whereof Hatred is the roote and the rest are the branches Thirdly Christ laies downe the cause for which this persecution shall be inflicted namely for my sake or as S. Luke saith for the sonne of mans sake which expoundeth this phrase for Righteousnes sake v. 10. to wit for professing beleeuing and maintaining the doctrine of the Gospel taught by Christ touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to them that beleeue The vses in generall We see that Christ vrgeth this Rule of blessednes more largely then the former this he doth for speciall cause first hereby he would teach his Disciples and vs in them that it is the will of God his Church in this world should be vnder the crosse in such affliction and persecution as their blood shall be sought for the maintenance of the faith And this hee will haue to bee the state of his Church for speciall causes First that the members thereof by their afflictions may be acquainted with their owne wants and infirmities which they would not much regard if they were freed from the crosse Secondly that by affliction they may be kept from many grieuous sinnes into which they would fall if they liued in peace Thirdly that others seeing the correction of the Church for sinne might learne thereby to hate and auoide sinne and lastly that the Church might glorifie God in a constant and couragious maintenance of his truth vnto death for euen in persecution is Gods truth preserued against the reason of mans wisdome patient suffering for the truth beeing faithfull witnes-bearing thereunto Secondly Christ had newely called the Twelue out of all his Disciples to be Apostles whereupon they might thinke that they should be aduanced to some outward honour ease and peace but Christ hereby calles them from that conceit puts them in mind of affliction which should befall them in time to come that when it came they might the better indure it And thus he prepares all churches to suffer affliction yea and we our selues must hereby learne in time of peace to prepare our selues against the day of triall because his will is that whosoeuer would liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer affliction Thirdly hereby Christ intends to lay a ground of comfort to his disciples in their persecution by a plaine and ful declaration of their happines that suffer for righteousnes sake in that they haue sure title to the kingdome of heauen out of which estate no sound comfort can be had And this same must we lay vp in store against the time to come for we liue now in peace by Gods mercie but we know not how long it will continue we haue beene threatened and dangerously assaulted by our enemies many a time beside the rodde of God shaken with his owne hand against vs and wee may not thinke our peace will last alwaies but seeing our sinnes increase we may be sure our ioy and peace will one day bee turned into sorrow and therefore it will be good to haue this Rule engrauen in our hearts that they are blessed which suffer for righteousnesse sake If therefore tribulation come for the defence of the Gospel we must haue recourse to this promise of blessednesse and that will be our comfort More particularly In the words of this Rule Blessed are they c. Christ would let vs see that deadly hatred which the world beares vnto Gods Church for so much the word persecute importeth The reasons of this hatred may be these First the Church of God in the ministerie of the Gospel seekes the ruine of the diuels kingdome who is the Prince of the world the diuell therefore rageth and inflames the hearts of his instruments with malice against Gods Church that they may persecute and quite destroy it if it were possible Secondly Gods Church is a peculiar people seuered from the world in profession doctrine and conuersation and therefore the world hates them Ioh. 15. 19. And this very point may serue to stay our hearts when we shall bee persecuted for the profession and embracing of the Gospel of Christ for the world doth hate Gods Church and will doe to the end there must be enmitie betweene the seed of the serpent and the seede of the woman as then he that was borne of the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit so is it now Gal. 4. 29. Secondly obserue that this hatred of the world is not onely against the members of Gods Church but euen against Christs holy religion so Christ saith for my sake or for my Religions sake This is to be marked as a most excellent argument to perswade our consciences that the Gospel of Christ which we professe is the true and blessed doctrine of God because the wicked world doth alwaies hate it yea it hateth vs also for the Gospels sake now if it were a doctrine of men it would fit their natures well and they would loue it for the world doth loue his owne Ioh. 15. 19. Thirdly if they be blessed that suffer persecution then how may any man lawfully flie in persecution Answer A man may flie in persecution with good conscience these two things obserued first that he be not hindred by his particular calling secondly that he hath libertie offered by Gods prouidence to escape the hands of his enemies The intent of this verse is not to forbid flight but to comfort such as are in persecution and cannot escape for the word signifieth such persecution as is by pursuite and oppression which cannot be auoided Lastly seeing they are blessed that suffer for righteousnes sake Whether are they alwaies cursed that suffer deseruedly for an euill cause for the contrarie reason is in contraries Ans. They are alwaies accursed saue in one case to wit vnlesse they repent for their vnrighteousnes for which they are afflicted but by true repentance they become blessed The thiefe vpon the crosse had liued in theft and was therfore attached condemned and crucified and so he suffered for vnrighteousnesse but yet hee was saued because hee repented and beleeued in Christ. It is added for righteousnesse sake In this clause we are taught a speciall lesson namely that when God shall lay vpon vs any affliction or persecution as imprisonment banishment losse of goods or of life it selfe we must alwaies looke that the cause be good and then suffer willingly This is a necessarie Rule for we must suffer affliction either publikely or priuately if we will liue godly in Christ Iesus Now it is not the punishment but the cause that makes a Martyr and to this purpose Peter saith Let none of you suffer as a Murtherer a Thiefe or a busie-body but if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but glorifie God in this behalfe and therefore we must be sure the cause be good yea this we must looke vnto in our particular priuate crosses Verse 11. Blessed are ye when men reuile you and
lewdnesse nor frowardnesse in them yea the Law of the Lord is perfect his statutes are right and his iudgements true and righteous altogether Now the consideration of this integritie and perfection of the law and word of God must mooue vs to studie the Scriptures with great diligence so saith our Sauiour Christ Search the Scriptures that is shake and sift them as the word signifieth search narrowely till the true force and meaning of euery sentence yea of euery word and sillable nay of euery letter and iotte therein bee knowne and vnderstood conferre place with place the scope of one place with another things going before with things that come after yea compare word with word letter with letter and search it throughly This manner of studying the Scripture is most necessarie as beeing the thing indeede which preserueth and vpholdeth the Church of God and the puritie of religion for about foure or fiue hundred years agone men left off to studie the Bible after this sort and betooke themselues to the writings of men occupying their wits wholly in vaine quidâ—ities in Philosophie and in hid mysteries of Diuinitie by which meanes it came to passe that Poperie and Apostacie from the truth spread it selfe ouer the world for many hundred yeares together Afterward God of his meere mercie put into the hearts of some men to bee carefull searchers in the word of God by which meanes the truth appeared as light out of darkenesse Thus God stirred up Luther about the yeare of our Lord 1517. who by diligent search in the Scripture and especially by serious meditation with praier vpon these words of the Apostle Roman 3. 21. That now by the Gospel without the Law the Iustice of God is made manifest did finde that by the perfect obedience of Christ our iustification was wrought and thereupon began to maintaine and professe Iustification before God to be free through and by faith in Christ onely without helpe from the works of the law against the doctrine of the Church of Rome and so by further diligence and industrie in the Scripture the truth of God shone forth more and more Let all men but especially Students in diuinitie consider this effect of searching out the Scriptures as a spurre to diligence in this behalfe By this means also errors and heresies are auoyded and suppressed the will of God is plainly reuealed And here by the way we may see how profitable and necessarie the gift of Interpretation is It is a most excellent gift of the spirit pertaining to the Ministerie and therefore most commendable necessarie is the vse thereof in Schooles of Learning Eightly this immutabilitie ascribed to Gods law that euery part thereof shall be accomplished to the full teacheth all Princes and Magistrates not onely to be keepers of Moses law in their owne persons but also within their rule and dominions to doe their best indeauour that the same bee fulfilled and kept by others For this cause did the Lord command that the Prince of his people should haue the Law written before him in a booke to read vpon continually that hee may learne to feare God and to keepe all the words of the Law to doe them and that which is there enioyned vnto Princes belongeth also vnto all Magistrates Masters and Parents within their places and charges they must be carefull to see the whole law of God practised and obeyed both in their owne persons and of those that are vnder them Lastly by this immutabilitie ascribed to the Law wee may learne what it is to fulfill the law namely to keepe and obserue to the full euery particular thing which the law commaunds vs and vpon this wee may ground two conclusions against the Papists First that no man can come to life euerlasting by his owne righteousnesse and obedience for hee that would come to heauen by his owne righteousnesse must be able to fulfill the whole law perfectly in euery respect but since Adams fall no man could keepe the lawe in all things sauing our Sauiour Christ both God and man Secondly that our fulfilling of the law must be in the obedience of Christ for he onely was answerable to the whole law in all things and therefore if we would come to heauen we must not come in our owne righteousnesse but in his as Paul wisheth to be found of God Phil. 3. 8 9. Verse 19. Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall bee called least in the kingdome of heauen but whosoeuer shall obserue and teach them the same shall bee called great in the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour Christ hauing plainely propounded in his Apologie for himselfe the stabilitie and eternitie of the whole law doth here laie downe two notable conclusions for the vpholding thereof 1. Because the Law is immutable and eternall therefore he that breaketh one of the least of the commandements and teacheth men so shall be called least in the kingdome of heauen 2. Because the Law is eternall therefore he that keepes the commandements and teacheth men so shall bee called great in the kingdome of heauen For the first by least commandement he meaneth the precepts of the Morall lawe though in the former verse by Law he vnderstood the whole law in three parts Iudiciall Morall and Ceremoniall And he calleth them litle not simply in regard of themselues as though they were so indeede for in it selfe euery commaundement of God is great and waightie but hee speaketh according to the opinion of the Iewes for the Scribes and Pharises had ordained certaine rites and ceremonies according to the tradition of their Fathers the obseruation whereof they made a greater matter of conscience then the keeping of some of Gods commandements and so esteemed them little Againe saying these least commaundements hee pointeth out what particular commaundements of the Morall law the Iewes esteemed lesse then the traditions of men namely those which afterward he expoundeth in this Chapter touching Murther Adulterie Swearing and the rest for they esteemed not all the commaundements of the law lesser then their traditions Shal be called least in the kingdome of heauen Here Christ sets downe the punishment of a false Prophet which breakes Gods commaundements teacheth men so to wit his base esteeme in the Church of God for the kingdome of God is two-fold the kindome of grace and the kingdome of glorie The kingdome of grace is the societie and companie of Gods faithfull seruantes here on earth The kingdome of glorie is the blessed estate of all the Saints in heauen Now here by kingdome of heauen he meaneth the kingdome of grace which is the militant Church on earth and so Iohn Baptist calleth it Math. 3. 2. Repent and amend for the kingdome of heauen is at hand that is the Church of the old Testament is now abolished and the Church of the new Testament is ready to take place
of God The Second head from whence offences are taken is the doctrine of the Church grounded on the word of God The offences hence taken are manifold first from a supposed newnesse of our doctrine this is taken of the Papists and especially of our owne Recusants for they say our doctrine is but of fourescore yeares continuance since the daies of Martin Luther auouching also that for the space of fourteene hundred yeares we cannot bring record of any Church that held and professed the doctrine which we now teach and hold Now for the auoiding of this offence two points must be remembred I. that the doctrine of our Church for the substance thereof is the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Act. 2. 42. the doctrine taught by the Apostles concerning Christ is made the foundation of the Church and looke where this doctrine is rightly helde and confessed there it is an infallible note of a true Church Againe the Apostles to iustifie their doctrine had recourse to Moses and the Prophets as we may see in the Acts of the Apostles in sundrie places now the doctrine touching Christ held and receiued in our Churches is confirmed by the testimonies of the Prophets and Apostles and therefore for substance and doctrine is theirs Secondly we must knowe that for the ground and foundation of Religion our Churches agree with the Churches after Christ which continued for the space of sixe hundred yeares for wee doe not onely allow of the Apostles Creede but of the foure generall Councells and of their Confessions and Creedes and that in the same manner and sense which they did so as the religion of our Church is vniustly slaundered to be new The second offence taken from the doctrine of our Church is from the supposed strictnesse and rigour thereof we teach indeede that a Christian man must wholly denie himselfe his owne will and desires and resigne himselfe wholly vnto Christ to be guided by his spirit according to the direction of his word Now hence some would gather that our doctrine permits not a man to laugh or be merrie or to doe any thing for his owne delight and hereupon they grow to contempt of Religion counting the profession and practise thereof precisenesse and therefore will not be bound vnto it but liue as they list and this is common among vs. The way to cut off this occasion of offence is twofold 1. we must know that by the doctrine of our Church it is lawfull for a man to be merrie so it be in the Lord Philip. 4. 4. Reioyce in the Lord alway saith the Apostle againe I say reioyce Psal. 104. 15. God causeth wine that maketh glad the heart of man and oyle to make his face to shine and bread to strengthen his heart Againe God doth put most glorious colours and delightsome smells into the flowers of the field no doubt for this ende that man might take his delight therein yea besides the skill of musicke God hath giuen to many a man a voice more sweete and pleasant then is the sound of any musicall instrument which were to no ende if a man might not therewith cheere vp his heart in a moderate delight nay laughter it selfe is the gift of nature which was in Adam before his fall and therefore is lawfull But yet I say mans reioycing must be in the Lord to cut off many abuses of delight for first there be many that cannot be merrie but in the practise of some sinne if there be a thought of God or of his word all their mirth is quasht But we must endeauour our selues so to reioyce that God may approoue thereof Againe I say in the Lord because sinne will soonest preuaile with a man when he giues himselfe to delight and pleasures This Iob knew well and therefore while his sonnes feasted each other he offered sacrifices for them particularly euery day for saith he it may be my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts The second way to preuent the taking of this offence is to resigne our selues wholly vnto God that he may doe his whole will in vs and vpon vs so Christ said to his Disciples If any man will come after me let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse and follow me that is wholly resigne himselfe to be guided by me and Math. 13. 46. he that would get the pretious pearle must sell all that he hath and buie it Rom. 12. 1. We are desired by the mercies of God to giue vp our selues both soules and bodies vnto God whereby we may see that we haue iust cause to bewaile the case and condition of all such as count religion precisenes for they are like vnto Ananias and Saphyra who brought part of the sale of their possession vnto the Apostles and said it was all so these men looke to be saued by Christ they heare his word and receiue his Sacraments and therin make as high a profession as any can doe namely that they will giue themselues wholly to Christ but when they are out of the assemblies they shew themselues to haue dissembled with God for they practise no such thing as they made shew of and therefore they may iustly feare least that befall them in their soules which befell Ananias and Saphyra in their bodies euen sudden death for they are lyers vnto God himselfe Thirdly others take offence at the crosse which accompanies the syncere profession of true Religion many like well of the doctrine of our religion but yet they are loath to imbrace and to professe the same least they should be reproached for it in the world The way to cut off this occasion of offence is this we must remember that the crosse endured for the Gospel sake especially if we profit by it is an infallible marke of a child of God Heb. 12. 17. If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whome the father chasteneth not In reason we finde this to be true for say that two children be fighting in the streete and there comes a man who taketh one of them and beateth him but the other he lets alone will not all men say that the man is father to the child whome he beateth euen so the Lord for our nurtering will send crosses vpon vs when we imbrace his Gospel now if we shall profit by his corrections and learne thereby to humble our selues vnder his mightie hand then we begin to receiue assurance of his fatherly dealing towards vs his sonnes and daughters and therefore we must be so farre from beeing hindred in the course of our holy profession by reproches and crosses that they must be meanes to incourage vs therein Iam. 1. 2 3. As from the doctrine of the Church in generall so from the parts thereof doe many both learned and ignorant take occasion of offence as first from the doctrine
countenance in respect of thy heart and conscience For they disfigure their faces c. This also may seeme not blame-worthie for Gods children haue in their fasts diuers waies disfigured their faces and beene approoued Ezra pluckt off the haire of his head and of his beard and Ioshuah and the Israelites fell to the ground vpon their face and put dust vpon their heads which could not but disfigure their faces Answ. The Pharisies are blamed for disfiguring their faces in diuers respects and that iustly for first this was the chiefe and onely thing they looked to in their fasts euen the outward shewe thereof which God hateth Againe the word translated disfigure signifieth the very abolishing of their fauour and visage which is farre more then the auncient Iewes euer vsed to doe they indeed humbled their bodies and testified their sorrow which God approoued but they sought not to deforme their naturall complexion they pined not themselues to make their faces pale that so men might the better take notice of their much fasting as these Pharisies did and such were they in Pauls time who spared not their bodies Colos. 2. 23. Thus much for the meaning The words thus explaned containe two parts a commandement a reason thereof The commandement forbiddeth â—ained mourning in fasting Looke not as the hypocrites as if he should say The hypocritical Scribes and Pharisies when they fast make an outward shewe of contrition and sorrow when as indeed their hearts are no whit humbled but you shall not doe so The reason of the former prohibition is drawne from the practise of hypocrites which is set out by the ende and fruite thereof their practise is to disfigure their faces therein is all their sorrow their end is ostentation that they might be seene vnto men to fast And the fruit is answerable verely I say vnto you they haue their reward that is reputation and praise of men Thus then we see that Christ coÌ„demnes not religious fasting nor godly sorrow therein no nor yet the seemely signes of godly sorrow but onely hypocriticall fasting when men haue mournfull lookes without humble and contrite hearts The Vses 1. Here obserue the practise of these Scribes and Pharisies in Christs time they did not only fast often as twice a weeke but they were carefull in obseruing all outward rytes and signes pertaining to a religious fast yet as in the two former duties of Almes-deeds Praier so in this the principal thing is wanting that is truth sincerity of heart for their sowre looks came not froÌ„ sorrowful hearts they were whole and righteous in their own conceit and so needed not the Phisition Christ Iesus nor amendment of life Now in them we may see a true patterne of the propertie of naturall men in matters of religion they more busie theÌ„selues about the outward worke then inward truth they content themselues with outward rytes and ceremonies and little regard the true worship of the heart See this in Ahab who humbled himselfe outwardly in great measure for feare of punishment but hee contented himselfe therewith and neuer came to true humiliation of heart in sorrow for sinne for he continued still in his old sinnes and the Israelites both in the wildernesse and in the land of Canaan when God afflicted them would humble themselues and seeke his fauour but yet not in constant sinceritie and truth for as Dauid saith They flattered him with their mouth for their heart was not vpright with him they performed the outward ceremonies and so drew neere to God with their lips but their heart was farre from him And thus it goeth generally with naturall men the whole religion of the Papists stands in outward ceremoniall actions partly Iewish and partly heathenish and when they haue obserued them they looke no further And so it fareth with many among vs that professe true religion for the ignorant sort which are very many euery where content themselues with the outward actions of religion as comming to Church hearing the word read and sometime preached and receiuing the Sacrament once or twice a yere and when the worke is done though without vnderstanding yet all is well they thinke God is serued wel enough Yea many that haue knowledge doe yet rest in the outward actions of religion for doe not some esteeme the conscionable endeauour of morall obedience to be but precisenesse and so though they beare some shew of religion yet they reproach the power of it in others And another sort doe onely so farre forth maintaine and professe religion as it standeth with the good of their outward estate and their peaceable fruition of wealth honour and delights and so make a policie of religion and pietie But let all these take heed vnto their soules and betime repent for these practises make them hypocrites in religion whose end will be damnation and therefore bring thy heart to God with thy outward worship and content not thy selfe with the shew of godlinesse but get the power of it and shew it in thy conuersation and embrace religion for it selfe and not for the world Secondly is the Pharisies fasting condemned of Christ because they rested in the outward worke and did it in ostentation for the praise of men then doubtlesse Popish fasting is abhominable because it aboundeth with more abuses for I. In their religious fasts they allow one meale so it be not flesh and besides that drinking of any kind of wines or drinkes taking of electuaries and strong waters conserues and such like at any time of the day which is a mock-fast and nothing else II. They make distinction of meates necessarie to a fast and that not for ciuill endes as Magistrates may doe or for temperance sake as priuate men may doe but for conscience sake which is a doctrine of deuils as the Apostle saith III. They binde men in conscience to many set daies of fasting and make the omission thereof a deadly sinne wherein they take away our Christian libertie for there was no want of care in our Sauiour Christ to appoint all good meanes for the mortifying of the flesh and yet he prescribed no set fasts in the new Testament IV. They make fasting meritorious teaching that a man therby may satisfie Gods iustice whereby they doe blasphemously derâ—gate from the al-sufficiencie of Christs obedience and passion Now â—ith they haue thus defaced religious fasting let vs learne by Christs command not to fast as the Papists doe Thirdly Christ saying to his Disciples when ye fast takes it for granted that sometimes they fasted and so ought to doe here he blames the Pharisies not for fasting simply but for their hypocrisie therein whereby wee see that Christ requires of all the godly that when iust occasion is offered they should fast either publikely or in priuate And if Christ blame the Pharisies for their bad manner of