A Golden Chain

The fourth point is, the matter of their accusation: they accuse our Saviour Christ of three things: I. that he seduced the people. II. that he forbade to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he said he was a king.¹ Let us well consider these accusations, especially the two last, because they are flat contrary both to Christs preaching, and to his practise. For when the people would have made him a King, after he had wrought the miracle of the five loaves & two fishes, the text saith he departed from among them unto a mountain himself alone. Secondly, when tribute was demanded of him for Caesar,² though he were the Kings son, and therefore was freed; yet saith he to Peter, least we should offend them go to the sea, and cast in an angle and take the first fish that cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of twenty pence, that take and give unto them for thee and me. And when he was called to be a judge to divide the inheritance between two brethren, he refused to do it, saying, Who made me a judge between you? Therefore in these two things, they did most falsely accuse him. Whereby we learn, that nothing is so false and untrue, but the slanderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent: the tongues of the slanderers are sharp swords, and venomous arrows,³ to wound their enemies: their throats are open sepulchres, the poison of asps is under their lips. If a man speak gracious words, his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit: but as S. James saith, the tongue of the wicked is fire,⁴ yea a world of wickedness, and it is set on fire with the fire of hell: therefore let this example be a caveat to us all, to teach us to take heed of slandering, for the devil then speaks by us, and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell.

The fourth point is, the matter of their accusation: they accuse our Sauiour Christ of three things: I. that he seduced the people. II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he saide he was a king.¹