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are two manner of dead men, those in bodily and those in spiritual death. And at the day of doom all dead men shall rise bodily; and by virtue of Christ's word some dead men rise spiritually, for they turn to good life, and hold the words of Christ.

XVIII.

THE GOSPEL REVEALED TO BABES.

Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, &c. Matt. xi.

This gospel telleth how Christ answered to feigned words of the people, and told many high truths to the instruction of his church. Matthew tells how Jesus in that time answered to the people, and said on this manner, I confess to thee, Lord, Father of heaven and earth, that hideth these truths from worldly wise men and wary, and showedst them to meek men and the despised of the world. And the last cause hereof is told thus by Christ, Yea, Father, thou didst thus, for it was pleasing to thee. We shall understand hereby that each confession is not whispering in an ear a man's own sin, but the granting of truth with the granting of God. And thus speaketh Christ, who is of more authority than all these popes that ordained confession and rowning. * And here may we see how God is Christ's Father, without end, before that he be Lord; but he is ever Lord of this broad world. And this world is understood by heaven and by earth. This truth that Christ confessed, falling to the apostles, standeth in this word, that they knew many truths which were hidden to wise men and the wary of the world, as were the scribes and pharisees, and other worldly men. And the cause of this deed of God is open to true men; for God will show to men how all wisdom is of him, and he will give it freely to meek men whom he loveth.

And that the disciples of Christ should believe his speech, he told what befalleth him by virtue of his Godhead. Christ saith that all things are given to him of his Father; and no man knew fully God's Son, but his own Father; and no man knew the Father but his Son, and other men to whom * Whispering, private confession to a priest.

he would show himself. The first of these three words teacheth that Christ is God. For else the Father might not give him all things. For if we understand by all things all creatures, yet the Son is before, that he have all creatures, and in that being before, he must needs be God. And if we understand all things to be within God, and that Christ hath all these given him of his Father; Christ must needs be God, if this gift be true; for then Christ hath the Holy Ghost, and the properties of the three Persons, and the Father of heaven in a manner; the which may only accord to God. And so, for the first word is truth, Christ must needs be God. And of this will it follow that Christ is almighty, all wise, and all willing, as the Trinity is. For Christ is the same God, as is the Trinity. And of this will follow the other word after, that no reasonable thing knoweth the Son, at the full, but the Father of heaven; for they always are equal. And according to this speech of the Trinity which is equal in himself, should Christ speak of this knowledge, which is the greatest that may be. The third word followeth of these, That no man knoweth the Father but the Son, and those men to whom this Son will show this knowledge. The people might see by their eyes that Christ was very man. And so Christ cometh down to man's speech of knowledge. The Son by his Godhead knoweth the Father, and by that he is man, he knoweth as much as man may know. And so his knowledge must be communicated to men after that they are able. The Holy Ghost is the same nature that is the Father and the Son; and therefore Christ supposing this, leaveth to speak of this Spirit; and of this may men gather how men should here believe Christ's words; since he is God that may not lie, nor fail to man in his love.

And for Christ is both God and man, and hath brethren of his lesser kind, (or his human nature,) therefore he turns unto his brethren, and comforteth them in their travail. Come ye all to me, saith Christ, that travail and are charged, and I shall refresh you. Take ye my yoke upon you, and learn ye of me this lesson, that I am mild and meek of heart, and follow ye your Father in these, and then shall ye find rest to your souls in your travail. For my yoke is sweet, and my charge is light. And these words of Christ to comfort religious men, are better than all these new rules that are clouted on to Christ's words. For in what state thou art in Christ's religion, learn well the lesson

of mildness and meekness of Christ, how he kept them all his life, in what trouble soever he was in; and if thou art of God's people, thou shalt live meekly after Christ.

XIX.

HATRED OF THE WORLD TO CHRIST.

These things I command

you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, it hated me, &c. John xv.

This gospel tells, as Christ doth oft by John, how men should love together, and put away the hindrances. For the beginning and the ending of God's law is love. Christ begins thus, and commands his disciples, These things I bid to you, that ye love together. Nothing is more bidden of God than this love, and therefore, when man leaves it, he despiseth God. But all should know this love, since it is the same to love a thing and to will good to it. Each thing should be loved in that it is good, and so God should be most loved; and better men rather than worse men. And we should, for God's love, love evil people, and for this love be busy to give them matter to be better; and as much as in us is, do good to each man, to make some better, and to make some less evil. But the chief love should we have to father, and to our mother, saving the

ourselves, and to our order of God's law.

The first hindrance of this love that Christ telleth here, is the hate of this world to men that keep this love. For the world is so blinded, that it calleth hate love, and love it calleth hate, for it errs in belief. All our love should stand in the love of God; to keep his law, and to move others to keep it. But many, for default of faith, hold this a folly; for goods of this world fall not to such men. And therefore saith Christ, if the world hate you, ye should well know that it hated me before. And this worthiness of Christ, who suffered thus for man, should move true and good men to suffer for Christ. If thou grudgest against poverty, and covetest worldly lordship, know thou that Christ before was poorer than thou, since he had not by his manhood a place to rest his head in. If thou grudgest that thy subjects will not give thee goods, think how Christ's subjects would neither give him meat nor harbour, and yet he cursed them not therefore, but did them much good. And if thou

grudgest that the world doth thee any injury, and thou profitest again to the world in love and meekness, think how Christ before thee profited thus more to the world; and yet Christ suffered more wrong of his subjects than thou mayest do. And thus, if thou wouldest think on Christ, how he suffered for love of man, it were the best ensample that thou shouldest have to suffer, and to cease thy grudging. For as Augustine saith, "No man in this world may sin, but when leaving that which Christ taught, or grudging against that which he suffered." And for this saith Christ, If ye were of the world, the world would love that which is his.

In this law is found, both in good and evil, that men love others like to them. Yea, even if they shall be damned for this. As one sinful man loves another for the likeness of their sin, and yet they shall both in hell suffer harm for this likeness. And thus it is no wonder if the members of the fiend hate the members of Christ; for they are so much contrary here, and after the day of doom.

And this moves many men to hate these new religious ;* for this new diversity quenches love and makes hate; yea, they have the fiend's manner so that they hate their own brethren, and torment them because they hold with God's law against heresy. And certainly they love others too little, but feign to spoil them of their goods. And thus saith Christ to his disciples, That as they are not of this world, but he hath chosen them out of this world, therefore the world hateth them. And if thou learnest of the world to hate thus, thy love is quenched; but if thou withdrawest from the world, then thou lovest these men in God. For the world here is taken for men overcome by the world, who love worldly things more than God's law or good of virtues; and of this world saith Christ, that it hateth his disciples. And for that this lore passes other in profit and in holiness, therefore Christ bids them to think on this word that he here said to them, for then they overcome this world. And therefore saith John the evangelist, Brethren, what man is he that overcometh the world? Certainly none but if he believe that Jesus is God's Son.

If we hold this ground in faith, that Christ is very God and man, and beside this, believe well his life, and all his words that he saith, we shall overcome this world, and all the helpers of the fiend. For as Christ saith truly, There is no servant greater than his lord; and so Christ is more, The followers of the truth.

both in virtue and in worthiness than any other man may be. And since Christ suffered thus, and taught christian men this lore, what man should we believe or follow in our life but Christ? and neither the world nor the fiend may in this harm a man. And so Christ comforteth his members. If men of this world have pursued Christ, then they shall pursue his members; and if they have kept his words, they shall keep his disciples' words. For it is more hard for fiends to pursue the person of Christ, than to pursue his members; and thus will they do the easier.

But one comfort lieth here, that as Christ converted some that were men of the world, so shall his disciples do; and thus they shall not work in vain, to keep his law as he bids. For each man that shall work, must have a hope of some good end, for despairing of such an end would hinder a man to work. But the blindness of the world that tormenteth Christ with his members, is so ignorant in belief, that they know not Christ's Father. For if they knew well Christ's Father, then after, they should know his Son, and that these two are one God. But then who would strive against this God? and so the default of belief and ignorance that men have cause all evil deeds; and thus each sinner is a fool. And if men knew God's power, and his wisdom in these two persons; how he may not forget to punish sin when it is time, then should men dread to sin, for it is known of these two persons. But this faith is otherwise wanting, or sleeping. But Christ reproves unbelief, and saith, if he had not come and spoken thus with them, they should not have had this sin. For it was great unkindness in this manner to treat their brother, that always meekly did so great kindness again; and it was an open untruth in this manner to hate their God. But now these Jews have no excuse for this sin; and therefore Christ saith, that what man hateth him he hateth his Father also, for they are both one. And for in each kind of things there is one first, or chief, that measures all others which are in that kind, therefore in manner of sins must be one first of all others, and mark all the others. And that is the sin of priests against Jesus Christ. And therefore saith Christ, that if he had not done works in them that none other man did, they had not had this sin. But now they say, they have this faith, and yet they hated both Christ and his Father. And so was verified the writing in their own law, That the Jews wilfully had Christ in hate.

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