Chrilts ofthe [reede. Arraignement. 197 plaine ofthemfelucs: for vfu,lly feruants wi.ll not become obedientto rherr mafrets,ul t~etr mallcrs firll become obedient vnto Chnll: thereforelet mallers learne to obey God, and then theirferuants willobeythem alfo. . Furthor,Chrir\ beei"gfmitren, ma.kes ch1s anfwer;l/I pauetuiNJPok_:n,bearewitneffi ofthe !~~ti. :;:;:;~~;;~c~~~7~~~;~7,i~~~t'd~:~~~;~ him. Now·hereupon!Cuffingl~<li«n teeeApo– j/ata faith, Chrif\ kcepes not his owne law<;~. butgoes againll hisowneprecept; whenas Mach, f hef>id,Ifonc flrik£ theeon theonechecf?t,wrne to 39 , ' bimthcotheralfo. Butweemullknow,thatm thefe wordes Chrifl:s meaning is, that aman mull rather li1ffa a double wrong, then fecke apriuate reucnge. And before Chrill ipake in hisownedefence, which a man may lay;fully doe, and nOrfeekc anyreuengc: for .it isone thingto defend hisown caufe, and another to fctkc reuenge. · Now followes the fecond point in their proceeding, which is, the producing offal{e witneffes again£1: him;as Sainr Matth"•faith, Math, 16 , The whole Coun"/1 fought falfo witneffi againft him~ andthougiJ mrmycamc·, )tct/oundthry none: for they could not agree together, becaufe 6o, they alleadgcd falfe thingsagain£1: him; which they could not proue. And thus nhc mem– bers of Chrill haue often fuch enemies as make no bones lhamefully to auouch that a– gain£1: them, whichthey cannot be ableto iu– il:ific. Theten perfecutions which werein the T"tul, lirl\ 3oo.yearcs afrcr Chrill,arofe ofrentimes apo.con. offhamclcs reports that mcngaucour,whiCh na gent, faid that Chrillians liued on mans f!elh : and thcrfore Oue thtir own children : 2, that they liuedonrawfle!h: 3· thattheycommittedin– cc£1: oue with an other in their afTemblies : 4· rb.c they wor!hipr-ed the head ofan afTe: 5. thatthey wor!hipped the Sunne andMoone : 6.thal they were traytours,and fought to vn– dermine the Romane Empire : and Iafl:ly, whercfoeuerwasthunder orearth-quakes,fe– di~ions or tumults,or any difquietnes or trou.. ble, ~hrirli1ns were accufed as the authors thereof. Such enemies haucthey had in all a– ges: andinthcfe our daies rhe fame is putli– fcd,and will be to the worlds end.Now when the fir£1: witnefl(:s could n:>t agree among themfclnes, then two other falfe witnefTes 'j came forth, which anouchcd that Chri£1: faid, ~hrk,14, llwOdeftroy rhr< Tcmplem•d"vithhands, mtd ~8. within three dtli(;S IVill b«ild an other made with– out ha11ds.!ndced Chrillflidfom~ fuch words; loh.2.. 19 for f.1ir:h he,T.Jejlroy thU Temple,& within three verre :.a, dayes 1wilt bttildit vp agai11e.But hee fpake this ofthetemple ofhis body: whereas they Jmlicioufly did interpret him to luue fpoken ofj the temple in Ierufalcm. .And againe, they ! change the wordsofor Chd£1: faid, Dcjlroy thio 1 temple~G-c. bJlt thefcwitnetlesatftrme he faid, j /willdef/roy thio templem•d' lVitb hiids,&c. And thus they change both words&meaning : & I therefore rhe holy Gho£1: called them falfo I A wimeffis.Bythis we mull be aduertifed to take heCdc howwereport mens wordes: for ifwe ch.ange the meaning, thoLJgh in part w·e re– tame the words, wee may foone become tlan– derers and falfcwitnefTes:& as rhi1duty mull be performed towardsall men, fo efpecially towarc\s the minifl:ersoftheGofpel: and the negle<'l of this quty procureth many ll.mdcrs to them in this our Church; whereofindcede the reporters are thecaufe, and notthe mini– frers themfelues. . Now atthis falfe accuC1tion Chrilt was fiCent,foas Caiphas asked him,w~heeanfwcred Ma<k.f<. nothing. H~rein we~ are to confid~r many 6o,6t· things: r. Why Chriflwas filent. Tile caufes B beto: lirll:,hewastol!Jewhimfelfeaparterne oftrue humilitieand patience; therefore euen then would bee beelilent,when heo was mol\ falfely accufed ofhis aduerfaries,Se<ondly,he is filent, that £landing before the iudgc ro be condemned, the fentence mightproceede a– gainll him, and hemi~ht ft•tferthe death ap– pointed,which was due vnto vs,& fo become our redeemer. And io Chrills example wee mull: note , that it is a fpecial! duty to know when to fpeake,and when to befilenr.Thc or– dering ofthe tongue is a rare gift,and few at– tainevntoit•. Somewill peradnenture aske. what rulewee haue to direttvs hereinI Anfw. The generall rule for rhe ordering of the tongue,isthe law ofGod.Wee ate commaun. C ded to feeke the glorie ofGod in the firfl:table; •nd in the fe<ond the good ofour neigh– bour:when thy fpeech therofore will ferue eith~r for Gods glorie, or the good of thy ne~ghbour, thenthoumu£l: fpeake: ifit ferae for neirher,then befilent. Again,ifthy filence be either for Gods glorie, or the good ofthy neighbour, then be filent>ifit will not, then fpeakc. And becaufe it is hard foranian to knowwhen his fpeech or lilencc will feme for thefetwo ends : therefore we mnll: pratvr;to Godchathe will teach and dire<'lvs herein:as Da~tiddoth,Setawatch(faith he)OLord,before mymouth,andk£epe the doore ofmllippes: and a– ~aine,Opentho~tmylippes,O Lord,andmy mDHth jhallfl"'•forrhth>praift. D Thus much for the falfe witnelfes produ– ced,Now followeth the third point,which is, the adittring rf Chrift: for Caiphm the high priell chargedhim to tel him whetherhe were <he Chrillthe fonne ofGod or no. loadiure a man, isto ~harge andcommaund him in the n~eofG.od,ro dcc_larc :uruth,not ondy becaufe God ts wttnefie thereof.but alf<> becau{e he is aiudge to reuenge, ifhe fpeake not the truth. Thus'l'auladiurerh the Theflalonians, charging them in the Lord , that his epifHc l110uld bee read vnto all the brethren the Saints. Anci !l<e like dothCaiphas to Chri!t And here isa thingtobc wonderedat,Caiphas the high prie£1: adiureth him in the name of God, whoisveryGod, eucntbe Son ofGod. Andthis fi1ewes whatafin•Iaccount he made ofthenameofGod; forhediditondytogct aduanPfai.I·!J ,. pr.,J.~I· '5· t TheW. 1·' 7•
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