Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 54
The xi Sonday after Trinitie sonday. ¶ The Gospell. Luke. xviii.
CHriste tolde this Parable vntounto 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 eueryevery man that exalteth hym selfe, shalbe brought lowe And he that humbleth hym selfe shalbe exalted.
THE EXPOSITION.
CHrist in this gospell teacheth vsus to be humble, and lowly,Humilitie. as it becometh true Christians. For by this vertue onelyonly & by none other, is the grace and fauour of God obtayned, as it is described & set forth to vsus 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 vsus in the tyme of Papistrie.Phariseys. For they ware apparel contrary to the cōmon 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 vsus, that gather tribute,Publicanes. 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 vntounto 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 hauehave. 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,Christes iudgement of the phariseye and of the publicane. 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 wt thy selfe, what fastynge & praying can profite such a mōster, whome ye deuil hath puffed vp …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 ye 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 ī me ther is no such thīg.
two greuous synnes in the phariseye.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 the Publican that standeth hereby he deceaueth all men, polleth and pylleth all men, catcheth and snatcheth, taketh and raketh all that he can come by, so that all is fyshe that cō meth to nette. I am after no suche sorte, god be thāckede my righteousnes, my holynes, is moste absolute, consūmate, and perfect in comparison of his.
This is a moste vile and spitefull vice yea by the iudgement of all men (for we vse comenlye to saye:To despysed ther is a great synne. Be what thou wilte be, onelyonly despise not other. For comparisons are odious.) howe muche more then is this an abhominable synne before god? There is no synne, that god more detestethe and abhorrethe then pride and haultynes of mynd so that this gospell may moste cheifly seme to be appoynted to this ende, that Christe should as in a fygure or shadowe describe and set forth vntounto vsus the true righteousnes and how that maye be discerned and knowen from the counterfaite false, Pharisaicall, and hypocriticall righteousnes. As thoughe he shoulde saye: Peraduenture thou maiste chaunce on a man, whiche outwardly representethe the holynes of Angels fasteth, praieth, geueth almose, is no fornicatour, committeth none adultery, hurteth no man, heareth sermons diligentlye, commeth oftentimes vntounto the Lordes table, &c. Howe canst thou otherwise, then thincke such one to be a good & righteous man? But for all that this I saye vntounto thee. If thou desirest to know him thorowly, thou muste not looke vponupon the outwarde visare onelyonly, which an hipocrite also may hauehave: but thou muste consider this, what it is to be righteous before God. For as concerning this outwarde apperaunce, euen this Phariseye is so righteous, that it is to be wyshed, there were many such in the worlde. But this is not sufficient: And therfore diligently take hede, that thou doste not trust vntounto such righteousnes before God. For here thou learnest,Pride abhorred of god. howe haynous a synne and abhorred of God prid is, namely when it lurcketh and lyeth hydde vnderunder so glorious and beautifull righteousnes. This pride was the cause,Iob. 4. Esa. 14. 2. Pet. 2. Gene. 3. that the deuill was tombled hedlonge out of heauen, downe into hell fyre. Pride also brought destruction in Paradise to our first parents. Howe could then such a Phariseye and proud hypocrite be nombred among the people of God? We must fast, we muste praye, we must paye our tenthes, we must kepe our selues faithful and true to our wyffes, we may be no extorcioners, we may hurte no mā, we must do al thinges truly, & according to the worde of god: notwithstanding all these things are so cōtaminated polluted,vayne glorye or pride corruptethe all good workes & defiled thorow Pharisaicall pride, yt now nothīg is more vile before god, nothing more abhominable. For seing yt in worldly matters it is coūted very greuous for a man to become as a slaue to other thorow benefites yt he hath receaued, according to this cōmō prouerbe. There is nothīg more derely bought, then yt which is geuen: how can god alow yt righteousnes, which auaunceth, bosteth, & setteth foorth it selfe against him? In such case holines is made double wickednes. So doth this hipocrite here wt god. O God, sayth he, doste thou not see, what a good & righteous mā thou hast of me? The world is ful of extorcioners, brybers, theaues vnrighteous persōs, Epicures, whoremongers, adulterers, &c. But I am good, holy, vertuous, righteous, & a very myrroure of goodnes, holines, vertue, & righteousnes. I fast, I pray, I geue almose, I do whatsoeuer thy law requireth. O Lorde, how greatlye arte thou indebted vntounto me: And what greate rewarde is there layde vp for me in heauen? Consider these thinges, O God, remember that I am not lyke other men.
O intollerable pride. If this proude hipocrite with suche pride should doe all that euer the lawe of God requireth to be don euen to the vtter moste, yea thoughe he shoulde geue hymselfe to be burnt for the glorie of God, yet could not all this please God, but shoulde be before hym the moste greuous synne and playne abhomination. For God abhorreth all pride, as sainct Peter saith:1. Pet. 5. Be lowlye and humble in your heartes. For god resisteth the proude, and geueth grace to the humble. Lykewise saith Sainct Iames humble your selues in the sight of the Lorde,Iac. 4. and he shall lyfte you vp. As our Sauiour CHRIST sayth: Euerye one that exalteth hymselfe,Luke. 18. shall be brought lowe. And who soeuer humbleth hymselfe, shalbe exalted.
Therfore saith Christ here: If ye will be counted righteous, embrace the true righteousnes, euen that, whiche is agreable to the word of god, and aboue all thinges take hede of pride. Let no pride be ioyned with your righteousnes or holynes. For although the Sainctes and holye men diuerse wayes offende, so that many tymes they fall moste greuously (as we rede of Noe, Lot, Dauid, Peter, Magdalen, &c. Yet God doth not so heauely take that, as he doth, when they lyue moste holyly, and are proud of it, bragge and boaste of it, yea and both contemne and condemne other in comparison of them selues.What the christen humilitie is. Christe therfore concludeth the gospell on this maner: He that exalteth hymselfe, shal be made lowe: and he that humbleth himselfe, shall be made highe: that eueryevery man maye learne humilitie, and despise no man. For this is the Christian humilitie, for a man to esteme other more then hymselfe, as the Apostle sayth: Let no man stand hye in his owne conceate,Rom. 12. more then becometh him to esteme of himselfe, but so iudge of hym selfe yt he be modest and sober. Again: In geuing honour go one before an other: Item. Be not high minded, but make your selues equal to thē of ye lower sort. Be not wise in your owne opinions. For he that magnifieth himselfe, & lifteth vp his brystles because of his learning, beauty, richesse, holines, righteousnes, &c. Is like to this Phariseye. He beholdeth his fastings, and considereth the true paying of his tenthes, and by this meanes he standeth greatly in his owne conceat. This doth Christ forbydde.The publican an example of true humilitie In the poore Publican we see no suche thing. All thinges are humble and lowly. He bosteth of nothyng. Only he lamenteth and bewayleth his former wycked lyfe, and with all humblenes of hearte besecheth GOD to be mercifull vntounto him, & to forgeue him his synnes. Learne ye this also, sayth christ, yt ye may say. I can glory of nothing. For although I would glory of knowledge, richesse, power,1. Cor. 4. wisedom, righteousnes holynes, &c. Yet god may answer and saye: what hast thou, that thou hast not receaued? If therfore these be my gyftes, why doest thou bragge and boaste of them? Why doest thou reioyce in those things? The right of reioycing is mine, whiche geue thee these gyftes: and not thyne, which only receauest them. It were thy dutie rather to know, that all these gyftes may be taken frō thee in a moment, if thou be proude, bragge, and boste of them. So mightest thou well reioyce and triumphe against the deuill, and saye: why should I not confesse, that I hauehave the worde of god, and that I hauehave bene alwayes redy and at hande to helpe the wretched synners, and suche as were in daunger of desperation, by confortyng, teachyng, and monishing them? Why shoulde I also deny, that of my goods I hauehave geuen large and liberal almes to the poore and to such as were in necessitie? These thinges, O deuill, thou canst not reprehend or disalow. Thus may a Christen man iustly and without any offence against God, reioyce and triumphe against the deuill, for they are not his gyftes, whiche we vse. But against god, of whome we hauehave all thinges, and from whome eueryevery good gyfte and eueryevery perfecte gyfte cometh down, may we by no meanes reioyce, but towarde hym vse all humilitie and lowlines both of hearte and bodye, mekely and with all reuerence confessinge, that they be the gyftes of god, and that therfore we ought not to boste of them, nor to seke oure owne prayse and glory in the exercise of them. But alwayes to magnifye the liberalitie of so lyberall a geuer. Moreouer our neighbour also is not to be despised, but we ought rather to thincke on this maner: for asmuche as all these gyftes that I hauehave, are properly gods, and all thynges procede and come from him, although I hauehave moe giftes then my neyghbour hath, yet god with one worde is able sodenly to make such a change, and so to inuerte all things, that my neighbour for one vertue shalbe more commended of God,Luke. 12. then I for all that euer I hauehave, as we reade in the gospell of the poore wydowe which did caste into the treasury onelye two mytes, where as the riche men did put in greate sommes of money: and therfore was she praised of Christe this on this maner: Of a trueth I saye vntounto you, that this poore wydowe hath put in more then they all.
Why shoulde I then glorye and reioyce? Uerily I ought rather to feare for these so many giftes, where with GOD endowed me, lest I shoulde abuse them vntounto the dishonour of god, the hinderaunce of my neyghbour, and the damnation of my soule. We ought alwayes thus to thincke, that God geueth gyftes to his creatures according to his good pleasure to one he geueth much, to an other lytle. And it is possible, that he whiche hath but lytle, may hauehave God more mercifull vntounto hym, then he that hath muche. The reason is this: He that hath muche, shall render an accompte of muche. He that hath but lytle, his accompte shalbe the slenderer. But this madde and dotyng proud Phariseye doth the contrary. He is not ashamed to saye: I am not as other menne: no, nor yet lyke this Publicane. I geue tythes: he only polleth & pylleth. I deceaue noman: he spoileth as many as he can. To be short: The opinion of the Phariseye is of himselfe, that he passeth al men, and that he is faultie in nothing. Contrariwise, yt the Publicane of al naughts is the worste. And that there is not one good qualitie in him. But this hipocrite should rather hauehave said on this maner: I pay my tithes faithfully & truly: I fast, & do what I can. But for al that I dare not trust to any of these my workes. For whatsoeuer I hauehave, it is thy gifte, O Lord: & it is possible, that this Publicane doth please thee, more then I. So would he hauehave set the Publican before him, or at the least iuste by him, & would hauehave saide. The matter standeth not in this point, whether a man hath receaued much or litle, but to whome god is most merciful. Why then shold I be proud, or despise other, seing yt al things consiste in the mercy of god, & not in this, what gyftes eueryevery mā hath receaued? But this doth not the arrogāt & proud phariseye, but he glorieth and reioiceth of his owne righteousnes when he standeth and praieth before God. The wil of Christe therfore is, that we should not be proude of our righteousnes, as no man also ought to despaire, though he be circumuented and deceaued of the deuill, and so fall into synne. For we all hauehave one God, which stretcheth forth, as a garment, his merciemercy vponupon vsus, euen vponupon the righteous and synners,All our glory ought to be in god alone. vponupon the learned and vnlearned, vponupon the riche & the poore, For he is the god of all. Therfore all our glorie ought to be taken awaye from all thinges that we do, and onelyonly to be reposed in the merciemercy of God, that by this meanes we al maye humble our selues before the maiestie of God, and not hauehave respect to this, whether we hauehave receaued muche or lytle. For god maye be more mercifull to hym that hath but lytle, then to hym that hath much. In the worlde it is necessarie, yt there be differences of persones, of offices, and of gyftes. But there is no suche difference of vsus before god. For seing that he accepteth vsus only of fauour, there can no man glorie, boste and auaunce hymselfe before God. We all without exception muste nedes humble our selues, that we maye know, that although ther be difference among vsus in this worlde, yet before God we are all one, neither is one better then an other. He will none otherwise loke vponupon him that hath muche, then vponupon hym that hath lytle, that by this meanes we all maye learne to embrace his grace and mercye. For all are gods, righteous, synners, riche, poore, stronge, weake &c. And whatsoeuer they hauehave: all come of God. They hauehave nothing of themselues but synne. Sinne can be to no man cause of pride, but rather of humilitie and feare. Whatsoeuer goodnes remaineth, that is altogether of gods gyfte, so that he hath a cause to glory of his giftes, and not thou. Thy parte and dutie is only, to vse the gyftes of god reuerently & with thanckes geuing. For god by no meanes can abide pride and boasting.
Again, this also is his will when thou felest ye fearcenes of thy sinne, that thou doste not therfore despayre, but rather truste to his merciemercy and saye: If I hauehave not muche, yet hauehave I god, yea and hym a mercifull god. Therfore I wil take this in good parte: I will looke to my vocation and calling, euen with as muche diligence, labour and power, as god hath geuē me. I wil despyse no man. I wil not be proude of any thynge that I hauehave. And suche as hauehave more then I. I will neuer enuie them, nor disdaine them. For this is ynoughe for me, that we all hauehave one comon God, and that god therfore wil not be vnequall, because we in this worlde are vnequall.
Unto this hath Christ respecte, when he cōcludeth this parable and sayth: He that exalteth hymselfe shal be made lowe: But he that humbleth himselfe, shalbe exalted. As though he should saye: whē I hauehave gotten suche sainctes or holy persons, that referre all thinges to me, howe muche more they humble and abase them selfes, so muche the more will I geue them. But they that hauehave, and therfore are proude and puffed vp, I wil take it from them by lytle and lytle, tyll at the last in my anger I cast them downe hedlonge into euerlastyng damnation. If the Phariseye had not ben proude, but had humbly rehearsed his gyftes vntounto God, and sayd: O Lord, thou hast geuen me muche, in that thou haste geuen me strength to resiste this and that synne. This is thy gyfte: I am glad therof, but yet am I not proude therfore. For thou maist take it again awaye from me, when thy good pleasure shalbe: If the Phariseye, I say, had done this, god wolde hauehave increased his gyftes dayly more & more towarde him. But for asmuche as the gyftes that he hath, he abuseth them vntounto his owne pride and glorie, & therfore iudgeth and condemneth other that hauehave not the lyke gyftes, he is so reiected of god, that there remayneth nothing in him worthie of prayse and cōmendation. For this is the iudgement of Christ. The Publicane went home more righteous then the Phariseye: that is to saye: The Phariseye is vnrighteous, damned, and geuen ouer alredy to the deuill and hell fyre, what profite hath he now by his bosting & gloryinge? But the Publicane, which sayth: O God be mercifull to me a sinner, is made a Saincte in the congregatiō, and accordyng to his desire, he hath god merciful vntounto hym.
Christ wil hauehave this to be the doctrine of vsus al, that we may know what we are, and what we hauehave. If thou be endued with riches,Howe gods gyftes are to be vsed. with strength and health of bodye, with house, lande & worldly goodes, or with any other gyfte appertayning vntounto the body or to the soule, vse it with thanckes to the geuer. Enuy no mā, and god shall encrease his giftes in thee. Only auoide pride, and despise no man, though his gyftes be not so excellent as thin be. But remember and thinck, when thou seest any man not to hauehave that thou haste, that he notwithstanding maye hauehave god as mercifull to him, as thou hast. Therfore despise him not neither disdaine thou to hauehave him nighe vntounto thee: & so shall god be glorified in you both. Moreouer hipocrites dishonoure God greatly, although they do it not with the mouth & openly. For he yt would iudge only according to ye wordes of the phariseye, he must nedes say, yt that was not euil spoken, yt the phariseye saith here: I thāck thee, O god. Such wordes yt true sainctes vse in their prayers, but with an other sence, or meaning. For when they geue thanckes to god for any thyng: they cōfesse by this, yt they hauehave receaued that gyfte & benefite of god. But the Phariseye thincketh not so, or els he wold hauehave said thus. That I am not an adulterer, an extorcioner, an vnrighteous persone, &c. I can ascribe it to none other, O lord but to thee alone. As cō cerninge my selfe, if thy grace did not assist me, my lyfe should be no better then other mennes. For we be all lyke neyther can one iustly reioyce againste an other. But this Phariseye is not of this minde, & cleane contrary he saith: I thancke thee, that I am not, as other men are. And so he chalengeth to himselfe the wholle power, as though he were the author of his righteousnes, & not god. For if he had not so thought, he wolde hauehave added these wordes? But this is thy gyfte, o lord, and cōmeth not of my selfe. But this saith he not, but by his wordes he declareth euidētly, that he of himselfe is so copious and abundant in good workes, that he is able also to geue vntounto God. Therfore he geueth thanckes not to god in dede, although he nameth him but to hymselfe, to his owne reason, freewill and strengthes, that he hath done so much.
This is true: whosoeuer hath any thynge geuen him of god? He must acknowledge it, & geue god thanckes for it. For what an absurdititie were this, if thou shouldest denie thy selfe to be wyser or better learned then an asse or any other brute beast? In lyke maner he that hath goodes & riches geuen him of god, ought not so to playe the dolte, that he shold saye: he is a begger and hath nothinge, where as he ought euen with most heartie thanckes to confesse ye gyftes & benefites of god, & with the same to helpe such as be in necessitie. Again, he that hath done his dutie wel, and serued diligently in his office & calling hath holpen his neighbour both with his substance & councell, geuen almes to the poore, &c. ought not to saye: I hauehave done no good. This lewde and folishe humilitie is not to be vsed. For the giftes of god are to be acknowledged, celebrated and magnified: & yet true humilitie is to be shewed, & we must say: These thīgs are thine, O lord, & not mine. Thou gauest them me: or els I shold hauehave had no more then other hauehave. Therfore for these thy giftes I render vntounto ye most humble & heartie thāckes. This is ye true waye of humilitie. The good giftes of god are not to be coūted as things of nothing, or to be extenuated or abased as matters of smal reputation, but they are to be acknowledged & to be set forth to ye vttermost: yet may not we be proud of thē, nor despise other, but as I hauehave oftentimes said, we must speake on this maner & say: O lord, they are thy giftes. Thou gauest thē vntounto me. That an other hath not the same, it hurteth or hindereth him nothing at all. For he hath thee as merciful god vntounto him, as I hauehave: oh, why thē shold I despise him? Such humilitie doth christ require in this gospel, & yt aboue al thīgs we shold eschew pride (disdainfulnes, arrogācie, & hautinesse of mīde For this is ones decreed: He yt exalteth himselfe, shalbe brought lowe, god did not forgeue his owne peculier people, but suffred them to be destroyed for their prides sake, Many other greate kyngdomes also hauehave fallen and come to ruine for the same faulte. Lucifer because of his pride was caste downe from the highe heauens vntounto the depe dongeon of hell fyre. Adam and Eue for the same vice were cast out of Paradise. Therefore consider diligently, that it is thy parte thus to saye: O Lorde, whatsoeuer I hauehave, it is thine. Thou mayst take it again from me at whatsoeuer tyme it pleaseth thee. By this meanes shalte thou eschewe pride, cease to despise other, and leane to a sure ancker. For who will truste vntounto that, whiche is vncertein? He that despiseth this order, and lyke a madde man goeth forth to bragge and boste himselfe as though whatsoeuer he hath, were his owne, and came not from GOD: he heareth here his iudgement, which is, that God will take from him all such gyftes as he hath and geue him his portion in that lake that burneth with fyre and brimstone, from the whiche the Lorde defend vsus all. GOD for his mercies sake geue vsus grace to acknowledge his gyftes. And with all humilitie to thancke and praise hym for them, and so in this worlde to walke worthy his kyndnes, that in the worlde to come we maye enioye lyfe euerlastynge thorowe hym, whyche is the true lyfe, euen Christ Iesus our Lord: to whome with God the father and the holye ghost be all honour, glorie, and praise both now and euer. Amen.