Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 55
The xij Sonday after Trinitie sonday. ¶ The Gospell. Marc. vii.
IEsus departed frome the coastes of Tyre and Sydon, and came vntounto the Sea of Galile, througe the myddes of the coastes of the tenne Cities. And they brought vntounto hym one that was deafe, and had an impedyment in his speach, and they prayed him to put his hande vponupon him. And when he had taken him aside from the people, he put his fingers into his eares, and dyd spitte, and touched his tongue, and loked vp to heauen, and syghed, and saide vntounto hym Ephata, that is to saye, be opened. And strayghtwaye his cares were opened, and the stryng of his tongue was loused, and he spake playne. And he commaunded them that they should tell no man. But the more he forbadde them, so muche the more a greate deale they published, saying: He hathe done all thinges well, he hath made bothe the deafe to heare, and the dumbe to speake
THE EXPOSITION.
THis Gospel is very easie and nothing hard, forasmuche as it onelyonly conteyneth the myracle, whyche Christe wroughte in the dumme and deafe man.Christe alone is the sauiour For as concernyng this & suche lyke miracles, ye heare oftentymes in the yeare, that Christ by this meanes hath declared, that he is the Sauiour, which helpeth and defendeth vsus agaynst the violence of the deuyll. Therfore we oughte to geue thankes vntounto God, whiche hath geuen vntounto vsus suche a sauiour, as of his owne mere grace and tender mercy, is alwais at hand and redy to assist vsus againste all suche pernicious and hurtfull thynges, as Sathan imagineth and deuiseth against vsus. For as touchyng that this myser and wretched creature is in suche a miserable & wretched state, that he can not vse naturally neither his tonge nor his eares:The deuyl is the author of all euyll. all these are the plages and strokes of Satan, where as by the iudgement of men, they are thoughte to be naturall vices. For men know not the deuyl, that he is the author of so many calamities and miseries. He maketh men lunatike and madde. He tormenteth not only their bodies, but also their soules, that beyng vtterly dismayed, they may thynk that there is no confort to be loked for, and so fall into desperation, and so in fyne, vntounto damnation. Uerily these are nothing els then the strokes and plagues of the deuil, which is the author of all sorowes and miseries, and hurteth as many and as oft as he can.
We are therfore moste indebtedly bounde to God, and we ought at all tymes to geue hym humble and heartie thankes,An whole and healthefull bodye is the gyfte of god. that he hauyng pitie on vsus, hath sent his sonne CHRIST Iesu, oure Lorde into thys worlde, to healpe not onelyonly thys wretched creature, but vsus also, and mercyfully to keepe and defende vsus, that we bee not afflicted with the lyke euyls and diseases, thorough the violence and tyrannye of the deuyll. For thys muste we all thynke, that eyes, eares, handes, feete. &c. beynge wholle and sounde, are not so by chaunce, and naturally, as Reason iudgeth: but these all are the gyftes of God. Notwithstandynge, when menne beleue not this, and thynke them to be but vile and base thinges, because they are cōmon, and geuen to all lyuyng creatures:Why god fulfrethe the deuyll to hurte vsus. GOD, euen of necessitie, is compelled many tymes to geue the deuyll lybertie, to take away frome certaine menne, the vse of theyr eares, eyes, handes, and feete. &c. yea, and sometyme also to kylle theyr bodies, that menne maye learne, that that is done of the deuyll, thorow the permission and sufferaunce of God, and by that meanes they may bee the more earnestly moued to geue God thankes, that he of his great mercy defendeth and preserueth vsus agaynst the fyery dartes of that euyll,Ephe. 6. euen the deuyll.
So is thys lykewyse the worke of the deuyl, when hee blyndeth the heartes of men thorowe false doctrines, that they can not see, nor receaue the truthe.2. Cor. 4. Thys cometh not of GOD, whyche is good,1. timoth. 2. & the author of all goodnesse: whyche wysheth no man to peryshe, but all men to come vntounto the knowledge of the truthe: but it commeth of the deuyll, whyche is euyll, and the author of all euyll: whiche wysheth also all men to perysh, and neuer to come vntounto the knowledge of the truthe. Therfore where God geueth him libertie, he dothe as muche myschiefe as he can deuise. And this is euen as when a tree bryngeth forth good fruict and afterwarde wormes come and destroye it.Note well. The fault herof is not in God, whyche made the tree good. Neyther is the faulte in the tree or fruicte, but in the woormes, whyche hurte the thynges that are good. So is it wyth vsus menne. Therfore we must learne, that what so euer aduersitie or myschaunce doothe happen vntounto vsus, all that commethe of the plagues and stroakes of the deuyll, namely, when wee bee Christianes, and seeke the glorye of the Lorde oure GOD. For the deuyll is a greatter ennemye vntounto the Christians, then he is tothe infidells.
It is vndoubtedlye horrible, and maketh euerye part of a man to shake for to consider,God helpethe vsus agaynste the deuyll by hys sonne. that this enemy the deuil hath so muche power to harme and to hurt. But on the contrary part this Gospell conforteth vsus. For here we see, as S. Iohn saith, that the Sonne of God hath appered to this ende,1. Iohn. 3. that he should destroy the workes of the deuyll. For seyng that the deuyl presumed to go into Paradyse, to destroy the workes of God there, and to make of righteous and holy persones (I speake of Adam and Eue) disobediente and wicked people: It semed good agayne to God, for to be reuenged of this his enemie.Gen. 3. He therfore recouereth and maketh whole agayn, whatsoeuer was destroied of the deuyll. He destroyeth agayne the deuyls workes that is to say, synne, death, and hell, and as we see in this our Gospell, he deliuereth the tonge oute of the bondes; wherwith the deuyll had bounde and tyed it: and openeth the eares, whiche the deuyll had stopped. Christ came to doo this woorke, and he dothe it styll continually among his Christians, as we shall herafter heare. And thus muche of the miracle & worke of Christ, wherby he hath declared here hymselfe, that he is the healper of all suche as are in myserie, and that he wyll heale all euyls and afflictions, whiche the deuyll heapeth vponupon vsus, yea and vtterly putte hym awaie frome vsus.
Moreouer Christ by this would also shew vntounto vsus that these two thynges most specially appertayn vntounto a Christian,Christen men must hauehave theyr eares opened and theyr tonges losened. that is to saye, that the eares bee opened, and the tongue be losened, and that he exercyseth this worke diligentlye in his congregation or church agaynst the deuyll. For as concernynge the corporall benefite, as the eares and the tongue with the vse of them. he geueth that also to the Heathen.
But the spirituall benefite is onelyonly amonge the Christians, when he openeth their eies, and loseneth their tongue. For this is certaine and sure,Rom. 1.10. Iacob. 1. that all saluation commeth to vsus onelyonly by the worde of God. Otherwise, what coulde we knowe of Christe and his sacrifice, of the holy ghost, of the wyl of God. &c. Wherfore this also,Gladly to heare the worde of god is the gyfte of god. euen in these our dayes is an excedynge great miracle, and a moste hygh benefite, when God geueth to any man such an eare, as gladly heareth his worde, and suche a tongue, as dothe not blaspheme, but blesse and glorifie God.
Our aduersaries the Papistes are muche more miserable, and in aworse case then this dumbe mā was,The papistes are both deaff and dumme. For their eares are stopped. And although they heare the worde of God, yet can they not heare it. I meane vntounto their profite and edifying. But they heare it, as the Iewes did, when Christ most excellently preached of the forgeuenes of sinnes, and of euerlastynge lyfe: they vnderstode nothyng: they delyted not in the sermons of Christ, but contrarywyse they were vtterlye madde, and blasphemed Christ and his doctrine. Suche are all they, that wyll not heare the worde of God. They are deafe and dumbe, and in a farre worse case, then this miserable man was, of whom our gospell maketh mencion. For they can doo nothynge ells with their tongue, then blasphem, and most spitefully rayle vponupon the worde of God, that most excellent and precious iewelle. But they that gladdely heare the word of God, and vntounto whome Christ saythe, as he sayd to this dumbe man Ephata, that is to saye,God openeth our eares by hys worde. Be opened, and hauehave the benefit of hearyng: are those, to whom healpe is geuen in dede against the deuyll. For God hath opened vntounto vsus none other way vntounto heauen, then his word and his holy Gospell. He that gladly heareth that, diligentely kepeth that, and hath hys chiefe delyght in that, is safe and without all danger. This is one miracle, whiche is euen at this daye in the churche among men, that our eares, whiche the deuyll thorowe synne hadde stopped, are made open by the word, that we may heare the worde of GOD, which is the doctrine of our saluation.
An other is, that he toucheth the tongue, and maketh it to speake,Rom. 10. as Paule saythe: With the hearte it is beleued vntounto righteousnesse, and with the mouthe confession is made vntounto saluation. For when we beleue in Christ, we obteyn therby remission of our sins. But after this,We muste bothe beleue and confesse the worde. it is necessary also to confesse and to open by speache that, which is felt and beleued in the heart. And this maketh a christenman. All other workes can not doo it. It is possible, that a Monke may faste, watche, and wearye his bodye more thenne a Christian: but by that hee is not made a Christian manne. For in thys one thynge he fayleth, that he is yet deafe and dumbe: He wyll not heare the worde, and muche lesse confesse it. But a christen manne heareth and beleeueth, and afterwarde confessethe. These two thynges make a christian manne. Thus CHRIST, exercysethe hys woorke dayely in the Congregation spiritually and by the woorde, which he wroughte thenne corporally, that hee myghte testifye, howe hee geueth healpe agaynste the vniuersall myschiefe of the deuyll, but specyally agaynste the spyrituall wyckednesse of Sathan the deuyll, that wee myghte stedfastely beleue, and put oure whole truste in hym.
Nowe muste we consyder thys also, what Christe meaneth by thys ceremonie,Why Christ vsed so many circumstāces in restoryng thys man to hys healthe. that he vseth about thys deafe and dumbe persone. The people broughte thys wretched man vntounto Christe, and desyred hym to lay his handes vppon hym. Christ taketh hym asyde from the people, putteth his fyngers in his eares: he spitteth, and touchethe hys tongue: hee looketh vp to heauen, he mourneth and sayeth: Ephata. All thys muste sygnifye some speciall matter, seyng that Christ vseth suche circumstances in doyng this miracle, passyng all other that he wrought.
Nowe therfore, for as muche as we hauehave declared what it is to be dumbe and deafe: lette vsus consyder also, what meruaylous Ceremonye thys is, and why CHRIST, woulde specially vse it in thys miracle where as neuerthelesse, hee myghte hauehave doone it wyth one woorde. For thys is moste euident and playne, that when so euer Christ spake the worde, streyght wayes the woorde tooke effect.
Ueryly Christe by this soo exquisite a ceremonye hathe respecte to a spirituall miracle. For by thys he wyll shewe, what an harde matter it is, to restore the deaffe to theyr hearynge, and vntounto the dumbe their speache. Hee rayseth vppe Lazarus with one woorde.Iohn. 11. Math. 9. To the manne that was sycke of the palsey hee sayde: Ryse and walke: and he immediatly was made whole. But wyth thys manne, whyche was deafe and dumbe, it pleased hym not to vse suche speede: But hee doothe vse a syngular kynde of proceedynge and order in woorkynge of thys myracle. He puttethe hys fyngers into the deafe mannes eares. Hee towcheth his tongue wyth spetle. Hee looketh vppe into heauen. He mournethe, and then at the last he saieth Ephata: that is, Be thou opened: that by this he might signifie vntounto vsus, that yf we will escape the bondes of the deuyll, and hauehave a redy tong to speake, & open eares to heare, it must be done by the external & outward worde, and by the ministerie of the same: agayn, by the outwarde signes or sacramentes, that he hath appoynted to bee vsed in hys churche. For the worde is fyrst to be hearde, and then Baptisme and the Lordes supper must be ioyned therto:Note thys well. vntounto the whyche thinges the holy ghost commeth, and deliuereth the eares and tongue frome their bondes, that they may lerne to auoyd all sectaries, which despise the outward word and sacramentes, and loke tyll God talketh with thē inwardly. But Christ saith: Thys is my fynger, euen the outward worde. Thys oughte to sounde in mens eares. This is my spettle, wherewith their tongue muste be touched, and made moyste. Then shall my woorke very well and prosperously procede, as ye may see. For where the outward word is sincerly taught, there are christians: but wher it is not taught, there are none.
Therefore, lette eueryevery man prouide, that they followe these steppes. Let hym gladly heare the worde of God. For God wil not shyne, nor geue the glorious lyght of his Gospell into thy hearte, except thou firste heare his woorde. If thou bee desirous to see and to knowe hym, it must be done onelyonly by the worde and sacramentes. For without this, the holy Ghoste wille not procede to his workynge, as God hymselfe, euen from the very heauens protested vntounto vsus, whenne hee sayde: This is my derely beloued sonne, in whom I greatly delyte:Math. 17. Heare hym. Christ also gaue this commandement to his disciples; Go into all the worlde: teache and baptise all nations. Agayn:Mat. 28. Marc. 16. Luc. 10· he that heareth you, heareth me. Here dothe Christ with open mouth cōmaunde, that his Gospel shold be preached to men, & that they should be baptised. And by this his cōmandement he sheweth, that this is the true way vntounto saluation, and none other. He that heareth you (saith he) heareth me. Therfore if thou wilt heare the worde of God, heare thy father and thy mother, thy preacher, and pastor, and finally thy Prince and magistrate. &c. what they saye. when thou hearest them, thou hearest God, except that in executynge their office, they commaunde any thynge that is contrary to the worde of God. Then are they not to be heard. For we must obey God more then men.Act. 4.5. We must fyrst here the word of God in the congregation, and afterwarde menne. But this one case excepted, what soeuer thy pastor or curate, thy parentes or magistrates saye to thee, that saieth God vntounto thee, & that must thou remember to receaue and to obey.
For what is hee amonge vsus all, that woulde not take a long iorney to go vntounto suche a churche, wher he might heare God preache? For all men would be glad to heare and to know that voyce. But Christe saieth: I wyll brynge that to passe nerer home, so that thou shalte not nede to trauayle so farre. Heare thy Pastor and thy parentes: and so haste thou hearde me. For these are my disciples, when thou hearest them, I wil sound in thy heart Ephata, Be thou opened, as I did to this deafe person, that thy eares maye be opened, & thy tonge set at libertie, and that thou from hensforthe may be no more deafe in thy heryng, nor dombe in thy speaking, as thou wer afore. But how goeth ye world? The children and housholde, although they heare theyr parentes and maysters,Disobediente children and seruauntes. yet woulde they not doo the least thynge that is commaunded theym, except they were compelled, suche stubburnesse and disobedience reigneth nowe a daies in the heartes of theym that oughte to be moste humble, and moste obediente. And as in families, so lykewyse in common welthes, men are very negligent and slow to obey the officers. What soeuer they ordeyne in a realme or citie,Disobediente subiectes. ye shall fynde very fewe amonge so greate multitudes, that wyll trewely and syncerely execute the commaundement of the magistrates. The subiectes shewe more disobedience towarde the hygh powers in this time of this theyr so great knowledge, then they dydde in the tyme of darkenesse, ignorancie and blyndnes: suche is the wyckednes and ingratitude of this oure moste wycked and ingrate worlde. And it is apparant also, howe fewe there are, whiche with true zeale and feruent desire heare the sermons: whyche is euidentely knowen not onelyonly by their fruictes, but also by thys moste specially, that the men of townes and villages, yea and of cities also, do moste vnworthyly handle theyr ministers and pastors, not onelyonly by railyng vnreuerently of them,The vnreuerent handling of the spirituall ministers in these our dayes. but also by takyng awaye vniustly from them suche tythes and dueties, as by publyke order are apoynted vntounto them. Therfore, a worthy payne foloweth, euen this, that when the worde of God pronounced by parents, ministers of the churche, and by magistrates is neglected & nothinge set by, the deuill by litle and litle shold stop their eares more and more, and tye theyr tongues streyghter then it was afore, and so set them in suche case, that they can not abyde either to heare or to speake the worde of God.
But on the other parte, it maketh their eares wide open to heare the dotyng dreames of the sectaries,The wycked worlde heareth gladlyer Robyn Hood then the word of god. and their false and diuellyshe doctrine: agayne, to heare baudye balades, fylthy fables, triflyng talke, whorish wordes, and suche lyke, as corrupte bothe bodye and soule. It loseneth and setteth at libertie also their tong to blaspheme God, to slaunder theyr neyghboure, to lye, to backbyte, to rayle, to scoffe, to ieste. &c. that it maye be an offence to all good and godly men. And this is a rewarde worthy suche ingratitude, vnthankfulnesse, vngentylnesse, yea playne churlyshenesse: and it worthely chaunceth vntounto theym on such sorte, because they wyshe it to bee none otherwyse. But what shall bee the ende? Uerily that all thynges shall go to hauocke: the woorde of God shall be taken awaye from vsus, seynge wee hauehave noo delyghte therein, As it is wrytten: He would none of the blessing,Psal. 109. therefore shall it bee farre frome hym: And as oure Sauiour Christe sayeth: This is condemnation, that lyghte is comme into the worlde,Iohn. 3. and menne hauehave loued darkenesse more thenne lyght. For their woorkes were euyll. And in the place of the woorde shall the wycked decrees of Antichriste bee thruste into the churche.O Englande take hede be tymes and saye not but thou art warned. Our countrey shall be oppressed with diuers kyndes of plagues, as pestilence, famyne, tempestes. &c. Oure common wealthe shall be tourned into common wo. Myseries, yea and those mooste greuous and intollerable, shall ouerflowe this oure countreye, Insurrections, commotions, Rebellions, Conspiracies, tumultes, ciuile warre, murderynge one of an other. &c.
And after al these things (except we repent, tourne vntounto God with all our hearts, gladly heare the word, & with our tong magnify the same, to ye vttermost, yea & frame and fashion our lyfe and cōuersation according to the doctrine therof.) shal this our realme be a spoile to foreyne nations? This hath our ingratitude worthely deserued, whiche beyng prouoked so often with so many benefites at the hand of God, wyll notwithstandyng not onelyonly not repent, but also where as we ought to procede from faith to faith, and from vertue to vertue, we go from vice to vice, from syn to synne, and so we cease not daily more and more, to heape the whote wrath and most horrible vengeance of God vponupon vsus, to the destruction of our countrey, & vntounto the damnation of our selues both body and soule.
And this is the cause, why Christ loketh vp to heauen, mourneth, and as one greatly troubled, saith, Ephata, Be opened. For this greatly greueth our sauior Christe,Why christe lokethe vp to heauen and mournethe. that where as the good pleasure and mercyfull wille of GOD, is to delyuer vsus frome the bandes of Sathan thorough the woorde: wee as people without all reason, refuse oure owne Saluation, and thorowe our contumacie and stubbornesse haste vntounto our selues euerlastynge damnation, and prouoke the wrathe and vengeance of God to fall vponupon vsus.
Therfore let vsus consider well this miracle, and folowe the example of these good men,God is to be praysed for hys gyftes. whiche glorifye, commende, prayse, and magnifye CHRIST, affyrmynge and openly confessyng, that he hathe doone well, in that hee of his greate mercye and infynyte goodnesse, hathe made the deaffe for to heare, and the dombe to speake. And thys dooth our Sauioure Christe, by his fynger and spetle, euen at thys houre, yea continually in the worlde, that the eares of the deefe maye bee opened, and the tongues of the dumbe losened by the outewarde woorde, whyche we heare in the Churche, of our Pastours and Mynisters,The word of god is christes fynger and spettle. and at home of oure parentes. For by thys woorde the holye Ghoste woorketh myghtely in vsus, and by none other thynge. Marke that welle, and soo muche the more studiously and diligently embrace thou the word For thys is the next and most certaine waye, that our eares may be opened, oure tongues losened, and we our selues at the laste, obteyne euerlastyng saluation.
Whyche thynge oure Lorde and Sauiour Christe Iesu graunte vsus for hys mercies sake: To whome wyth God the Father, and the holy Ghoste be all honour, glory, prayse, and dominion worldes withoute ende. Amen.