse without contention or controuersie that Chryste is the onely begotten sonne of God whiche hath taken vpon hym oure fleshe and they wyll acknowledge also one person in twoo natures of God and man but when wee come to the vertue and offyce of Chryst then begynneth the contention In fyne so longe as the wycked perceyue that they do nothynge preiudicyall or hurtefull to theym selues they wyll geeue some reuerence to God and his woorde But when Chryste shall fyghte hande to hande with Ambytion with Couetousenesse Pryde Hypocrysie and Deceyte then they forgette all modestie and become more madde then dogges Let vs be well assured therefore that wicked affections are the princypall cause of blyndenesse to the ennemyes of the trewethe whiche tourne lyght into darckenesse 6. And thou Bethleem in the lande of Iuda arte not the leaste amonge the prynces of Iuda For out of thee there shal come a captayne whiche shall feede my people Israell And thou Bethleem in the lande of Iuda M. This place is wrytten in the prophecie of Mycheas From the whyche texte the hyghe priestes and Scrybes beinge asked of the place where Chryste shoulde be borne aunswered Herode C. And no doubte they syted trewely the woordes of the texte in theyr tongue accordyng to the prophesie but Mathew thought it suffycient to note the place And because he wrytt in Gréeke he followed the readynge admytted and receiuyd For out of this place and such lyke it maye easely be gathered that he wrote not the Gospell in the Hebrewe tongue But this is alwayes to be noted that so often as the Apostelles do syte and alleage any place of scrypture althouge they reherse it not word for worde yea sometymes they much dyffer in wordes yet for all that they applye it verye agreable and aptly for the purpose Wherefore lette the readers alwayes marcke and take heede for what pourpose the Euangelystes brynge in places of the Scrypture that they stande not scrupulousely vpon euery worde but to be satisfyed and contented with this one thynge that the Scripture is at no tyme wrested of them into a contrarye sence but is properly vsed accordynge to the trewe sence and meanynge thereof But for so muche as they were appoynted to nouryshe vp infantes and nouyces in the Faythe with the dryncke of mylke whiche coulde not take fleshe as yet no religion dothe hynder but that the chyldren of God maye exactely and dyligently serche what the scrypture cōteyneth and so the taste whiche the Apostelles do geue maye brynge them to the cleere and perfect well Nowe let vs retourne to the prophesie of Mycheas it is red thus according to the words of the prophesie And thou Bethleem Ephrata art not littel amōg the thousādes of Iuda Out of thee shall come vnto mee whiche shall be the gouernour of Israell For Ephrata Mathewe hath put Iuda but in the same sence For Mycheas woulde haue Bethleem whereof he speaketh discerned as it were by this note from the other whiche was in the tribe of Zabulon of the whiche we spake before in the fyrste verse C. In the rest of the text there is much more difficultie and hardenes For the Prophete saithe that Bethleem was lyttle amonge the thousandes of Iuda Mathewe on the other syde extolleth the dignitie thereof and sayth that it is one of the chiefe And this is the cause that dyuerse interpretoures doo reade this place interrogatiuely But others much better expounde it whiche thought that Mathewe woulde cellebrate the grace of God in this mutation and chaunge because that a symple lyttle base towne shoulde be made the place of byrthe for so excellente a kynge Bu. As yf he shoulde haue sayde And thou Bethleem althoughe thou seemest a base and contemned towne if thou be compared to many other townes in the tribe of Iuda yet notwithstandinge thou arte not the leaste amonge the chiefe Cities of Iuda if that in deede we haue respecte vnto the mysterie For oute of thée shall be borne a captayne whiche shall gouerne my people Israell M. In the whiche we maye note howe God dothe choose those thinges that are humble and of no reputation in the worlde to greate and hye matters Euen so he chose Dauid beinge the leaste of his bretherne to the dignitie of a kynge Furthermore we see of howe greate pryce and estimation those thynges are whiche when they be abiectes and castawayes in the syghte of the worlde are made by the gyft of God most excellente What had that poore cytie Bethleem and the very leaste among the reste of the cities of Iuda whereby it shoulde be so muche exalted of the Prophete It hadde the byrthe of Christe and that of all byrthes the moste base and humble and yet throughe this name it was so greate in the syghte of God and the Prophete But althoughe this cytie dyd excell with such honour yet not withstanding it nothyng at all profyted them that dwelte therein so that they fell into greatter mischiefe because that the redemer of mankynde was so vnworthely receyued VVhiche shall feede my people
pretence defraude the poore shepe of the holy foode of Gods worde and in stede of the same brought into the world certaine stinking and vayne traditions whiche they had drawen out of the filthy puddel of carnall reason and would haue them accompted suche was their arrogancy for deuine oracles Moreouer men were growen to suche madnes vnfaithful dealing that whatsoeuer pleased them the same also they did perswade the kynges rulers of the worlde whose duty it was to watche for the safetie of all the people and before all thnges to take hede that they did not degenerate from the true worship of god But in this horrible waste and confusion of thinges the celestiall father vouched safe to preserue his Churche by a certayne miraculous working not to be attained by our vnderstanding for he daily calleth backe his electe out of the bottomles pitte of ignoraunce and transposeth them into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne that being partakers of the light of the Gospell or rather being made light it selfe in the Lorde they might walke as children of the light submitte them selues wholy vnder his obedience whiche called them out of darkenes into a wonderfull cleare light Whiche worthy and incomparable benefite is daily offered not onely to priuate men here and there dispersed but also vnto kinges rulers so often as God doth styrre vp in their Costes faithfull Pastors though neuer so cruell persecutions storme euery where Sathan with his ministers raginge do bende all the force of their strengthe to hinder the course of the Gospel either by mans authoritie or els to breake it of by the feare intollerable wayght of afflictions Therefore seing through the grace of God we haue here free libertie vnder right Christian princes to enioye the light of the Gospell wheÌ„ as many other nations of the worlde are as yet buried in the depe dungeon of ignoraunce and seing it hath pleased God of his free mercy certayne yeares paste to snatche vs out of the iawes of Antechrist that we might heare the swete voyce of Christe continually sounding in the Churche wee should bee twyse ingratefull if we should not wyshe with ardent petitions that oure brethren might obtâ—â—â—e the like grace and fauour or if we shoulde not reatche out our hande to helpe them whiche make haste to gette the same libertie But there can no waye be founde out more commodious to further their saluation then if beside our daily prayers in whiche we commende them to the Lorde we reatche as it were into their handes some thing whereby they might well fortefie them selues against their enemies and be able to reproue and conuince suche as resiste the truthe Neither do we nede any great consultation to determine what this thing should be wheÌ„ as nothing can be more profitable vnto them than the sounde syncere playne exposition of the holy Scriptures which heretofore was so obscured by the fonde commentaries preposterous interpretations of those that knewe not truely the very elementes of Christian religion so that the worde of God gaue place to prophane wryters so farre was it from retaining the force and authoritie which of right she ought to haue among men For who knoweth not that those who neglecting the authoritie of the worde of God did cite Plato Aristotel Cicero and other prophane wryters of that sorte in their pulpettes were had in great estimation and counted for chiefe deuines in comparison of those that propounded the worde of God simply and sincerety I therefore wyshing to satisfie their desier whiche long earnestly for the sounde and playne exposition of the Scriptures lefte vnto vs by the Prophetes and Apostles applied â—…y mynde before these fewe yeares to collecte and gather out of the doctours suche as might be gotten bothe olde and newe whatsoeuer semed to helpe to the exacte knowledge of the newe testament hoping hereafter if the Lorde graunt me strengthe to bestowe the like diligence in the olde testament to the ende that as the whole body of the Scripture is set forth vnto vs by diuers organes of the holy Ghoste so beinge beutified with a plaine and perfecte exposition collected out of sondry interpretours it might be redde of all the godly to the glory of God and saluation of men Neither yet do we thinke that this our labour shal be improued by any saue onely by suche as mislike all godly and deuine thinges For seing many with earnest affection desier to knowe the opinioÌ„s of suche as interprete the holy Scriptures and oftentimes it chaunceth that what by one is pretermitted that is spoken by an other and contrariwyse yea but fewe haue the multitude and varietie of bookes many also cannot enioye them without perill Who I beseche you can condemne these oure painefull studies and good intent but that also he shall seme to improue their indeuour which would profite willingly by reading or hearing sondry interpretours of the Scriptures Moreouer if their diligence be commended and not vndeseruedly whiche out of the lectures and Sermons of the preachers of Gods worde note and gather what they can and geue it to be printed to the ende the whole Churche might reape a commoditie of that whiche was spoken out of a Pulpet to a fewe in nomber why should it not be laweful to collecte and chuse whatsoeuer semeth to pertaine to the explictation of the sacred Scriptures out of their commentaries whome God hathe made ouerseers of his flocke to feede and teache them and hath enriched them with many giftes to the common edifying of his Churche And as for suche as thinke them selues so spiritual that being contente with the volume of the Bible onely do carelesly and frowardly reiecte all commentaries those men I iudge not worthy any confutation For that whiche they vaynely babble tendeth to no other ende except perhappes they knowe not them selues but vtterly to abholishe the ministery of the worde that it might be lawfull for euery one to dreame or vtter vnaduisedly what he liste of Gods high misteries when neuertheles the Lord him selfe commendeth prophecie before other thinges in so muche that the Apostell Paule doth not doubte to preferre the same before certayne other giftes of the holy Ghoste otherwyse moste excellent And in an other place he sayth Despise not prophecies trie all thinges kepe that whiche is good Solomon also doth witnes in playne wordes that where prophecying doth fayle the people must nedes bee scattered abroade Let them therefore either bring to passe that all men may speake Hebrewe and Greeke and that euery meÌ„ber may be replenished with the fulnes of the spirite whiche thing is peculiar to ChristiaÌ„s or els let them suffer the Churche to enioye the communion participation of giftes whiche Christe distributeth to eche man as semeth good vnto him selfe As touching the tittle of the booke we thought it good to call it an Ecclesiasticall exposition for a double respect first because it is gathered
kingdome of God whiche was at hande but yet to speake this of him selfe in the persone of a foreronner a proclaimer As if he should haue saide Beholde I am a proclaimer and foreronner before the face of the lord shewing vnto you the cōming of the kingdome of god But that he might bringe credite to him selfe he bringeth in the prophecie of Esay admonishing them that the same was fulfilled by his ministery whiche was spoken before in times paste by the prophete of the redēption made vnder Cyrus and Darius and also to concerne apertaine to these tymes C. For although this place of Esay ought not to be restrayned only to Iohn yet neuerthelesse he is one of them of whom the same was spoken For after that the prophete had declared the besieging of the cittie and the extreame destruction of the people he promiseth the reedifiyng of the same again the woordes are these Comforte my people O ye prophetes comforte my people saithe your God comforte Hierusalem at the hart c. For after that the temple was destroyed and the sacrifices abolished the people being led into captiuitie thinges were desperate and out of all order And because that eares were deafe and shutte at the continuall voyce of the prophetes the lorde for a time was as it were dombe Now in this sadde and dolefull silence in this heuy chere the prophete least the godly myndes should faynte or in any wyse quayle plainly openeth vnto them this comforte that there shall arise newe proclaymers setters forth of the grace of God whiche should chere vp the people to hope for the sauing health Suche wer Zachary Haggeus Malachi Esdras suche like But because the perpetuall restoring is not there promised at a moment yea rather Esaias had much respect to the redemption whiche was hoped for by the comming of Christe therefore Iohn is worthely thought to be the chief among the ministers of comforte Then it followeth in the text of the prophete The voice of a crier C. This voyce is compared to that tēporal silence of the which we spake euen now The Iewes were to be depriued of that doctrine for a tyme which wickedly they despised M. Iohn Theuāgelist whē he brought certain testimonies of this crier cōcerning Christ he said Iohn bare witnes of him self and cried saying This is he of whome I spake c. shewyng that he declared all things with a diligent crie to euery one For he being indewed with the spiritie and vertue of Elias stoutly rebuked vngodlines as Elias did the Thesbites and with diligent endeuour he sought to restore againe the true religion And certainly he is a true witnes of Christe not which without a courage faintly inconstantly and obscurely but which openly plainly and truly with force doth so witnes of Christe that none may excuse hym that he harde not the voyce of this crye Wherfore the lord by the same prophete saith Crie out and cease not exalte thy voice like a trōpet For in dede the world hath great neade to haue this crie of repentaunce and true godlines in Christe which continually refuseth to heare like vnto the deafe adder whiche stopped her eares and will not heare the voyce of the charmer charme he neuer so wysely In the deserte C. The name of deserte is put metaphorically for the vaste wilde deformed raigne of the people as it was in the time of their exile and banishment For it was suche horrible destructiō that well it might be compared to a deserte So the prophete doth amplifie the grace of God as if he should haue said although the people are cast out from their countrey afarre yea and vanyshed the company of men yet for all that the voyce of God shall sounde in the deserte whiche shall bryng ioyfull consolation to those that are out of harte and quite discouraged At what tyme Iohn began to preache Hierusalem in this sence and meaninge was a deserte because all thinges were brought euery where into vaste and horrible confusion but it behoued grosse and dull men to be more moued and affected with the sighte of the visible deserte whereby they might with the greater desyre receyue to them selues being in death the promyse of saluation Nowe we sée howe truely this prophecie did appertayne vnto Iohn and howe fetely it is applied vnto hym Prepare the vvaye of the Lorde There is no doubte but the prophete spake to Syrus and the Persians of whose workes the lorde had intelligence and the sence and meaning is that the lorde would bringe to passe by his wonderful power that his people should haue way through the vnoccupied woode ouer the hilly and sharp rockes and through the barren and drye wyldernes because at his hande he shall haue ministers of his grace whiche shall take away all lettes stombling blockes from among them But this was a shadowed declaration of the redemption But when the spirituall and heauenly veritie came into the light and was manifeste Iohn was sente to remoue and take awaye all impedimentes whiche might let and hinder the same And dayly the same voyce soundeth in our eares that we might prepare the waye of the lorde that is all vices being taken away whiche do stoppe and shutte vp the waye of the lorde we maye geue frée accesse and passage to his grace M. Furthermore we amending our life by the study of repentaunce may remoue and put aparte all suche thinges as may offende the deuine maiestie of god C. It pertaineth to the same effecte whiche followeth in the woordes of the prophete Let all croked thinges be made straighte For by these woordes he doth signifie that in this worlde there is nothing but rough stony hilly and croked waies but yet he sheweth that the lorde wil make a waye through so many and harde strayghtes that by his wonderful power he may pearse through the same to the accomplishing and fulfilling of our saluation B. But in the Hebrew texte this saying In the deserte is ioyned with that whiche followeth as thus A voyce crying in the wyldernes prepare the waye of the lorde that it may agree with the clause followyng And make the pathes of our lorde straighte in the wyldernes M. Therfore Iohn the proclaymer of Christe to the Iewes by his crye stirred them vp to prepare them selues against the comming of the kyng promysed before tyme to lifte vp their mindes also to amēde their liues casting of all suche thinges as might be lothsom and odious in the eyes of his deuine maiestie that thei might be partakers of his grace with ioye 4 This Iohn had his raiment of Camels heare And a girdell of skinne about his loynes his meate was locustes and wylde hony This Iohn had his rayment C. The Euangelist reckneth not this among the chief and excellente vertues that he was addicte and giuen to a rude austere kinde of lyfe eschewinge and not regardynge the ciuyll and
hathe taughte you to fle from the vengeāce to come But vvhen he savve many C. In this place Mathew doth shewe that Iohn dothe not onely preache repentance generally but also dothe apply the same to personnes And certainely it wyll be a colde kinde of teachinge excepte the preachers wysely waye the time the person and the place where and to whom they preache For nothinge is more out of order then continually to keepe one kynde of order in teching For this cause Iohn is thought more seuerely to handell the Phariseis and Saduceies who because of their hipocrisie disdaine with the whiche they did swel sawe that more sharply he must pricke and touche them then the comon sorte of people M As concernyng the Saduceys Phariseys and Esseys reade Iosephus in his seconde booke de bello Iudaico These were special sectes among the people The Phariseys dyd professe the more sure knowledge of the rytes and customes of the lawe they were had in great veneration and reuerence of the people and they got vnto them selues the greateste parte of domination and rule neither did they onely oppresse the people with the burthen of the prescripte lawe but also with theyr owne traditions in the whiche thynge the Saduce is were greately against them as we may reade in Iosephus C. But they are deceiued whiche thinck them to be so named of the diuision as though they beinge seperated from the order of the common sort of people might take a degree proper vnto them selues They were called also Pherussim that is to saye interpreters because not beinge contente with the symple letter they professed that they had the keye to vnderstande secrete misteries Whereof there arose a wonderfull myxture and confusion of errours when as they takinge to them selues the dignitie of mastership did with their wicked lust and sence also with wonderfull pride thrust in steede of the trewth their own inuentions Bu. Luke bothe of the Scribes and Phariseis wryteth thus when Paule perceiued that the one parte were Phariseis and the other Saduceis he cryed out in the councell Menne and bretherne I am a Pharisey the sonne of a Pharisey Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am iudged And whē he had so saide there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis and Saduceys and the multitude was deuided For the Saduceis say that there is no resurrection neyther angel nor spirite but the Phariseys graunte bothe B. Therfore the Phariseyes dyd acknowledge destenye notwithstanding with the lybertie of the minde beleuing the immortalitie of the soule The Saduceys wolde graunt nothing to come by desteny but attrybuted all thynges to the wyll of man neyther wold they allowe the immortalitie of the soule these also were more rude of manners further from humanitie then the phariseis Bu. The Esseyes were the third secte so called as labouringe and workinge they attributed all thinges to desteny B. they professed a marueylous continent life muche lyke vnto our olde monkes Bu. Besides they did not allowe wedlocke and parte did admitte it but with great warines Of these bothe Iosephus in his second booke of the warre of the Iewes in the .vii. chapi And Plini in his 5. booke and 17. chapter writeth at large But nowe let vs returne to the woordes of Iohn O generation of vipers C. That we may wel vnderstād the meaning of the holy man we must note that there is nothinge that dothe more amase and abashe hipocrites whiche deceiue other by the outwarde shewes of holynes then to haue their hipocrisy detected and to be thretened with the vengeaunce of god For that god may thunder generally against the whole worlde by false immagination they make vnto them selues a sanctuarye because they perswade thē selues that they haue nothing to do with the iudgement of god If any man doo thincke that Iohon kept a preposterouse order in receyuing them at the fyrst gretinge so sharpely we answere that they were not vnknowne to him but that he had good inteligence of them before and yet not by experience or his owne knowledge but rather by the secrete reuelation of the spirite of god Wherefore they were not to be spared one whit lest they came home againe more puft with pride then they wente It was necessary therfore that their highe stomackes should be abated Againe if any shall obiecte that they ought not to haue bē dismaied with so harde a reproche synce that comming to baptisme they wold afterwarde shew them selues to be altered and to become newe men we maye easely aunswere that suche as do lye vnto God and being wonte to dally with them selues doo vse falshod and dissimulatiō in stede of truth are the more sharpely to be vrged to true repentance For the obstinacie of hypocrites is wonderfull therefore vntyll by force and violence they are fleyne they wyl holde their skinne fast Now where as Iohn doth openly before all men reproue and rebuke them it perseyneth to example in the whiche sence Luke doth say that it was spoken to the multitude For althoughe Iohn spake vnto a fewe yet he hadde respecte vnto the multitude that he mighte make theim afraide As Paule to Timothe bad vs looke euer for that fruite in open reprehentions sayinge Those whiche offende openly reproue openly that others may be afraid Therfore in the parson of the Phariseys and Saduceys he dothe comprehende the whole multitude leaste they shoulde shewe a fayned clooke of repentaunce in stede of trewe affection Moreouer it belonged greatly to the people to knowe what the Saduceyes and Phariseys were of whom miserably the trew worshippinge of God was corrupted the churche destroyed and all trewe religion quite subuerted finallye with their corruptyon they extinguyshed the trewe and cleere light of God and with their vices infected all thynges Therefore it is certayne that Iohn went publiquely and openly to the Phariseis that he might admonishe the whole church of God least that any more through vaine shewes thei should blynd the eyes of the simple throughe wicked tyrrany kepe the people in oppression In this therefore we may beholde the constant boldnesse of Iohn who for al that they excelled others dyd not one whit spare theyr dignitie but sharply as they deserued reprehended them Euen to it becometh all godly teachers to be bould constant and not to feare any power or authoritie of men but without al feare to contend against all that exalteth it selfe agaynste Christ But and if they that came fainedly to baptisme to beare the name of the Gospell were so sharply and cruelly rebuked and dealt withall howe shall we deale with the professed and sworne ennemies of Christe whiche do not onely refuse all tast and sauour of holsome doctrine but also with sworde and fyer do violently rage to seke the vtter destroyinge of the name of Chryst Certainely if thou compare the polluted Pope and his bloddy caynishe clergy with the Saduces and
goodes and hated and despised of al men But on the contrary parte the lorde pronounceth them blessed so that they suffer the same persecution and afflictiō for the lorde rightuousnes sake Of the whiche doctrine the disciples of Christe haue great nede and the more harde and greuously that fleshe wyll beare the same the more intentiuely we ought to meditate vpon the same Neyther is there any other condition to fighte vnder the banner of Christe then that when the whole world doth ryse against vs and pursue vs to the death The matter is thus Sathan the prince of the worlde ceaseth not to arme his souldiours with furious madnes to the ende they may ryse against the members of Christe This is very monstrous truly and exceadinge nature that they whiche imbrace righteousnes should be violently vexed contrary to their desert Therefore Peter sayth Who is it that wyll harme you if ye followe that which is good yea happy are ye if any trouble happen vnto you for righteousnes sake But in suche vntamed and fierce wickednes of the worlde it hapneth to much oftentimes that the good by the zeale of righteousnes do inflame the hatered of the wycked against them selues and this is specially common vnto Christians to be hated of the greatest number of men For fleshe can not beare the doctrine of the Gospel none can abyde to haue their faltes reproued M. But persecution is an obstinate pursewing to destroy by the whiche there is no place of reste and quietnes geuen but the destruction of innocentes is soughte with all kynde of violence and deceites For righteousnes C. They are sayde to suffer for righteousnes whiche therefore purchase and prouoke the hatred of euell men because with all their indeuour they resiste that whiche is euell and defende that whiche is good In this part therefore the truthe of God worthely hath the preheminence Wherfore by this note Christe doth disceuer his martyres from the euell and wycked persones A. According to that saying of Peter Se that none of you be punished as a murther or as a thiefe or as an euell doer If any man suffer as a Christian man let him not be ashamed but glorifie god on this behalf Therfore for so muche as all they whiche wyll liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution as witnesseth the apostell Paule this admonition dothe belonge to all the godly alike But and if the lorde do at any tyme beare with our infirmitie weakenes and wil not suffer the wicked to vex vs at their pleasure notwithstanding it is mete that in peace and reste we meditate and thinke vpon this doctrine that we may be ready so often as nede shal require to come into the field and not to encoūter with our enemy vntil we be therunto sufficiently armed and appointed For theirs in the kingdome of A. This is a moste ample and large rewarde of the which also S. Iames speaketh thus Happy is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of lyfe whiche the lorde hathe promised to them that loue him For so much as therefore in the whole race of this lyfe the state of the godly is moste miserable Christe doth worthely call vs vnto the hope of a heauenly lyfe Bu. And therefore the lorde whiche is liberall shall rewarde vs for the losse of our countrey for our goodes taken from vs for the vayne glory of this worlde he wyll geue vs a celestiall countrey euerlasting goodes and perfecte glory farre exceading the light in brightnes 11 Blessed are ye when men reuile you and persecute you and shall falsely saye all maner of euill saying against you for my sake Blessed are ye vvhen men reuile you M. Here by a figure called Apostrophe be declareth to whom he hath spoken al these things namely to his disciples which beleued in him whiche were afflicted by dyuers meanes despised and reiected for the Gospels sake C. But the Euāgelist Luke hath Blessed shall ye be when men hate you and thrust you out of their company and rayle on you and abhorre your names as an euill thinge By the whiche wordes Christ would comforte his faithfull that they should not be discouraged although they perceiued them selues to be the moste detestable in the sight of the worlde For this was no small temptatiō to be cast out of the churche as prophane and Heathenishe men For when as he knewe that nothinge was more venemous then hypocrites Furthermore when he forsawe with what violēt force the enemies of the Gospell were vehemently inflamed against his litle and cōtemned flocke he woulde fortifie them that they might not fainte although an exceading sorte of reproches were presently ready to be layde against them And hereby it appeareth how litle the excommunication and cursing of the Pope is to be feared when as he lyke a tyraunt doth separate vs from his synagoge because we wyll not be diuorsed frō Christ And shall falsely say all A. The children of this worlde because they can not hate them which are indewed with the spirite of Christe because they so lyue that they cannot worthely deserue their hate and be afflicted in stede of the truthe they inuente false crimes the whiche they alleage as causes worthy of hatred persecution M. Here they saye that they reiecte not the woorde of God but that they cannot beare with suche as are alterers of custome makers of new thinges disturbers of peace and religion and finally contemners of true worship So Christe was accused to Pilate that he seduced the people and that he was a mouer of sedition against the empire And the enemies of Steuen brought in false witnes which sayd we harde him speake contumelious woordes against Moyses and against god M. And Christians were called malefactours murtherers and seditious persones As concerning the whiche we may reade in Tertullian howe the wicked cried against the Christians if any calamitie trouble chaunced To the beastes to the beastes away with the churcherobbers it is not mete for suche wicked persones to lyue and suche kynde of cruell and reprochefull woordes cried they against them For my sake Bu. That is if thou suffer persecution for Christe and his Gospell not for thy faltes and wicked desertes Finally if they be false and imagined accusations whiche are layde against thée thou shalt be happy and blessed For if thou be called a mouer of sedition an heretyke a robber of God of his honour and arte suche a one in dede so that they be verified in thee then thou hast no cause to thynke thy selfe happy but rather accursed 12 Be glad and reioyce for great is your rewarde in heauen for so they persecuted the Prophetes whiche were before you Be glad and reioyce C. By these woordes he declareth that the remedy is at hande least we should be dismayed with iniust reproches and slaunders
deuils all maner of miracles do nothing at al profite those that haue thē neither ought we to thinke thē holy beloued of god or aperteining to his kīgdome because in this place we here that many suche shal be reiected of Christe in the day of iudgement We must not beleue therfore euery one that is a worker of miracles as we may reade in Moyses and in Matthew followinge 23 And then wyll I knowledge vnto thē I neuer knew you Departe from me ye that work iniquitie And thē vvil I C. that is I wyll make manifeste vnto them I will openly shewe or declare I neuer knevve you C. By these wordes he doth vtterly deny reiect thē affirminge that he neuer counted them amonge the nomber of his although they boasted thē selues to be heads pillers of his church And therfore he biddeth thē depart which by a false title haue stolne a false profession for a tyme saying Depart from me Paule doth seme to haue takē that which he writeth out of this sentēce of Christ whē he saith The lord knoweth who are his Let him depart frō iniquitie what soeuer he be that calleth on the name of the lord For the first parte tēdeth to this ende that the weake shold not be troubled by the defection or fall of some whose name was great of fame For he denieth thē to be known of the lord although they seme gloriouse in the sight of men In the second parte the Apostel exhorteth all those which wil be coūted the disciples of Christ that they in time departe frō iniquitie least Christ forbid them his presence when he shal deuide the sheepe from the goates VVhich vvorke iniquitie M. Here he calleth those that wrought miracles workers of iniquitie because they did good with an euil minde ful of craft subtiltie hipocrisie Suche were the scribes phariseis in their fastinges praiers and almes dedes of the whiche we haue spoken before Neyther must we vnderstād here the christ speketh of adulterers murtherers vserers drūkerdes such like but of suche as beare a shewe of holines would seme aboue all mē to parteine to the kingdom of god So Paule calleth the false apostells subtile and crafty workers M. Wherfore let vs consider by what spirite they are led which after the maner of the Iewes at this daye aske signes as though that they woulde beleeue the treweth if they might see signes 24 VVhosoeuer therfore heareth of me these woordes and dothe the same I wyl liken him vnto a wise man which buylte his house vpon a rocke M. These wordes do seeme to be the cōclusion of that which went before in the 21. verse He that doth the wyl of my father and so forthe And that also is euydent in Luke which saith Why do ye cal me lorde lorde and do not those thinges whiche I commaunde you Who so euer commeth vnto me and heareth my wordes and so forthe To here in this place is taken to vnderstande as in manye other places also And dothe them Bu. By these woordes he teachethe that it is not inough to here the woord of God excepte thou endeuour thy selfe to do that which he commaundeth in the same According to this place Blessed are they that heare the woorde of God and keepe it Also S. Iames saithe See that ye be doers of the woorde and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues For if any manne heare the worde and declareth not the same by his workes he is like vnto a man beholding his bodely face in a glasse so forth For there are diuerse men at this daye hath ben alwaies which thinke that relygion consisteth in often hearing the woorde of God in disputing of the same at cōmon metings But our lord Iesus Christ here pronounceth that trewe pietie doth not cōsiste in knowledge and talking but in the action and conuersation VVhiche buylded his house To buylde is to make erecte or sette vp some spirytuall workemanship The same allegory vseth Peter sayinge If so be that ye haue tasted how graciouse the lorde is to whom ye come as vnto a liuynge stone disallowed of men but chosen of god and preciouse and ye as liuing stones are made a spiritual house Vpon a rocke The rock is Christ and true and parfect godlines I meane Faythe workinge by Loue. And so treweth it selfe is the foundation by the firme and immoueable power of Christe the house is the worke whiche is done and all the conuersation of the whole lyfe 25 And a shower of rayne descended the flouddes came and the wyndes blewe and beate vpō that house and it fel not because it was grounded on the rocke A shovver of rayne Bu. The shower of rayne the flouddes the wind do signifie the sundry and manifold dangers temptations persecutions disseases and suche lyke wherewith men are vexed troubled B. For all these thinges do plainely shewe and manifest whether we be buylded vpon the rocke Christe or no. C. For then trewely we do receyue the doctrine of Christe when we can resiste al the assaultes of Sathan The like sayinge hath S. Paule to the Corinthyans And it fell not A. That is no temptation is able to ouerthrowe the house of this wise man B. for the fayth and sure trust of the Godly fully knyt vnto Christ can not be confounded neyther can the gates of hell and all the power of sathan how so euer he cause a tempest preuaile agaynst this For greater is he that is in them than he that is in the worlde And they which trust in the lord shall be euen as the mount Syon whiche maye not be remoued but standeth faste for euer 26 And euerye one that heareth of mē these wordes and doth them not shall be like vnto a folish man which builte his house vpon a sande And euery one vvhiche heareth Bu. Nowe the lord sheweth the contrary part of the parable to the ende it maye appere more plaine the more stirre vp the hearers The sēce of this must be gathered by the former parte euery part being repeated set one against an other C. For seyng it is harde to discerne the true professors of the Gospell from the false by such parables our sauiour Christ doth shewe in what thing they do chiefly differ For he cōpareth the false professiō of the Gospel to an imperfecte building which stādeth for a time beynge at euerye storme and tempeste in daunger of destruction because it wanteth a sure foundation These vvordes C. This rellatiue These dothe not note one kinde of talke but the whole some of doctrine For the Gospel excepte it be fully fixed in mennes myndes it is lyke vnto a thyn waule whiche is erected on hye withoute any staye or stronge fondation His woordes therefore are in effecte as if he shoulde haue saide that the same is a trew faith which is deepely rooted in the harte and is so
shamefastnes also dothe oftentimes abashe and beate downe the myndes of good men What then if prynces in a rage and angrye mode burst forthe and do thonder at it were Christe notwithstanding would not haue his disciples to be careful because the holy ghost shal put in their mouthes what to speake For the more a man knowing his imbecillitie distrusteth him selfe the more he feareth excepte he knowe from whence to haue helpe And we do see that many do therefore faynte and quaile because they measure the successe of those things which they take in hand by their strēgth whiche in deede is eyther very small or none at all Christe therefore forbyddeth his dysciples to haue respecte what theye are able to do or what they may brynge to passe by their owne myght and commaundeth them to depende onely vppon the truste of goddes grace and myghte B. For he promyseth theim healthe and victory not that therby their life shoulde be in sauegarde but because the glory of the gospell shoulde triumphe and stande irremoueable As this is much more dere vnto Christians then the other so theye cannot liue amisse when the glory of the Gospell florisheth Take ye no thought E. Or be not carefull The greke worde signifieth to thincke carefully or pensiuely C. Then Christ would not haue his Appostells voyde of all care because it was profitable to haue them somwhat careful to th ende they myght aske with an earnest minde by prayer the spirite which Christ promiseth vnto thē but pensiueful care with the which men do to much trouble them selues he taketh awaye For while they consyder with thē selues what shall come to passe if they do this or that and reste not theim selues in the prouidence of God they are myserablely disquieted And trewely they are worthy of suche disquietnes and vexation which do not attrybute this honoure to the prouidence of God whiche in deede is able to helpe and deliuer them from all tourmente in due time 20 For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you For it is not ye that speake A. As if he shoulde saye ye ought not to measure constancie by your owne strengthe whiche in deede is moste necessary in the presence of kings Geue this glory therfore vnto God and doubt not but that he wyll geue it vnto you althoughe youre own strength fayle you ye must beleue that there is nothinge so harde but that be in you is able to ouercome the same C. Neither do I speake here of your facultie and power but of the power of the holy ghost which directeth the tongues of the faythfull to the pure confession of Faythe And least they shoulde be terryfied by their present imperfection lacke he promyseth vnto them that they shall receiue helpe and ayde euen in a momēt For often times the lorde doth leaue the faithfull destitute and without the gyfte of eloquence so longe as he requireth no testimonie of them but when necessitye requireth he maketh those which before were as dombe men passing eloquente Euen so in our time we haue sene diuers martyrs whiche when they were rude beinge called to the confessyng and publishinge of their faythe haue wonderfully excelled in the gifte of eloquence and apte speakinge M. Therefore Chryste more playnely in an other place saithe Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answere or what ye shal speake For the holy ghost shall teach you in the same houre what ye ought to saye But the spirite of your father M. This sayth he oughte to satifie you that the spiryte of God shall be present with you For wisedome fortitude is requisite whiche thinges he wyll bestowe plentifully vppon you Consider you that you are vnhable to do this of youre selues but the lorde by his holy spirite wyll helpe you M. This place teacheth vs of what authoritie credite and estimation the wrytynges of the Apostelles oughte to be amongeste vs. For if the spirite of God spake in the Apostelles why shoulde we not esteeme of theyr woordes as of the wordes that procede out of the mouth of god Seing they haue this testimony of Christe we can not be deceyued in obeyinge their godly doctrine But we maye erre if we followe credite them whiche boast of the succession of the Apostelles in whom no sparke of the spirite of God neyther by life nor doctrine doth appere That grosse dulnes and obstinate blyndnes of the woorlde is to be lamented by the whiche it hath ben broughte to passe that those in whome the spirite of God spake haue ben slayne The Prophetes and Apostelles spake boldelye and constantly preached the Gospell by the feruentnesse of the spyrite of God and yet notwithstandinge they were counted as seducers and were slayne and that of the people of god This so great obstinacye therefore of the worlde is to be left to the iust iudgement of God. 21 The brother shall delyuer vp the brother vnto deathe and the father the sonne and the children shall aryse against their fathers and mothers and shall put them to death B. Hee doth greatly expresse the danger to the end hee might giue them forewarninges and also strengthen and comfort them For nothinge in the whole worlde can be safe sure and certaine vnto them which will publish and set forth the Gospell no in this cace they may scant trust theyr owne brethren theyr children or theyr parents For the word of Chryst abydeth for euer when he sayth he that is not with mee is against mee and hee that gathereth not with mee scattereth abroade Sathan wyth all his kingdome and power houldeth continuall warre agaynste Christe and hys kingdome the whyche furor and outragious rebellion no force of nature is able to wythstande For he hath the wicked as bond and captyue at his will and pleasure Therfore it is in his hand to styrre and set brother against brother the sonne agaynste the father and the father against the sonne yea to set all men one agaynst another C. Notwithstanding they are deceaued which thinke that this doth only happen to the faythfull to be deliuered of theyr bretherne to deathe For it maye be that the father persecute the sonne of a good zeale if he perceiue him to be an Apostata and one that declyneth from the sincere worshyping of god yea the Lord in this case byddeth vs to forget fleshe and bloud and to reuenge defend the glory of his name Neyther truly do all men spare theyr kinsmen where the feare of God and relygion doth floryshe but had rather that all should perishe if necessity did so requyre then that the kingdome of Christ should decay in any one pointe that the Doctrine of saluation should bee extinguished and the true worshippe of God abolished Wherefore if wee were godly minded this one thing were a iust occasion of hatred the which although it seeme contrarye to nature that one
purpose According to the prouerbe Necessitie hath no lawe M. For always extreame hunger hath a prerogatiue As saithe the common prouerbe Hunger breaketh through stone walles The lord therefore here aunswered the churlishe and full bellies whiche will beare and cōsider nothing of their neighbours necessitie For so it cōmonly commeth to passe that he whiche neuer feleth the violence and necessitie of hūger can not take pitty vpon suche as are hungery the whiche we commonly sée in many that are riche The ryche man whereof Luke maketh mention was altogether ignoraunte of the hunger that Lazarus suffered 5 Or haue ye not redde in the Lawe howe that the priestes in the Temple breake the Sabaoth and yet are blamelesse Or haue ye not redde C. This is the seconde argument by the whiche Christe proueth the violation of the Sabaoth of the which the Iewes so muche cōplayne to be without faulte because it was lawefull on the Sabaoth dayes to offer sacrifice to circumcise infantes and to doo all other thynges whiche pertaine to the worship of god Whereby it followeth that the duties of godlines are not contrary one to the other Nowe if the Temple sanctifie handlabourers in sacrifices and externall worshyp then muste the holines of the true and spirituall Temple purge the worshippers that pertayne to hym from all vyce synce they labour in the offices of godlynes And in this worke of godlines were the disciples greatly occupied for thei offered their soules being consecrated throughe the Gospell vnto god This argument Matthewe onely toucheth That the priestes in the temple breake the Sabaoth C. This is an improper kynde of speache by the whiche Christe frameth hym selfe to the hearers For the lawe when it byddeth men to abstayne from their workes prohibiteth them not to do those thynges that are holy So that Christ counteth it sufficient if the labours concerning the Temple offende not God. 6 But I say vnto you that here is one in this place greater then the Temple M. They thoughte peraduenture that the thyng whiche the priestes did worke in the temple on the Sabaoth daye dyd pertayne to the worship of God whiche was fulfilled by sacrifice and that they were excused by the Temple of god To these cogitations Christe aunswereth that if the holynes of the Temple did not onely excuse but also require the worke to be done by the priestes on the Sabaoth daye the same holines ought much more to excuse these my disciples whiche are chosē to the ministery For they offer not vp carnall offeringes oblations with the externall swerde but with the spirituall swerde of the Gospell they consecrate and offer vp vnto God the soules of the faithfull Whereas therefore he saith here that there is a greater then the Tēple in this place it oughte to be vnderstoode of the healthe of men the whiche seing it is better in the sight of God then the Temple and sacrifices it doth better excuse a great deale the dede of the Apostels than the doinges of the priestes 7 But if ye wiste what this were I wyll haue mercy and not sacrifice ye wold not haue condemned innocentes But if ye knevve C. Matthewe onely maketh mention of this thirde argumente also In the which Christe reproueth the Phariseis because they do not consider for what cause the ceremonies were cōmaunded and to what ende they did pertayne And truely this hath bene a common vyce alwayes Therefore the Prophete Osee rebuketh and reproueth the men in his tyme because they beyng addicted to ceremonies regarded not the duties of charitie And truly God him selfe crieth that he estemeth more of mercy then of sacrifice Signifying vnder this woorde mercy the dueties of charitie by a figure called Synecdoche euen as the external worshyp of the lawe is comprehended vnder sacrifice The same sentēce Christe applieth to his tyme and accuseth the Phariseis because they wreste the Lawe of God amisse into a wronge sence because also they reiectinge the seconde table set their whole affiance vpon ceremonies Bu. As if he shoulde saie Where as you iudge of the Sabaoth and all other thinges pertayning to religion amisse it commeth hereby so to passe because alwayes ye cleaue to much to externall thynges to the whiche ye attribute more then true godlynes wyll beare and in the meane tyme ye pretermite internall and true pietie that is to saye faythe in God the feare of God charitie and mercy than which thinges nothing can be more necessary One place of the Prophete Esaye if that you were curable might reduce you into the way and rightly informe your mindes wherby ye might more rightly and more truely iudge of religion and the obseruation of the Sabaoth Then should ye not so ignorauntly haue cōdemned my disciples whiche haue offended nothynge neither against God neither against the faythe nor against charitie Yea then you wold haue vnderstoode that that lawe as concerning the Sabaoth had not been violated and broken for plucking vp one eare of corne Question C. Notwithstanding some mā may demaunde here why God saythe in this place of the Prophete that he regardeth not sacrifice when he hath cōmaunded the same in the lawe It may be aunswered that external rytes of thē selues haue no force neither are they required of God but only in respecte of their ende to the whiche they are made and directed Furthermore the lorde doth not reiecte them but comparing them to the workes of charitie he teacheth that they are of lesse estimation in his sighte then these A. As wee haue declared before in the nynthe chapter C. Neither doth this let but that the worship of God may be placed in the hiest degree in the perfection of righteousnes then that the duties of mē shoulde be set in the seconde place nexte vnto the same Ye vvould not haue condemned C. By the testimony of the Prophete Christ plainely concludeth that his Apostels were without blame because God exercising his people in the rudimentes of the lawe woulde not haue miserable men to die with hunger M. In effecte Christe blameth the Phariseis in twoo thinges Firste of ignoraunce whiche greued thē much they challenging to thē selues the keyes of knowledge Secōdly of iniustice because they condemned innocentes 8 For the sonne of man is lorde euen ouer the Sabaoth C. Some knitte this sentence with that whiche goeth before that there is one present greater then the Temple but it semeth rather to differ from the same For at the first Christe alluding it to the temple affirmed that whatsoeuer was ioyned with his holynes was not the trasgressiō of the lawe But here he saith that he hath power to deliuer his apostels from the necessitie of the obseruing of the Sabaoth The sonne of man sayth he by his power may vse the Sabaoth as other ceremonies of the lawe And truely the obseruaunce of the lawe without Christ is miserable from the whiche he onely doth deliuer by indewing vs with the
preached and reioyce with great gladnes for the reuelinge of the truth For they haue some earthe althoughe not verye déepe or sufficiente enoughe they haue some goodnes and integrity and hyther to the séede beginneth to spyre and shote that is they do declare by a certayne token that they haue a credit to the Gospell and that they like very well of the Euāgelical religion but when they haue not a right fayth and of a true proporcion the roote of charity also and vitall moysture and the watering of the spirite of God in due time their faith is but momentany and their religion is of short cōtinuance that is it dureth not to the end but for a short time only M. So that the prouerbe is verefyed in thē soone come soone gon Of these kind of hearers wée sée to many at this day which at the first gréedely receyue the Gospell and imbrace the same but in a short time after they depart frō it and despyse it euen as the children of Israell lothed their Manna for the which at the first they longed so sore There is wanting in them a liuely affectiō which should confyrme them in constancye Wherfore let euery one throughly examyn themselues and take héede that the ready promptnes that is in them at the first vanishe not away like a quenched flame For vnlest the word do throughly pearce the whole hart and take déepe roote there will not be moysture enoughe for fayth to continue This promptnes truly is commendable that so soone as the worde of god is preached it shal be receyued ioyfully without delaye but notwithstanding wée must know that ther is nothing done vntill fayth hath gotten his perfect strengthe and wythereth not at the first For example sake Christ saith that such are troubled and fall at the stomblinge blocke of the crosse And truely as by the heate of the same the barrennes of the earthe is tried euen so persecution and the crosse dothe bewraye theyr vanytie whiche are lightly moued I knowe not with what desier to receiue the woorde but haue no earnest affection of godlines at all 21 Yet hath he no rote in hym selfe but dureth for a season for when tribulation or persecution happeneth because of the worde by and by he falleth Yet hath he no roote A. That is there is no depenes of earth in such hearers that myghte conteyne the woorde which they haue receiued in them selues But dureth for a season C. They whiche sodeinely at the first receiue the woorde of god and yet perseuer not in afflictiō are called of Mathew and Marke momentany fruite or suche as endure for a shorte tyme not onely because they for a time professe them selues to be the disciples of Christe and afterwardes in the tyme of tēptation decline but also because they seme to theim selues to haue the trewe fayth Therefore Christe saith as appereth in Luke that they beleue for a time Furthermore we must vnderstand that they are not truelye regenerated by the immortall seede whiche neuer decayeth as sayth S. Peter For he saith that this saying of the Prophete The woorde of the lorde endureth for euer is fulfylled in the hartes of the faithful in whom the woorde of God being once fyxed neuer decayeth but florisheth to the ende Notwithstandinge they beleue after a sorte to whom the woorde of God is amyable and with whom it obteyneth some reuerence and estimation because they differ not from the vnfaythefull whiche in no poynte beleue the woorde of God but do altogether reiecte the same Onely let vs note this that none haue the trew faith but those onelye whiche are sealed with the spirite of adoption and do call vppon God the father with al their harts Finally as the spirite is neuer extinguished euen so it is impossible that the faythe should quaile or perishe which the same spirite hath once engrauen and prynted in the hartes of the faythfull By and by he falleth A. Or as the latten translation hath hee is offended To be offended here is by feare of affliction to decline departe or fall from Christ So that affliction is as it were a stomblynge blocke in his way that he can not go forwarde in the Gospell whiche Luke sufficiently expoūdeth when for this worde offended he saith In the time of temptatiō go away M. Whosoeuer therefore can not beare all kynde of trouble pacyently yea all maner of persecution and affliction he shall neuer be apte mete and feate for the moste pure and vncorrupted seede of the Gospell 22 He also that receyued seede into the thornes is he that heareth the worde and the care of this worlde and the deceitfulnes of richesse choke vp the word so is he made vnfruitfull A. Here you may alter it better and say But the seede was sowne amonge thornes signifieth him which and so forthe In the thirde nomber he reherseth those whiche inwardly would be made apte to nourishe the seede were it not that they suffered the same to be corrupted otherwise M. For some here vnderstande and receiue the worde but they are lette frō fructifying by the cares of this world by the deceitfulnes of richesse by the plesures of this life and suche like by the whiche as by certaine thornes the seede of the Gospell is choked Suche are they whiche saide I haue boughte fiue yoake of oxen I haue boughte a ferme I haue maried a wife therfore I can not come Christ therfore compareth the pleasures of the worlde or the euyll desyres of the fleshe couetousenes and other worldly cares vnto thornes Althoughe Mathew putteth the cares of the worlde with couetousnes but in the same sence because vnder this woorde the intanglinge entisementes of pleasures of the whiche Luke maketh mention and all kinde of desyre is comprehended Because as the thornes and other hurtfull impedimentes do choake the pleasante and fruiteful corne when it shooteth and commeth an eare euen so the viciouse and wicked affections of the flesh preuaile in the harts of men and are hyer growne then faithe that they myghte ouerthrowe and presse downe the force of heauenly doctrine beinge as yet vnperfecte and not rype For although euil desires spring vp and arise and possesse the hearte before the worde of the lorde be yet grene and appere yet notwithstanding they seeme not to beare rule in the fyrst begynning but do ouercome by littell and littell after the corne is spronge vp and an eare Euerye man therefore muste endeuoure hym selfe to plucke these thornes out of their hartes excepte they will haue the woorde of god choked because there is noo man that is not replenished with these thornes and hath not as it were a thicke wood of the same in him And truely we se how few come vnto perfectiō and ripenes because scante the tenthe person occupieth hym selfe I saye not to plucke vp these thornes by the rootes but to cutte and brushe them downe And the
vnder the Doctrine of the Lawe and the Prophetes insomuche that nothinge almost remayned sounde and perfecte B. But what and howe great this theyr Hypocrisy was Christ himselfe by most playne woordes in the thrée and twentye Chapter following declareth of the which also wee haue noted many thinges in the fifte Chapter goinge before Hée calleth their doctrine leuen because euen as leuen it corrupted and infected manye Obiection Notwithstandinge it maye be demaunded to what ende Marke placeth Herode with the false teachers which professed no such thinge Wee aunsweare that forsomuche as hée was halfe a Iewe vnlike to his auncetours and disloyal hée sought by all meanes possible to seduce the people that dwelt vnder his Dominion For this is the manner of all Apostatase to make one myxsture or other that a new Religiō may aryse which may abbolishe the first Because therefore hee wente about craftely to subuert and ouerthrow the principles of true and aunciente godlynes to the ende that Religion at the lengthe might florishe which was most fitte to his tyranny yea because he sought to brynge in a certayne newe kynde of Iudaysme the Lord dooth not withoute good cause commaunde his Dysciples to take héede of his leuen also For as the Scribes dispersed their errors oute of the temple of God so the Courte of Herode was a shoppe of Sathan to forge quyne other errors Euen so at this daye in the Papacie we sée that Antechrist doth shew out his deceyts not onelye in Temples dennes of Sophisters and Monkes but by the helpe and ayde also of Courtelyke deuynes hée stayeth vp his kingdome so that no arte cunninge or pollicy is wātinge to the same But as Christ did then preuent presente euilles and as hee styrred vppe the myndes of his Dysciples to beware of those thinges that were noxious and hurtefull euen so by this example wée beinge admonished let vs learne at this daye wyselye to take heede what corruptions may hurte vs More easlye maye a man make fyer and water agree then the fayned inuentions of the Pope with the Gospell Whosoeuer therefore desyereth to be vnfaynedlye a Dysciple of Christ let him séeke to kéepe his minde pure from those leuens But and if hee be infected and polluted allready let him laboure so longe in purginge himselfe vntill hee finde no spot or blot anye more cleaninge to him M. But what this doctrine of the Phariseys Saduces was of the which Chryst admonished his Disciples to beware it is to longe by particulers to reherce notwythstandynge it maye be deuided into two kyndes The firste was theyr false exposition of the Law of God teachinge that righteousnes did consist of the externall woorkes of the lawe For this matter wée haue noted many thinges in the fift Chapter going before The seconde was the adding of their owne traditions to the Lawe of God the whiche they commaunded the people to obserue Of the which matter read the fiftene Chapter goinge before 7. And they thought within themselues sayinge we haue taken no bread with vs. A. Some turne this say They contended amonge themselues because Marke for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 B. The Dysciples supposing that Christ spake of the leuen of bread thoughte that they were forbidden to eate breade with the Phariseys and that they shoulde counte them as excommunicate and therevpon it came into their mindes that they had taken no breade with them and so they contended amonge themselues for the same 8. VVhich when Iesus vnderstode hee said vnto thē O ye of little faith why take yee thoughte within your selues because yee haue brought no breade VVhich vvhen Iesus knevve E. Namelye that his Disciples were carefull because they had forgotten to bring their vittayles into the ship A. fearing for that cause least they should want foode wheras notwithstanding they had him with them which with nothing had fed so many thousands C. By the which they shew agayne how little they profited both by the doctrine of theyr Master and also by his wonderfull workes Therefore according to their deseruing hée sharpely reproueth them sayinge O yee of lyttle fayth As if hée should haue sayd why doth this care vexe youre mynd because you haue forgottē to bring bread as though any thing should be wāting vnto you although ye prouided not for yourselues C. This wicked vngodly care proceded of distrust They therfore which haue no faith or the which they haue beinge very small are founde sometime eyther verye negligent or els very carefull and that in vaine It cōmeth of distrust that wée are so exceding carefull for thinges to come wheras before time wee haue had experience of his helpe haue found him to be a helper in time of néede So that if hereafter wée do distrust we shall not onely with the Dysciples be accused of little fayth distrust but also of ingratitude which is the occasion of the defect want of fayth For ingratitude is the cause that wée are not onely troubled in temptacion and tryall but also that wée are oftentimes ouercome C. Therefore all they are conuinced of infidellity which hauing oftentimes felt the power of God do distrust care out of measure for the time to come For as fayth doth cherish kepe the remembraūce of the giftes of God in our hartes so vnlesse the same be broughte a slepe wée shall neuer forget them 9. Do ye not yet perceiue neither remēber those fiue loaues when there were fiue thousand mē and how many baskets toke yee vp Do ye not yet per. E. The Euangelist Marke sayth Perceyue yee not yet neyther vnderstande haue yee your hartes yet blinded haue ye eyes sée not and haue ye eares and heare not do ye not also remember As if hée should haue sayd you beinge taught and learned so many wayes do ye not yet vnderstād is your harts yet blinded with such cares and after the maner of the Phariseys do ye not sée that which is before your eyes that which you heare with youre eares is vnto you as though yee harde it not By these wordes hée teacheth sufficientlye that wée must not haue a sluggish or slepinge mynd to get a sure trust and confidence in the power and goodnes of God but such a mind which in the woorkes of God vnderstandeth his power and goodnes Neyther remember M. The forgetting of the giftes wonderfull workes of God doth bring great hurte vnto fayth bringeth to passe the hée which hath receyued knowledge of Deuine matters doth make no more accompt of the same then if hee had neuer knowen what it had mente And therefore Moyses did oftētimes inculcate and beate that into the peoples heades sayinge take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule dilligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eyes haue séene and that they depart not out of thy hart all the dayes of thy life And in the
Wherfore most greuous punishment doth hange ouer the heades of suche deceiuers excepte they conuert and forsake their sinnes And it is not to be omitted that the Euangelist Luke doth rather vse this woord of deuouringe than of eatinge For so hee noted the excessiue and insatiable desyer of these hypocrites to the ende all men might beware of the like deuouringe 15. VVo be vnto you Scribes and Phariseis ye ypocrites for ye compasse sea and lande to make one proselyte and when he is become one ye make him two foulde more the childe of hell then ye your selues are VVo be vnto you M. Here our sauioure Christ toucheth another kinde of ypocrits C. For by this zeale also the Scribes had got vnto themselues fauoure by the which they sought to bringe forreners and the vncircumcised to the Iewishe Religion Therfore if they had deceiued anye man by their intisementes or by anye other deceite they triumphed wonderfullye as thoughe theyr Churche had bene increased Herevppon also it came to passe that the common sorte of people did so highly esteeme of them namelye bycause by their industry vertue they did inserte ioyne straungers to the Church of god But Christ on the contrarye parte pronounceth that the same their studye and industry ought so litle to be attributed vnto them for theyr prayse that they rather thereby prouoke the wrath of God because they are drawen into more greeuous destruction which geeue themselues to theyr secte For wee must note how corrupte the state of thinges was then and how religiō was dissipated and decayed For as it was a godly and excellent worke to bringe Disciples vnto God euen so to allure and intice the Gentiles to the Iewishe worship which was then corrupted and fylled with wicked prophanacions was nothinge els then to bringe them from Scilla and to carye them to Charibdis or to bringe them from one mischiefe and to cast them into a greater Christe therefore doth not condemne the studye and diligence in drawinge of straungers but hee declareth by the ende it selfe that they do not the same vppō a good affection seinge they made those worse by two foulde than they themselues were For when the Ethnike or heathen man was led vppon hoope of learninge religion they made him suche a one by theyr superstitious doctrine and corrupt maners that he shoulde not onelye forsake the pure and true worshippe of God and the inheritaunce of Heauen but also that hee shoulde be a more wicked Iewe than hee was an Ethnicke and in more daunger also of hell fyer than the Iewes themselues were For it commeth almost to passe that the Dysciples doe ouercome their euill maisters in mallyce Ye compasse sea and lande E. The latayne texte hath the sea and drye callinge the lande drye after the maner of the Hebrewes To make one proselyte The Greeke woorde signifyeth a straunger They whiche came from Ethnicisme to Iudaisme that is which hauinge denyed and forsaken the religion of the Gentiles receyued the religion appertayninge to the Iewes and were circumcised these were called proselytes and straungers And vvhen hee is become one yee make him the child This is spoken in the Hebrewe phrase accordinge to that whiche is written in the twenty Chapter of the first Booke of Samuell where Saule calleth Dauid the child of death for the man deseruinge deathe or worthy to dye So hee calleth that man the childe of hell which deserued to be caste into hell and to dye withe euerlastynge deathe Tvvo foulde more then ye your selues are The Greeke texte hath yee make them more double the children of hell then ye your selues are as thoughe both of them were two foulde the children of hell but in this place the straungers are said to be in greater perill of damption than they For by the wicked abuse of Gods name they prouoked greater vengeaunce vppon themselues seing that Religion gaue vnto them a more groose liberty to sinne The like example at this day wee may behoulde in the Monkes for they gather from all places proselites but such as they make of wicked mē wikced deuils For such is the corruption of these ydle bellyes and filthye lechers that they depraue euen the Angels of Heauen Notwithstanding their monkishe apparell is a most fit veale to couer all kinde of wickednes 16. VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides for ye saye whosoeuer doth sweare by the temple it is nothing but whosoeuer sweareth by the gould of the temple hee is gilty VVo be vnto you ye blinde guides C. Euen as ambition is alwayes almost ioyned to hypocrisye so the couetousnes and greedy raking of the pastors doth commonly suffer maintaine the superstition of the people The worlde trulye of his owne accorde falleth into errors and doth as it were of purpose bringe vnto it selfe deceits and al kinde of seduringes but then at the laste they obtaine wicked worshippings whē the chiefe guides themselues do confirme them but trulye oftentimes it commeth to passe that they which are the chiefe do not only by theyr winking suffer errors because they see that they are gainfull vnto them but also by their meanes they do more increase them So we see in the Papacy that superstitions were increased by infinite practises when the Sacrifycers inhaunced the preye who also daily deuise many things by the which they may the more deceiue the folishe multitude For when mens mindes are once darkened by the inchauntmentes and delucions of Sathā there is nothing so absurde or monsterous but they will receiue it Herevpon it came to passe that the Iewes gaue more reuerence to the gould of the temple and to the holy oblations than to the tēple and to the altare But truly the holines of the oblations did depende vppon the tēple and the Altar Also it is credible that this error came from the Scribes and hye Priestes because it was an apte and fit hūtinge to get preyes but this error was no lesse pernicious than folishe because it led the people to groose inuentions There is nothinge more proue and inclyned to fall from the pure worship of God than men it was therefore the purpose of Sathan by this veale to drawe those a farre of from the beholdinge of God which already leaned to much to foolishe imaginations This is the reason why Christe so sharpelye reprehendeth this error And yet notwithstandinge the Papistes are not ashamed to set forth the holy name of God to a more filthy ieste For they make more accompte to toutche a peece of filthy carreyen than the holy volume of the Bible or to lift vp their handes to Heauen And by this meanes the carnal worship of God is brought in which by litle little defaceth the true ende scope thereof Yee blinde guides for ye saye vvhosoeuer A. In the fiftene Chapter also going before hee calleth them blinde guides It is nothinge That is to saye hee doth not offende against the commaundement of an
of their wicked impietie he made thē gilty of al those murthers whiche were committed long before Therfore he dothe not denounce vnto them the reuenge of theyr presente crueltie onely but saythe also that they must geue accompte and answere for the murther of Zacharias as thoughe theyr handes were imbrewed with his bloudde For their opinion is not probable or likely whiche referre this to Zachary which exhorted the people that retourned from the exile of Babilon to builde the temple whose prophesies remaine with vs to be sene at this daye For althoughe the inscription or titell of the booke declarethe that hee was the sonne of Barachias yet notwithstandynge we reade in no place that he was kylled Furthermore it is a plaine exposition that he was kylled betwen the building of the aultare and the temple As concernyng the other Zachary the son of Ioiada the holy Scripture maketh mention that hee agreeth verye well with this place For when that after the deathe of his father by the wicked defection of the kinge and people trewe religion decayed hee was indewed with the holy ghost seuerelye to reproue open Idolatry and therefore he was slayne in the courte of the temple And it is no absurditie at all to saye that the surname of Barachias was geuen to the father of Ioiada for honours sake because seynge he was a worshipper of God and a maintayner of the same all his lyfe tyme hee oughte worthely to be counted blessed of god But whether Ioiada had two names or whether there were a falt in the word as S. Hierome estemeth of the matter trewely there is no doubte but the Chryst noted that execrable stoninge of Zacharias which is written in the place before cited Betvvene the temple and the aultare A. He dothe expresse the place that he myghte increase and amplifie the crueltie brutishe madnesse of the Iewes which were not moued by the holynesse of the place nor stayed from layinge handes violently vpon the holy prophete of God. C. Furthermore the temple is here taken for the courte as in other places also to this adioyned the aultar of burnte offerynges that the priest in the sight of the people mighte offer vp sacrifyce It appereth therfore that theyr cruelty was to tyrannicall in that neither the respect of the aultar nor the temple coulde pacifye them but they must nedes defyle the holy place with horryble murther 36 Verely I say vnto you all these thinges shall come vpon this generation Verely I say vnto you B. Bu. He addeth this earnest affirmatiō to terrefie the Iewes As if he shoulde saye There is no cause why any man should thinck that he may escape the iudgemente of god For certaynely all those euylles shall be heaped from heauen vpon that vyperouse progeny whiche the lorde dothe thretten to powre vpon those horrible murtherers And let all those thyncke also that these sayinges pertayne vnto theym whiche thincke it a godly thinge at this day to persecute the truethe of the Gospell and the professours thereof For the bloudde shall be neuer the lesse vnreuenged which cryeth vnto God for vengeaunce 37 O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the prophetes and stonest thē that are sente vnto thee howe often wolde I haue gathered thy chyldren together euen as the henne gathereth her chickins vnder her and ye wolde not O Hierusalem Hierusalem C. By these wordes our sauiour Christ dothe more plainely declare howe iuste occasion he hath to be angrye because Hierusalem which God had chosen to be a holy and heauenly house as it were to him selfe did not only shew it selfe to be vnworthy of suche honor but as though it were a denne of theues it had vsed and accustomed a longe tyme to drynke the bloudde of the prophetes Christe therefore cryeth out pytifully against so monstruouse behauioure because the holye cittie of God was fallen into suche madnes that it wente about dayely to extinguishe the wholsome doctrine of God by the bloud of the prophetes B This bewaylinge therfore of Christ was a token of his great and exceding loue towardes this people It is a token of greate affection that he nameth the cittie it self and that hee dothe double the appellation or name of the same sayinge Hierusalem Hierusalē Thou vvhiche killest the Prophetes Because the Euangelist Mathewe vseth the participle of the present tēce and the wordes of Christ seeme to haue respecte vnto bothe times the dede may be taken or vnderstoode without any certaine lymitting of time as if thou shouldest say Thou killer of the prophetes which hast kylled doest kyll and wilt kyll C. Thou I saye whiche shouldest be the faithfull keper of Gods woorde the mistresse of heauenly wysedome the lyghte of the worlde the welspringe of true doctrine the place of the syncere worshyp of God and the example of faythe and obedience art the killer of the prophetes in so muche that thou haste gotten nowe a habit and custome of drinking bloudde Herby therfore it apereth that they were worthye of all kinde of reproche whiche had so filthely prophaned the sainctuarye of god E. Manye thincke that by the name of Hierusalem which was the hed of Iewry is vnderstande the whole contrey or region of the Iewes And stonest them vvhiche are sent vnto thee A. Namely to bringe thee from the error and obstinacie He saith that prophetes are sent as he dyd before saying beholde I sende vnto you Prophetes and Scribes and wise men c.. C It was also the purpose of Christ to preuent the offence whiche was nie at hande leaste the faythefull seinge hym to be slayne so vnworthely at Hierusalē shold be troubled at this newe and straunge sighte For they were admonished by these wordes that it was no meruayle if the cittie beinge accustomed in killynge and stonynge the prophetes dyd kyll also the redemer But hereby it apereth how much it is meete to attribute vnto places There was no cittie in the whole worlde truely whiche God adorned and beutyfyed with suche excellent titles or whiche he exalted to suche honour yet notwithstandinge we see howe it cast it selfe downe headlonge throughe ingratitude Nowe let the Pope compare the seate of robbery and thefte in the whiche he sytteth with that holy cittie and what shal he fynde therein worthye of the lyke honour His hiered flatterers boaste vnto vs that fayth once floryshed there The whiche thinge let vs graunte vnto them yet if it be wel knowne at this daye that the same is alienate and fallen frō Christ and filled with abhominations howe folishelye do they contende to haue the honour of the supremacy tyed to the same But let vs rather learne by this worthye example that the more any place is extolled and set aloft by the benefytes of God and exempte from the common state of other places if the same doo degenerate or decline it shall not onely be despoyled of the ornamentes appertayninge to it but also so muche the more shall it
hym to be iuste to the ende it might be more certayne that all this whiche hee suffered was for our sakes It followeth in Luke I wyll therefore chasten hym and let hym go C. If any lyght offence were committed without deserte of deathe the Romayne gouernours were wont to punishe and beate suche an offender with roddes and this kynde of punishement was called a chastisement or correction Pilate therefore was vniust whiche absoluing Christe from all offence punysheth hym as one coÌ„uicte of a small faulte For he doth not onely affirme that hee hathe founde no faulte worthy of death in hym but hee dothe also maintayne his innocensy without exceptioÌ„ Why then doth he scourge hym But thus are earthly men went to do whoÌ„ the spirite of God doth not confirme in the constancy of truthe although they desier to imbrace equitie yet notwithstanding being constrayned they decline and yelde to smal iniuries Neyther do they onely take this for a iust excuse that they haue not greatly offended but also they do there by arrogate prayse vnto them selues because they haue spared in some pointe the gyltleâ—â— In the meane tyme they doe not consider that although extreame crueltie bee layde asyde yet righteousnes equitie whiche is more precious than the life of men is no lesse violated and broken with wordes than by the swerde As touching that whiche pertayneth to the sonne of God being after this maner abased myght he haue suffered the reproche of beating with roddes without any profite of out saluation but he could not suffer death without the accomplyshing of our saluation for he triumphed ouer oure ennemies and his vppon the crosse as on a glorious chariot And I would to God the worlde were not replenished with many Pilates at this daye But we doe see the same thyng to be fulfilled in the members which was begon in the head For looke with how great crueltie the Iewyshe priestes cryed to bring Christe vnto the death the popishe clergie prosecuteth his seruaunts with the lyke at this daye Moreouer although Mathewe Marke and Luke make no mentioÌ„ of his beating with roddes yet for all that S. Iohn expressely speaketh of the same For thus he wryteth Then Pylate tooke Iesus and scourged hym Reade the nyntene chapiter of S. Iohn These thinges being ended Pilate brought foorth to the Iewes the Lorde whiche was scourged crowned with thornes spytted vppon buffeted and mocked hopynge by that miserable sight to asswage very much the hatred and mallyce whiche they bare against hym C. But truely their madnes myght not be appeased vntyll the authour of lyfe were extinguished For when the chiefe priestes and ministers sawe him they cryed saying Crucefie hym Crucefie hym Pilate saythe vnto them Take ye hym and crucifie hym for I fynde in hym no faulte at all A. Agayne he openly pronounceth Christ to be an innocente As if he should saye if it be righte to put a man to deathe before iust cause why be knowen and founde out take you hym your selues for I fynde in hym nothyng worthy of death The Iewes aunswered hym we haue a lawe and accordyng to that lawe he ought to dye because he made hym selfe the sonne of god They declare that they doe by lawe persecute Christe not of mallice or to satisfie their wyll For they perceiued that Pilate thwarted crossed them But they speake as to one ignoraunce of the lawe as if they shoulde saye According to our custome we must lyue and frame our doynges but our religion dothe not suffer anye man to boaste hym selfe to bee the sonne of God. But this accusation dyd not altogether wante his coloure yet they erred greately in the Hypothesis For the generall doctrine is true that it is not mete for men to take vnto them selues any parte of the honour dewe vnto God that they are woorthy of death whiche take that vnto them selues whiche is onely proper vnto god But the cause of the errour was in the persone of Christe because they neyther consydered what tytels the Scripture gaue vnto Christe neyther did they once seke whether that Iesus were that Messias whiche was promised of God long before We do see therefore howe they bryng a false consequence from a trewe beginning because they take it amis By the whiche example we are taught to distinguyshe betwene a generall doctrine and a Hypothesis or particuler For many vnskylfull and lyght men if they be once deceiued by a pretenced truthe they will also reiecte the principles of Scripture The whiche libertie doth to muche abounde at this day Let vs remember therefore so to take hede of subtyll fallacies coloured argumeÌ„tes that the principles whiche are true may abyde sounde that the credite of the scripture be not takeÌ„ away Moreouer by this place we may easely refute the wicked whiche doe falsely amis alleage the testimony of the scripture and the principles that they take out of the same for false causes EueÌ„ as the Papistes do at this daye who greatly extolling the authoritie of the churche doe bringe in nothing but that in the whiche all the childreÌ„ of God do agree namely that the churche is the mother of the faithfull the pyller of truthe that it ought to be hearde and that it is gouerned by the holy ghoste the which ought not to be denied But when they wil drawe vnto them selues what right soeuer is due vnto the Churche they do wickedly and with sacriledge take that no poynte whereof pertayneth vnto them For it is necessary to consider the Hypothesis whether they deserue the title of the Churche or no. For in this point they fayle In lyke manner when they furiously rage against al the godly they excuse them selues with this colour that they are ordeined to defende and mainteyne the fayth and peace of the Churche But when we come more neare vnto the matter wee may euidently perceyue that they haue nothynge lesse in their myndes than the defence of true doctrine and that they are tooched with nothinge lesse than with the care of concorde But that they do onely fighte for their tyranny A. Moreouer this accusation semeth specially to haue his originall of that disputation in the which Christ alleaged the lawe prouing that he is the chosen sonne of God or els of his aunswere to the adiuration or charge of Caiphas the hyghe prieste For there by playne woordes he confesseth hym selfe to be the sonne of god But when Pilate hearde this sayinge hee was more afrayde In the whiche woordes there may be double vnderstanding First because Pilate feared leaste he should sustayne some blame if a tumulte should aryse because he condemned not Christe Secondly because so soone as he heard the sonne of God spoken of his minde was touched by by with feare This second sence doth confyrme that whiche followeth in the texte thus And hee wente agayne into the iudgement haule and sayde vnto Iesus Whence arte thou Hereby it
godlines and integritie of life be agreable to the doctrine whereof they are ministers B. In another place we reade that the lorde vsed the lyke similitude of a candel when he expoūded the parable of the sede falling in diuers places after the whiche he addeth Is the candell lighted to be put vnder a bushel or vnder a table Is it not lighted to be put on a cādelstick that those which come into the house may se the light For there is nothing so secrete that shall not be opened neither hath it bene so priuie but that it shall come abroade If any man haue eares to heare let him heare he sayd vnto thē take hede what ye here Vnto him that hath shall more be geuen And from him that hath not shal be taken away euen that whiche he hath C. The whiche similitude semeth not to be applied like vnto this For there Christe doth admonishe them that they must diligently beware least any man bearing him selfe bolde of the darkenes do take occasion and libertie to sinne 16 Let your light so shyne before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen Let your lyght so shyne C. After that our Sauiour Christ had taught his Apostles that they were set in the state and degrée that as well their vices as their vertues were sene a farre eyther to good or euill example Nowe he byddeth them so to frame their lyfe that all that behold the same may be styrred vp to glorifie God. Let men saythe he see your good woorkes and glorifie God because as Paule wytnesseth the faythfull do make prouision for good and honest thinges not onely in the sighte of the lorde but also in the sight of men M. By this therefore we are admonyshed to apply our selues to good workes and that so dilligentlye that those men with whō we haue to do by our workes may knowe what pietie there is in oure hartes And glorifie your father vvhich is in heauē Bu. Beholde the ende of good workes As if he should haue sayde Not that men maye glorifie you or prayse you or extoll you aboue the heauens and to worshyp you as Gods offering their goodes vnto you but that they may glorifie God that they attribute all praise to God that they may onely depende vpon God that they honour hym worship hym and serue hym with their whole harte M. So Peter also saythe Se that ye haue honest conuersation amonge the Gentyles that where as they backebyte you as euell doers they may see your good workes and glorifie God in the daye of visitatiō C. Finally if the glory of good workes ought rightely to be geuen vnto God and if he be the onely authour of them it can not be without the derrogation of Gods glory that free wyll shoulde be so highly exalted as though good workes came of the same Agayne here we may see howe fauourably the lorde doth deale with vs to cal thē our good workes the prayse whereof by righte he shoulde haue ascribed to hym selfe 17 Thinke not that I came to destroye the lawe and the Prophets no I came not to destroy but to fulfill them Thinke not that I came Bu. Hetherto our sauiour Christ hath reasoned as cōcerning the true and perfecte felicitie nowe he commeth to the manifestynge and declarynge of the Lawe of God it selfe and to remoue and puryfye the same from the traditiōs of the Phariseis with the whiche they corrupted and defiled the true vse and meaning of the Lawe C. And although Christe might worthely haue boasted that he came to fulfill the Lawe with the perfection of his lyfe here notwithstandinge he entreāteth of doctrine not of his life Moreouer because he cried that the kingdome of God was come and lifted vp the myndes of men with a rare and vnwonted hope and called his disciples to baptisme it is probable that the myndes of men were suspended and doubtfull and that they dyd diligently searche to what end this newnes did appertaine Nowe Christe dothe testifie that there is suche concordaunce and agrement betwene his doctrine and the Lawe that it dothe very well agree with the Lawe and the Prophetes and that it doth not only agree but also is a fulfilling of the same For two causes he should seme to be led to testifie the agrement of the Lawe with the Gospell So sone as there ariseth any newe order or forme of teaching straightway the common people thinke that there is made an alteration of all thinges But suche was the preaching of the Gospell to put men in hope that the Church should be otherwyse appointed then it was at the firste Therefore they thought that the old and accustomed gouernemēt was abolished whiche opinion was very burtfull many wayes For the godly worshippers of God had neuer imbraced the Gospell if it had bene a decresinge or diminishing of the Lawe for some light and troublesome spirites hauing gotten occasion assayed gredely to ouerthrowe the state of religion For we knowe how proudely rashnes reioyseth in newe thynges Moreouer Christe sawe that many of the Iewes although they did professe that they did beleue the Lawe were notwithstandinge profane and vnlyke to their forefathers For the people were in suche disorder all thynges were so corrupted and defyled The Priestes with their luskishnes and malice did so extinguyshe the pure lighte of the doctrine that there was no more any great reuerence of the Lawe But if any newe manner of doctrine had bene brought in which had abrogated faythe from the Lawe and the Prophetes then had Religion bene miserably shaken This semeth to be the fyrste reason why Christe denieth that he came not to destroye the lawe Whiche also may be gathered by the texte For by and by in steade of confyrmation he addeth that not one tyttel of the Lawe shall perishe and he curseth those teachers whiche haue not laboured to preferre the authoritie of the same The second reason was that he might put awaye the wycked calumniation of the people who sayde that he came to destroye the Lawe But we must note that this was the counsell of Christe so to call and exhorte the Iewes to receiue the Gospell that he mighte staye them notwithstanding in the obedience of the Lawe Then he dothe refelle and put awaye the vndeserued reproches sclaunders by the whiche the enemies wente about to defame and discredite his preachinge For if a man purpose and determine to restore thinges decayed and dispersed into a better order then this wysdome and moderation is alwayes to bee had that the people maye knowe that the euerlastynge woorde of god is not for that cause displaced neyther newnes brought in whiche is contrary to scripture leaste any suspition of contrarietie shoulde take awaye the faythe of the godly and least rashe men should be presumptuous by the colour of newnes Finally that there might be a remedy against the prophane
contempte of the woorde of God and that Religion myght not altogether be despysed and of no reputation amonge the vnlearned But the defence of Christ with the which he dothe purge his doctrine oughte to animate and incourage vs If we at this daye haue the lyke reproche and false accusations layde against vs. This cryme also was layde againste Paule sayinge that he was an Apostata contrary to the lawe of god Wherefore it is no marueyle if the Papistes in like sorte falsely accuse vs and rayle against vs. But by the example of Christe we must reiecte all false accusations and not regarde them notwithstanding we muste frely professe the truthe although it be subiect to false sclaunders B. But here this woorde Lavve is taken for the doctrine ordeined for the institution of lyfe by the wyll of god Wherfore immediatly the lorde dothe adde to the Lawe the Prophets also saying I am not come to destroye the Lawe and the Prophetes that so he might more plainely declare what he ment by the Lawe namely the doctrine and institution of life which the Prophetes shewed and declared also It is certaine therefore whatsoeuer thinges are written in the Lawe do appertayne to this ende namely to call the minde of man to the perfecte and true righeousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared to all good woorkes The whiche also the lorde signifieth when after the exhortation to the lighte of good workes and the necessitie of fulfillinge the lawe he addeth that therfore he came to fulfill the same And so we vnderstand by the Lawe and the Prophetes the doctrine of God comprehended in the holy scriptures by the whiche men are instructed to liue righteously and godly in this present world whiche is comprehēded in this that we trust in God that we feare and loue him with all our mynde to the whiche our elders added and appointes the Lawes of sacrifices and of other ceremonies of the tabernacle Furthermore that we loue our neighbour as our selfe to the whiche was added ciuile Lawes Laste of all that we vse those thinges cōtinently and comly with modestie which the necessitie of the body requireth to the whiche also appertaineth whatsoeuer is cōmaunded for the cleannes and comlines of bodies to the which are added certaine externall purifiynges To destroie M. The Lawe is destroyed or broken when that it is made voyde of none effecte by false expositions traditions of men or els when as men do violate and breake the preceptes thereof either by the imbecillitie weakenes of the fleshe or els by a wicked contemptuous minde But here he vnderstandeth the destroying of the Lawe after the first māner namely by false expositiōs A. To breake the Lawe and to destroy the lawe are all one as appeareth by the saying of Christe in Iohn If a man on the Saboth daye receiue circumcision without breaking of the lawe of Moyses disdayne ye at me because I haue made a man whole on the Saboth day No I came not to destroye C. God truly had promised a new league by the cōming of Christ but he had shewed also that it shoulde littell differ from the first but rather this to be the end that he would obserue kepe the league whiche he made with his euen from the beginning I wil wryte saith he my Lawes in their hartes I will forget their sinnes By these woordes he doth not so departe from his former league that he woulde deny his laste to be firme and sure when the newe succeded And this is the meaning of the woordes of Christe when he saide I came not to destroy but to fulfil the Lawe For truly he fulfilled it in quickning the dead letter with his spirite thē shewing the same in dede whiche was declared vnder figures signes Therfore in respect of doctrine we must imagine no abrogation of the Lawe in the comming of Christe For seing that it is an euerlasting rule to lyue well and godly by it must be immutable euen as there is one only permanente righteousnes of God which is cōprehended therin As touchinge ceremonies although they may be thoughte improper and not pertayning to the Lawe notwithstanding they wer only abrogated in vse but the signification abideth still Wherefore the comming of Christe did detracte nothing no not from ceremonies but rather the truthe of shadowes being declared it doth bring great cōfirmation vnto them when we beholding the true effecte do perceiue that they are not vayne and vnprofitable Let vs learne therefore to kepe this holy bonde and knot of the Lawe and the Gospell inuiolable the whiche many do breake amis and very fondly M. Christe fulfilled the Lawe and the Prophetes first by his comming in the fleshe when as he fulfilled those thinges whiche are written in the Lawe and the Prophetes as concerning his kyngdome and the redemption of mankynde promysed longe before Of the whiche Luke speaketh in his .xxiiij. chap. Therefore as saint Paule saythe Christ is the fulfilling of the Lawe to all them that beleue Do we then destroye the Lawe through faythe God forbidde but we rather mayntaine the Lawe 18 For truly I saye vnto you tyl heauen and earth passe one iot or one title of the Lawe shall not escape till all be fulfilled For truly I saye vnto you Bu. Although that whiche was spoken of before was made manifest enough yet for all that it is more strongely confirmed agayne by the mouth of the lorde For he vseth a moste vehement othe and confirmation saying For truly I saye vnto you Truly is a worde peculier to the Hebrewes confirming and wytnessing the truthe for this cause it is so often repeted of the lorde And the Apostell Paule saythe All the promyses of God by Christe are yea and are in hym amē vnto the lande of god Whiche is as if he shoulde haue sayde all the promyses of God are sure and certaine by Christe Tyll heauen and earth passe Luke in woordes somwhat differeth but in sence he very well agreeth saying It is easier for heauen and earth to perishe then for one iot or titell of the Lawe to fayle For the holy ghoste would teache by both places that there was nothing so fyrme and stable in the whole worlde as the truthe of the lawe that truly in euery pointe Some very subtilly dally with this woorde Vntill As though the vanishing of heauen and earth whiche shal be at the last daye of iudgement shoulde bringe an ende to the Lawe and the Prophetes And truly euen as then tounges shall cease and prophecies shal be taken awaye euen so we thinke that the Lawe written with the exposition of the same shall cease But because Christe spake more symply suche intisementes being set to allure this shal be sufficient for vs to note that heauen shal perishe and the whole worlde shall decaye before the stabilitie and strength of