and with one mynde approche at this present vnto the gracious throne of thy diuine maiestie moste humbly besechyng thee that forasmuche as we of our selues and of our owne nature are altogether corrupte ignoraunt blynde and vtterly estranged from the felyng and perceauynge of thy diuine mysteries suche is our ignorance and blyndnesse thorow olde Adam it may please thee of thy mercyfull goodnesse by thy holy and blessed spirite to open our senses to leade vs into all truthe to purifie our heartes and to make oure myndes mete vessels to receaue the swete wyne of thy most swete and glorious Gospell O open thou our eyes that we may see the wondrous thinges of thy lawe Hyde not thy commaundementes frome vs but teache vs thy statutes and make vs to vnderstand the way of thy commaundementes that we may talke of thy meruailous workes Teache vs O Lord the way of thy statutes and make vs to go in the pathe of thy commandementes Encline our heartes vnto thy testimonies quicken vs in thy wayes and take not the worde of truthe oute of our mouthe O geue vs vnderstandyng acordyng to thy word that we may learne thy commandementes and be occupied in thy lawes Let oure heartes be sounde in thy statutes that we be neuer ashamed O shewe the lyght of thy countenance vpon vs thy seruantes teache vs thy testimonies and so order oure steppes in thy worde that no wickednes may haue dominion ouer vs. Sanctifie vs thorowe thy truthe for thy woorde is the truthe Geue to me thy Minister and stewarde of the mysteries of God a well learned tongue that I may confort them whiche are troubled yea and that in due season that I may shew good tydynges vnto the poore that I maye bynde vp the wounded heartes that I may preache deliueraunce to the captiues and open the prison to them that are bound that I may make ioyfull all them that are in heauynesse and thorowe thy worde geue to them that mourne beaultie in stede of ashes ioyefull oyntment for syghyng and pleasant rayement for an heauye mynde that I may hold vp the weake that I maye heale the sycke that I may bynd together the broken that I may bryng agayne the outcastes and seke vp them that are loste so that thys people may be called trees of righteousnesse and a plantynge of the Lorde for hym to reioyce in O geue me that mouthe that spirite that wisedome agaynst the whyche all the aduersaries of thy truthe shall not be able to speake nor resyst Geue to me that preache thy worde with great power that I may be able to exhort by wholsome doctrine and to improue them that speake agaynst it Geue me grace also O Lorde that I may not only be the salt of the earth but also the lyghte of the worlde namely that I may not onely truly and faithfully sincerely and purely reuerently and godly bryng foorthe oute of the treasure house of thy holy worde thynges newe and olde that is to say the doctrine bothe of the olde and newe testamente euen the lawe and the Gospell but also that in my lyfe and maners I may be an ensample to the faithfull in worde in conuersation in loue in spirite in fayth in puritie and in all pointes shew my selfe laudable vnto God a workeman that nedeth not to be ashamed distributynge the woorde of truthe iustly so that I may be to the flocke an ensample of good workes in honestie and grauitie that he whyche withstandeth maye be ashamed hauyng no euyll thyng to speake of me lest by any meanes it come to passe that when I haue preached to other I my selfe should be a cast away and so become a slaunder to the good doctrine that I professe and teache Geue also to the people that are here gathered together to heare the worde of their saluation a good spirite that al cloudes of ignorancie brought in by olde Adam vtterly dispelled driuen away they may learne to knowe thee to be theyr alone Sauiour which knowledge is perfect righteousnesse and the roote of immortalitie yea it is euerlastyng lyfe and without the whyche knowledge we all are but as moyles and horses voyde of all goodnes and grace walkyng in the vanities of our owne imaginations vtterly estranged from God and all godlynesse O moste louynge Lorde open theyr heartes that they may vnderstand thorough the preachyng of the word thy holy and blessed wyll and always doo that not whiche carnall reason fleshly imagination blynd zeale good intent and humayne wysedome iudgeth to be good and holy but that only whiche thou in thy blessed lawe commaundest to be doone all strange woorshippynges vtterly excluded and banyshed O swete sauiour make them that good earth which receuing the healthfull sede of thy moste wholsom worde may bryng forth fruite plentuously some an hundred folde some sixty folde some thirty folde Geue theym grace so to lyue and so to behaue them selues in all poyntes as it becommeth them that embrace thy Gospell Lette theym not bee of the number of those whyche wyth theyr mouth professe God and with their deedes denye hym but make them not onely diligente hearers of thy woorde but also feruent and earnest doers of the same Let them not be lyke the fyue foolishe virgins whiche hadde lampes and no oyle but rather so woorke in theym by thy holy spirite that they maye worthyly be resembled to the fyue wyse virgins whyche had not onely lampes but also oyle in their lampes that is to saye they dyd not onely beare the name of Chrystians but theyr conuersation also was garnyshed wyth woorkes meete and seemely for Christians Make them suche as no man can iustely complayne on euen the vnfayned sonnes of God without rebuke shynynge as greate lyghtes in the worlde euen in the myddes of a croked and peruerse nation holdyng faste the woorde of lyfe that they whyche backebyte them as euyll doers seynge theyr good workes may cease to speake euyll and glorifie thee our Lord God in the day of visitation Fynally graunt bothe to me the Preacher and to these the hearers and to so manye as vnfaynedly professe thy blessed name grace and strength from aboue that we maye soo handle and heare thy woorde that we beynge no forgetfull hearers but diligent doers of the same may thorowe Faithe in thee obteyne that blessyng whyche thou haste promysed to all theym that heare the worde of God and kepe it Grant thys O moste louyng lorde and swete Sauiour for thy greate mercy and goodnes sake Amen A shorter prayer before the Sermon O Almyghty God and moste mercyfull Father the Authour and geuer of all wysedome whych at the intercession of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour diddest sende downe accordyng to thy promyse thy holy spirit to lyghten the heartes and senses of the apostles before they could syncerely vnderstande the
y◠which we heare in the word must we iudge and saie I see that I must die but I heare the promise and word of Christ my Lorde that thorow hym I shall haue life For as touchyng sinne for the whiche I must nedes suffer death it is vtterly taken awaye by hym so that God for his deathe and resurrection wyll be mercyfull vnto me and geue me euerlastynge lyfe This is truely to kepe the woord of Christe But it is an harde thyng to haue this faythe For fleshe and blood can not otherwise bee persuaded then as they fele and proue Against this peruers and froward reason must we striue and aske of God hys holy spirite that he may stablishe our hearts throughe the worde that they may retaine and keepe the true Faith What the cause is why the worde of Christ is of so great efficacie myghte and power Christe hym selfe sheweth in the ende of this Gospell And in thys poynt he so greatly moueth the Iewes and stirreth them vnto anger that they are ready to stone hym vnto deathe For this troubled the Iewes that Christe said his worde preserueth and defendeth from euerlastyng death forasmuche as they sawe that Abraham Moyses and other holy men which be greately commended in the holy scripture wer dead They thought that Christ was muche inferiour to them and that it was a matter worthy to be laughed at that he should so muche bragge boast and sette out his worde But Christ answered Abraham desired to see my daye he sawe it and reioyced that is to say If Abraham had not kept my word he had dyed euerlastyngly and ben damned for euer Before Abraham was saith Christ I am And that is thus muche to say I am almightie and euerlasting God Now he that wil be deliuered from his synnes escape euerlastyng deathe and come vnto euerlasting life he must be holpē by me and seke help at none others hād but at myn alone This could neither Moses nor any of the Prophets speke truly of them selues For they were all men But Christ is god and man Therfore is he able to geue life euerlasting saluation none but he alone This is a great consort and a most sure confirmation of our faithe where we confesse that Christ is true euerlasting God as we haue the like testimonies of this thing in many diuers places of the Euangelical history that our whole trust shold be in hym in his word in none other For this is the word of god can by no means deceue vs. What soeuer he speaketh is certain and sure is neuer void but is as sure as God by his word made heauen earthe of nothing Lerne this diligently and with thankful hearts knowledge this inestimable benefit and pray that God by his holy spirite may kepe you in the truth of his word receiue you into euerlasting life through Christ his sonne to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen The Sonday next before Easter cōmonly called Palme sondaye ¶ The Gospell Math. xxvi AND it came to passe when Iesus hadde finished all these sayinges he sayd vnto his Disciples Ye knowe that after two dayes shal be Easter and the sonne of man shall bee delyuered ouer to be crucified Then assembled together the chief Priestes and the Scribes and the elders of the people vnto the Palace of the high Priest whiche was called Caiphae and healde a Counsell that they myght take Iesus by subtiltie and kill hym But they said not on the holy day lest there be an vprore amonge the people When Iesus was in Bethanie in the house of Symon the Leapor there came vnto hym a woman hauynge an Alabaster boxe of precious oyntment and powred it on his head as he sat at the boorde But when his disciples saw it they had indignatiō saying Wherto serueth this wast This oyntment might haue ben well sold and geuen to the poore When Iesus vnderstode that he sayd vnto them Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wroughte a good woorke vppon me For ye haue the poore alwayes with you but me ye shall not haue alwayes And in that she hath caste this oyntment on my body she did it to bury me Ueryly I say vnto you Wher so euer this Gospell shal be preached in all the worlde there shall also this be tolde that she hath done for a memoriall of her Then one of the twelue whiche was called Iudas Iscarioth wente vnto the chefe Priestes and sayde vnto them What wyll ye geue me and I wyll delyuer hym vnto you And they appointed vnto hym .xxx. pieces of syluer And from that tyme foorth he sought oportunitie to betraye hym The first daye of sweete bread the disciples came to Iesus saying to him Where wylt thou that we prepare for thee to eate the Passeouer And he sayde Goo into the Citie to suche a man and say vnto hym The master saith my tyme is at hande I wyll kepe my Easter by thee with my disciples And the disciples dyd as Iesus hadde appoynted them and they made redy the Passeouer When the euen was come he sat downe with the twelue And as they dyd eate he sayde Ueryly I saye vnto you that one of you shall betray me And they were exceadynge sorowfull and beganne euery one of them to saye vnto hym Lorde is it I He aunswered and sayd he that dyppeth his hande with me in the dyshe the same shall betraye me The sonne of man truely goeth as it is writen of hym but wo vnto that man by whom the sonne of man is betrayed it hadde bene good for that man yf he had not bene borne Then Iudas whiche betrayed hym aunswered and sayde Master is it I He sayd vnto him thou hast sayde And when they were eating Iesus toke bread and when he had geuen thanks he brake it gaue it to the disciples and said Take eate this is my body And he toke the cup thanked gaue it to them saying Drynk ye all of this for this is my bloud whiche is of the new Testament that is shed for many for the remission of sinnes But I say vnto you I will not drinke hense forth of this fruite of the vine tree vntyll that daye when I shall drinke it newe with you in my fathers kyngdom And when they had sayde grace they went out vnto mount Oliuete Then saide Iesus vnto them All ye shal be offended because of me this night For it is writtene I wyll smyte the shepherd the shepe of the flock shal be scattered abrode but after I am risen again I wil go before you into Galile Peter answered and saide vnto hym Thoughe all men be offended because of thee yet wyll I not be offended Iesus saide vnto hym Uerily I saye vnto thee that in this same night befor the Cocke crowe thou shalte denye me thryse Peter saide vnto hym yea
this worlde He instructeth them as touchinge the conuersion of the Gētiles and the receauing of them into the nombre of gods people whome they iudged to be dogges and caste awayes He teacheth them that the gospell belongeth no les to the Gentile then to the Iewe and that there is no respecte of persons before God but that who so euer beleueth and worketh righteousnes is welcomme vnto hym He enformeth them that they in this worlde shoulde not looke for wealth glorie riches ease fauour of men c. But for the crosse trouble affliction persecution losse of goodes banishment imprisonment and at the last death wheras the Apostles so blinded were they with the vaine opiniō of Christes carnal and worldly kyngdome as we may se in many places of the Euangelicall historie looked for the cleane contrary These and suche lyke thinges whiche Christe to fore had taught the Apostles the holy ghoste renued and broughte vnto their remembrance and all carnall fansies and worldly imaginations vtterlye secluded and sette a parte he inspired and breathed into them true iudgements and godly persuasions concerning the high misteries of Christes doctrine by this meanes not onely deliuerynge them from errours and false doctrine but also making them able to do the same thorow the ministerie of the word For the holy ghoste is a true interpretour of Christes minde and a faithfull teacher of gods holy misteries Whosoeuer hath hym for his guide he maye be sure to walke the waye of truth and to be led into the same But whosoeuer hath not the holy ghoste to be his teacher and guyde he falleth into errours and heresies and wandereth from the waye of trueth as many examples of all ages do proue Arrius that Arche heretike had or rather semed to haue one or two sentences of the holy scripture to defende hys wycked and abhominable doctrine in denyinge the godhead of Christ wherunto he did sticke with toothe and nayle as they vse to saye But in the meane season he did not marke and consider the great multitude of both sentences and examples of the holy scripture moste plaine and moste euident whiche most plainely and most euidently do proue and declare that Christe is true and naturall God begotten of God the father from euerlasting The Anabaptistes also in these our dayes are the authors of a newe doctrine and custome because CHRIST saith Go and teache all nations baptising them c. Now forasmuch as doctrine is set forth before baptisme they gather that chyldren ought not to be baptised before they be taught not cōsideringe that Christ had here speciall respecte to them that were growen in age are endued with witt reason vnderstanding These ought first to be taught afterwarde if they receue and beleue the doctrine to be baptised so receaued into the nombre of Godes children In infantes baptisme which haue not the vse of reason doctrine presently is not required no more then it was in the Circūcisiō of the infants of the Iewes which were the people of god Lykewise errours haue risen vp about the lords supper many great as trāssubstantiation reseruation and circūgestation of the Sacramentall bread the adoration of the same the priuate eating therof likewise the taking away of the Lords cuppe frō the laytie in the administratiō of the Supper the making of the Lords supper of a sacrifice of thanckes geuinge a propiciatorie satisfactorie and expietorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead c. Menne easely fall into errours when they haue not the holy ghost to be their guyde and leader He sayth Christ which is the spirite of trueth euen he shall lede you into all truth He shall teache you all trueth He shall put you in remembrance of those thinges that I to fore haue taughte you Moreouer Christe saith The holy ghost shal shew you thinges to come For that also pertaineth vnto his office as there be examples in the Chronicle of the Apostles actes Again he sayth He shall glorifie me that is to saye he shall replenishe you with the knowledge of God that ye will not doubt to suffer all thinges for my names sake set more by me thē by al other things in the worlde These and such like shal be the offices workes of the holy ghost These thinges can ye not now awaye with neither do ye vnderstāde them Ye must tarye til the holy ghost cōmeth that by experience ye maye knowe this doctrine Therefore I wyll not speake muche vnto you of these thynges at this present But of this one thinge I wil only admonishe you that ye be not dismayde nor discouraged by the reason of my departure For this my departure shall be the cause that the holy ghoste shall be sent vnto you whiche shal haue in the worlde this office of rebukynge whereby they that beleue shal be deliuered from sinne endued with euerlasting righteousnes and be thorowly confirmed against all kynde of aduersitie trouble persecution c. And this is the doctrine of the Gospell redde in the Church this present sondaye God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ graunt vs his holy spirite that by hym we may be enstructed of all these thinges and be confirmed in the same vnto the ende Amen The fyfte Sonday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Ihon. xvi VEryly veryly I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he wil geue it you Hytherto haue ye asked nothynge in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioye maye be full These thynges haue I spoken vnto you by Prouerbes The time wyll come when I shal no more speake vnto you by Prouerbes but I shall shewe you plainely from my father At that day shall ye aske in my name And I saye not vnto you that I wyll speake vnto my father for you for the father hym selfe loueth you because ye haue loued me and haue beleued that I came out from God I went out from the father and came into the worlde Againe I leaue the worlde and go to the father His Disciples sayde vnto him Lowe nowe thou talkest plainelye and speakest no Prouerbe Nowe are we sure that thou knowest all thinges nedest not that any man shoulde aske thee any question therfore beleue we that thou camest from God Iesus aunswered them Nowe ye do beleue beholde the houre draweth nye and is alredy come that ye shal be scattered euery man to his owne and shall leaue me alone And yet am I not alone for the father is with me These wordes haue I spoken vnto you that in me ye myght haue peace for in the worlde shall ye haue tribulation But be of good chere I haue ouercome the worlde THE EXPOSITION THe Gospell of this daye as ye haue heard is a singuler and very notable exhortation vnto prayer for after the ministerie of the worde this is the highest seruice that Christen men can do
desyre hym that he will conserue kepe vs in this grace at the last geue vs the ioyeful enheritauÌ„ce of his moste glorious kingdome for Iesus Christ his sonnes sake our alone Sauiour and our alone redemer our alone aduocat and our alon mediatour our alon lawfulfiller and our alone peace maker to whom with God the father and God the holy ghost be all honour glory and praise both nowe and worldes without ende Amen The Sonday after the Ascension ¶ The Gospell Ihon. xvi WHen the comforter is come whom I wyll send vnto you from the father euene the spirite of trueth whiche procedeth of the father he shal testifie of me yee shall beare witnesse also because ye haue ben with me from the beginninge These thinges haue I sayde vnto you because yee shoulde not be offended They shall excommunicate you yea the tyme shall come that whosoeuer killethe you wyll thinke that he doth God seruice And such thynges wyl they do vnto you because they haue not knowen the father neyther yet me But these thynges I haue tolde you that when the time is come ye may remember then that I tolde you THE EXPOSITION IN this gospel are specially to be considered two thinges The first is coÌ„cerning the holy ghost The second is of the persecution whiche shall come to the confessours and professours of the gospell before the worlde As touchinge the holy ghost we confesse that he is almightie euerlasting god Christ calleth him by a special name euen the conforter And by this he declareth that true godlines can not be without the crosse and affliction For what nede should there be of a conforter if there were no troubles no persecutions But Christ describeth setteth forth the persecutioÌ„ to be such that the godly shal not only be slaine whiche is a most haynous offence but also they shal be counted such people as are verye aduersaries open enemies of all true religion godlines and therefore by no meanes to be suffred but by the iudgement of all men to be taken out of the earth by the most cruel death that can be deuised as pestiferous persons and intollerable heretikes hated both of god man so that the punishment of the Christians shal excede all other And they are somtime also troubled in their conscience by thincking that they haue ben to muche vehement and haue gone to farre or that they might haue done spoken more circumspectly warely and so shold lesse danger haue chaunced they haue liued longer done more good Thus are the ChristiaÌ„s troubled outwardlye of the tyrantes of this world inwardly of the weakenes of their conscience In consideration herof doth Christ call the holy ghost a conforter as though he should saye I know into what great troubles miserable afflictions blouddy persecutions other vnrestful griffes ye shall fall howe the whole worlde and all that euer is in it shal be againste you But I wil prouide helpe for you se that ye shall not stick in the myre nor be left confortles Yea when there appeareth no confort at al no helpe no succour ye your selues also thorow the weakenes of your coÌ„science shal be troubled inwardly theÌ„ wâ—il I send vnto you the holy ghost which is the conforter that he may coÌ„firme make stroÌ„g your mindes that ye despaire not encourage you to abide by that which he shal say vnto you Now are there two maner of coÌ„solatioÌ„s or coÌ„forts The one is a worldly coÌ„fort which is but an vncertein vaine coÌ„fort For it dependeth altogether on riches power glorie frendship good wil of princes great men but saith Christ none of al these shal you my disciples haue yea these thinges shall be against you not with you NotwitstaÌ„ding let it not dismay you that ye finde no coÌ„fort at the worldes handes For that coÌ„forte is of no great waight neither is the coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce therof long Som sodeÌ„ mischauÌ„ce displeasure of great meÌ„ sicknes agewe plague pestilence misfortune maketh sone an end of worldly coÌ„forte But I saith he wil prouide for you an other conforter euen the spirite of truth which shal then coÌ„fort confirme and strengthen you when ye shall be combred and opprest with terrours fears infirmities miseries calamities outwardly before the worlde inwardly in your mynde For for this cause hath the holy ghost this name that he is called a coÌ„forter not an accuser or troubler For where sadnes perturbation is it is a token that the holy ghoste is not there And this conforter is also called the spirite of truth For he coÌ„forteth not as the world doth where nothyng is sure coÌ„stant but his coÌ„solation or confort is perpetual euerlastiÌ„g which no maÌ„ is able to destroie But here again is a scrupule or doubt for the conscience answereth Thou speakest muche of conforte but I fele it not I fele rather the contrarie that the worlde is mery and ful of pleasure But the ChristiaÌ„s mourne are euer vnder the crosse Iohn Baptiste is beheaded But Herode and his harlotte Herodias are frolike and mery And euen so goeth it with vs. The worlde enuieth vs a bytte of breade and euery man thincketh that whatsoeuer mischiefe he doth to a Christian it is well done when in the meane while the pope the Cardinalles the Bishoppes and all that hate the gospell lyue all in pleasure and iolytie in reaste and peace in idlenes and heartes ease and without all affliction trouble Is this therfore a conforte Christ answereth that it is a conforte but we must make a distinction betwene confortes The worlde also hath his coÌ„forte for if it had not it could neuer be so secure careles mery and without all care but that is not the conforte whiche coÌ„meth from the spirite of truth but it is a deceitfull confort For it maye sodenly come to passe that in those things wherin the worlde reposeth his conforte and staye there may be founde no coÌ„fort nor helpe at all But the holy ghost which is the conforter of the Christians is the spirite of truth whiche inwardly conforteth vs with most certein sounde and sure consolation Therfore although Iohn haue not that conforte that Herode with his whore hath but is caste of them into prison where he lieth most miserably afflicted and withoue all consolation tyll at the laste he looseth his head yet the holy ghost conforteth coÌ„firmeth him secretly in his hearte speaketh vnto him on this maner Be of good courage O Iohn and let no aduersitie dismaye thee neither be thou disconforted that thou art so miserably vniustly caste into prison and that the wycked worlde doth so hate thee and reuile thee Thou knowest this that all worldly thinges can not continew long it now hath the ouerhand but the tyranny therof shall not longe endure For
decreed of the holy ghost to worke in vs by the worde sacramentes He therfore that litle regarde these thinges to him shall the holy ghost never come For to this entent are we baptised receaue we the Supper of the Lorde and heare the worde of God For we know that all these thinges are as instruments by the whiche the holye ghoste doth accomplishe his operation in vs. As examples doth shewe The three thousand soles whiche were conuerted this daye of sainct Peter had neuer ben conuerted if they had not hearde the worde before After that they heard the worde and their heartes were therby moued they came to baptisme For Christ so commanded So the chamberlain of the Quene of Aethiops could not obtaine the holy ghost without the worde whiche Philippe spake by the interpretinge of scripture When his heart was touched by the preachynge of Philippe it behoued hym also to receaue baptisme that the holy Ghoste myghte worke therby Wherefore if thou be desirous to haue the holye Ghost first of all thou must pray to the father for it and after that thou muste geue diligent hede to the worde and preachinge thou must often call to minde thy baptisme what God promised thee there and what maner of couenaunt he hath made ther with thee Thou must often come to the Lords Supper For by the worde and sacraments the holy ghost doth kendle oure heartes with a new light of fayth that we maye not onely heare the worde as the harde hearted Iewes dyd heare but that we maye vnderstand it also that therby we may become new men and get vs new heartes Furthermore we must beware that we do not let the holy Ghost in his worke by fylthy and shamfull liuinge and that we caste hym not out of vs by wanton an sinfull maners For one place can not serue both for the holy Ghost and the deuill Therfore when the deuill tempteth the with couetousnes wrath lechery and other synnes flee straight waye to prayer as thou woldest to an anker in a tempeste that GOD maye preserue thee against temptation and kepe the obedient vnto hym For it is necessary to abstayne frō sinne the workes of the fleshe eyther that the holy ghost may remayne with thee styll after thou hast receaued hym or that thou mayst obtayne hym that was neuer in thee or if by infirmitie thou chaunce to fall thou mayst ryse again retourne to the newnes of liuing And then specially shal we perceaue that the holy ghost must nedes take place in vs and helpe vs against the deuil death and hell wheras contrarie wyse they that continew in voluntarie synnes willinglye by a lytle and a lytle fall more and more into the deuils power liue with out all repentaunce and neuer are part takers of the holy Ghost whose proper office it is as I sayd before first to sanctifie vs thorowe faith and remission of our synnes and then to be an helpe vnto vs against sinne that we may shewe obedience to God But we saide before that we receaue only the first frutes of the holy ghost and that fleshe and bloud doth yet remaine in vs shall as longe as we liue abide in this worlde And herof it is that they whiche haue receaued the holy ghost are neuerthelesse weake and doth fal often Let no man here be offended and thinke as the Anabaptistes do whiche are of this opinion that no man can fal which haue receaued the holy ghost This opinion shold be true if euery man would folow the holy ghost alwayes For than shold we neuer fal But that is not possible because of the craftes and giles of the deuil and the offences of the worlde and the infirmitie of the fleshe Wherfore it is alwayes necessarie to praye that the lord wil not take his spirit from vs but that he wil of his goodnes kepe vs in his grace dayly encrease in vs this gifte of the holy ghost and to forgeue vs our trespasses as we pray in the lords prayer For the holyest that be can not liue without such trespasses but yet by fayth in Christe are they pardoned that they hurt vs not Ye haue hearde therfore what is your true whitsontyd and pentecost Whiche is much more glorious than the whitsontide of the Iewes For the holye Ghoste is shedforth vpon all fleshe that we by the Gospell may knowe God and maye be sanctified and iustified by the holye ghost both in bodie and spirit if so be that we fulfil the office of true religion by prayer by hearynge the worde and bringing forth the true fruites of the spirite Whiche thing the holy ghoste graunt vs all to do thoroughe Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all glory for euer Amen The second Sermon on whitsonday ¶ The Gospell Ihon. xiiii IEsus sayde vnto his Disciples yf ye loue me kepe my commaundementes and I wyll pray the father and he shall geue you another comforter that be may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of trueth whom the worlde can not receyue because the world seeth hym not neyther knoweth hym But ye know hym for he dwelleth with you shal be in you I wyll not leaue you comfortlesse but wyll come to you Yet a lytle whyle and the worlde seeth me no more but ye see me For I lyue and ye shall lyue That day shall ye knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you He that hath my commaundementes and kepeth them the same is he that loueth me And he that loueth me shal be loued of my father and I wyll loue hym wyll shewe myne owne selfe vnto hym Iudas saiethe vnto him not Iudas Iscarioth Lord what is done that thou wylt shewe thy selfe vnto vs and not vnto the world Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto hym If a man loue me he wyll kepe my sayinges and my father wyll loue hym and wee wyll come vnto hym and dwel with him He that loueth me not kepeth not my sayinges And the worde which ye hear is not mine but the fathers which sente me These thinges haue I spoken vnto you beyng yet present with you But the comforter whiche is the holy ghoste whom my father wyll send in my name he shall teach you all thinges and bringe al thinges to your remembraunce what soeuer I haue saide vnto you Peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you Not as the worlde geuethe geue I vnto you Let not your hartes be greued neyther feare ye haue hearde how I said vnto you I go and come againe vnto you If ye loued me ye would verily reioyce because I sayd I go vnto the father For the father is greater then I. And nowe haue I shewed you before it come that when it is come to passe ye mighte beleue Hereafter wyll I not talke many wordes vnto you For the Prince of this
darknes more then the lyght It is a myghty shielde and stronge defence agaynst Satan and all his infernall army as Salomon sayth The worde of God is a bucklar to such as beleue it Therfore S. Paule in a certaine Epistle where he appointeth what armour we shold put on that we may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill and to resist the gouernours of darknes in the euyl day and to stande perfect in all thynges exhorteth vs among other weapons to put on the sworde of the spirite which saieth he is the worde of God With this spirituall sword dyd our sauiour Christ in the wyldernes fight against Sathan and mightily ouercame him by this his conflict declaring vnto vs what a noble weapon the word of God is to vanquishe and to ouercome Satan so that who soeuer putteth on this swearde and with a myghty faith falleth in hand with this olde cankred ennemy of mankind he may be sure to haue the victory For this word is that percyng stone wherewith Dauid ouerthrue and kylled that mighty great gyant Goliath that prowd Philstine and blasphemous rayler vpon God and his hoste It ouercommeth and subdueth Antichrist and all the aduersaries of Gods pure and true doctrine as S. Paul witnesseth saying That wycked that synfull man that sonne of perdition whiche is an aduersarie to Gods trueth and is exalted aboue all that is called GOD or that is worshipped so that he dothe sitte in the Temple of God bostyng himself to be God shall be disclosed vttered and broughte to lyghte whome the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouth c. Agayn As Iames and Iambres withstode Moses euen so do these also resyst the truth men they are of corrupt myndes and leude as concernyng the Faith but they shall preuayle no longer For their madnes shal be vttered vnto all men euen as theirs was Of this thing God be thanked wee haue experience at this daye wherein Antichrist is reueled and all his wycked doctrine disclosed so that the very blynde begynne to see hys iugglyng And though there be whyche after the manner of Atlas susteyn vnderprop and hold vp wyth their shoulders that is to say with their writynges and preachings the kyngdom of Antichrist so much as they can with his Antichristian actes deuillish decrees croked cōstitutions trifling traditions drousie dreames idle inuentions vnwritten verities c. yet is the tyme of the iudgement of that great whore of Babylon at hande wherin she with her marked merchauntes wyth that blasphemous beast and false prophete shall bee caste into that lake that burneth with fyre and brymstone He whome Iohn sawe syttyng vpon a white horse clothed with a vesture dipte in bloode whose eies were as a flame of fyre and whose name is the worde of God and out of whose mouthe went a sharpe two edged sworde shall smyte kyll and destroy them Euery plant saieth Christ that my heauenly Father hath not planted shal be pluckt vp by the rootes Agayn The Gospell of the kyngdome shall be preached in all the world for a wytnesse vnto all nations and then shall the ende come It defendeth the louer and embracer therof frome all synne wyckednesse and lewde behauiour as the Psalmograph saith Thy wordes haue I hydde within my heart that I should not synne agaynst thee Agayne wherwithall shall a yonge man clense hys waye euen by rulyng hymselfe by thy word Ones agayne Order my steppes in thy worde and so shall no wickednes haue dominion ouer me It comforteth the troubled in his tribulation so that it suffereth not hym to faynt or to be of a desperate mynde as Dauid saythe If my delight had not bene in thy lawe I should haue perished in my trouble Agayne O thinke vpon thy seruant as concernynge the woorde wherein thou haste caused me to put my trust The same is my conforte in my trouble For thy woorde hath quickened me In an other place he also sayeth Though I walke through the valley of the shadowe of deathe I will feare no euyll for thou art with me Thy rod and thy staffe confort me It cureth and healeth all spiritual sicknesses and diseases as the wyse man sayth It is neyther herbe nor emplasture that restored them to health but thy woorde O Lorde which healeth al things Likewise saieth the Psalmograph He sent hys word and healed them they were saued frō their destruction It purifieth and clenseth the hearte of man yea the whole man as our Sauiour Christ saieth Nowe are ye cleane thorowe the worde that I haue spoken vnto you Hereto pertaineth the saying of thapostle Christe loued the congregation and gaue hymselfe for it to sanctifie it clensed it in the fountayne of water thorough the worde S. Peter also saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortall seede but of immortall by the worde of God whiche lyueth and abideth for euer It bringeth peace rest quietnes ioye and conforte to mens consciēces as the Psalmograph saith Great is the peace that they haue which loue thy law and they are not offended at it Peace peace vnto thē that are farre of to them that are nye saith the Lord and I make him whole But the wicked are lyke the ragyng sea that can not rest whose water fometh with the myre and grauell Euen so the wicked haue no peace saieth God It bringeth the holy Ghost to them y◠beleue as we rede in the chronicle of the apostles acts while Peter yet spake these wordes saith the blessed historiograph S. Luke the holy gost fell on al them which heard the preaching Likewise saeith S. Paule In Christ also we beleue forasmuch as we haue herd the word of trueth euen the Gospel of your saluation wherin when ye had beleued ye were sealed with the holye Spirite c. And in his Epistle to the Galathians he saieth that they receyued the spirite by the preachyng of the Faithe It is able to make a man learned vnto saluation thorow the Faith whiche is in Christ Iesu. It teacheth al degrees how they ought to behaue thē selues euery one in theyr vocation and callyng that they may please God and woorke that whiche is acceptable before the eyes of hys diuine Maiestie It bryngeth health lyfe saluation glorification to so many as beleue accordyng to this testimonie of S. Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one the beleueth Likewise saith sainct Iames in his Epistle Lay apart all filthynes and superfluitie of maliciousnes and receaue with mekenes the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules As I may ones make an ende if an ende may be founde in an endlesse matter All scripture geuen by inspiration of god is profitable as the Apostle saieth to teache to improue to amend
the church yet are they not the church For if they were they wold not persecute yâ— word but rather reuereÌ„tly extoll it In the contrary part Mary Ioseph SimeoÌ„ are without al nobilite of the coÌ„mon sort therfore are vnknoweÌ„ with such like But these are they that know Christe in whome dwelleth the holy ghost gouerneth theÌ„ that they may encrease in the knowledge of Christe be saued In both parts as I saied ye must beware ye stuÌ„ble not This is no tokeÌ„ of the true church for that the pope his vsurpeth their administration in such poÌ„pe neither may we gather herof that they can not erre be deceaued or that they must nedes be gods people This appeareth to be false iÌ„ this first history of Christ. on the coÌ„trary part the litle flock is not therfore to be despised Neither is the felowship of gods light to be taken awaye for because that they that beare it are in the worlde abiect persons For this is the maner of gods kyngdome in earth eueÌ„ to be neglected and abhorred of the wise and to be aduaunced and set forth of the poore to whom it is truely reueled For they can put their trust in no worldly ayde as they do which leane al to power riches councels decrees c. And let this be sufficient as touchyng the first part of this historie wherin Simeon by the holye Ghost acknowlegeth the childe Iesus to be the annointed of the Lord. After this I wil take vpon me to entreat of his sermon Wherby he signifieth to other what great helpe and what thynges he surely knoweth to be to come of this child And furthermore what is his office the greatest thing that he worketh in all the worlde that we herby by this example may knowlege Christe and be saued The euaÌ„gelist before described that Simeon receaued an answere of the holy Gost that he sholde not die before he had seen the annointed of the Lord. And when that promesse nowe was fulfylled in the temple he beheld with his eyes the child Iesus and toke hym into his armes and pronounced these wordes with a ioyfull spirite saying Lorde now lettest thou thy seruaunte depart in peace accordyng to thy worde That is Now wil I gladly without any refusing yelde my selfe to nature Flesh and blood hath no such kynde of speache For we knowe all very well howe it goeth at that time when we muste departe out of this worlde Then is there sorow without hope theÌ„ is there conturbation trouble and anguishe of minde death desperation and lamentable cries c. Neither can the naturall man otherwise do as it is to see by the exaÌ„ple of brute beastes wheras is only a naturall death But in men it is called the death of syn For death is enioyned to vs for syn And what feare and despaire commeth by synne we fele by experience Wherfore mannes death is muche more greuâ—ous to them then it is to all other thynges that by the law of destinie are appointed to die For they must abyde the wrath and iudgement of God which are ioyned with death and neuer hath ende If these thynges accompanied not death it wold not be so terrible a thing for meÌ„ to die It is no litle grefe that commeth by departyng from thinges most delectable and dere vnto vs wheras we must therwith leaue wife children frends and suche lyke But yet it passeth al greife to fele sinnes to dreade gods iudgemeÌ„t to be opprest with death without any wayes to escape Wherfore the worlde can not singe this songe with Simeon when death commeth But it beginneth rather to synge this morneful verse O Lord I am giltie coÌ„demned for my sinnes Wherfore I can not be suffered to departe from them in peace My minde trembleth and shaketh I see no helpe offered to me I knowe from what thinges I must depart but I can not tel what thynges I shall haue hereafter excepte this that I am sure of Goddes wrath and damnation suche is mans minde towards death Neither can it fynde in nature or reason anye helpe or remedie against suche feare And therfore it must nedes at the coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of death fall in despeire Wherfore this lesson and doctrine that is put forth here to vs in the example of Simeon is not of mans witte He drew to his death without tremblynge he despeired not to be saued after the maner of other He knewe that he was olde and that olde men haue no longe continuance in this life he feleth his strength more and more to decay He perceaued not only by the necessary course of nature but also by his owne perill that the time was nigh wherin his frame sholde be disolued But yet he is not dismayed therby but euen now desireth and wisheth for the resolution therof the which all other and especially old men wold wish neuer to come It appeareth that he had marueilous helpe syth that he went to death with suche strength of mynde and ioyfull courage For if it had not ben for that he could neuer haue ben so glad at the beholdynge of death But what thynge shall we say that it was wherwith he was armed against it shall we saye he was no man or that he was without sin and therfore feared not gods wrath But the maner of obtaining saluation through this light vttereth plainlye that he felt himselfe to be a synner and a man in danger to gods ire and wrath And syth it goeth so with men synners what peace is it that this old man boasteth of His wordes shewe euidently that he had such sence felyng of peace as cold be hindred neither by mans fraile estate neither by contagion of syn And this is the thinge that ought well to be marked in this man that we sinners also may surely truste to the same And herby it may comme to passe that synners maye obtayne peaceable and quiete myndes agaynst death as we see Simeon to be indued with so greate and vncredible confidence and truste He had hard before that he shold not see death Now he perceaueth what was vnperformed of the couenant Yet he thought it not good to vse anye vnluckie wordes and to saye that he must die seinge he hath obtayned and gotten hym that is the Lorde of lyfe and peace Wherfore he expoundeth death to be but a licence of departyng in peace as souldiers after battaill are licensed to retourne home vnto their frendes and acquaintance But nowe let vs learne of hym this kynd of wonderful exposition For he is a gentle and free instructer He sheweth very louingly the ful reason meanyng of his opinion and iudgement without askyng wheras he sayeth For min eyes hath sene thy saluation Here he speaketh of the childe Iesu namynge him saluation sauynge health or sauiour Therfore whether he alludeth to the name of the childe whiche he knew and learned of his mother or whether he knew
not they are not to be obeyed but to be frely spokē agaīst althoughe losse of life shold folow therof For the gospell spareth no mā but reproueth the sinnes of all men generally without exceptiō Therfore let the pastors preachers diligently consider the greatnes wayght of their office remēbring that they must geue an accoūte therof at the great day of iudgemēt if they frely speake not to all men without feare rebuke those thinges that are worthy to be reproued be the persones of hye or low degree Why then shold we preachers for thy cause O thou maiestrate cast our selues into daunger serue thy lustes cōtrarie to our office It is not our worde Neither are we in this office to serue thy tourne as men hyred of thee to teach such things as maye please thy fansye the preachers may not do so neither wyl they do so nor yet ought they so to do He that is not willing to heare these thinges let him seke other that may serue his lustes so that this ministery be free wherunto God hath geuen authoritie power to rebuke sinnes yea the sinnes of all men And these are the three kindes of men whom Christ in this his most noble miracle hath censoures Iudges The first praise it allow it meruel at it the secōd hate it blaspheme it The third wolde haue such miracles wrought as they appoint neither are they any other at all times before whom the gospell is preached in the worlde Therfore the preachers in this behalfe must as Christ did dispute reason cōtēd with the aduersaries by no meanes suffer them or wincke at them but stoutly and valeauntly defende the Lord Christ his cause worde what soeuer aduersitie foloweth and not to regarde thoughe they seme to labour in vaine and to profite fewe We haue done our dutie if we haue disclosed their blasphemies If they heare not farewel they so that they vnderstand what they haue done and whom they haue contemned despised set at naught blasphemed and rayled vpon Christ first of al answereth thē that sayde he cast out deuils by the helpe of Beelzebub prince of the deuils These he cōfuteth with such a reasō as no reasonable mā can deny it That kingdom saieth he which is deuided in it selfe must nedes come to desolation If therfore one deuil cast out an other this then foloweth that y◠deuilles are together by the eares amōg them selues so must their kyngdom come to naughte And this is so true that euen in families or housholdes discorde maketh hauocke of al thinges For if the man the wife be at variance amonge them selues stryue one to hurte an other one to speake euill of an other then must the familie and housholde nedes perishe come to naught Examples do teache that discorde weakeneth maketh feble and vtterly destroyeth whole Empires Kyngdomes Cittes comon wealthes houses families Therfore the Phariseyes and Scribes are here vtterlye besyde them selues and clene out of their wyttes wantyng not only the Iudgemēt of the spirit but also of reason as our aduersaries also the papistes are madde vtterly estraūged from all reason whyle they contemne and condemne so manifest trueth For althoughe we had no scriptures yet were we able to defende our matters and confounde theirs euen with very reason But this helpeth nothyng al our labour is but loste so styffnecked and vncircuncised both in heartes and eares are our aduersaries the papistes And this here is worthy to be noted that Christe sayeth the deuill hath a kyngdome and suche a kyngdom as greatly agreeth in it selfe and defendeth their matters with high concorde and perfecte agrement so that whosoeuer prouoketh one deuill prouoketh and stirreth vp all He that hurteth one maketh all the residue his enemies otherwise if they lyued not in suche a concorde we shoulde plucke awaye many mo from the papistes vnto oure side That all do not beleue receaue the worde the cause is that the kyngdome of the deuil is so mightie and defendeth all their thinges by diligent coniunction and coupling together of consentes myndes This kyngdom doste thou disturbe and greue when thou receauest baptisme hearest the worde of God receauest the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. That the deuill doth not ouercom thee it is because that as in the deuils kyngdom there is hygh agremēt so likewise in the kingdom of Christ there is most true concord and singular linkyng together of myndes Therefore when the deuill assaulteth thee and goeth about to vexe and trouble thee he hath also to his ennemy hym that sitteth on the right hand of God the father euen Christ thyne heade as he saide vnto Paule Saul Saul why persecutest thou me This is to be taken for a myghty and strong defence yea and an inuincible fortresse I meane to be a christen man seynge we haue so myghtie a kyngdome against vs yea we shoulde not be certaine of our helth and saluation one moment of an houre if oure helpe were not sure and certain in the grace of God if God did not assist vs and be present with vs thorowe his holy spirite But here may an obiection be made against Christes confutation that the Exorcistes or cōiurers although they be a wicked kinde of people cast out deuils also Uerily al this cometh not of God but of the deuill We reade of a man that was possessed with many deuils yet a certain priest that was a coniurer and vsed sorcerie was so bold as to put his hād into the mans mouth that was so possessed And what other thing is this then one deuil to cast out an other I answer Paul saith that the deuill in the latter days shall worke wonders and do miracles yet shall they not be true miracles but fained counterfait and false For he worketh not those miracles to aduance the Gospell of Christ and to sette forth the glorie of God but to bryng men from the true faythe and to caste them headlong into all kynde of idolatrie There haue bene certain sainctes as they were wont to calle them as our Lady of Ipswiche our Lady of Walsingham the Roode of rest the roode of Grace S. Peter M. Iohn Shorne c. to whom they were wont in tyme past to sende such as were possessed with the deuyll that they myght there bee made whole and so manye tymes it came to passe But the deuyll was not therfore caste out as though he coulde no longer haue there remained but he was content gladly to depart to confirme them in their superstition and vnbeliefe As the deuill also hath many tymes fained that he is afeard of an halowed candell salt palmes holy water holy bread holy fyre c. When notwithstandynge he dyd it only to this ende to encrease superstition to banishe all true faith and religion to driue men from the lyuyng
when thou prayest that the name of the heauenlye Father maye be sanctified that his kyngdom may come and that his wyll may be done On the contrary part that the deuyls name may be cursed and abhorred that his kyngdome maye be destroyed and that his wyl with all hys counsayles and deuises may come to naughte and be made vtterly frustrate and voyd When thou doest this then doest thou stande in thyne armoure lyke a good and trewe souldiour in the fielde and valyantly defendeth the Churche of Christe agaynst the deuyll the Pope and the worlde For euery Christen man is a warriour and myghtyly fighteth agaynst the power of darknesse for the defence of Gods people the preachers wyth doctrine all other godly people wyth Prayer yea the preachers and the people oughte together to fyghte agaynste Antichriste wyth Prayer These are the two thynges wherewyth the deuyll the Pope the Turke and the whole power of darkenesse is ouercome I meane preachynge and Prayer And surely the deuyll and hys kyngdome can not otherwyse bee ouercome then by preachyng and Prayer And oure heauenly Fathers wyll is that we shoulde thus fyght and striue agaynst the enemies of his holy congregation And I nothynge doubte but that thoroughe oure prayer the counsayles and deuices of oure ennemies those vnsatiable bloudsuppers and Neolike tyrantes haue bene disappoynted so that they coulde haue no successe If wee wyll haue the churche of Christe to prosper and to flourishe yea and to bee free from the danger of the enemy let vs earnestly and heartily fall vnto feruent prayer Lette vs not esteme prayer as a thyng vile and of no reputation but rather iudge of it as a thing of high price before the maiesty of the lord our GOD. Therfore exercise prayer and by no meanes neglect it although ye thinke your selues very vnmete and vnworthy For yf we shold respect our dignitie and worthynes so should we neuer pray Let vs not cast the burdeyn vpon other mens backes to pray but let euery Christen man pray and thinke thus with himselfe Forasmuche as prayer is so acceptable vnto God and profitable to me to the congregation to the cōmon welth I wyll go vnto the congregation pray with it vnto the vttermoste of my power For I am sure that I shall not spende my tyme in vayne nor lose my labour This is a meruailous dangerous imagination to thynke on this maner Let other praye what shouldest thou prophane person bee occupied in so holy a thyng Yea rather think thou thus with thy selfe I haue Christ and his worde and I had rather loose all that euer I haue in the worlde thenne denye CHRIST Thus then dothe it folowe that the Father loueth me and that he wyll heare my prayer as Christe hathe here promysed Therefore I wylle make no delaye nor ceasse frome prayenge but leauynge vnto thys promyse of Christe Uerily veryly I saye vnto you what so euer ye shall aske the Father in my name that wyll he geue you I wyll goe vnto my heauenlye Father and craue of hym in the name of Christe suche thynges as I haue neede of either for the conseruation of my body or for the saluation of my soule Nowe as touchynge thys that the Lorde Christe sayeth afterwarde These thynges that I haue spoken vnto you by Prouerbes it is not so to bee vnderstanded as thoughe he hadde spoken these obscurely and darkely vtterynge one thynge and meanynge an other For the woordes are very playne euidente and open But for as muche as the Disciples as yet hadde no experience of thys matter neyther dydde they knowe that Christe shoulde haue a Spirituall kyngedome that is to saye rule by hys woorde and Spirite For they looked for a temporall and worldly kyngedome euen as the Iewes do at thys day and not by swoorde and pollaxe it seemed to be vnto them what soeuer he spake as an obscure and darke sayenge and as a matter vttered in a strange tongue whyche they vnderstode not But sayth he the matter shall bee otherwyse For the tyme shall comme that I wyll speake no more wyth you by Prouerbes but I wyll openly and playnely shewe vnto you of my Father For whenne the Holye Ghoste commeth and kyndleth oure heartes wyth trewe Faith in the goodnesse and mercye of GOD thoroughe Christe then foloweth there an heartye good wylle and feruente desyre to praye For without the Holye ghoste it is not possible that any manne can haue a faythefull and couragious mynde for to praye Therefore the holye Prophete Zacharye callethe the Holye Ghoste the Spirite of grace and of prayer For bothe these muste bee ioygned together For Faythe whiche maketh vs to knowe God that he is our mercyfull Father for as muche as he hathe geuen vs hys sonne is the gyfte of God whyche the Holye Ghost worketh in vs by the Gospell Where thys spirite of grace is there foloweth the spirite of prayer also so that we in all our necessities and troubles calle vppon God for healpe with thys certayne persuasion and assured hope that God wyll heare vs and geue vs healthe and Saluation for his sonne Christes sake Therfore saithe Christ In that daye when I shall frankly and freely shewe you of the Father and teach you by the holye Ghoste that ye may knowe the Father truely ye shall aske in my name and your prayer shall not be frustrate nor vayne For howe can the father denye you any thynge seyng that hee loueth you because you haue loued me and beleued that I came out frome GOD Oute of suche a Faythe muste trewe prayer nedes come otherwyse it is no prayer althoughe it bee made with neuer so fyne and pyked woordes GOD oure deare and louynge Father of hys greate mercye and synguler goodnesse moughte vouchesafe for hys Sonne Christes Iesus sake to sende hys holye Spirite into oure heartes that wee in all oure troubles and aduersities maye so praye and so perfourme this seruice to GOD that we in this worlde maye be delyuered from all temporall myseries and in the worlde to come enioye those trewe pleasures and those heauenly ioyes whiche shall neuer haue ende Amen A Sermon for the feast of the Ascension of Christe made vpon the Epistle of that daye Actes i. IN the former treatise deare Theophilus we haue spoken of all that Iesus began to do and teache vntyll the daye in which he was taken vp after that he through the holy ghoste had geuen commaundementes vnto the Apostles whom he had chosen to whom also he shewed him selfe aliue after his passion and that by many tokens appearyng vnto them .xi. dayes and speakyng of the kyngdom of God and gathered them together and commaunded them that they should not depart from Ierusalem but to wayte for the promise of the father wherof sayth he ye haue herd of me For Iohn truly baptised with water but ye shal be baptised with the
Secondarilye this is to be noted that as the scripture geueth a peculiar name vnto CHRIST and calleth hym the worde of GOD So doth it also geue a proper name to the sprite callynge it Spiritus Sanctus that is the holye Ghoste whiche by his grace doth sanctifye the heartes whiche were before vnholy and defiled with synne This name bringeth greate conforte to all good Christian men For they perceaue that they are weaker then the deuill and vnable at all times to resyste hys temptations And as they are verye sorowfull that they fele the euyll spirite sore sette agaynste them so are they put in good hope that by CHRIST they obtayne the holye Ghoste whiche pardoneth theyr synnes and styrreth them to obeye God truly But howe the holye Ghoste dooth bringe thys to passe it is shewed in Iohns Gospell The holye Ghoste shall reproue the worlde of synne of iustice and of iudgement For so are the properties of the Trinitie discerned in the articles of our faith that GOD the father gaue vs bodye and lyfe and made vs to his Kyngedome And after that oure parentes became the firste synners and vnder deaths danger and we also as by enheritance succeded vnto their synne and forfet The sonne of god was made man and thorough his death restored to vs that that was loste deliuered vs from sinne and death This deliuerance doth the holy ghost set forth by the Gospell and so instructe the heartes of men to beleue therin that is to haue sure confort therin that CHRIST died for them and that they maye not doubt but that they are reconciled to God the father by that death so that he wili no more remember their synnes but will forgeue them for Christes sake This doth signifie the sanctifiynge of the heartes or the purifying by fayth as Peter speaketh in the Actes of the Apostles And wher as is suche remission of synnes by faith so that we do not despaire althoughe diuers sinnes remaine but take sure conforte thorowe the death and resurrection of CHRIST There foloweth at the lenght the second sanctifyinge of the holye Ghoste wherein oure bodyes also are sanctified by the holye Ghoste as when we geue ouer oure selues no more to sin nor be delighted therwith but abstayne and studie to do those thynges that please God as Paule teacheth He that stole set hym steale no more but rather let hym labor with his owne handes that that is good that he maye haue to geue to the nedefull c. This is the propertie of the holy Ghoste to begin in vs a newe and true obedience towarde GOD that we maye resiste synne and mortifye the fleshe and so obtaine remission of oure sinnes by faith But this sanctifying is not parfect by and by with the first For if the fyrst were not the second coulde not muche preuayle For fleshe and bloud are full of infirmitie but the deuill is excedynge mighty against vs and we haue receaued onely the firste fruites of the spirite Wherefore this obedience can not be parfect and there is no sanctifyinge to attayne vnto ryghteousnes before GOD and euerlastynge lyfe than the sanctifyinge of fayth wherof is spoken before For thereof dependeth the whole matter wheras the second sanctifyinge when it hath done all that it can confesseth his owne vnprofitablenes and stycketh onelye to the sanctifyinge whiche commeth of Gods grace and mercie Hereof then is it plaine why the holye Ghoste is so called because it doth make holy and sanctifye that is by the word it stirreth vp in vs fayth towarde CHRIST that thereby we maye obtayne remission of oure synnes Besyde this office of sanctifyinge the holy Ghoste hath other offices as he hath other names in scripture For Zacharie calleth hym the spirite of prayer because he encourageth the heartes to truste surelye in GOD and to call vpon hym in their necessities Also CHRIST calleth hym the conforter whiche helpeth oure heartes by stirringe vs to take paciently all thynges that they shoulde be feared by no misfortune or combrance of the worlde Also he calleth him the spirit of truth because to withstand lies and heresies and to confirme the pure word and true faith he is alwayes bent Wheras contrariwise the deuill by our reason and false doctrine woulde caste vs hedlong into errours and lyes These are the proper offices of the holye Ghoste besyde that he garnisheth the heartes of the faythfull with diuers vertues and gyftes and is suche a conforter that bydeth with vs alwayes where as all the worldlye conforte is but for a tyme and at laste forsaketh vs. Seynge then that the holye Ghoste dooth worke suche greate thynges in vs. This also is to be learned Whiche is the waye to attaine to suche greate gyftes and howe they maye begynne to growe in vs and that we maye receaue the holye Ghoste and thereby be sanctifyed and saued As touchynge this thynge CHRIST hymselfe doth teache vs. Luke xj Wheras he sayth on this wise Seynge that you that are euyll can geue good thynges to youre sonnes howe muche more can youre heauenly father geue his holye spyrite vnto them that aske it of hym Yt is a sentence worthy to be rehearsed teachynge fyrste that GOD woulde that the holye Ghoste shoulde be obtayned by prayer of hym and that he geueth it to them that wyth humble prayers desire it of the father Wherefore when thou haste a desyre in thy mynde to obtayne the holy Ghoste of GOD continewe in prayinge and doubte not but thou shalte obtayne This is the redye waye to obtayne the holye Ghoste For CHRIST hym selfe dooth teache thee so to doo and to call vpon GOD the father often for the holye Ghoste but this prayer as all other prayers muste be made also in the name of IESV and on suche wyse muste we praye GOD that he for CHRIST his Sonne sake wyll geue vs the holye Ghoste And to the attainement thereof haue greate helpe in that that Christ ascended to the father for no other cause but to receaue these gyftes of the father and to geue them vnto vs. Wherfore in our prayers we can not doubt for it is not onely commanded of God that we shoulde praye for the holye ghoste and also promised that we shall obtayne but also his wil is redie to geue it For as muche as Christ therfore sitteth at the right hande of God the father to distribute amongest vs these gyftes For he also receaued them of the father as it is writent in the .lxviij. psal Not for hymselfe but for men to geue them vnto them Besides prayers there are other things also necessary to the obtayninge of the holye Ghoste For we muste haue a feruent studie to read or heare the worde of God and to vse often the Sacraments that all these thinges ioyned to gether may make opē the way for the holy ghost For this is once for all
manifest Idolatrie if he made inuocation to an Angel and asked blessynge of hym And by inuocation he sheweth that this Angell is true God and yet that his maner is not alwayes as it is of the inuisible God but that he shall come into the earth and take our fleshe on him and be offred for oure sins Wherof Christ in the newe Testament vseth a certain and sure kynd of speche the father that sent me And again as the father hath sent me In the Prophetes in Esaie he saith the Lord hath sent me that I might heale the contrite in hearte again The angel of his face hath saued them So Malachias calleth Christe the angell of the Testament So that by these two names God and an Angell two personnes are represented yet the substance is one and without differēce For he may be an Angell also and an eternal and true god He is called an Angell for his office and administration which he as the sonne hath of the father To the profe wherof do belong all the sentences in the whiche the Prophetes do make mention of the promised seede of the woman that he shall bryng blessyng vnto vs and that he shal begyn to set vp the eternall kyngdome and make satisfaction for our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life For all these workes are suche as are agreable to no creature But only it is God that can do suche thynges And wheras suche workes be attribute to Christ as to a man in the prophetes it folowith therof that Christ is eternall and almighty god as Christ saith vnto Philippe Ioan. 14. If ye will not beleue that I am in the father and the father in me beleue it for the workes sake whiche I do So saith Esaias A childe is borne to vs and a Sonne is geuen to vs ▪ All men perceaue this plaine what it is that a childe is borne and a sonne geuen that that must nedes be spoken of a man which hath both a natural lyfe and bodie What doth the Prophete speake furthermore of suche a man And there shal be saith he no ende of the peace which he shal geue vpon the throne of Dauid and his kyngdome shall he syt from this time for euer And he doth expounde this peace that it shal be with iudgement and iustice this man shall forgeue synne and shall defend his people in all miseries succoure them against all ill And as the thinges before spoken doth declare that he is a true naturall man where he is called a sonne and borne a child So do these thinges proue his eternall kyngdome his iustice and his eternall defence of his that this man is also almightie and eternall God For how els could he haue eternal kyngdome and iustice And to this do belonge notable sentences that be euery where in the Prophetes wheras they geue euidentlye this name Iehoua to Christ Osee saith And after this shal the children of Israell returne and seke after the lord their god and Dauid their kynge shal tremble at the Lord and at his goodnes He hath by name made two distinct persons god and the kynge Dauid that is Christe whiche was promised to Dauid to syt on his seat for euer and yet he ioyneth after that Dauid and God together in one wheras he saith that the children of Israel shall seke God and Dauid For seing that Dauid is to be sought as god is that is seing he is to be honored with like trust with lyke glorie with like seruice worship either must this be manifest Idolatrie or els God and Dauid that is to say Christe the sonne of Dauid after the fleshe is one god as the Prophete a litle after do properly ioyne them in one when he saith they shal tremble at the Lord and at his goodnes So Christ him selfe applieth the 110. Psalme in the 22. of Mathew wheras he affirmeth this against the Phariseies that it is proued by this psalme that Christe is not only the sonne of Dauid but also the sonne of God that is god eternal These testimonies and suche other are diligently to be considered and marked that we may withstande the deuil and all heresies And as we haue heard hitherto the testimonials of the sonne of god our sauiour Christ So wyl we consider see the testimonies of the holy ghost both that he is very God also a distincte person that is he is neither the father neither the sonne although he is in al pointes like the father the sonne so that our religion is plaine and certaine for as much as we worship but one God almightie and not three gods as the Iewes and Turkes do slander vs. And yet because we wil not despise the difference of persōs we holde that god the father god the son and god the holy ghost is but one God And here again shold we acknoledge our felicitie before god that with thankes geuing that in such hard articles we haue suche notable plaine excellent testimonies in the holye scriptures wherby we may stablishe our heartes leane therto strongly against the deuill all the worlde We haue no nede of mās record But Christ himselfe doth testifie and teache very plainely that the holy spirit is eternal almightie god Or els he wold not haue put forth his commādemēt as concerning baptisme on such wise the baptisme shold be done in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost But for as much as the cōmandement is such in expresse wordes it must nedes folow that the holy ghost is the true eternal god of lyke power might with the father the son eternally without beginning Or els Christ in this worke wherin cōsisteth remissiō of sin life euerlasting wold not haue set him equal with himselfe the father So Christ also saith And I wil pray my father he shal send another cōforter vnto you to bide with you for euer euen the spirit of trueth whō the world cā not receaue because he seeth him not neither knoweth him Marke diligētly this sentēce For here shalte thou se a very good plaine differēce of the thre persōs I saith he wil aske my father here hast thou two persons Christ the son which asketh the father which is asked to send an other cōforter If this cōforter be to be sent frō the father it cā not be that the father is the cōforter And christ which asketh the father for this cōforter can not be the cōforter himselfe So that this is a proper distinctiō of the three persons which can be scoffed out by no meanes as the father the son are two distinct persons so the holy ghost the third person is an other person by himselfe then is the person of the father or of the sonne yet is there but one eternall god But what is this third person Christ
doth declare Weras he saith whē the conforter cōmeth whō I will send the spirit of truth y◠which procedeth frō the father he shall testifie of me And Christ here doth not onely speake of the office of the holy ghost but also of the substāce of the holy ghost wheras he saith that he procedeth which is as much to say as his proceding is eternal wtout beginnīg For the father frō whō the holy ghost procedeth is without beginning wherfore the Prophet cal hym by a proper name the spirit of the Lorde as ye heard on whitsonday wheras Peter allegeth the saying of Iohel which sayth thus And it shal come to passe in the latter dayes saith the Lord I will shed out of my spirit vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and daughters shal prophecie Marke this worde attentiuely wher God saith I will shed out of my spirit For ther can be els nothing in god that is not eternal almighty holy wife good and perpetuall as he is hymselfe This sentence and many suche other as concerning the holy ghost were the very same wherwith the holy fathers dyd defend this article against the deuil and the worlde and hath maintained it vnto our time that we beleue onely in one god and do confesse furthermore that this one god is god the father god the sōne and god the holy ghost eternally It is not as the heretikes saye and triflingly imagin that these three names do signifie but one person whiche hath diuerslye shewed forth their selues at diuers times If they are troubled with this article because it seme absurde to reason what is that to me For if a man myght reason in this matrer surely I coulde do that and not all of the worste ye and perchaunce better then any Iewe or Turke can But I count this thinge as the greate benefite of god that I do not dispute of this article whether it be true and agreable to reason but wheras I see that it is so plainly set forth in scripture and hath suche a sure fundation I beleue god more than my owne reason neither do I any thinge care howe this shoulde be true that ther is but one substance three persons in one substance For we go not about here to shewe whether the trueth may be cōcluded by a forme of reason but whether this be certayne by the worde of god If the word of god holdeth with thee care for no more It wil not deceaue thee Wher as the word then is certaine and euident as it is proued and this article is maintained of the holy fathers with suche constancie and power stycke thou also surelye therto and dispute not muche how the father the sonne and the holy ghost maye be one god Thou canst not know precisely what is the cause of laughing in the face neither what is the cause of the sight of the eyes that they see a thing so farre of And also when thou slepest wherof it commeth that as muche as belongeth to the bodie thou art deade yet a lyue We can not know a very litle thing of our owne reason yet we presume to go vp into heauē to searche comprehend god in his maiestie with our reason Why do we not first begin to serche our selues after that sorte first learne to know wher lyeth the operation of our senses when we slepe Ther might we dispute without perill But in this article there is great peril And here we must stycke surely simplely to the worde which sayth of Christ that he is the image of the father and his first begotten before al creatures that is he is no creature but eternall god as there are many testimonies in Iohn All thinges are geuen to me from my father he that seeth me seeth my father Doste thou not beleue that I am in the father and the father is in me There is no place for cauillations in this thyng God hath spoken and sayd that ther is no difference betwene the father and the sonne then in that the sonne is begotten of the father But how this sholde be done how this eternall generation shold be we can not know only know we this that as the scripture sayth he is the first begotten before all creatures and the image of the inuisible god in nature So doth scripture also teache of the third person euen of the holye Ghost which is called the spirit of God And as it is taught before he procedeth from the father that is he hath his substance of the father so that ther is no part of godhed wisdom veritie power in the father whiche is not also in the holy Ghoste But how this cōmeth to passe I can not expresse for it can not be by reason comprehended and it is aboue all angels and creatures Wherfore we must thynke and beleue no further of this than is declared in scripture but to the wordes therof we may surely sticke But to know that perfectly is a thynge not belōging to this lyfe but vnto the lyfe to come Wherfore we must differre the vnderstandyng of these and not dispute theron but beleue plainelye and simplye whatsoeuer the scripture affirmeth of this matter This article is very well set forth in the articles of faith And firste of all this is euident and agreed vpon amongest all men that we are not the first inuenters of this article Neither are the holy fathers the authors therof But they collected it out of the writynges of the Apostles and Prophetes very shortly and compendiouslye euen as bees of many floures gather honye Here first we saye I beleue in God the father This is the first person in the godhed And these are his proper workes in that he his omnipotent and the creatour which made all thinges preserueth all thinges vnto this time In this worke is the father described After that we say And I beleue furthermore in one person which is also god For we must beleue in none els but in only god What is the name of this person His only begotten son Iesus Christ. So hath al christiā men prayed beleued now more thā a thousand v. hundred yeres Yea rather frō the first beginning of the worlde Although this article hath not at al times so plainlye ben forth but hath ben taught at diuers times after diuers sortes For frō the time of Adā vnto Abrahā the son of god was called the sede of the woman After that was it named the sede of Abrahā of Iacob of Dauid so forth And al this is but that onely man Iesus Christ Yea the angels also are called the sonnes of god so are al godli mē are so in dede but neither is there Angell nor any other godly man whiche may be called the only begotten Wherfore only this Christ is so begotten of the father as the sonne to whome he hath none like nother in the angel nother in creatures
altogether pure again that God of his liberalitie and munificence will rewarde them in the lyfe to come as we hearde before out of the gospell of S. Mathewe And Paule saith that the passions or suffringes of the Sainctes shall be rewarded in the lyfe to come Therfore when Christ sayth make you frendes of wicked Mammon that when ye departe or fayle they maye receaue you into euerlastinge tabernacles the sence and meaning of these wordes can be none other but this If we be the Disciples of Christ and do good workes that god will rewarde those good workes in the life to come But what saith Paule good workes can not be don but of fayth And Christ saith that we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe by fayth Thou must conferre these sentences with this present text But howe can these be made to agreee Uerily none otherwise then that thorowe fayth in Christ we haue remission of sinnes and euerlastynge lyfe and that god for this faithes sake doth approue and allowe our Almoses and other good workes and of his owne liberalitie for his promise sake which we do firmely beleue and sticke vnto will abundantly liberally rewarde in the worlde to come So that although it be laborious and painful vnto vs when we do obey god and worke well yet this hope conforteth vs and maketh vs chereful and encourageth vs to go forward in doing good workes forasmuch as we are most certeinly assured that they shal not be vnrewarded at gods hand in the lyfe after this This is the proper true natiue sence or meaning of this sentēce and a good and substanciall answere vnto the question of good workes God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ helpe vs and by his holy spirite stirre vp our heartes that this exhortation vnto good workes the liberall promes ioyned to the same beinge done in fayth maye take good effect in vs and so worke in our mindes that in this worlde we maye plentifully sowe the seede of good workes and in the worlde to come reape the fruites of euerlastinge lyfe thorowe Iesus Christe our Lorde and alone Sauiour to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie both now and euer Amen The tenth Sonday after Trinitie sonday ¶ The Gospell Luke xix AND when he was come nere to Ierusalem he beheld the Citie and wept on it saying If thou haddest knowen those thynges whiche belong vnto thy peace euen in this thy day thou wouldeste take heede But nowe are they hyd from thine eyes For the dayes shall come vnto the that thy enymies shall caste a banke about the and compasse the rounde and kepe the in on euerye syde and make the euen with the grounde and thy chyldren whiche are in thee And they shall not leaue in the one stone vpon another because thou knoweste not the tyme of thy visitation And he wente into the Temple and began to cast out them that solde therein and them that boughte sayinge vnto them It is written my house is the house of prayer but ye haue made it a denne of thieues And he taught daylye in the Temple THE EXPOSITION THis Gospell ought diligently to be remēbred weighed considered of al Christiās that they also hereby maye learne to feare God For of all the histories that be contayned in the gospell of Luke it is moste terrible fearefull horrible it ought worthely so to moue vs that we might neuer forget it For in this our gospel is mentiō made how great anger vengeance god shewed against the Citie of Ierusalem the inhabitants of the same for their incredulitie and disobediēce And it is a most certein sure doctrine vnto vs that all such as are obstinate secure and carelesse in their sins despysing the iudgement of god shall euen finde at the hand of god the very same anger vengeaunce so that they shal neuer escape it For if the most noble goodly beautifull citie were not spared because hauyng the worde of god it repented not let all men thincke this for a moste certeintie that except they repent in time amend they lykewise shal neuer escape the dreadful displeasure whote vengeance of god Christ himself is marueilously troubled concerning the heauy destruction of so great so noble a Citie wysheth that it wold call it selfe to remembraunce and well consider aforehande the wrath that is to come and addresse it selfe vnto amendement mourne wepe and lament desire god to be merciful vnto it to forgeue it tourne awaye those plagues that it worthely hath deserued And although Christ speaketh here only of Ierusalē yet he willeth that his commination commonition that is to saye that his threatning warning shoulde be vnderstanded to pertayne vnto so many as haue the worde of god and yet heare it without fruite yea despise it that they shoulde not be carelesse nor thincke with themselfes that god wil forgeue them this fault This punishment shall as surely chaunce to all suche as god lyueth Therfore let vs repent in tyme cease from all sinnes but specially from that sinne that despiseth the worde of god or the tyme of visitation and that heare the sermons and yet truly tourne they not vnto godlines but goeth forth in all kynde of wyckednes whatsoeuer is preached and taught to the contrarie For the paine is not therfore taken awaye because it is differred for a time For here is set before vs a terrible example of the most fearce and horrible iudgement of god against a Citie that he most dearly loued and was counted the holiest Citie in the world and against a people which God had chosen as peculiar to himselfe before all other nations vnder heauen This Citie was the house and dwelling place of god and the people therof were his owne familie houshold For next vnto heauen Ierusalem was the holiest place where god and his Angels dwelte where al the seruice of god was appointed to be done where almost all the Patriarches lyued and were buried where also Christ the Sonne of God was walked in the fleshe died and was buried rose again and sent the holy ghost so that this Citie in holynes passed all Cities in the worlde neyther was the lyke euer founde on the earth neither shal be vnto the worldes end And yet for all that all these thinges nothyng at all regarded seing it receaued not the word of god nor obeyed the same god did so seuerely punishe that offence for the honour of his worde that he woulde rather haue that Citie ones tenderly loued extirped and plucked vp by the rootes then he wolde suffer his worde so to to be dishonoured and the glorie therof defaced If God delt thus with his best beloued citie is it to bee thought that he will spare other cities kyngdomes and nations where he hath not dwelt and where the people
as he canne and saythe CHRIST dyed for me therfore am I free frome synne and I canne not dye neyther hathe death nor synne any power vppon me For Christe hathe made satisfaction for all thynges that I shod pay This is true faith neither is it possible that he should be deceaued of this hope that sticketh to the word on this wise This is true it is not yet sene or felte but yet it is trewe and the tyme shall surely comme whenne it shal be opened The ruler dyd euen so and sticked surely to the woorde He perceyued not the thynge but because he beleued the woorde hys seruauntes come on the nexte daye with ioyefull tydynges that hys sonne was alyue At lengthe also he seeth it wyth hys eyes Then is Faithe no longer requisite it is come to passe as he beleued Thus is it wyth vs also We haue remission of oure synnes and euerlastynge lyfe We heare the Gospel we beleue the absolution we vse the supper of the Lorde yet do we styll fele always deathe and synne neyther can wee remoue thys sence and feelynge frome vs whyle we lyue in thys lyfe But yet beleue thou the word neuertheles For so must we also wholly beleue gods word without signes and vse the condition of Paule that is to lyue content with Gods grace We must beleue the worde although it is not our chaunce to see with Thomas But we shall see when the tyme shal come wyth thys Ruler that as we beleued the Remyssion of synnes and euerlastyng lyfe by the woorde euen soo shall wee haue it in deede in euerlastynge ryghteousnesse and lyfe As long as we lyue here we muste be content wyth the word and beleue it After thys lyfe we shall feele it and haue it in dede The whyche thyng God our mercifull Father graunt for his sonne Iesus Christes sake thorough his holye spirite Amen The .xxii Sonday after Trinitie Sonday ¶ The Gospell Math. xviii PEter sayd vnto Iesus Lorde howe oft shall I forgeue my brother if he sinne agaynst me tyll seuen times Iesus sayethe vnto hym I saye not vnto the vntyll seuen tymes but seuentie times seuen tymes Therefore is the kyngedome of heauen lykenede vnto a certayne man that was akynge whiche woulde take accoumptes of his seruauntes And when he had begon to recken one was brought vnto hym whiche ought hym ten thousande talentes But forasmuche as he was not hable to paye his Lorde commaunded hym to be solde and his wyfe and chyldren and all that he had and payment to be made The seruaunt fell downe and besought him saying Sir haue pacience with me and I wyll paye the all Then had the Lorde pitie on that seruaunte and losed hym and forgaue hym the debt So the same seruaunte wente out and founde one of his felowes which ought hym an hundred pence and he layd handes on him toke hym by the throate saying paye that thou owest And his felowe fell downe and besought hym saying haue pacience with me and I wyll paye the all And he woulde not but wente and caste hym into pryson tyll he shoulde pay the debt So when his felowes sawe what was done they were very sory and came and tolde vnto theyr Lorde all that hadd happened Then his Lorde called hym and sayde vnto hym O thou vngracious seruaunte I forgaue the all that debt when thou desiredst me shouldest not thou also haue had compassion on thy felowe euen as I had pitie on thee And his Lorde was wroth and delyuered hym to the Iaylers tyll he shoulde pay all that was due vnto him So like wise shall my heauenlye father do also vnto you yf ye from your heartes forgeue not euery one his brother theyr trespasses THE EXPOSITION YE heare in the very begynnynge what is the summe of this Gospell When Peter asketh of Christe what was nedefull to be done when his brother synned againste hym and howe often hee shoulde forgeue hym whether seuen tymes were inough Christ aunswereth Not seuen tymes but seuentie tymes seuen tymes That is the forgeuyng of synnes amongest Christians ought to bee withoute measure and ende and they must pardon one an others synnes and beware of reuengyng For that belongeth only to God whose maiestie ought not to bee violated neyther hys iurisdiction to be broken As the parable also sheweth it in order And we afterwarde wyll gather togyther the causes and declare theim But here muste we especially marke howe Christe saieth That the kyngdome of God is lyke a kynge whiche purposeth to make a reckenynge and accompt with his seruantes For this commaundement as touching remission of sinne is not to be applied to the gouernance of a comminaltie where as are seuerall offices and diuersities of persons therfore all thynges there consist in the varieties of rulynge and obeyeng that licence may not be geuen to the lustes and vices of men but that a discipline and honest order maye be hadde for the restraynynge of the lewde and wicked Wherefore it is not ment that parentes should geue theyr chylderne all lycencious libertie They ought to vse a certayne kynde of reuengyng and by no meanes to couete and desyre the name of facilitie and gentylnesse Lykewise is it also with the maysters ouer their houshold seruauntes and with maiestrates and officers Let all them knowe that they are appointed certainly to reuenge For thys is the worldes faulte that it is the worse for libertie as it appereth by wyld children that wyll not obey theyr parentes vntyll at length they come to hangyng Wherfore this commandement is not to be vsed in a common welth but in the kyngdom of God where all we are equall and are subiecte but onely to God whiche is the head of the lyfe of vs all He calleth the kyngdom of God not only the lyfe that is after this but the holy churche in this lyfe wher as God by hys word and by his holy spirite hath the gouernance In thys churche thou must obserue this trade if it be not thy peculiar office to reuenge synne that there may alway be pardonyng one an other and no reuengynge that al things may be done toward thy neighbor with mercy gentlenes whersoeuer he hath nede althoughe by reason we might seme to haue a iust cause to do the cōtrarie Why Christ requireth this he sheweth sure causes in the parable of the two seruants and of the king The first is that Christ requireth that the christians should thynk with themselues howe great mercie God hathe shewed vnto them which also if he would deale extremely with vs had many and great causes to be reuenged of vs and to vexe vs with moste greuous euyls But seyng that we obteined mercy without our desert we must shew mercy and gentlenes to our neighbor And this must be obserued with great diligence For by this Christ declareth what is the true way to obteyn remission of synne and sheweth vs to our selues
A new Postil Conteinyng most Godly and learned sermons vpon all the Sonday Gospelles that be redde in the Church thorowout the yeare Lately set foorth vnto the great profite not onely of al Curates and spirituall Ministers but also of all other godly and Faythfull Readers Perused and allowed accordyng to the Quenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London in Fletestrete nere to S. Dunstons church by Thomas Marshe M. D. LXVI Certayne Sentences of holy Scripture Esai lii Rom. x. O Howe beautiful are the feete of them which bryng the gladde tydynges of peace and shewe the good and ioyefull newes of our saluation Esai lv LIke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither agayn but watereth the earth maketh it fruitful and grene that it may geue corne to the sower and bread to the eater so the worde also that commeth out of my mouthe shall not turne agayn voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my wille and prosper in them vnto whome I sende it Hieremie xxiii WHat hath chaffe and wheate to doo together sayth the Lord Is not my worde like a fyre sayth the Lord And like an hammer that breaketh the harde stone Psalm Cvii HE sent his worde and healed them and they were saued from theyr destruction Sapien. xvi IT is neyther herbe nor playster that restored them to health but thy word O Lord which healeth all things Iohn xv NOw are ye cleane thorowe the worde that I haue spoken vnto you Rom. i. I Am not ashamed of the gospel of Christe because it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth Heb. 4. THe woorde of God is quicke and myghtie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth thorough euen vnto the deuidyng asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioyntes and the marye TO HIS FAITHFVLL FELOVV Labourers in the Lordes haruest ▪ the Ministers and Preachers of Gods most holy word THOMAS BECON wisheth the spirite of knowledge of strength and of constancie vnto the end from God the Father thorowe IESVS CHRIST our Lorde ALBEIT Moste deare Brethren GOD hath aboue all other mortall creatures greately garnished mankynds with diuers and manifold benefites yet I knowe not his sonne CHRIST onely excepted if he hath bestowed vppon vs Christians a more noble and more excellent gyfte then the gift of his most blessed and holy worde For as concerning the gyftes of Nature and the treasures of this worlde the Turke the Sarazen the Iewe the Infidell haue them common with the Christians yea for the moste parte the godlesse and wicked haue them more abundauntly then the godly and faythfull as not only examples in all ages both of diuine and prophane writers do euidently shewe but very experience also in these our dayes proueth it most certain and true Wisedome eloquence strength beautie fauour richesse honor fame promotions dignities welth lyuynges and what soeuer besydes the madde dotyng foolyshe and wicked worldlynges haue in moste hygh admiration are transitorie and not long endure more vayne then smoke more brittle then glasse more inconstant then wynde more flittyng then shadow But the worde of God abydeth for euer and euer euen from generation to generation and neuer leaueth the embracers therof vntil it hath safely brought them vnto the heauenly hauen of most fortunate felicitie and ioyfully placed them in that most ioyfull and celestiall Hierusalem the citie of the lyuyng God where IESVS the mediator of the new Testament where also an innumerable syght of angels a great congregation of the fyrst borne sonnes and the spirites of iuste and perfect men rule reigne and triumph in all ioy pleasure and glory And in the meane season while we liue in this worlde who is able to expresse howe noble and notable cōmodities the word of god bryngeth vnto vs Heauen and earthe yelde not suche multitudes of necessary fruictes for the sustentātion and safegard of this our vile wretched mortall and corruptible bodye as the word of God bringeth foorth for the healthe and saluation for the righteous making and glorification of our soul. Is not the word of God the same to the soule that meat is to the body Is not the knowledge of Gods word to the mynde that the syght of the eie is to the outward man Can the body endure the life beyng taken away No more can the soule continue in saulfe estate if the worde of God be drawen from it Where there is no knowledge of Gods worde saith the wyse man there is no goodnesse for the soule Agayn Uayn and thynges of nought are all those men in whome there is no knowledge of GOD. This is euerlastyng lyfe sayth Christ vnto his heauenly Father euen to knowe thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou haste sent To knowe thee O our God is perfect righteousnesse saieth the wyse man yea to know thy ryghteousnes and power is the roote of immortalitie Are not these the wordes of God by the Prophete Ieremye Lette not the wise man reioyce in his wysedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the riche man in his ryches but who soeuer wyl reioyce lette hym reioyce in this that he vnderstandeth knoweth me for I am the Lorde whiche doo mercy equitie and righteousnes vpon the earth The blessed apostle S. Paule before his conuersion vnto the Christen fayth was a great clerk and excellently learned not onely in the law of Moses and in the bokes of the Prophetes but also in all kynd of liberall sciences so that in knowledge he farre excelled the residue of the apostels yet writyng to the Corinthians he bosteth not hym selfe of this his vniuersall knowledge but he onely glorieth in this that he knoweth Christ. Thys was his delyghte his confort his plesure his ioy I brethren saith he when I came vnto you came not in gloriousnes of wordes or of wysedom shewing vnto you the testimonie of God Neither shewed I my self that I knew any thyng among you saue Iesus Christ euen the same that was crucified And in his epistle to the Philippians he coūteth al things in comparison of the knowledge of Christ vile base and nothyng worth Howe oftentymes in his epistles wysheth he that suche as he writeth vnto may be fulfylled with the knowledge of God in all wysedome and spiritual vnderstanding that they may increase in the same daily more more Let the word of Christ saieth he dwell in you plenteously with al wisedom This knowledge of God and of his sonne Christ Iesu abundātly suffiseth vnto the sanctification saluation of all faithfull christians as God saieth by the Prophet By the knowledge of him which is my rightous seruāt he shal iustify the multitude And without this knowledge al other knowledges sciences are nothing worth not onely not profitable but also wicked damnable as it is writtē
and to instructe in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes Thus haue we heard most dere brethren both what a precious pearle ioyfull iewell and noble treasure the woorde of God is and also what inestimable fruictes incomparable commodities and vnoutspeakable profites it bryngeth vnto vs. Uerily it is more woorthe then precious stones and all the thynges as Salomon saieth that thou canst desyre are not to be compared vnto it For the gettyng of it is better then any marchandise of syluer and the profite of it is better then gold Upon her ryght hand is long lyfe and vpon her left hande is richesse and honour Her waies are pleasant wayes and all her pathes are peaceable She is a tree of lyfe to them that lay holde vpon her and blessed is he that kepeth her faste For her doctrine is better then syluer and the knowledge thereof is more worthe then fyne gold and precious stones O blessed is the man that heareth the word of God watching dayly at her gates and geuyng attendance at the postes of her doores For who so fyndeth her fyndeth lyfe and shall obteyne fauoure of the LORDE But who so offendeth agaynste her hurteth his owne soule But all they that hate her are the louers of deathe Now what fruictes cōmodities and profites we receyue by the word of God we haue tofore partly heard Salomon addeth and saith That the worde of God geueth long life maketh mē to walke safely to slepe swetely deliuereth from sodain feare preserueth such as embrace her promoteth them bringeth thē vnto honor is lyfe vnto them and health vnto al their bodies deliuereth from the straunge woman and from the harlote which geueth swete woordes enricheth her louers with wisedome knowledge vnderstanding doctrine learning councell magnanimitie strength righteousnes iudgement richesse wealth prosperitie honour renoume glorie c. This incomparable treasure I meane the woorde of God with the fruites therof hath God of his great mercy committed vnto you by callyng you vnto the ministerie of his moste glorious Gospell and vnto the dispensation of his diuine misteries not that ye should become dumbe dogges not able to barke not that ye should conceale hyde and kepe secrete these ioyfull iewels and precious pearles but that ye should publish sette foorth declare and make them to be knowen to other as our Sauiour Christe saieth A citie that is sette on an hyll can not be hyd neither doo men lyght a candel and put it vnder a bushell but on a candell sticke and it geueth lyght vnto all that are in the house Agayn What I tell you in darknes that speake ye in lyghte And what ye heare in the eare that preache ye on the house tops God wyll haue his mysteries his lawes his decrees his statutes his testimonies blased abrode and made knowen to all creatures and not be kept in houcker moucker as thynges not able to abyde the lyght that all men may glorify prayse his holy blessed name by hauyng knowledge of them And that it may so come to passe accordynge to his godly wyll he hath called you to an office not to say masse not to mumble a great number of prayers in a strange tonge not to exorcise or coniure water salt bread candles fyre palmes ashes c. not to offer sacrifices for the quicke and the dead not to hear auricular confession not to absolue men from their synnes with a fewe latin wordes c. but to preache the gospell to declare the lawe of the Lorde to the people to publyshe his holy testament to reproue synne to declare to the world their vices synnes and wickednes to exhort al men to repentance fayth hope loue pacience long suffryng mercy gentlenes and such other fruictes of the spirite and to leade a lyfe agreable to theyr profession in all godlynesse and honestie As my Father hath sent me saieth Christ so send I you Now who knoweth not that Christ was sent to preache as he hymselfe saieth by the Prophete He hath sent me to preach the Gospell to the poore And in the Euangelicall hystorie he saieth Let vs go into the next townes that I may preache there also For therfore am I come And he preached sayeth the Euangelist in theyr synagoges and in all Galilee Again he sayth I must preache also to other cities the Gospell of the kyngdome of God for to that ende was I sent If ye therfore be sent of Christ and called vnto the ministerie and haue not rather thruste in your selues for hope of worldly gayne and bodyly ease euen to the entent that ye maye lyue wealthylye and ydelly of the labour of other mennes handes and of the sweate of other mennes browes as it is to bee feared that a greate number doo at this present daye rather seekyng their owne then the profyte of the flocke so are ye sent to preache not mennes traditions but the Gospell of the kyngdome of God And this was the commission that Christe gaue to his Apostles and to all theyr successours Goe sayeth he thoroughe out the worlde and preache the Gospell to euerye creature If ye therefore bee the successours of Christes Apostles so haue ye receaued an Iniunction frome the hyghe shepehearde and euerlastynge Byshoppe Iesus Christe to preache the Gospelle Neyther canne ye bee his Disciples excepte ye earnestly studye to obeye and fulfyll his Iniunction Christe woulde haue the loue of hys Apostles towarde hym none otherwyse knowen but by feedynge his lambes and shepe If thou louest me sayeth he feede my lambes feede my shepe fede my shepe If ye therefore wyll shewe your selues to loue Christe so muste ye feede the flocke of Christ as Sainct Peter saieth The Elders whiche are among you I exhorte whyche am also an elder and a wytnesse of the afflictions of Christe and also a partaker of the glorye that shall bee opened Feede ye Christes flocke as muche as lieth in you takyng the ouersyght of theym not as compelled thereto but wyllynglye not for the desyre of fylthy lucre but of a good mynde not as thoughe ye were lordes ouer the paryshes but that ye be an ensample to the flocke And whenne the chiefe shephearde shall appeare ye shall receaue an incorruptible crowne of glorie Now yf ye feede not the flocke of Christe but rather your selues if ye eate vp the fatte if ye clothe your selues wyth the wolle if ye deuoure the mylke and yet laboure not aboute the safe kepyng of the flocke but rather churlyshly and cruelly reigne and rule ouer them catchyng and snatchynge frome theym what ye can gette so that they are scattered here and there as shepe without a shephearde and are deuoured of all the beastes of the fielde howe can ye iustly saye that ye loue Christ If thou louest me saith he fede my lambes and fede my shepe Agayne Ye are my
to steale to kylle and to destroye Agayne he sayeth Lette hym that is taught in the woorde mynister vnto hym that teacheth hym in all good thynges If ye wyll haue all good thynges mynistred vnto you so muste ye teache the worde of God to them of whom ye require suche thynges If ye teache not with what foâ—heade aske ye that whyche ye haue not deserued Is any man so impudent as to aske wages of hym to whome he hathe doone no seruice Is the rewarde of a labourer due to a loyterer In an other place he also saieth The elders that rule well ar worthy of double honour most specially they whych labour in the worde and teachynge For the Scripture sayth Thou shalt not mosell the mouthe of the oxe that treadeth out the corne And The labourer is worthy of his rewarde Here is appoynted double honour that is to saye outwarde reuerence and prouision of all thynges necessarie to lyue withall But to whome To suche as rule euyll and are carelesse for the Lordes flocke Or to suche as be ydell not caryng for the shepe so that they may haue the mylke and the walle that is so that they maye eate of the fattest and be clothed with the fynest Nay verily For God by the Prophet cryeth out vpon such and threatneth them euerlastyng damnation To suche as rule well to suche as labour in the worde and teachyng to the oxe that treadeth out the corne to the labourer is this double honoure due and to none other Ones agayn he sayth The husband man that laboureth muste fyrst receaue of the fruictes If ye wyll reape the fruictes ye muste fyrste of all playe the husbandmen and labour Wyl ye not labour So ought ye to require no fruictes For they belonge not vnto you To the labourer not to the loyterer is rewarde appoynted in the worde of God Heare what the hygh shepheard sayeth Ye are the salte of the earthe But yf the salt haue lost the saltnesse what shal be seasoned therwyth It is thenseforth good for nothyng but to be caste out and to bee troden downe of menne Heare also what S. Gregorye saieth Consyder and weygh with youre selues brethren howe great damnation it is without labour to receaue the reward of labour againe howe great an offence it is to take the prices of synnes and to speake nothyng agaynst synnes by preachyng Agayne he saythe We whiche lyue of the oblations of the faithefull whych they haue offered for theyr synnes yf we eate and hold our peace without doubt we eate theyr synnes Not onely the names and titles therfore whiche are attributed vnto you of the holy ghoste in the holy Scripture but also the salarie stipende wages and rewarde that is appoynted for such as trauayle in the ministerie ought worthily and iustly to prouoke you diligently to watche and to see that the Lordes housholde haue theyr meate in due tyme. Which thing yf ye faithfully doo accordyng to your vocation the Lorde of the houshold wyll not leaue you vnrewarded neither in thys worlde nor in the worlde to come Yea saieth our Sauioure Christ Blessed is that seruant whom his Lord when he commeth shall fynde so doyng Uerily I say vnto you that he shal make hym ruler ouer all his goodes When the chiefe shepheard shall appeare sayth blessed Peter to all faythful pastors ye shall receaue an incorruptible crowne of glorie Are not these the wordes of the Prophete Daniel concernyng the rewarde of all true preachers The wyse suche as haue taught other shall glyster as the shynyng of heauen and those that haue instruct the multitude vnto godlynes shal be as the starres worlde without ende yea as it is written in the Gospel they shall shyne as the sunne in the kyngdom of the heauenly Father and shal be as the Angels of God in heauen But contrarywyse if ye be negligent slouthfull euyl and wycked seruantes so that ye feede not the Lordes housholde but rather begyn to stryke and churlyshely to handle your felow seruauntes yea to eate and drynke with the dronkardes Your lorde shall come in a daye when ye looke not for hym and in an hower that ye bee not ware of and shall hewe you in pieces and geue you your portion with hypocrites where wepyng and gnashyng of teethe shall be where the worme that shall gnawe youre conscience shall neuer dye and the fyre wherwith ye shall be moste greuously tormented shall neuer be quenched yea the lake whereinto ye shall be cast shall burne with fyre and brymstone worldes without ende These thynges I doubt not moste dere brethren but that ye dayly and diligently consyder and also labour to the vttermoste of your power to satisfye the good pleasure of God in framynge your selues to doo that whyche your vocation and callynge requireth seekynge in the same not youre owne glorie but the glorye of God not youre owne commoditie and profite temporally but the commoditie and profit of Christes flocke eternally not your owne bodyly ease and quietnesse but the euerlastynge ease and quietnesse of Goddes people not the enrychemente of you and youres in thys worlde but the dignitie and aduancement of the Lordes housholde bothe in this worlde and in the world to come So doyng ye may be sure to be partakers in Goddes kyngdome of suche ioyes as eye neuer sawe the lyke eare neuer hearde the lyke no tongue is able to expresse the lyke no nor no heart is able to conceaue and to thynke the lyke And to helpe forwarde these your godly studies and christen trauayles in fedynge Christes flocke I haue doone my endeuour to sette forth this Postill conteynynge moste godlye learned and fruitefull sermons vppon all the Sondaye Gospells that are redde in the Churche thorowe out the yeare This woorke nedeth no commendation beyng sufficiently commended in that it is bothe learned profitable and necessarye as it shall ryght well appere to the indifferent reader or hearer God graunt that the voyce of this doctrine maye sounde in our churches vnto the ende Fare ye well moste deare brethren and lette vs praye one for an other vnto oure heauenly Father that he maye fynyshe that good worke whiche he hath begunne in vs vnto the glorie of his name and vnto the profyte of his holye Congregation Amen The grace of our Lord Iesu Christ be with you all Amen From my house at Cantorbury the .xvi. of Iuly In the yeare of our Lord. M.D. lxvi A Prayer to be sayde before the Sermon FOR AS MVCHE AS we mooste louynge Lorde and sweete Sauioure CHRIST IESV are here assembled and gathered together in thy holye blessed and glorious name to heare the healthfulle woordes of Euerlastynge Lyfe conteyned in thy pure and lyuely Gospell whych is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth whiche also is able thorow the workyng of the holy Spirite to saue our soules we with one heart
shall baptise you with the holy ghost where as I do baptise but with water as a minister He standeth in the myddest of you and ye know hym not Wherfore this is my duetie to be the voyce of a crier in wyldernes that when ye heare the sound of my trumpet ye may vnderstande that he is come For I am that soundynge voyce and crier to whom ye ought to be attēt He therfore that foloweth next after me is he hym selfe as Esaie prophecieth in the .xl. Chapter The voice of a cryer is in the desert make redy the way for the Lord make streight the pathes of our Lord in wildernes He am I saith Iohn and this is my word Wherfore be attent he is nowe amongest you but ye know hym not And this is my office to bryng you into acquaintance with hym that ye may receyue hym For the next prophete that commeth after me is euen he hym selfe As for me I am but one sent before and this office doo I now execute and fulfyll my duetie prophesyed of before He as yet is priuate and vnknowen but by and by after me shal he come abrode with his prophetical office of teaching Wherefore take ye good heede least ye be deceaued in markyng of hym and haue him in hygh estimation among you Neither was there truely any other end of this matter then as Iohn prophecied before For incōtinently after Baptisme Christe began to work myracles in Galilee He sent twelue apostles and seuētie disciples to preache that the kyngedome of God was at hande that is that Christ was come Here he is sayth Iohn Ioyne your selfe to hym receyue hym and ye shall not be deceaued He came after me but he was before me For Iohn was elder than Christ six whole moneths and yet he saieth he was before me This amongest the Iewes had ben a blasphemous worde if they had at that tyme vnderstande it as it is playne in Iohns Gospell where as he saith Before Abrahā was I am And this is as much to say as this man before he was borne in the earthe he was in heauen But yet the Iewes dyd not vnderstand it neuer the lesse this saying of Iohn is trewe and dothe notifie to vs a person of the Godhed As he declareth plainely hereby when he saith I am not worthy to lose the lachet of his shoes Here should the Iewes haue diligently consydered what maner of man this was in comparison of whom Iohn denieth and abaseth hym self so muche and saith him self vnworthy to serue hym in the leaste thyng that is The testimonie of Iohn cometh frely from his hart that he is not worthy Although saith he I be neuer so much sett by of you yet in comparison of this man I am nothing He is wel content to lay asyde all his glorie saith plainly that he will take yt for a great renoume yf he might be thought necessarie to this man in the moste bassest office of wiping his shoes Wherfore leaste the Iewes should surmyse that he humbled him self to muche wheras Iohn the author of baptisme executed the ministerie of a prophet he doth expoūd the trew meaninge of his baptisme saying I haue a signe also as hathe the other prophetes Ieremie did weare a chaine of woode Esai walked naked and barefooted when he prophesied to the Aegiptiās Ethiopes that they shold be a pray to ther enemies be spoyled of all they had I am the auctor of a new word and of a new signe I preache that ye prepare the way for the lorde Ye had no nede of this worde yf the way were prepared now alredie After that I washe you for a signe that ye are vnpure and filthie and I am the beginner of this lauer But he that foloweth me wil prouide a better baptisme and baptise you with the holy spirit All this was spoken that they might not coūt Christe vnworthy of their sighte but should haue for a remēbrance the words of Iohn that because he had borne recorde of him which should come foorthe so magnificētly with teaching signes thei might not doubt in an euident matter But what do they thei hear Iohn but they thinke not his authoritie sufficient For as they beheaded Iohn so they crucified Christe as touching whome Iohns witnesse was so faithfull Suche regard of godlines had they that they only despised not the word of God but for that also killed the Prophetes and nayled on the crosse the Lord of all Prophetes And so goeth the matter now also For Christ is condemned to the crosse not only at his beyng here in earth but nowe also in his members We labour all that we can with Iohn to bringe men into this way for as muche as without Christe ther is no remission of synnes or lyfe euerlasting But the more we go about to withdrawe mens trust from their oune workes as vnprofitable to righteousnes in the sight of God and to leade them to Christe so much the more greuously are we condemned as heretykes of our aduersaries For that is not agreable with their doctrine as all do knowe They sette foorth the Mounkes rules and masses with ostentation they offer vp masses for the dead they ordeyne seruice they go a pilgrimage they bye pardons But what other thing is this then to caste away Christe and searche out new ways to heauen And we can alow this by no meanes and therfore can they not abstayne from rayling and slaundering of vs. The Bishops and highe Priests wold deale lykewyse with vs as they did with the Iewes yf they coulde Only this is lacking vnto them that they can not abuse vs at their pleasure But what is the cause they are so greuously offended with vs surely no other but that we teache with Iohn to geue the glory to God and to humble them selues before Christ and iudge them selues vnworthy with all their seruice and good workes to wipe such a great mannes shoes For they can not chose but graunt this that Iohn was more holy then all they can be and yet he saith I will caste away all this holynes yf I might but be receaued only into the felowshippe of his grace to haue the ouersight of his shoes I wold thynke my selfe an honorable man This do we therfore testifie and proteste before the worlde the Pope the Bishoppes Priests and Mounkes that be their righteousnes and holynes neuer so much yet in this poynte they are nothyng to be compared with Iohn Wherfore if ye do all that ye can by fastyng and saying your prayers only do this also see that these things be caste at Christes feete and lett them not looke to be iustified and saued therby But say this humbly I do not refuse to be to lowly and humble This do we teache that they suffer Christ to be holy only but they can not be persuaded so to doo They crie out vpon vs lyke madde men saying Not only
may be geuen to the diuell and to the world I truely wyll not caste away my ioy for thy sake neither doo I regard muche thy displeasure Away from me I haue more pleasure and delite of Christe then thou canst worke me sorowe Suche a mynde dothe the angelles wyshe vs in this verse The dyuels songe is cleane contrarye wherein GOD is blasphemed and cursed where slaughter is commytted and all thynges so ordered that all thynges are defyled with care and sorowe and moste myserable calamytie And to the furtheraunce hereof doo the Secte maysters bestowe all theyr laboure and dylygence They are the dyuelles mouthe they banne God in heauen they sette Prynces at varyaunce and discorde they thynke nothynge of Amitie and Peace they feyne good wylle in syghte but priuilye they entende myschiefe by moste subtyll deuyses Thys pleaseth me wel saith the diuell And it is thys Glory be to the dyuell in hell and sedition in earth and amongest menne a desperate mynde and full of all care and whote blastynge myserye And manye are founde to be of suche a mynde which hath store of all goodes were it not for thys that theyr myndes are possessed with vexation and diuers torments and grypinges It helpeth them nothyng although they be in the myddle of all pleasure This doth the diuel wish to al his that gods gifts may be vnfruitful vnto them But the Angels songe is contrarie They wyshe a bold and couragious heart that is as vnmouable as the Marpese rocke and that glorieth agaynst all stormes of temptation most bitter tribulation This is the song of the angell that is found in no other bokes For it was not made amongst mē in earth but sēt down frō heauē Our God with his holy spirite help vs that we may holde it faste and fulfyll it in dede thorough Iesus Christ his sonne and our Lorde Amen The fourthe Sermon as concernyng the hystorie of Mary and the Shepheardes THus farr in the hystorie haue we proceded and taught how God sent his angels euē that great Princes to preach vnto two or thre shepheards The which were not only a few but also were rude people to sing vnto them the ioyfull verse as touchyng the chyld Iesus after the whiche nowe foloweth this hystorie And it came to passe that when the angels departed from them into heauen that they sayde one to an other c. BY this dothe it appere that the sermon and song of the angels was not vnfruitfull For the shepherds set not so much by theyr flocke but that they take their iorney to the child whom the Angel called their Lord. And this is one fruite that spronge of the Angels sermon An other is that the very shepheardes are made preachers and shewe to other men all that they heard of this chylde And the Euangelist saieth all that herd these thinges that were declared by the shepheards meruailed But this admiration continued not long with the greater sorte For this thing dothe testifie that such men are belongyng vnto the kyngdome of God that can not kepe long in mynde neither Gods mercye nor wrathe neyther his punyshemente nor benefites So wycked is mans mynde that it quickly forgetteth the examples of God shewed vnto vs and therby prouoketh God always to shew new examples by signes and plagues that he may not vtterly falle out of oure remembrance And so is it to be taken wheras the Euangelist saith All that heard merueiled so that this communication and talke was of no longe cōtinuance but endured only a few monethes how that a childe was borne in Bethleem for whome the Angels triumphed in the ayre for whome wyse men came from the easte to grete and worshippe him But after one or two yeares al this was cleane out of memorie and after that no man cared for it and wheras after thyrtie yeares CHRIST began to come abrode by teaching and doing miracles no man called to remēbrance these fyrst things And we verily are not much better than they For a man may scarsly finde one amōgest a thousand that remembreth the miseries and in especiall that great calamity vnder the which the doctrine and worshipping of God lay oppressed in the Popedome In all places was there tormēting of cōscience no where confort The Iewes were in lyke case Ther was no measure nor ende of complayning and lamenting when they were vexed in Egypte They had scarsely bene foure dayes in the desert after their deliuerāce but they desired to retourne into Egypte being mindefull of their old state Suche is the vnstablenes and vnconstancie of mannes mynde It forgetteth almost in a moment greuouse punishements howe should it long remēber a benefyte And in this case can not the prouerbe seme vntrue Nothing is so sone out worne as the remembrance of a good turne Although GOD sheweth examples of his wrathe by sendinge sycknes and such other euyls yet there commeth no more profit therby than if he should wash a tyle on a howse When there is grefe and payne in the body we are somwhat moued but assone as that is at an ende all is quite forgotten And this it is in all thyngs This is the meaning of the Euāgelist wheras he saith Men dyd meruaile But this meruaile had no longe continuance Yet there were some diligēt disciples to obserue this matter Certayne of great grauitie were there which set not lyghtly by all these thyngs as the world doth For the Euangeliste saith moreouer Mary kepte all these sayings and pondered them in her heart And this is nowe an example how the worde of GOD is truely to be hearde She pondreth it in her hearte and hath diligent meditation theron As they do that kepe Gods word diligently serchyng and puttyng it in practise Suche are dayly encreased more and more in vnderstandinge and surely confirmed It chanceth not so with the negligent which receaue with the one eare and forget with the other Whatsoeuer is put in them it fyndeth no more place of abyding then water doth in a botomles barrell But Mary doth otherwyse she kepeth pōdereth it in her heart She perceaueth that it belongeth vnto her wherefore she prynteth it in her mynde she pondereth it and bestoweth great studie in so great a matter howe it could come to passe that she should be called the mother of this chylde whom the Angels called Lord and as concerning whom they preache so magnificētly And after this sort did these thoughts caste so depe rootes in her heart that if all the worlde had afterward spoken agaynst this matter yet she could not be persuaded to thinke otherwyse But she was very certainly assured herof that her sonne was the sonne of GOD and the sauiour of the worlde The word of God wold haue it selfe so familiar vnto vs that it might by custome be turned in to oure nature As it is in the Balad of Ballades .8 Put me as a token of remembrance
is the hystorie In the whiche this is the chiefest poynte that GOD calleth the Gentils also to his kyngdom and maketh them his people although they were not circuÌ„cised neither subiect to the law as the Iewes were This is a great benefite neyther is it mete that any christian men should be vnkynde for it For it is a sure euidence for vs Gentiles that wee may not despayre as though we had no part in Christ but that wee maye thynke surely that Christe pertayneth to vs as well as to the Iewes although we are not his people as the Iewes are For ther is no doubt of this but that the wise men were Gentiles whych had neyther priesthode neither seruyce nor word of God nor circumcision and yet notwithstandynge all this they come although they were strangers without any commendation or settyng foorthe of them selues to the felowshyp of Christs lyght and acknowledge him And he acknowledgeth them also he alloweth theym for theyr worshippyng and reuerence done to hymself All these thyngs belong to the confirming of vs that we may shew our selues thankful to God for that that he hath set vp such a kingdom in the erth through Christ into the whiche wee that were not his people are receaued not of merite and deserte but of mere grace Then must we learn in this historie also what is our duetie to doo to Christ agayn euen to resist manfully all offences as these wise meÌ„ did and to confesse Christ before the worlde as they dyd to seeke hym and worship hym as our Sauiour And because his kyngdom for the weake and simple syght therof is opprest with many and great difficulties to bestowe oure goodes and substaunce gladly to the maintaynynge thereof And we haue store enough to open oure treasures as the wise men dyd vnto Christe and to offer presentes vnto hym For this is it written That ye doo to the least of myne ye doo it to me Wherefore he that healpeth the nedy the myserable the wretched he that fyndeth charges to this that fitte men may be instructed in the studye of learnyng and in holy Scripture that in processe of tyme they maye doo profitable seruice to the congregation he offereth to the nedy chylde Iesu which as soone as he was borne was not only poore and nedy but was constrained also to flee into banishment into Egypte to escape the tyrannie and perill of his enemye Wherfore the prouidence of God by those wyse men prepared wayfarynge victuall for the chylde his parentes in their iorney It is very like by the wordes of the Euangelist that it was no small gyft whiche sayth that they opened theyr treasures But seyng it is euident how great the good wyl of the wise men was towarde the chyld who can doubt but that their magnificence and liberalitie was great Which thyng ought to admonish Christen men not to despaire wheÌ„ they suffer persecution and when they are tossed vp downe by banyshement For God can so lyttle abyde that christen men shoulde perishe for hunger that he will rather stirre men that dwel farre of to bryng succour and aide for them As we are sufficiently confirmed by the exaumple of his onely begotten sonne as touchyng this matter We must ioyne also with this hystorie that that is put forth in the prophecy of Micheas wherin is conteined an euident description of Christ with a syngular doctrine and lesson by it selfe Whose wordes are these And thou Bethleem of Iuda art not the least amongest the thousandes of Iuda For out of thee shall come he that is gouernour in Israell In this sentence as the Iewes testifie themselues God gaue a playn and euident prophecie that Christe should be loked for at Bethleem and that there should be the first swathling bands of his apperyng in mans nature This is that chief renoume which setteth forth this litle town of Bethleem more magnificently then is the most noble excellent citie Ierusalem And this is the cause why the Euangelist semeth to change the woordes of the Prophete The Prophete calleth it small The Euangelist wyll not haue it counted smal For the Euangelist beholdeth not the outward syght as the Prophete dyd but the spirituall glorie Because the Sonne of GOD is borne there To the whiche honor there is none of all the honours that euer was geuen to any Citie to be compared Wherfore they are magnificent and glorious woordes wyth the whiche the Euangeliste commendeth Bethleem Out of thee sayth he shall there come foorthe a Capitayn for me which shall fede my people Israell And this is a most sweete Prophecye whiche describeth Christe vnto vs on suche wyse that although before the world he be a man despised for his pouertie and borne in an obscure and an vnknowen place yet is he that captayne and prince of Israel that is ouer the people of God But what maner of kyngdome this is to be taken for I declared before in the sermon of the Angell whiche hym self also calleth Christ the Lord. Not suche a one as is a tyrant and that wyll vexe men wyth his cruel imperye For euen for that cause sayth the Prophete Bethleem that arte smalle As though he shoulde say If thys Lorde woulde haue hadde imperiall maiestie that he myghte seme terrible vnto other he might haue chosen an other place for his byrthe But here is no princely prouision no armour no riches no waightyng men no appointyng of offices And that the very fyrst principles myght foorthewith declare what a kyngdome this was to come he chose not Ierusalem as the moste holyest nor Rome as the most mightiest but he was content with a poore towne that it might foorthwith be declared therby that he should becom a lord not after the common facion but poore and nedy in the sight of the world howâ—eit riche in spirit and in all spirituall giftes For this is his title to be a Lord a Prince But yet all the sight when he is borne and when he is born in Bethleem and what soeuer thyng is apparaunt to the senses as touchynge hym was lyke no princely pompe Wherfore sith he is a Lord and Prince and yet not glorious before the worlde but poore and nedye what other glorie can it bee than euen as hee is myserable in respecte of worldlye Felicitie so contraryly he is myghtye and greate in those thynges wherein the worlde is founde to bee needye and a starke begger And here of it is that he is excellente in rightuousnes where as the world is oppressed with sinnes that he is eternall wheras the worlde is casuall he is the lorde of the dyuell where as the dyuell hath the worlde yoked vnder his moste cruell bondage He is good whereas the worlde is all naught he hath God mercifull vnto hym where as the worlde struggleth with the wrath of God He is the lorde of euerlastynge lyfe where as the worlde is appointed
to hell This is the imperie of this chylde and for this condition and state doth the fruite redound vnto his people He wyll geue no bodyly saluation but as farre as the soules helth and his glorie requireth for he is poore and nedy Wherfore let no man come to the kyngdom of Christ to the entent that he may enlarge his goods and encrease his substance Ye may loke for this of the Pope and of men of that sorte He aduanceth his creatures to imperie he getteth them riches parteth amōg them all Prouinces as Daniell prophecied But the princely power of this childe is to be felte only in this that thy synnes may be forgyuen that he maye iustifye and saue thee that he may geue his holye spirite and transpose thee out of the kyngdome of the worlde and of death into the kyngdome of God And to this now is Faith requisite and as I sayd before that thou kepe sure the worde of God For he that letteth passe Gods woorde and foloweth his owne thoughtes shall lose Christ neither shall he knowe hym for a king but for a Iudge he shall be in hatred and feare as the dyuell is For they are wont to feare hym also when they feele them selues gyltie for their synne least he shoulde take them to be punyshed wheras Christ in the meane season confesseth hym selfe to be the lord and prince of his people to delyuer theim from synne and to transpose them into the kyngdom of grace For his people are no other but myserable synners which tremble at the felyng of theyr synne and are afrayde and would fayne be in Gods fauour So that herby may the playn description of the Prophet be perceyued Fyrst that he shal be no bodyly prince nor yet exercise spirituall punyshementes agaynst wyckednes but to geue saluation to all men that beleue in hym agaynst synne the deuyll death and hell For of suche a prince there is sure hope of Saluation And thus farre doo the Scribes recite the saying of the Prophete and no farther They feare peraduēture lest this be to muche For they perceaue well that this is Herodes entent to seeke some way howe to slea and to take this kyng of the Iewes out of the way Wherfore they reherse not the whole sentence before Herode and they do almost professe by worde that at this time they acknowledge no other kyng of the Iewes besyde Herode And yet is it in the Prophete that a Prince of the Iewes shoulde come and shoulde procede oute of Bethleem Therfore they leaue this vnperfect neither dare they to pronounce any farther But the Prophete although he was not lyuyng at that tyme yet dothe he procede and describe what maner of captayn or kynge this should be whiche belongeth also to his persone in these wordes Et egressus eius ab initio a diebus aeterni tatis And his out going hath ben from the beginning and from euerlastyng This dyd not the Scribes reherse to Herode no neither they them selues dyd vnderstand it For ther is more obscuritie therin than was in the words before And that his byrth should be in Bethleem and he him selfe be a captaine ouer all Israell it is not obscurelye spoken and there is a sure signe that he shal be a man But wheras the Prophet sayth furthermore His procedyng is from the begynnyng and from the dayes of eternitie It signifieth that he is the eternal and euerlastyng God whiche had not his beginnyng in Bethleem Of a trouth he was born in Bethleem and this is one maner of procedyng But there is an other also beside this Which is sayd to be from the beginnnyng and from the days of eternitie The wordes of the prophete are not to be changed Fyrst he sayth Out of the shall procede Here do the priestes and scribes testify that to procede to be borne signifieth all one Wherfore the same word afterward must nedes signifie the same thyng when he saith Whose procedyng is from the old dayes and from eternitie that is before that tyme that dais and houres were Wherefore if thou wilte know frō whēce this child is borne mark this prophecie He is born saith he frō Bethleē But what more hath he no other birthe then this the prophet saith furthermore yes he was rather borne before al creatures heauen earth the sonne and moone But that may be determined by no wordes and it is nothyng els then that he was borne without begynnyng eternally before there was any tyme or dais This did neither Herode neither the Iewes vnderstand neither wer they worthy to vnderstand it And this is the prince king which was born at Bethleem a very man which neuerthelesse hath this name also Procedyng from the old dayes which proceded and was born before the world that is which is a true and eternal god and also a true a naturall man And this is the cause of so great stir rynges motions in the worlde For it can not vnderstand this to be procedyngs and birthes without discention that this child also should haue his procedyng before there was sonne or moone The Iewes could not abyde this and afterward there sprang vp many heresies whiche spake agaynst it But this matter is left to be consydered of the which hast gods word put foorth vnto the. Out of whome then was he borne if he was borne before the world Uerily of no other but of God only This must reason nedes confesse if it beleue that God made heauen and earth For what other thyng could be before heauen and earth than God If this childe then proceded was borne before heauen and erth was made it must nedes folow that he was borne of God and is very God For besydes God and his creatures was there nothyng And this is surely a sentence which conteyneth the ground foundation of all things For if Christ were onely a pure man death wold haue confounded hym with all other mortall men For in that that he was born of a virgin it hath not so great strength against death But this is a greatter miracle where as God made Eue of a ribbe thā in that that a virgin brought forth a chyld For a virgin is of that sexe and kynd whiche is borne to bryng foorth children Wherfore that thing coulde not represse the dyuell nor deathe because he was borne of the Uirgin Marye But all the healpe consysteth herein that the virgin Mary is not onely great wyth chylde but also with suche a chyld which was borne before the worlde Wherefore the dyuell deathe and all the kyngdom of the dyuell is ouercom in that they proue maistrie with suche a manne whiche hadde hys procedynge or begynnynge beefore the worlde If it were not for this and if he had his procedynge out of Bethleem only he coulde haue the vpper hande ouer death no more than we all he should be in danger therof aswel as his
labourers and geue them their hyre beginning at the laste vntil the firste And when they dyd come that came about the eleuenth houre they receyued euery man a penye But whē the fyrste came also they supposed that they sholde haue receiued more and they lykewyse receyued euery man a peny And when they had receyued it they murmured against the goodman of the house saying These last haue wrought but one houre and thou hast made them equall with vs whiche haue borne the burden and heate of the day But he aunswered vnto one of them and sayd Frende I do thee no wrong Diddest thou not agree with me for a peny Take that thyne is and go thy waye I will geue vnto this last euen as vnto thee Is it not lawefull for me to do as me lusteth with myne owne goodes Is thine eye euill because I am good So the last shal be fyrst and the fyrst shal be last For many be called but fewe be chosen THE EXPOSITION THe meanynge of this Gospell is very profound high wherby youth and the rude people can not learne muche And yet because it is appointed to be learned at thys tyme we will speake somwhat therof We heare in this parable how the housholder went foorth in the morning and hyred workmen into his vineyard whiche wrought twelue houres Afterward he hyred some that wrought nine houres then also other that wrought sixe and three and laste one Their workes were farre vnlyke and yet their reward is equall one hauing no more then the other For the housholder dyd according to his couenant only with the fyrst as for the other he rewarded at his pleasure without couenāt And yet he gaue as much to them that were last which wrought but one hower as to the first that agreed with hym for a peny a daye This semeth against reason to the world which foloweth this rule He that doth muche work must haue much reward or wages he that doth litle must haue litle And yet can no man there complain of wrong if that be payde to any that is due to one and to an other that is not due Howbeit to geue equal wages where as is not equall labour is not according to the rule of iustice that biddeth to geue to euery mā his due Christ reherseth this parable to shew a differēce betwene his kingdom the kingdom of the world to teach that it is otherwise in his kingdō thā it is in the world wheras cā not be had such equalitie by reson that the degrees states therof be so contrary For where as ther is one degree of masters other of seruātes the master hath more substāce the seruāt more labor it is nothing agreable with this parable wherin Christe taketh away al inequalitie rewardeth al states degrees alike so that the one hath no more interest in this kingdom thā the other But in the corporal ciuil life it is otherwise For there must nedes be inequalitie euē as ther be differēces in degrees The husbands life is vnlike to the life of the citisen likewise the lordes to the knight Here can be no equalitie neither must we go about to seke it But in the kingdom of Christ whether he be king or prince lord or seruāt mastresse or handmaide or any such like they are all equall For we all haue one baptisme one faith one gospel one sacrament one Christ one God For al alike aswel the great as the small heare the Gospell likewise is it as touchyng baptisme For our baptisme the baptisme of children and of all other is all one There is one fayth of Peter Paule Magdalen of the these hanging on the crosse and of vs all if we be christians There is no other God of Iohn Baptist then is of other synners when they repente Neither doth this make any differēce or matter before God that for a ciuile respect there are superiours and inferiors accordyng to mens offices and degrees And this is the chiefest part in this Gospel to lerne that as touching our state cōdition in gods kingdom we ar all equal But before the world this differēce must nedes be had that the father be better then the son the maister better then the seruant the kyng better then the subiect And it is Gods wil that it should so be which dyd ordein constitute diuers states and degrees He that in the kingdome of the world wold go aboute to make the lowest equal with the highest shold bring the cōminalty to cōfusion And to this end tēded the cōmotiōs of the rude people cōmōs wherfore how great soeuer the diuersitie of offices is in the world yet let vs think for a suretie that before God we are all regarded alyke for asmuch as there is but one Christe one baptisme one Gospell one holy spirite of vs all neither hathe one a better Gospell baptisme or Christ then an other The lowest state of seruāts hath as good as the highest For although som hath more good things then thou hast yet he passeth the not in that he hath a better god thē thou hast And this is diligently to be learned specially for this cause euē that euery mā in his vocation may from the bottom of their heart willyngly obey God for asmuch as he may assuredly trust that although he be no emperor nor Pope nor abundant in riches neither is equall in power to the higher states yet that he is equall with the best for that he hath obteined baptisme through the death of Christ hath as sure a confidēce and trust that death shall not hurt hym as hath the highest that is It is not mete now that we that haue obteined so great riches by Christ should be of an abiect fearful heart but rather that we shold lerne litle to esteme thinges that are glorious in the world haue our only hope in this that we are baptised in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ and that he died for vs ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty to aide succour vs against syn death and all euill Wherfore he that knoweth this perfectly that we are all equall in Christ dothe his busines duetie without wearinesse or griefe is not greued at all for that his state condition of lyfe is more base and lowe then an other is For it can not be otherwise in this kingdom but ther must nedes be diuersities of degrees the one les the other greater the one rule the other serue But let not this be any grefe to a christiā He must take in good part this state of the world and not bewaile his case nor grudge for his seruile and miserable lyfe that he leadeth in so base and low degree But he must faithfully maintein that state of lyfe that God hath appointed hym and take well a worth his present degree vntyll
night which can not suffer that all thyngs shold be cleane pure and albeit he can not vtterly roote vp altogither yet he mingleth his tares with the residue that is pure Now who can blame gods worde as though it wer the cause of al sects Wherfore let al mē take hede to thēselues by this doctrin For this propretie of the gospell will neuer be other Som shal therby be restored brought to ripe corne But cōtrarywyse the greater part shal alwais remaine vnfruitfull Wherfore here it cōmeth to passe that Christ said in the last part of the Gospell Many are called but few are chosen For when they wil not make their mynds agreable and conformable to the Gospel but hearkeneth rather to the diuel let passe the word they can not by such wickednes please God Wherfore they fal not only into cōmon vulgar sins offēces but also as Christ saith here thei are strikē with madnes blindnes as with a plague for their vnclenlines so that in seing they see not in hearing they vnderstād not nor know not howe that matter stādeth Wherfore let euery mā here beware he fall not neither let him blaspheme the Gospel for it For it neuer cōmeth forth without offences falling which is not the fault of the word but of the malicious diuelish hert As the fault is not in the sede that in the way it bringeth forth no fruit nor amōg stones thorns We must fight agaīst this offēce labor rather that euery mā mai get this sede and praye God that he will fascion forme and frame our heartes through his holye spirite and so prepare a way that when we heare the worde it may perce into our heartes and bring foorth fruict in pacience and that we may obteyn saluation by our faith in Christe whiche the holy ghost by the word of God and the sacramentes worketh in vs. Which thyng God graunt luckily to come to passe Amen The Purification of S. Mary the virgin The first parte of the Gospel Luc. ii ANd when the tyme of their Purification after the law of Moses was come they brought hym to Ierusalem to present hym to the Lord as it is written in the lawe of the Lord euery man chylde that fyrst openeth the matrix shal be called holy to the Lorde and to offer as it is said in the law of the Lord a paire of turtle doues or two yong pigeons THE EXPOSITION IN the historie of this Gospell is set foorth howe the chylde Iesus was presented in the Temple after the time of his mothers in lying And the Euangelist after the maner of the lawe calleth the whole tyme of her lyinge in the dayes of Purification For the same terme is vsed of Moses This was not the law of nature wherfore the Gentiles vsed it not But God dyd constitute this lawe amonge his people for a peculiar purpose that the mother if she brought foorth a man chylde shoulde after .xxxiii. dayes come to the temple but if it were a woman after .lxvi The very same law hath the Pope made for churchyng as it is named of women that haue layne in chyld bed cōmandyng that after certain dayes they should returne to the churche to be purified and halowed of their vncleannesse As though by a certaine lawe they were vncleane therfore vnmete to be present at any holy ceremonies or to haue companie with the congregation But the Pope doth this without right For ceremoniall vncleannes was not natural but a ceremonie cōmanded by a certayne law whervnto none wer bound but the Iewes neither ought other to be yoked with this lawe But this was specially commaunded in the lawe that the first begotten after the forsaid tyme was expired should be presented and dedicate vnto the Lorde For so is it written in Moyses law Euery man child that openeth the matrix shal be called holy to the Lord And that not only of men but of beastes also All that was called the Lords and was the Lordes And herof sprong the prerogatiue and interest of the eldest son or first begottē so that they wer preferred in the priesthode and in other things And because that in so great a numbre of people this wold haue growen to an infinite multitude if al the first begotten should remain in the temple to serue the Lord therfore GOD permitted the parentes to redeme their children by price as by a lambe of one yeres age or by a paire of turtle doues accordynge to euery mans habilitie And so the sonne was restored to his parents and yet was called the chylde of the Lord. Here it appereth that Maries substance was not great for that she offred but a pair of turtill doues whiche was the gyfte of the poorer sorte By this gyfte she redemeth her sonne and so by this meanes confesseth that although she be the true mother yet that it is not her sonne only but the sonne of God also as wel as her owne For he was the first begotten The Turke in this counterfeiteth God where as he taketh from the parentes the most towardest sons and daughters causing them to be brought vp for his vse And this is the cause that he hath such store of mightye warriours But god dealt more gentilly He required the fyrste borne for hym selfe after suche maner that he neuerthelesse gaue power to redeme them and to the ende that the Iewes should knowe theyr God to be suche as delyuered them oute of the bondage of Aegypt and destroyed in one nyght all the fyrst borne of the Egyptians Therfore he commanded that the fyrst begotten of the Iewes for a memoriall of thys wonderfull deliuerance shoulde be presented and offered in the temple And thys lawe is nowe also abrogate and abolyshed neyther are we Christian menne bounde to this law no more then we are to other ceremonies made peculiarly for the Iewes And in all these thinges there is no great thyng for vs to learne except that only wherof we haue entreated before as concerning the circōcision of Christ euen that Christ is vnder the law as though by no right he was subiect nor bound therunto Wherfore this obedience of Christ I will now shew foorth but yet not applying it to such an high degree as I did before For as I applied my doctrine before to the furtherance of rightuousnes before God that is how we were made rightous in the sight of God so nowe lette it be vnto vs an exaumple of charitie and good workes For the humble obedience of the chylde Iesus is so hyghely praysed and sette before oure eies to make vs ashamed for that he by all hys laboure and longe trauaile can not stirre vs to doo halfe our duetie There is so muche crookednesse in vs that we can not doo that that is commaunded to be done vnder peyne of damnation and euerlastynge punyshemente Where as Mary neuerthe lesse whyche was a virgin and
in conuersation we maye be new doughe and swete bread Therfore seing we by risen againe with Christe let vs seke the thinges that are aboue where Christe sytteth on the righte hande of God that is to saye let vs forsake earthye and transitorye thinges And aspire and labour forewarde vnto heauenlye and euerlastynge thynges that the resurrection of Christe and the benefites therof of the whiche ye haue now heard may be fruitefull and full of efficacie and power in vs that by our newe lyfe and Christen conuersation we maye shewe oure selues thankfeull vnto GOD and proffitable to oure neyghbours again that they which are without enemies to the Christian trueth maye thorowe oure Godly and honest behauiour be conuerted and turne from their Idolatrie vnto the worshippynge of God from their superstition vnto Gods pure religion from corrupt and wicked maners vnto holines and purenes of lyfe that by this meanes GOD oure heauenly father maye be glorified both by them and by vs whiche vnto this ende hath geuen vs his holy Spirite that in all pointes both in body and soule we being holy and righteous maye serue hym euen the Lorde oure GOD in holynes and righteousnes all the daies of our lyfe to whome with Christe our Lorde and the holy ghoste be all prayse honour and glorye worldes without end Amen The first Sonday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn xx THe same daye at nyght whiche was the firste daye of the Sabboethes when the dores were shutte where the Disciples were assemblede together for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stode in the middes and sayde vnto them Peace be vnto you And when he had so sayde he shewede vnto them his handes and his syde Then were the Disciples glad when they sawe the Lorde Then sayde Iesus to them agayne Peace be vnto you As my father sente me euen so sende I you also And when he had sayde these wordes he breathed on them and sayde vnto them Receyue ye the holy ghoste Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them And whosoeuers sinnes ye retayne they are retayned THE EXPOSITION ALbeit in the gospell of this present Sondaye manye thinges are contained concerninge the glorious resurrection of oure Sauiour Christ Iesu worthy to be treated of and called vnto remembraunce yet forasmuch as we on Sonday laste spake abondātly of that matter sufficiently ynough to confirme stablishe oure faith in this article of Christs resurrectiō we haue thougt it good at this present to speake of some other matter specially to handle those wordes which Christe after he had wyshed peace to his disciples shewed thē his handes his side for the more confirmation of their fayth in his resurrection spake vnto them said As my Father sent me so lykewyse do I send you c. These wordes of our Sauiour Christ are very notable worthy to be remembred wherewith he gaue to his disciples committed vnto them the office of teaching preachinge that by this meanes the vse fruite of his death resurrectiō with the cause therof might also be knowen of other and so obtaine euerlasting saluation For if this matter had only ben chronicled and not published and set abrode by preaching wherfore it was done what commoditie cōmeth therof to the faithful beleuers howe coulde it haue ben greatly profitable as we see in the kingdome of the Pope In that as touchynge the historie nothinge wanteth nothing can be desired But when in the preachinge of the papistes these thinges are not handled as Christ cōmandeth here the matter is vnprofitable is in a maner none other thing then as a man should tell an historie of kyng Alexander of Iulius Cesar of the great Turke suche like Therfore the whole matter cōsisteth in this that the history of the death resurrectiō of Christ be brought vnto the righte vse This cōmeth to passe on this maner as Christ determineth when he saieth I send you as my father sent me But how the father sent Christ Esaye the Prophete declared lōg before saying The spirit of the lord is vpō me for the lord hath anointed me sent me to preache glad and ioyefull tydings vnto the pore that I might binde vp the wounded heartes that I might preach deliuerance to the captiue and open the prison to thē that are bounde that I might declare the acceptable yere of the Lorde This is the commandement wherewith Christe is sent And he sayeth here that after the same maner he sendeth his disciples as he was sent and geueth vnto them that ministerie and office that he exercised before that they shold teache after the same sorte as he had taught so that this commandement is only to be referred vnto doctrine that the disciples sholde declare the same of Christ whiche he had before declared of hymselfe Now what maner of doctrine this is Esaye describeth and setteth forth with most goodly and euident wordes that is to saye that Christ was anointed and sent vnto this end that he should conforte the feareful the contrite and broken in heart the poore in spirit c. The doctrine that is not agreable to this is not the doctrine of Christ neither hath Christ commanded it but it is the doctrine of the lawe of Moyses for the doctrine of Moyses is that suche as be troubled fearefull shold be driuen vnto more trouble and vnto more feare But the doctrine of Christe is to conforte the weake hearted and to preache glad and ioyfull tydings to them that be sorowful and brought vnto the bryncke of desperation For it behoued Christe to comme with a newe commandement and doctrine as his workes whiche he did were also new as the like were neuer before sene in the worlde I meane that the sonne of God suffered and rose again from death And as Esaye prophecied of the doctrine of Christe euen so doth Christe sett forth here also For these are the wordes of Christe as they are rehersed of the Euangelist And he breathed vpon them saying Take the holy ghost whose synnes ye shall forgeue are forgeuen them But whose synnes ye shal retaine are retayned Here haue ye the right spiritual regiment which doth no lesse differ from the Ciuile and worldly regiment then the heauen is distāt from the earth They that are in this spirituall regiment are righte kynges right princes right lordes haue also their regiment But here consyder marke and learne how farre this regiment goeth and howe wyde it stretcheth forth it selfe Uerely as the wordes sounde euē so wyde and brode as the worlde is And yet hath it nothinge to do but with sinne as touchinge golde syluer richesse worldly substaunce temporall possessions Lordshippes farmes parkes dominions and suche lyke it hath nothinge to do with them For all these thinges pertayne vnto the worldly and ciuile regiment and they are to be handled of temporal
the euerlasting lyfe So sayth Paule I suppose that the afflictions of thys lyfe are not woorthy of the glorie whiche shall be shewed vppon vs. Agayne Our tribulation whyche is shorte and lighte prepareth an excedynge and an eternall weight of glorye vnto vs while we looke not on the things that are sene but on the thinges which are not sene For the thinges whiche are seene are temporall but things which are not sene ar eternaâ—l Blessed Peter saith also In the which ye reioyce thoughe now for a season ye are in heuines thorow many folde tentations that the triall of your faithe being muche more precious then gold that perisheth might be fouÌ„d vnto praise glorie honor at the appearing of Iesus Christ whom ye haue not sene yet loue hym in whoÌ„ euen now though ye see him not yet doo you beleue and reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious receauing the ende of your faith euen the saluation of your soules Again The God of all grace which hath called vs vnto his eternall glory by Christ Iesus shal his owne selfe after that ye haue suffred a lyttell affliction make you perfect settle strength and stablish you He that coulde thus beleue and be thus certainely persuaded of this saying A lyttell whyle should fynd great consolation in hys affliction wherwith he shold bee able to staye hym selfe Therefore all the matter standeth in thys one poynte that wee surely truste the Lorde CHRIST and counte hys woorde to be moste certayne and trewe and that although we be troubled and afflicted yet it shall continue but a lytle while so that we may comfort our selues in the crosse as they comforte a woman that trauayleth of chyld namely that she shall haue good lucke bee delyuered of her payne and haue a fayre chylde to her great ioye and comfort For it is not possible that there shoulde be any great gladnesse where no sorowe and sadnesse hath ben before But thorowe the importunitie of reason we are kepte in myserable bondage whyche alwaies putteth vs in mynde that our affliction commeth not from the fauour but the anger of God and that we shall perishe in the same and neuer be deliuered But the matter is farre otherwise For as sorowes and paynes doo therfore chance to women trauailyng of chylde that an infant may be borne so likewise oure afflictions are therfore sent to vs from God that by this meanes we may obteyne our trewe glorie and so for euer be saued This also is not to be passed ouer with silence that Christe interpreteth and maketh playn to his disciples what ioye shall chaunce vnto them I sayth he wyll see you agayne This came to passe in the daye of his resurrection when they sawe hym in a new and euerlastyng lyfe Christe therfore seeth vs also and our hert reioyceth when we meditate and consider his resurrection that for oure sake he hathe ouercome synne deathe and deuyll that we thorough hym myght liue euerlastyngly And this is a true sound perfect and euerlastyng ioye whyche changeth all sadnesse neyther shall it at any tyme be taken away from vs. Lette vs therefore beware and take hede of impaciencie and desperation when we are in trouble And this comfort is diligently to bee retayned and kepte faste that although wee suffer and beare the Crosse yet it shall bee but A litle while For Christe is rysen from the dead and sytteth on the ryght hande of GOD the Father that he may represse and keepe vnder the deuyll and all euyls and geue vs euerlastyng saluation Whiche thynge oure faythfull GOD mought vouchsafe to bestowe vpon vs for his sonne Christ Iesus sake oure Lorde and alone Sauiour To whom with the Father and the holy Ghoste be all honour glory and prayse worldes without ende Amen The fourthe Sonday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn xvi IEsus said vnto his Disciples Nowe I go my way to hym that sente me and none of you asketh me whither I go But because I haue said suche things vnto you your heartes are full of sorowe Neuerthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedieÌ„t for you that I go away for if I go not away that comforter wyll not come vntn you But if I depart I wyll sende hym vnto you And when he is come he wyll rebuke the worlde of sinne and of ryghteousnes and of iudgment Of sinne because they beleue not on me Of ryghteousnes because I go to my father and ye shall see me no more Of iudgement because the Prince of this world is iudged alredy I haue yet many thinges to say vnto you but ye cannot beare them away nowe How be it when he is come which is the sprite of trueth he wyll leade you into all trueth He shall not speake of hym selfe but whatsoeuer he shal heare that shall he speake and he wyll shewe you thynges to com He shall glorifie me for he shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All thinges that the father hath are mine therefore sayde I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you THE EXPOSITION THis is a most noble and excellent Gospell For it entreateth specially of that high necessarie article for the which wee are and are called Christians Therfore although it be redde euery yeare among vs yet canne wee not thynke and speake it sufficiently If we entend truely to haue the profite and fruite that commeth by it so must we diligently exercise our selues in the meditation therof It is also part of that sermon which Christ made after his laste Supper And this parte euen as all the rest tendeth also to this end that the Disciples may be enarmed agaynst the sclaunder offendicle or stomblyng blocke of Christes Passion and death that they shoulde not onely not be heauy but also iudge so of the matter that as the truthe is they should right well perceaue that the saluation bothe of them and of all synners dothe onely consyste in the deathe of the Lorde Christe Wherfore euen as of late he set foorth vnto vs a consolation and conforte concernynge the shortnes and small continuance of affliction and trouble and the perpetuitie of our ioye and gladnesse soo lykewyse dothe he declare the matter here and setteth foorthe the cause of his passion I goe sayeth he vnto hym that sent mee that is to saye To morowe I shall be crucified and slayne and yet there is none of you that asketh me whyther I goe nor what I entend by this my departure But because I haue spokeÌ„ this vnto you your hertes are ful of sorow But I tell you truth it is expedieÌ„t for you that I go away For if I shall not go away the coÌ„forter shal not come vnto you and the prince of this worlde shall not bee Iudged But when I shall go away I will send the comforter vnto you Christe woulde haue it well beaten in to all mens heades that they should not
holy ghoste doth rebuke the worlde because it hath sinne for asmuch as it beleueth not in Christ that it hath no righteousnes because it knoweth not neither hath any conforte therin that Christe is gone to the father so likewise doth he rebuke it of iudgement because it knoweth nothing hereof and therfore feareth where nothinge is to be feared if it wolde heare him and receaue his worde For this is an extreme miserie and a lamentable plague to haue syn no righteousnes and besides that not to knowe of any consolation and conforte againste sinne death and all other euilles In this also sayth Christe is the office of the holy ghost that he should preach of iudgement and procure to be pronounced and set forth by the gospel that the prince of the worlde is iudged and that therfore he can not hurte them that beleue in Christ and put their cōfidence in his goinge vnto the father He maye vexe them with diuerse tentations but he can neuer preuaile againste them For although he be the prince of the worlde yet the prince is iudged he is spoiled of his pallace armour and with the chaines of darcknes as Peter speaketh is he bounde of Christ. There is no cause why Christen men should feare him or all his kyngdome For if the prince be iudged the world also whiche is his kyngdome muste nedes be iudged and depriued of all his power This the vngodly knowe not Therfore althoughe somtime they heare the worde and begynne to beleue yet so sone as the worlde rageth and goeth about to persecute they straightwaye are a frayde and fall awaye both from Christ and his worde as Christ saith in the parable of the sower parte of whose sede fell vpon the stones But the Christians are constant and stand stedfaste lyke a stronge and an inuincible bulwarcke For this voyce whiche rebuketh the prince of the worlde is alwaye in their heartes and eares Why sholdest thou feare why shouldest thou be faint hearted geue ouer to these tentations knowest thou not that the Prince of the worlde is iudged He is no more a lorde or a prince Thou hast a Lord that is mightier then he euen Christe Iesus whiche hath ouercome and bounde this prince Therfore let hym threaten bragge and boaste let him be as madde as he luste yet feare thou not For he shal hurt thee no more then that cruell beaste whose violence and crueltie is repressed and restrained with stronge and mightye chaines If thou wilte only beware that thou comest not nighe vnto hym and so willyngly cast thy selfe into daunger thou nedest not feare Thou arte without peril He shall do thee no harme Wherfore this only is required that the Christiās do not make light of the enemie kepe them selues in the feare of God diligentlye praye and the enemie that is iudged shall neuer hurte them Contrariwyse he that wyll not take hede but be secure and carelesse he shall sone be caste hedlonge into diuers perilles of this prince although iudged And of this cōfirmation strenghtening they haue moste nede which are the instrumentes of the holy ghoste in the worlde and do rebuke it of synne and righteousnes For there is no accusation that the worlde can les beare then of synne whiche is a thing most haynous and of righteousnes that it hath none at all Where this publique accusation is as it ought to be that world waxeth wode maketh an hurly burly and attempteth all kinde of violence tyrāny againste the ministers of the worde But the holy ghost by this iudgemēt setteth forth cōsolatiō For if this were not the preachers could neuer endure againste the violēce of the world but must nedes feare tremble And for this cause specially is the holy ghost called Paracletus that is to say a cōforter or an Aduocate which in aduersitie trouble stādeth by the preachers cōforteth thē encourageth thē boldly stoutly to cōfesse the truth forasmuch as they heare that the prince of the worlde is iudged And this is the doctrine of the office of the holy ghost euen what misteries of most worthie matters he shall declare and most specially set forth vnto men in this worlde He can be no Christen man that not only not knoweth these moste excellent misteries but also that when he knoweth thē doth not set more by thē then by all the goodes in the worlde For as for all other thinges they are transitorie and passe awaye but these thinges are euerlastinge which shall neuer decaye as Paule sayth The gospell is the power of God vnto saluation for so many as beleue This going awaye therefore whereof Christ here speaketh is greatly to be estemed and to be reioyced in as a moste singuler benefite for the whiche we are bounde dayly to geue god oure heauenly father most hartie thanckes and to desire him with feruent prayer that we maye dayly more and more fele in our selues thorowe fayth the fruite of this his inestimable benefite namely remission of sinnes and euerlasting righteousnes again the consolation and conforte of this iudgement that the prince of this worlde is iudged Nowe goeth Christe forth in his sermon and saith I haue yet many thynges to saye vnto you whych you can not nowe beare But when that spirite of trueth shall come he shall teache you all trueth How the Papistes interprete this sentence of Christ it is well knowen All their traditions innouations and alterations they defende by this saying of Christe and make the holy ghost author of them al as though Christe had to fore spoken of them But this is not true For this is the righte vnderstanding of Christs wordes that the holy ghost shall teache the Apostles and the churche and instruct them concerninge suche matters as Christe him self had to fore taught them whiche by the reason of their carnal iudgements they could not vnderstād nor attaine vnto the knowledge therof No new doctrine but the same doctrine that Christ tofore had taught shall the holy ghost teache as Christ declareth more plainely by these his wordes He shall not speake of him selfe but what so euer he shal heare that shall he speake and he will shewe you thinges to comme He shall glorifye me for he shall receaue of mine and shal shewe vnto you Again The conforter whiche is the holy ghost whome my father will sende in my name he shall teache you all thinges and bring all thinges to your remembrance whatsoeuer I haue said vnto you The holy ghost openeth and lightneth the darke mindes of the Apostles with the golden glisteryng beames of his godly influence He maketh plaine vnto them and vnto the whole church the true doctrine of Christe concerning sinne righteousnes and Iudgement He maketh them to haue a righte iudgement of Christes kyngdome whiche they looked for to be a carnall and glorious kingdome in
ryse vp in the breaste of a Christian he is by and thynkethe on this maner with hymselfe Alas what haste thou doone Thou myghtest welle haue bene a Christian and yet neuer haue comme to this myserie and daunger Thou art come to thys poynte thoroughe thyne owne faulte c. Nowe when suche horrible examples come also to mynde as putteth vs in remembraunce howe greuously greate and vertuous menne haue in tymes paste fallen and coulde not escape tentation then sayeth Christe is it tyme for the comforter to come whyche without doubte will not longe tarye awaye but wyll spedylye come and teache you that suche greuous and fearefull imaginations and thoughtes are not of hym but of the deuyll The reason is For suche thoughtes bryng trouble and disquietenesse yea and dryue vnto desperation But the holy Ghost maketh not afrayde but comforteth encourageth and so handleth the matter that he testifieth and beareth witnesse of me that I haue ouercome the worlde with his prince and God euen the deuyll Therfore all other thoughtes that brynge with them heauynes sorowe and discomfort are not of me but of the deuyll But the holy Ghost bryngeth and geueth confortable and ioyefull thoughtes for as muche as he beareth wytnesse of me that I haue bestowed my lyfe for you dyed for your synnes and rose agayne for your Iustification Of thys testimonie or wytnesse ye maye easyly gather that I hate you not and that I doo not entende to condemne you but to saue you The whole substāce of thys matter therfore resteth in this point He shal beare witnes Of me This is principally to be obserued and diligētly noted against the Sectaries and false teachers For here it is surely determined that when the holy ghost shall bryng foorth comfort he shall doo it by the testimonie or witnesse of Christ that he may stablish and print Christ in their hertes Wher as contrarywise the deuyll goeth about to plant in the heartes of men feare the wrath of God syn death and damnation This wicked spirite dothe the holy Ghost by his testimonie resist by the word speaketh in our hearts and sayth Ah man what dost thou Canst thou doo none otherwise but alwayes thynke on death synne and damnation Turne thyne eyes from these greuous and terrible sightes and loke vpon me Doest thou not know that man whiche is called Christ Iesus Of hym it is thus written that he was conceaued of the holy Ghoste borne of Mary the virgin that he suffred vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dyed was buried that he descended vnto hell rose agayne from death the thyrd day ascended vnto heauen c. Wherfore was all this doone thynkest thou Was it not doone for this purpose that by this meanes thou shouldest comfort thy selfe againste deathe and synne Therefore leaue of and cease thus to feare to trouble thy selfe for thou haste no cause so to doo If Christ were not and if Christe had not doone these thynges for thee so shouldest thou haue had a iuste cause to feare and to be sadde But Christe is by thee and rounde about thee as he hym self saith I am with you for euer euen vnto the ende of the worlde Moreouer hee hath suffered deathe for thee and sytteth on the ryghte hande of GOD hys Father to comforte and to defend thee agaynst all thyne enemies Where this doctrine soundeth there is the voyce wytnesse and worde of the holy ghoste But what so euer soundeth not on this maner be it neuer so fyne and pleasant it may bee the witnesse of Moyses or rather of subtill Satan of hypocrites and heretikes whyche seke saluation peace and reste of conscience by workes and so trouble che consciences of menne and dryue theym to desperation but the wytnesse of Christ it is not nor yet the voyce of the holy Ghoste God for his mercies sake kepe vs and defende vs agaynste all witnesses and voyces of Sathan of the Pope of the Turk of hypocrites of sectaries of heretikes of scismatikes and of all the wycked and vnto our laste ende conserue vs in thys holy witnesse of the holy Ghoste Amen This is the fyrst part of this our gospel concerning that comforter the holy Ghoste howe hee comforteth the Christians Nowe lette vs come vnto the seconde part as touchyng the Crosse and affliction And here muste we note specially the sayenge of Christe to hys Disciples They shall excommunicate you out of their Synagoges These wordes declare euidentely that they whyche excommunicate the Christians and driue them out of theyr synagoges maintayn this title and doo greatly glory that they are the Synagoge or true churche yea and they wyll also be counted suche as are alone the true woorshyppers of God and that in handlyng the Christians on this wyse they doo God great true and faithfull seruice For ells what needed Christ to haue spoken these wordes The houre commeth that who soeuer kylleth you shall thynke that he doothe an acceptable sacrifice vnto God and an hygh greate seruice It is therfore necessarie at al tymes that we make a difference betwene the true and false churche That is the false churche whiche chalengeth this name and is so called and yet not withstandynge is not the trewe churche The true churche is that which is not suffered to bee called the churche and yet is the trewe Churche in dede But it is an harde thyng to discerne these two churches For thys hyndreth greatly that the false Churche also hath the office of mynisterie in it as it is to be seene We frankely and frely confesse that the Pope and his sect is not the trewe churche and therfore we condemne theim as the Synagoge of Satan Notwithstandynge when they baptise ordeyne pastors confirme maryages we fynde no fault wyth these thynges for the ministerie and wordes sake but we confesse theyr baptisme to be trewe and therfore doo not we baptise the chyldren agayne whiche were baptised of them Whyche thynge notwithstandyng Cyprian dyd not folowe who was of this mynde that he thought that the baptisme which was ministred of heretikes was no ryghte and true baptisme and therfore that the chyldren whiche they had baptised ought to be baptised againe as thoughe they hadde neuer ben baptised And this was his reason Heretikes saythe he are not in the vnitie of the Christen churche Therfore can they haue no Christen ministerie But this is not true For the mynisterie and the person ar to be discerned a differēce is to be put betwene them A notorious synner also is not of the vnitie of the Churche yet hys mynisterie that hee hath in the churche is not to bee despised The reason is thys For the mynisterie is not hys but Christes If he woulde go aboute to alter or breake the cōmandement of Christ if he wold otherwise baptise preache and minister the Lordes supper then Christe hymselfe hath appointed and cōmanded then is there here a sufficient
shall truely iudge and make voyde and of no force the Popes excommunication and shal at the last day before God and his angels declare vs to be his true churche For it can none otherwise be in this lyfe then as Christe sayeth here that there shall be two churches and one shall excommunicate an other and by no meanes one abyde an other to dwell together But excommunication is neuer publikely exercised of the true Churche agaynste the false churche For the false churche hathe euermore for the moste parte the sworde in her hande and is able to defende her selfe at all tymes against suche as it fauoureth not as we may see by the Pope which is a moste sure argument that he and his can not be the true churche For as concernyng the true churche it is in thys our Gospell playnly declared that it shal be excommunicated vngentilly intreated and miserably handled They shall saythe Christe caste you out of the synagoges Who are those Yow Are they not the disciples and Apostles of Christ They shall kyll you saythe he Who Euen they that call theym selues the Churche And thus also goeth the matter euen at thys present daye Therfore thys excommunicatyng and murderyng whyche the Pope and hys churche vseth againste the sainctes of God whyche are the trewe churche ought not to make vs afrayde but rather to take it ioyfully paciently learne that these things are the right tokens and manyfest declarations of the true and christen churche yet so that there be lykewise aboue all thynges the true knowledge of Christe and of hys Father For the Anabaptistes and other sectes do suffer persecution also but they haue not the knowledge of Christe and of his father but they brynge in and sette vp a newe kynd of monkery and thorough thys they looke to be saued and to haue God mercyfull vnto them But contrary wyse the true Churche knoweth Christe and hys Father that is to saye it beleueth and trusteth onely in the goodnes and mercye of God for Christes sake and for that Fayth confidence and hope it gladly suffreth persecution so that whatsoeuer chanceth vnto it it grudgeth not but paently take it because it knoweth that Christe prophecied and tolde afore hande that these thynges should so come to passe Therefore it is well contente quietly to beare the tyrannie of the Pope beyng gladde of thys that it knoweth Christ and hys Father where as the Pope and all his adherentes althoughe they bragge neuer so muche of the Church neyther know Christe nor his Father but rather persecute them that haue thys knowledge Wherfore with a gladde heart and wyllynge spirite it suffreth all kynde of persecution wyth a sure hope that after thys lyfe it shall reygne with Christe and lyue with hym euerlastyngly in the kyngdome of his Father To whome with the same Christe his sonne and the holy Ghoste that moste swete comforter be all honoure and glorye for euer and euer Amen A Sermon on the Epistle on VVhitsondaye Acte ii WHen the fiftie dayes were come to an ende they were all with one accorde to gether in one place And sodaynelye there came a sounde from heauen as it had ben the commyng of a mightie wynde and it fylled all the house where they sat And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like as they had bene of fire and it sat vpoÌ„ eche one of them and they were all fylled with the holye ghost and began to speake with other tongues euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce Then were dwellynge at Ierusalem Iewes deuoute men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When this was noysed about the multitude came together and were astonyed because that euerye man hearde them speake with hys owne language They wondred all and marueyled sayinge amonge theym selues Beholde are not all these whtche speake of Galile And howe heare we euery man his owne tongue wherein we were borne Parthians and Medes and Elamites the inhabiters of Mesopotamia and Iewry and of Capadâ—cia of Pontus and Asia Phrigia and Phamphilia of Egipte and of the parties of Libia whiche is beside Sirene and straungers of Rome Iewes and Proselites Grekes and Arrabians wee haue heard them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of God THE EXPOSITION VUhitsonday whiche of the Grecians is called Pentecoste doothe sygnifie fyftie dayes For Whitsondaye is the fyftie day in number from that daye that Christ rose again In the which day was celebrate kept holy amongest the Iewes also an high feast in remeÌ„brance that in the fiftieth day after that they had eaten the pascall lambe and departed out of Egipt they receiued the law at mount Sinai And for the continuaÌ„ce of this benefite of this setting forth of the law and of making a couenant with the people was this feast ordeined of god that they might neuer forget this holy obligation and bande as the hystorie in the seconde boke of Moyses and the .xx. chapter doothe declare And truely it doothe appere by the hystories of the olde testament as witnesseth sainct Paule also in his Epist. to the Corinthians that whatsoeuer befell then amongest the people of the Iewes was but a figure of those thynges that shoulde be declared to vs in the newe testament Wherfore euen as in the newe testament we haue an other pascall lambe and better then the olde For the blood of the lambe in Egypt was to anoynt yâ— doore postes that the Angel myght not hurt the bodies nor kil the fyrst borne therin but the blood of the lambe Christ was shed on the Crosse to the entent that we myght be delyuered throughe hym oute of the true Egypt that is from the tyranny of the deuyll synne and deathe so in the newe testamente we haue a better Whitsontide Penthecost then it was in the olde testament The Iewes in the olde testament dyd receaue in the mount Synai the tenne commaundementes Whiche doctrine was good profitable and necessarie and maye be worthily embraced as a great benefite but in it haue we no sure succoure and aide againste the kyngdome of the deuill synne and death but rather by the helpe of that lawe we are declared to be more greuous sinners and through our owne conscience are accused before God and proued gyltie for as muche as we doo not that whiche the lawe commaundeth vs to doo Wherfore euen as there was a very dreadfull sight in the mount when GOD spake and all thynges so troubled with thunder lyghtnynge that the hyll did smoke and semed to be moued So is this alwayes the propretie of the law when it worketh effectuously in the hearte to terrifie and feare and to dryue a man to desperation so that in the hearte there remayneth no deuice to escape that daunger And surely for a man to know what God requireth and to feele and perceaue that he hathe no power
to do the same must nedes be occasion of great feare and dreade inwardely For herof it doth folow that a man thinketh that he is condemned alredy of God to death orels that he shall forthwith suffer the paynes of deathe Wherfore the Pentecost of the Iewes is a remembraunce of a great and necessarie thyng yet the consideration therof can not be pleasant and acceptable For the example of the people dothe declare what thys mysterie woorketh inwardly When they desyre Moses to be a mean betwene them and God and when they thought it necessarie in theyr heart to haue a meane yet could not fynde who might be this meane and mediatour But GOD hym selfe hathe promysed a Mediatour whyche is a Prophete lyke vnto Moyses c. And by thys he doothe declare what shoulde bee the Whytsontyde of the Newe Testamente that it is fulle of comforte swetenesse ioye and peace For thus sayeth the Euangeliste as it is rehersed that in the daye of Pentecoste whenne the Iewes dydde kepe holye the feast of theyr lawe at what tyme that the Apostles and Disciples were gathered togyther sodeynelye there camme as it were the sounde of a vehemente wynde and fylled the whole house and there appered vppon them clouen tongues as it hadde bene of fyre and so the Holy ghoste was opened there bothe to the syghte of the eyes and the hearynge of the eares For in the sounde was he hearde and seene in the fyre as Christ hadde promised before and Iohn Baptist prophecied that they shold be baptised in fyre and spirite But all these thynges haue theyr signification and meanynge The tongues doothe sygnifie the office of preachynge whiche thenne shall woorke with effecte when the holy ghost worketh therwith that therby maye be enkendled a newe lyght inwardly And forthwith after this sounde and fyry tongues he sytteth on eche of them and so dothe inflame their heartes and with such a blast and motion perceth their vnderstandyng that in a momente of an hower they knowe bothe God and his sonne Iesus Christ they vnderstand the scriptures and waxeth so bold in heart that they dare openly professe the true knowlege of God so that thei can speake with all languages where as before they knewe but their owne For out of Sion it behoued that the lawe shoulde procede and the woorde of the Lorde oute of Hierusalem and that afterwarde the Gospell shold be heard in al lāguages And forasmuch as the Gospel shuld be publyshed not only in Iury but also in all the worlde therfore the holy ghost dothe instruct his apostles with languages that it myght bee vniuersally sette foorth throughout all the earth This is our Whitsontide and Pentecost in the new Testament wherby the trewe knowledge of God is ordeyned not with feare and dreade but with ioy and peace whereby there ryseth suche a conscience at the length which turneth not from God but abydeth all things for Christs sake as the apostles by theyr examples doo shewe Not only Christ at his laste supper prophecieth of this Whitsontyde but also the Prophetes Dauid Esaias Hieremias Ioell Zacharias and other Wherfore we shall not lose our labour but rather bestowe our tyme very well yf we at a certayne appoynted tyme enstructe men of the holye Ghost teaching what he is and what is his propretie and what is nedefull for vs to doo that we also maye obteyne the same spirite And fyrst of all we muste not thynke that the holy ghoste was then firste in the congregation and neuer before For hee is God eternall and almyghtie as Christ sayth that he cometh of the father Wherfore he is of one substance and nature with the Father and there be many euident testimonies that the holy ghoste hath always bene effectuous in men and hath lightned them and broughte them into the waye For Christ hymselfe and Peter also sayth that the Holy Ghost spake by the Prophets and the Euangelistes doo testifye of Anna Zacharia Elizabeth Iohn Baptist that they had the holy ghost Wherfore we must thynke and beleue none other thyng of the holy ghoste then wee beleue of Christe which hath ben for euer and forthwith after the fyrste promyse made in Paradyse exercised his office and stode in battaile against the deuil and began to breke the head of the serpent This worke was long agone began of the sonne of man and euer diligently done and at laste fully accomplyshed at what tyme he became manne and dyed on the Crosse and the thyrde daye rose agayne from the deade Therfore the workynge of the Holy Ghoste was therewyth and the holy Ghoste was alwayes in the worlde gouernyng mens hearts and stirryng vp their faith by the word in them he kyndled a lyght and them he cōfirmed and brought into all truthe But yet he dydde at lengthe perfectly and absolutely fulfylle thys greate woorke vppon thys Whytsondaye wherein hee was not secrete and priuie as hee was before But hee declared hym selfe openlye that all that dyd see myghte perceaue and confesse that the holy ghoste was present For where as there were some amongest theym in thys place that iudged the woorkynge of the holy Ghoste to be dronkennesse it was doone of an aduysed and purposed madnesse For they are proued false by theyr owne reason wherby they may knowe that diuers languages commeth not of dronkennesse or of newe wyne It shoulde make muche with oure matter to consyder why the reuelation of the holy Ghost was deferred vnto this daye For euen as after the delyuerance of the old people there folowed immediatly the couenant betwene GOD and the people so after our delyuerance whyche commeth thorough Christe doothe this pledge of the Holy Ghoste ensue whereby we myght be made certayne and confirmed as concernyng the couenant betwene God vs. For fyrst was it mete that this deliuerance shoulde be made and confyrmed thoroughe CHRIST and that he should entreate the Father to sende vs the Holy Ghoste And by hym onely are we made parte takers of thys greate gyfte as wee sayde in the daye of the Ascension prouynge it by the thre score eight Psalme That hee ascended on hye and receaued gyftes for men For thus doothe Peter also expounde that saying in his sermon of this daye where as he saieth Wherfore Christe beynge exalted on the ryght hand of God when he had receaued the promise of the holy ghoste of his father he dyd shedde foorth this as you now see and heare And this is the fyrste worke of his but hath bene alwayes in the worlde wyth dewe administration and workynge But yet on this daye at the laste dyd he openly declare hymselfe where as he shewed foorth hymselfe with greate vertue and strengthe so that by this reuelation we maye knowe what a greate thynge CHRIST hath wrought and brought to passe for vs thorowe his death and resurrection
is of strēgth to be borne again wher this is lacking there is no hope to come to the kingdom of God All our powers with the lawes and preceptes are of no efficacie and strength But thou wilt say If it be so I had rather doo no good worke at all then to take muche peyne if I obteyne nothynge therwith in the kyngdome of God But to thynke or saye this is an euident token of vngodlines Wherfore do both Fyrst see diligently to the lawe with all his woorkes then know thy self to be a synner and that thou canst not by thy workes escape damnation Then turne thy selfe to the doctrine of Christ and hearken what hee preacheth of the kyngdom of God after that he hath declared that the old man can not enter into the kingdome of God Nicodemus perceaueth the straighte Iudgement of Christ that without the newe Byrthe there is no hope of the kyngdom of GOD and he is soone reformed and persuaded that the carnall byrth healpethe nothynge thereto And therefore he asketh howe the newe byrthe might be And CHRIST And doth redyly shew a notable doctrin therof saying on this wise Uerily verily I say vnto the. Except a man bee borne agayn he can not enter into the kyngdom of God Whatsoeuer is borne of the fleshe is flesh what soeuer is born of the spirit is spirite This is the second sentence against the first byrthe shewyng that it is carnall synful and that it can not be encouraged to obteyne the kingdome of God As though he should say Thou demandest whether thou shouldest otherwise be borne of thy mothers wombe although thou were borne a thousande tymes of thy mothers wombe yet thou shouldest not bee borne to the kyngdom of God Ther is no nede of father and mother to the kyngdome of God which are also them selues fleshe but there is nede to haue water and the spirite but he that hath ben so borne agayne is a new man and shall come to the kyngdome of God This doctrine had Nicodemus neuer learned in Moses He had learned there what he should doo or not do by the preceptes But as touchyng this new creature he had learned nothyng at all not as muche as by a dreame Wherfore he is so confounded that he graunt that all this while he had lerned nothyng at all But the wordes of this sentence ar not so lyghtly to be passed ouer the sentence is perfect that good works must be done and obedience is to be geuen to the lawe But the seyng of the kyngdom of God cometh not hereby But if we will come to the seyng therof not good workes but a newe man is requisite thereto And that is not doone by the carnall manne but by water and by the spirite They are the verye parentes that are mete to bryng forth this new chyld of God Water is nothyng els but baptism For so saith Christ in y◠last of Marke He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued Thys strength of the water is not of his owne nature For water is water that is to say an elemēt and creature whiche can not change the hert and wash away syn But the water wherof Christ speketh here and which we call the water of Baptisme is not only water naturall but water in the worde and promyse of God Two things are here ioyned together the water the word and are so ioyned together that they can not be sundred If thou sunder the water from the worde it is no baptisme If thou sunder the word from the water neither than is it Baptisme But when the word and water ar ioyned together this water is such with the whiche the holy ghost will come vnto thee and regenerate thee to the kyngdome of God Whiche is as much to say as to forgeue synnes and to bryng saluation This sentence therfore is not lyghtly to be regarded and especiallye because of the Anabaptistes whiche holde opinion that the Baptisme of infantes is nothyng woorth where as yet Christ in this place applieth water to regeneratiō to the new birth and ioyneth it as the cause therof with the holy ghost If children therfore haue nede of this new byrth and can not see the kyngdome of God without it and seynge Baptisme is ordeyned of Christ as the cause of all that muste bee newe borne It is not onely an vnmercyfull thynge but also violence in the kyngdome of god and playne tyranny to exclude them from Baptisme and from the kyngdome of God for whome Christe dyed and decreed that this benefite should be free to all them that are newe borne that they myght be baptised to dye with hym and be borne agayn Wherfore this newe byrth is also necessary for children that they may see the kyngdome of God And although the water dothe nothing profite without the holy ghost yet the holy ghoste by the water of Regeneration muste woorke in vs as Paule dothe so ioygne them bothe together Accordyng to his mercy saith he he saued vs by the water of regeneration and renuyng of the holy spirite the which he shed vpon vs abundantly This lauer or washyng can not be without regeneration and renuyng of the holy spirite Wherfore the errour is detestable that in certaine places dyuers preachers doo baptise chyldren without water For it is not only requisite in baptisme to haue the word spirite but also to haue water For so did Christ ordein no man hath power to change his lawe institution The baptisme of water is seene with the eies but the worke of Regeneration and new birth whiche is wrought by the holy ghost inwardly is not sene Therfore this outward ceremonie of the water of baptism may not be omitted because of the priuie and inuisible administration of the holy ghost Christ sayth furthermore vnto Nicodemus Meruail not that I sayd vnto thee thou muste be borne again from aboue the wynd bloweth wher he will and thou hearest the soūd therof but thou canst not tel frō whence it cōmeth and whether it gothe So is euery man that is born of the Spirite These wordes are very simple as the ceremonie is it selfe For it is not estemed with reason when an infant or an aged man is offered to make his confession on this wise that foloweth Behold the yoke of synne and of the deuyll is so great that there is no helpe or remedy against it but that he whether he be chyld or man be baptised and washed with water in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost But here must we rather marke what Christ sayth where he biddeth vs rather to consyder what is done by priuie operation then by the open ceremonie outward signe For the worke of the holy ghost is priuie hyd from the eies Wherfore we must beleue it as it is set forthe in the worde Thou shalte neuer perceaue it by the eies
As it chanceth in the wynd The sound therof is heard but we can neither declare the risynge nor the slackyng therof So is it in the newe byrthe The outwarde ceremonie commeth by the water vnto the eyes and the word is heard that the woorke is done in the name of Iesus vnto the absolution and remission of synnes He that regardeth not the worde and spirite and the vertue thereof and seketh it not after that sorte as Christe hath appoynted shall bee deceyued For nothyng els is requisite to the getting of the newe birth and spirite but that thou must be baptised with water and take diligent hede to the word This is the newe birth to the kyngdome of God and no other way is there What wil these sectaries say here which only crake of the spirite and in the meane tyme lay asyde baptisme the sacrament worde Wherfore Christ here doth not teache but he sheweth by a plain demonstration baptisme the word And doth admonyshe vs that if we will not be content to vse the water and word that we shall haue nothing of the holye ghost neither shall we euer atteyne to the new byrth Wherfore let vs haue diligent regard of our baptisme and of the word as of the chief part of our saluation Where we know for a suretie that if we kepe that we are new borne vnto the kingdome of God And this doctrine how we must be new borne that is how we must come to the kingdom of God is strāge and not heard of in the world and yet it is only true vnfallible where as of the contrary part all other doctrines deceaue seme they neuer so good by the iudgemēt of the world of reason The life of the phariseis the rules of monkes the deuotion of the single shauelings are very fantasticall And the works of vertue of the ten cōmandements do not a little cōmend them that haue them Yet there is none of al these things that doth regenerate It is only water and the spirite that doth worke these thinges which spirite will no otherwise be knowen of vs or felt but as the wind is knowen by the sound He that heareth the sounde that is beleueth is baptised he is new borne shal be saued But Nicodemus is so deepely drownde vp in his phantasticall imaginations of the law and good workes that he can not cōprehend this doctrine as it doth also chaunce in those Papistes that are moste wittie For it hindreth them alwayes when they think thus should all this be nothing should not this please God that we fast that we pray that we geue almes Wherfore Christ hādleth hym with the more austeritie for that he wil not beleue knowledge the true doctrine saith Art thou a master in Israel and knowest not these thinges As though he should say How then doest thou thy dutie as a maister of Israel seinge thou knowest not the way of true saluation This doctrine of the newe byrth and regeneration is the doctrin of the prophets necessarie to saluatiō Now art thou so ignorāt that thou doest not knowe that vice in oure nature whiche hath neede to bee abolished by regeneration But for what purpose is this reprouing of a maister in Israell Uerily that all preachers of religion and of true saluation may know that all learninge which is without the doctrine of regeneration is naught and false Not because it is a faulte to teache good workes and to adhorte men therto For so doth the lawe of god and doth wel therby But herin are they to be blamed that beside this doctrine they teache men nothyng els as though nothing els were requisite to euerlastinge life For it is euident in this place that although the lawe and good workes be done yet they profitte nothynge to the attainement of the kyngdome of god but that there muste nedes be the new byrth of water of the holy ghost And it is the spirite which by the water worde doth make other new men The lawe and the workes do change neither the men neither the workes Wherfore he that thinketh with himselfe how he might bring men to saluation let him haue respect to the newe byrth as Christ hath here let him not beginne it by good workes but let hym laye the fundation by that thing that can make a new heart that is let hym lead men to baptisme and to the spirit ye and to the word by the whiche the holy Ghoste doth worke in mens heartes For as the winde nothing is knowen but the sounde so of the holy ghost nothyng is perceaued but the worde That must ye kepe surely and then looke for the operation of the holy ghost Nowe what maner of worde this is and how the holy Ghoste doth make a sounde Christe here teacheth No man goeth vp into heauen but he that came down frō heauen euen the sonne of man which is in heauen This begynninge of the sermon is of that wherof Christe sayth ye beleue not me if I speake earthlye thinges to you how wil ye beleue if I speake heauēly things vnto you For this sermon can not be inuēted by any man but the only begotten sonne which is in the bosom of the father hath declared it vnto vs. Of this sermon or saying ther are two partes The fyrste is somwhat harde For of this it is certainely decreed No man ascendeth into heauen but he that came downe from thence the meaning wherof is all one with the saying before Except a man be new borne he cā not see the kyngdome of God That is No man can be saued or obtaine remissiō of his sinnes rightousnes neither by the law neither by good workes reason or free wil. And he that hath no more then these things although they be neuer so good he is dāned can haue no hope of saluation It is a very euident plaine sentence whiche if the Iewes papistes wold beleue it wold make them to forsake al the trust that they haue in their owne workes and righteousnes For what man hath his birth from heauen None no not the first that were Adam and Eue. It is only the sonne of Mary as Christe here saith Therfore if none shal enter vp to heauen but he that came downe frō heauen it is plaine that all men as they be borne of their parēts can not ascend into heauē If they can not go vp into heauen what place is there for them For they can not cōtinew in earth for death If therbe no going vp to heauen than can no man escape damnation This is the iudgement of Christ as touching all the worlde no man excepted whether it be Adam Eue Abraham Moyses or Dauid all they can not enter in to heauen For he only ascēdeth into heauen that came down frō thence What do we then preuaile by good workes merits the law or free wil All these things are
neither hande nor mouthe is to be restrained We maie lawfully vse these instrumentes to reuenge accordyng to euery mannes vocation office and aucthoritie For here there is no place for lenitie and mercie but for vengeaunce So that in this behalfe would neglecte vengeance he should giue an occasion to GOD the high iudge that he should punishe the sinnes and offences of men and then were the matter in worse case For when GOD punisheth he punisheth more greuously then men doe· And this is the doctrine of the Gospell for this presente Sondaie The Lorde our GOD helpe vs by his holy spirite and giue vs grace for his sonne Iesus Christes sake that in this worlde we maye liue here a Godly rightuous and sober life euery manne accordyng to his vocation and office and in the worlde to come enioye the fruicion presence and sight of the moste blessed and glorious Trinitie GOD the father GOD the sonne and GOD the holy Ghoste three distincte persones and one true immortall and euerlastyng GOD To whom be all power glory and honor bothe now and euer Amen ¶ The .vij. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. viii IN those daies when there was a verie great companie and had nothyng to eate Iesus called his disciples vnto hym and saied vnto theim I haue compassion on the people because thei haue been now with me three dayes and haue nothyng to eate and if I sende theim awaie fastyng to their owne houses thei shall fainte by the waie for diuers of theim came from farre And his disciples answered hym where should a manne haue breade here in the wildernesse to satisfie these And he asked them how many loaues haue ye Thei saied seuen And he commaunded the people to sitte doune on the grounde And he tooke the seuen loaues and when he had giuen thankes he brake and gaue to his disciples to sette before theim And thei did sette them before the people and thei had a fewe small fishes and when he had blessed he commaūnded them also to be sette before them and thei did eate and were suffised And thei tooke vp of the broken meate that was lefte seuen baskettes full And thei that did eate were aboue fower thousande And he sent them awaie THE EXPOSITION THis miracle did Christe twise For on midde Lent Sondaie is the like historie sette forthe when with fiue barlie loaues and twoo fishes he fed fiue thousande menne besides women and children and yet there remained so many fragmentes as filled twelue Baskettes full But in this Gospell ye heare how with seuen loaues and a fewe little fishes he fedde fower thousande and there were lefte so many fragmentes as filled seuen Baskettes It appereth that suche as appoincted this Gospell now to bee redde had a consideracion of the tyme seyng that this miracle is set foorthe in the fruitfull tyme of the yere that all men maie learne and vnderstande that all these thynges whiche wee receiue and take of the grounde come vnto vs by the blessyng of God and that God euen at this presente daie worketh with vs this miracle whiche at the tyme he wroughte in the wildernes saiyng that with a fewe nourishmentes or slender prouision he is able now also through his blessyng to minister foode to many yea to thousandes thousandes of people as he daily doeth so that although many times through tempestes the fruictes of the yearth haue no good successe yet that wee should knowe that our chief help and comfort consisteth in the blessyng of God For it is not the abundance of foode but the blessing of God that feedeth For suche is the naturall frowardnes of the vnfaithfull worlde that when it seeth not present store of victuall yea also enough the same straight waies it beginneth to despaire as though it should out of hand perishe for honger Thei that haue great plentie of victuall as of corne wine c. thei will vtter none of it before thei bee able to make the moste of it and to sell it so dearely as is possible These are very leude persones and suche as knowe nothing of Gods blessyng neither doe thei beleue it Or els thei would so behaue thē selues that thei might haue Christ with them and so should thei neuer doubt but that he through his blessyng bothe were able and also would make of their little store great abundance and sende plentie of all thynges For this miracle teacheth vs that there is no cause why we should doubte of the good will of Christe but that he will prouide abūdauntly bothe for our soule and bodie for our soule his spirite worde and faithe for our bodie meate drinke clothe lodgyng c. so that although sometyme he suffereth suche as beleue in him to be vexed and greued with penurie scarsenesse pouertie and contēpt for thei are greatly hated of the world neither doeth the worlde thinke them worthy to be fedde or to liue on the yearth yet thei should not doubte of this but that Christ euen in the greatest tyme of penurie and then all thynges bee moste scarse and deare will plentifully prouide for theim all thinges necessary for this present life Notwithstandyng Christe ministereth his blessyng accordyng to the rule whiche he prescribeth in the Gospell of Matthew Seke ye first saieth he the kingdome of GOD and the rightuousnes thereof and al these thynges shall be caste vnto you For the Euāgeliste declareth that the people taried with Christ three daies What was the cause of their so long abode with Christ it is easie to conceiue Uerely to heare the worde of GOD at his mouthe And this is the cause that he afterward is so carefully moued to make prouision for them and coumpteth it his office to see that thei lacke nothyng leaste thei should perishe for honger that it should bee a speciall doctrine to vs first of all to haue a singuler regarde to the woorde of GOD and to practise the same in our life and conuersacion and afterward as touching thinges apperteining vnto our liuing to caste all our care vpon Christ. For he hath taken vpon hym to make prouisiō for vs so that he will by no meanes suffer vs to perishe for honger Stones shall soner be made bread then thei which seke the kyngdome of GOD the rightuousnesse thereof shall lacke any good thyng as the Psalmographe saieth O feare the Lorde ye that be his sainctes for thei that feare hym lacke nothyng The Lions doe lacke and suffer honger but thei which seke the Lorde shall want no maner of thyng that is good Again I haue been yong and now am old and yet sawe I neuer the rightuous forsaken nor his seede beggyng their breade The rightuous is euer mercifull and lendeth and yet haue his children Gods blessyng and inough So saieth blessed Marke in the sixt Chapiter of his Gospell that muche people came flockyngly together out of diuers cities tounes and
Ananias Misaell and Asarias when thei might haue eaten and dronken of the same meate and wine that kyng Nabuchodonozor did eate and drinke refused so to dooe and chosed rather in stede of that princely fare to eate Potage and to drinke water and yet wer thei better liking and fatter then thei whiche did eate of the kynges meate The meate whiche GOD sent to Daniell beyng in prison at Babilon by Abacut the Prophete was it any other then Potage and broken bread GOD giueth not deinties but necessaries to his people whiche thei shall neuer want that loue hym Sainct Paule saieth hauyng nourishement and clothyng he saith not hauyng delicious fare sumptuous apparell let vs be conteÌ„t For nothing brought we into the worlde neither shall we cary any thyng out of it Therefore our sauiour Christ in that praier whiche he taughte his Disciples to saie commaundeth vs to praie not for deinties and varietie of pleasaunte dishes but for breade that is to saie for necessary foode wherof preseÌ„tly we haue neede Giue vs this daie our daiely breade And that moste wise and noble kyng Salomon desired of GOD onely a necessary liuyng O Lorde saieth he giue me neither pouertie nor richesse onely graunt me a necessary liuyng least I be to full I deny thee and saie Who is the Lorde And least I beyng coÌ„strained through pouertie fall vnto stealyng and take the name of my GOD in vaine This frugalitie therefore and simple fare accompanied with the blessyng of Christe and practised of all good and Godly men from the beginning in all agâ—s ought to moue vs for to eschewe al kindes of voluptuous and dilicious fare and to content our selues with thinne and necessarie diete auoidyng all excesse and superfluitie not onely as a synne displeasaunt vnto GOD but also as a pestilent noysome and hurtfull to our healthe and life alwaies hauing before our eyes this saiyng of our sauiour Christe Take hede that your heartes bee not ouercome with surfettyng and dronkennesse And as saincte Paule saieth Make no prouision for the fleshe to fulfill the lustes thereof To ende This is not the meanyng of this our Gospell that we acknowledge and confesse Iesus Christ our Lorde to be our nurse father prouider and Steward whiche giueth vnto vs all thynges abundantly to enioye them whiche notwithstandyng hath the moste speciall care for the foode of the soulle that we maie get aboue all thynges the knowledge of Gods woorde and of true Godlinesse and so obtaine euerlastyng life Againe that so many as seeke the kyngdome of GOD and the rightuousnes thereof should not despaire concernyng corporall sustenaunce but in all their necessities flee vnto Christes blessyng and faithfully beleue that Christ will no lesse feede theim and take care for theim then he did for the fiue thousande of whom our Gospell maketh mention although reason se not how this thing maie be brought to passe so that here we are taught that as we be made of twoo partes that is to saie of soulle and bodie so likewise doeth Christ make prouision for theÌ„ bothe neither will he suffer suche as trust in hym to waÌ„t any good thing either for the soulle or for the body but giue theim all thynges liberally as the Psalmographe saieth O feare the lorde ye that be his Sainctes for thei that feare hym lacke nothyng The Lions dooe lacke and suffer honger but thei whiche seeke the Lorde shall wante no maner of thyng that is good That we maie obtaine these twoo blessynges of GOD the father through Christ accordyng to his moste swete and comfortable promises that is to saie foode bothe for soule and bodie necessarie liuyng for the sustentacion of this mortall life in this worlde and euerlastyng glorie in the worlde to come bothe for soule and bodie let vs at all tymes diligently praie for the assistaunce of Gods moste holy spirite that he maie breath into vs suche heauenly and spirituall motions that we maie aboue all thynges seke the Kyngdome of GOD and the rightuousnes therof depende whollie on his faithfull prouideÌ„ce and alwaie be thankfull to hym for his benefites where with daiely he inricheth vs through his sonne Christe Iesu To whom bothe now and euer bee all glorie and honour Amen The .viij. Sondaie after Trinitie Sondaie The Gospell Matth. vii BEware of false Prophetes whiche come to you in Shepes clothyng but inwardly thei are rauenyng Woulues ye shall knowe theÌ„ by their fruictes Doe menne gather Grapes of Thornes or Figges of Thisties â–ª Euen so euery good Tree bryngeth forthe good fruites But a corrupte Tree bryngeth forthe euill fruites A good tree can not bryng forthe badde fruites neither can a badde tree bryng forthe good fruites Euery tree that bryngeth not forthe good fruite is hewen doune and caste into the fire wherefore by their fruites ye shall knowe them Not euery one that saith vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen but he that dooeth the will of my father whiche is in heauen he shall enter into the kyngdome of heauen THE EXPOSITION THis our Gospell is part of that long sermon whiche our sauiour Christ made in the mountaine described of the blessed EuaÌ„gelist S. Matthewe in the .v. vi vii Chapiters of his Gospell and it is almoste at the latter ende of the aforesaied sermon And the occasion of these his woordes maie right well seme to bee this The Lorde Christ knewe right well that accordyng to our Englishe Prouerbe where so euer GOD buildeth a Churche there the Deuill will builde a Chapell iuste by That is to saie where so euer the woorde of GOD is truely sette forthe and sincerely preached there the Deuill ceaseth not through his Tares of wicked heresies and false doctrine to hinder and to lette yea to obscure and deface that good woorke as we maie se in the Gospell that fewe or none maie receiue profite thereby least his kyngdome should bee diminished and he spoiled of his praie Therefore in this our Gospell Christe admonisheth warneth and chargeth vs to beware of false Prophetes As though he should saie I haue set forthe my worde vnto you and diligently taught you what ye ought to doe how ye should rightly and truely vnderstande the tenne commaundementes praie faste beleue in GOD giue almose c. This now remaineth that ye diligently take hede that ye by no meanes suffer your selues to be plucked awaie from this my doctrine neither by the subtile suggestions of moste subtile Satan nor by the craftie conueighaunce and fleshly perswasions of Antichrist his adherentes For I sende you not forthe emong Angels but emoÌ„g Wolffes neither dooe I sowe you emong Wheate but emong Tares Therefore take hede diligently that ye be not deceiued nor allured from the waie of truthe vnto the rockes of errours and heresies Wherefor Christ in this our Gospell chargeth vs aboue all thynges that wee holde faste the sincere and
poyson with vntymely and vnsauery fruictes to kyll thee To be short there is no number of the plagues and punyshementes whiche God hath in store for synners and wicked persons This therefore is the cause that Christe so â—carefully monysheth weepeth and saieth Consyder nowe thy perill O Hierusalem Thynkest thou that the plague and punyshement will not come vpon thee because it is hyd and deferred for a tyme Thou arte greatly deceiued For the payne is not hyd to this end that thou shouldest escape free and vnplagued but that thou mayst be the more certayn and sure that it will come vppon thee for as muche as thou consyderest not the tyme of thy visitation If therfore thou wylt not abuse this delay and long suffring of God make ones an ende of synnyng and embrace the woorde and so shalt thou prouide well for thy selfe If thou wilt not thou shalt surely perishe and come to naught On this maner dothe Peter also preache sayinge Suppose that the longe sufferyng of the Lord is saluation That is to say Thynke it to be your saluation and that it is done for youre sake that ye shoulde not be damned For if God shold always punyshe accordyng to our deserte and synne none of vs all shold lyue long in this world Notwithstandyng God doth not so but he is long suffryng paciently abydeth our conuersion and deferreth the punyshement Understande this so sayth Peter as a thyng done for youre saluation that ye maye thus saye O Lorde I haue synned diuers waies and often and yet the punyshement therof hath not folowed but is deferred Notwithstandyng what dothe this signifie verily none other thyng then that although the payn be hid yet at the last it will surely come yea and that so much the more greuous because it is differred Therefore be mercyfull to me O Lord Forgeue me my synnes and geue me grace so to repente and amende that I offende no more Here Peter teacheth that we shoulde vse the pacience and long suffering of God vnto our confort and saluation For God desireth not the destruction of menne neyther deliteth he in the death of synners It is therfore for our saluation when God hideth the peyne and deferreth the punyshment But when this waie can do no good with synners but in the daye of wrath they heape vp more wrathe by goyng forthe to syn then can not God any longer deferre his plagues but seyng no hope of amendement he rendreth to the wicked accordyng to their wickednes as daily experience teacheth When theues will not cease from their stealing they at the last come to the gallowes and are hanged The whoremongers and adulterers also goyng forward in theyr vnclennes at the last are taken brought to shame punyshed Thus dyd Christ plainly declare to Hierusalem that although God did as yet hyde the peyne and deferre the punyshement yet that he would at the laste come and most miserably plage those stiffenecked and disobedient people Therfore let euery man feare God Let all thynke this lyttel great olde and yong that if they synne and wyll not cease and repente that punyshement wyll at the laste come For to this ende is the exaumple of Hierusalem that most holy and beautyfull Citie sette forth vnto vs of the whiche citie the very Ethnike histories also report that it was the goodliest citie of all the easte partes But it is now destroyed vtterly brought to naught The cause of the subuersion vtter ruine therof was because it made no ende of synnyng neither would it receaue the woorde of God but rather hate and persecute it Suche example dothe Christ set forth to vs in this Gospell that wee maye repente and amende or ells that we should knowe if we wyll not repent we shall surely bee plagued althoughe the peyne for a tyme be hyd and that when the tyme of punyshment cometh al praiers supplications vnto God shal be frustrate vain as God himself saith by the mouth of Salomon I haue called ye refused it I haue stretched out my hand and no maÌ„ regarded it but all my counsels haue ye despysed set my correction at naughte Therfore shall I also laugh in your destruction and mock you when that thyng that ye fear cometh vpon you euen when the thing that ye be afrayde of falleth in sodeinly lyke a storme and youre miserie like a tempest yea when trouble heuines coÌ„meth vpon you Then shall they call vpon me but I wil not heare They shall seke me early but they shall not fynd me and that because they hated knowledge and receaued not the feare of the Lorde but abhorred my counsayle and despised all my correction Therefore shall they eate the fruites of theyr owne way and be fylled with their own inuentions For the turnyng away of the vnwise shal slea them the prosperitie of fooles shal be their owne destruction Euen thus didde God handle the Iewes The tyme of the siege was not longe euen frome Easter vntill September and all that tyme there was sacrificyng praying and syngyng to the vttermost but all in vayne For God had shutte vp his eares The reason is this For he had hyd and deferred the punyshment that they myght heare his word repent amend and knowe the tyme of theyr visitation But all these thyngs dyd no good with that indurate hard herted and styffenecked people Therfore where he publyshed the punyshement he hyd hym selfe that he coulde bee founde in no place as Oseas the Prophete thretnethe also the kyngdome of Israell They shall come with their shepe and bullockes to seeke the Lorde but they shall not fynde hyme for he is gone from theim This example therfore ought not to be neglected or to be set at naught but for asmuche as God hath suche places in store and wyll at this tyme bryng them to lyghte let vs feare hym And forasmuch as he doth not take vengeance of our synnes out of hande but geueth vs daies of respite that we may repent and amende let vs loue hym as a moste mercyfull Father and saye O Lord I knowe that thou wylt not suffer synne to escape vnpunished notwithstandyng O Lord endue me with thy grace and holy Spirite that I maye amende and escape the punyshement and peyne of thy moste fierce anger He that thus repenteth easily obteyneth mercy and forgeuenes And without doubt Hierusalem had continued vnto thys daye if the Iewes woulde haue knowen the tyme of theyr visitation and mekely haue sayd vnto God O Lorde we haue offended we haue done wickedly our synnes are moste heynous for we haue slayn thy seruauntes the Prophetes Notwithstandyng thou hast now geuen vs thy Gospell to be our helpe and confort for the which we most humbly thanke thee O be thou mercyful vnto vs and geue vs grace to repent and to amend that is amysse that we may become newe creatures and serue thee in holynesse and ryghteousnes all the dayes
workes not in the grace and mercie of god Thus could Christ by no meanes abide neither ought we to suffer it but by the word of god to resiste it vnto the vttermost of our power For without this there is no waie vnto saluation Men must be brought froÌ„ their owne workes and merites vnto the sacrifice and merite of Christ vnto the mercie of god afterwarde they must be exhorted vnto a godly lyfe that they folowe not their owne imaginations but the worde of god and frame them selues in all pointes according vnto that He that doth this vseth the temple the ministerie aright he that doth otherwise abuseth them is a theif murderer of soules as Oseas the Prophet also calleth the priestes in the kyngdom of Israel As theaues armed saith he waite for him that passeth by the waye such is the councell of the priestes which with one agreed couÌ„cell murder cruelly such as kepe the waye yea they dare do all vnspeakeable mischeife By these his wordes the Prophet describeth the great slaughter that they made amonge the people with their false doctrine For wheras their duetie was to coÌ„mend set forth to the people the sacrifice of Christ they coÌ„meÌ„ded the sacrifices of beastes For that was for their aduaÌ„tage that made their kitchin to smoke For they had alwayes a portion of those sacrifices But by this meanes men were not only polled and pylled of their money but they were also in daunger of their soules saluation Christ by no meanes could abide this and therfore he made hauocke in the Temple He did cast out such as bought sold in the temple He threwe downe topled ouer the tables of the money chaungers c. He wold rather do any thing then suffer that suche thefte murder should be maintayned yea and that vnder the pretence of gods seruice But as Christ did this at the time by miracle so is the same exaÌ„ple exercised diligently by the iudgement of god against Schismatikes The vngodly Bishops priests monkes whiche for couetousnes of worldly things defende the wicked sacrifice of the Masse the other ydolatrie shall shortly feele this zele and whote indignation of god wheÌ„ they shal be worthely cast out of the temple be had in contempt of all men And this muche haue we spoken of our gospel God the father of mercies for Christes sake mought vouchesafe to raise vp his holye spirite in our heartes vnto his feare faith and loue and mercifully kepe vs in his worde and defend vs against all euil both bodely and ghostly to the glory of his blessed name Amen The xi Sonday after Trinitie sonday ¶ The Gospell Luke xviii CHriste tolde this Parable vnto certayne whiche trusted in them selues that they were perfect and despised other Two men went vp into the Temple to praye the one a Phariseye and the other a Publican The Pharisey stode prayed thus with hym selfe God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extorcioners vniust adulterers or as this Publican I fast twise in the weke I geue tithe of all that I possesse And the Publican standynge a farre of woulde not lyfte vp his eyes to heauen but smote on his breaste sayinge God be mercyfull to me a sinner I tell you this man departed home to his house iustified more then the other For euery man that exalteth hym selfe shal be brought lowe And he that humbleth hym selfe shal be exalted THE EXPOSITION CHrist in this gospell teacheth vs to be humble and lowly as it becometh true Christians For by this vertue onely by none other is the grace and fauour of God obtayned as it is described set forth to vs in these two men that is to say in the Phariseye and in the Publicane The Phariseyes were amonge the Iewes euen as the Monckes and Nonnes were amonge vs in the tyme of Papistrie For they ware apparel contrary to the coÌ„mon fashion they had certein daies appointed for fastinge and prayinge and they pretended suche an holynes in their life and conuersation that al other men in comparison of them were counted very sinners And therof had they their name For a Phariseye in the Hebreue tong is asmuch to say in Englishe as a man that is exempted and deuided from the nomber of other people suche one as by no meanes can abyde to be counted lyke other The Publicanes were as the officers are with vs that gather tribute tolle custome c. of the people They hyred the offices for a certein summe of money and afterwarde by pollynge and pilling and suche other craftie and iniurious wayes they made the moste of them that they could deuise vnto the greate greuaunce of other And therfore they were reported of all men to be couetous persons synners and naughty packes for asmuche as suche as were in those offices polled and pylled all that they could get and wrongfully vexed the people by takyng of them more then was their dutie to haue Therfore it was not very lyke that there was any of them righteous as it was also iudged that amonge the Phariseyes ther was none euill But Christ iudgeth here farre otherwise pronouncing the Publican righteous and the Phariseye a synner yea and that a greuous sinner For Luke prosecuteth the description meruailous odiously doth so bytterly reporte the matter that a man would maruaile at it For thus beginneth he this parable There were certein men which trusted in them selues that they were righteous and despised other These are two moste fowle and filthie vices and Luke describeth the Phariseyes to be such in that they were not content with this one sinne that they trusted in them selues which is a sinne hainous ynough but also they despised other Now consider thou this with thy selfe what fastynge praying can profite such a moÌ„ster whome the deuil hath puffed vp â—â—th suche pride both spiritually corporally that he doth not only glorie in himselfe and in his owne workes merites but he also despyseth other As though he should saye If I shoulde not testifye of mine owne righteousnes I should in vaine looke for the equitie and sinceritie of god in my cause So great and often are my fastes my almose dedes my prayers c. That the residue of the Iewes are not able to compare with me I pay faithfully truly all my tithes As for other if they could defraude and deceaue the priestes of their duties they wold do it such is the vnrighteousnes of other but iÌ„ me ther is no such thiÌ„g In this holy man and god wil we finde as I said two moste haynous vices an incomparable pride or haultines of minde and the contempte or despysynge of other yea and that suche and so great that he counteth all other to be extorcioners vnrighteous persons adulterers c. But the poore Publican he specially and namelye pointeth setteth foorth saying As for
be so great that it finde al things abundātly to the euill which do not only not serue him but moreouer persecute his word blaspheme it How is it possible that he should suffer you to be forsaken that loue him heare his word gladly set it forth as much as ye can put all your trust in him Wherfore the doctrin of Christ tēdeth to this end that we shold embrace his word beleue it folow godlines lay aside all care beleue that god wil finde vs al things sufficiētly But what do they A great part careth not for the word but rather geueth them self to play pleasure pastime sport wātonnes thē to the hearyng of holy sermons After the whiche must nedes folow an vnholie bestiall life which is of necessitie subiecte to diuers curses of pouertie euils manifold discommodities Then cōmeth ther to this also an other disprofite y◠many being slouthful and sluggishe haue no regard of labour Or if they labour and graunt them selues no time voyd of labour yet they spend riot out of measure that oftentimes they spend in one holyday all that was gathered to gether the hole weke before GOD forbiddeth both as wel prodigalitie as idlenes But whatsoeuer is goten that shold be preserued studiously Therfore he sayth byrds doth not mow nor gather into barnes As though he should say Ye do both of them and both must be done in that ye labour and lay vp afterward that that ye gotte that it may be saued for necessarie vses But as for hym that doth not so what faulte is ther in God if all his busines lacketh successe Thou mayst blame thy owne negligence slouthfulnes and wasting and not God which wold geue gladly if thou wouldest embrace godlines and heare Gods worde beleue put awaye care and fal to labour As he sayth here All thinges shall be geuen vnto you but thou doest refuse it When thou shouldest heare a sermon thou fallest a slepe or doste some other trifles When thou shouldest labour thou art idle c. Not so muche as the foule hath his meat without labour he findeth it not in his neaste doe thou also lykewise feare God and labour diligently let God care for the residew how he wil finde thee thy liuing yet as I sayd before beware beware of couetousnes rake not vp to muche For GOD can not abyde that This is the doctrine of this Gospell The Lorde our God graunt vs throughe his holye spirite that we maye earnestly embrace Godlines and that our heartes maye be inclined to his testimonies and not to couetousnes as Dauid sayth Amen The .xvi Sonday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke vii ANd it fortuned that Iesus wente into a Citie called Naim and many of his Disciples went with hym and muche people When he came nye to the gate of the Citie beholde there was a dead man caryed out whiche was the only sonne of his mother and she was a widowe and muche people of the citie was with her And when the Lorde sawe her he had compassion on her and sayde vnto her wepe not And he came nye and touched the coffen and they that bare hym stode styll And he sayde yonge man I saye vnto the arise And he that was deade set vp and began to speake And he deliuered him to his mother And there came a feare on thē all And they gaue the glory vnto God saying A great Prophet is rysen vp amonge vs and GOD hath visited his people And this rumour of hym went forth throughout all Iewry and through out all the regions whiche lye rounde aboute THE EXPOSITION MAny thinges were to be spoken touching this gospell howbeit we haue chosen but twoo thinges therof The one is how we ought to take confort against death The other is as touchyng Christian pitie and mutuall affection in these cōmon euills Ye heare here of a miserable widow whiche first lost her husbande and then her sonne which was her only solace in al her trouble For it was counted the cheif myserie in this people to haue no sonne to be heyre of the familie For the trade of this commonaltie was suche that al was appointed to the heyre Wherfore this widow was miserable in all pointes in great aduersitie in so muche that this semed sure tokens that God was displeased with her and againste her for that he tooke awaye first her husband then her son And it was no marueill if she had caste away all her hope and trust in God Christe hath respecte to this woman and hath pitie vpon her and restoreth her ded chylde to lyfe and turneth her greate sorow into great ioye This hystorie is therfore to be marked of vs that we may confirme our faith For Christ doth the busines not only of this woman but he studieth to certifie all vs of this what a weake thinge death is that we should not feare it at all but that we should do all thinges with a pacient mynde on suche wise that we maye not be put in feare by death or by anye other things For that that we haue such a prince to ayde vs which hath present and redie helpe againste all euill and death yea and in this example he declareth how soone he can put awaye death For who would haue thought that this dead yonge man that was carried foorth to be buried coulde haue reliued again But Christ coming vpon them when the matter was past cure speaketh but this yonge man I say to thee arise And the dead rose and began to speake Wherby ye may vnderstande that death before Christe is euen as lyfe And all is one with him whether we liue or be dead For although we be dead yet are we not dead to our destruction The reason why is this with one worde he can cal lyfe again and put away death So that hereby we may well vnderstāde Christes saying to be true euen that god is the god of the lyuynge and of the dead For although Abraham Isaac Iacob and other holy Patriarkes be dead to vs yet they be alyue to god This muste we learne out of this Gospell in this widowes son how great god will declare his power to be in the last day through Christ when he with one worde will call men to life againe and geue to them that beleue euerlasting lyfe This shall be done in a moment so that we nede not doubt but that both these thinges are in Christ that is power as he declareth here and also wil to do it gladly For this is an euident proufe and example therof The widowes son is deade he is voyde of sence and felynge but as soone as Christ speaketh with him he heareth Is not this a wonderful thynge He that heareth not nowe heareth he that liueth not nowe liueth and yet is ther nothynge els done but that Christ speaketh a worde and byddeth him Arise This only worde is
but is only a felow seruant and would require his right rigorously of hym he shall do nothynge els by this meanes then cause that this rigorousnes and cruell bytternes can not longe lye hid Other Christians will take this greuously and will bringe this crueltie of this seruant to the lords eares That is to say that vniust pride and vnmercifulnes will geue and moue the holye spirite in Christians that they in their sorowe wyll make their pitiful complaint vnto the Lord. And let no man thinke that this complaint shall fall voyde For although that god wolde of hym selfe neglecte this wrong yet shoulde he be constrained by Christian mennes prayers not to neglecte it Therfore as the prayers of the righteous are not voide so shal not the common curses of the people and the crying out for reuenginge fall voyd and frustrat And therfore Christ will not haue vs neglecte them but for feare of this perill to shew our selues gentle to our felow seruants Then shalt thou perceaue in dede that there be some that for this thy gentlenes wyll wishe all prosperitie and successe to thee again Wherfore these men can neuer thriue that regarde not the curâ—â—ngs and blessyngs of of the people As it is to see in time of dearth The miserable multitude curseth the couetous â—â—gardes as Salomon sayth in his Prouerbes The people curse hym that hydeth his grayne but blessynge is vpon them that sell. But the vngodly couetous regardeth this not But consider thou whether this curse be not effectuous wheras they with all their goods are compassed about with all troubles and miseries Wherfore this is not to be estemed lightly wheras Christ in this place sheweth howe we should beware that we geue no occasion to make our felow seruantes to complaine vnto the Lorde and shewe what they haue seen in Iudgementes For it is an horrible thing that foloweth The lord saith he called the seruant vnto him And this is the fyfte cause that thou mightest thinke wel vpon this end For if thou wilt shewe no mercie vnto thy felow seruaunt but requirest thy right rigorously thinke not that god wil winke at it lay nothing to thy charge for it But he will declare this his reuenging both at other times specially in the latter IudgemeÌ„t wheÌ„ he shal geue his greuous senteÌ„ce against thee Euen that thou be deliuered to the tormenters vntil thou payst the whole debte What speciall thing shalt thou haue then for thy stubburnes Wheras thou with thy gentlenes mercy to the neyghbour sholdest haue god mercifull vnto thee and shouldest haue escaped scotfree from all thy debtes Nowe shalt thou fele him vnmerciful that he wil pardoÌ„ no part of thy debtes And this is nothing els theÌ„ according to the Prouerbe to take vp the stalke let go the eare wheras thou castest awaie many thousand to winne one halfpeny Although this parable is farre beneth the matter wtout the which a maÌ„ can not obtaine remission of sins but is constrained to sustaine the euerlasting wrath of god Wherfore Christ coÌ„cludeth saith thus shal my heauenly father deale with you also if you forgeue not euery man his brother froÌ„ the bottom of your heart al their offences He sayth that we are brothers therfore there ought to be no enmitie and hatred among vs. Howbeit our infirmitie is so great that we shal neuer liue without offending eche other But what doth god require of vs euen that we shold not liue in hatred and strife but from our heartes forgeue one an other and thynke this he is my brother why shold I be so cruell against him Seing God is so good vnto me and forgeueth me suche a great summe freely for Christes sake what should I estime my selfe so highly and disdaine to forgeue my brother suche triflynge debtes If I maye come to that point that he will forgeue me I will be right glad to suffer my neyghbours debte to be stricken out of my counting booke Yea and will thancke god also for that he of his mercie hath pardoned me wheras he might haue required of me vnnumerable debtes and caste me to be bounde in euerlasting chaynes And this is the doctrine whiche the Lorde Iesus Christe putteth forth to his people this day euen that we should refraine our selues from wrath and reuenging forgeue our neygbour gladlie that so we may be sure that god forgeueth vs. But daylie experience teacheth howe disobedient we are in this behalfe and howe obedient we are in folowing the deuil whansoeuer he moueth vs to wrath to reuenge and to all that he requireth of vs althoughe it be to our greate damaige For Christes saying is true If thou forgeuest thou mayeste be sure god will forgeue thee so that if thou be mercifull thou shalt still obtaine gods mercie If not loke for asuretie that God wil be mercifull vnto thee If thou hast a pleasure to reuenge then muste GOD do likewise vnto thee And yet thou canst reuenge and hurt for a time but gods reuenging and wrath which thou procurest by thy folishe and impotent wrath hath no end And this reuengynge of thine hath no iust cause For all power of reuengyng belongeth to God and not to thee And thou mayst be sure that if thou resigne thy right of reuenginge to god and preuentest him not through thy hastie wrath then he wil reuenge and punishe it muche more greuouslye then thou woldest desire But howe it goeth with them that are so desirous to reuenge may wel be perceaued if men wil coÌ„sider but this how synne is punished by him For they that are geueÌ„ to wrath desire of vengeance are so fare out of Charitie through ire that at last they cease from saying of the Lords prayer For here is the sharpe nayle alwaie in their sore which continually pricketh Then wheras they are coÌ„manded therin to pray vnto god for the forgeuinge of their trespaces as they forgeue other that trespace against them Here they know that if they caÌ„not obtaine forgeuenes of their owne trespaces except they forgeue other that then they shall neuer obtayne it Wherfore lest they shoulde by this meanes geue iudgement to their owne damnatioÌ„ they neuer say that prayer And what thynge maye we thyncke that the deuil can deuise more greuously and cruellye against a man than to brynge hym in suche case by wrath and anger that he dare not pray And what shal a Christian man do if he can not pray If prayer whiche is the onelye refuge of Christen men be taken froÌ„ them than must all go to nought Yea and all suche also beginne to refuse the communion and so therby depriuen themselfes of great confort and solace which they thereat shoulde receaue againste syn and greife of conscience But were it not muche better for them to suffer wrong to lay aside all wrath rise it neuer of so iust a cause then this by their stubburnes to purchase gods
heauenly thynges then by men God forbydde that we shoulde growe vnto suche madnesse so to doo and so to offende the Lorde our God The magistrate ought to looke better vnto his office then to compell his subiectes so to doo If CHRIST hadde thus sayde Geue to Cesar all that he desyreth or all that thou haste he myght lawfully haue requyred it of his subiectes and if they would not haue geuen it hym wyllyngly he myghte iustely haue taken it awaye frome theym But oure Sauioure Christ in thys place saythe thus Geue those thynges to Cesar whyche are dewe vnto Cesar. That is to saye It is certayne and determyned what is hys and therewyth he ought to bee contente Ciuile obedience outwarde honour tribute toll and suche lyke worldly thyngs are due vnto hym All this geue him This oughte to suffice hym If he wyl require more and chalenge that whyche belongethe vnto GOD then know ye that in this behalfe ye owe him nothing at all No man vnder paine of euerlasting damnation ought to geue that to the temporall magistrate which is due to God alone For as Cesar can not lawfully require it so dothe God streightly forbyd the subiects to geue that to Cesar which he vniustly asketh Therfore this is a greate impietie and wyckednesse that certayne Popyshe Princes but chiefly Byshoppes whyche in deede are nothynge ells thâ—n Princes and worldly potentates are so proude and stately toward their subiectes For they are not content with this obedience that they haue bothe the bodies and goodes of their subiectes not onely to serue theyr necessities but also their pleasures excepte they also require this that the subiectes do beleue and serue GOD as it pleaseth them not onely not agreable but also contrary to the worde of God The true religion of God they forbid They wyl not suffer their subiects to resort vnto such places where the woorde of God is truely taughte They forbyd bothe the bokes of holy Scripture and also all other good and godly woorkes that their subiectes shold not rede them and so come vnto the knowledge of their saluation They hyre blasphemous preachers to sette forthe and mainteyne the olde abhominations of Antichriste at whose mouthes not one worde can be heard that may comfort the conscience of the weaklyngs or edifie in true knowledge such as be ignorant yea and that is most horrible these sycophantes do nothyng els thenne in all theyr sermons blaspheme the Gospell and moste spitefully rayle on the professoures of the same And they thynke they haue done theyr duetie notablye well yf they maynteyne the sacrifice of the Masse the Inuocation of Sainctes Pylgremages Purgatorie pardons the Monasticall lyfe the syngle lyfe of Priestes the receiuyng of the Sacrament vnder one kinde the Popes primacie c. and confirme a false perswasyon of the remission of synnes for confession contrition satisfaction penaunce wyll woorkes c. But they exercise theyr tyrannye chiefly when theyr subiectes receyue the holy misteries of Christes body and bloode vnder bothe kyndes when notwithstandyng it is most euident and playne that so is the institution of Christe and the primatiue churche and the holy Fathers vsed the same order many hundred yeares after Christes Ascension And notwithstandyng this popyshe and wicked order they will haue to be obserued of their subiects yea and that vnder the pretence of the obedience that is due vnto the magistrate As though it were here thus commanded Geue all thynges to Cesar and to God nothyng For in matters of religion to obeye Cesar and not the word of God is to set Cesar aboue God to robbe God of all thynges and to geue to Cesar all thynges But so ought we not to do God dothe not onely graunt to Cesar the obedience of his subiectes but he also stablysheth the same with his commandement and defendeth the same so earnestly that no sedition agaynst the magistrate dyd euer escape vnpunyshed as examples bothe diuine and prophane doo euidently declare But in the meane while God also requireth his obedience He willeth body and goodes to be subiect to Cesar only this he requireth that the hearte and conscience be kept for God that he by his worde and by his holy spirite maye gouerne there alone But whenne GOD may not thus doo for as muche as Cesar contrarye to ryghte chalengeth also that is none of his euen to bee Lorde of the conscience and that menne should haue no other opinion of religion then it pleaseth hym and not as God appointeth in hys worde the ende of this violence tyranny and wyckednes can not be good For God by no meanes canne abyde that hys kyngdome shoulde bee destroyed or that his worshyppynge and seruice which he hath commaunded in hys worde shoulde be abolyshed That magistrate whyche taketh vppon hym so to doo muste nedes come to confusion as the exaumples of moste myghty kynges and princes do testifye So soone as they chalenged altogether to them selues and left nothyng for God God defended and recouerd his owne right and as for the tyrantes the brought them to nought shame and confusion Therefore this is woorthy here to be remembred that Christe hath appoynted certayne lymittes beyonde the whyche Cesars power ought not to go namely that he rule in hys courte and that he meddle not wyth Gods kyngdome Geue to Cesar saieth he the thynges that belonge to Cesar. As though he shoulde say That whyche is Gods and not Cesars looke ye geue it not to Cesar leste ye fall away from me and obeye Cesar to muche whyche peraduenture wyll rewarde you for a tyme but notwithstandynge whosoeuer shall thus disobeye me eyther for feare or for fauoure eyther for rewarde or otherwise he shall surely suffer the paynes of hell fyre Lette Cesar therefore bee contente wyth hys owne or yf hee wyll not so doo neuer geue thou that to hym whiche is none of his For there muste bee a difference kept betwene these two kyngdomes that there bee made no confusyon that GOD maye haue hys and Cesar lykewyse that whyche is although in corporall matters also Cesar ought to keepe a meane and to excede in nothyng For there is a difference betwene a laufull magistrate and a cruell tyraunt A tyrant violently plucketh vnto hym all that he can gette Hee measurethe hys ryghte by hys power and pleasure But a Godly and lawfull magistrate knowethe that hee is appoynted of GOD for the healthe and preseruation of hys subiectes and not to oppresse and to destroye them whyche Christe also declarethe by thys in that he maketh a difference betwene euerye priuate mannes goodes and possessions and betwene that whyche is dewe to Cesar or to the Magistrate The temporall ruler therefore doothe not hys office whenne thorough hys pollynge and pyllyng he dryueth hys subiectes vnto slauerye and beggery Shepe are to be shorne and not to be all rent and torne The magistrate muste so take tribute and toll
Psal. 143. Rom. 11. Galat. 3. Epicures We muste praye contynually Luc. 18. 1. Thess. 5. Eccle. 18. A christen maÌ„ is euer in danger therefore ought he euer to pray Every christen man is a priest Cause to pray Iohn 8. A short declaration of the lordes prayer The first peticion Math. 9. The second peâ—icion The thirde peticion The fourthe peticion The fyfte peticion The sixt peticion The seuenth peticion We oughte to be feruentlye geuen to prayer Math 6. Psal. 50. We muste praye in the name of christ Prayer not made in the name of christ is no prayer God hearethe only those prayers that are made in yâ— name of christ Note well Ioan. 14.16 In Psal. 108. Libro de Isaac etamina What it is to praye trulye Prayer onlye râ—dressethe all our mesiries Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 12. God dothe all thynges for the beste Math. 6. Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. A good lesson Math. 8. We maye no appoinc god in oure prayer how and wheÌ„ hee shall helpe vs. Iudith 7. Esa. 30. Thren â— Psal. 9. God wyl help all them in coÌ„ueniente tymâ— that pray vnto him Praier is our onlye staye in thys worlde Ioan. 16. Forget not this o EnglaÌ„d How the church of christ maye be safly preserued froÌ„ the deuil and Antichriâ—ste â–ª Euery christeÌ„ man is a souldiour Ephe. 6. With preaching praier the kingdome of Antichriste is ouercome 2. Corin. 10. An exhortarioÌ„ vnto prayer A wicked imagenacion Iohn â—5 Christes kingdom is spiritu all Math. 10. Luc. 22. Act. 1. The holye ghost teacheth to praye Zacha. â—2 Faythe is the gyft of God Rom. 10. Praier without Faithe is no prayer Two thinges speciallye taught in this sermon The historie of christes ascension Act. 1. Act. 1. The state of glorified bodies Rom. 4. Christ by his ascension declareth the his kyngdome is not of thys worlde Iohn 18. Actes 1. Why Christ came down from heauen Psal 68. Ephe. 4. Phil. 2. Ioan. 16. Ioan. 14. Gen. 5. 4. Reg. 2. Iohn 6. Iohn 10. Act. 2. The differenc of christes ascension and oures â—oan 3. Ioan. 18. The maners of thys world discribed Thoughe our bodyes be on the earth yet our myndes ought to be in heaueÌ„ Coloss. 3. Luc. 11. Synne hath made vs bond slaues to the deuyll and deathe Christes humilitie Christes glorious tryumph ouer synne deuill and hell Rom. 8. By christ are we made free from synne â–ª deuyll death damnation Why christ is ascendede into heauen Rom. â— Synne 2. Reg. 11. 2. Reg. 12. All thinges worke for the best vnto theÌ„ that loue god Psal. 51. Deathe 1. Cor. 5. Osee. 3. The deuyll 1. Pet. 5. Note well Synne death and deuyll are taken prisoners of christ The fruite of christes ascencion Christ hath receued gyftes for men Ioel. 2. Iohn 16. Act. 2. The workes of the holye ghost Rom. 4. Psal. 32. Psal. 68. Ephe. 4. Enemies of godes worde Psal. 2. Persâ—ecutyon maketh the worde of god to florishe Math. 16. Math. 21. God defeÌ„deth his churche Iohn 16. 1. Cor. 4. Iac. 1. Math. 16. Luke 24. Christe blessed his disciples what christes blessing was Math. 28. Marc. 16. Marc. 16. What it is to preach the gospell to euerye creature Esa. 55. Whersoeuer yâ— gospell is preached there the blessinge of Christe is What christe mente by blessing his disciples Rom. 1. Luc. 24. The holye ghoste is almighte and euerlasting god The miseries of the true christians in thys worlde both outwardly inwardly Why the holy ghost is called a conforter Note well Two kyndes of conforte The conforte of the worlde The conforte of the holye ghoste An obiection Ihon. 16. Math· 14. Marâ— 6. Luc. 9. Antichristes disciples are in better case in this world then the disciples of christe Christes humilitie the answer worldly confort is vncerten The conforte of the holy ghost is most certen and sure 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 16. The holye ghost is god The rewarde of the godlye in this lyfe How the holy ghost coÌ„forteh the faithful inwardly Phil. â— The holye ghost teacheth no newe doctrine The wytnes bearinge of christe only coÌ„forteth the troubled and weak conscience Note Iohn 14. lib. de Isaac et anima Galat. 1. Epist. 2. Iohn The holye ghoste confortethe by the worde Rom. 10. What ChristiaÌ„s shal loke for this world vnconfortable thoughtes are of the deuyll Rom. 4. A swete conforte Math. 2â— Of the crosse and affliction Luc. 24. The true and false churche The pope and hys Secte is not the true churche Ciprians erroure Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Math. 6. The excommunicate and curse of the false churche is not to be feared How the false churche maye be knowen What it is to knowe god Iohn 1. What it is to knowe christ What it is to know the father The doctrine of the true churche The doctrine of the false churche whi we ought to do good workes Apoc. 2. The tokens of the true churche The true chureh taketh all troubles pacientlye and thankefuly Pentecoste â–ª what it signifyeth Exod. 20. 1. Cor. 10. Exod. 12. â— Cor. 5. Heb. 9.10 The PeÌ„tecost of the Iewes Rom. 7. Iohn 7. Exod. 34. 2. Cor. 3. The lawe accuseth 2. Cor. 3. Exod. 19. Deut. 8. The Whytsontide or PeÌ„thecost of the christians Actes 2. Luc. 24. Act. 1. Math. 3. What the fyrye tongues signifye Esa. 2. Math. 23. Marc. â—6 Why the Apostles speake with diuers languages Act. 5. Act. 20.21 Psal. 6â— Esa. 60. Hiere 3. Ioel. 2. Zachar. 3. The holye ghost hath alwayes ben of the churche Iohn 16. 2. Pet. 1. Luc. 12. Christe the sonne of god Gen. 3. The reuelacion of the holye ghost on whitsondaye why the holye ghost was opened on whitsonday By christ receaue we the holy ghoste Psal. 68. Act. 2. The holye ghoste is god from euerlastyng Why the spirite of god is called the holye ghoste Iohn 6. Diuers propertis of the trinitie The proper office of the holye ghoste Act. 15. The seconde sanctifying of the holy ghost Ephe. 4. Zach. 2. Other offices of the holye ghoste Iohn 14. Iohn 15. How the holy ghoste may be obtayned Luc. 11. Prayer The holye ghost is to be obtaynede by prayer We muste pray in the name of christ Psal. 68. Act. 2. Math. 28. Marc. 16. Act. 3. The lyfe is godly to be ordered The office of the holye ghoste Math. 6. Psal. 51. The dignitie of this gospel To loue christ and to beleue in hym are all one thyng The nature of loue It is necessari that Christ beloued Loue doth all thinges Loue procedeth of fayth What is christes worâ— The lawe of god is to be obeyed How god is to be knowen Note well A great coÌ„fort Deut. 30. Rom. 10. What it is to be in heauen What it is to haue god dwellyng in vs. Esa. 66. Act. 7. 1. Cor. 3. â— 2. Cor. 6. Loue maketh all thynges lyghte Spollers of church goods That Christ keth god spea speakethe vexacion geueth vnderstaÌ„dynge Wyth out the in warde