The Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, Part 3
Hitherto we hauehave intreated of the glorious Reſurrection of oure Lord, and nowe wil we ſpeake of hys Aſcention into heauen.
IEſus led hys Diſciples forth to Bethania, and gathered thē together in the ſame place, and ſpake vntounto them of the Kingdome of God, & cōmaunded them, that they ſhould not depart from Ieruſalem but to wayte for the promiſe of the Father, wherof (ſaide he) ye hauehave heard of me, how Iohn baptiſed with water, but ye ſhall be baptiſed with the holy ghoſte within theſe few dayes: when they therfore were come together, they aſked of him ſaying: Lord wilt thou at this time reſtore againe the kingdome of Iſrael? And he ſaid vntounto thē, It is not for you to know the tymes and ſeaſons, which the father hath put in his own power but ye ſhal receaue power, after the holy ghoſte is come vponupon you, & ye ſhalbe witneſſes vntounto me, not only in Ieruſalem, but olſo in al Iewry & Samaria, and euen to the endes of the earthe. Then the Lorde Ieſus after that he had ſpoken theſe things with them, he lifted vp his handes, & bleſſed them. And it came to paſſe, when he had bleſſed them, he departed frō thē, & whyle they behelde he was taken vp on hihg, & was caried vp in to heauen, and a clowde toke him vp frō theyr eyes, & ſetteth at the right hād of god: & while they loked ſtedfaſtly vp toward heauen, as he wēt beholde two men ſtode by them clothed in white garments which alſo ſaid, ye men of Galiley, why ſtād ye gaſyng vp into heauen? This ſame Ieſus which is taken vp from you into heauen ſhall ſo come, euen as ye hauehave ſene him go into heauen. And they worſhipped him & retourned to Ieruſalem with great ioy, frō the mount which is called Oliuete, which is from Ieruſalem a Sabaothes dayes iourney. And when they were come in, they went vp into a parler, where abode Peter and Iames, Iohn & Andrewe, Phillip and Thomas, Barthelmew and Mathew, Iames the ſonne of Alpheus, and Symon zelotes, and Iudas the ſonne of Iames. Theſe all continued wyth one minde in prayer & ſupplication with ye womē, and Mary the mother of Ieſus and with his brethren.
MArk doth compendiouſly & briefly touch all thinges deſcribing together things whiche were not done together. For he ſayeth, as the eleuen diſciples ſat at meat &c. It is moſt likely that Chriſt dayly appeared vntounto his Apoſtles all the whole forty dayes after his reſurrection & commaunded and preſcribed them an ordre wherby they ſhoud prech the Goſpel through out the whole world. This doth he put thē in memory of at his departure & more ſtrongly beat it into them. For to this end wer they choſen. Ther is no cauſe therfore why we ſhould vrge the letter, and draw this hiſtory of Mark only to the aſcētiō, but to the whol time that was betwene the reſurrectiō & aſcentiō of Chriſt. But nowe let vsus come nerer to the hyſtory, whych Luke hath in the actes: Luke deuideth his Goſpel into two partes.
In the firſt he deſcribeth what Chriſte did in his life time. In the latter he ſeteth forth what things were done after his aſcention: He ſpake vntounto thē of the kingdō of god. The kingdome of God is in a manner called the goſpell wherof he ſpake vntounto them fourty dayes continuallye,The kyngdome of god and commended vntounto them the preachinge therof: Chriſt therfore ſpeaketh vntounto them of the kyngdome of God, of the goſpell, of his grace, and of the mercy of god, and that out of the Scriptures namely of the law & of the prophets, as Luke ſayd before he opened theyr vnderſtāding in the ſcripturs: But with what word, or after what ſort he ſpake vntounto them, it is not here written but that may be gathered by theyr doctrine. The Apoſtles were choſen out by Chriſt to ſpread abroade the kyngdome of God, throughout the world, and to dilate & extēd the territories of the heauēly kingdō, but thei being yet after a ſort carnal, dream of a certein carnal kingdō & enquire therof acording to the iugemēt of the fleſh: which carnal opiniō of the reſtoring again of Iſrael ſticketh alſo yet at thys day in the Iewes & in ſome chriſtians. Chriſt in deede ſemeth ſomewhat to acknowledge the reſtoryng of Iſrael, when he ſayth. It is not for you to knowe the times and ſeaſons &c. Which Paule alſo declareth in the xi. to the Romaynes. But together therewith drawing thē frō theyr carnal ſenſe he ſpeaketh ſomewhat deeper of the kingdōe of god ſaying, but ye ſhal receaue the holy Ghoſt: As thogh he would ſaye, yt is your kingdōe to receaue ye ſprite of god by the which ye ſhalbe taght & led into the true knowledge of God, ſo that ye maye alſo teſtifye of the ſame before others: And ye ſhall preache of me alſo euen in that place, where ye forſooke me, fledde awaye and denyed me, ſo greate ſhall the power of the heauenuenly ſprite be. They had bene ſo long time cō uerſāt with Chriſt they had hard ſo many and ſo great thinges out of his moth, they had ſene ſo many myracles, and yet they reaſon of a certeyne carnal kingdome. They hoped that ſome body ſhould be ſēt which ſhould deliuer thē out of the power of the Romaines. The Lord doth ſtil reuoke them back to the ſprite. They were very weake ſtill as long as Chriſt was preſēt corporally with them, yea and then alſo when he beyng glorified was preſente with them after his reſurrection. There came therefore no ſtrengh to thē by the fleſh of Chriſt being corporally preſente, as he himſelfe teſtifieth. It was expedient for them, that he wente otherwiſe the ſpirite ſhoulde not come. He taketh therfore from his diſciples what ſoeuer is corporall and outward euen in him ſelfe▪ to affixe them wholye to the ſpirite of God. They had neade of a certaine other power from aboue, which Chriſt had promiſed them. Now therfore he repeteth ye promiſe,Iohn. 14. & cōmādeth thē not to depart from Ieruſalem, till the ſpirite were geuen them. Iohn (ſaith he) baptized you with water, water is the ſigne of doctrine and inſtruction. As though Chriſt would ſay, Iohn taught and enſtructed you after a ſorte, namely he brought you to me by the outward word and ſign, but that ſprite of God which I hauehave promiſed you, whom I will ſend, which ſhal come, and whome ye ought to loke for, he alſo ſhal baptiſe you within, that is, he ſhal teache you and enſtructe you more playnlye and perfectly: Ye are hitherto baptized with the baptiſme of Ihon (for the baptiſme of Iohn and Chriſte are all one, as touchynge the outwarde water and outwarde preachinge for euen as the preaching of the goſpell which was done by thapoſtles, is caled forgeuenes of ſins whiche longeth only to Chriſte, ſo alſo is the baptiſm of Iohn called Chriſts baptiſme that is, Iohn did the ſame by the commaundemēt and aucthority of Chriſt) but or euer it be lōg ye ſhalbe baptiſed with an other baptiſme, namely with the holy Ghoſt: The baptiſme therefore of the holye Ghoſte whereby faithe commeth followeth the baptiſm of water whiche I ſpeake to refel the error of the Anabaptiſtes: and in that it is called the baptiſme of Ihō, it is done, becauſe he dipped mē in water and taughte them by the commaundement of chriſt, which were both outward ſignes: And euē Ihō him ſelf doth teſtify yt of him ſelf ſaying that he only dippid men in water, but ther ſhuld come one after him which ſhud baptiſe with the ſpirite: The meaninge therefore of Chriſtes woordes is,Math …. All the thinges whiche hitherto were done outwardlye, as the water of Iohn, my doctrine, yea euen that breathing which when I roſe agayne I breathed vponupon you, are to weak to ſanctify, purge and ſtrēgthen you within, they were only ſignes of the holy ghoſt, which ye ſhal receaue moſt perfectly, ther be not a few, which euen now in theſe dayes ſeeke & follow onelyonly the fleſh in Chriſte and which thinke that they are ſanctified and purged by certayne outwarde ceremonies and ſignes: But theſe are but outward ſignes and ſo they continew, neyther can they moue any thynge in the harte of manne, excepte the powere and operation of the Spirite of God be ioyned thereunto: We muſt therefore moſte earneſtlye deſire that ſpirite at Gods handes which may draw vsus illuſtrate, confirme and make vsus perfect. This ſprite becauſe the Philoſophers wanted, therefore were their moſte learned wrytinges nothing els but ſubtile diſputations, and alſo cauilations, and not the true Philoſophye, for they had not within thē the liuing ſprite of God: Dead and colde therfore are theyr writinges and not inſpired and illuminated by the holye Ghoſte: Let vsus then paſſe ouer all thoſe outwarde ſignes and fixe our eys vponupon the operation of the ſpirite, and deſire the ſame continually with moſt feruente prayers. The godlye which are endewed with the holy Ghoſte dare yea and enterpriſe greate things, the ſpirite doth kindle and draw theyr hartes vpwarde, and encourageth them to all thinges be they neuer ſo perillous, and to heroicall vertues which procede from God, and are directed to God as to be humble, to denye him ſelf, to be pleaſed with him ſelf in nothing, to ſuffer many thyngs, to be meake, mercyfull and liberal: But fleſh ſeaketh his owne, it laboreth for riches and glory, and enterpriſeth gret and perillous thyngs, but yet ſuch thinges as hurt his neyghbor. He lifted vp his hāds after the manner of one that prayeth, and not of one that bleſſeth: For this word here, he bleſſed thē in greake foreign, I thinke is put here as a ſigne of farewel, as they vſe to wiſh good luck which depart. They worſhipped him namely becauſe he was god which could aſcend by hys owne powre: they reioyſed in the meane time, bicauſe they were the legates of ſuch & ſo great a Lorde. And in that it is wrytten that they were alwayes in the temple, it muſt be vnderunder ſtād that they werin the tēple in due tyme. For ſometymes they aſſembled together in a certen houſe (as appereth by the acts) for feare of the Iewes. So is it ſayd of Anna the widow that ſhe was day and night in the temple. This is according to the hebrew manner of ſpeakinge that is, ſhe was often in the temple. In like manner the Apoſtles came very often into the temple, although ſometimes they were gathered to gether in ſome certeyne houſe to auoyde the ſnares of the Iewes.Loke in Plinis Epiſtles to Traian, de more Chriſtianorum. They did euen as many chriſtians in theſe dayes ar compelled to do, in thoſe places, where it is not lawefull neither to heare nor yet to read the goſpel openly: they aſſemble together in ſome houſe, they read they pray, they hear the word of God and geue thancks &c. Then they come into the common aſſembly with other men to auoyde ſuſpition, bearing ſomewhat with ceremonies which ar not vtterly vngodly. But this they do but for a time. So the apoſtles abhorred not from the temple of the Iewes wherin were yet the ſacrifices of beaſtes, which notwythſtandynge were ſtreight wayes to be aboliſhed.
They did therfore preach Chriſte eyther in the temple or els in the porch though the ſuperſtitions of ye Phariſees remained ſtill there. And here do thoſe hipocrites chifly erre which ſeeke a pretence & excuſe to thēſelues by this facte of the Apoſtles & ſo ſticke ſtil to papiſtry, mingling thēſelues with their wicked ſeruices, for feare of their goods, or els of their eſtimation, either els of their life. Thei go not ſtreight but halte on both ſides. Theſe mē muſt remember that the nature of the ceremonies whiche were preſcribed vntounto the Iewes in the law of God was farre differring from the nature of the ceremonies whiche the popes hauehave fayned by the perſuaſion & ſuggeſtion of Sathan, ſo that by no meanes theſe are to be conferred to thē. And beſides that they come not to the papiſtical ſeruices of God with that ſame minde, that the apoſtles did to the Iewiſh ſeruices. For the Apoſtles in the meane time preached Chriſt, and laboured to winne the Iewes frō their iewiſhnes to Chriſt, but our men are affeard of them ſelues, and diſſemble Chriſt, & dare not confeſſe him openly & frely before this wicked nation, & ſo they cleaue continuallye vntounto them, not to winne them vntounto Chriſt, but to betraye Chriſt & to peryſhe with the vngodly or (as they perſuade thēſelues) to be in ſafetye. And agayne the Apoſtles committed nothing againſt theyr conſcience, but were preſent only at ſuch ceremonies, as God had commaunded by his own mouth & preſcribed for a time. Thoſe I ſay thei vſed only for a time wtout any vngodlyneſſe or ſuperſticiō: But cōtrarywiſe theſe are preſēt to theſe vngodly rites againſt their own cōſciēces as whē they bowe their knee to ye bread of the papiſticall maſſe, which (at the leaſt waye in a ſhewe) they worſhip, they fall down before Idols and brie…ye they defile them ſelues with theſe vnpure cuſtomes and filthye fellowſhip. Let theſe men diligently conſidre what happened to Peter as long as he was amōg the ſouldiers, he denied Chriſte more and more, till he wrapped him ſelfe out of their companie, & got him to Chriſt with bitter weping. Awake vp therfore O my brethren, and come out of Babilon, come out I ſay frō among them & touch not the vncleane. Let nothing kepe you backe. Let nothing cauſe you to linger.2. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 3, Chriſt hath no fellowſhip with Belial, the temple of god hath nothing to do with Idols and ye are the temple of God, do not prophane that which Chriſt conſecrated with his bloude: Let it not repent you if ye muſte forſake or looſe any thing for Chriſts ſake,Math. 19 the Lord will reſtore vntounto you an hundred folde, If Iacob the patriarch left many thinges behinde him to hauehave the fruition of the beſt things in ye land of Egipt,Gen. 45. why ſhould it be greuous vntounto vsus to forſake earthly thinges, ſeing we ſhal be recompenſed in the world to come with ſuch ioy as the eye hath not ſene, thee are hath not heard, neyther can the hart of man comprehend it?Eſay. 64 Iudas in gaping for gold loſt both his bodye & ſoule. Wherfore vnwrap your ſelues oute of theſe bondes, caſte awaye whatſoeuer holdeth you backe, to auoyde the immynent daunger although nakedly.Prou. 1. Cōtend vntounto the Lorde with the whole hart, why leſt time ſerueth: Contempne not his voyce, leſt he mocke you to ſcorne when euill thinges happen vntounto you. There is an other error of the Anabaptiſtes, which count it wicked to preach the truth in temples whiche are amongeſt the papiſtes, yea though the Idols and papiſtical ſuperſticions be now abolyſhed out of them. But where cā Chriſt be more commodiouſly preached, then in thoſe places where the multitude of people accuſtome to aſſemble together. This certaynely dyd the Apoſtles, eyther on the holy dayes or elles on the Sabboth dayes when the people were aſſembled together, both to be there preſent them ſelues, and alſo to bryng the Iewes which claue vntounto their old ſuperſticiō, to Chriſt, which might be done moſte commodiouſly in the temple whether the people of the Iewes reſorted. Neyther dyd they ſo ſtubburnly and diſdaynefully ſeperate them ſelues from the Phariſees and the reſte of the Iewes as the Anabaptiſtes nowe of dayes accuſtome to ſeperate themſelues from thoſe which do beleue and cleaue vntounto Chriſt. That the ſoules of the Godly are receaued into Ioyes, and the ſoules of the vngodlye are pulled to punyſhmentes, not only the holy Scriptures do teſtifie but alſo the writers of the Gentilles. And the Philoſophers and Poets doe manifeſtlye agree with the Prophetes in theſe thynges although they ſpeake it with other words. Here of come the fieldes of Eliſius, and the ſorowfull lake of Acheron, and that ſome are counted to be receaued after theyr death into ye nū ber of God, &c. The ſoule is not of it ſelfe, but of God. Wherfore when it is ſeperated frō the bodye it retourneth vntounto God, euen as all other thinges returne vntounto the fountayne from whence they came, all thinges flowe agayne to theyr author. Theſe thinges are ſo in dede and ſo are written. And Chriſte truly teſtifieth in him ſelfe that the ſoule liueth after the death of the body, and that men retourne to their author. which thyng was neuer before that time ſet before the eyes of men, although as many as were of ſounde iudgemente vnderſtoode it. Chriſte proueth the lyfe of hys ſoule by hys Reſurrection & Aſcencion and that glory ſhal come to the whole man with God. He therefore teacheth not only by worde, but alſo declareth in deede what ſhall be come of the Godlye after this lyfe. He aſcended vp into heauen, to prepare the waye to glorye for vsus, I we ſhould knowe, whether we ſhall goe after death, and what ſo euer our mindes fele and beleue, al the ſame do we ſee to hauehave gon before in our head Chriſt. Chriſt deſcended once for our ſaluation ſake, agayne he aſcended once, that we ſhoulde not hence forth requyre the corporall preſence of Chriſt, but our hartes being lifted vpwarde we ſhoulde meditate the heauenly lyfe with Chriſt oure King. Put caſe there were a king whiche woulde ſeeke for the common profite, woulde doe Iuſtice, and make equall and good lawes, and graunt that he were a father of the coūtrey, &c. It cannot well come to paſſe that eueryevery one in hys kingdome can ſee hym, for ſome dwell farre from hym, ſome are blynd or lame ſo that they can not come vntounto him, there are but fewe which hauehave the libertie to bee familiarly conuerſaunte with him, and yet in the meane time al of thē though they dwel neuer ſo farre of hauehave the fruition of the common peace and tranquilitie, which he hath gotten and defendeth by his wyſedome, euen as …mplye as thei which are alwaies preſent with him in the courte. And if ſo be that the king die, yet do the citizens reioyce in the lawes and ordinaunces ordayned by him. Euen after the ſame ſorte is it with our king Chriſt, it is not geuen to al mē to ſee him corporally, which happened to the apoſtles by a ſingulare prerogatiue, yet may all the godly by faith hauehave the fruition of the grace and redemption gotten by him, yea euen thoſe whiche neuer ſaw thym with theyr corporall eyes: and for this cauſe dyd Chriſte when he ſhoulde departe from his Diſciples as concerning his had promiſe vntounto them an other comforter and aduocate namely the holy ghoſte, whiche ſhoulde teache them the ſpirituall and true knowledge of Chriſt. He draweth oure hartes vpward where Chriſt is at the ryghte hand of God, that we deſpiſing all the goodes of this worlde mighte cleaue only to him, and hauehave reſte in hym. Let vsus in the meane time ſerue our neyghboures by charitie, and diligently plante the Kingdome of Chriſte in the world, namely that he may reigne in the harts of all men. Let the eyes of our mind be alwaies fixed in heauē vpō him which is our aduocate before the father which hath ſanctified our fleſh in him ſelfe, which hath ioyned our nature vntounto the godhed, and hath ſo exalted it that ther might be an aſſured hope in vsus, yt we ſhall liue wt him for euer. He is fleſh of our fleſh, bone of our bōes our brother & hed, in whō is ſetforth vntounto vsus the hope of immortall lyfe.Ephe. 2. Wherfore for aſmuch as god which is rich in mercy, hath of his ſinguler louelove wherby he loued vsus, yea euen then when we were deade thoroughe ſins hath quickned vsus together with Chriſte, and hath rayſed vsus vp to gether agayne with hym, and made vsus ſet together in heauenlye places with Chriſte Ieſus and hath ſealed vsus with the holy ſpirite of promyſe whyche is the earneſte penye of our enheritance for the redemptiō of the poſſeſſion gottē to the praiſe of his glory,Ephe. 1. let vsus for al theſe things geue thāks to God, and pray that the god of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt the father of glory would geue vsus the ſpirite of wyſdome & reuelation by knowledge & illuminate the eyes of our minde, that we may know what the hope is wherunto he hath called vsus, and how rich the glorye of his inheritaunce is toward the ſayntes, and how excellente the mightines of his power is toward vsus, which beleue according to the efficacy of his might and ſtrēgth, which he hath ſhewed forth in Chriſt, when he raiſed him from the deade, and made him to ſit at his right hād in heauen, aboue all principalitye and power, ſtrength and dominion and eueryevery name that is named not only in this worlde but alſo in the world to come, and hath ſubdued al thinges vnderunder his feete and hath made him the heade of the church aboue al thinges, which is his body the perfection of him which filleth all in all, to whome be prayſe and glory worlde without end.
AMEN.
Jmprinted at London hy Iohn Daye dwellinge ouer Alderſgate beneath Sainct Martynes.
Cum gratia & priuilegio Regiae Maieſtatis.
End of the text · Ulrich Zwingli, The Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ (1561)