Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 19
The Sonday called Septuagesima. The Gospell. Math. xx.
THe kingdome of heauen is lyke vntounto a man that is an housholder, which went out early in the mornyng, to hyre labourers into his vineyarde. And when the agrement was made with the labourers for a peny a daye, he sent them into his vineyarde. And he went out about the third houre, & sawe other standing ydle in the market place, and sayde vntounto them: Go ye also into the vineyarde, and whatsoeuer is ryght, I will geue you. And they went theyr waye. Againe, he went out about the vi. and ix. houre, and dyd lykewyse. And about the xi. houre he went out, and foūd other standing ydle, and said vntounto them: Why stāde ye here all the day ydle? They sayd vntounto hym: because no man hath hyred vsus. He saith vntounto thē: Go ye also into the vyneyarde, and whatsoeuer is ryght, that shall ye receiue. So when euē was come, the lorde of the vineyarde sayd vntounto his steward: Call the 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 eueryevery man a penye. But whē the fyrste came also, they supposed that they sholde hauehave receiued more, and they lykewyse receyued eueryevery man a peny. And when they had receyued it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying: These last hauehave wrought but one houre, and thou hast made them equall with vsus whiche hauehave borne the burden and heate of the day. But he aunswered vntounto 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 vntounto this last, euen as vntounto 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 shalbe fyrst, and the fyrst shalbe 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 ye other, he rewarded at his pleasure without couenāt. And yet he gaue as much to them yt were last, which wrought but one hower, as to the first yt agreed with hym for a peny a daye. This semeth against reason to the world, which foloweth this rule. He yt doth muche work, must hauehave much reward or wages: he that doth litle, must hauehave 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 yt biddeth to geue to eueryevery mā his due. Christ reherseth this parable to shew a differēce betwene his kingdom & ye kingdom of ye world, to teach yt it is otherwise in his kingdō thā it is in the world, wheras cā not be had such equalitie,The state of Christs kingdome and of the world are vnlyke. by reson yt ye 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,All thynges are vnequall in the world. & rewardeth al states & degrees alike, so that ye one hath no more interest in this kingdom thā ye other. But in ye 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 ye citisen: likewise ye lordes to ye knight Here can be no equalitie, neither must we go about to seke it. But in ye 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 hauehave one baptisme, one faith one gospel, one sacrament, one Christ, one God. For al alike aswel ye 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 vsus 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 ye chiefest part in this Gospel, to lerne yt 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 ye 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 ye highest, shold bring ye cō minalty to cōfusion. And to this end tēded ye cōmotiōs of ye rude people & cōmōs. wherfore how great soeuer ye diuersitie of offices is in ye world, yet let vsus think for a suretie yt before God, we are all regarded alyke, for asmuch as there is but one Christe, one baptisme, one Gospell, one holy spirite of vsus all, neither hathe one a better Gospell, baptisme, or Christ then an other. The lowest state of seruāts hath as good as ye highest. For although som hath more good things then thou hast, yet he passeth the not in yt he hath a better god thē thou hast. And this is diligently to be learned, specially for this cause, euē yt eueryevery mā in his vocation may from ye bottom of their heart willyngly obey God, for asmuch as he may assuredly trust, yt although he be no emperor nor Pope, nor abundant in riches, neither is equall in power to ye higher states, yet yt he is equall with ye best, for yt he hath obteined baptisme, & through the death of Christ hath as sure a confidēce and trust yt death shall not hurt hym, as hath the highest yt is. It is not mete now, yt we, that hauehave obteined so great riches by Christ should be of an abiect & fearful heart, but rather yt we shold lerne litle to esteme thinges yt are glorious in the world, & hauehave our only hope in this, yt we are baptised in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ, and that he died for vsus, & ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty, to aide & succour vsus against syn, death, and all euill. Wherfore he that knoweth this perfectly, yt we are all equall in Christ,What con…ort cōmeth of the equalitie in Christes kingdome. 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, ye one les, ye other greater ye one rule, & the other serue. But let not this be any grefe to a christiā. He must take in good part this state of ye 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 that God shall open hym the way to a better. In the mean season let hym comfort hym self, for that he hath the same Christ, as the high emperours, prelates, and monkes hauehave, and that he is as muche furdered by him to saluation and euerlasting life. Or if they will not graunt that the lowest should hauehave equall felicitie with them in this kyngdom, then hauehave they themselues no place in it. For it must nedes be so in this kyngdom. All are accepted into Gods fauour, for that that Christ Iesus suffered for them all, and washed vsus with his bloud, and that not one more, and an other lesse, but all alike. EueryEvery man hath lyke right to this tresure, neither wil they after that be so greatly greued with this inequalitie, that they wyll be sory for their state, and make any disturbāce of the publike order therby. But they are contēt with their present state how vnequal so euer it be, so yt they may be felowe partners, & hauehave like right with al saints in those things yt ar hoped for, & are euer lasting. If this were wel beaten into mens myndes, how yt al hauehave like right in Christs kingdō, they wold with a certain godly & spiritual pride war ioyful, harty yea in doing the vilest seruice & drudgery yt is, & yt with godlines. For al things must be done there wt a ioyfull hart: wheras yt christē mā perceiueth & beleueth firmly yt God is not displeased wt any mā for his low degree. ye & for yt gret renomes sake wherin al saints ar equal in Christ, he cānot but cōceiue incredible ioy, in somuch yt he wold not refuse to scoure sinks, so yt he may be as wel accepted wt Christ, as ar they that are chiefest.
Our aduersaries the monks & Nonnes do not this They imagin that God hath writing tables or a coū ting boke, to note eueryevery mans labours woorkes and taskes,The Iusticiaries make Christ to be parciall in his kyngdome. and to marke how much one doth labor more then an other, that thereby he myght hauehave the higher roume in heauen, and hauehave a better Christ, than he is that is eueryevery mans Christ. For this hauehave they taught, that when a priest masseth, he doth such a worke, that profiteth as well the dead as the quicke, and that for-because he is a more worthier person, and of an higher degree in the kyngdome of Christ then the laye people are. These persons can not abide this equalitie, which is in Christes kyngdom, but go about to make inequalitie after a wordly maner.
After lyke maner hauehave they taughte, that a Nunne in her abbey is holyer and better then a houswyfe in her house, and if a man teache the contrary, they condemne hym as an heretike. And herein they are lyke vntounto them that murmured in this parable: for they require more then other, and shewe God a roll written of al the howers that they wrought in, and suffred the heate of the day. But marke what answere God geueth them: As for this inequalitie in a ciuil gouernāce he wil not reason with them. For there, to the hygher degree, the higher honour is due. But when ye come (saith he) to the kingdome of my sonne, all are equall, for that they hauehave but one baptism, one Christ. Neither is a better Gospell taught to some, & to some a worse. For where as the Monkes saye, that the maried men hauehave but the worst gospell, and the worst commandementes, and that they them selues hauehave the beste, because they are of a hygher degree in Gods kyngdome, it is false and contrary to the Gospell. For therby they go about to make inequalitie in the Gospell, where as neuerthelesse Christ made all things equall, and especially techeth this only thing in this parable, that in his kingdom one is no better than an other. To liue chast if a man hauehave the gyft, is no euill thyng, neither can it be forbidden by lawes or statutes. But to affirm that a man or woman therby is in a higher degree before god, and that he must hauehave a greater reward therfore, is a fals doctrine and a great rock, whereat the Pope stumbleth, and therfore doth falsly accuse vsus, that forbyd good workes. We only affirme this, that there is equalitie in Christes kyngdom, forasmuch as God accepteth vsus not for our merit or deseruing, but through his mercy and grace in Christ.
And thus proceding in this matter, after that a man hath obteined this equalitie and felowshyp: Let eueryevery man in the cōmon lyfe applye his vocation, and see to his charge, either in gouernyng youth in the schole, or teachyng the people in the churche, or gouernynge his familie at home, or doing any other lower seruice. And here let eueryevery man doo his duetie diligently. Neither let him loke to be equall with other in a higher degree For in Christ no mans state is better than other, but all in hym obteine the mercy of God.
The Iewes wold hauehave inequalitie in Gods kyngdome.And in this is the worlde and the Iewes greately offended, when they heare that we, that are Gentiles and vncircumcised, be receaued to saluation, whiche were neuer burdened with the Saboth, neither with other burdens of the law, where as they hauehave caried & borne them with great peine and sweate, as Christ in this parable describeth it very proprely: The fyrst had thought that they should had receaued more, and therfore they murmured whan eueryevery man had but his penye, euen as they had also that were but an hower in the vineyard. But Christ suffreth not this inequalitie Frende (saieth he) I doo thee no wrong, take that is thyne, and be gon. That is to say, you hauehave now receiued your wages euen the land of Canaan. But now I wyll ordeyn an other new kingdom, wherin al thinges shalbe equal. For all the riches therin are myn, and I may order them as I list. It doth not become you to teache me what wages I shal geue to my laborers & workmen. Therfore the Iewes by their vndiscrete maner and enuye doo caste awaye the kyngdome of GOD, and thynke it an vnmete thing, that we Gentiles shold be made equall with them, and therfore they accuse God, as though he dyd them wronge, and dryueth him to his answer, so yt he is faine to chyde with them, and say: What aylest thou? are they not my goodes that I geue and not thyne? Is it not laufull for me to doo with myne owne goodes as me lusteth? A lyke importunitie and vndiscrete maner is there in the Pope also and all his. They abhorre this kyngdome, wherin al thyngs are equall. They require the chiefest preeminence for them selfe as of duetie, but for theyr pride they shal obteyn no more thē ye Iewes obteined.
Wherfore we must not lightly regard this differēce betwene the corporall and spirituall lyfe,A difference betwene the kingdome of Christ, and of the worldly kyngdome. or (if it must otherwise bee named) betwene the kyngdome of the world & Christes kingdome. For in Christes kingdom all thynges must be equall: for they are cōmon goodes as is God. Christ, the holy ghost, the gospel, baptisme, the supper of the Lord, faith. And because of this equalitie, they are all lyke holy and righteous. &c. And syth we hauehave obteyned this, lette vsus be thankefull to God for so great treasure. Let vsus truely knowledge that, and not be ignorant of our excellencie and renoume. And let vsus not thinke that our state and condition as much as belongeth to gods kyngdom, is any thing inferiour to the state of all the great and mighty holy angels. And how cometh this to passe? euen by Christe. Then when we are this instructed and made ioyfull and heartie, let eueryevery man diligently and gladly apply their busines, according to their callyng and vocation. encoragyng them selues with the hope and ful trust of that tresure which is in Christ. And this must we lern in this Gospel, that in worldly thynges there must nedes be a difference and degree had as touching diuers persons and offices. For the state of this lyfe can no otherwise be. But in the kyngdome of Christ, this is a right lawe: I will geue vntounto this laste euen as vntounto thee. And the right cōmeth of this. The kingdome of heauen being a deliuerance from syn and from deathe is due to no man of merite, it is geuen onelyonly by grace. Wherfore we ought specially to beware, that we murmure not, but rather geue thanks vntounto God, and take this for a comfort in all perils, laboures, and miseries, that chaunce vntounto vsus in this corporall life. Then shall we perceaue and fele great pleasure in all thinges.
The thoughtes of predestination are perillous.In the last sentence of the gospell (Many bee called, but few be chosen) the curious hauehave takē great occasion to inuent wicked & vngodly opinions, thoughtes, and imaginations. For this they thinke. They must nedes be saued, whom God hath chosen: Contrarywise, they that are not chosen, whatsoeuer they do, be it neuer so good a worke, yet can they not escape damnation, nor come to saluation. Wherfore I wyl not striue against that must nedes be done. If it be so determined, that I shall be saued, I shalbe safe, if not, I will not leese my labor in vaine. EueryEvery man may easily iudge what frowardnes and carelesse liuyng springeth of these vngodly thoughtes. But in the feaste of the Epiphanie, when I expoūded the saying of Micheas the prophet,Howe Gods wyll is truly to be learned. we declared sufficiently, that suche thoughts are to be auoided as the diuell hym selfe, and that we must go an other way to work, if we will hauehave the true knowledge of Gods will, and not to medle with the priuities of Gods maiestie, neither with predestination & election. For these things passe mans capacitie, which can not as muche as thinke therof without great offence, that is to say, either must there nedes ensu after suche thoughtes, desperation, or dissolute lyuyng, with out all fear of God. But he that will come to the true way of knowing of Gods will,In Christ is God knowen he must so walke that he may beware at suche occasion of fallynge, and seke how he may more and more encrease in godlynes. As Christ hym selfe appointeth vsus, when he saith:Iohn. 14. No mā commeth to the father, but by me,
Wherfore he that wyl come vntounto the Father, and to the knowledge of hym he must go first vntounto Christ,What Christ is vntounto vsus. to know what he is, euen that Christ is the son of god & God almightie. But what doth the sonne of God? He is made man for vsus to deliuer vsus from the lawe, he is crucified & dead on the crosse, to satisfie for our synnes. He riseth from death, to opē vsus the way to euerlasting life by his resurrection and aide vsus against euerlasting death. He sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vsus, to geue vsus the holy ghost, & by him to sanctifie gouerne, & leade vsus, to defende vsus against temptation, and all the dartes of the dyuell. And this is the true knowledge of Christ. Now when thy mind is well confirmed and strengthened with this knowledge, nowe is the way to heauen without perill, and thou canst hauehave no imagination of God that shall bee euyll and dangerous. For syth that the sonne of God hath done so much for mans saluation, we may be assured therby, that Gods wil is not, but that we shold be saued. Howe should he hauehave any pleasure in oure destruction, syth he let nothyng passe, wherby he may bryng man to life & saluation agayn? And this is the true way to God, as Christe preacheth in the thirde of Iohn: So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne,Iohn. 3. that eueryevery one that beleueth in hym, should not perishe, but hauehave lyfe euerlasting. And now let these thoughts be cōpared with the former thoughtes of predestination, and it shal euidently appere, that the former thoughtes are of the deuyll, whereby men ar seduced to their destruction, so that either they now despaire, or are made voyde of all godly motions. For they can hauehave no trust of the good wyll of GOD towardes them.
There be some that expound the wordes after this maner. Many are called, that is to saye, God offereth his grace to many: but fewe are chosen, that is, he cō municateth his grace to fewe, for fewe shall be saued. This is a very wicked meanynge. For who wyll not hate God vtterly, yf he thought thys of GOD, that it came by his wyll and faulte, that we be not saued? Nowe lette this sentence bee compared with the sentence before, where as it was sayd, that the knowlege of Christ must be as the ground & foundation laide to buylde the knowledge of Gods wyll thereon, and it shalbe euident, that this last exposition is blasphemous agaynste God. Wherfore this must we take to be the true meanynge of this sentence. Many (sayth he) are called.Note. For the preachyng of the Gospell is vniuersall, and cōmon, open to all that will receaue it. And gods will is, that it should be so spread abrode, that all men should beleue and be saued. But how doth it preuaile? euen as it shall folowe in the next Gospell: Fewe are chosen, that is to say, few endeuor them selues therby to doo as God requireth, For some heare, and care not for it: some heare, and yet sette so lyttell by it, that they will not put them selues in danger for it. Som heare it, but they regarde riches and pleasure more then it. And this pleaseth not God, and as for suche, he thinketh them not worthy of his kyngdom. And this meaneth CHRIST, where as he sayth, Fewe are chosen, fewe declare suche godlynes as God requireth. But they are chosen and acceptable to God, that diligently heare the Gospell, beleue in Christ, and declare theyr faith in good workes, and refuse not to suffer any kynde of persecution for it.
This meanyng is true, and seduceth no man to his destruction, but maketh them learne the way to saluation. For thus shold they serch out ye truth in their doyngs, if they wold please God, & be chosen. They must beware of an euill conscience, & not syn against Gods cōmandement, they must diligently resyst sinne, & attentiuely here Gods worde, and studiously exercise thē selues therin: They must desire of God the holy ghost, and neuer cast away Gods worde, they must always be ready to fight against the deuyll and his subtilties, desiryng God alwais to send them helpe, defence, and pacience. And such men waxe perfect christians, wher as contrarywise, they that thinke it Gods will not to be, that all should be saued: either they fall into desperation, or els into a dissolute & careles liuing, whiche afterward nothing differ frō beasts in their cōuersatiō whilest that they thynke on this wise. Now it is decreed alredy, whether I shalbe saued or damned, Why then should I bestow labour in vayn. But thou sholdest not on this wise take thy beginnyng, where thou shouldest hauehave ended. This commaundement of God is put forth before thee, that thou shouldest beleue in Christ, that he is thy sauiour, that hath satisfied for thy synnes. This cōmandement must thou folow. And if thou felest that thou haste no faith or very litle, pray to god for the holy ghost, and doubt not, Christ is thy sauiour, and thou arte predestinate to be saued, yf thou beleuest, that is, if thou with a sure faithe trustest in hym, and commyttest thy selfe vntounto hym. The which GOD graunt vsus all through the same our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen. Amen.