Exposition Upon Matthew 27(1), Matthew 5 · Verse 10
ye be the ſalt of the erthe. But yf the ſalt be waxen vnſauery, what can be ſalted therewith, It is henceforth nothynge worthe. But to be caſte out and to be troden vnderunder fote of men.
The offyce of an Apoſtle and true preacher is to ſalt… not only the corrupte maners and conuerſacyons of erthye people / but alſo the roten harte within and all that ſpryngeth out therof / theyr naturall reſon / theyr wyll / theyr vnderſtandyng and wyſdome / ye and theyr fayth and beleue and all that they hauehave ymagyned without Goddes worde, concernynge ryghtuouſnes iuſtifyenge / ſatyſfaccyon and ſercynge of God. And the nature of ſalt is to byte / frete & make ſmart. And the ſycke pacientes of thys worlde are meruelous impacyent, ſo that thoughe with greate payne they can ſuffer theyr groſſe ſynnes to be rebuked vnderunder a faſſyon / It is a ieopardous thynge to ſalte ypocryſye.as in a parable a farre of, yet to hauehave theyr ryghtuouſnes theyr holynes and ſeruynge of God and hys ſayntes / dyſalowed / improued / and condemned / for damnable and deuely ſhe / that maye they not abyde In ſo moche that thou muſte leaue the ſaltynge or els be prepared to ſuffer agayne, euen to be called a rayler / ſedicyous / a maker of dyſcorde and a troubeler of the comon peace, ye a ſcyſmatyke and an heretyke alſo / and to be lyed vponupon that thou haſt done ſayde that thou neuer though teſt / and then to be called (coram nobis) and to ſynge a newe ſonge and forſwere ſaltynge or els to be ſēt after thy felowes that are gone before / and the waye thy mayſter went.
Salt who is mete to ſalte.True preachynge is a ſaltynge that ſtereth vppe perſecucyon, and an offyce that no man is mete for ſaue he that is ſeaſoned hym ſelfe before with pouertye in ſpyryte / ſoftenes / mekenes / pacyence / mercyfulnes / purenes of harte and honger of ryghtuouſnes and longynge for perſecucyon to / and hathe al hys hope / comfort and ſolace in the bleſſynge only / & in no wordly thynge,
Nay wyll ſome ſay / a man myght preche longe ynough without perſecucyon / ye and get fauoure to / yf he wolde not meldle with the pope / byſhopes / prelates and holye goſty people that lyue in contemplacyon and ſolytarynes nor with greate men of the worlde. I anſwere / true preachyng is ſaltynge and al that is corrupt muſte be ſalted. And thoſe perſones are of all other moſt corrupt, & therfore may not be lefte vntouched.
The popes perdones muſte be rebuked / the abuſe of the maſſe / of the ſacramenentes and of all the ceremonyes muſt be rebuked and ſalted. And ſellynge of merytes and of prayers muſt be ſalted. The abuſe of faſtinge and of pylgrimage muſt be ſalted. All ydolatrye and falſe faythe muſte be rebuked. And thoſe freres that teache men to beleue in ſaynt Fraunces cote / howe that they ſhall neuer come in hell or purgatorye / yf they be buryed therin / maye not be paſſed ouer with ſylence.
The payne and grefe of ſaltynge made monkes fle to theyr cloyſture.Monkes why thy ronne to cloyſtures Naye (ſaye they) we went thether of pure deuocyon to praye for the people. ye but for all that the more ye encreaſe and the more ye multyplye youre prayers / the worſe the worlde is. That is not oure faute (ſaye they) but theyrs / that they dyſpoſe not them ſelues but contynue in ſynne / and ſo are ynapte to receaue the influence of our prayers O ypocrytes yf ye were true ſalt and had good hartes and loued youre neyghboures (yf dead men be neyghboures to them that are a lyue) and wolde come out of youre dennes and take payne to ſalte and ſeaſon them, ye ſhulde make a greate many of them ſo apte, that your prayers myght take effecte. But nowe ſeynge as ye ſaye they be ſo vnſauery that your prayers be to them hem improfitable / though their goodes be to you profitable / and yet ye hauehave no compaſſion to come out and ſalt them / it is many feſte that ye louelove not them, not theyrs, and that ye praye not for them / but vnderunder the colour of praynge mocke them and robbe them.
Fynally ſalt which is the true vnderſtandynge of the lawe / of faythe / and of the entent of all workes / hathe in you loſt her vertue / nether be there any ſo vnſauery in the worlde as ye are / nor any that ſo ſore kycke againſt true ſaltyng as ye / and therfore to be caſte out and troden vnderunder fote & dyſpyſed of al mē / by the ryghtuous iudgement of God.
Spirytuallye / why they be dyſpyſed.Yf ſalt hauehave loſte hys ſaltnes, it is good for nothynge but to be troden vnderunder fote of men That is / yf the preacher which for his doctryne is called ſalt / hauehave loſte the nature of ſalt / that is to ſaye, hys ſharpenes in rebukynge all vnryghtuouſnes / al natural reaſon / natural wyt and vnderſtandynge / and all truſte and confydence in what ſo euer it be / ſaue in the bloude of Chryſt / he is condempned of God and dyſalowed of all them that cleaue to the truthe. In what caſe ſtande they then that hauehave benefyces and preache not? verely though they ſtande at the alter / yet are they excomunycate and caſt out of the lyuynge churche of almyghtye God. And what yf the doctryne be not true ſalte? verely then is it to be troden vnderunder fote.Ceremonyes muſte be ſalted. As muſte all wery ſhe and vnſauerye ceremonyes whiche hauehave loſte theyr ſygnyfycacyons, and not only teache not and are become vnprofytable and do no more ſeruyce to man. But alſo hauehave obtayned auctoryte as God in the harte of man, that man ſerueth them and putteth in them the truſt and confydence that he ſhuld put in God hys maker thorough Ieſus Chryſt hys redemer. Are the inſtytucyons of man better then Godes ye are Godes ordynaunces better nowe then in the olde tyme? The prophetes troden vnderunder fote and defyed the temple of God and the ſacrefyces of God and all ceremonyes that God had ordayned, with faſtynges and prayenges, and all that the people peruerted and comytted ydolatrye with. we hauehave as ſtrayte a commaundement to ſalte and to rebuke al vngodlyneſſe as had the prophetes. wyll they then hauehave theyr ceremonyes honorably ſpoken of, then let them reſtore them to the ryght vſe, and put the ſalt of the true meanyng and ſignyficacyons of them to them agayne. But as they be nowe vſed / none that loueth Chryſte can ſpeke honorably of them? what true Chryſten man can gyue honor to that / that taketh al honoure frō Chryſt? who can gyue honoure to that / that ſleyeth the ſoule of hys brother / and robbeth his herte of that truſte and confydence whiche he ſhulde gyue to hys lorde that hathe bought hym with hys bloude?