once about the the beginning of his Embassage and againe when he was redie to go out of the world to his father M. So soone therfore as he was entred into the Citye hée vewed the Temple Let this be the chéefe care of all men not onely of Bishops but also of al Magistrates that the kingdom and worship of God be sought for A. Concerning the prophanacion of the Temple and the couetousnesse of the Priestes reade the one and twentye of Mathewe 15. And when hee had made as it were a scourge of small cords he droue them all out of the Temple with the Shepe and Oxen and powred out the changers money and ouerthrew the tables Christ by and by goeth about to purge the Temple plainely affirming that the Temple of the Lorde is not a place of Marchandize Notwithstanding it may bée demaunded why hée began not first with doctrine for this séemeth to bée a troublesome and preposterous waye to correcte vice with violence before the same were assayed to bée remedyed by Doctrine But Christ had respecte to another matter For because the time was nowe at hande in the which hée shoulde openly discharge the office inioyned to him of the father he woulde after a sorte take possession of the Temple and plainelye declare his Diuine aucthoritye And to the ende all men might bée attentiue vnto his Doctrine it was méete that theyr sluggishe mindes shoulde bée wakened with a newe and vnwonted déede The Temple was now a place of heauenlye Doctrine When he went about to restore the puritye of Doctrine it was méete that he shoulde shewe him selfe to bée Lorde of the Temple Moreouer he coulde not bring any otherwise the Sacrifices and exercises of Godlynesse to theyr spirituall ende than in taking awaye the abuse Therefore this thing which hée did was a certaine beginning of that reformacion for the which hée was sent of the Father M. They which teache that externall euilles are not to bee taken awaye which are in the Churche except they bée first taken out of the hearts of men may by this place learne to alter their opinion For by this reason Christe shoulde firste haue taken Couetousnesse out of the heartes of the Iewes and afterwardes haue reformed the Temple But we sée the contrarye to bée done here of Christe He cast the Byars and Sellers out of the Temple although they kept couetousnes in theyr brestes 16. And hee sayde vnto them that soulde Dooues Haue these thinges hence and make not my fathers house a house of marchandise M. He doth not simplye dislike that Shéepe Oxen and Dooues are soulde to them which came farre of to offer Sacrifice séeing the same was appointed in the Lawe but because they were soulde in the Temple and because the Temple was made a house of marchandise which was a filthye token of speciall couetousnesse These thinges might haue béene soulde in certayne places without the Temple So at another time he suffered not a vessell to bée caryed through the Temple Wherfore if he so pourged this Temple which in a short time should perishe that it might not bée a house of marchandise what shall we thinke that he will do vnto those Temples at this daye in the which not onelye all thinges are soulde for filthye gaine but also such thinges as are most pernicious and altogeather fained are set forth to sale The Sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ is soulde 2. Peter 2. whiche they saye the Priest maketh being a mere fayned lye The deliueraunce of Soules out of Purgatorye is soulde when as theyr Purgatorye after death is nothing else but a Money matter of Priestes Remission of Sinnes is soulde whiche cannot bée bought The merites of Saintes with many thinges more offered to sale which money in déede in no wise may purchase He that considereth of these thinges what will he iudge of these Churches but onelye that they bée places of fayned marchaundise C. But the Temple was called the house of Prayer because God would there bée speciallye called vppon and because hée had ordayned the same for spirituall exercises R. The Temple of Ierusalem also was called the Temple of the Lorde and the house of God because it was consecrated for a shadowe of Christ in which Christ the Father heareth those that praye and whose onelye Sacrifice is acceptable to the Father Wherevpon our sauiour Christ sayeth VVhatsoeuer ye aske the Father in my name Iohn â—6 he will geue it you Beholde he sayeth In my name not in a Temple of stone For the howre will come when the Father wil be worshipped neyther in Ierusalem nor in the Mountaine but in spirite and trueth C. The other Euangelistes say that hée spake more seuerelye at the seconde time that he caste them out of the Temple namelye that they made of the Temple a denne of Théeues Math. 21. But hée admonisheth them not to prophane the Temple of God in turning it to other vse then God had apointed the same And in making mention of the Father he declareth him selfe to bée the sonne of God that he might challenge to him selfe the right and aucthoritye to pourge the Temple 17. And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeale of thine house hath euen eaten me And his Disciples remembred B. Namelye after Christ was risen againe when they vnderstode the Scriptures by receyuing the holye Ghost as the Euangelist him selfe expoundeth in that which followeth C. For we must not thinke that they remembred this place of Scripture when Christ did this déede but afterwardes when they being taught from aboue considered with them selues what this déede of Christe should meane and so by the direction of the spirite this place of Scripture commeth into theyr minde And truelye the cause of Gods workes doeth not alwayes come into our mindes out of hand But afterwardes in continuaunce of time he reuealeth his purpose vnto vs. And this is a very fitte bridle to restraine our bouldnesse least we shoulde at any time murmure against God if wée at any time should dislike of those thinges which he doeth For therefore GOD doeth deferre the perfect reuelation of his worckes to staye and keepe vs in the boundes of modestye And the place whiche is here cited is taken out of the Psalme 69. Psal 69. And in the name of Temple Dauid by a figure called Sinecdochen comprehendeth the whole worshippe of GOD. For these are the words of the Prophete For the zeale of thy house hath eaten me Verse 9. and the rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vppon mee Where the seconde member aunswereth to the first and is nothing else but a repeticion The effecte of bothe partes is this that Dauid was so carefull to maintaine the glorye of God that he willinglye bare al manner of reproches with the which the reprobate reproched God yea hée burned with such a zeale that this one affection ouercame all other And in this sence truely hée
which he sawe to bée wrought by Christ for he saw him to be suche a one as healed all men that were sicke but in that hée prayeth him to goe downe to Capernaum it belongeth to imbecillity a Childishe faith as though Christ coulde not restore to health by his worde onelye or by the breath of his mouth Such weakenesse of fayth wée maye beholde in another place in the Disciples of Christ For when the Shippe was ouerwhelmed with Waues they beléeued that Christ was able to saue them but not except hée were awake for hée slepte and they awooke him Math. 8. saying Lorde saue vs wee perishe C. This man therefore had conceyued no other thing than that hée was a Prophete sent of GOD with this commaundement and commission that hée should proue and declare him selfe to bée the seruaunt of GOD by shewing myracles M. Hee requesteth that Christ would goe downe with him and heale his Sonne 2. King 5.11 So Naaman the Syrian trusted that Elyzeus woulde haue come downe to him and haue touched the place of the Leprosie with his hande and standing woulde haue called on the name of his GOD Christ imagined of the people to be but a Prophete Math. 16.14 Math. 22.46 and so haue healed him And this Fayth whiche imagined Christ to bée a certayne Prophete in the beginning was in many men as maye appeare by the aunswere whiche Peter made vnto Christ This also was the first opinion that the Woman of Samaria had conceyued of Christ the which notwithstanding the Lord contempned not but so increased the same that not onely shée but also many of her Cityzens knewe him to bée Christ the Sauiour of the world Euen so here hée whiche doeth not quenche the smoking Flaxe Esai 42.3 Mat. 12.20 enlargeth and helpeth the Rulers faith 48. Then sayd Iesus vnto him Except ye see sygnes and wonders ye wyll not beleeue M. In that the Lorde here vseth the plurall number saying Except ye see signes and wonders ye wyll not beleeue C. hée séemeth generallye to reprehend all the Iewes because they were to desirous of Myracles M. As if hée should saye Howe long are ye so harde harted to beleeue the trueth and by a true faith to embrace the kingdome of GOD which is Preached vnto you that yée wyll not beleeue at all except ye bée constrayned thereunto by signes and wonders Theyr fayth and trust is acceptaple vnto mee which beleeue my bare worde confirmed by no Myracles you beleeue not mée except ye sée signes and wonders M. All they haue this disease of distrust whiche followe the iudgement and wisedome of humane reason rather than the Oracles of God For such is humane reason that except it bée conuinced by euident signes and perswaded by vndoubted argumentes it wyll not beléeue And this is the very same which Paul sayeth The thinges that belong vnto God i. Cor. 2.14 seeme foolishe to worldlye wisedome and are not vnderstoode Wherevppon the Apostle exhorteth vs to become fooles that is to saye beléeuers to vnderstande them For except they bée beléeued they shall not bée vnderstoode But with this disease were both Iewes and Gentiles infected Concerning the Iewes this place speaketh and also the thyrtye and nine verse of the twelfth of Mathew Concerning both Iewes and Gentiles the Apostle sayth The Iewes require signes and the Greekes wisedome i. Cor. 1.21 that is to saye both are distrustfull and beléeue not the woord of GOD in the cause of the kingdome of GOD where fayth is requyred requyring certayne perswations of signes and argumentes C. But howe commeth it to passe that Christe is so sharpe nowe who was wonte gentlye to receyue others which desyred Myracles as wée maye reade here and there of diuers blinde and lame personnes Hée had then verylye some certaine reason which is hydde from vs why he dealt more seuerelye with this man than he was wont to doe with others And peraduenture hée had not so muche respect vnto this man as hée had to the whole Nation He sawe that his Doctrine was litle estéemed and not onely neglected but vtterlye despised all men depending vpon Myracles and being rather amased than wondering at them Incredulitye a detestable vice Therefore that wicked contempte of Gods worde which commonly raigned in them caused him to make this complaint M. For moste detestable is this vice incredulitye by which men refuse to beléeue the worde of God except they bée dryuen therevnto by signes Verye true it is that some of the Fathers in old tyme haue wished a confyrmation by signes least they shoulde doubte of the trueth of the promises we sée also that GOD was not offended with theyr desyres as we maye reade of Gedeon Iudg. 6.7 Esa 38.22 of Ezechias and of others C. But Christ noteth here a farre greater wickednesse For so the Iewes depended vpon Myracles that they had no regarde vnto the worde of God So that all theyr Religion all theyr knowledge of God and all theyr Godlinesse was in myracles R. But that is no true fayth which is conceyued eyther of myracles of signes or wonders For myracles are onely seales and witnesses Therefore they doe not make him which is vnbeléeuing a true beléeuer but they doe confyrme him which is fyrst a beléeuer in his fayth C. They therefore at this daye greatlye offend which crye saying Let vs first sée miracles and then wée wyll geue eare to this Doctrine as though the truth of Christ ought to bée so base in our eyes vnlesse it haue some other stay But although god should heape vppon them an innumerable sort of myracles yet notwithstanding they lye when they saye they wyll beleeue Exod. 5. Ioh. 12.37 There woulde aryse a certaine externall admiration but there woulde followe neuer a whit the more attencion to Doctrine The which wée may plainely behold in Pharao and in the Iewes For the woorde of the Lorde abydeth for euer If they wyll not heare Moyses and the Prophetes Luk. 16.31 neyther wyll they beleeue though one should ryse againe from the dead It is no maruayle therefore if the Lorde doe first of all séeke to cure the diseased Father with distrust before hée restore his Sonne to health For they are more daungerous sicke which are sicke in mynde and ought rather to bée healed then they which are sicke in bodye A. Christ therefore doeth the office in déede of a Byshop of a Pastor and of the Sheepheard of our Soules 49. The Ruler sayeth vnto him Syr come downe or euer that my Sonne dye Because this Ruler was whollye occupyed in minde to delyuer his Sonne from perryll of death hée aunswereth nothing but rather vrgeth the Lorde to make haste before his Sonne geue vp his soule Fatherlye care and affection M. We sée therefore in him first an Image of the affection of Fathers towarde theyr Children by which euerye Father naturallye desyreth the sauing health of his Children the
nothing else then to vnderstande to remember to knowe and to thinke Faith is not an opinion M. we muste note that to beléeue Christe is by fayth to receaue his worde and to beléeue the father is to beléeue that hée sente his sonne into this worlde to bée the redéemer of the same Therefore we must beléeue God not symplye as God of the which faith the Iewes bragge but as the father in the sonne and as the sender in him that sent He which wanteth this faith may bée reckened among the blinded Iewes not among Christians He that heareth my woorde Bv. Therefore the firste thing in the order of saluation iustification is to heare the worde but not euery ones worde but the wordes of Christe onely our Iustifier sauiour And herein is required preaching Ro. 10.14 For how shal they heare with out a preacher It is necessary therefore that the worde of Christ doe make vs redy to heare when as the Inuentions of men and the constitutions of the fathers are excluded For faith cleaueth to the word of God not to the worde of men C. Christ afterward commendeth the fruite of obedience saying Hath euerlasting life Life eternall the frute of faith to the ende we might be the more readye and willing to perfourme the same For who can be so flinty harted but that he can be contented willingly to submit him selfe vnto Christe when hée séeth the rewarde of euerlasting life set before him And yet notwithstanding we sée howe fewe he winneth vnto him by this clemencie Such is our wickednes that we hadde rather willingly perishe then to geue our selues to the obedience of the sonne of God that through him we might bée saued Furthermore the aucthoritye of the Gospel is confirmed by these wordes of our sauiour Christ For Christ testifieth that he came from God and not from man Euen as in another place he affirmeth that hée speaketh not of him selfe but that which the Father hath committed vnto him Ioh. 14.10 M. And it ought not to deminish anye thing of the sonnes honour that hée is sent of the father as the Ambassadour of the Emperour is inferiour to him that sent him Bv. But in that the sonne is sent it belongeth rather to dispensation then to Imbecillitie M. The Ambassadour hath deseruedly lesse honour then the Emperour because he is neither the Sonne nor the Lorde nor yet of suche power as the Emperour is but a Minister and a seruant But Christ was sent into this worlde not as a seruant of his Lorde but as a sonne of his father not as one of lesse power but as his equal in al thinges not as of another nature and substaunce but as coequall and coeternall with him in euery condition Christe equall to the father touching the Godhead and therfore worthy to be no lesse honoured then the father yf the father hadde taken vppon him our fleshe and descended from heauen as he hath done Bv. For therfore the father sent the eternal word that in him he might manifestlye declare him selfe vnto vs. For the sonne is a most proper Character of the Fathers substance Heb. 1.3 AVG. Therefore the Sonne is sent of the father but not separated from the father And shall not come into iudgement M. Because God hath not sent his sonne into the world to Iudge the world but that the worlde might bée saued through him Iohn 3.17 Christe here confirmeth the sentence going before concerning eternall lyfe Math. 1.21 For he came to saue his people from their sinnes And sinnes being taken awaye the power of death is at an ende Rom. 6.23 1. Cor. 15.56 because the rewarde of synne is death and the sting of death is sinne C. We therefore are out of the perill of death because we are deliuered by the benefite of Christe Bv. as the Apostle teacheth in the eight chapter to the Romanes But is escaped from death to lyfe Our sauiour Christe doth not without déepe consideration affirme that we are alredye escaped from death because the séede of life by which we are called 1. Pet. 1.23 is incorruptible in the Sonnes of God and because they are already through hope with Christe in the heauenlye glory Ephe. 2.6 Luk. 17.21 and also haue within them the kingdome of God For although their life is hidden with God in Christe Colos 3.3 yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to possesse the same through faith and in that they are deliuered from death and do knowe them selues to bée in safetye through the protection of Christ they do not therfore ceasse to be in peace Neuerthelesse let vs remember that the faithful are so in life in this present world that they alwaies carrye about with them the matter or cause of death But the spirit which dwelleth in them is life which at the length shall abolishe the reliques of death 1. Cor. 15 26 For that saying of Paul is most true The last enemy that shal be destroyed is death And yet in this place the full deliuerance from death or the perfite exhibition of life is not handeled But although that lyfe is but begon in vs yet neuerthelesse Christ pronounceth the same to be so certaine to the faithful that they ought not to be afraid of death no maruaile they being ingraffed in him which is the bottomlesse wel of lyfe M. This place also maketh verye much to the confuting of their opinion which most impudently affirme that the soules of such as dye dye togeather with their bodies and of their opinion also which say that they slepe after death vntil the day of iudgement For that which Christe speaketh here cannot be vnderstoode of the body The soule passeth frō death to life because it passeth from death to the graue but of the soule which passeth from the death of the body to life Euen as Christ in plaine woordes sayde to the Théefe This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And the Apostle Paul saith Luk. 23.43 Philip. 1.23 I desyre to be dissolued and to bee with Christ euidently shewing that it will come to passe that he should be in spirite with Christe so soone as hée should be discharged and loosed from the bondes of the body Otherwise Christe lyued in him insomuch that he had no neede so greatly to desire the dissolution of the body to this thing Galat. 2.10 except he had beléeued that his spirite being entered after death into euerlasting life shoulde spéedyly come vnto Chiste A Howbeit this place ought properlye to be vnderstoode and expounded of that escaping and passage from death to lyfe which is by faith as we haue declared alredye Bv. For so soone as a man truelye beléeueth the word of Christ he passeth from death to life Christ beginneth to liue in him which is the life of the soule R. Therefore death in the faithful shal be swallowed vp and made the gate
is borne C. The meaning of Christ is that he came foorth vnto men adorned with such power that he might communicate and bestowe that vppon them which hée had receyued of his Father And in that hée is man he was ordained by the Father to bée the aucthour of lyfe least we should seeke him a farre of For Christ hath not receyued any thing whereof he him selfe stoode in néede but rather to make vs ritche with his abundaunt treasure The summe and meaning is that in the man Christ the same is reuealed vnto vs which was hidden in God and the lyfe which men before could not attaine vnto is nowe at hand M. Also it is worthy to be noted that when he might haue sayde Because he is man he chose rather to saye Because he is the sonne of man Let this serue our faith against those which teach that Christ tooke fleshe not of the vyrgin Mary that is to saye of the séede of Abraham whiche the whole Scripture teacheth but that he brought the same with him from heauen But Christ here plainelye calleth him selfe the Sonne of man and not man onely 28. Maruaile not at this for the houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce Maruaile not at this B. It was great and wonderful which Christ arrogated to him selfe the admiration whereof that he might somewhat diminishe and might cause the same to bée beléeued hée affyrmed that he would do that which was much more wonderfull namelye that he woulde with his voyce that is to saye with his power raise all the dead to lyfe in the last daye R. Before hée spake of the resurrection which is by fayth Resurrection by fa◠and the resurrection by the fle◠which is by iustification and nowe he speaketh of the fleshe C. But hée séemeth to reason verye vnfitlye when he bringeth the confirmation of that which he had spoken before from the last resurrection Obiection For it is no greater worke to rayse mennes bodyes than it is to rayse theyr soules To this aunswere maye be made Aunsvvere that there is not here of the matter it selfe comparison made which is greater and which is lesse but of humane sence and vnderstanding For men as they are carnall doe wonder at nothing but that which is externall and visible Herevppon it commeth that they careleslye omit the resurrection of the soule but haue the resurrection of the fleshe in great admiration Moreouer this our grosse desire bringeth to passe that those thinges do make more to the confirmation of fayth which are séene with the eye than those thinges which maye bée conceyued by fayth onelye Because hée speaketh nowe of the last daye hée addeth not this restraint And nowe it is as he doeth before in the fiue and twentye verse but doeth simplye pronounce that the tyme shall come Jn the which they that are in the graues M. This is not so to bée stretched that wee should vnderstande that they onely shal be raysed vp in the latter day whose bodyes are buried in Graues and Sepulchers and to exclude those which eyther are drowned in the water burnt to Ashes in the fyre or deuoured of wyld Beasts as we haue read of diuers Christian Martyrs who haue thus ended their lyues C. But because the dead are commonly for the most part buryed by a figure called Synecdoche hée vnderstandeth all which were dead and this is of greater force than if hée had sayd the dead onely Shall heare his voyce M. By these few wordes the faith of Christians is deserued from the faith of the Iewes For the Iewes beléeue the general resurrection of our bodies but they doe not beléeue that the same shal be by the power of the voyce of Christ the sonne of God But this is here plainely affyrmed in these words when he saith Shal heare his voyce This voyce the Apostle attributeth to the Archangel as to the Minister of Christ 1. Thess 4 16. saying For the Lorde him selfe shall descende from heauen in a shoute and in the voyce of the Archangell and in the Trumpe of God and the dead in Christ shall ryse first For this worke he shall bring to passe and finishe by his power Mat. 12.30 Mat. 24.31 but yet hée wyl vse the Ministerye of Aungelles as appeareth in Mathew And the Apostle maketh mencion of the last Trumpe at the sounde whereof the dead shall ryse Therefore the voyce of Christ is that Angelicall Trumpet which by the name and power of Christ shall raise vp the dead Euen as that is the voyce of the King which is proclaimed by the Harold in the Kinges name so is that the voice of Christ which by the Gospell of grace is preached throughout the whole world in the name of Christ M. Also this is not sleightly to bée passed ouer that the houre of the last Iudgement is sayde to come The last day of iudgment This Iudgement while we are séeking to enioye the vanitye of this world and spend the time commeth on a pace Let vs therefore bée careful and vigilaunt in the exercise of godlynesse first because wée heare that the houre of Iudgement shall come secondlye because wée knowe not the time thereof A. The which two thinges are to bée considered Luk. 21.36 that wée maye learne howe wée ought to stande before the sonne of man For wée must all bée brought before the Tribunall seate of Christ that euery man may receyue the workes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad as Christ consequently sheweth saying 29. And shal come forth they that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euyll vnto the resurrection of dampnation And shall come forth R. Because the resurrection of the fleshe is common to all men as well to the vngodlye as to the Godly Christ nowe maketh a difference speaking of the state of both in this resurrection and bée pointeth out the faithfull by theyr good workes euen as hée teacheth in a nother place that Mat. 7.7 the Trée maye be knowne by his fruite And hée commendeth their workes in the which they began to exercise themselues from the time of their calling For the Théefe to whome Christ promised lyfe which all his life time was giuen to wickednesse aspired at the last cast to godlinesse But because hée is become a newe man and beginneth of a bondeslaue of sinne to be a seruaunt of righteousnesse God calleth not the whole rase of his former life to an account Moreouer those sinnes which the godly dayly committe are not imputed to thē For without pardon and forgiuenesse there was neuer any man in the whole worlde which can be thought to haue liued well Good workes without grace are euill workes Naye there can be no good woorke reckened to be in any man but in him alone whose sinnes GOD hath forgiuen forasmuch as our best déedes
taught of the father Holy ghost our schole mayster the which teaching must not be such that a man shall sée the father in this fleshe but the Children of God shall be taught by the inward working of the spirit 1. Cor. 2.10 For they vpon whome it breatheth shal search out the profound misteries of God Mat. 11.27 To this effect also pertayneth this sentence No man knoweth the sonne but the Father also No man hath seene God at any tyme Ioh. 1.18 the only begotten sonne whiche is in the bosome of the Father he hath shewed him to vs. C. When he saith that the father is onely knowen to him he meaneth that this office properly belongeth vnto him selfe to manifeste him to men whiche otherwise is hidden far from vs. 47. Verely verily I saye vnto you hee that putteth his trust in mee hath euerlasting lyfe R By thys sentence our sauioure Christe declareth how we are made the disciples of his father namely by fayth in Christe Iesus by whiche it commeth to passe that wée obtayne euerlasting life What it is to beléeue in Christe wee haue before declared For we muste not immagine a confused and vaine fayth whiche spoyleth Christe of his power suche a faith is that which the Papistes haue who beléeue of Christe as they list them selues for therefore we obtayne lyfe by fayth because we knowe that in Christe all the partes of lyfe are contayned 48. I am the breade of life M. After that Christe had answered those murmurers and had sufficiently prouided for that offence which they hadde taken by the humilitye of his fleshe and by the knowledge whyche they had of hym he nowe consequently maketh repetition of those thinges whiche he had spoken and returneth to that whiche he had begonne concerning Manna R. shewing by a notable comparison howe muche better this quickening breade whiche he offereth is than the oulde Manna 49. You re fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are dead M. This verse is two wayes expounded Some vnderstande it generally of all those Fatheres of the Iewes whiche did eate Manna in Moyses time in the desart as well Godly as vngodly insomuche that the Lord speaketh here in this place not of the death of the soule but of the body But othersome expound it of the wicked only whiche did eate Manna withoute fayth of the trueth in the whiche is lyfe and therefore are also deade that is to saye they perished euerlastingly But it séemeth not necessarye that wée here distinguishe betwéene the beléeuing and the vnbeléeuing Iewes C Onelye Christ sayth that Manna was a corruptible meate to their Fathers M. being foode not of the soule but of the body not sempiternall but temporall which coulde not saue them from death C. It followeth therefore that mens soules finde foode no where but in him whereby they maye be fedde into euerlasting lyfe 1. Cor. 10.3 For we must remember what was spoken in another place that there is no mention made here of Manna as Christ was a secrete figure For in that respect Paule calleth hym spiritual meat but here Christ frameth his speache to his hearers who being onely carefull for the féeding of their bellies had no farther consideration of any thinge in Manna He doth therefore Iustly pronounce that their fathers are deade that is to saye which were in like manner addicted to their bellies 50. This is that breade whiche commeth downe from heauen that if any man eate therof hee shoulde not dye C. Christ inuiteth and calleth those to whome hée speaketh to eate when he sayth that hée came that a man might eate For this kinde of speache is as muche as if he shoulde saye that hée is to bée eaten of so manye as will eate Shall not dye M. Christians dye aswell as other mortal men but they dye onely in bodye for a time and not in soule for euer And although the soules of the vnbeléeuing are immortall also yet notwithstanding their condicion is mortall and miserable insomuch that being aliue in pleasure they are counted deade 1. Tim. 5.6 Euen as the Apostle speaketh of the Widdow which liued in pleasure For the lyfe of the vnbeléeuing is not the true lyfe but a false imagination of lyfe and a mere phantasie by which they thinke themselues to lyue aloane when as indéede they are starcke deade Wee must also noate the vniuersall formes of speaking when he sayth If any man eate For by this manner of speache hée meaneth that hée is offered to all men insomuch that whosoeuer vseth hym shall be preserued in lyfe 51. I am the liuing bread which came downe from heauen If any eate of this bread he shall lyue for euer And the breade that I wyll gyue is my fleshe which I will giue for the lyfe of the worlde The Lord doth often tymes repeate this that all that beléeue in him shall haue euerlasting lyfe C. Because there is nothing more necessarie to bée knowne howe hardelye fayth taketh place in vs and howe soone it vanisheth awaye againe Wée all desire lyfe but in séeking of the same wée foolishlye wander in by wayes and the greater parte despise the same when it is offered For what is he that doth not fayne and promise lyfe vnto hym selfe withoute Christe And what is he that is satisfied and contented with Christe aloane Therfore this repetition is not superfluouse when Christ so often tymes affirmeth that it is he whiche geueth lyfe to the worlde For he taketh vnto him selfe aloane the name of breade that he might remoue out of oure myndes al false and fayned hope of lyfe Christ is the breade of lyfe M. What can the glory and plenty of terrene thinges profite in the whiche there is no life yf so be wée loose this breade in the whiche alone all saluation and euerlasting lyfe doeth consiste C. He nowe calleth that the liuing breade whiche before he called the bread of lyfe and all in one sence Afterwarde he sayth it came from heauen because in this worlde the figure whereof passeth and vanisheth awaye the spirituall and incorruptible lyfe is not to be found but onely in the heauenly kingdome of God So often as he maketh mencion of this worde Eate he exhorteth vs to faith whiche onely bringeth to passe that wée enioye this breade to lyfe And this is not in vayne because there are but a fewe whiche will voutsafe to reache out theyr hande to put this breade to their mouth naye when the Lord putteth the same to their mouthes they will scarse taste of the same but some fill them selues ful of wynde and othersome béeing lyke to Tantalus doe hungar and ar like to starue with meate before their mouthes And the breade that I will giue C. Because this secrete powre of geuing lyfe concerning whiche he spake might be referred to his diuine essens he nowe descendeth to the second degrée and teacheth that lyfe is included in his fleshe that men
whith heauenly foode For when he affirmeth that his fleshe is meate in dede hys meaning is that those soules are like to famishe which wante this meate Therefore thou shalt then fynde lyfe in Christe if so be thou séeke the matter and substaunce of lyfe in his fleshe For so soone as wée forsake the Sacrifice of hys deathe there is nothing before oure eyes but death neyther doth he bring vs any other waye to felyng of hys diuine power than by his death and resurrection M. Therefore he speketh of the redemption of mankynde whiche shoulde be by hys death for the whiche cause he intended to offer his fleshe and bloode a sacrifice to hys father for the remission of the sinnes of the whole worlde Question But why doth he seuerally make mencion of hys bloode which is contained in the fleshe Aunsvvere I aunswere Christe in this had respect and regarde te our rudenesse For when distinctly he expresseth meate and drinke by them selues he putteth vs in mynde that the lyfe whiche he geueth is perfect and complete in each poynt lest we shoulde fayne and immagine to our selues some halfe and vnperfect lyfe as yf he shoulde saye that wée shall want no parte of lyfe if so bée wée eate hys fleshe and drinke his blood Euenso in the supper whiche agreeth with this doctrine beinge not contented with the signe of breade he ioyneth therevnto the Cuppe that hauing therein a doule pledge of lyfe we maye be contented with hym aloane for he shal finde no parte of lyfe in Christe whiche doeth not beléeue that Christe alone is his lyfe 56. He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude dwelleth in me and I in hym He that eateth my fleshe M. These words pertayne to the similitude of suche as eate and drinke to this ende that he might more amply declare the premisses Meate and drinke is tourned into the fleshe and bloude of the eater and drinker of the same euenso they abyding in hym and he in them haue lyfe Otherwise meate withoute the eater or not abyding in hym that hath eaten the same doth not nourishe insomuche that lyfe cannot consist yf so be the eater and the meate be seperated a sonder These thinges are temporall and incorruptible and therefore imperfect to set forth the power of Christe and yet notwithstanding they doe after a sorte set forth a sertayne Image of hym and doe teache vs this that it is necessarily required that he which will haue eternal lyfe must haue Christe the true foode of lyfe abyding in him in suche wise that he maye by no meanes be seperated And whosoeuer eateth his fleshe and drinketh his bloud hath Christ abyding in him and he also in hym C. Séeing therefore Christe aloane contayneth lyfe in him selfe he prescribeth vnto vs here a waye howe we shall inioye the same namely if so be we eate his fleshe euen as yf he shoulde denye hym selfe to be oures otherwayes then by eating hym thorowe fayth For he shall neuer come to the God Christe whiche neglecteth man Wherfore yf thou wilt be pertaker of any thing with Christe thou must firste of al take hede that thou doest not dispise or disdayne hys fleshe Bv. Therefore in these wordes the misterye of his Incarnation and passion is more euidently and fully expressed so that he eateth the fleshe and drynketh the bloud of Christe whiche with a firme fayth beleueth that Christe the true Sonne of the liuing God was incarnate crucefied raysed againe for him that hée washed vs with his dloude from all oure sinnes and hath reconciled vs to God his father Whosoeuer beleeueth this hath lyfe within hym euen the quickening spirite of Christe the power of righteousnesse and redemtion and so Christe lyueth in hym he in Christ Dwelleth in me and I in him M. Because this meate and drink are not subiect to corruption but haue alwaye in them power to geue lyfe therefore he vsed the worde quickening to this ende that it maye agrée with that whereas he promised euerlasting lyfe to suche as eate his fleshe and drinke his bloud C. For this is as muche as if hée had sayde that this is the onely bonde of vnity and that by this meanes he doeth growe with vs when oure fayth doeth rest and staye it selfe vppon his death Bv. This place therefore of the Gospell doth agrée with that of the Apostle where he sayth Rom 3. we knowe that a man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by Faith in Christe Furthermore hereby wée maye gather that he speaketh not of the external signe of breade of whiche many of the vnbeléeuing doe eate who notwithstanding are farre from Christe Also their error is hereby confuted which thinke that Iudas did no lesse receiue the body of Christe then the reste of the Disciples seeing that Christe gaue the bread to all For this is moste sertayne that Iudas was neuer a member of Christe and it is moste absurd to make the fleshe of Christe deade fleshe and withoute spirite also they are very foolishe whiche dreame of any eating of the fleshe of Christe withoute faithe whenas onely faith is the mouth of the soule A. Therefore where faith wanteth Faith the mouth of the soule there is no eating of the fleshe of Christe 57. And the lyuinge Father hath sent me and I liue by the Father euen so hee that eateth me shall lyue by the meanes of me And the liuing Father M. This particle also serueth for the declaration of that whiche goeth before Bv. And that there might be no manner of doubt in so greate a misterye of oure saluation he doth yet more strongly confyrme that whiche hée had sayde namely that his fleshe is meate in déede and his bloud drinke in dede Insomuche that suche as were nourished therewith shoulde be without all perill of death C. Nowe therefore he passeth to the principall cause because the principall originall of life is in the Father And he preuenteth an obiection because he might séeme to detract that from God whiche belongeth to God in making him selfe the cause of lyfe So therefore he maketh him selfe the author of lyfe that he confesseth that to bée geuen hym from another whiche he ministereth to other As if he shoulde saye R. The father is lyfe in déede so also am I the true lyfe forsomuche as the Father hath wholy inprinted hym selfe in me I will not reserue this lyfe whiche the Father hath geuen to me to my selfe aloane as a spightfull and enuious person but I will also communicate the same with the faythfull that euerye one which beleeueth in me may haue that life whiche I possesse through the Father For For this cause am I sent into the worlde that euerye one which beléeueth in mée maye be pertaker of all those good thinges and graces which through the Father I possesse by nature C. Let vs noate that hée framed this occasion also to their capacity with whom hée
Sathan had a wicked desier to hurt him insomuch that he went about with all his might to destroye hym Bv. and working error and rebellion in our parents Adam and Eue he slue all mankinde The same also within a while after armed Caine to destroye his brother Abell And dayly throughout the whoale world he stirreth vp wicked and vngodly men to murther For he reioyceth in bloud in warres in theft and in the destruction of men and only because hee enuieth the felicitie and happinesse of others But Christ meaneth not here the beginning of the creation as though God had endewed the Deuell with a desier to hurte but he condemneth the wickednesse of Sathans nature whiche he hath taken to him selfe M. Neyther ought it to séeme absurd to any man that the Deuell is sayde to be the autor of death when as notwithstanding the Apostle séemeth to attribute the same to our firste parent saying As by one man sinne entereth into the worlde and by sinne Death c. For these two went together namely the Temptor and the Obayer of Temptacion Sathan was the Temptor and perswador to transgression and sinne by enuie mixing with the same a lye yet notwithstanding hée had fayled of his purpose if so be Adam had not harckned to his perswasion and transgressed Gods commaundement Therefore as touching that enuie of the Deuell the roote of euell temtation and also as touching the lye of perniciouse perswasyon it is truely attributed to the Deuell that hée is the firste author of death againe as touching the assent of Adam and the transgression of Gods commaundement it is rightly by the Apostle ascribed to Adam that he was the author of synne and death to all his posteritie insomuch that there is no disagréement at all here betwene Christ and the Apostle As for example if so bee amonge the enemies besieging a Cittie one of them doe with sertaine false perswasyons perswade and intice one of the principall Cittizens to betraye the Cittie vnto them insomuche that he harkeneth therevnto whereby be boath betrayeth his Countrey and also maketh the Cittie to be sacked and destroyed boath the perswading enemie and also the betraying Cittizen which contemning the false perswasions of the enemie might haue kepte his fayth whiche he did owe vnto his countrey are rightly sayd to be the aucthours of this destruction Euenso the mortalitie of mankinde is aptly referred to the mallice and enuie of the Deuell but yet not without the falt of our parentes And aboade not in the trueth C. These wordes playnly expresse a chaung and alteration to the worse and therefore Sathan is a lyer not from the creation but because he fell from the trueth Therefore in that he is a lyer it is not because he hath bene alwayes by nature an ennemy to the truth but because he fell voluntarily from the same Bv. God made the Deuell good in the beginning for all his workes are good He did set him in the trueth from the which hée coulde neuer haue fallen except he had sometyme stoode in the same Of hym was required by the moste Iust God Fayth or fidilitie thankefulnesse and the acknowledging of God the Creatour who had geuen him strength to perseuer yf he had woulde for he might haue stande yf he had woulde But through his owne falte and wickednesse he aboade not in the trueth that is to say in the puritie in the which he was made For by Infedilitie he fell C. This discription of Sathan is very profitable for vs that euery man maye learne to béeware of his subtill snares 1. Pet. 5.8 and to resist him For he goeth about continually like a roaring Lyon séeking whome he may deuoure and he hath a thousand wayes to deceiue AVG. We haue not red that the Deuell hath at any time vsed any externall armoure to kill a man neyther that hée hath playde the murderer with his hand but he hath vsed lying and pernicious perswasion M. This is the worse and moste Deuelishe kinde of murther when the body is not only killed with the sworde but also when both soule and body with a blasphemouse lye against the worde of God is made subiect not only to Temporal but also to euerlasting death C. So much the more therefore it behooueth the Faithfull to be armed with spirituall armoure to fighte and to be sober and watche M. Therefore the Apostle when he feared this kinde of murther sayde I feare leste by any meanes that as the serpent beguiled Eue through his subteltie 2. Cor. 11.3 euenso your mindes shoulde be corrupted from the singlenesse that is toward Christ For the serpent had the false Apostles Ministers of this murder by whose dilligence he sought to bryng to passe that thing whiche he had begon in the beginning to the destruction of mankind such false Aposteles he hath alwayes had among the Gentiles among the Iewes and amonge the Christians C. Therefore yf Sathan cannot put of this affection there is no cause why we shoulde he troubled as at some newe or straunge thing when we sée diuers errors to spring vp for Sathan sendeth forth his Instrumentes to trouble and to deceiue the worlde And it is noe marueile yf so be Sathan séeke so dilligently to ouerwhelme the light of the trueth for it is the onely lyfe of the soul Therefore he vseth lying as a mortall darte to destroye the soule Because there is no truth in him C. This is a confirmation taken of the effecte For because Sathan hateth the trueth and cannot abide the same but fauoreth altogether of lyes Christe gathereth therevpon that he was taken and quight tourned awaye from the trueth R. Neither is it repugnaunt to this sentence of Christ Iob. 1.10 Math. 4.6 when we reade that Sathan hath sometime spoken the truth as when he sayde Thou haste blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the Land Also it is writen he shall geue his aungeles charge ouer thee Again Thou art Christ the Sonne of God Luk. 4.41 Act. 16.17 Moreouer These men are the seruauntes of the moste high God whiche shewe vnto vs the waye of saluation These I saye and such like sentences are nothing repugnaunt with these wordes of Christ For it is one thinge sometime to speake the trueth and another thing to haue the truth within one Euenas it is one thing sometime to tell a lye and another thing to bée a continuall lyar The trueth is in them which do not onely sometime speake that whiche is true but do loue the trueth and doe speake those thinges which they speake for the loue which they owe vnto the truth A man shall finde some whiche speake the trueth not for the Loue they beare to the trueth but for the loue either of glory or of gayn or else for the hatred which they beare to some man Of those it cannot bee sayde that the trueth is in them Although therefore Sathan sometime speaketh
to abide in his worde Bv. This parte Faith quicneth mans soule If a man comprehendeth all mortall men and excludeth none of what age sexe or condicion soeuer he be of Hee shall not see death C. Because so soone as Faith hath quickened the soule of man death can wounde and kyll no more B. And the Faithfull by the vndoubted hope of the blessed Resurrection when they dye are rather sayde to sléepe than to dye in the meane time being in soule in euerlasting lyfe and blisse with the Lorde For what else is the meaning of this which Christ sayth Hee shall neuer see death but because he sawe another death from the which he came to deliuer vs that is to saye the seconde death Death euerlasting euerlasting daath death of hell fyre the death of dampnation with the Deuell and his aungelles that is death in déede M. Therefore neuer to sée death is nothing else but to haue euerlasting lyfe So that we may noate and learne here that Faith is the way to Immortallity Bv. And that Christians doe truely lyue and neuer dye although in this worlde they be more lyke to dead men than to liuing men and to dye in body like other men A. For the saying of Christ here is moste true to the whiche also agréeeth this place Euery one which liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die Ioh. 11.26 52. Then sayde the Iewes vnto him now knowe we that thou haste the Deuell Abraham is deade and the Prophetes and thou sayest if a man keepe my sayinges hee shall neuer taste of death M. Leauing that whiche the Lorde had obiected for the defence of his doctryne the Iewes agayne according to their maner craftely wrest those things which they thought might serue theire tourne to cauell C For the reprobate abyde still in their senclesnesse and are no more touched or mooued with promises than with threatnings insomuch that they can neyther be allured nor drawen vnto Christ They doe falsely interprete the wordes of Christ when they transferre his spirituall doctrine to the body M. Christe spake of that very and euerlasting death of Hell fyer of the death of body and soule together C. For this death none of the Faithfull shall sée because they beeing borne of incorruptible séede in dying to liue because they béeing ioyned to Christe their head cannot be extinguished by death because death to them is a passage into the heauenly kingdome and because the spirite dwelling in them as lyfe for righteousnesse sake But these men béeing carnall vnderstand no deliueraunce from death but that which openly appeareth in the body and do cauill at the wordes of Christ as if he had spoken only of the death of the body C. And this falt is to common and generall in the worlde many making no account almost of the grace of Christ because they onely carnally iudge of the same Therefore lest we doe the lyke we must awaken oure mindes that they maye féele the spirituall lyfe in the midest of death A. The which shall come to passe yf fo bee by true fayth wée kéepe the word of the Lord Iesu 53. Art thou greater then oure Father Abraham whiche is dead And the Prophetes are dead whom makest thou thy selfe M. Here it appeareth how these maliciouse men went about to make Christ to be hated and enuied of the people by making mencion againe of Abraham and the Prophetes as though Christ had spoken somewhat that had béene repugnaunt to Abraham and the Prophetes This therefore was another falte in them that they went about by the shyning brightnesse of Abraham and of the Saintes to obscure the glory of Christe But as the brightnesse of the sunne doth obscure and darken al the starres euenso Christ with his excéeding shyne and glory doth make all the glory of Saintes to vanishe awaye therefore they deale vniustely and preposterously in comparing the seruauntes with the Lorde and they are iniuriouse also to Abraham and the Prophetes in abusing their name against Christ M. Abraham verely was great before God and so were the Prophets but yet for al this why might not he come after them which was much more greater then they C. But this wickednesse hath béene almost in all ages and is also to be founde at this daye that the wicked renting and deuiding the workes of GOD doe make him as were contrarye to himselfe God manifested and declared his name by the Apostles and Martires the Papists make Idoles to themselues of the Apostles and Martires which they set in Godes seate Doe they not by this meanes make vnto themselues of the graces of God instrumentes to ouerthrowe the power of God For how little shall remayne for GOD and Christ if so bée the Saintes maye haue that which the Papistes so liberallye giue vnto them Wherefore wée must knowe that the whole order of Goddes kingdome is confounded Saintes at infeeiour to God except the Prophetes Apostles and Saintes bee farre inferiour vnto Christ and verely wée cannot speake more reuerentlye and honorably of the saintes than when wée make them inferiour vnto Christe B. The argument of the Iewes was that not onelye they which beléeued Abraham and the Prophets were deade but also Abraham and the Prophtes themselues and therefore that the Lorde spake without reason in preferring hymselfe before the holye Fathers and the Prophettes 54. Iesus aunswered If I honour my selfe my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoreth me which ye saye is your God C. Before hée maketh aunswere to the foresayde vnequall comparison hée sheweth that hée séeketh not his owne glorye and so hée preuenteth their cauill For Christ in that hée was a man did not gloryfye himselfe but God dyd glorifie him B. Therefore hée speaketh thys by Immitation or by concession as hée spake many thinges before C. And hée sheweth that hée desireth no glorye but that which the Father giueth into hym M. Here a common place maye bee handeled concerning the vanitie of glory which carnall men séeke in this worlde This glorye the Lorde sayth is nothing though hee shoulde séeke the same If so be the glorye of Christ were nothing if he had glorified himselfe I pray you what mortall man will you shewe me which may attaine the true and perfyte glorye in glorifying himselfe Therefore that is true glorye which is giuen to God Jt is my father which honoureth mee Bv. That is to saye my Father testifyeth mée to be suche a one as I affirme my selfe to bée And hée testifyeth the same by Oracles by signes by myracles and by many argumentes Therefore I arrogate nothing vnto my selfe by ambition and in that I exalte my selfe aboue the Patriarkes and Prophetes and doe promise lyfe and immortalitye I doe so exalte my selfe and promise as the sonne of GOD. By these wordes wée are taught that when God glorifyeth hys Sonne hée will not suffer that the world shall contemne him and escape vnpunished But the faythfull may
shall séeke no other thing than that which pleaseth him secondlye that they shall be so déere and acceptable in the sight of GOD that whatsoeuer they wyll by his clemencye they shall receyue So also sayeth the Prophete Dauid He wyll fulfyll the desire of them that feare him Psal 145 hee also wyll heare theyr crye and wyll helpe them And my wordes abide in you Bv. In these fewe wordes hée expoundeth who they bée whiche abyde in Christe namelye they in whome the wordes of Christ doe abyde And the wordes of Christ doe abyde in the Faithfull For these by faith doe receyue the Euangelicall doctrine of Christ and retayne the same C. Therefore when they forsake the doctrine of the Gospel they séeke after Christ in vaine M. Lastlye wée must noate that Christ sayde not Whatsoeuer ye wyll ye shall doe But Aske what ye wyll and it shal be done for you For although the faithful seruauntes of Christe are acceptable vnto GOD yet notwithstanding they haue not power to do what they wyll or no attribute any thing to theyr right or merites but ought to depende vppon the grace of God onelye and to aske those thinges of him which are necessarye For the Lorde knoweth what thinges they haue néede of and is readye to doe and to geue vnto them whatsoeuer hée knoweth to bée profitable vnto them but to nourishe faith and trust in their harts hée geueth vnto them the spirite of prayer that they maye requyre all thinges at his hande by humble peticion Bv. Therefore to what ende should we retaine Christ corporally if so be otherwyse he geue vnto his faithfull seruants that which they require and is alwaye readye to helpe them Doeth he séeme to be absent which fulfilleth the desires of his seruauntes Wherefore wée ought not to be discouraged from praier though wee haue not the corporall presence of the Lorde 8. Herein is my Father glorified that ye beare muche fruite and become my Disciples C. This is a confirmation of the sentence going before For he sheweth that we must not doubte but that he heareth the prayers of his seruauntes when they desire to be made fruitefull because this speciallye appertayneth to the setting forth of his glorye R. But is not the Father glorious by his owne nature Howe then can we glorifye him The Father verilye is glorious in him selfe from euerlasting but yet he doth not alwayes appeare manifestlye to bée glorious Euen as he is wonderfull most wyse and liberall from euerlasting yet notwithstanding hée hath not so appeared before the condicion of the worlde For his wisedome power and liberallitye was shewed afterwarde in the creation of the world Thus he was alwaies glorifyed by his owne nature yet not manifestly His glory is declared when he sanctifyeth the elect and maketh them to bring forth fruite that is to saye to beléeue and to loue Faith vanquisheth the Deuell And loue the world For by faith all the deceites of Sathan are ouercome and by loue all the iniuryes of the world are subdued For who would haue known that the power of God ouer Sathan had béene so great and all the rule and principallity of this worlde if so be the same had not béene manifested in the faithfull when they ouercome Sathan and the worlde Therfore the Father is glorifyed God is glorifyed by faith when one beléeueth and by Faith is made a Disciple of Christ that is to saye the sonne of God by adoption He is also gloryfied when fayth bringeth forth the fruite of loue in the beléeuing For it is the glory of God to ouercome sinnes by Christe to boast of the righteousnesse of Christ The Father is not gloryfied by ceremonies by mannes inuencions by frée wil and by humaine strength but he is gloryfied by Faith and charitye Wherefore if we wyll glorifye the Father let vs beléeue in the sonne let vs abyde in the worde of the sonne and let vs loue one another euen as Christ hath loued vs. C. For he pronounceth here that he hath none in his flocke but suche as fructefye to the glorye of God Bv. To the which effecte pertaineth this saying of Christ Let your lyght so shine before men Math 5.16 that they may see your good works and glorifye your Father whiche is in heauen And become my Disciples M. This ought not so to be vnderstoode as though by fructefying wee were made the Disciples of Christ because we must first be true Disciples of Christ and then to doe the workes of Disciples His wordes are as muche as if he had sayd And declare your selues to bee my true Disciples by abyding in my worde For if ye abyde in my word then are ye my verye Disciples Iohn 8 31. and ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shall make you free 9. As the Father hath loued mee euen so haue I loued you continue in my loue M. Hée goeth forewarde in exhorting his Disciples to abyde in his loue And in this place he taketh an argument to perswade by his owne example and the example of his Father C. By which wordes his purpose was to expresse a farre greater matter than the common sort doe deny or iudge For here they make a lōg discourse but beside the purpose concerning the secréete loue of the father with the which he hath been alwayes affected toward his sonne whē as rather the purpose of Christ was to laye as it were in our lap the sure pledge of his diuine loue toward vs. Therfore that whiche they imagine appertaineth nothing to this present place But the loue of the which mencion is made here is to be referred vnto our selues because Christ testifieth that hee is loued of the Father in that he is the head of the Church For he which séeketh to know how he is loued of God without a Mediator bringeth him selfe into a Labyrinth in the which he shall finde no way to get forth Therefore we must cast our eyes vppon Christ in whom we shal finde the pledge of Gods loue For vpon him the whole loue of God is layde that from him it might flowe to his members For this cause he is sayde to be the well beloued sonne in whome the Father is well pleased But we must noate the ende Math. 3.7 which is That we maye be acceptable vnto God So that we may behold the Fatherlye loue of God toward vs all in him euen as in a glasse because he is not loued for his owne sake but to Ioyne vs with the Father vnto him R. Therfore as the Father loued the Sonne and gaue vnto him all good thinges sustained him vnder the Crosse and deliuered his soule out of hell so the Sonne also loueth the Faithfull and geueth vnto them all those graces which he hath receiued from the Father beareth them vp vnder the Crosse bringeth them from death to life and deliuereth them out of Hell Abide ye in my loue Some expounde these
⧠A CATHOLIKE and Ecclesiasticall exposition of the holy Gospell after S. IOHN Gathered out of all the singuler and approued Deuines which the Lorde hath giuen vnto his Church by Augustine Marlorate And translated out of Latin into Englishe by Thomas Timme Minister Seene and allovved according to the order appoynted ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Marshe Anno Domini 1575. ¶ TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE Lorde Thomas Earle of Sussex Vicount Fitzwalter Lorde of Egremont and of Burnell one of the Queenes Maiesties Honorable priuie Counsayle and Lorde high Chamberlayne of hir house of the noble order of the Garter Knight Iustice of Oyer of the Forrests Parkes VVarraynes and Chases from Trent Southvvarde and Captayne of the Gentlemen Pentioners And to the right honorable Lady his wyfe encrease of honour and true knowledge in Christ Iesus THE GREAT PROfite which the Christiā minde is to receyue by reading this Booke was the cause why I tooke the paynes to Translate it out of Latin into the English toung and the Recommending therof the more diligently to haue it read was the occasion which moued me to Dedicate my parte therein to your Honors For what Englishe man is there which will not thinke it a Booke most worthy the reading which he seeth warranted by your Names The honorable and generall report whereof hartneth me to present it vnto you wherein ye shall finde the deepe and deuine Euangelist Sainct John the marrow of all Commentaries vppon him vnder the name of Marlorates Collection last and least my faythfull trauell to turne them bothe to the vse of my Countrey The thing I know your Honors will like well bicause as I heare you can skilfully iudge so I doubt not but you haue made your choyce what to reade which so muche bruteth the credite of your abilitie founde out by effect As for my labor may it please your Honors to like it as comming from one which caught with the commendation of your Learning and Wisdome generally noyzed could not but offer my selfe to you as the wondering Queene of Saba could not rest tyll she had seene Salomons person of whose wisdome she had hard so muche And withall I thought it good in offering my labor to your Honors to ioyne you both togither thinking with my selfe that it must needes follow that suche skill and iudgement beeing in so Honorable a man must needes by societie of matche worke like effect in so honorable a Mate Wherefore not to trouble your Honors with longer speache I take my leaue Recommending my poore Paynes to your Honors protection the recompence whereof you shall receiue in your reading of the booke whose fruite will bring by Gods grace health to your soules and continuance of your Honor. Your Honors most humble Thomas Timme ⧠A CATHOLIKE AND ECCLESIASTICALL EXPOsition of the holye Gospell after S. JHON The Argument ALthough the worde of GOD dependeth or hangeth not vpon the auctoritie of men yet notwithstanding 1. Iohn 4. as it is profitable to proue the spirites whether they be of GOD or no So it is necessarie that they which take vppon them the office of teaching in the Churche doe keepe their auctoritie in the same to the ende the testimonie which they bring concerning the truthe maye more firmelie abide with the faythfull But trulie this Gospell which John bringeth is nothing else than a testimonie of Christ Iesus that is to say that Christ is the sonne of God the life of men the light of the worlde the breade of life which came downe from heauen the resurrection the waye the trueth and the life the good Shephearde of the sheepe and to be short the onelie sauiour of the worlde It is conuenient therefore that wee knowe who this was which so beareth witnesse of him which was conuersaunt among men hauing the shewe of a seruaunt Philip. 2. being in the similytude of men and founde in his apparell as a man being tempted in all thinges as we are and yet without sinne This one witnesse is to be credited of vs euen as well as a thousand Heb. 4. because he was one that writ these thinges to the edefying of the Church and for the common profite of all men not by the common fame and report of other men but by that which is most sure and infallible namelie by that which he hearde and saw himselfe euen as hee himselfe speaketh of himselfe in the ende of this historie saying Iohn 19. He vvhich savve bare vvitnesse and his vvitnesse is true and hee knovveth that he speaketh truth that ye might beleeue And in an other place he sayth That vvhich vvas from the beginning vvhich vve haue hearde vvhich vve haue seene which we haue looked vpon and our handes haue handeled of the worde of life we shewe vnto you For this writer of the sacred Historie 1. Iohn 1. or Gospel was in the time of Christ being the brother of the Apostle Iames borne in Galilee and the sonne of Zebede and Salomon as many thinke Of whose calling to the office of an Apostle S. Mathew in the .iiij. Chapter maketh mention aptly therfore he calleth this history the Gospel for he doth more largely and plainelie set forth the diuinity of Christ and the mistery of our redemption than the other Euangelists The which thing being forseene by our Lord and Sauiour Christ called this our Euangelist and his brother also the sonne of Thunder or as Marke hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Furthermore the other three Euangelists are very large insetting forth the life and death of Christ but our Euangelist shortely touching those things stādeth more vpō that doctrine by the which both the office of christ and also the power of his death resurrection is explicated And to be short all of them seking to set forth Christ the first three namely Mathew Marke and Luke do set before vs If I may so speake the bodye but Iohn the soule Insomuch that this Gospell maye truelie be called the key which openeth the doore to come to the vnderstanding of the other three For who soeuer shall attaine to the knowledge of Gods power the which is here cunninglie expressed he at the length shall reade with profite that which the other Euangelistes haue written as concerning the redeemer Neyther was it done without the singuler counsell of the holie Ghost that the Gospell written by Mathew Marke and Luke shoulde be published and set foorth in the worlde before that which was written by Iohn for the weake eares of the faithfull were not capeable of so great thunder Therfore it was conuenient that the Incarnation of Christ shoulde fyrst of all be set foorth his Natiuitie described and howe according to the scriptures he was borne of the seede of Abraham of the tribe of Iuda and of the stocke of Dauid by what documents he prooued him selfe to be the true Messias how according to the scriptures he suffered and was buried and rose againe the thirde
GOD and the Sauiour of the whole worlde the which is done of vs when we depende wholye vpon him by a sincere fayth and trust and commit our selues wholye as Disciples vnto him Hée sayth not they which are pure and altogither voyde of sinne and worthy to be admitted into the fellowship of this fraternitie but he sayth which beléeue in his name and receyue him that is to saye which acknowledge by fayth the grace offered and receyue it in heart Therefore they which beléeue not receyue not Christ they cannot obtaine this sauing helth and dignity of the sonnes of God in so much that they must of necessitie perish with this world vnder the wrath 13. Which were borne not of bloode nor of the will of the fleshe nor yet of the will of man but of God Which were borne M. These woordes pertayne to the description of them which beléeue in the name of Christ and do receyue the right of the adoption of the sonnes of God They which are such are not borne of fleshe and blood but of God Fleshe and blood begetteth not the Children of God That which is of the fleshe is fleshe Iohn 3 and that which is of the spirite is spirite B. By these woordes the Euangelist meaneth nothing else but the carnall Byrth For he maketh a comparison of the generation of the fleshe and of the spirite reiecting the one and allowing the other C. Neyther is it necessarye that wée vnderstand here by this worde flesh the Woman as many would haue it The Euangelist rather repeating one thing by diuerse woordes goeth about to inculcate the same and to print it more déepelye in our mindes Therefore hée doth secréetelye touche the wicked trust and confidence of the Iewes who had alwayes in theyr monthes the worthinesse of theyr ofspring as though they springing from a holye Progeny were Saintes by nature They had worthelye boasted them selues to bée of the stock of Abraham if they had béene lawfull Children and not bastardes But the boasting of Faith doth arrogate nothing at all from the carnall generation but geueth GOD the praise for all thinges that it hath receyued ◠Therefore S. Iohn in effect sayeth thus much They which beléeue in Christ being before vncleane Gentiles are not borne the sonnes of God out of the wombe or by fleshe and blood but are brought therevnto by the workemanshippe of the holye Ghost And although properly hée hath respect vnto the Iewes which were proude in the fleshe yet notwithstanding of this place a generall Doctrine maye bée gathered namelye that where as wée are counted the Sonnes of GOD it commeth not by the propertye of our nature neyther of our selues but because the Lorde hath begotten vs of his owne fréewill and singuler loue Question A. Notwithstanding the Euangelist séemeth verye vnorderlye to make regeneration the first in order as though it went before faith when as rather it is the effect of Faith and therefore the latter of the twaine Aunsvvere C. I aunswere that it is both first and last in diuers respects because by fayth wée conceyue the incorruptible séede by the which we are borne againe into a newe and diuine life and yet neuerthelesse faith is now the worke of the holye Ghost which dwelleth in none but in the sonnes of God Therefore in diuers respectes faith is a part of our regeneration and an enteraunce into the kingdome of Heauen that wée might bée nombred among the children of God For in that hee illuminateth our mindes with the spirite hee sheweth the worke of regeneration After this maner faith springeth from regeneration as from the well But because wée receyue Christ by the same faith whiche sanctifieth vs wyth his spirite therefore it is sayde to be the beginning of our adoption Therefore in respect of our sence we beginne not to be the sonnes of God but after faith onely M. But we must note what difference there is betwéene them whiche are adopted in this worlde to the inheritaunce of earthlye goodes and those which are adopted to bée the sonnes of God They whiche are adopted to haue the inheritance of earthlye goodes are adopted by grace of good will although they come not of the same fleshe neither are regenerate in minde but abide in the same minde whereof they were before But they which are adopted to bee the Sonnes of God are not borne of the substaunce of God as was Christ the onely begotten sonne of GOD but they being by grace taken for heyres and sonnes are also chaunged in minde and of carnall are made spirituall And this is that which hée sayth But are borne of God Wee gather also by this place that faith commeth not of our selues but is the fruite of spirituall regeneration For the Euāgelist affirmeth that no man can beléeue but hée which is borne of God Faith therefore is a heauenly gift Furthermore wée maye hereby gather that faith is not a colde or bare motion seeing none can beléeue except hée be reformed by the spirite of God 14. And the same woorde became flesh dwelt among vs and we sawe the glorye of it as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and truth And the same worde C. Nowe hée teacheth what that comming of Christ was of the which he had made mencion before saying Hee came into his owne Namelye that hée hauing taken vppon him our fleshe openlye shewed him selfe to the world M. And by the fleshe he vnderstandeth the whole man in somuche that it is al one as if he had sayd And the word beecame man C. For this worde fleshe serueth more to set foorth the force of his minde than if he had sayde That it was made man His purpose was to shew what a vile and base condition the Sonne of GOD tooke vpon him for our sakes comming downe from the throne of his heauenlye glorye The scripture speaking of a man contemptuouslye calleth him fleshe When as therefore the Euangelist calleth the sonne of God fleshe he meaneth that he hath so much abased him selfe that he hath taken vppon him this fleshe subiect to so many miseries R. As to fragillity contempt execration pouertye hunger thirst nakednesse death and damnation and that wee might bee made through him Strong Blessed Ritch Full Immortal and righteous whereby we haue euerlasting saluation For what thing else is fleshe than weakenesse dust and as it were haye and the glorye thereof as the flower of the field which in the morning groweth and in the Euening is cut downe and withered C. But the fleshe is not here taken for the corrupt nature of man as Paule oftentimes taketh it but for the mortall man Verye fonde therefore is Appollinaris which imagined that Christ had a humane bodye onely without a soule For this is a figuratiue kinde of speache because the inferiour part doth comprehende the whole man For by an innumerable sort of testimonies a man may gather that Christ our
sauiour as hée had a body so also he had a Soule And the scripture when it calleth men fleshe it doeth not thereby make them voyde of Soule It is verye manifest therefore that the woorde being begotten before all worldes of the Father and whiche was alwayes with the Father was made man Iohn 2 M. We must also take héede least we thinke the woorde to bée sayde to bée made fleshe in that sence that the water is sayd to bée turned into Wine For there the water was so made Wine that it left of to be water any more and was onely wine but here the word was not so made flesh that it should ceasse to be the word that is to say God should be now nothing more then fleshe God forbid For it can not bée that God should be chaunged into man and should then cease to be God The diuine substaÌ„ce of the worde will neyther admit mutacion or ende séeing it is immutable and infinite or without ende Morouer the fleshe of Christ hath not left his proper nature and is chaunged into the worde God forbid this also For else as Christ is there depriued of his diuinitye euen so here he should bée depriued of his true humanitye in so much that he should not bée nowe true man neyther truely conceyued nor truelye borne neyther yet truely suffered nor dead and consequentlye neyther truely raysed againe from death M. Let vs therefore firmelye holde and beléeue that GOD was made man that hée tooke vnto him that which before he was not Two thinges to bee beleued and that he lost not that which he was C. And therefore in this principle of Faith there are twoo principall thinges of vs to be beléeued namelye that twoo natures in Christ were so ioyned and come togeather into one person that one and the selfe same Christ was both verye God and verye Man And that the vnitye of persons doth not let but that the seuerall natures doe abide distinct in so much that the Diuinitye doth retaine and kéepe whatsoeuer is proper vnto it and the humanity hath also that to him selfe which belongeth vnto it A. And if we beléeue these twoo principles we shall easilye driue awaye all errours which Satan hath brought in by his Ministers touching the Diuinitye and humanitye of Christ For Nectorius Eutiches Seruetus and the Anabaptistes haue brought no smal contumelye vnto Christ in going about some of them to robbe him of his Diuinitye and some of them of his humanity And dwelt amongst vs. R. That is to saye The Sonne of GOD hauing taken vppon him our fleshe liued amongest vs men spake with vs and did eate and drinke with vs. M. Herevppon the Prophete called Christ Emanuel Esay 7 that is to saye God with vs. B. For he being in the forme of God thought it not robbery to bée equall with God but made him selfe of no reputacion taking on him the forme of a seruaunt Philip. 2 and made in the likensse of men and founde in figure as a man R. And againe it is sayde God was manifested in the fleshe iustified in the spirite 1. Timo. 3 seene of Angelles preached to the Gentiles beleeued on in the world and receyued vp into glorye C. But it is doubtfull whether the Euangelist speaketh generallye of men or of him selfe onelye and of the rest of the Disciples which were eye witnesses of that which hee sayth It is most likelye that he speaketh of him selfe and of his fellowe Disciples for he addeth saying And we saw the glorye of it M. He hath the same wordes almost in his Epistle saying That which was from the beginning 1. Epist 1 which we haue heard which we haue seene c. For although the glorye of Christ might be séene of men yet notwithstanding it was vnknowne to the greater part by reason of blindnesse Onely a fewe whose eyes the holye Ghost opened sawe this manifestation of glorye The summe and effect of these woordes is that Christ was so knowne to be man that he shewed forth somwhat in him selfe to bée seene of men to be far more excellent Whervpon it followeth that the Maiestye of GOD was not abased although it was compassed about with fleshe It laye hid vnder the basenesse of the fleshe but so notwithstanding that it shewed foorth his brightnesse M. Iohn sayeth not we sawe his essence but we sawe his glory No man séeth nor hath séene the verye essence of the worde But the beléeuing Apostles sawe his glorye B. The which as it was speciallye séene of thrée of the disciples in the mount Thabor Math. â—7 Euen so by his gloryous resurrection and Assention it did mightelye shine and was openlye exhibited to be seene of all the Disciples M. Therefore by this worde glorye he vnderstandeth those thinges which set forth the glory of this worde that is to saye whiche are certaine shewe tokens of his Diuine goodnesse wisedome and power Euen as in the Chapter following Saint Iohn sayth After Christ had made VVine of water He manifested sayth he his glory A. And Christ him selfe hearing of the death of Lazarus sayth This sicknesse is not vnto death Iohn 11 but for the glorye of GOD that the Sonne of God might bee glorified thereby M. And because the Apostle sawe all these thinges Saint Iohn testifieth of them in this place saying And we sawe his glorye For in these thinges the glorye of Christ was declared As the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the Father C. This worde As is not of improprietye in this place but it rather signifieth a true and perfect approbation Ephe. 5. Euen so when Paul sayth VValke as children of the light he meaneth that we should truely testify by our workes the verye same that we are the children of the light The Euangelist therefore meaneth that the same glory was seene in Christ which did agree and belong to the sonne of God and was an assured testimony of his Diuintye M. For testimony is geuen of Christ not as of some holy man and Prophete of GOD which was conuersaunt among them and whose glory they sawe Exod. 34 as the Israelites also sawe the glorye of Moyses which he had in his face neyther as of a glorious King of this worlde which kinde of glorye some of the Disciples desyred saying Graunt that wee maye sit in thy glorye the one on thy right hande and the other on the lefte the which also the Iewes foolishlye looked for at the comming of theyr Christ But as of the incarnate and onely begotten woord of GOD the which is called by the Apostle Hebr. 1 The brightnesse of the glory of the Father And the Euangelist here calleth the word onely begotten because he is the only begotten sonne by nature as if he should place him aboue men and Angels should attribute that vnto him which belongeth vnto no other creature But we must not thinke that theyr faith did sée
Papistes For they wearying them selues all theyr life time with secréete speculations whatsoeuer properly appertaineth to the true worship of God to the assuraunce of our saluation and to Godly life they know no more than doeth the Cobler or Cowheard the course of the Starres and pleasing them selues in straunge mysteries they do cōtempne the more necessary doctrine of the Scriptures as though they were too well learned to spende theyr time in reading of them It is no maruaile therefore if Nicodemus do stumble here as it were at a strawe For this is the iust iudgement of GOD that they which thinke them selues to bée the greatest and best learned Doctours to whome the simplicitye of the common Doctrine séemeth base should bée sencelesse blind in the least Articles R. For neyther can humane reason attaine to that which is diuine nor yet any mortal man to those things which belong to Gods spirite 1. Cor. 2 naye those thinges whiche are spoken vnto him séeme foolishe For as a vessell retayneth the sauoure and smell which it hath once gotten and afterwardes when other liquour is put into it doeth make it to relishe of the same euen so our reason at the beginning of our Natiuitye is seasoned with carnallitye and carnall affections in so muche that whatsoeuer afterwarde it heareth it vnderstandeth according to his oulde relishe that is to saye carnallye and doeth by and by reiect all suche thinges as passe humane capacitye M. For it enquireth howe God can bée incarnate How a Virgin can bring foorth a Childe Howe a man Crucified and Buryed can bée the sauiour of the worlde Howe Baptisme can take awaye sinne Howe can Christ geue his Fleshe to eate and suche like Misteryes of our Faith All these thinges blinde reason condemneth as foolishnesse and derideth them 5. Iesus answered verylye verylye I saye vnto thee Except a man bee borne of water and of the spirite He can not enter into the Kingdome of God Verylye verylye I saye vnto thee Bv. Nicodemus vnderstoode not the opinion concerning Regeneration or newe Byrthe of man therefore our louing and mercifull Sauioure moore plainlye expoundeth those thinges whiche before he spake misticallye teaching that to be borne againe is nothing else than to be borne of water of the spirite and that the same is the very true maner of regeneration But all men for the most part by this sentence of our Sauiour Christ vnderstande Baptisme Baptisme and many of them do hereby make Baptisme so necessarye that they affirme it impossible for a man to attaine to saluation except he be washed with the water of Baptisme and so disorderlye they include the assuraunce of our saluation vnder the signe when as the wole Scripture attributeth the grace and power of regeneration to the holye ghost Marke 16.16 Titus 3.5 1. Pet. 3.12 as may appeare in diuers places of Scripture but speciallye by these places noted in the margent C. And as touching this place we ought to vnderstand the same simplye of mans regeneration and not of Baptisme For the purpose of Christ was to exhort Nicodemus to newnesse of life because hée was not capable of the Gospell vntil he were a newe man Therefore this is the simple meaning of this sentence That it behooueth vs to bée borne againe that wée maye be the Sonnes of GOD and also that the holye Ghost is the aucthour of this seconde byrth For Nicodemus dreaming of a Pithagoricall Regeneration Christ to waken and remoue him from that errour added this for an interpretacion of that which he spake before namelye that man was not naturally borne againe The holy ghost the aucthour of our regeneration neyther was it néedefull that a man shoulde haue a newe body but that he is borne againe when hée is renewed by the grace of the holye Ghost both in soule and minde And therefore by these wordes Spirite and water hée vnderstandeth all one thing The which interpretacion ought not to séeme in any mans sence to strayte and farre fetcht For it is a common phrase of speache in the Scripture when mencion is made of the Spirite to adde the name of Water and Fyre to expresse the force of the same In thirde of Mathew it is sayde that Christ baptized with the holy Ghost Math. 3.11 and with fire in the which place there is no difference in sence betwéene fyre and the holye Ghost but doth onelye signifie what the efficacye of Gods spirite is in vs. And where as here wee haue the name of water set before the spirite it maketh no great matter nay rather this maner of speache soundeth better than that other of Mathew because the plaine sence and meaning followeth the Metaphore as if Christ should haue sayde No man is the sonne of God vntil such time as hée is renewed and borne againe by water that is to saye by the spirite which purgeth vs anewe and which by his grace and power in vs inspireth and replenisheth vs with the moysture of a heauenly life séeing by nature wée are altogither drye and withered And vppon good consideration our Sauiour Christ bringeth this phrase of speache vsed in the Scriptures to set before Nicodemus his ignoraunce and blindenesse For Nicodemus shoulde haue knowne at the last that the same which was spoken by our sauiour Christ was taken out of the common doctrine of the Prophets Therefore by water is ment nothing else but the inwarde purgation and moysture of the holye Ghost So that the second is but an explycation of the first Wherevpon also our Sauiour when hée addeth a reason why wée ought to be borne againe making no mencion of water teacheth that the newnesse of life which hée requireth is wrought by the holy ghost Wherfore it foloweth that water must not be separated from the spirite 6. That whiche is borne of the fleshe is fleshe and that whiche is borne of the spirite is spirite B. This is a reason of that whiche went before For therefore no man vnborne againe can enter into the kingdome of God because all that is borne of fleshe is nothing else by that first and naturall Natiuitye but fleshe And fleshe and blood can not enter into the kingdom of Heauen For by the knowledge of GOD wée are made partakers of his kingdome Iohn 17.3 1. Cor. 2.14 for it is sayde This is life eternall O Father to knowe thee c. Now man which is fleshe can not vnderstand those thinges which belong vnto GOD. Therefore it is necessarye that so many as shall enter into the kingdome of God bée transformed and spirituall that is to saye so many as wyll bée the Sonnes of God C. Therefore Christ proueth by an argument of the contraryes that wée are all shut out of the kingdome of God except we haue entrance by regeneratiō For hée taketh this as graunted vnto him namelye that wée cannot enter into the kingdome of God except we become spirituall But wée bring nothing
from our mothers wombe but our carnall nature Therefore it followeth that wée are naturallye banished out of the kingdome of God and being depriued of the celestiall life doe abide vnder the bondage of death This word fleshe doth signifye the whole man For fleshe in this place doth not onelye signify the bodye but also the Soule and euery part of man For the Papistes do very fondlye restraine it to that parte which they call sensuall because by this meanes the argument of Christ shoulde bée verye vaine as to saye that the second byrth is néedefull because some parte of vs is corrupted and defiled But if any man obiect and saye that there remaineth yet some parte of Gods giftes in this our degenerate and corrupt nature and therevppon conclude that we are not in euery part paruerted and polluted Wée maye easilye aunswere to this obiection and saye That those giftes whiche GOD lefte in vs after the fall of Adam in respect of them selues are highlye to bée estéemed and praysed but séeing the contagion and corruption of sinne hath difunded and spread it selfe throughout euery part we shall finde nothing in vs pure and frée from all pollusion Wherfore as we haue naturally some knowledge of God whereas there is ingraffed in vs a certaine discretion to iudge betwéene good and euill Whereas wée haue wit and reason to defende this present life and whereas wée excell the brute Beasts in so many notable giftes Mans nature defiled these thinges of them selues and as they proceede from God are verye notable but all thinges are defiled in vs no lesse than the Wine that is vnsauery through stinking Vesselles being made thereby verye hurtful Therefore because man is by nature from his Mothers Byrth onelye carnall hée must bée transformed againe by the Spirite that he maye beginne to be spirituall And this worde spirite is here taken twoo manner of wayes namelye for grace and for the effect of grace For in the first place Christ teacheth that the holye ghost is the onelye aucthour of a pure and reformed nature In the second place hée teacheth that we are spiritual so sone as wée are renued by the vertue of the same R. Of this manner of renuing the Apostle also speaketh saying The Lawe of the spirite of life setteth me free from the power of sinne and death through Iesus Christ For what the Lawe coulde not doe by that part by which it was weake through the flesh that did God by sending his owne sonne in the similltude of sinfull fleshe Euen by sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe Rom. 8. that the righteousnesse of the Lawe might bee fulfilled in vs whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite For they that are carnall are carnally minded But they that are spirituall are spirituall ye minded To be carnallye minded is death but to bee spirituallye minded is life and peace Because that the fleshlye minde is enmity against God for it is not obedient to the lawe of God neyther can bee So then they that are in the fleshe can not please God But ye are not in the fleshe but in the spirite If so be that the spirite of God dwell in you M. In this place the Apostle attributeth first to the fleshe and then to the spirite certaine thinges which make very wel for the declaration of the woords of Christ He geueth to the fleshe twoo impossible thinges The first is that it cannot obeye the Law of God The seconde that it can not please God Herevppon it followeth that the same is vnder the power of sinne and death as an enemie vnto God and that the Doctrine of the Letter whiche hée here calleth the Lawe cannot reforme the same in so muche that it standeth altogeather in neede of the Heauenlye power by whiche wee are regenerate Then he geueth that to the spirite which fulfilleth the iustification of the Lawe that is to saye which maketh man spirituall For the Law requireth a spirite conformable The spirite of God is the aucthor of our regeneration and agréeing with the will of God Such a will doth the holy ghost begette The spirite therfore deliuereth from the power of Sinne and death and quickeneth and therefore it is called the spirite of life C. But it is verye absurde which some haue gathered vppon this place of Christ namelye that wée take our beginning of our first Parentes not onelye in body but also in soule For Christ sayth nothing here but that wée are all carnall according to our Byrth and that our nature doth sauour and taste of nothing but fleshe in this respect that we bee borne mortall men into the worlde For he doth here simplye distinguishe betwéene the naturall and supernaturall gifte 7. Meruaile not that I sayde vnto thee Yee must be borne againe M. This sentence maye be referred as well to those thinges which goe before as to that which followeth B. as if the Lorde shoulde saye Thou hast heard good cause and reason Nicodemus why I sayde that no man can enter into the kingdome of GOD except hée bée borne againe meruaile not therefore M. But if wée referre it to that which followeth then wée must vnderstande that the Lorde went about to take from Nicodemus by the similitude following the maze which Nicodemus had conceyued by the straungenesse of the thing which hée hearde C. The which wée must not so take as though the Lorde woulde haue so notable a worke of God in mans regeneration to bee little esteemed of Nicodemus but hee woulde not haue him to woonder leaste his fayth shoulde bee hindered For manye reiect that which is difficile and hearde to bée vnderstoode as friuolous and vaine To be shorte wee must not doubt but that we are framed againe by Gods spirite and are made newe men although the maner how the same is brought to passe be not reuealed vnto vs. Ye must be borne againe M. First of all our Sauiour Christ excludeth himselfe from this necessitie of being borne againe not because hee had not the substaunce of fleshe of the which he was borne but because hée was not so borne of the same that he had néede of regeneration as other mortall men had and haue which are conceyued and borne vnder sinne Then he ioyneth Nicodemê° a learned man in the Lawe and the Prophetes and a Pharisey to the rest and includeth him to this necessitie of reregeneration with all other men Psal 53.4 Rom. 1.12 Heb. 7.16 R. For all haue gone out of the waye all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Luke 1.35 But Christe by right is exempted from this corruption seeing that hée is exempted from sinners Wherevppon the Angell sayde vnto Mary That holye thing which shall bee borne of thee shall be called the Sonne of GOD. 8. The winde bloweth whyther it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell vvhence it commeth and vvhyther it goeth So is euery
honour notable men which are indewed with godlinesse with other rare giftes but they must bée honoured no farther than that God him selfe maye haue the preheminence glorye that Christ with his gospel may shine most clerely For to him the whole glory of the world must giue place B. We must also note that although the Samaritanes were Straungers yet notwithstanding afterward when the Iewes prospered they boasted that they sprang of Ioseph Ioseph last chap. of the 9. booke of the Antiquities of the Ievves as Iosephus testifieth Herevpon this woman called Iacob her Father C. Euen so at this day the Papistes being Basterdes and an Adulterous séede verye arrogantly bragge and boast of the Fathers exalt them selues aboue the lawfull sonnes of God For although the Samaritanes sprang of Iacob according to the fleshe yet notwithstanding because they dyd degenerate and swarue from true Godlinesse this was a preposterous bragging Now they being the ofspring of the people of Cuthah so called of the Ryuer Cuthah C. or at the least wise 4. King 17 24. gathered from among other prophane Nations yet notwithstanding let not to bragge falselye of the name of the holye Patriarche but without any profite Euen so it must necessarily happen vnto all those which ioye amisse in the light of men as to bée depriued of the light of God and to haue no society with the holy Fathers whose title they haue abused 13. Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto her whosoeuer drincketh of this Water Shall thyrst againe M. Againe the Lord aunswereth not vnto all the wordes of the woman but rather to that which appertaineth to the purpose that because shée had so greatlye exalted this Well as though there could no better water be geuen For this cause he expoundeth his former sentence concerning the water C. And although he seeth that he profiteth litle and that his Doctrine is made but a Iest yet notwithstanding he goeth foreward more plainelye to expounde that which he had spoken R. to the ende he might the more styrre vp the woman to séeke that water of lyfe For hée putteth a difference betweene the vse of both Waters as that the one belongeth to the bodye for a tyme and that the other perpetuallye serueth for the refreshing of the Soule For as the bodye is subiect to corruption so the Preseruatiues belonging to the same must néedes bée temporall and transitory but that which quickneth the soule must néedes bée euerlasting 14. But whosoeuer drinketh of the Water that I shal geue him shall neuer be more a thyrste but the water that I shall geue him shall be in him a well of water springing vppe into euerlasting life R. The maner of Drinking of this water is by fayth Therefore euerye one which Drinketh of this water that is to saye euerye one that beléeueth in mée and receyueth of me the promised spirite shall neuer Thyrste but there shall be in him a Well of water springing into euerlasting life This is the verye same which he sayeth in another place Ioh. 7.39 Hee which beleeueth in me shall haue flowing out of his bellye ryuers of water of lyfe This also hée spake of the Spirite which all the beléeuers in him should receyue For hée which hath receyued the holye Ghost by fayth he hath a veyne or spring flowing from sinne to righteousnesse from damnation to Saluation from death to lyfe and from earth to Heauen B. It is most certayne therefore that this Water is the holy Ghost Wherefore if he that hath once Dronke of this Spiryte can neuer Thyrst agayne it is manifest that hée which hath once this Spiryte that is to saye to whome it is once geuen to beleeue shall neuer fall from the grace of GOD. Therefore Paul gloryeth that nothing from aboue neyther from beneathe Rom. 8.35 can remoue him from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu C. Moreouer it is not repugnaunt nor disagréeing with the wordes of Christ that the faithfull euen to the ende of theyr lyfe haue a feruent desyre to haue more plentye of grace For his meaning is not that we shall drinke our fyll the first daye that hée geueth vnto vs his holye Spirite but that hée onelye séeketh to geue vs to vnderstande that the holy Ghost is a Spring flowing perpetuallye and so He which once receyueth the spirite of God by faith is sealed to eternal life that there is daunger lest they should wyther awaye whiche are renewed by Spirituall grace Therefore although wée Thyrst all our lyfe tyme yet notwithstanding it is certaine that wée haue not receyued this Spirite for one daye or for a short time but that the same flowing perpetuallye shoulde neuer forsake vs. Thus the faithfull Thyrst during all the tyme of their mortall lyfe and that feruentlye and yet notwithstanding all that tyme they are full of liuely Licour because howe litle grace soeuer they haue receyued the same doeth daylye moysten them that they can neuer be quite drye Wherefore this fulnesse is not opposed or set against desyre but only against drinesse The which thing in the words folowing as yet he doeth more plainelye expresse There shall sayeth hee bée a Well of water flowing into eternal life for here is a continuall watering noted which in this mortall and transitory life fostereth and increaseth in them heauenlye eternitye B. For as he can neuer wyther away by drouth which hath a spring continuallye flowing in his Bowelles euen so he must néedes be ful of all goodnesse and grace and must alwaies and in all thinges haue present consolation in whome the Spirite of the Lorde the Spirite of Gods children doeth dwell C. Therefore the grace of Christ doth not flowe in vs for a short time but doth continually powre out it selfe vntyll wée come to the blessed state of Immortalytye 15. The Woman sayeth vnto him Syr geue mee of that Water that I thyrst not neyther come hyther to drawe B. This Woman séemeth to bée but a pratler and talker how soeuer shée was elected to eternall life and had the séede of God For there is no doubt but that shee knewe well inoughe that Christ spake of Spirituall water but because shee contemneth him shée maketh no account of all his promises For there is no way to teache so long as hée which speaketh is of no aucthoritye with vs. The Woman therefore verye ouerthwartly replyeth against Christ B. and speaketh these thinges Ironicè that is to saye in a contrarye sence as if shée should saye thou braggest much but I sée nothing if thou canst doe as thou sayest doe it in déede M. Therefore by this example we sée that the elect sometimes so long as they are in darkenesse without the knowledge of Christ doe deride the doctrine of the Spirite as rydiculous and foolishe Wherefore wée must take héede that wée doe not by and by condemne euerye one whome we sée to bée deriders of the Doctrine of Christ
maketh no accounte of any but of those alone which excell in rytches or dignitye Wherevppon Gen. 6.4 among the Hebrewes they were called men of renowne Also what maner of disease it was wherwith this man was troubled there is no mencion here made CHR. It is verye likelye that hée had the Paulsey M. But what disease so euer it was this is euident that it was incurable especiallye it hauing continewed so many yeres 6. When Iesus sawe him lye and knewe that hee nowe long time had beene diseased hee sayeth vnto him wylt thou bee made whole When Jesus sawe him Bv. Christ asketh not this question as though hée were ignoraunt of his desyre B. but by this demaunde the Lorde went about to styrre vp in this sicke man a desyre of health to the ende hée might the more thankfullye and with greater admiration receyue the benefite C. to the ende also hée might make the witnesses which were present the more attentiue who being otherwise occupyed might haue neglected the myracle as oftentymes it commeth to passe in matters that are sodainelye done Bv. Furthermore the purpose of the Lorde was to declare that no man coulde haue health excepte hée hated the disease with the which afore time hée had béene gréeued and vnlesse hée earnestlye desyred health R. As Christ therefore preuented the Supplication and request of the Sycke Man for hée asked him the question before hee desyred healthe euen so by his vnspeakeable goodnesse hée preuenteth the Prayers of all those which labour through fayth as hee him selfe testifyeth saying It shal come to passe that before they call I wyll aunswere Esa 45.24 and before they speake I wyll heare CHR. Hée sayeth not Wylt thou that I heale thée Neyther doeth hée requyre Fayth of him saying Doest thou beléeue that I am able to cure thée of thy Disease For Christ was altogeather vnknowne vnto him as shall appeare by that which followeth 7. The sicke man aunswered him Syr I haue no man when the Water is troubled to put mee into the Poole but in the meane tyme while I am about to come another steppeth downe before mee Syr I haue no man Bv. The sicke man according to his grosse vnderstanding not perceyuing whereabout the Lorde went doeth at large declare vnto the Lorde his calamitye signifying neuerthelesse that hée wanteth not good wyll but rather abillitye for that hée coulde perswade no man when the water was troubled to ducke him in the Poole M. In that hée calleth Christ Ioh. 20.13 Lorde hée so doeth according to the manner of that Countreye So Mary called Christ Lord whome shée supposed to bée a Gardiner This man knewe not the Lord therefore hée sayde not Lorde I woulde be made whole helpe mee But simplye hée maketh his complaint what hath hindered him hytherto from receyuing his health hoping that peraduenture it might come to passe by the meanes of Christ who spake so friendlye and familliarlye vnto him hée might in conuenient time bée put into the water C. But this sicke man behaueth him selfe euen as wée all are wont to doe For hée includeth Gods helpe in his owne cogitation not daring to warrant more vnto him selfe than hée could conceyue in his minde And whereas Christ beareth with his infirmitye wée haue therein a spectacle of his clemency of the which euery one of vs daylye hath experience when wée staying our selues whollye vppon those meanes which are next vnto vs he stretching out his hande contrarye to our expectation out of secrete and hidden places sheweth howe greatlye his goodnesse surmounteth the straites of our fayth Furthermore by this example Patience wée ought to learne sufferaunce Long was the tearme of eyght and thyrtye yéeres all whiche tyme GOD deferred his benefite of healing this miserable creature the which notwithstanding hée had determined to bestowe vppon him from the beginning R. Notwithstanding hée doeth not accuse or complaine neither doeth he curse those which preuented him but quietlye and without the reprooche of others hée telleth that he hath béene preuented Furthermore hée doeth not wishe him selfe forlorne neyther doeth hée curse the daye of his Natiuitye but patiently he bewayleth his callamitie M. Finallye we sée howe lytle pitye and humanitye there was in this notable Citye insomuch that there was not one found which would any whit helpe this miserable sicke man to his health and yet notwithstanding the true worshippe of God was professed in this Citye Whervpon Christ iustlye sayd to the Iewes Mercy is preferred before Sacryfice 1. Sam. 15.22 Math. 9.13 I wyll haue mercye and not Sacrifice And yet notwithstanding this inhumanity and pitilesnes happened not to the sicke man without Gods diuine counsaile for God had otherwise appointed for him Let them remember this which in like maner are destitute of mans helpe that they murmure not against the Lord and that they accuse no man but theyr owne sinnes of the which our outwarde calamities ought to put vs in minde 8. Iesus sayeth vnto him Ryse take vp thy bed and walke Bv. The Lorde minding to shewe him selfe to bée euen the verye same whome Angelles serue by whose force the water is troubled and the sicke healed and to bée the verye same in lyke manner which at his becke onelye taketh awaye the diseases both of bodye and Soule sayeth vnto the sicke man Rise take vp thy bed and walke M. The sicke man for this cause sayd that hée was myserable for that he had not a man to put him into the water by and by after the troubling of the same but the Lorde going about to declare vnto him by his Vertue and Grace that hée is not miserable whiche wanteth mannes helpe if so bée he maye haue the helpe of God sayeth Ryse take vp thy Bed and walke He might haue sayde Bée thou whole and frée from this Disease but hée thought it better to commaunde him to doe that which might bee a manifest signe vnto him of true and vndoubted health and also a manifestacion of Gods power in the eyes of all men So to the Ruler of the synagogues Daughter which was dead hée sayde not Daughter liue nor to Lazarus Lazarus liue But he sayde Daughter aryse and hée commaunded meate to bée geuen her Mat. 5.43 Ioh. 11.43 Math. 9.6 Also Lazarus come foorth and againe lose him and suffer him to come foorth So also he sayde to the man sicke of the Palsey Ryse take vp thy bed and goe home to thine owne house These tokens toke awaye all suspicion of false and counterfaite health and lyfe and gaue testimonye of the trueth without all contradiction 9. And immediatelye the man was made whole and tooke vp his bed and walked and the same daye was the Sabboth And immediately the man R. Here the efficacye of the woord is declared to the ende that wée might know for a suerty that the woord of the gospel Rom. 1.17 is the power of God to saluation to all that beléeue
the stripes of chastisement as affirmeth the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 11 3◠B. For although some haue diseases euen from their birth which they séeme not as yet to haue deserued yet notwithstanding that naturall sinne which cleaueth so fast vnto them is the cause thereof For those diseases which God sendeth vnto his children he layeth on them not onely to bring them into the waye by chastisement but also often times to kéepe them within the compas of their duety and also to driue them from hainous offences C. First of all therefore when we are sicke we muste acknowledge the same to be the hande of God and not the stroke of blind fortune secondly we must knowe that he is our most merciful father who delighteth not in our miseries and therfore he dealeth not with vs extremely except our sinnes prouoke him therevnto Bv. Moreouer Christ is a Phisition of body and soule Math. 9.5 hereby we gather that the Lorde Iesus doth not onely take away the diseases of the body but also cureth the sicknes of the soule As may appeare in the curing of another man sicke of the paulsey in the nienth of Mathew C. When Christ forbyddeth the man here to sinne he doth not require that he shoulde be free from all sinne but it is a comparison of the former life For the Lorde exhorteth him euer after to repente and not to continew styll in sinne Bv. Wherein is declared the vse of Gods benefyts for mortall men are not restored to health to riot and surfet in eating and drinking but to serue God more deuoutly Lest a woorse thing C. Yf so be God cannot preuaile any thing with vs by stripes by which he doth gently chastise vs as a most louing father doeth his tender children he is constrained to deale with vs after another manner of fashion Therefore he taketh the rod and scourge in hand Leui. 26.14 Deut. 28.15 Psal 32.9 to tame and bridel our wildenes euen as he prononceth in the lawe Therfore when we are daylye corrected anewe we ought to attribute the cause therof to stubbornnes For we are not onely like to vnbroken horses and Mules but we are also more then vntamed beastes R. The Lorde complayneth by the mouth of the Prophete saying The people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them Esay 9.13 neither do they seeke the Lorde of hostes C. Wherefore it is no maruaile if the Lorde do vse more sharpe punishements and do bruise them as it were with Iron Maules which will not bée conuerted by meane punishment for it is méete that he be broken like a potters vessell which will not suffer him selfe to be corrected To be shorte this is the vse of punishments namelye that we may bée made more ware afterwarde M Also this is to bée noted that the life of this manne was not vnknowne to Christe Yf this mans life were not knowne vnto him béeing a straunger what shall we thinke of our life which are vnder the profession of his name A. Let vs learne therefore to walke in the feare of the Lorde euen as if we were alwaies before his eyes as we are in déede Psal 7.10 For hée is a searcher of the harte and reines 15. The man departed and tolde the Iewes that it was Iesus which hadde made him whole B. This man went to the Iewes no doubt to commend Iesus as a man of God and as a prophete of all men to be reuerenced Bv. For he thought it to be verye necessarye that he should be knowne vnto many which could with his woord heale a disease incurable because others which were also afflicted might peraduenture come vnto him C. Therfore by this his act he intended nothing lesse then to cause Christ to be hated he little thought that men would haue béene so outragious against Christ CYR. but he manifested the Phisition to the Iewes not to the ende they immagining any euyl of him should burthen him with impietie but to the ende they shoulde not be ignorant of the Phisition if so bée anye of them hadde néede to bée cured C. So that this his acte procéeded of a godlye affection when he woulde haue the Phisition to haue his due honour B. But they the more they felt and perceiued the Lordes deuinity the more they raged againste him Sathan Godes enemie prouoking them thereunto M. Last of al we must note that they which haue tasted of the grace and power of Christe and haue knowne the heauenly sauiour are of this mind that they cannot chuse but to set forth hys glory by whome they are saued also they séeke through loue to helpe their neighbours being in misery and afflicted in shewing vnto them the Phisition and sauiour by whom they may bée healed Let vs also follow this example that we may declare his power which hath called vs into his wonderful lighte 1. Pet. 2.9 and let vs seeke the profite of our neighbour 16. And therefore did the Iewes persecute Iesus and sought the meanes to sley hym because hee hadde done these thynges on the Sabboth daye Bv. Here the preposterous counterfeit deuocion of the Iewes is touched who thought that Iesus had broken the Sabboth daye because he hadde healed the man of the paulsey and had commaunded him to take vp his bed for which cause they conspire to murder him and burst forth into extréeme madnes M. But séeing by order men ought to consider what is done rather then when any thing is done they should first haue considered what the Lord had done and then afterward of the time when he had done it But their hipocriticall disposition doth here appeare for they toke it in very euyll parte that Christe hadde done such thinges Therefore when they could not condemne the déedes of Christe as they were done they obiected the breaking of the Sabboth by which pretence they wente about to extingush the light of Christes miracles Thus malice persecuteth and goeth about to extingush righteousnes honesty and the enemies of the glory of God séeke the death of the Sonne of God So he which is borne after the fleshe persecuteth him which is borne after the spirite But why did they not kil him Because his houre was not yet come Gala. 4.29 In another place he saith I was dayly with you in the temple and ye tooke me not Mat. 26.55 but this is your houre and the power of darcknes Whatsoeuer the wicked Iewes went about before this houre was altogether in vaine Our life is not in the handes 〈◊〉 the wick◠Euen so in like manner our life is not in the hand of the wicked but in the hande of God insomuch that what soeuer they practise they cannot preuaile but do onely bewray their malice and trouble them selues with vaine counsailes Herevppon the Prophete saith Psal 37. The vngodly seeth the righteous and seeketh occasision to flea him but the Lorde will not deliuer him in to his hande
vnthankefull to God are starke blinde at the sight of his power And there is no doubte but that they dyd disdayne and contemne all the myracles whiche hitherto they had séene because Christ did not follow theyr willes and because they did not finde him such a one as they imagined him to bée If they had bene put in hope of earthly felicitie they woulde daylye haue extolled him and without all doubt haue saluted him by the names of a Prophet of the Messias and of the sonne of God but now because hée reprehendeth them for that they were to carnally addicted they thinke it good to heare him no more but doe withstande hym saying VVhat signe shewest thou that wee may see and beleeue thee VVhat doest thou worke Bv. As if they shoulde saye Thou speakest muche in thine owne commendation as though thou wert sent into the worlde to saue and redéeme mankinde R. Thou requirest that wée shoulde beleue in thée as in the Sauiour sent of God thou sayest that Fayth in thée is the worke of GOD whereby the foode of euerlasting lyfe is gotten but doest thou thinke vs so scencelesse and foolishe that thou speaking these thinges wée wyll strayght waye beléeue thée and reuerence thée alone and forsake Moyses and the righteousnesse of the Lawe By what signes by what myracles doest thou confirme the aucthoritye of thy doctrine Bv. But if thou be that manner of man which thou wouldest séeme and be accounted to bée shewe this vnto vs by some heauenlye signes by which wée being conuicted as by inuincible arguments wée maye now boldelye receyue thée and may beléeue thée as the Sonne of GOD and Sauiour of the worlde B. To beléeue here signifyeth wholye to depende vpon him whome thou beléeuest So also the people béeléeued Moyses Exo. 14.31 M. Here wée sée the disposition of carnall men who so long as fayth in Christ is required are enimies of the which wée haue experience in manye at thys daye C. For in the beginning Carnall Gospeleres because they perswade themselues that Christ will be fauorable to their sinnes they earnestlye receyue his Gospell and require no probation of the same but when they are called to denye themselues and to beare the Crosse then they beginne to forsake Christ and to demaunde from whence the Gospell had his beginning to bée shorte Christ is no more their Mayster so soone as hée denyeth their desires M. Othersome require myracles as though the doctrine of Christ were not sufficiently proued al readie boath by miracles also by the Scipturs A. But wisdome is iustified of hir Chrildren 31. Our fathers did eate manna in the wildernesse as it is writen He gaue them breade from heauen B. Hereby it appeareth what these men sought for namely that they might wander vp and downe with the Lorde idelly and be fed of him without labour euen as the people long before had bene fed in the wildernesse forty yeares with Manna C. Therefore our Sauiour Christ gauled them when hée sayde that they came like to brute beastes to fyll their bellyes for they bewraye this theyr grose affection when they require such a Messias as maye féede them M. This is another argument of their witstandinge Christe They obiect Moyses and the Fathers and they pretende their aucthoritie to cloake theyr incredulitie wythall as contrarye to that fayth which Christ required to be in him B. As if they shoulde saye What workest thou that wée maye beléeue thy thy wordes Thou hast once fedde fiue thousande of vs with fiue Loaues and two Fishes but Moyses fedde sixe hundedered thousande of our Fathers or there aboutes with breade from heauen for the space of fortye yeres But as yet thou hast shewed vs no suche signe It is better therefore that wée bée Moyses Disciples than thy Disciples and to depende vpon hys worde than of thine C. But whereas they extoll the grace of GOD in the Manna that they doe verye subtilly to ouerthrowe the Doctrine of Christ by whiche hée commended the moderate desire of corporall meate For on the contrarye parte they doe oppose the glorious name of Manna whiche was called breade from heauen and Aungels foode But the holye Ghost doth not call Manna breade from heauen although GOD fylling the bellyes of hys people as menne fyll Hogges gaue them no better thing Therefore they haue no excuse at all when they doe wickedlye reiect the spirituall foode of the soule whiche GOD now offereth to them M. For Moyses doeth sufficientlye declare why the Lorde did feede the people with Manna saying And hee gaue thee Manna to eate which neyther thou nor thy Fathers knewe to the ende hee might shewe to thee that manne shall not liue by breade onelye but by euerye worde whiche proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD. B. Manna is called the breade of Heauen and of Aungels because it rayned from heauen by the Ministerye of Aungels A. There are some which interprete this to be the breade of Princes or of greate men because of the Hebrue worde whiche in another place signifieth princes and noble men 32. Then Iesus sayde to them verelye verelye I saye vnto you Moyses gaue you not that breade from heauen but my father giueth you the true breade from heauen Verelye I say vnto you Bv. The Lord knowing well ynough howe filthy their affections were aunswered nothing to the signe whiche they required partly because he came not to fill the bellyes of the hungary nor to playe Pageants before euery one Luk. 23.9 for the whiche cause also he made no aunswere to Herod and partly because the daye before he had shewed so manifest a signe to the people that there néeded not the repeticion of many wordes The Lorde had proued by that signe that he was the same Prophete whom hitherto the Fathers had loked for And the very same men whiche in this place require a signe confessed then that trueth whiche nowe they doubte of For they had sayde This is verily that Prophete whiche shoulde come into the worlde Wherefore he faring as thoug he did not sée the rudenesse of the multitude their ingratitude inconstancy and their mallice goeth aboute by pure symplicity to bringe them to true and perfect knoweledge of the mystery of Fayth M. And because he knewe that this people did to muche hange vppon Moyses as though he had geuen to the Fathers those thinges whiche pertayned to lyfe and therefore did not ryghtlye iudge of the miracle of Manna nor truelye vnderstande that celestiall breade much lesse desire the same hée vseth an earnest asseueration But Christ séemeth to denye that which was cited out of the Psalme yet it is otherwise for hée speaketh onelye by comparison The bread of heauen is called Manna which nourisheth the bodye onelye but that is truelye and properlye iudged to be the breade of heauen which is the spirituall nutriment of the soule Therefore Christ here opposeth the worlde against heauen because the incorruptible
lyfe is onely to be sought for in the kingdome of GOD. Moreouer truth in this place is not compared with figures as oftentymes else where it is but Christ respecteth what is the true lyfe of man namelye by whiche hée differeth from brute Beastes and by which hée excelleth among creatures Bv. Moyses truely gaue corporal meate which nourished mens bodyes and not their soules preseruing the lyfe natural but nothing profiting the lyfe spirituall neyther came the same â—ut of heauen but rayned onely out of the clowdes But my father giueth you C. As if he should say The Manna which Moyses gaue did profite nothing to heauenly lyfe but now the true breade of heauen is offered to you A. Before he had sayde VVhich the sonne of man shall giue vnto you and nowe hée maketh the Father rather aucthor of this gift than himselfe but hée meaneth that the same is giuen by his hande So the Antithesis or comparison is not béetwéene God and Moyses but betweene Moyses and Christ But Christ nameth the Father héere for more reuerence sake as if hée shoulde saye Acknowledge me to bee the Minister of GOD by whose hande hee will féede your soules to euerlasting lyfe Bv. For the Father sent the sonne into the earth for thk accomplishing of mans saluation So that no creature can giue the true breade of life to men So impossible it was that Moyses shoulde giue the same by corporall meate 2. Cor. 10 C. But this séemeth to disagrée with the doctrine of Paule For the Apostle calleth man spirituall foode But wée aunswere Christ speaketh here according to their capasitie wyth whome hée had to doe Rom. 4.11 neyther is thys vnwoonted and siledome founde in the Scripture Wée sée howe diuerselye Paule himselfe speaketh of circumsition when he handeleth the Institution of the same Hée confesseth that it was the Seale of Fayth but when hée contendeth with false Apostles hée rather maketh it the seale of malediction Let vs here consider what was obiected to Christ namelye that hée was not prooued to bée the Messias except he did supplye the want of corporall foode Therefore hée doth not sette before their eyes of what thing man was a figure but denyeth this to be the true breade with the which Moyses filled mens bellies 33. For the breade of GOD is hee which commeth downe from heauen and giueth lyfe to the worlde For the breade of God is hee Bv. Nowe more playnelye and fully hée explayneth that whiche hée had spoken euen nowe concerning the breeade C. And hée reasoneth thus The same is the bread of heauen whiche came downe from heauen to geue lyfe to this worlde In Manna there was noe suche thinge Therefore the same was not the heauenly breade Neuerthelesse he confirmeth that whiche he sayde before that he was sent of the Father to feede men after a farre more excelent manner then Moyses did Manna descended not from Goddes kingdome Man descended from the visible heauen that is to saye out of the clowdes but not from the euerlastinge kingdome of GOD from whence lyfe floweth vnto vs wherefore it was not the true breade of heauen as was this breade whome GOD sent for the lyfe of the worlde He calleth nowe that the breade of-GOD whiche before he called the bread of heauen not that the same proceded from any other then from GOD who sustaineth vs with breade in this present lyfe but because he is iudged diuine whiche quickeneth soules to blessed immortality B. For this bread is GOD who alone by his spirite and by his and the knoweledge of the Father feedeth to lyfe that is to saye causeth men to liue for euer in blisse VVhiche commeth doune from heauen C. In the descendinge from heauen two thinges are to be noated firste that we haue diuine lyfe in Christe because he is come from GOD that he might be to vs the authour of life secondly because the celestiall lyfe is nere vnto vs insomuche that we shall not neede neyther to ascende aboue the cloudes nor sayle ouer the sea to seeke the same For therefore Christ descended to vs because no man coulde assende to hym And giueth lyfe to the worlde This place teacheth that the whole worlde is dead to God Life onely in Christ so farre forth as the same is not quickened by Christ because life shall neuer be founde in anye other than in him So that here all manner of worshippe belonging boath to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles is reiected all the Philosophye and wisdome of the Gentiles and all the rites and ceremonyes of the Iewes with the whole Lawe haue no manner of power to quicken otherwise GOD had sent his Sonne in vaine which is this heauenlye breade to quicken and to saue the worlde M. All men here for the most parte by this worde worlde vnderstande the elect euen as they doe in this place also Iohn 3 16. So GOD loued the worlde that he gaue his onelye begotten Sonne that all that beleeue in him shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting 34 Then sayde they vnto him Lorde euermore giue vs thys breade C. There is no doubte but that they speake Ironice that is to saye meaning the contrarye thereby to noate Christe of vanity because he boasted that he woulde geue the breade of life M. As yf they shoulde haue sayde we are so farre from gainsaying this breade of the which thou speakest that we desire allwayes to receyue the same of thee that we may neuer die but liue for euer R. Verely yf thou wouldest euer geue vs this bread we would then acount thée to be that great Messias and woulde worshippe thée for Christ For if thou wouldest performe that which thou doest promise wée shoulde prosper well wée should not sweat with labour but should liue in most pleasaunt ease But canst thou giue that to vs whiche thou thy selfe wantest Thou promisest breade of lyfe and yet thou wantest boath a Garner and Wheate to bake corporall breade with all howe then canst thou giue vs that more precious breade Bv. After this manner spake the woman of Samaria Lorde giue me this water that I thirst not nor come hither to draw Euen so fleshe and bloode derideth the Gospell because the same being in outwarde shewe verye base and contemptible promiseth all euerlasting goodnesse when as in the meane time it suffereth the faythfull to hunger to thirst to pine with colde to be banished and to be slayne Mat. 27.42 Luk. 4.23 So also it was sayd to Christ He saued others but himselfe he coulde not saue And in another place Phisition heale thy selfe Euen so wicked men when they reiect the promises of God being not content with this one wickednesse make Christ the cause and aucthor of theyr infidelity 35. And Iesus sayde vnto them I am the bread of life hee that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth on me shall neuer thirst I am the bread of lyfe
fleshe which he woulde giue to the death this verily was that which troubled them offended them and drewe them away from the Lorde and gaue them occasion to murmure Dalying therefore with the worde of the Lorde they wrested the same to another scence than hée spake the same 53. Iesus therefore sayde vnto them verelye I saye vnto you except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his bloode ye haue no lyfe in you C. Déepe displeasure moued our sauiour Christ at this time to sweare when he saw his grace with such prowd contempt to be reiected For hée doth not vse nowe simple doctrine but to terrefie them mingleth threatnings therewith For hée denownceth euerlasting destruction to all whiche shall refuse to séeke for to receyue life from his fleshe Bv. And that which they sayde was absurde and impossible to be done that hée proueth to be most necessarye but in sounde scence and not in that carnall and grosse scence C. As if hée shoulde saye if ye contemne my fleshe know ye for a suretie that there remayneth to you no other hope of lyfe This vengeaunce hangeth ouer the heades of all such as are contemners of the grace of Christ that they and their pride shal perishe togither And they are to be vrged with this precise seueritie least they procéede in flattering themselues For if so be we threaten death to the sicke which despise remedy by Phisicke prouided what shall wée saye or doe to the wicked who séeke to abolishe lyfe so much as in them lyeth The flesh of the sonne of man B. He calleth himselfe here the sonne of man that hée might the more stronglye confounde that false iudgement which they had of him For in that hée appeared to be a man and base in outwarde shewe they thought him to be madde and out of his wittes to arrogate vnto himselfe so muche Therefore hée acknowledged himselfe to be the sonne of man a vile and abiect man but yet to shewe herewithall what laye hidde in the contemned and abiect shewe of hys manhod he denied any man to haue eternal life which did not eate of the son of man and drinke his bloode that is to saye which had not Christ liuing in him being assured that hée is redéemed by his sacrifice and made the sonne and heyre of God C. The scence therefore is this contemne mée as yée list the base and and abiect shew of my fleshe yet notwithstanding life is included in this contemtible fleshe of the which if you depriue your selues ye shall finde nothing else where to quicken you It was a grose errour of the Fathers which thought that infauntes were depriued of euerlasting lyfe except they giue vnto them the Eucharist For there is no word here of the Sacrament of the bodye and blood of Christ but Christ goeth forwarde in the Metaphor of the eating of hys fleshe and of the drinking of his bloode which he had begon Neyther doe the Bohemians rightly procéede when they go about to prooue by this testimonie that the vse of the Cuppe ought to be giuen to all alyke As touching Infants the institution of Christ doth seclud them from the supper because they cannot as yet proue examine them selues Infantes ought not to be pertakers of the Lordes Supper neyther yet celebrate the remembraunce of Christes death the whiche thing the Apostle Paule teacheth to be necessary for all those whiche come to the communion of the Supper The same Institution maketh the cuppe as well as the breade common to al men for it commaundeth that wée drinke all of the same Math. 26 27. R. Therefore to eate the fleshe and to drinke the bloude of Christe is to beléeue that Christe suffered for oure synnes A. For hym hath God made a reconciler through faith in his bloud to declare his iustice for the remission of synnes paste Rom. 10.4 Ye haue no life in you M. His meaning is that al they are deade whiche eate not this fleshe of the sonne of manne and drinke his bloud A. For as wée are all dead throughe synne so thorowe faith in Christe wée are made alyue as the Scripture teacheth 54. Who so eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloude hath eternall lyfe and I will rayse him vp at the last daye VVho so eateth my flesh M. He still bouldely repeateth that which went before as commonlye they doe which speake the truth C. and hée confirmeth that which is hard to be béeleued as that mens soules are no otherwise fedde with his fleshe and bloude than the bodye is sustayned with meate and drinke M. For hée speaketh more manifestlye than hée did before when hée expresselye nameth himselfe Verelye to eate the Lorde is to abide in the Lorde and the Lorde to abide in vs. B. After this manner also we doe commonlye in these words to Eate to Drinke vnderstande not onelye the taking of meate but also the nutriment and sustentation of lyfe whiche procéedeth of the same These words pertaine not to the lords Supper Furthermore by these wordes of our Lorde it doth playnely appeare that all this place is vnaptlye and falselye expounded concerning the Supper For if it were true that this were to be referred to the Supper of the Lorde 1. Cor. 11.30 than all the that vnworthyly presume to the same being made pertakers of the body and bloude of Christ haue therewithall lyfe but we know that manye eate the same to their owne destruction and damnation And verilye it were verye fonde and vntimelye then to speake of the Supper when as yet hee had not instituted the same Therefore it is most certaine that hée speaketh here of the continual eating by fayth Notwithstanding wée must confesse that thereis nothing spoken here which is not figured in the Supper and truelye giuen to the faythfull and therfore Christ made his holy Supper to bée as it were a seale to this sermon And this is the cause why our Euaungelist Iohn maketh mention of thys Supper And J will rayse him vp at the last daye M. Hée promiseth euerlasting lyfe before the resurrection to the ende wée might know that the faythfull are endued with euerlasting lyfe by Christ while they are in this lyfe euen as it is sayde in another place C. And Christ so often ioyneth the resurrection to euerlasting lyfe because our saluation is hid euen vntill that daye Therefore what Christ will giue vnto vs no man can féele but hee which hauing ouercome the worlde setteth before his eyes the last resurrection 55. For my flesh is meate in dede and my blood is drinke in deede This is the reason why he whiche eateth the fleshe of Christe and drinketh his bloode hath euerlasting lyfe Because sayeth hée my fleshe is meate in déede and my bloode is drinke in déede C. As the body with hongar doth languishe and pine awaye euen so the soule doth by and by perishe yf so be the same be not fed
holde of his hande when hée reacheth the same vnto vs hée will leade vs vnto his Father and so long as wée shall bée Pilgrimes in this worlde hée will not onely shewe himselfe to bee nere vnto vs but will also for euer dwell within vs. But if wée neglect his presence hée looseth nothing thereby but wée loase his presence whereby wée shall be left without God and lyfe 34. Yee shall seeke mee and shall not finde mee and where I am thither can yee not come C. This is a gréeuous threatning against the mockers and contemners of hys trueth They sought to kill Christ but Christ here in an ambiguous and darcke signification of the word derideth them because shortelye it woulde come to passe that they should séeke him after another manner namelye to finde some helpe and comfort in theyr miserye and destruction As if hée shoulde saye Yée cannot suffer and abide my presence for a little time but it will shortelye come to passe that yée shall séeke mée in vaine because I being farre from you not onelye in bodye but also in power will looke for your destruction from heauen R. For there are greate calamities hanging ouer your heades yée shall perish boath in body and in soule Then in desire of the Messias yée shall lift vp your handes vnto heauen then you shall crye vnto God and hée shall not heare you C. For here the sorrowfull sig◠of the wicked are noated when as they béeing constrayned by necessitye flée vnto God But then also séeking they doe not séeke for their vnbeléefe and hardenesse of heart doth driue them from God They would desire God to bée theyr deliuerer but by theyr impenitencie and hardenesse of hearte they kéepe backe theyr deliueraunce Example hereof wée haue in Esau Gen. 27. ◠who for the losse of his birthright was not onelye sorrowfull but also outragious angerye but in the meane time hée was so farre from the right waye of séeking benediction that the same offended him and vexed hym much more Thus God is woont to take vengeaunce one the reprobate fer their contempt of hys grace that eyther they being afflicted with sharpe punishments or helde with the féeling of theyr miserye or being driuen into some straightes complaine crye and howle but without profite because they being alwayes lyke vnto themselues retayne theyr former wickednesse and therefore doe not truelye séeke God Therefore the wicked shall at the length know Christ Vengeance for the contempt of Christ and wishe for saluation of him but in vaine euen then when deserued vengeaunce lighteth vppon him This vengeaunce the Iewes felt often but especially when they were destroyed by Titus then they woulde haue séene but one daye of the Sonne of man and woulde willinglye haue imbraced his worde but all to late C. Hereby wée learne that Christ must be receyued in time when hée standeth before vs as present lest wée loase the occasion to enioye him because the gate being once shut Mat. 25.10 wée shall séeke to enter in vaine And the Prophet sayth seeke the Lorde while hee maye be founde Esay 55.6 call vppon him while hee is nigh Therefore wée must runne to GOD wyth spéede while it is his good pleasure Esay 49.8 as sayth the same Prophet because wée knowe not how long the Lorde wyll suffer our sluggishnesse 35. Then sayde the Iewes among them selues whither will he goe that wee shall not fynde him will he goe vnto the dispersed among the Gretians and teache the Gentilles Bv. The grosse Iewes not vnderstanding those greeuouse threatninges of the Lorde construe his wordes I cannot tell howe C. For this the Euaungeliste addeth to shewe howe great the dulnesse of the people was Euenso the wicked are not only deafe to heare the worde of God but also make a ieste and scorne of horrible thretninges euen as yf they heard a tale or some vayne thing Christ had very expresly spoken of the Father by name but they staye them selues and haue only respect to the earth neyther doe they thinke that he spake of any thing else than of his going into a straunge countrie Will he go vnto the dispersed among the Greekes R. By the dispersed here among the Grecians maye bée meant the Israelites C. that we maye vnderstande that Christ came not to the vncircumcised but to the Iewes whiche were dispersed through diuers partes of the worlde For this worde dispersed will not aptly agrée and appertayne to those that were borne and doe inhabite their natiue countrie but it doth very well appertayne to the Iewes whiche are ronagates and banished men So Peter writeth his firste Epistle to those that were despersed throughout Pontus Galacia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia And Iames saluteth the twelue tribes which were dispersed The which manner of speach was taken out of Moyses and the prophetes Therefore the sence and meaning of these wordes is this R. Will he goe to those other Iewes which dwell not in this Region but in Gréece Will he goe ouer the Sea to the Iewes whiche dwell we wote not where It maye be that they went aboute to vexe our sauiour Christ with this mock If this be messias will he establishe the seate of his kingdome in Gréece when as the Lord hath assigned the Lande of Canaan for the same But howesoeuer they meane we sée that they are nothing mooued with the seuere threatning of Christe Moreouer concerning these dispersed Iewes the Euaungelist hath spoken in hys twelueth Chapter the twentie verse The exposition of the thirtie sixe verse following is included in this thirtie fiue verse 37. In the laste daye that greate daye of the feaste Iesus stode and cryed saying If any man thirste let him come vnto mee and drinke B. This last daye was the eyght daye of the feaste of Tabernacles which was the Principall daye on the which it is lykely that the greater nomber of people did assemble them selues together and came into the temple where Iesus taught C. Let vs noate that Christe was not so terrefyed by any of the conspiracies of the Iewes that he forsooke his office but as his perilles increased so did his fortitude and courage encrease that he might still more bouldly go forwarde This thing boath the circumstaunce of the tyme and the assemblie of people and the bouldnesse in crying doe testifie For it is lykelye that then the seruantes and souldiers which were sent forth to take him were ready to laye handes on hym Bv. Therefore in the greatest assemblies and in the moste daungerouse perilles Iesus commeth fourth in the middest and with a constant mynde geueth Testimony to the trueth teaching by his example what is the office of the seruauntes of Christe and of the ministers of Churches C. Furthermore we must noate that he withstoode their violent rage which were of greate force by the mightie power and defence of God only Bv. He stoode constantly to defende a seriouse and moste graue matter appertayning
And all these thinges are found by fayth in Christ If any man by reason of sinne Faith findeth Pasture doth hunger after righteousnesse If any man by reason of affliction doe hungar after consolation If anye manne by reason of death doe hunger after lyfe hée shall fynde pasture in Christ that is to saye righteousnesse consolation and life M. he shall enioye all the benifytes of the kingdome of heauen and shall be satisfyed at the full A. This is euen the verye same whiche hée expressed at a nother time saying Ioh. 6.35 Hee wich commeth vnto mee shall not hungar and hee which beleeueth in mee shall not thirst Bv. Reade also the thrée and twentie Psalme 10. A Theefe commeth not but for to steale kill and to destroye I am come that they might haue life and that they might haue it more aboundantlye By a sertaine Antithesis Christ compareth his worde and Gospell with false doctrine C. And doth as it were pull vs by the eare lest falling a sléepe the ministers of Sathan do circumuent vs before we be aware For our ouermuch securitie bringeth to passe that béeing naked on euery side we are in the daunger of false doctrines because we are not circumspect and fearfull ynough of so many false teachers It is not without cause therefore that oure sauiour Christ affirmeth that false teachers how smoothely soeuer they insinuate them selues doe alwayes bring with them dedly poyson to the ende we might bée the more carefull to driue them awaye A. The like admonition the Apostle Paule geueth vs saying Take hede that no man spoyle you through vaine Philosophy Againe he saith now I besech you brethren marke them which cause deuision and geue occasions of euell Rom. 6 i7 contrary to the Doctrine which ye haue lerned and avoyde them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and with sweete and flattering words deceiue the harts of the Innocentes Also he sayeth For such false Aposteles are deceitful workers transformed into the Aposteles of Christ And no meruaile For Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Aungell of light 2 Cor 11.13 Therefore it is no great thing though his Ministers be transformed as the Mininisters of righteousenesse whose ende shal be according to their workes Bv. These thinges are applied vnto those which séeke not after Christ and enter not in by the dore These verely robbe God and Christ of his honour For when they ought to haue geuen the worde of God and the Doctrine of the Gospell to the Church whereby they shoulde haue learned that al fulnesse is in Christ who is geuen to vs of God to bee wisedome righteousenes sanctification and redemtion they in stéede of these did set before men 1. Cor. i. 13 humaine inuentions the decréese of the Fathers and of the Church whereby they might learne that men are Iustified by works and merits that they are acceptable vnto God by monasticall vowes by the Intercession and worshipping of Saintes by the cellebration of the masse by Indulgencis and pardons which they sell for great sums of mony in the meane time defrauding and spoyling the â—oore R. They repeate the wordes of the Gospell but withal they adde their owne inuencions concerning the satisfaction of workes the merites of Saintes the paine of Purgatorye and concerning the toyes of the Masse by which they deceyue seduce and at the last slaye the consciences of men which heare them Bv. For they them selues kyll mennes soules as when they preache saluacion where no saluation is lyfe where there is nothing but death grace where there is nothing but wrath kylling the sincere confessours of the Euangelicall doctrine And aboue all thinges they take from the Shéepe theyr lawfull libertye and doe oppresse them with vniust and cruell Lawes shewing them selues in all thinges to bée Tyraunts and not Shéepheardes Against Such Sheapheardes the Lord speaking by the Prophete sayth Ezec 34.2 zach xii 5 VVoe vnto the shepheardes of Israell that feede them selues should not the Shepheards feede the flockes Ye eate the fatte and cloath ye with the woll ye kill them that are fed but ye fede not the Sheepe Now let all those which at this daye glory and boast of the title and name of Pastours try and examine their manners disposition wordes and déedes and let them Iudge hereby whether they bée Shéepheardes or théeues and Murtherers I am come that they might haue life Bv. This he addeth to the wordes going before by an Antitheses or comparison As if he shoulde saye I came that the sheepe might haue lyfe and the same aboundantly and eternally And by life he vnderstandeth al those benefits which the faith and dilligence of Shepeheards geueth vnto the Shéepe but especially euerlasting lyfe which Christe Iesus the Prince of sheapheardes only geueth Ezec 34 i6 22. I will feede my Sheepe sayeth the Lorde I will seeke that which was loste and bring againe that which was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken and will strengthen the weake C. This Christe applyeth to him selfe and geueth vs also to vnderstande that they only are geuen ouer for a pray vnto Théeues and wolues which will not bee with in the reach and compasse of his Shéepehooke and to comfort vs the more he promiseth lyfe yea euerlasting lyfe to those which wil not fal away from him And verely the more that a man profiteth in the faith the more nere he commeth to the fulnes of life because the Spirite groweth in him which is life NotwithstaÌ„ding there are some which referre this more ample life to that which immediatly followeth this present life when death hath neyther place nor power 11. I ame the good Sheapheard A good Sheapheard geueth hys lyfe for the Sheepe Bv. Nowe the Lord goeth forwarde to explicate the rest also of the propounded parable He had sayd He which entereth in by the dore is the Sheapheard of the Sheepe and strayght after that he sayd I came that they might haue life and that they might haue it more aboundantly and nowe more plainly he expoundeth all these thinges and sayth I am the good Sheapheard which enter in by the dore â–ª and which do all thinges lawefully and not by subtiltie I teach that truthe and saluation ought to be sought there where in deede it is to be found that is to saye with me which am the true liuely and most mightie Sonne of God M For I am that good Shephearde of whom the Prophetes haue Prophesied in diuers places Esay 40.11 Eze. 34.23 Christ therefore tooke vppon him the person of a Shepheard and preacheth him selfe to be the only Sheapheard as in very déede this honoure and title belongeth vnto none but to him For so many as are faithfull pastoures of the Church because he raiseth them vp hée endueth them with necessary giftes gouerneth them with his spirite and worketh in them the which let not but that he
spirite sayth VVo vnto you when all men prayse you for so did their Fathers vnto the false Prophts The flesh sayth Hée is a wise man and lyke to come to promosion that wil séeke to please God and man The Spirite sayth Mat 6.24 Gal i i0 i Ioh 2 xv No man can serue two maysters And againe If so bee I shoulde please men I were not the seruaunt of Christe For if any man loue the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him To conclude The flesh sayth So many as haue preached the worde of truth vnto men haue bene horriblely punished and haue myserablelye perished Apoca i4 i3 But the Spirite sayth Blessed are the deade which dye in the Lorde for they rest from their labours Wherfore feare not them which can kill the bodye and cannot kill the soule but feare him which can cast boath bodye and soule into hell fyer 9. Iesus aunswered Are there not twelue hours of the day If any man walke in the daye hee stumbleth not because hee seeth the light of this worlde C. This place hath bene diuerselye expounded but this is the true sence and meaning of the same First of all the Lorde borroweth a similitude from the night and the daye For if any man walke in the darckenesse it is no meruayle if hée stumble slyppe and go out of the waye but the light of the sonne in the daye time shaweth the waye And the calling of God is like the daye light whych wyll not suffer vs to go out of the waye or to stumble Therefore whosoeuer obayeth the worde of GOD and taketh nothing in hande but at his commaundement hee shall haue God his guide and director and vpon truste hereof hée maye securely and without feare go on his way For whosoeuer walketh in his wayes shall haue his aungelles to attende vpon him and to kéepe him that hee dashe not his foote against the stoane Christ therfore bearing himself bolde vpon this defence boldely goeth forwarde into Iury not fearing to be stoaned because there is no daunger of erring where God taking vpon him the office of the Sonne doth illuminate our steppes and moderate our course B. This therefore is the scence and meaning of that which Christ sayth As there are twelue hours of the day in the which men may walke and doe theyr busynesse for hée whiche will walke or doe any thing in the night easyly stumbleth so haue I my daye which is ended by the houres thereof therefore in this daye I must finish all those thinges which my Father hath committed vnto mée This day now draweth towardes night and is almost at an ende the houre is at hande when I must go out of the worlde to my Father Wherefore how greatlye so euer the Iewes are my enymies I wyll finishe my workes whyle I haue day and for this cause I must go boath into Iury and also to Hierusalem and sette forth my Fathers glorye hée shall take charge of vs and defende vs. The lyke allegorye the Lorde vsed in the ninth Chapter going before C. By these wordes wée are taught that so often as a man will followe his owne counsayle and purpose without Goddes calling hys whole lyâ—e is nothing else but a wandering and straying course and they which seeme most wise in theyr owne conceytes when they aske not counsayle at the Lords mouth and haue not theyr actions guided by his spirite doe like blind men groape in the darcke R. If any man obiect Why doeth Christ then somtime flee Obiection yf so be his enemies ar able to do nothing within the appoynted and limmited time A. Euen as he plainly declared when he sayd to sertaine of the Pharise is which perswaded him to shonne the fury of Herod For he sayde to them Luk. i3 3i Go and tell that fox behould I cast out Deuels and heale the people to daye and to morrowe and the third day I shall be perfited Neuerthelesse I must walke to daye and to morrowe and the daye following Aunsvvere R. I aunswere Christ therefore fled because his office as yet was not fulfilled the which béeing ended he willingly deliuered him selfe into the hands of hys enemies And he fled to teach vs that we ought not to tempte God but to vse those Iust and Lawfull meanes which God hath set before vs vntil the race and course of our gospell be finished That whiche is spoken of the ministerye of the Gospell ought to be vnderstood of the whole life of euery man For this corporall lyfe is set and appoynted within his bounds and limittes as it is writen Short are the days of man thou hast the nomber of his months Iob. i4 5 thou hast appoynted his bondes which hee cannot passe For if so be our hears which are the smalest things are nombered in the sight of God how much more are the dayes and howers of our lyfe nombered before God Wherefore so long as a man walketh within the compasse of twelue howers of the daye in the time of his appoynted life and in his owne calling his life shall not be impaired by any perill C. And this knowledge is very necessary for vs for the faithful can scarse moue their foote to followe God who must goe before vs in our vocation but Sathan by and by casteth in our way a houndered stombling blockes and séeketh by al meanes to stop vs. But so soone as the Lorde by his bryght Light willeth vs to goe forward wee must goe on with good courage although we be beset with many deaths because he neuer commaundeth vs to go forwarde but he incourageth vs with his promise that we maye be assured whatsoeuer we take in hand at his commaundement shall haue good successe He is oure Chariot whiche carieth vs without wearinesse through all tedious waies vntill we come to the hauen of reste In fine we are taught that the eyes of the Lord are euer ouer them to kéepe and preserue them which are ready to fulfill his will and commaundement Againe hereby also wee gather that the whoale rase of that mans life is accursed of the Lord who neglecting his word followeth his owne fantasy and doeth what hee thinketh good in hys owne eyes Bv. Wherfore true fortitude of the mind springeth from the fayth in Christ by which carefull feare is driuen awaye and by the loue of piette is quight rooted out of our heartes C. And Christ here according to his wonted manner deuideth the daye into twelue houres For although the dayes in sommer and winter doe differ yet notwithstanding the daye hath alwayes twelue houres and the night as many M Christ vsed no curiosity in humaine matters but tooke all thinges in good parte which common vse mayntayned with impietye 11. These thinges said hee and after that hee saide vnto them oure friende Lazarus sleepeth but I go to awake him out of slepe B. By this allegory the Lorde gaue his Disciples to vnderstand that he woulde
raise Lazarus from death wherevpon he did more rightly call the death of Lazerus a sléepe than death C. But greate was the rude Ignoraunce of the disciples which vnderstoode Christ to speake of naturall sléepe For although it bée a metaphoricall speache yet notwithstanding it is so commonly vsed in the Scripture that it ought to haue béene knowne to all the Iewes M. And hée coulde haue raysed vp this Lazarus being absent and a great waye euen as he restoared the Centurians seruaunt and the Rulers sonne to health but the consideration of this myracle did so require that hée should be present at the working of the same least anye occasion might haue bene giuen to the wicked to obscure his glory but that all men might know for a suretie that this Lazarus which had bene deade fowre dayes was raysed vp by his presence voyce and power And for this cause hée woulde not rayse vp neyther the ruler of the Sinagogues Daughter nor the Widdowes Sonne being absent Math. 9 i5 Luk. 7.14 but present In the ende of the worlde also hée can rayse vp all mortall men with hys power onelye insomuch that hée neede not descende to vs any more from heauen but the consideration of his glorye and maiestie requireth the same that so great a wonder may be wrought before the whoale worlde Wee must also noate that the Lorde sayde not Let vs goe into Iury againe but I go to awake Lazarus out of sleepe Hee would haue his Disciples companions with him in his iourney but he woulde not haue them fellowes with him in the miracle C. Here also hée commendeth his power in this that hee sayth hée will goe to rayse vppe Lazarus by whiche wâ—rdes hée sheweth himselfe to be Lord of death when hee sayth that hee rayseth those vp whome hee restoareth to lyfe Also seeing by this worde sleepeth hée noateth onelye the sléepe of the bodye some doe very fondelye drawe the same to mens soules 12. Then saide his Disciples Lord if hee sleepe hee shall doe well ynough M. The aunswere of Christ contayneth two thinges Fyrst for what cause hée must retourne into Iurye although the Iewes were so cruell Secondlye what hee woulde doe in Iurye To the first the Disciples make no aunswere but to the other they saye If hee sleepe hee shall doe well ynough by whiche they perswade Christ not to go into Iurye And yet notwithstanding they doe not subtilly wrest the wordes of Christ to theyr owne commoditie but because they thought that hee had spoken of a sléepe they redilye take the same as an occasion to shoone the perill 13. Howbeit Iesus spake of his death but they thought that hee had spoken of the naturall sleepe M. The Euaungelist addeth the exposytion of the wordes of Christ to declare the rudenesse of hys Disciples by which it came to passe that they vnderstande not the meaning of his wordes It ought therfore to seeme straunge vnto vs if so bée some at the first doe not vnderstande the Metaphoricall and parabolicall speaches of the Lorde seeing the same hapened vnto them which ought to haue vnderstoode them better by reason of theyr daylye familiaritye and acquaintaunce with the same Notwithstanding herewithall wée must consyder how that wée are more prone and readye to receyue and imbrace those interpretations of the worde of God which seme to defende the imbecillitye of our flesh than we are to agrée vnto those thinges which with perill and danger serue to the setting foorth of Goddes glorye And herevpon it commeth that while wée gréedely imbrace those things which séeme to agrée vnto our fleshe we oftentimes misse of the true scence and meaning of the wordes A. When Iesus hymselfe spake of the excelency of his kingdome before his disciples Math i4 by by there arose a contention among them who should be the greatest and when hee spake of the crosse and of the euilles which hée should suffer at the handes of the Iewes they vnderstoode not what hée sayde 14. Then sayd Iesus vnto them plainely Lazarus is deade M. Because they vnderstoode him not and therefore aunswered not to the matter hée speaketh nowe that thyng plainely which before hée had spoken obscurelye C. Great is the goodnesse of Christ in bearing with so greate dulnesse in his Disciples And verilye hée did therefore diferre the time to endue them with more ample grace of the spirite that they being renewed and chaunged in a moment the myracle myght be the greater M. They decerued to haue bene sharpely reproued of the Lord no lesse than was Peter by him at a nother time but because this cowardlines was not in one or two of them aloane but in them all Mat. 16.25 he dealt more gentlye with them and instructeth them by a more playne and manifest speache in the truth that they myght nowe haue lesse cause to doubt A. And this hee did to teache vs also by his example not to reiect such Disciples as are yet rude ignoraunt and carnall but gentlye to beare with them vntyll suche time as they haue attayned to more knowledge of the truth 15. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there because yee maye beleeue neuerthelesse let vs go vnto him C. He meaneth that this absence was profitable for them because hys power shoulde not haue bene so manifest if so be he had holpen Lazarus out of hande For the nerer that the workes of God come to the ordinarye and common course of nature the lesse glorye they haue the which daily experience teacheth to be true For if so be he reache out his hand vnto vs at the first we regarde not his helpe Therefore to the ende his disciples might knowe that the resurrection of Lazarus was verely deuine it was necessary that he should differ the same that it might be paste all mans helpe Whensoeuer therefore God doth suffer vs béeing ouerwhelmed with misery to ly and languishe let vs knowe that he doeth it for our health Because yee maye beleeue R. What is it ye shoulde beléeue Fyrste that I am that very Christ the Sauioure of the worlde which rayse the dead from the graue that so ye maye be confirmed in that faith by that myracle wich I am aboute to worke Secondly that I am ready in the mideste of afflictions and doe care for your saluation when as ye your selues are Ignoraunt of the same C. So that his meaning is not that this was the fyrst rudiment and beginning of faith in them but the confirmation of a faith alredy begon as yet weake and vnperfect Neuertheles he sheweth that vnles God had declared his power they would not haue beléeued A. Here also we maye behoulde the fruite and ende of miracls For miracls tend to this ende that men may be won to the Faith or at least may be confirmed in the faith But lette vs go vnto him M. To whome To Lazarus to a dead man but what can be done to
though he were dead yet shall hee liue Bv. Nowe Christ more plainelye reuealing himselfe sayth that he cannot onely by his prayers obtaine lyfe but also that hée is the lyfe it selfe of all that beléeue yea the liuing God which can rayse from the deade and preserue in life M. Hée knewe that Martha hadde not as yet the true knowledge of him and that therefore shée thought of the resurrection as did the rest of the Iewes who although they beléeued that the same shoulde bée yet notwithstanding by whose power the same shoulde bée they knew not because they wanted the true knowledge of Christ Wherefore that hée might signifie vnto Martha that hee was the rayser vp and quickener of deade men by whome the resurrection of the deade shoulde bée and whiche coulde also at that present restoare hir deade brother vnto life hée sayth I am the resurrection and the life B. that is to saye the authour of resurrection and lyfe and that power of GOD to rayse and to quicken As if hee shoulde saye Why hast thou respect vnto the resurrection to come concerning the which thou hast such an opinion as though it were not to be wrought by my power If thou knewest mée thou wouldest also knowe that I haue power geuen mée to rayse vp and to quicken and therefore wouldest nowe desyre mée to raise vp thy brother C. Therefore fyrst of all Christ affirmeth himselfe to be the resurrection and and the lyfe and afterwarde hée expoundeth boath partes of the sentence seuerallye In the fyrst parte hée calleth himselfe the resurrection because by order men are restoared from death before they are in the state of lyfe And verilye all mankinde is ouerwhelmed in death Therefore no man shall haue life but hee which is fyrste risen from death So Christ teacheth himselfe to be the beginning of life and afterwarde hée addeth that the perpetuitie of lyfe is the works of his grace And the exposytion which followeth straight after sheweth plainely that hée spake of spirituall lyfe as He that beleueth on me Wherefore then is Christ the resursurection because hée doth regenerate the Children of Adam which were alienate from GOD by synne that they may beginne to leade a newe lyfe of the which wée haue spoken in the fifte Chapter going before And the Apostle Paule very notabelye interpreteth this place in the seconde Chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians Let them bable then what they liste which affyrme that men are prepared by the motion of nature to receiue the grace of God It is as much as yf they should saye that the dead walke Faith is the resurrrection of the soule For wheras men haue lyfe breath sence vnderstanding and will the same tendeth to destruction because there is no part of the soule which is not corrupted and maymed And so it commeth to passe that death euerye where hath the vpper hande and kingdome For the death of the soule is an alienation from God Therefore they which beléeue in Christe whereas they were deade before beginne to liue because Fayth is the spirituall Resurrection of the soule and doth after a sorte animate the soule it selfe that it maye liue vnto God according to this saying The dead shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that here it shall liue It is a notable titel of faith verely that Christ powring life into vs deliuereth vs from death 3. King i7 4 Kin 9.4 M. And that whiche Christ testifieth of him selfe can belong to no other We doe reade that holy men haue raysed vp some from the dead Rom. i5 i7 i Cor i5 21. as Elias and Elizeus But yet none of them was the resurrection and the life but Christ only 26. And vvhosoeuer lyueth and beleueth in mee shall neuer dye Beleeuest thou this The Lord Iesus had spoken two things which he orderly expoundeth He proued him selfe to be the resurrection when hée taught that life is restoared to the dead by faith C. Now followeth the exposition of the second member namely howe Christ is the life because he neuer suffereth the life which he hath once geuen to decaye but preserueth the same vnto the ende For what should become of men in so greate fragillitie of the fleshe if so bée they hauing once gotten life should bée left afterwarde vnto them selues Therfore it must néedes be that the continual state of life be founded vpon the power of the same Christ that he maye finishe that which he hath begon And the faithfull are therefore sayde neuer to dye because their mindes béeing renued with the incorruptible séede haue the spirite of Christ abyding in them by whiche they liue dayly For although the body be subiect vnto death because of sinne yet notwithstanding Rom 8 i0 the spirite is life for righteousenesse sake 2. Cor. 4 i6 Yea though the outward mâ—n perish yet the inward man is renued daye by daye And death it selfe is to them a sertain deliuerance from the seruitude of death Death is a deliuerance from the seruitude of death Iohn 5. R. There is no cause therefore whye they that beléeue shoulde feare and abhorre death because they haue passed already from death to life Beleeuest thou this C. Christ séemeth at the first sight to speake therefore of the spirituall lyfe that he might withdrawe the minde of Martha from her present desier Martha desiring that her brother might be restored to lyfe Christ aunswereth that he is the author of a farre more excelent lyfe because by his heauenly power he quickeneth the soules of the faythfull But there is no doubt but that he speaketh of a double grace Generally therfore there is no doubte but that he commendeth the spirituall lyfe which he geueth to all those that are his but hereby he ment to geue a tast of that power which he woulde afterwarde declare in raising vp of Lazarus M. And Christe knewe what Martha beléeued and what shée beléeued not he doeth not demaund therefore this question to the end he might learn but that he might drawe from her a confession of that fayth which he knew to be in her at that tyme. For it is not ynough for vs to beeléeue with the hart but it is also required that we confesse that with the mouth whiche we beléeue with the harte A. Furthermore Christe saith not vnderstandest thou this But Beleuest thou this For the ministers of God cannot be vnderstoode except they be vnderstode by faith 27. Shee sayde vnto him Ye Lord I beleeue that thou arte Christe the sonne of the liuinge GOD whiche should come into the world M. It séemeth that Martha vnderstoode not the wordes of Christ and that shée knewe not that which shée sayde shée beléeued namely what it is to be Christ the sonne of God Neuerthelesse there is no doubte but that shée had that Faith in Christ that shée doubted nothing at all of his wordes C. And to prooue that shée beléeued the
account of death Christ by his example inuiteth vs willingly to suffer the same We maye bée ashamed veryly to refuse so great honour as to bee his Disciples but verilye he doeth admitte vs into the nomber of his Disciples vpon no other condicion than that we shoulde followe that waye whiche he sheweth vnto vs. For hee is our guide vnto the waye of death Therefore the bytternesse of death is after a sort mittigated and made swéete when we consider that we are in but the same condicion of death that the Sonne of God was Wherefore there is so lytle cause that we should forsake Christ because of the Crosse that we ought rather for his sake to desire death R. This therefore is agréeable to that which the other Euangelistes report out of his mouth If any man wyll followe mee let him denye him selfe and take vp his crosse Mat. 16.24 and followe mee To the same effect also pertayneth that which followeth And where J am there shal also my minister be C. For he requireth that his Ministers would not refuse to submitte them selues vnto death to the which they shall sée him goe before them For it is not meete that the minister or seruaunt shoulde haue any thing by him selfe which his Lorde and Maister hath not Bv. For Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example to followe his steppes i. Pet 2.21 The which whosoeuer doeth he shall receyue that honour also which our sauiour Christ promiseth here saying Jf any man minister vnto me him wyll my Father honour M. The which ought to encourage all the Ministers of Christ For they ought to consider that when they serue Christ they serue the sonne of God the father wyll honour them though not for their owne sake yet for his sonnes sake It is a great matter to minister vnto the seruaunt of God but muche more is it to minister vnto the sonne of God and to be honoured of the father for the sonne 27. Nowe is my soule troubled and what shall I say Father saue mee from this howre but therefore came I into this hower Nowe is my soule troubled C. This sentence in the beginning seemeth to differre muche from that which hée spake before For before he declared a heroycall fortitude when he exhorted his Disciples not onelye to suffer death but also wyllingly and earnestlye to desire the same so often as néede required and nowe he confesseth his cowardlinesse in fléeing death Notwithstanding we reade nothing here which doeth not notablye agrée euen as the proper experience of the faithful doth teach euerye man If so bée such as are scoffers scorners do laugh it is no maruaile For this cannot be vnderstoode without action practise Moreouer it is profitable for our saluation yea most necessarye that the sonne of God should be so affected In his death we must specially consider the expiation or appeasing of his fathers wrath by which he turned from vs the wrath malediction of God The which he could not haue done without the taking of our gyltinesse vpon him Therefore it was méete that the death which he suffered shoulde be full of horrour because hee coulde not make satisfaction for vs without the sence and féeling of Gods horrible iudgement Whereby the stinge and heauy burthen of sinne is better felt and knowne the seuere punishment whereof the heauenlye Father required of his onely begotten sonne Let vs knowe therefore that death was not a sport or playe vnto Christ but that hee was caste into extreame tormentes for our sakes And it is not absurde that the sonne of God should be so troubled For his diuinity being hidden and not manifesting his force did after a sort sléepe to geue place vnto the sacrifice of pacification And Christ him selfe had not onelye put vppon him our fleshe but also humane affections For these affections were voluntary in him Feare of â—eath in Christ because he was not constrained to feare but because of his owne accorde he made him selfe subiect vnto feare Notwithstanding we must be sure that he dyd not feare fainedlye but truelye and in verye déede Howbeit in this he was vnlyke to other men that he had his affections stayed within the obedience of Gods righteousnesse as we haue sayde before Another profite also which wée haue hereby is this If so bée Christ had béene nothing troubled by the feare of death what one amongst vs would haue thought that his example pertained vnto vs For we suffer not death without the féeling of griefe and paine But when we heare that there was no stéely strength in him we take vnto vs courage to followe him neyther doeth the infirmitye of the fleshe staye vs which feareth death but that we followe our Captaine to the fight Bv. Therefore as he is man hée was troubled gréeued and afeard of death R. Euen as he sayde in another place My soule is sorowfull vnto death And what shall I saye Mat. 26.38 M. In this place wée haue an expresse example of a troubled minde and that in him whiche coulde not bée capeable of so great perturbation if hée had woulde A troubled minde doeth many wayes dispute with it selfe one while in clyming to this another to that vncertaine what to saye or doe C. Here therefore as before our eyes we doe sée how much our saluation cost the Sonne of GOD who being brought into extreame trouble as he was man knew neyther in wordes nor by counsayle howe to expresse the vehemencye of his gréefe and therefore his last refuge was to fall to prayer wherein hée desyreth to be deliuered from death Moreouer because he sawe him selfe to bée appointed by the eternall purpose of GOD to bée a Sacrifice for sinnes hee by and by correcteth that Prayer whiche hée made in great sorrowe and trouble of minde that he might whollye submitte him selfe vnto the wyll of his Father R. Therefore the spirite prayeth and the fleshe prayeth but the spirite ouercommeth the fleshe For the wyll of Christe was nothing contrarye to the wyll of his Father but looke what the Father willed the Sonne willed the same Therefore when he prayeth to bée deliuered from death it is neyther properlye the voyce of the Diuinitye nor of the humanitye but of a voluntary emptying and abasing of himselfe by whiche Christ tooke vppon him the affections of nature sinne excepted The fleshe prayeth to bée delyuered from the Crosse and cannot wyshe the same but the spirite correcteth and ouer commeth the same saying But therefore came I into this worlde to suffer to dye and to bée Crucified C. Wherefore in this place wée must noate fiue degrées The first place containeth a complaint which bursteth foorth of excéeding gréefe and sorrow secondly he feeleth him selfe to be past al remedy and least he should be ouerwhelmed with feare he demaundeth of him selfe what he should saye thirdly he fléeeth vnto the Father and desireth hym to be his deliueret fourthlye he
powers of Christe the Prophete repeateth thys Esa 11.4 that he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouthe and shall slay the wycked with the breath of hys lippes 2. Thes 2.8 The Apostle Paule suspendeth the fulfilling of this Prophesie vnto the ende of the worlde yet notwithstanding we sée dayly that the wicked doo fall with their fury and pride at the voyce of christ But then when they fel which came to bind Christ was shewed a visible token of that feare which al the wicked manger their heads féele within them when Christ speaketh to them by his ministers Moreouer séeing this was as it were accidentall to the voyce of Christe whose propertie it is to rayse vp miserable men whiche lye in the shadowe of death he will vse no doubt thys power towards vs to exalt vs vp into heauen R. And this is manifest that the same worde of God whiche is to the wicked iudgemente is to the Godly consolation For at other times Christe comforted his Disciples when they were afrayde Mat. 14.27 Luk. 24.39 with these wordes I am he Also VVhy are yee troubled it is I Therefore that whiche the Lorde threatneth to the wicked in the Lawe is in these wordes manifefestly to be séene For Moses sayth The Lorde shall geue thee a trembling harte Deut. 28.65 Esa 57.21 and looking too returne till thine eyes fall oute and a sorrovvfull minde Psal 110.1 And the Prophete saythe The vvicked haue no peace M. Let the wicked therefore consider what shall befall on the enimies of Christe For this contayneth a figure of that whiche happeneth and shall happen to all the enimies of Christe namely confusion and vtter destruction It is prophesied that the enimies of Christe shall be made his footestoole The enemies of Christe of the whiche we haue so greate a multitude heere consisted of Iudas the hypocrite and false Apostle of the seruantes of the highe Priests and of the Romaine souldiers In these we sée what the enemies of Christ are oftentymes some are hypocrites some are superstitious and other some worldlinges but in due time when Christe shall shewe hym selfe they shall vtterly be destroyed and though they bée lyfted vp alofte yet shall they bée caste downe to the grounde flat and shall bee broughte to duste A. For the wycked shall not be able to stande but shall be lyke the duste Psal 1.5 whiche the wynde scattereth away from the face of the earth 7. Then asked he them agayne whome seeke ye They sayde Iesus of Nazareth C. Hereby it doth appeare howe great the blindenesse is with the whiche the Lorde striketh the mindes of the wicked and howe horrible their obstinacie is after that Sathan hath bewitched them by the iuste iudgement of God The Oxe and the Asse when they fall haue some féelyng but these men hauing had manyfest experience of the deuine power of Christ do no lesse securely go forwarde than if they had not seene so muche as the shadowe of a man in him Nay Iudas him selfe is not moued Let vs learne therefore to feare the iudgement of God by whiche the Reprobate béeing suffered to fall into the hands of Satan are more sencelesse than brute beasts For Sathan no doubt was the author of this so great wickednesse 8. Iesus answered I haue tolde you that I am he If ye seeke me therfore let these go their way 9. That the saying might be fulfilled whiche he spake Of them which thou gauest me haue I not lost one R. Although he were taken yet he retayned his authoritie and power styll For the power of the worde can not be bounde For the Apostles had not gone awaye without hurte excepte the Aduersaries had béene restrayned of their furie by the efficacie of this commaundement By the same efficacie of the word he restored to Malchus hys eare Luk. 22.51 that we might learne the power of the worde in the middest of impotencie and weaknesse A. But was it not lawfull for him whiche deliuered others to delyuer hym selfe also out of the hands of hys enemies C. But he mynded to play the parte of a good shephearde to defende hys flocke He sawe the rauening of the Wolues he taryeth not vntill they come to the Sheepe of whiche he was appoynted the keeper but wythstandeth them betyme Wherefore let vs not doubte so often as wycked men or the Diuell rise vp agaynst vs but that we shall haue by and by the same helpe Moreouer Christe hath by his example prescribed a rule to the Shepheardes whiche they muste followe if so be they will duely fulfill their office That the saying might be fulfilled R. The Euangelist alleageth the saying of Christe to teache that the same is effectuall For if so bee the saying of Christe hadde not beene effectuall howe coulde the Disciples haue escaped thys perill and shunned suche wylfull madnesse of the people their aduersaries specially Peter who strake with the sword Notwithstanding this sentence seemeth to be broughte out of order whiche seemeth rather to appertayne to mennes soules than to their bodies For Christe dydde saue and preserue the Apostles in safetie as touching their bodyes to the ende but he rather spake thys that in the middest of continuall daungers and in deathe it selfe theyr eternall saluation shoulde be in safetie I aunswere The Euangelist speaketh not simply of their corporall lyfe but meaneth rather that Christ sparing them for a time prouided for their euerlasting saluation Let vs consider howe greate theyr imbecilitie was as yet What would they haue doone thinke you if they had béene broughte to the pinche Séeing therefore Chryste woulde not tempte them aboue their strengthe he deliuered them from eternall destruction And héereby we may gather a generall doctrine namely that althoughe oure fayth bée proued by many temptations yet notwithstanding we shall neuer come into extreme perilles but he wyll geue vnto vs strengthe and abilitie to beare the same AVG. Therefore bicause the Apostles were not as yet sufficiently confyrmed in the Faythe to retayne the confession of the truth and had bothe denyed Christe and also peryshed the Lord would saue them M. Furthermore they were specially chosen to the preaching of the Kyngdome of God and were not onely so geuen vnto Christe that they might be saued but also to Preache the worde of lyfe vnto others and to serue Chryste For thys office they were to be preserued Wherefore if they had béene taken and slayne of their enemies they had perished to Chryste vnto whome they brought foorth muche fruite by the preaching of the worde Concerning that which followeth vntil yée come to the .19 verse reade our Commentarie vpon the .26 of Mathew beginning at the .51 verse 19. The hye Priest then asked Iesus of his disciples of his doctrine R. This hye Priest was Caiphas for Annas had straightway posted ouer Christe vnto Caiphas M. These things and many mo of the which the other Euangelists
and of his Pontificall maiestie in that Christ answered not seruilely fearefully and abiectly saying May it please your Holynesse most Reuerende father to aske those which haue heard me but with a certayne reprehension and holde spéeche he sayth VVhy askest thou me aske them vvhich heard me what I sayd vnto them Therefore one of them thinking to do the high Priest a pleasure as a maynteyner of his Pontificall honor gaue the Innocent a blowe on the face béeing captiue and bounde and withall taunted him saying Ansvverest thou the high Priest so As if he should say Is this thy reuerence which thou geuest vnto the dignitie of the Priesthood Art thou so rashe that thou answerest the highe Priest no better than thou wouldest speake to a priuate person and one of the common sorte C. Therfore this was added fyrst of all that we might knowe how great the madnes of the enimies of Christ was what tyrannicall gouernment and also what discipline was amongest those hye Priests M. There is a Prouerbe Such a master such a man A man might know what this high Priest was by hys seruaunt It is too muche inhumanitie to checke taunt and beate a prisoner before a Iudge C. They sitte as Iudges and yet they are more fierce and cruell than brute beastes This was a Session in the which there should haue béen great grauitie and yet notwithstanding a seruaunt is so boulde and presumptuous that in the middest of the Plea euen before the Iudges he striketh the Prisoner which was found gilty in nothing Wherfore it is no maruell if so be the doctrine of Christ be condemned in so barbarous an assemblie M. It became the hye Priest to haue reprehended and corrected thys rashnesse of the seruaunt but bicause he séemed to be a maynteyner of his Maiestie agaynst the Lorde he alowed this wicked acte by his silence This flattering Parasite representeth all those whiche allowe and confyrme the disdayne arrogancie and iniquitie of false Bishoppes and doo iudge it great contumelie and dishonour to the Bishoply dignitie if all things concerning the same be not seruilely with submission allowed and extolled euen to heauen They can not sée their iniquitie but can with great feruencie maynteyne their Episcopall dignitie and authoritie 23. Iesus answered him If I haue euill spoken beare witnesse of the euill but if I haue well spoken why smytest thou me M. Fyrst we must note the patience of Christ He might haue reuenged hymselfe of that lewde seruaunt of the wicked hye Priest but he thought it better to suffer contumelie then to reuenge hymselfe 1. Pet. 2.23 The whiche is set downe héere for our example Luk. 9.56 A. For beside this that the sonne of man came not to destroy mens soules but to saue them he was also readie to suffer death Luk. 23.34 that we beeing enemies he might reconcile vs vnto his Father Wherevpon afterwards he prayed for those which crucified him so farre was he from wishing vengeance to be taken of them M. Therefore he suffereth contumelie and taketh not vengeance of his enemie and yet notwithstanding he holdeth not his peace at his iniquitie neyther doth he forsake his Innocencie but maynteyneth the same C. As if he should say If I haue offended accuse me that when the matter is heard I may be punished according to the offence For the foresayde violence was no lawfull dealing but another maner of order and modestie belonged to iudgements Christe therefore complayneth of greate iniurie done vnto him if he hathe not offended and that if he had offended yet they should haue delt according to lawe and equitie and not by violence But Christ here séemeth not to obserue that Mat. 5.39 which he commaunded his to do in another place For he doth not turne his right eare when his left checke was buffeted Answere R. If thou wel vnderstand the word of Christ by which he expoundeth the Law it shall manifestly appeare that Christ hath fulfilled his owne doctrine For this is the meaning of that place If so be any man do vnto thée any iniurie contumelie or harme thou muste be so farre from requiting one iniurie for another that thou must rather be prepared to suffer great iniuries Compare nowe the déede of Christ with this saying Did he reuenge him selfe Peter sayth he did not Did he geue euill words agayne Thou hearest a defence but no accusation Thou hearest an admonition but no rayling For he sayth If I haue vvell done vvhy smitest thou me As if he should say I strike not agayne I do not reuenge my selfe but I warne thée repent least worse happen vnto thée from the Lorde our God C. Wherefore it is not alway required in Christian patience that he whiche is hurte should both holde his peace and suffer iniurie but this is required that he suffer the same patiently without desire of reuenge and that he rather seeke to ouercome euill by dooing good The spirite of Sathan doth too muche carry the wicked to doo harme yea thoughe no man prouoke them M. Moreouer that whiche was done vnto Paule by Annas the high Priest Rom. 12.21 differeth little from this whiche was done vnto Christ by the presumpteous seruant of the wicked hye Priest 24. Now Annas had sent him bound vnto Caiphas the high priest R. This sentence must be included by a Parenthesis C. For bicause the Euangelist had sayd that Christ was led to the house of Annas had so prosecuted his Narration as though the counsayle and assembly of the high Priest had béene there he now giueth vs to vnderstande that he was brought backe agayne to the house of the highe priest A Thys also semeth to be added to exaggerate the iniurie done vnto Christe by the hye Priests seruants for it was very vnmeete that a prisoner bounde and vncondemned should be foully beaten before a Iudge standing at the barre pleading and defending hys owne cause Concerning the reste of the texte betwéene this and the .28 verse read oure commentarie vppon the .26 chapter of Mathevv 28. Then led they Iesus from Caiphas into the haule of Iudgemente It was in the morning and they themselues went not into the Iugemente haule leste they shoulde be defiled but that they might eate the passeouer R. This is a preparation to the second parte of the oration or communication by whiche Christe was reproued of sedition M. For the Euangelist passeth to the declaration of those things which were done before Pilate of the Romaine Lieftenant C. That examination of the whiche Sainct Iohn speaketh was very early before the breake of the day Yet notwithstanding there is no doubte but that they had in euery place of the Citie their bellowes to set the people on fyre the burning madnes of the people which with one consent required to haue Christ deliuered vp to death flamed so sodainly The hye priestes had the examining of Christ not that it was in their power to geue
but according to the measure of his zeale that hee might come before the rest vnto Iesu M. Moreouer in that hée being naked gyrded his coate vnto hym when he came out of the Ship to Christwarde it is an example of shamefastnes and reuerence Some Anabaptistical spirite would haue come naked vnto Christ without blushing 8. The other Disciples came by Ship c. 9. Assoone then as they wer come to land they sawe whot coales and fishes layd theron and breade C. All come at the last vnto Christ but Peter excelleth the rest in zeale They were occupied in taking the fishes out of the net the which leysure Peter could not tary not regarding the fyshe when hee knew that the Lord was vpon the shore R. Men come vnto Christ by diuers meanes some with excellent giftes other some with base science and labour which appereth in the sight of the world so contemptible that the same is counted no gift Peter commeth vnto Christ but by miracle and with a gift wonderfull in the eyes of the world the other disciples row in the common skyffe or cockboate vnto Christ A. But it maketh no matter how thou commest so that thou bring fayth with thée which worketh through loue They saw whot coales M. Now consequentlye the Euangelist cōmeth to the declaratiō of those thinges which the Lord did after this apparition and miraculous inclosier of fyshes The Euangelist saith not they layd whot coales fyshe and bread but they sawe whot coales and fishes layd theron Therefore not they but the Lord did these thinges whyle they were fishing on the sea that he might entertayn thē with a silly feast according to his wonted maner with thys purpose to teach them that no necessarye thing appertaining to the bodye shall be wanting to his Ministers so that they labour not slouthfullye but couragiouslye R. For the disciples comming forth of the Ship from their godly labour founde not only broyled fish but also bread Thus also the Lord fed the Israelites in the wildernes who following their vocation had bread from heauen quailes brought with the wynd and water out of the rock Moses following the calling of the Lord in the mountayne was nourished fortie dayes without bread or water Elias following his calling was fed by a Rauen by nature a rauenous bird And although these were speciall miracles yet notwithstanding we may herewithall confyrme and strengthen our fayth For miracles are seales vnto vs of Gods promises 10. Iesus saith vnto them bring of the fish which yee haue nowcaught 11. Symon Peter went vp and drew the net to the land full of great fishes c. Bv. Christ commaunded this to be don to take away al suspicion least they shuld think either the broiled fish or that which they had taken to be but a fantasie R. But why doth he not say bring hither of the fyshes which I haue caused you to take Answere The holy Ghost is wont in other places of the Scripture to ascribe those works vnto vs which notwithstanding God worketh in vs not to the ende we should be prowd in our owne conceit but that we might go foreward in doing our dutie C. So we call that our bread which in desiring to be geuen vnto vs we confesse to come from the blessing of God Symon Peter drew the net Bv. Peter alone drew not the net to land but was holpen by the rest of his fellows R. In this manifestation of Christ wée haue many wonderfull thinges to be considered The fyrst is the taking of so great a multitude of fyshe and being so manye the net not broken secondlye that Peter came vnto Christ not as did the others in a boat but by swimming last of al that with out the preparation of anye man meat was dressed to satisfy their hunger This therfore is the most notable apparision of Christ replenished with deuyne power For the lord which blesseth man maketh them fyrme instrumentes to finishe his work and will 12. Iesus saith vnto them cum dyne And non of his disciples durst ask him who art thou For they knew that it was the Lord. M. Christ calleth his disciples to meate the which he had prepared not so much to fill their bellies as to confyrme them in the faith and knowledge of the resurrection by eating with him Bv. For although this be not plainly expressed yet notwithstanding it may appeare by the circumstances And none of his disciples durst aske hym C. The Euangelist meaneth that the disciples durst not aske Christ who he was bicause they feared that they should therby do him iniury he had so plainly reuealed him selfe by manifest signes As if hee should say Bv. The Lord was so familiarly conuersaunt with them that none of them needed to aske say who art thou 13. Iesus then came and tooke bread and gaue them fish lykewise 14. This is now the thyrd tyme that Iesus appered to his disciples c. M. His custome was to breake the bread wherupon the twoo disciples which went to Emaus knew him by breaking of bread Bv. But he did not this without hys accustomed maner of geuing thankes Luk. 24. C. Christ had appeared more than seuen tymes but whatsoeuer was don in one day is comprehended vnder one apparition AVG. So that the fyrst daye is the day of his resurrection the second the eight daye after his resurrection in the which he offered him selfe to Thomas to be sene and felte The thyrd day is this in the which hee appeared by the sea shore of Tiberias C. He meaneth therfore that Christ was séene of his disciples at seueral tymes that his resurrection might haue the more credit M. There are other some also which think that the Euangelist speaketh of those manifestations by which he apeared not to one or two alone ▪ but to all of them when they were gathered togither Otherwise it should follow that the Lord was not séene of his Disciples in Iudea but onely vpon the day of his resurrection and the eyght day of the same the which can not be affirmed 15. So when they had dined Iesus sayth to Simon Peter Simon Ioanna louest thou mee more than these Hee sayde vnto him Yea Lorde thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my Lambes Bv. As the Lorde when he had fed many in the Desert with fiue loues two fishes passed from the meat of the body vnto the foode of the soule teaching that we must also hunger after the eternall foode which maketh vs immortall euen so he taking héere occasion of the fishing exhorteth his Disciples to the spiritual fishing wherby they may draw many vnto God by the net of the Gospell Notwithstanding he chaungeth the allusion For he passeth from fishes to cattel cōmaunding them to féede the Lords flocke But specially he conuerteth his whole spéeche vnto Simon Peter whom the Lorde Iesus restored to that degrée of honor from the which he was fallen That foule