Exposition Upon Matthew 27(1), Matthew 5 · Verse 5 – Verse 7
To be mercyful what …t is.To be mercyfull, is to hauehave compaſſyon and to feale a nother mannes deſeaſe, and to mourne with them that mourne, and ſoffer with them that ſoffer, and to helpe and ſocoure them that are in trybulacyon and aduerſyte, and to comforte them with good councell and wholſome inſtruccyon and louynge wordes. And to be mercyfull, is louyngly to forgeue them that offended the aſſone as they knowledge theyr myſdoynge and axe the mercy. To be mercefull / is pacyently longe to abyde the conuerſyon of ſynners with a luſty courage and hope that God wyl at the laſt conuerte them, and in the meane tyme to praye inſtauntlye for them, and euer when he ſeythe an occaſyon / to exhorte them, warne them / monyſhe them and rebuke them. And to be mercyfull / is to enterprete all to the beſt. & to loke thorowe the fyngers at many thynges and not to make a greuous ſynne of eueryevery ſmall tryfle / and to ſoffer and forbere in hys owne cauſe the malyſe of them that wyll not repente nor be a knowen of theyr wekednes, as longe as he can ſoffer it, and as longe as it ought to be ſoffred, and when he can no lenger, then to complayne to them that hauehave auctoryte to forbyde wronge and to punyſhe ſuche euell doers.
But the ypocrytes clene contrary condempne all them for greuous ſynners,Monkes ſaue them onelyonly that bye theyr holynes of them, And becauſe they wyll ſoffer with no man, they get them to ſylence. And becauſe they wyll helpe no man …ll that they hauehave (they ſaye) partayneth to the couent and is none of theyrs.Couent· And yf they be offended, they wyll be aduenged immedyatly. And to cloke, that they ſhulde not ſeme to aduenge them ſelues, the mater (ſaye they) pa…tayneth to God and holy churche, or to ſome ſaynte or to one or other holye thynge, as if thou ſmyte one of them on the one cheke, he wyll turne to hym the other yer he wyll aduenge hym ſelfe.Oyle. Holy oyl… muſt be aduenged. But the iniurye of the holye Oyle wherewith he was anoynted, that muſte he aduenge, and that with a ſpyrytuall punyſhmente / that thou muſte be accurſed as blacke as a colyer and delyuered to Sathan. And yf thou come not in and axe abſolucyon and offer thy ſelfe to penaunce and to paynge therto, they wel not ſoffer tyll the deuell fetche the. But wyll delyuer the to the fyer in the meane tyme. And al for zele of ryghtwyſnes (ſay they.)
…ele of …yghtwyſ…es what …t is.O ypocrytes / the Zele of ryghtwyſnes is to hongre and thryſte for ryghteouſnes, as it is aboue deſcrybed, that is, to care and ſtudy and to do the vttermoſte of thy power, that all thynges went in the right courſe and due order bothe thorowe all degrees of the temporalty and alſo of the ſpyrytualty, and to Ieoperde lyfe and goodes theron.
Care howe …e ſpiritual …are for ye …ēporal co…ē wealthAl the worlde can beare recorde what payne ye take and howe ye care for the temporall comune welthe, that all degrees therin dyd and had theyr dutye, and howe ye put your lyues in aduenture to preache the truthe, and to enforme lordes and prynces and to cry vponupon them to feare God and to be lerned, and to mynyſter theyr offyces trulye vntounto theyr ſubiectes, and to be mercyfull and an exſample of vertue vntounto them / And howe helpe ye that youthe were brought vppe in lernynge and vertue / and that the pore were prouyded for of fode & rayment &c. And howe prouyde ye that your preſtes be al lerned, and preache and do theyr dutyes truly eueryevery man in his paryſhe? howe prouyde ye that ſectes aryſe not to poole the people and leade them out of the waye vnderunder a coloure of longe praynge and ypocretyſhe holynes, liuynge them ſelues ydle and beynge vtterlye vntounto the comenwealthe improfytable? who ſmelleth not the ſwete odoure of chaſtyte that is amonge you? what ryghtuouſnes is in youre ſanctuaryes, and what indyfferent equyte is in al youre exempcyons, pryueleges and lybertyes? By your workes we Iudge you and youre Zele to ryghtuouſnes. and not by youre ſophyſtycall ſottle reaſons, with whiche ye wolde clawe our eares, bleare our eyes and begyle our wyttes, to take your tyrannous couetous crudelyte for the Zele of ryghtuouſnes.
Fynally he that wyll not be mercyfull, to be bleſſed of God and to obtayne mercye of hym bothe here and in the lyfe to come, let hym be accurſed with the vnmercyfull and to hym be iudgement without mercy / accordyng to the wordes of ſaynt Iames in the ſeconde chapter of his Epyſtle.
Bleſſed be the pure in harte, for they ſhall ſe God.
That whiche entreth in to a man defyleth not a man. But the thynges that defyle a man / proceade fyrſte out of his harte / as thou mayſte ſe Mat. xv. Thence come out euell thoughtes ſayeth (Chryſte) as murther / adultrye, fornycacyon, thefe, falſe wytneſſynge and blaſphemyes, Theſe are the thynges which make a man fowle A man then is not fowle in the ſyghte of God,The fylthynes of the harte what tyll his harte be fowle. And the fylthynes of the harte are thoughtes that ſtudy to breake goddes commaundementes,The purenes of the harte what. wherfore the purenes of the harte is the conſentynge and ſtudyous purpoſe to kepe the lawe of God and to mene truly in al thy wordes and workes, and to do thē with a true intent.
It foloweth then that thou mayſte be pure harted and therwith do all that God hathe commaunded or not forboden. Thou mayſte be pure harted and hauehave a wyfe and gette chyldren, be a iudge & condempne to deth them that hauehave deſerued it / hange or heed euell doers, after they be by a iuſte proceſſe condempned. Thou mayeſt be pure harted, & do al ye drudge in the world. Lot was pure harted amonge the Sodomytes. Nycodemus beynge in the councell amonge them that conſpyred the dethe of Ghryſt was pure harted and conſented not with them to the dethe of that innocent.
Yf the lawe be wryten in thyne harte it wyll dryue the to Chriſt, which is the ende of the lawe to iuſtefy al that beleue. Ro. x. And Chryſte wyll ſhewe the hys father, for no man ſeeth the father but the ſonne, and he to whome the ſonne wyll ſhewe hym Luke. 10. If thou beleue in Chryſte, that he is thy ſauyoure, that faythe wyl leade the in ymmedyatlye and ſhewe the God with a louely and an amiable countenaunce, and meke the feale and ſe howe that he is thy father, all mercyful to the and at one with the, and thou his ſon and hyghlye in hys fauoure and grace, and ſure that thou pleſeſte hym, when thou do eſte an hundred thynges whiche ſome holye people wolde ſuppoſe them ſelues defyled. yf they ſhulde but thynke on them. And to ſe God is the bleſſhynge of a pure harte.
Impure and vnclene harted then are all they that ſtudy to breke Goddes commaundementes, Impure harted are all that beleue not in Chryſte to be iuſtefyed by hym. Impure harted are al ypocrytes that do theyr worke for a falſe purpoſe ether for prayſe, profyte or to be iuſtyfyed therby, whiche paynted ſepulchers (as Chryſt calleth them) can neuer ſe God,Impure ha…ted who? or be ſure that they be in ſtate of grace and that theyr workes be accepte, becauſe they hauehave not Goddes worde with them, but clene agaynſt them.
Bleſſed are ye peacemakers, for they ſhalbe called the chyldren of God.
To enheryte thys blyſſynge,Peace ma…kyng wha… it is not only required that thou hauehave peace in thy ſelfe, and that thou take all to the beſte, and be not offended lyghtly and for eueryevery ſmall tryfle, and all waye redye to forgeue, not ſowe no dyſcorde nor aduenge thyne owne wronge. But alſo that thou be feruent and diligent to make peace and to go betwene. where thou knoweſt or hereſt malice & enuye to be, or ſeeſt bate or ſtryfe to aryſe betwene perſon and perſō, and that thou leue nothing vnſought, to ſet them at one.
And though Chryſte here ſpeke not of the temporall ſwerde, but techeth howe euerye man ſhal lyue for him ſelfe towarde his neyghboure / Prynces what they ought to do yer they make war▪yet Prynces (yf they wyll be Goddes chyldren) muſte not only geue no cauſe of warre nor begyn but alſo (thoughe he hauehave a iuſt cauſe) ſoffer hym ſelfe to be entreated, yf he that gaue the cauſe repent, and muſte alſo ſeke all wayes of peace before he fyght. Howe be it, when al is ſought, and nothynge wyll helpe, then he ought & is boūde to defende his lande and ſubiectes, and in ſo doynge he is a pece maker, as wel as whē he cauſeth theues and murtherers to be puniſhed for theyr euell doynge and brekynge of the comon peace of hys lande and ſubiectes.
If thou hauehave peace in thy ſelfe and loueſt the peace of thy brethern after this maner, ſo is god thorowe Chryſte at peace with the, and thou hys beloued ſonne and heyre alſo.
¶ Moreouer if the wrōge done to the, be greter then thou mayſt beare, as when thou art a perſon not for thy ſelfe only. But in reſpecte of other, in what ſoeuer worldly degre it be, & haſt an offyce cōmytted the, then (when thou haſte warned with al good maner him that dyd it, and none amēdement wilbe had) kepe peace in thyne harte and louelove him ſtyl, and complayne to them that are ſet to reforme ſuche thynges, and ſo art thou yet a peace maker and ſtyll the ſonne of God, But yf thou aduenge thy ſelfe or deſyreſte more then that ſuche wronge be forboden, thou ſynneſt agaynſt God,…engeaūce …artayneth …o God …nely. in takyng the auctoryte of god vponupon the with out hys commaundement. God is father ouer all, and is of ryght Iudge ouer al hys chyldren, and to him only pertayneth all aduengynge, who therfore without his cōmaundement aduengeth ether with harte or hande / the ſame dothe caſt him ſelfe into the handes of the ſword and loſeth the ryght of hys cauſe.
And on the other ſyde, curſed be the peace breakes, picquarels, whyſperers, backebyters ſowers of dyſcorde, dyſprayſers of them that he good to brynge them out of fauore, interpreters to euell that is done for a good purpoſe, fynders of faultes wher none is, ſterers vp of princes to batayle and warre, & aboue al curſed be they that faſly bely the true prechers of goddes word to brynge them into hate, and to ſhede theyr bloude wrongfully for hate of the truth, For all ſuche are the chyldren of the deuel.