consider it and endeuour theim selues All preachers should cōfirme their saiynges with scripture that whatsoeuer they teache preache or otherwyse do in their office that they do it vpō a good foundacion of the holy scriptures so that they may euer be ready to answere to those as are not sufficiently instructed in their doctrine or workes or that vnderstand not their preachyng For euen Christ him selfe in likewyse approued his doctrine out of the olde testament and the Prophetes and that in many places And did not the Apostles in like maner Howe excellent an artificer dothe Paule shewe himselfe in recityng the textes of the olde Testament For whatsoeuer it be that is buylded vpon that sure foundacion of the holy scripture be it doctrine or worke begon or finished it standeth sure and stedfast Contrary whatsoeuer is not buylded vpon that foundacion there is no remedy it must nedes fall God through Christ geue vs the knowlege of of his holy worde Amen The gospell on the conuersion of S. Paule the Apostels daye Mat. 19. THen aunswered Peter and sayde vnto hym Beholde Mat. 4 Mar. 10 Luc. 18. we haue forsaken all and folowed the what shall we haue therfore Iesus sayde vnto them Verely I saye vnto you that when the sonne of man shall sytte in the seat of hys maiestye ye that haue folowed me in the regeneraciō Luc. 22. shal sit vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue trybes of Israel Deut. 33 And euery one that forsaketh house or brethren or systers or father or mother or wife or childrē or lands for my names sake Ioh. 13. shall receiue an hundreth fold and shal inheryte euerlastynge lyfe THE EXPOSITION IN the gospell of S. Mathewe ys made mentiō of a certaine ruler which did aske Christ what he shuld do that he might inherite and haue euerlasting lyfe Vnto whom Christ answered saying If thou wylt entre into lyfe keepe the commaundementes And forbicause he dyd aske lyke a iustifier that wolde be iustifed by his owne workes without fayth therefore he receaueth suche an answere as concernyng workes This ioyly felow by and by boasteth and rufleth out as the fashion of iustifiers alwayes is for to do and proudely answered of his works which he had done and sayth All these haue I kepte from my youth vp What lacke I yet Iustifiers are boasters of their workes What shall we say or think of thys vaine and proude confidence Peraduenture he shuld not haue had answered much amysse yf the law had not been spiritual as sainct Paule sayth and had not required the affection of the heart and the inwarde man and not only the outward apparance of workes workes wherin this iustifier was deceiued Nowe for-because that he should learne to knowe his imperfection and hypocrisy Christ sayth vnto him One thyng ye wāt If thou wilt be perfect go thy way sel that thou hast and geue it vnto the poore Here was sodenly a wyndow opened into his heart so that he might haue sene vpō what a feble weake foundacion imperfect fayth he stode But what doth he He goeth not about to do that Ryches are a let vnto life euerlastyng whiche Christ cōmaunded him but left him goeth his wayes Wherout it cōmeth well to passe whiche Christ sayth O how hardly shal they that put their cōfidence in ryches come into the kingdom of god It is easier sayth he for Camel to go thorowe the eye of a nedle than for a riche mā to entre into the kyngdom of heauen c. Whiche thynges when S. Peter had heard that it was no smal thing to leaue all folowe Christ and that he had already done it voluntarily not compelled thervnto he doth aske Christ what shall become of him thother Apostles It cānot be denied but that S. Peter with his brother Andrew frely voluntarily did leaue forsoke al although it was but litle folowed Christ And surely if Peter had been so riche as euer was Cresus yet when he had heard Christ speake in his hart this saiyng Folow me A carnal affectiō was in Peter he would haue left al folowed him Neuerthelesse it was a carnal affectiō in him taking thought for his reward before he had done his diligence or before he had brought his worke to an end And as touchīg this matter it semeth that Peter was like vnto those workmen which when thei were agreed for their wages wēt into the vyneyard but yet requireth a greater reward then thei that came about the ix and xi hour For when did Abrahā I pray you require any such thyng when he was commaunded of God to forsake his fathers house and folowe the Lorde into a strange lande Therfore Peter is set furth in this place as an exāple of mans infirmitee which notwithstādyng Peter s fayth of Christ Christ accordyng to his gētle fatherly affection doth gladly beare take in good part euē as it often tymes chaūsed in the Apostles whō Christ with such lenitie myldnes of mynd did so long beare withall vntill at his tyme he did bryng thē vnto perfection Yea if that good most bountiful Christ should reiect cast away all them whiche were weake in the fayth what should become of vs I beseche you There is not one of vs whiche would not gladly take a reward though he had not deserued the same by any maner of seruice Besides that all wee with good wyll would raigne with Christ though we haue neueer suffered any thyng with him or for him But loke not that that shal so come to passe but thus it shal be He that suffereth with me shall also raigne with me Secōdarily though it be mete and cōuenient that we do our dutie seruice vnto God of very loue of the heart without any respect of reward for the reward shal folowe of his owne accorde yet notwithstandyng Christ sheweth vnto Peter to the other Apostles how he will intreate them and what they shal at length receiue of him And this his promise he also confirmeth with an othe saiyng Verely I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shal sit in the seate of his Maiestie ye whiche haue folowed me in the newe byrth shall syt also vpon the twelue seates and iudge the twelue tribes of Israel Heare howe large a promyse is made in this place vnto the Apostles For he wyll not onely conferre this benefite vnto theim although a greater can not be desired that by him they shall be made good and righteous The reward of the Apostles and if they perseuer vnto the ende in a true fayth partakers also of euerlastyng life by his only grace and mercy but also he wyll make them iudges that in the newe byrthe when we shal be receiued into euerlastyng health they shall sitte nere vnto Christ Of the whiche iudgement sainct Paule also speaketh 1. Cor. 6 Do ye not
The hired seruaunt flieth bicause he is an hyred seruaunt and careth not for the sheepe I am the good sheephâ—rd and knowe my sheepe and am knowen of myne As my father knoweth me euen so knowe I also my father And 2 Tim. 2 Mat. 11 Mar. 10 Luc. 10. I geue my lyfe for the sheep And other sheepe I haue whych are not of this folde them also muste I bringe and they shall heare my voice and there shal be one folde and one shepeharde THE EXPOSITION The good shephard The hierynge IN this similitude firste of all a good shepeherd and a hyred seruaunte be compared and the nature and propertie of both be described But this is to be noted that this present gospel is part of the similitude which Christe in the 10. chapt of Iohn put forth to the Phariseis of the dore the sheepefolde the shepharde and the porter For the Phariseis herde and taught the lawe but they vnderstod not Moyses which did not all only require of them the outeward workes but rather the affection of the harte Wherof it came that they coulde not teache the rightousnes of faith that was accepted before god nor yet could print it rightly in peoples hartes Then for as muche as in the steede of this righteousnes they taughte the righteousnes of workes and soughte saluacion by an other meane then by the seede of Abraham promised vnto theim willing other also to seke the same Therfore Christ sayd not withoute a cause in the beginning of this similitude that they entred not in at the dore but that they were theues murtherers For there cannot be begonne or raysed vppe in the church greater mischiefe or murther then to teache to trust in workes Phil. 3. Dogges Of the which doctoures Paule speketh when he saith Beware of dogges beware of euel workers He calleth the false prophetes dogges that for theyr owne lucre and aduauntage wil not teache the people the righteousnes of faithe but the righteousnes of workes against the wholsome doctrine of Christe And Christe called theim hyred seruauntes Wherefore Forbycause they care not for the sheepe bycause they regarde not the helth and saluacion of the sheepe neyther wyll daunger them selues therfore And so it is written in the prophete Soph. 3 Her prophetes are lyghte persones c. For the hyred seruaunt tarieth while he findeth aduauntage but when he perceyueth none aduauÌ„tage he flyeth awaye ye thoughe the wolfe shuld eate vp all his sheepe But Christ doth not so for he saith I am a good shepehard c. Surely all only Christ is the good shepeharde for he hath got and obteyned for his sheepe through his death the pasture and feeding of euerlastinge lyfe Out of this office of Christ we may knowe what mynde Christ beareth toward vs. For he beareth vs such affection that he will saue vs and not destroye vs. Howe doth he confirme that vnto vs In feedinge dyinge Feedyng is in the scripture a common terme Feding and is as much to saye as to teache goddes word rightly without mingling therwith false doctrine as thou seeste in the laste chapiter of Iohn where Christe saithe Peter feede my sheepe And in the actes of the apostels Act. 1â— The holye ghoste hath sette you to be bysshoppes to feede the congregation of god With this feedinge with this doctrine hathe god fyrste serued his sheepe and afterwarde with his death and shedinge of his precious blode that they being saued for euer shulde not be a praye to the wolues Who to dye wolde not beleue suche a shepharde Who wolde desire other feeding Now compare Christ and the hiered seruaunte togyther Christe seeketh the commoditie and profyte of the sheepe The hierelynge seeketh his owne wealthe and commoditye The one hath the worde of lyfe the other of condemnacion The one quickeneth the other slayeth The one refresheth and comforteth the other chargeth and troubleth mennes consciences The one abideth with the shepe in al need and necessitye and the other flyeth away Briefely Christ is allonly the good shepeharde which thorough his doctrine and death hath made vs iuste righteous and hollye Secondarily wee haue here in this gospell a meruailous coÌ„fortable saying in that that Christe repeteth that he is the good shepeharde c. In the which wordes he declareth what thought and care he taketh for his sheepe that they be well kept and haue good feeding And that wee shulde vndoubtedly bee suer that he careth for his sheepe he ioyneth and addeth that he knoweth vs none otherwise then the father acknowledgeth him and hee the father For Christe and the father be one substance vndeuided so that Christ can not be seperated from the father nor the father from Christ For if Christe coulde be seperated from the father then coulde there not be one god And that meaneth the father Mat 17 when he sayeth Here is my welbeloued son in whome I delite heare him Whiche is euen as much to say as to heare obey Christ my son is to heare and obey me Lykewise here the son meaneth the same thinge when he sayethe Ioh. 1â— I and the father are one Also to Phylippe he saith Ioh. 14 Phylyppe he that seeth me seeth the father Hereoute thowe mayest lyghtelye gather howe that Christe acknowledgeth the father and lykewyse howe the father acknowledgeth Christe Nowe If Christ knoweth vs as he knoweth the father the father knoweth Christe so muste wee needes be one body and one substaunce with hym Yea euen his brethren Then when I am one body and one substaunce with Christe my lorde when I am Christes brother will not he defend me wil he forsake and leaue me withoute comforte No suerly but will knowe me and stand by me vntil the consumacion and ende of this worlde So that and if I as a shepe were in the middest of the wolues ther were no ieoperdy only yf this Christ wold acknowledge vs. But howe can I bring that to passe that I may be the brother of Christe and grafte in him and that I maye knowe hym as he knowethe me Or howe doth he acknowledge me Before the foundacion of the worlde was layde he dyd electe me and predestinate me to saluacion 1 Tim. 2 of his greate mercye withoute any deseruing of workes And after that he became manne he called me throughe his worde to the same saluacion so that yf I nowe beleue in him he and I bee one This to beleue frome the botome of oure hartes What is to knowe Christe is to knowe Christe in the whiche knowledge consisteth oure ryghteousnes and saluacion as yt is wrytten in the gospell of Iohn Ioh 17 Thys is the euerlastynge lyfe that they knowe the that thow only arte the trewe god and whom thou hast sente Iesu Christ The calling of the Heithen Thyrdly wee haue here the callynge of the Gentyles how that they shall come to the knowledg of theyr sinnes and to
on this wise When the comforter whom I shall sende you from the father even the spirite of truthe c. Firste wee se here how Chryst nameth the holy ghoste by hys propre name The coÌ„fortet and calleth him a comforter Whoe hath made oure conscience so suer that we beleue that by Christe we be made the sonnes of God and crye Abba deere father but allonly this same comforter Rom. 7 Gal. 4. Who maketh vs withoute anye feare or abashement at the confessioÌ„ of this faith Who comforteth vs and aideth vs in all our calamities and miseries which we must suffre here in this worlde for his names sake None other but this spirite of truthe whiche procedeth frome the father and is the same good spirite for the which the prophet Dauid so earnestly prayeth to obtaine in the 50. psalm For this we se in the examples of the apostles that wheÌ„ the holy ghost was not yet confirmed in them they lefte their maister and fled from him they also denied him lockte them selues vp now here now there in corners But after that the holy ghost was confirmed in theyr hartes they confessed Chryste boldelye and bare witnes that he was risen In so muche that in persetution and tribulacyon they reioysed and tooke greate pleasure as we reade in the actes of the apostels Act. 5. The holy ghoste maketh vs faithfull Now forasmuche as this holy ghost by reason of his office maketh tru men and faithfull and boldeth and comforteth vs in coÌ„fessing and shewing of the trewth so lykewise by his office he shall testifie of Christ Then yf he shal testifie of Christ he shal teache no other thing then the same that Christe taughte and preached before that is he shall instruct the apostles and make theÌ„ meete to receiue the doctrine of Christe and wryte the gospell in their hartes for as muche as of their owne power they canne not perceiue the learnynge of Christe The wisedome of the fleshe can not bringe it to passe but the holye ghoste muste needes do it as the lorde promised by hys prophet Ieremye saiynge Ier. 31. I wyll plante my lawe in the inwarde partes of â—heym and wryte it in their hartes and wyll be their God and they shal be my people And frome henseforth shall no man teache his neighboure or his brother and saye Knowe the lorde But shall all knowe me frome the lowest vnto the highest sayth the lorde Hereof it is euident and playne that without the holy ghoste wee can neither saye the truthe nor yet beleue the truthe Secondarily we be taught and learned The office of the apostels what thoffice of the apostles is which is no more but to testifye and beare witnes of Christe To beare witnes signifieth in scriptures Testifiing to speake and teache not that we thinke good but that God comaunded And therefore is Christe in the psalm called a faythfull witnes in heauen Psal 88. And lykewyse Esaias sayeth Beholde I shall gyue him for a witnes amonge the folke for a prince and capitaine vnto the people Nowe forasmuche as the holye ghoste and the apostles muste testifie of the selfe same thinge it is to bee thoughte that theyr witnes muste bee both one And that the holy ghoste bare witnes in the apostles it is apparaunte accordynge to Christes sayinge You be not they that speake but the spyrite of your father The papistes saiynge that is in you speakethe Where bee they nowe that hitherto haue taught and preached that Christe hathe reueled to the apostles and to the fathers a higher thing then is contained in the gospell Whome shall I beleue Christ or else theyr chatteringe and vnprofitable ianglinges Christe saithe the holy ghoste shall beare witnesse of him and make the folke mete to receaue and vnderstand the gospell And plainlye that we shall be taughte none other thinge of him then that he hymselfe taughte And these ianglers chatter that we must teache higher thinges then is contayned in the gospell After my iudgemente it is beste that wee obeye and beleue hym that hath this testimony and witnes of the father Mat. 7. This is my dere sonne in whome I delite heare him And he that is not contente with the doctrine of Christ of the which not allonlye the Apostels but also the hollye ghoste beareth witnesse lette him chose himselfe an other kinde of learninge and byde the aduenture of yt I had leuer bee suer then doubtefull herein The worlde persecuted the gospell Thyrdelye wee bee taughte in this gospell that the doctrine of Christe of which aswell the holye ghoste as the apostels shall beare witnesse shall not please this worlde For the worlde shall curse and abhorre all those as heretiques that shall confesse this doctrine And when they haue tourmented and persecuted withe all kyndes of tourmentes the apostles and faithfull menne they shall thynke they haue doone a highe seruice vnto God But what sayeth Christe All these thynges shall they dooe vnto you bycause they neyther knowe the father nor me Beholde the fortune that this holy and precious worde of the gospell and the faythfull shall haue in this world If thou wylte confesse Christe looke for no merye nor quiete dayes For Paule saieth 2. Ti. 2. All they that wyll lyue godlye in Christe Iesu muste suffre persecution And in an other place hee sayeth If I shulde please menne Gala. 1. I were not the seruaunt of Christe Seeynge than that for the confessing of Christe I muste suffre persecution it is needfull that I bee well instructed and armed with the worde of God and that wee knowe it to be the wyll of God that with suche temptacion our faythe shulde bee proued And when wee knowe this wee shall not lightelye bee offended but what so euer the worlde for Christes name putteth vnto vs wee shall patientely suffre it For this is oure comforte that they that persecute vs neyther knowe Christe nor the father thoughe they thinke and boaste them selfe neuer so high Moreouer lette vs not be ignoraunte Rom. 8. that the persecutioÌ„s tribulacioÌ„s of this world be not to be compared to the ioye and blysse that is prepared for vs. And therewith lette vs comforte our selues that we maye lyue with a quiete mynde in this present worlde through Christe oure lorde Amen The gospell on Whytsonday Ioh. 14. Yet a litle while and the worlde seeth me no more but ye se me for I lyue and you shall lyue That day shall ye knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you Ioh. 15. 1 Ioh. 5. 2. Ioh. 1 He that hath my commaundementes and kepeth them the same is he that loueth me And he that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I wyll loue hym and wyll shewe myne owne selfe to hym Act. 15 Iudas saieth vnto him not Iudas Iscarioth Lord what is done that thou wylt shew thy selfe vnto vs
apostels coulde not vnderstand and perceaue the mistery of the gospell without the holy ghost so lykewise we can not attaine or get vs iustificacion and saluacion of our owne power or free will Note and perceiue now this ignorance of the apostels out of the text Christ saied After a little while and ye shal not se me and agayne after a little while and ye shall se me for I go to the father Which are to be vnderstande of his death and resurrection and of his spirituall kingdome What is to go to the rather For to go to the father is none other thinge then to fulfyl and accomplishe al thinges and through the holy ghost to lighten and illuminate mens hartes and to saue theym or as the prophete saith to geue giftes vnto men Psa 67 But howe dyd the Apostles vnderstande these thinges They said amongst them selues What is it that he speaketh After a little while and ye shal not se me and againe after a little while and ye shal se me for I go to the father We know not what he speaketh after a little while and ye shall se me for I go to the father We knowe not what he sayeth The apostles confesse that they vnderstode not what Christe spake thoughe diuers and sondrye tymes before he had declared and shewed them of his passion resurrection and kingdom Wherfore I greatly meruaile what those creatures think that so sharpely and earnestly defend our free wyl and the power of our fleshe seynge that they haue bothe reade and heard in this texte and suche other lyke of the ignoraunce of the apostles I think that they must haue wonderfull gloses to healpe theym withall But rather I thinke that they are in lyke case with the apostles here that they cannot tell what they saye euen as S. Paule hathe written of theim saiyng Some haue erred 2. Tim. 1 and haue tourned vnto vayne iangling willing to be doctoures of the scripture and vnderstande not what they speake neyther what they affirme The summe and effecte of all this is nothing else but that the fleshe can do or bringe nothinge to passe concerninge righteousnes and our saluacion withoute it be geuen thorough the helpe of the holye ghoste and the word For it is written in the prophete Esa 45 All menne shal be lerned of God Of God he saith not of them selues Thirdly while the apostles vnderstode not these wordes and were in mind to axe Christ preuented theim saiyng Ye demaund and enquire amongest you for bicause I saide After a while ye shal not se me c. Verely verely I say vnto you you shall wepe and lament but the world shal reioyse and ye shall be sory Note here with what mildnes gentlenes familiarity he behaueth himselfe toward his disciples He doth not reiect or despise theÌ„ for their ignoraunce but moste familiarly instructeth them and sheweth theim how his wordes be to be vnderstande saiynge vnto theim that they shulde be sory and lament and why bicause they shuld se their lord and maister taken of the Iues and crucified The crosse persecution herefore shal they morne and lament But specially this shall greeue them that the world shuld reiose both at theirs and their maisters misfortune Therfore lyke as Christ here sheweth before to his disciples that he shuld be put to death and shuld suffre and that they shuld morne and lamente euen soâ—t came to passe and chaunced Supposest thou that his passion was easye or a triflinge matter when Christ hanging vppon the crosse muste he are the Iewes iestinge and scourning him saiyng He trusted in god Mat. 27 lette him deliuer him nowe if he will I resite not here wherof he coÌ„plaineth in the psal saiyng Psal 21. But as for me I am a worme and no man the scorne of men and the outcast of the people All they that se me laugh me to scorne c. I think that the apostels wer stricken with great heuines seing this shame and despysinge of Christe Nowe althoughe Christe chiefelye speakethe here of the tyme of his passion whiche shulde bee a greate cause of sorowe and heauines to the disciples yet notwithstanding here he sheweth what fortune and chaunce all faithfull menne shall haue in this worlde For christiane men shall suffre persecution and the wicked shall haue good dayes and prospere Prou. 3. Therefore the wise man saieth My chylde despise not the chasteninge of the lorde neyther faynte when thou arte rebuked of him Is not this a ientle teachinge of the apostels Now further that thing that Christe doth to his apostels he wyll haue it doone lykewise dailye to vs thoroughe his worde and spirite requirynge only of vs that wee suffre patientely to be warned and taughte The sorowfulnes tourned into â—oye Fourhely here is to be noted that though Christ shewed before to his disciples howe they shulde haue sorowe and anguishe throughe his passion yet bicause they shulde not be lefte withoute comforte he sayde Your mournynge shal be tourned into ioye and gladnes That is The worlde wyll thinke when they haue put me to deathe they haue wonne all and that my dayes bee paste But yet on the thirde daye I wyll rise agayne come and comforte you in your greate heauines And though hereafter ye shall chaunce to suffre slaundre and rebuke for my gospel yet that passion and sorow shal be shorte and not endure longe But the ioye that shall folowe the same heauines shal be euerlasting Take here an exaumple of this thinge A woman when she trauayleth hath sorowe for hyr hour is come but when shee is delyuered of the childe shee thinketh no more of the anguisshe for ioye that a manne is borne into the worlde So lykewyse yee bee nowe full of sorowe but I wyll see you agayne and your hartes shall reioyse and that same your reioysynge no man shall take frome you This similitude put forth of Christ is verye full of greate comforte and consolacion Fyrste yt declarethe that the professoures of Christe so suerly shall suffre persecucion as it is suer that a trauailyng woman shall not be delyuered withoute payne How be it in that pointe the worde of God shall be a greate comforte to euerye Christian man Furthermore note Of the sorowfulnes of the apostels that this persecution shal be for a tyme and not euerlasting And finallye that the reioysynge of this worlde dothe not continue longe as Christe saith in an other place Luce. 6. Wo vnto you that laughe here for yee shall weepe and wayle Howe be it in the meane whyle a christian man shall not bee withoute ioye But what ioye shall it be I wyll saith Christe visite you againe and your hartes shall reioise that reioysinge shall no man take frome you The peace of conscience This is the verye ioye and this is the quietnes of conscience to knowe that God by Christe is mercifull and