Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 56
The .xiii. Sonday after Trinitie. ¶The Gospell. Luke. x.
HAppye are the eyes whiche see the thinges that ye see. For I tell you that manye prophetes and kinges hauehave desired to see those thinges whiche ye see, and hauehave not seene them, and to heare those things which ye heare, and hauehave not heard them. And behold a certaine lawyer stode vp, and tempted him, saying: Maister, what shall I do to inherite eternall lyfe? He sayde vntounto him, what is written in the lawe? howe readest thou? And he aunswered, and saide: LoueLove the Lorde thy God with all thy harte, and with al thy soule, and with all thy strength and with all thy mynde, and thy neyghboure as thy selfe. And he sayd vntounto hym: Thou hast aunswered right. This do, and thou shalt liue. But he wyllyng to iustifie him selfe saide vntounto Iesus: And who is my neyghbour? Iesus aunswered and sayde: A certaine man descended from Ierusalem to Hierico, and fell amonge thieues, whiche robbed hym of his rayment, and wounded him, and departed, leauynge hym halfe deade. And it chaunced, that there came downe a certaine priest that same waye, and when he sawe him, he passed by. And likewise a Leuite, when he went nye to the place, came and loked on him, and passed by. But a certayne Samaritane, as he iourneyed, came vntounto hym, and when he sawe him, he had compassion on him, and went to, and bounde vp his woundes, and powred in oyle and wine, and sett hym on his owne beast, and brought hym to a common Inne, and made prouision for hym. And on the morowe when he departed, he toke out two pence, and gaue them to the host, and said vntounto him: Take cure of him, and what soeuer thou spendest more, when I come agayne, I wyll recompence thee. Whiche nowe of these three thynkeste thou, was neyghbour vntounto hym that fell amonge the thieues? And he saide vntounto him: He that shewed mercye on hym. Then sayde Iesus to hym: Go and do thou lykewyse.
THE EXPOSITION.
THys gospel is long. Therfore we wyll selecte and chose out of it one or two partes thereof, whyche wee maye remember, and fele the fru…ct and swetnesse thereof. The fyrst part is, that Christ greatly extolleth and auanceth hys woorde and Gospell,The fyrste parte of the gospell. and turnyng hym selfe vntounto his Disciples, he sayd vntounto them: Blessed are the eies, which se the things that ye do se. For I say vntounto you, many Prophetes and kynges woulde hauehave seene the thynges whyche ye doo see, and they hauehave not seene them, and hauehave hearde the thynges whych you heare, and they hauehave not heard them. By this Christs mynd is to confirme and strengthen vsus agaynst the miserie, whiche we see in the worlde,The worlde despyseth the gospell of christe. for asmuche as nothyng is more vile and more despised in this wicked worlde, then the Gospell. For the worlde can abyde and heare all other doctrines, lyes, and heresies: but as for the Gospell, it wyll neyther see it, nor heare it: yea, the worlde blasphemeth it, and persecuteth it moste cruelly, and vexeth them with all kynde of tormentes that professe it, as there hath bene great store of examples before certaine yeares (the more pitie) in this realme of Englande, and yet is in dyuers places of the worlde.
Thys seeth Christe, and therefore hee comfortethe his disciples, and sayth: The world blasphemeth the Gospell, but hee that is so wyse as to heare it, hathe blessed and happy eares, and is most indebtedly bounden to geue god thanks therfore, that he is made partaker thereof, and so he may worthily magnifye that, whyche the worlde dothe so contemptuously handle, and so spitefully entreate. For this is moste certayne, that ye are happier and more blessed then Dauid, and other kynges, For thys was al theyr desyre, that they myghte lyue in that tyme, when they myghte see me wyth theyr bodylye eyes, beholde my myracles, and heare my Sermons. But that theyr desyre coulde they not obtayne. For the full tyme, that GOD hadde appoynted frome euerlastynge, was not yet come. In spirite, and with the eyes of theyr Faithe they sawe mee, my commynge into the fleshe, my byrthe, my passion, my deathe, my Resurrection, my Ascension. &c. and greately reioyced.Note well. But vntounto you, it is geuen to see me in the fleshe, to beholde my myracles, and also to heare my Sermons. Therfore see, that ye be thankfull to God, that suche felicitie is chaunced vntounto you, that ye may both heare and see me.
For our state is so miserable▪ and specially when we are without the Gospell,They are most miserable whiche hauehave not the knowlege of the gospell. that by lytle and litell errors crepe in, yea errour vponupon errour is heaped, so that ther is almost no ende of errours and heresies, in so muche that very hardly many tymes we canne defende oure selues agaynst them, as alas (for sorowe) we had experience hereof to muche in the tyme of the Papacie. For at the last the matter came to this poynt, that the deuyll was taken for a preacher, and credite was geuen vntounto hym, whatsoeuer he fayned by his busy wicked spirites and moste vayne and lyeng preachers, as touchyng Masse, pylgremages, purgatory, pardons, and suche lyke trumperie. And euen so is at in all places, where soeuer the worde is not. Errours and lies are there receaued and beleued: And then is this the opinion also, that yt is the way vntounto saluation, where as in dede it leadeth streyght vntounto hell, and to the dyuell. But on the contrarye parte, if the Gospell be present, so great madnesse reigneth in the world, that very fewe receaue it. Therfore I maye well and truely saye, that the state of vsus men is moste myserable and harde. If God denyeth vsus his worde, we can not be without the destruction of oure soules. If he geue it vsus, all the world refuseth it: so that it were beste for men, that God woulde haste his commynge vntounto the iudgement, and shortly make an ende of this wicked, wretched, synnefull worlde. For thys vnthankefulle worlde is neuer the better, whether God sendeth vntounto it punyshementes or benefites, so truely is it sayd of S. Iohn:1. Iohn. 5. All the worlde is sette vponupon wyckednes.
And this is the fyrste thynge wherof Christ complayneth here: which is, that he offereth and geueth to the worlde his worde, and with that remission of synnes: and yet is the worde despised and set naught by. Therfore he turneth hymselfe to his Disciples, and sayth: ye are blessed, whiche hauehave the worde of God, and heare it, and that ye dyed not before it was reueled & brought to light. I say vntounto you, that moste mightie and puissant Kyngs, and most worthie Prophetes also would gladly hauehave liued in this time, and hauehave both sene and heard these thinges. And yet (such is the wickednes of the worlde) whereas it may hauehave now plentie and abundaunce of so noble thynges: it regardeth them not. Let not this wickednes of the worlde trouble you, but so behaue your selues, that ye be not voyde of so greate grace, but that ye maye take fruite therof. Christ in this place (as it manifestly appeareth) intendeth to commende and set foorth his worde, to make men desirous of it, and not to contemne and despise it, as the maner of the worlde is, and as we see in all degrees both highe and lowe. They that can not persecute the Gospell, despise it. The lessest parte of the worlde receaueth it with thanckes geuinge, and so amende their liues. But they that thus do, are onelyonly blessed and happy. For they hauehave blessed eares and eyes, whiche is the great and merciful gyfte of God. And this is the firste part of oure Gospell.
In the other parte CHRIST putteth foorth the fruite of the Gospell (that is) good workes, whiche ought to ensue when Gods worde is preached. This doth he describe wyth a playne example, of a certaine man whiche as he descended from Ierusalem. Chaunced vponupon robbers, of the whiche after that he was beaten and robbed he was lefte halfe dead. And it chaunced that a Prieste wente that waye, whiche seynge hym, passed by and was nothynge moued to helpe hym. Lykewyse the Leuite that came after the Prieste, had no regarde vntounto hym. At laste came the Samaritan, whiche had no holye name, but was a gentile, neyther was he any kyn at al to that wretched man that was a Iewe. For he came not of the same stocke as the Prieste and Leuite dyd, but was a stranger. He seeth this miser and is greued with his misfortune, he goeth downe of his beaste, he poureth oyle and wyne into his wondes, he byndeth them vp, and putteth hym on his beaste: He walketh on fote hymselfe, and carrieth the wonded man into an Inne. And wheras he could not tarrie longe ther for his busines, he committeth hym to his hoste, and geueth monye to ouersee hym vntill he retourneth.
What maner of men the gospell makethe.This is the second picture, in the which Christ peinteth the frutes of the worde and Christian charitie, (that is) that the worde doth make suche men, as this Samaritan is, that is, gentle, mercifull, whiche despise not other men in their calamitie, but when they see them, bestow their goodes on them, & helpe them with all that they can. I speake here of the poore and nedie, which are not lewde, as the most part of beggars be, that of purpose seketh gaynes after this sorte, and will not take monie to serue, eyther to helpe the sycke, or to do anie other thyng, that they can do: to such must nothing be geuen. But wheras be nedie persones in dede, there doth a Christian minde behaue hymself after the example of this Samaritan, and thinketh: this poore man is my neyghbour, he is a man made of bodye & soule, as I am, yea he hath the same God as I hauehave: Wherfore he is more nigh vntounto me in kyn, then a brute beast, or than ye deuil. Wherfore I do not wel, if I forsake hym. He embraceth hym as his brother & leaste he shoulde perishe without helpe, he taketh compassion of him, as a father. And these are ye true saints.
But other stonie hearted saintes hath no naturall pitie toward the wretched, but are men of excedynge great chorlishenes. For this they thincke, that God is therwith delighted if he serue them, and therfore they thinke yt they are not bounde to helpe other, as this prieste doth. He was an holy one for his office & kyn, but what doth Christe pronounce of him? euen that when he sawe that miserable man, he passed by.The opinion of holines puffethe men vp with pride and makethe the vnmercifull. Truly these are mischeuous holy ones, that seeth their neighbours in perill, and may helpe them, and yet will not. Wherunto then is it lyke that they truste and maintaine their pride? Truely to no other thynge then their owne holines, wheras they thynke, when they hauehave sayde Masse, done sacrifice, songe, and suche lyke, that they hauehave done ynoughe, and that they nede not to do an ynche more then theyr prescripte. Suche are stonie sainctes, yea rather deuelishe Sainctes, whiche seme to counte GOD for their dettour, and that they owe nothynge to any man.
Againste this monsterous kynde of sainctes maketh this parable. For CHRIST in this place is moued by the example of a proud hypocrite, which steppeth foorth, to declare howe greate his Godlines is, and thyncketh this surelye with himselfe, that if CHRIST knewe of his righteousnes, he woulde not speake a worde of suche matters in his presence. Which thinge he meaneth, when he saith: Maister what shall I do, to obtayne euerlastynge life? Christe will not aunswere hym, and he sayth, Aske thy selfe, what is written in the lawe? Howe dost thou read? The lawyer hath foorth with to answere, and sayth: thou shalte louelove GOD wyth all thy hearte, &c. And thy neyghbour as thy selfe. For he counteth, both these thinges an easie matter to do. Christe sayth, do this and thou shalte lyue. By this is the lawyer confounded. For he is not so bold as to saye, he had done it. Wherfore he commeth foorth with an other question & sayth: Who is my neyghbour? As though he should saye: I knowe no man, to whome I owe any succoure: But rather I know very many, whiche ought to do me seruice, because I am an holy man.
The laweyer.But here doth CHRIST rise against hym with all vehemence, in this parable of the wounded man & sayth. The prieste sawe hym and passed by, and also the Leuite, both are iuste by thy example. The Samaritane is moued with merciemercy, and helpeth the miserable man. Tel thou therfore who was ye neighbour to this wounded man? The lawyer answered, he that shewed merciemercy vntounto him. Yea & he of pride despised ye name of a Samaritan. So doth Christ reuenge hym and saith, Go & do like wise. As though he should say: Thou art holy after the exāple of the priest & Leuite, thou hast no pitie on thy neyghbour althoughe he be in perill of lyfe, and yet thou askest, what thou mayst do to get euerlasting lyfe. Be not thy nedie frindes & and miserable men thy neyghbours? Is not there miserie and wretchednes ynough in the worlde? And yet dost thou beyng so great a doctour doubt, who is thy neyghbour? away with this trifeling. Yf thou wilt be counted holy, do as this Samaritan dyd. He setteth foorth this boster well in his colours. For the plaine meaning of this is nothing els, then that this lawyer is not yet come to this degree of holines, that this Samaritan had attained vntounto.
Wherefore all the matter hangeth on this,What it is to louelove god. that we learne what it is for a man to louelove god, and his neighbour as himselfe. LoueLove GOD: is no hard sayinge. For he hath no nede of our seruice. And yet, if his person were present, it woulde then euidently appeare ynough, who loued him, and who woulde put himselfe and al his in danger for his sake. But he sheweth vsus not his person to see and to vse our seruice presently, as other men do, that are conuersant with vsus. Wherfore if thou wilt know who loueth god, consider how children honor their parents, howe seruants obey their masters, howe the ministers of the churche are handled, then shal ye vnderstand, who loueth god, and who doth not. For children hauehave this commandement & worde from god: Honor thy father and mother. But they say, I let passe my father and mother, and will honour and louelove thee,Exod. 20. which art God in heauen. Do not God saye, thou hast my commandement set forth, wherfore if thou louelove me, thou must louelove & honour thy parentes also, and obey them in all things. And this is the true louing of god. But what do they? Children would hauehave their parents awaye,To louelove god is to kepe his commaundementes that they might lyue masterlesse. Wherefore this must nedes be true that they louelove not God. So is it also in other kyndes of life. Princes hath in their offices officers, they charge them to do their deutie diligently. If thou aske whether they louelove God, all will say: yea, and that they hauehave no cause to hate God. Well I graunt that. But answer: why shewest thou no obedience and fidelitie to thy kynge? If thou louest god with all thy hearte, thou wouldest be more faithfull vntounto thy Kyng, and wouldest do thy office with more diligence. So is there no seruaunt in any house so farre paste shame, that will suffer this to be sayed by hym, that he hateth God, and louelove hym not. But what doth the louing of god signifie? doth it not signifie, to kepe Gods commandement and worde? As Christ also saith: If any man louelove me he shal kepe my worde. For if thou louest God, thou canst not despise his commandements. But what commandement geueth god to seruāts? Or what doth seruantes promise their maisters? doth not GOD require that? And they do promise also meat and drynke with wages,Iohn. 14. and for that cause maketh a couenant, that they shold be faythfull in doynge suche seruice, as belonge to the house, and shew obedience in their seruice. And for this cause also are they called seruants, because they serue the housholde by their seruice, and helpe them that hauehave families with their labour and seruice. But where be any suche in housholdes? Yea rather there is almost no greater disobedience, negligence, pride, then amongest suche. Ye and here I let passe the pickynge and stealynge of many of them. Wherfore they louelove not GOD, they hate GOD and care not for his worde, or els they woulde shewe more diligence in their seruice. But at last they shall be rewarded for theyr vngodlines, and lyue all the tyme of their lyfe with the curse of GOD in miserie and beggerie.
But as touchynge the pastours and ministers of the Churche, it is no nede in this place to make longe rehersall. The matter is plaine, howe they are handled of rulers, husbandmen and of their neyghbours, craftes men and courtyers, so that almost they that kepe hogges are more set by. But the commandement of GOD is straight, that they shoulde be counted worthie of louelove & honor, and that nothynge should be denied them, that is dewe vntounto them. As it appeareth in Malachie,Malach. 3. Matth. 10. Luc. …0. and Christe hymselfe sayth also: eueryevery workeman is worthie of his wages. Wherfore as thou maiste not denie thy seruant his wages because he is euil: So must not thou defraud thy pastour and curate because he is euill. If Gods commandement moue thee not, be thou sure of this punishement, that thy corne, beastes and other things shall proue ill, and thou shalte louse more therby, than euer thou tokest from thy pastor and minister. Whereby it is euident, that the worlde not onelyonly loueth not GOD, but that it is full of hatered towarde GOD. And the condition semeth almost tollerable, not to louelove GOD, if it would not hate hym. But all deny this crime. But in dede this is very hatynge of God, when thou art stubburne against thy parents, Lordes, & Officers, and when thou doste not that, that God commaunde thee. For this is his commaundement, that thou shouldest obey, and by obedience honour them, this commandement doste thou hate. For thou canst not find in thy hearte to do it, and thou doste refuse to hear hit. Who will say than, but that thou hateste god? This do al men crake that they louelove god, but wher as they heare commonly to be gods commandement, that they should flee couetousnes, exercise vpright bargeining, & auoid auarice, the more that these thinges are beaten into them by comon sermons, so muche the more stuburnely they go againste it. What nede that prieste care (say they) what I do with my goodes? Will he take vponupon him to rule me? If this belongeth not vntounto the prieste, it belongeth to god. He wil surely reuenge it, when he shall see his time, by pestilence, famine, and other mischeifes of fyre and water, &c.
This shall take from thee, neither shall they knowlege any benefite therin: Wheras thou if thou were a Christian, mightest get fauour before God and man, and fele and perceaue all thy goodes to encrease. Wherfore it cōmeth to passe, that the Pope, the Byshoppes, and tyraunts, but also townes men, rustikes, noble men and yomen, do not only not heare, but also moue persecution againste gods worde. For they ought to geue honour vntounto gods worde, to obey it, to fynde the ministers of the churche that, that is dew vntounto them. But they are more redie to catch that from them that they hauehave, then to geue them more, and then they stande in their owne conceites, as though they did well.
Wherfore this lesson ought to be borne wel awaye: He that hath the worde, ought also to louelove god, (that is) he ought to know, what workes god requireth of hym, and obey hym and say: Lord Iesu Christ, thou hast opened mine eyes to see and know, howe thou hast deliuered men from death and syn by thy death, and hast made me heier of the kyngdome of heauen, & of euerlasting lyfe. I geue thee thanckes for so great, a grace, & will gladly do again all that thou requirest of me. Thou commandest me by thy precepte, that I shall honour my father and mother, and I will do it gladly and with all my heart. Thou gauest me charge that I shold serue my master faythfully and with all my heart. I will do my worke diligently, and with all obedience. I will not refuse to do thy cōmandement. Thou haste made me a mother, and houswyfe ouer a familie, I will well regard thy precepte, and will rather bestow my lyfe, then not regard my children and familie, and see to them with al diligence, that they be not seduced. This is the very fruite that ought to procede of the wo…de. And it is not possible but god must nedes rewarde such Christian men.To louelove god is to louelove thy neyghbour. But here let eueryevery man, trye inwardly with hymselfe, how greatly he loueth god. For to louelove god consisteth not only in the thoughtes, as the Monkes beleue, but to louelove god is as Christe sayth in an other place to louelove thy neyghbour. For so sayth god: If thou wilt louelove me: do this for my sake to thy father and mother, children & wife, husband and Lord: This do I require of thee. And consider diligently whether thou dost so, then shalte thou fynde out, whether thou louest god or hate him. For they are only Christian men, that hath the worde of God, and louelove Christ. These do say: I will gladlye and with all my heart do for my neyghbour, that, that thou hast commanded me. But if I shall be now and then preuented with anger, impacience, and such like, then can he not please me, but I will amende. Christians do this,The vnkindenes of the worlde. but they that are not Christians do it not. Wherfore this must nedes be true, that Citizens, husbande men, children, seruantes, officers, subiects, commonly belonge vntounto the deuill. For they hate god, and care not for his commandement. And wheras he made them, gaue them bodie & soule, founde thē their liuinge, and gaue his only begotten sonne, whiche is greatest of al: They for all this synge hym this song: euē, hatred. And if they could, they would thrust hym out of heauen. Suche is the louelove they beare to God & his worde. Go to now and bost of thy louelove towarde God and his worde, wher as thou art so ful of hatred. And contrariwise louest him shewest obedience vntounto him, whiche is to vsus the cause of death and sinne, in whome thou hast also thy hole delight, being vtterly disobedient to God? Wherfore the worlde generally doth shew obedience only to the deuil, which is cheifly delighted with the hatred of God, & whā that is not done that god hath cōmanded, this enemie maketh vsus subiect to sin & to death. And if he could at this present houre corrupte all vitall, he wold gladly do it. Yet are we obediēt to suche an enemie, which is so much geuē to seeke our destruction. And in the meane time, we suffer all yt to be voide & frustrat, which is put forth to vsus of god, yt gaue vsus all thinges, & in especial his son & with him euerlasting lif, & we cast away his cōmādemēt. Who therfore may not praise gods righteousnes. if he minister to vsus that are disobedient, all kinde of plages?The samaritans louelove towardes god. Wherfore leaue, what it is to louelove god. The Samaritan loueth god, not in that he geueth him any thinge, but because he helpeth the miserable wonded man, for his power. For this saith God. If thou wilt louelove me and serue me, do that for thy neyghbour, that hath nede, I hauehave no nede. Wherfore this Samaritan, is redie to serue God whiche is in heauen with his monie, beast, wine and oyle. Not because God nedeth it for his owne person, or because he doth this for GOD, but he doth it for his neyghbour. But therfore is it taken as done to GOD, because God, commanded it. He commanded not this, to go a pilgrimage to Rome, or to sainct Iames, or to buylde monasteries, or any suche lyke thynge. But this is his will that we should helpe one an other. It is no nede (saith he) to seeke me at Rome, thou shalte finde me at home, with thy wyfe, children, familie, Lord,God is eueryevery where and in all places a lyke present. maiestrate, and also in thy neyghbours house, in the stretes, in the market place, and eueryevery wher. And howe can he make hymselfe more nighe vntounto thee? But the deuill casteth a darke myste ouer the worlde, that it can not see, what it is to louelove God and to hate the deuill. Wherfore we muste learne this with all diligence.
This Samaritan, loke what care woulde hauehave done and what beneuolence he would hauehave shewed to his owne bodye being in lyke perill, the very same he doth to his neyghbour, & hath dew cōmendation, for that he loueth GOD and his neyghbour. This must be learned, to the entent, that thou do it also. For this fruite muste nedes folowe them, that hauehave the worde. If it do not folowe, they are no Christian men in dede: As this priste and Leuite, whiche are sainctes, without any felynge or affection. For he that passeth by his neyghbour, passeth by GOD. Wherfore beware of the example of the worlde which hateth, both GOD and his neyghbour. But do you for all men. All that ye can. And GOD wil surely recompence it.
But if thou wilte not louelove god, but passe by thy neyghbour in his perill, thou shalte not escape vnpunished for so doinge. Whiche thinge be thou sure of.
And this is the second doctrine out of this gospell. but Christ by this parable woulde signifie also, what benefit he hath bestowed on vsus men, & how we may tast the true frute therof. For we miserable men hauehave fallen vponupon moste cruell robbers by sin, wherby death and the deuill, hath power vponupon vsus. which hath not only spoyled and rifled vsus of all spiritual giftes, which God gaue vsus, but hath also beaten and wonded vsus: that is to saye, by synne are we cast hedlonge into all kynd of miseries.Rom. Gal. Iobn. In this might we perishe, for any helpe that we can hauehave of the prieste and Leuite. For they passe by & geue no helpe to that miser. For by the lawe is no man iustified and made righteous, neither deliuered from sinne. But at last cōmeth the Samaritan euen Christ Iesus our Lord, whome his owne people would not receaue, but counted hym for a Samaritan. He is moued with our mischance, he washeth our wondes with wyne, and poureth in the helthfull oyle of his grace, he taketh to cure oure sinnes, and beareth them in his bodye, and bringeth vsus into the true Inne, that is, into the holy church, and ther chargeth the host to take cure of vsus. They are the ministers and teachers of the worde. But manie of them, as it appeareth in the Pope, the Byshoppes and suche like, regarde the charge but litle, that the churche may be an hostrie and Inne, the steward wherof is lewde without faythfulnes & humanitie, and the sicke men are but coursly handled. For they should teache the worde of God, but they persecute it, they shold brynge men to Christ that they might so be deliuered frō syn, but they drowne them the more depely in synne. And yet we know that Christ doth not whollie caste awaye this hostrie and Inne. Yf the Pope and Byshops will not teache vprightly let them do it to their owne peril, which thei shal fele at last, yet in the meane time Christ raiseth vp certein persons of low degree, despised, and abiecte, which professe his worde, & take cure of the poore and miserable, that they may recouer their health, that they may obtaine through the gospel, remission of sin and euerlasting life. For without this worde is it vnpossible to gete such a great thing. Wherfore we maye well geue thanckes vntounto God for this great benefit, and pray him, that he will preserue and continew vsus in such grace and saue vsus for euer.
Amen.