VIII.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST.

Christ being come, an High Priest of good things to come, &c. Heb. ix.

*

This epistle telleth the excellency that Christ had over the bishops of the old law, although they all figured Christ. And this is pertinent to speak to Jews, that knew the old law. And Christ surpassed bishops of the old law in three points. First, he was Bishop of the goods of bliss, the which goods are hoped for to come. And thus saith Peter, that Christ is Bishop of souls, for he is Lord of them. Bishops of the old law had sacrifices, and did some good, in that they figured Christ and his passion that bought mankind. The other excellence of Christ is, that his tabernacle is better than were all the tabernacles that were in the old law. For Christ's tabernacle is the world. And Paul saith, that this tabernacle is more large, and more perfect than the tabernacle of Moses. For this was not made by man, but made of nought, by God almighty; but Moses's tabernacle was made by great travail of priests. The third excellence of Christ is, that his sacrifice was better, and made more perfectly than the sacrifices of the old bishops. Bishops of the old law sacrificed lamb's blood, or blood of goats, or of calves; but Christ surpassed all these figures. For Christ, by his own blood, entered once into heaven, and there he found everlasting blessing, that none other bishop might come to. And so Jesus entered once for ever to heaven, the inner part of this temple; but bishops of the old law needed to enter year by year; and yet they entered not into heaven, but into a little place that was in the west part of the tabernacle. And although this figured heaven, yet man's bliss was not herein. But the entering of Christ to heaven, into a place more holy and more large, was into the place where there is bliss without end. And thus since Christ is God of heaven, and his manhood is so nigh God, our Bishop, Christ, in all these things must needs pass all other bishops. For as this Lord may reach far, so he is nearer and more gracious; and except by virtue of this Bishop, might never bishop do good to man. And thus dignities and privileges, that are now granted by the pope, unless Christ confirm them first, are not worth a • Priests.

flea's foot. And so it seems to some men that bishops of the old law were better, and more worthy than these emperor's bishops; for they served and figured Christ by authority of God; but these emperor's bishops now serve and figure antichrist; and their authority is taken of the fiend against Christ, and thus they say that the pope is the head vicar of this fiend. But all the bishops, and all the fiends, must have their being of Christ, and serve him, either well or evil against their will. For either they are damned in hell with the highest antichrist; or else they are blessed in heaven by our Bishop, Jesus Christ.

And afterward Paul proves, by a principle of belief, the sufficiency of Christ, beginning that he is both God and man; for if Christ be very man, he is a part of all mankind. And so, by this grace, man is made sufficient by Christ, although he sinned in Adam. And thus saith Paul to his brethren, that if blood of kids or bulls and the ashes of a calf that is scattered maketh men holy that were fouled as to fleshly cleansing, how much more Christ's blood, that offered himself by the Holy Ghost, without spot to God the Father, shall cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. This reason that Paul makes is the belief that men must have.

There are three cleansings; bodily and spiritual, and one cleansing which partakes of the two; as was cleansing of the old law. For this bodily cleansing of these figures of the old law, cleansed not spiritually, but in figure; for other cleansing were better by water. And so it figured Christ's blood, and his heart that was burnt by love; and this hallowing that last was figured, must needs be better than its figure, as the fire is better than smoke, and man is better than his image. And so, since Christ is God and man, satisfaction for this sin that he made thus freely, is better than any other that man or angel might make. The same man in number that sinned by Adam, our first father; the same man in number made satisfaction by the second Adam, Christ. And since he is of more virtue than the first Adam might be, and his pain was much more than the sinful lust of the first Adam, who should have conscience here that this sin is not all cleansed out?

And since our Jesus is very God, who never may forget this meed, he is sufficient medicine for all sinners that are contrite. For Christ is ever and everywhere, and in all such souls by grace, and so he cleanseth more cleanly than

any body or figure may cleanse. And therefore, as Paul saith, Christ is Mediator of the new law; for Christ hath of both these two; for he is God, author of these both, and knitteth the one with the other, and that by his death, in atoning for the first trespasses that were done in the old law. These men take the promise again that are called to a lasting heritage. All this purchase was done in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We take here as belief, that Jesus Christ who purchased thus, is every good that may be; and so the same God that made man, and after bought man to the bliss which he ordained before to man. And let men take as belief that all things which God hath ordained must needs come, in his time, after the form that God hath shapen.

IX.

THE VICTORY OVER THE WORLD.

Whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world, &c. 1 John v.

John stirreth christian men to flee sin that cometh of the world. And this sin is full common in all three parts of the church. First, christian men should know that all men who should have bliss of heaven, are spiritually born of God, and made men of his order; since Christ must be their Father, and holy church their mother. And John setteth these conditions that must needs be fulfilled. Each that is born of God, overcometh the world in all his time; for if he be overcome of the world for a little time, so that he sinneth, nevertheless, he must overcome the world at last. For else he was never born of Christ, nor followeth his Father in this fight. And Christ will have no children but those that follow him. Therefore John telleth to men a mean to overcome the world. And this, he saith, is the victory that overcometh the world- -our belief, (or faith.) So that none overcome the world nor the fiend, nor his flesh, unless belief or faith is the armour by which he thus overcometh.

And therefore Paul declareth to the Hebrews, that saints overcame realms by the belief that they had, and made many other victories. And shortly, there is no man overcome of his spiritual enemy unless he is out of belief, either in one manner or in another. And thus, by some manner of

speech, belief is both the shield and sword by which man fighteth, and the victory that he maketh. John asks for example, Who is he, brethren, that overcometh the world, but that man who believeth that Jesus is God's Son? If thou have full belief of Christ, how he lived here in earth, and how he overcame the world, thou overcomest it as a kind son; for if thou take heed how Christ despised it, and follow him here as thou shouldest, thou must needs overcome it by belief of thy Father. And here may men know plainly that many are in this world who are not born of God, nor believe here in Christ; for if this belief were in them, they should follow Christ in manner of life. But they are out of belief, as many men are as to the day of doom. What man that should believe fully that the day of doom is at hand, and that God judgeth men after they have fought in his cause, would not busily enforce himself to follow Christ therefore? Either the belief of these men sleepeth, or they want right belief; as men that love this world and rest therein, live as if God saw not this, and should not judge for this deed. Thus our belief of Christ's life, is needful to all christian men. And therefore men should know the gospel, for it telleth the belief of Christ.

And thus it seems that the new orders* overcome not this world by belief that they have in Christ; for Christ lived not as they live now. Christ purchased not for his apostles cities, nor houses, nor worldly goods; but taught them, both openly and in private, to flee such having of the world. And thus the falsehood hidden of the fiend deceiveth men of such orders. They say that they have the world in common, but none of them to himself. When they have the world thus in common, each of them assenteth to the world, and they are altogether more strong to hinder men that do against the same, either in word or in deed; and thus the fiend's champion is strong. Such sophisms serve of nought before Christ, the last Judge. And thus these sophisters prate that they have nought, neither separate nor in common, and yet men see all day that they have both places and houses, and other goods, more plenteously than the poor men that they rob.t These false men must needs be damned of Christ, who is the Truth. For they differ nought from thieves, but that they rob more sinfully, even to the greatest man of them who is more strong in his malice.

. The friars.

† See note, p. 76.

This is he that came by water and by blood-Jesus Christ. He came not to the bliss of heaven by hypocrisy or falsehood, but by tribulation and by shedding of his blood. And thus he was also made Jesus, that is, Saviour of this world. And he was also made Christ, to anoint men by the will of his grace, by virtue of his passion, and not by worldly life here. For he was the head of martyrs, and suffered most pain. On this should his sons think, and follow their Father in this manner. For if they follow a new manner, and leave the manner that Christ taught, they leave Christ and follow antichrist, as false men do that shall be fiends. And thus Christ came, not only in water, but in water and in blood. For he suffered not tribulation as many men do; but tribulation and suffering from great fervour of charity. And by this cause, saith Paul, God called Christ, and gave him a name that is over all other names, and most of worship in this world. And there is sufficient witness of this sentence both in heaven and in earth. The Holy Ghost is he that witnesseth in high heaven that Christ is truth. For there are three that give witness in heaven-the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are all one. And there are three that give witness in earth-the soul, water, and blood: and these three are all one; for they make Christ's manhood. And so all this special substance, that is, the Godhead of Christ, is three persons and one God. So this common substance is one Person of Christ. And thus when Christ cried with a loud voice, he sent out his man's spirit, and he shed water and blood, from the time that he was dead. These three things betoken well that Christ was very man and God. And in the time that Christ was baptized, the Father witnessed in voice, the Son was showed in manhood, and the Holy Ghost as in a dove. And these three are sufficient witness to teach our belief of Christ. For if we take witness of men, witness of God that is three persons, is more to prove this belief, and this is more witness of God that he witnessed thus of his Son. And God is everywhere. Whoso believeth in the Son of God, he hath witness of God in him, since he hath the Trinity.