Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 26
The thirde Sonday in Lent. ¶The Gospell. Luc. xi.
IEsus was casting out a Deuil that was dumb. And when he had cast out the deuil, the dumbe spake, & the people wondred. But som of them sayd: he casteth out deuils through Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuyls. And other tempted him and required of him a signe from heauen. But he knowyng theyr thoughtes, sayde vntounto them: EueryEvery kyngdome deuyded agaynst it selfe, is desolate, and one house doth fall vppon another. if Sathan also be deuided agaynst hym selfe howe shall his kingdome endure? Because ye say I caste out Deuylles through Beelzebub: If I by the helpe of Belzebub cast out deuylles? by whose helpe do your chyldren, caste them out? Therefore shall they be your iudges. But if I with the fynger of GOD caste out deuyls. no doubte the kyngdome of God is come vponupon you. When a stronge man armed watcheth his house, the thynges that he possessethe are in peace. But when a str…nger then he commethe vponupon hym, and ouercommeth hym, he taketh from hym all his Harnesse (wherein he trusted) and deuydeth his goodes. He that is not with me, is a gaynste me. And he that gathereth not with me, scat…ereth a broade. When the vncleane spirite is gone out of a man, he walketh through drie places, seekyng rest. And when he fyndeth none, he sayeth: I wy…l returne agayne into my house whence I came out. And whē he commeth, he fyndeth it swept and garnyshed. Then goeth he and takethe to hym seuen other spirites worse then hym selfe, and they enter in, and dwell there. And the en…e of that man is worse then the beginninge. And it fortuned that as he spake these thinges, a certayne woman of the company lyfte vp her voyce, and sayde vntounto hym: happye is the wombe that bare thee, and the pappes whiche gaue thee sucke. But he sayde: yea happy are they that heare the worde of GOD, and kepe it.
THE EXPOSITION.
THe Gospell of this present sonday setteth forth vntounto vsus ye story of a certain man possessed with a dumme deuill, which Christ did cast out, and healed the man, so that the dumbe mā spake vntounto the greate admiration and meruellynge of all the people that were present.Christ ouercometh the deuill. In this our gospell many thinges are contayned vntounto our greate consolation & comfort. But oure cheiffe & principal cōsolation is this, that Christ casteth out the deuill, that by this meanes we may certainlye knowe, that Christ hath greater power then the deuil, & all his kyngdome: And that this worke, which was thē corporally done, doth not yet ceasse, but is & shalbe cōtinually exercised,Christ at this daye casteth out deuils by the worde and Sacramēts. while the churche endure. For all things, yt are geuen to the curch of Christ, as baptisme, the Lordes Supper, the worde & absolution or declaration of the merciful promises of God vntounto penitent synners, and all other thynges that pertayne vntounto the ministery of the worde, as instrumentes, are prouided vntounto this ende, that by them the kyngdome of the deuill may be destroyed agayne, that menne maye be receaued out of Satans kyngdome into the kingdome of god: and in fine, that by them the deuil may be put out of men. For as it is written in the Prophet:Esay. 55. my worde shall not returne voyde or withoute fruite. As the raine that falleth vpō the grounde that is drie, is not without fruite, for grasse or blades come forth, and all thinges ware grene: so is the worde of god alwayes fruitful with some, for the holy ghoste is with the worde, and by the same worde lighteneth, kyndleth, & purifieth the heartes, and by this meanes deliuereth them from the tyranny of the deuill. And although mans reason can not cōprehend it, howe the deuil is thē cast out it maketh no matter. For ye worlde is not worthie to see so much as a sparcke of gods power, but remaining in darcknes to cursse & to blaspheme all thinges that belong vntounto God, as they do here vntounto Christ. But we that receaue & embrace ye worde, ought to know, & to cōforte our selues herewith, that god hath geuē vsus power here vpō earth,Baptisme. whereby we may cōtinually cast out ye deuil. Let vsus take an exāple of ye child that is new borne. EueryEvery child yt cōmeth into ye world,Iohn. is borne in the deuils kingdom, where he thorowe sinne as a Lord ruleth, & exerciseth, all kynde of tirāny. But whē this child according to ye cōmādemēt of Christe is brought vntounto baptisme, whereby sinners are borne again into ye kīgdom of god, as Christ saieth. Except a mā be borne a newe, he cānot see ye kingdom of god. For yt is borne of fleshe, is flesh,Rom. 6. & that is borne of ye spirit, is spirite. Then must the deuill nedes geue place, & the child be deliuered out of his kyngdom. For in baptisme ye grace of god is promised & geuen to the child, because he is baptised into ye death of Christ:The declaration of Gods mercy to penitent sinners. In like maner may it be said of thē, yt hauehave troubled consciences, whō ye deuil hauehave snarled, & made vnquiet thorow some sinne or offence. These men thus troubled & tormēted in their cōsciences & mindes come vntounto me or vntounto some other Chistiā, they lament their most miserable state they declare their greif & paine,Math. 17. Iohn. 20. Mat. 11. & desire instructiō & cōfort. In this behalf may I bicause of ye cō mādement of Christ, yea I am boūde so to do, cōfort & strēgthen my brother, & declare vntounto him the grace, fauoure, & merciemercy of god thorowe ye merites of Christ to all thē yt be greued & heauy loden with the burden of sin. And by this meanes is ye deuil cast out of him, not by me, which also am a sinner, but by ye word,The Supper of the Lord. which is leaste vntounto vsus of Christ here in earth. Likewise when thou art troubled in thy mind & disquieted in thy cōscience, so yt thou cāst not sufficiētly receaue cōsolatiō, nor stedfastly beleue, yt god is merciful vntounto thee & wil forgeue thee thy sin: resorte thou vntounto ye lordes Supper.Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. For Iesus Christ our Lord hath instituted ye sacramēt of his body & blod vntounto this ende, yt whē thou in those holy misteries receauest his body & blod, yu sholdest not dout, but certēly be ꝑsuaded, yt his bodi was betraied & his blod shed for thy sins. wher this faith is, ther is ye deuil driuē out, & cōpelled to seke other restīg places,Luc. 1…. thus is this worke of castīg out deuils cōtinually ī ye church of Christ thorow the worde & the ministration of the Sacraments▪ which church thorow Christe her heade euermore fighteth & striueth against this serpent, and with all maine impugneth his force & violence, no lesse then Christ himselfe did, if not more, as the Lorde him selfe sayth:Iohn 14. verely verely I say vntounto you: he that beleueth in me, shal do the workes that I do, yea greater then these shall he do, because I go vntounto ye father. The reason is this. The church hath a larger office then Christe. For he taught only amonge the Iewes in a streight place or small circuite, and conuerted fewe. He taught also not fullye fowre whole yeares. But the church thorow the helpe of her heade, which is on the right hāde of god, is cōtinually in this office, when it, preacheth the gospell,Colos. 4. distributeth the Sacramentes, & euermore reproueth the wyckednes of the deuill, and now driueth him out of this place, now out of yt place, so that it suffreth hym to hauehave no reaste,A Christiane must cōtinually fight agaīst Satan. doinge thys thorow out the worlde, wheresoeuer ye worde is preached, & ye sacraments truly ministred. And yet hauehave we not so driuen him out, neither are we in all pointes so free and set at libertie from hym, but that we muste dayly fyght against him, for asmuche as sainct Peter sayeth he goeth aboute lyke a rorynge Lyon sekynge whome he maye deuoure,1. Pet. 5. and continually beware of hym. Resiste the deuil (sayeth sainct Iames) and he shall flee from you. This greatlye greueth the deuill, therfore as we cast him out thorow ye doctrine of the worde & Sacraments:Iac. 4. so likewise leaueth he nothing vnattempted, if he cannot vtterly subdue vsus, yet at the leaste to take our lyues from vsus thorowe persecution. Thus hath it bene, and shalbe vntounto the verye ende of the world. It chaunced so vntounto Christ: he droue the deuill out of thē, that desiered hym. The deuill sought to be reuenged on him therfore moued he the Iewes to crucifie hym, and at the last by death to dispatche hym out of the waye. Yet had neither the deuill nor the Iewes the ouerhand. For Christ ouercame them both.Iohn. 12.16. As concernynge the Iewes they were so cast out of their countrye, that there is no hope at all of their returne. The deuil,Christ and in hym all Christians hauehave gotten the victory ouer the deuill and the worlde. whiche is the prince of the worlde is iudged and condempned, and shall at the last daye by the Christians accompanied with Christe their head, be so caste out of both heauen & earth, that he shall neuer trouble them more. For Christ hath not onelyonly driuen the deuyl out of this man (of whom the gospel of this present sondaye maketh mention) but he hath appeared (as S. Iohn sayth) that he shoulde destroye the workes of the deuill:1. Iohn. 3. so that the deuyll hath no power ouer them that beleue. But they that beleue not on Christe, they remayne vnderunder the power of the deuill, and must at the last come vntounto destruction with the Iewes.
In the Papecie the deuil thorowly stablished (as ye knowe) his kyngdome,The papecie. and set it meruelouslye with greate wealth, riches, and dignitie, in somuche that although thorowe the singuler merciemercy and grace of god there remained in it the holy Sacramentes and the worde, yet was there not at all any true knowledge either of the Sacramentes or of the worde, as al men herof can beare witnesse. And yet in the very Papecie the deuil founde not all thinges mete for his kingdom. For euen in the ministration of baptisme was he cast out,The wickednes of the minister hindereth the dignitie of ye worde or sacraments nothing at all. when the Infantes were baptised in the name of the blessed Trinitie, and so brought vntounto God. For nothing can make voyde the promes of God. Neither is the holye Ghoste therefore of the lesse power in the worde and in the Sacramentes, althoughe the person be wycked and without the holy ghost, whiche ministreth the worde and the Sacramentes, we therfore are most indebtedly bounde to render vntounto god most hartie thāckes for this his singuler goodnes towards vsus, whiche hath geuen vsus suche power and strengthe againste our moste cruell enemy and extreme foe, the deuil, though he buffeteth vsus again, it is no merueill. For how can he abyde this, that we miserable sinners should so disquiet hym beinge a proude and myghtie spirite, only with the worde, that he can hauehave no place to rest in? Therfore he maketh against vsus all that euer he can, by raysinge vp in euerye place persecutions and other tentations against vsus. But that thyng ought not to seme greuous vntounto vsus for the hope that wee knowe, that we shall not onelyonly dryue hym oute here, but we shall also at the last daye (as we toforesayde) iudge and condemne hym vntounto hell fyre for euermore. These thinges well & diligently considered, we ought to hauehave in great estimation and honour the worde of GOD and the Sacramentes,The worde & the sacramēts oughte to be had in greate reuerence. and not so vilelye to thincke or speake of them, as many do commonlye nowe a dayes, and speciallye the wise and prudent of this worlde. The Sacraments (I graunt) are outwarde ceremonies, as the eyes see. The very worde also is an externall thynge, whiche is receaued by the eare, and redde with the eye: As the Christians also are bodely menne. But these thinges are not therefore to be despised. The reason is this. When a Christen man handleth the worde of GOD accordyng to the commandement of Christe, then is that power present whiche the deuill can not abyde. In that therefore the worde and the Sacramente do outwardlye appeare so homely and base, we ought not to dispise them, but rather geue thanckes vntounto GOD, that he hath geuen so greate vertue, power and strengthe to so weake instrumentes. For what are we poore men in respect of the deuill? Therfore if his power were not repressed by Godes power, by his worde, &c. We were not able somuche as one moment of an howre to stand againste hym. But what doth God? he kyndleth that poore litle strawe thorowe his worde that heauenlye fyre,The worde of god driueth awaye Satan. that it maketh suche a lyght and brightnes in the worlde, that the deuill knoweth not wheare to abide, so that he must this daye flee from this place, to morowe from another place, and so vtterly at the last be driuen out. In consideration wherof sainct Paule calleth the Gospell,Rom. 1. the power of God, whereby men obtayne euerlastynge saluation, that is to saye, suche a might and strength, as is named the power of God, and restoreth man from synne vntounto righteousnes, from death vntounto life, from hell vntounto heauen, from the deuils regiment vntounto the kingdome of God. These things must we Christians learne, and thancke god for them, & highly esteme his holy worde & blessed Sacraments, as our moste precious reliques & iewels. As for the vnfaithful they are not worthye to behold the greate power and maiestie of gods word, according to this saying: Tollatur impius, ne videat gloriam dei. Let the vngodly be taken awaye, yt he see not the glory of god. And as Esay saide of the Iewes: ye shall heare, and not vnderstand: ye shall see, and not perceyue. We therfore are muche bounde vntounto God, that we hauehave both knowen and felte the greate maiestie and power of his worde.Esay. 6. And in this behalfe we ought greatly to reioice, that although we be poore and beggerly synners yet we be endowed with suche power, as the deuill is not able to abyde. Thus see we, that this worke amonge the Christians is perpetuall, I meane to caste out deuilles, to make the dumbe to speake, and the deaffe to heare,It is a greater miracle to driue the deuil out of mens heartes, then out of their bodye. althoughe it be not done corporally. For this is a matter of greater wayghte and of more excellencie, to caste the deuill out of mens heartes, and to driue hym out of their bodies. For he sytteth faster in the heart, thē in the body. But Christ driueth him out corporally also, that we with our eyes maye beholde his power, and the soner beleue, that he will driue him also out of that place, where he muste stedfastly syt, I meane the hearte, yea and that by playne and homely thinges, as by the worde, by baptisme, by the Sacrament of his body and bloude &c.
These singuler gyftes and noble graces hath God geuen vntounto vsus, and therfore ought wee continually to thancke hym, and to vse the same vntounto oure comforte againste the deuill, that wee by that meanes maye dryue hym out of oure heartes, and not be dismayde, thoughe he suffer vsus to hauehave no rest in this worlde, but continually heape vponupon vsus afflictions, troubles, persecutions, hatredes of men, tormentes of tyraunts, and at the laste death. For these thinges shall he be paide home at the last daye, when without anye returne he shall for euer be caste out into hell fyre, there worldes without ende to remayne. This is the fyrste part of oure gospell, for the whiche we are moste endebtedly bound to geue vntounto GOD moste heartie thankes, and to reioyce in the same.
Nowe followeth it in the gospell, what the worlde iudgeth of so greate and waightie matters. And here are set forth vntounto vsus in this Gospell three kyndes and sortes of menne,Three sortes of people iudg of this miracle. The first meruell at the worke. whiche diuersly take this miracle of Christe. The firste is the best sorte, I meane them, whiche maruell at this worke of Christ, and without doubte geue thanckes vntounto God for it. These be but fewe in nomber, and suche as be of no reputacion, whose eyes are opened to see the glorie and power of Gods worde, & to knowe the same. And this thinge semeth vntounto them suche and so greate, that they can not merueill ynough, that the worde so quicklye and easely can turne so many men, and by the power there of caste oute the deuill. For this cause can not they heare of this matter ynoughe. But besydes these, there are two other sortes. Their heartes are so hardened, that they seing, see nothyng at all, neyther perceyue they, that thorowe the mightie power of God, the dumbe and deaffe do as wel nowe speake & heare, as any other man, & that he, whiche before was wont to be madde and out of his wittes, is now in his hole mynde, and doth all thynges soberly, quietly, and in good order. But let vsus nowe consider these ij. sortes of people seuerally, or eueryevery one by them selfes. The firste of these ij sortes beholde this noble worke and maruelous miracle of Christe, but they are so blynde,The second blaspheme. madde and doltyshe, that after the maner of spyders they gather poyson of this flowre, whereof the other, of whom we spake afore, gathered good & swete hony: for these men do not onelyonly not interpret this castinge out of deuils, a certein arte, or singuler gyfte of God, but they also boldly pronounce, that this worke, is not of God, but of the deuill, and done by arte magike. Shoulde this be a miracle, saye they? yea it is the worke of the deuill, and done by Nicromancie: so stockblinde are they, and so hard hearted, that they cannot see the wonderful worke of GOD, but ascribe altogether to the deuill. And this setteth forth their insolent arrogancie and excedynge greate pride, in that they call the prince of the deuilles Beelzebub, which soundeth in our English tōge, an hūble bee,Beelzebub what it is in Englishe. or a great flye. Howe can ye deuil be more despised? They hauehave so good an opinion of their owne holynes and spirite, that they cōpare the deuil & flyes together. Uerely I can not esteme the deuill so lyghtly,2. Cor. 4. neither could Paule, which calleth him the prince and God of this worlde. But these good holye folke thincke the more they can despise the deuil, the more shal they make the art of Christ in casting out the deuils to be despised. What great matter is this, saye they, yt the greater flye casteth out the lesser? Thus they blaspheme the worke of Christ, although they hauehave nothinge to saye againste the truth. But this they consider not that they them selues hauehave a legion of deuils in them. For they are full of blasphemies, of murders, of lyes, of deceauinges &c. They fulfyll the deuils wyll vntounto the vttermoste, in that they thincke that the deuill hath nothing to do with them, and that they are in no danger of him. Euen thus goeth it nowe a dayes also, the gospell,The godly reioyce in ye gospell: the vngodly blaspheme it. God be thancked, in this our time is taughte purely & syncerely with all quietnes & modestie. And this is our comforte, that some good men do truly receaue this doctrine, are glad of it, wonder at the great merciemercy and goodnes of god, and most heartely thācke him for it. Contrariwise, some there are, that fele no swetnes at all in the preaching of the Gospel, and therfore they blaspheme it, and persecute it euen vntounto the vttermost. Our aduersaries thē selfes graunt this to be the worde of god,The aduersaries graūt many thinges to be true, & yet they go forth to persecute. that ye Sacrament of the body & bloud of Christ shoulde be ministred in both kyndes. Again, yt Christ did forbid neither mariage, nor meats. Yet they condēne these thinges as heresie. It is wonder, that the Sonne waxe not darcke, & that the earth doth not open & swalow vp the teachers of such blasphemies. Yet they go stoutly on, & are wtout al feare, so yt where the true Christiās feare ye deuill, they feare him nothing at all. For the Christiās hauehave learned by experiēce, yt the deuil is able to corrupt euē ye righteous, and to destroye the worke of God, if he be permitted. Therfore they call him not Beelzebub,2. Cor. 4. but wt Paule they cal him the prince & God of this worlde. For we hauehave experience of his power in this wyse: When he hath made any man his captiue & bonde slaue, & hath caste him into errour or heresie, he holdeth him so faste in his clawes, that he very hardly can with infinite sermons be called frō his errours vntounto the true persuasiō of Christen religiō. Again, those whom he hold captiue, & hath them lincked with the bōdes of fornicatiō, or adultrye of wrath, of couetousnes, of enuye,The power of the deuill is not to be set lyght by. of hatred, & of such like vices, he holdeth thē so fast, yt there is almost no hope at any time to escape. And if he perceaue yt fewe bondes suffise not, he putteth moe vntounto thē. Therfore ye Christiās do not set ye deuil at naught, nether do they make light of hī, nether cal they hī a fly, but a mighty lord, a prīce & god of this world, whiche filleth ye whole world wt murders, warres, errors, heresies, scismes, dissēciōs, desperatiō, troubles, miseries &c. But ye pope & his secte beleue not this, althoughe they both see it & hauehave daily experiēce of ye same. Wherefore this is meruelous, & a thing not to be forgotten, yt the Phariseyes blaspheme Christe and his worke. For hereof doth it appere, that although their bodies were not possessed with the deuill, as this poore mans was, yet in their spirit the deuil had much more power ouer them,The papistes in persecuting the true Christiās, thincke they do God great seruice. seing, after the maner of our papistes, they do not only not vnderstand the worde, but they also moste slaunderously blaspheme it, and most cruelly persecute it. And notwithstandyng it troubleth them nothyng at all, but they persuade thē selues, that they hauehave done well,Iohn. 16. as Christe sayeth: the time shall come, that whosoeuer kylleth you, shall thincke that he doth noble seruice vntounto God. And this thinge is seth forth vntounto vsus to teache vsus, that if we do determine to caste out deuilles, and to teache the worde of God we should loke for no better thinges, then chaūced vntounto Christ in this place. Some shall maruell: some shall iudge our doctrine as vngodly & deceauing the people, by leadinge them into diuers errours: some again shal condemne it as heresie, and doctrine of deuils. Nowe ought we to be well fortressed and fensed againste these sclaunders, offendicles, or stomblyng blockes. It is a greate greiffe vntounto our heartes, that the Papistes do so blaspheme our doctrine, and yet they are so careles, that they care no more for the deuill then they do for a flye. For suche was the fortune of Christ also in the highest miracle that he dyd, when thorow the fynger & power of God he dyd caste out deuilles. Then fell they vntounto suche blasphemies, that they sayd, it was the battel of flyes, and that the deuill wrought it for Christ.
The thirde seke signes from heauen.After these come the thirde sorte, not moche better then the laste, but that their wyckednes is not so opē, fayning that they would beleue, if Christe wold worke suche a miracle as pleased them, but they lacke no miracle to beholde (for they see one plainely before their eyes) but they iudge that an earthly, or base, & no true signe. They would (if he looked to hauehave any authoritie with them) that he shoulde shewe some heauenlye signe, that is, that he shoulde make a newe Moone, newe starres, or suche like these are meruelous wise, that will take vponupon them to prescribe & appointe god, what signes, wonders and miracles he ought to do. They woulde hauehave him like a Iuglar to satisfye their fansye, and to do suche miracles as please them. As though God had nothinge to do, but to serue theyr lustes & folishe desires. Such shal a mā find also ī these oure dayes, specially among the kynges, princes, and other rulers of this world.The wise of the world are offēded at the word, because the preachers therof are so homly & poore creatures. For what other talke hauehave the wise of this worlde amonge them then this? what shal I receaue this doctrine, whiche a sorte of poore & beggarly felowes professe? They that first taught the Gospell were in dede vnlearned fyshers: but nowe what are they, but a sorte of fugitiue and runnagate monckes, and a swarme of periured priestes? I coulde right well allowe this doctrine, if the Pope, the Emperour, the kinges, the princes, and other noble men did teache it and embrace it. These men also appointe God, howe he should behaue himselfe, & set forth suche doctrine as may please them, yea & that both by suche and after suche sorte, as they thyncke good: So that God must do, what it pleaseth them to appoint, yea & such are to be founde euen among them that professe the Gospell. For in these oure dayes many which will seme to be Gospellers, maye be founde both in the courtes of Princes, and also in Cities, whiche shame not to appoint the preachers, what they must preache and teache, yea and that to this ende, that (as the Prophet sayeth they may speake pleasaunt thinges, & such as maye delight, and not offende. For when the preacher accordinge to his office reproueth sinnes and vices, whereof certaine persones are gyltie: then they streight waies crye out: These things as matters tending vntounto sedition, are by no meanes to be suffered of the maiestrat.The glorious worldlinges can not abyde to be reproued for their wycked lyuing. The Gospell maye be preached without such spitfull raylinges vponupon menne: so that when a preacher speaketh the truth, and rebuketh synne, he muste be counted straightwayes to rayle vponupon the maiestrat, & to moue sedition. These men are puffed vp wyth as muche pride, as they were, whiche sawe this miracle, and yet regarded it nothynge at all excepte Christ would worke suche miracle as they them selues appointe. They are growne vp vntounto suche madnes, and so swell with pride, that they thincke it not sufficient to hauehave their Realmes in subiection,Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. Exod. 22. except they also hauehave iurisdiction, rule and power ouer the worde of God & other his holy misteries. But this is not ye meaning, whē the scripture saieth, ye the higher powers ought to be had in honour: not to be spoken euil of, nor rayled vpō. As though because of that, the tēporal maiestrate were aboue god & his worde. But the rulers are no lesse bounde to be obedient to God & to his worde,Tēporall rulers owe no lesse obedience to God & hys worde, then subiectes do. thā their subiectes are. If they do it 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 yt they must geue an accoūte therof at ye great day of iudgemēt,Esa. 53. Iohn. 16. if they frely speake not to all men, & without feare rebuke those thinges, yt are worthy to be reproued, be ye persones of hye or low degree.Preachers hauehave authoritie to rebuke ye sinnes of all men without exception. 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, ye preachers may not do so, neither wyl they do so, nor yet ought they so to do. He yt is not willing to heare these thinges,Preachers may be no mē p…easers. Gala. 1. let him seke other yt may serue his lustes, so that this ministery be free, wherunto God hath geuen authoritie & power to rebuke sinnes, yea ye sinnes of all men. And these are ye 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 hauehave such miracles wrought, as they appoint neither are they any other at all times,Marcke this well O thou preacher. before whom ye gospell is preached in ye 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 hauehave done our dutie, if we hauehave disclosed their blasphemies. If they heare not, farewel they, so that they vnderstand what they hauehave done, and whom they hauehave contemned, despised, set at naught, blasphemed and rayled vponupon. Christ first of al, answereth thē, that sayde, he cast out deuils by the helpe of Beelzebub prince of the deuils.Christ confuteth his aduersaries. These he cōfuteth wt 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,Discorde. yt 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.
The kyngdō of the deuill.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 vntounto oure side. That all do not beleue & receaue the worde,Why so fewe receue 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.Why the deuyl preuaileth not agaynste Gods electe. 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 vntounto Paule: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?Acts. 9. 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 hauehave so myghtie a kyngdome against vsus: 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 vsus, and be present with vsus thorowe his holy spirite.Obiection. But here may an obiection be made against Christes confutation, that the Exorcistes or cō iurers, although they be a wicked kinde of people,Exorcistes. 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 ye 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:Answere. yet shall they not be true miracles, but fained, counterfait, and false.ii. Thess. ii. For he worketh not those miracles to aduance ye Gospell of Christ,The deuyll worketh miracles to confirme the vnbeleuers in their vnbelief 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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,The subtiltie of the deuyll. 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 God, vntounto dumbe and beggerly ceremonies, that they whiche are all redy snarled with the bondes of idolatrie and superstition, might be holdē the more strongly with the same,2. Cor. 4. and confirmed, lest at any tyme they should begyn to leane and truste vntounto the woorde of God and his mercy, and so at the laste bee saued. All suche miracles, sygnes, and wonders, are wrought by the deuyl, and ar lying, false, and vntrue: as S. Paule termeth them,ii. Thess. ii. yea they are nothyng els then playn sorcerie and iuglynge, to deceaue them that are vnfaythfull, because they would not embrace the truthe, that they myght be saued. Thynke thou those to be the true signes and miracles, wherwith Christe & the Apostles through the word did cast out the deuil, so yt he against his wil was cōpelled to depart. For ther was no such daliance, neither declared he himself of his own frewil to go away.The ende of true miracles In those miracles ye deuill was enforced against his will to geue place to the word of God, & yt vntounto this end, yt the glorie of God might be set forth, & the christen religion confirmed & stablished: this dothe not the deuil gladly. Therfore in such agony, conflict, & strife against the deuill, crosses, halowed candels, holy water, & such other trifles do no good at all. Where it is for the deuils profit,Note. and for the enlargement & confirmation of his kyngdom in all superstition, idolatrie false religion, wickednes. &c. that he should be put out, that by this meanes the wycked worlde may receaue the punyshemente of their frowardnes, because they wyll not call vppon Christe, and so be the more depely drowned in superstition: there it is possible, that the deuyll will suffer himselfe to be expelled and caste out of suche wicked persones, as Sorcerers, Necromancers, witches, and such lyke are. For thys is not done to the ende, that the Gospell maye be aduanced, and the truthe knowen, but that errour may be confirmed that the more authoritie may be geuen to monkerye, to the inuocation of Sainctes, to Pylgremages, to Uigiles, to Masses, and to suche lyke trumperie. For, the mayntenance of these thynges, wherwith the glorie of God is obscured, and the truthe of his holye word hindred: the deuyl is wel content to geue place, and to suffer himselfe to be caste oute. But where the castyng out of the deuyll is done to this end, that the fynger and power of GOD may be sene, and that the kyngdome of God may be stablyshed: there the deuill resysteth, wrastleth and sheweth him selfe vnwilling to depart, and maintaineth his abode there so long as he can,Luc. …i. as Christ teacheth in the Parable of the strong armed man. Therfore let vsus neuer forget this great exceding mercy & singular goodnes of the Lord our God, but most humbly and hertily thanke hym, that he hath sente his sonne to be an helper vntounto vsus against the deuil to cast hym out, and hath geuen vsus his worde, wherby euen nowe also that worke is done, I meane the kyngdom of the deuill is destroied, and the kyngdom of God is set vp and encreaced. In this grace God for his mercy euer kepe vsus for his dere sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lorde, and alone Sauior: to whom with God the faand the holy ghost, be all glorie for euermore. Amen.