his
husbandry than God and his word; he hath all lust and pleasure in his
husbandry, which pleasure is naught. As there be many husbandmen which
will not come to service; they make their excuses that they have other
business: but this excusing is naught; for commonly they go about wicked
matters, and yet they would excuse themselves, to make themselves
faultless; or, at the least way, they will diminish their faults, which
thing itself is a great wickedness; to do wickedly, and then to defend
that same wickedness, to neglect and despise God's word, and then to
excuse such doings, like as these men do here in this gospel. The
husbandman saith, "I have bought a farm; therefore have me excused: the
other saith, I have bought five yoke of oxen; I pray thee have me
excused:" Now when he cometh to the married man, that same fellow saith
not, "Have me excused," as the others say; but he only saith, "I cannot
come." Where it is to be noted, that the affections of carnal lusts and
concupiscence are the strongest above all the other: for there be some
men which set all their hearts upon voluptuousness; they regard nothing
else, neither God nor his word; and therefore this married man saith, "I
cannot come;" because his affections are more strong and more vehement
than the other men's were.

But what shall be their reward which refuse to come? The house-father
saith, "I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall
taste of my supper." With these words Christ our Saviour teacheth us,
that all those that love better worldly things than God and his word
shall be shut out from his supper; that is to say, from everlasting joy
and felicity: for it is a great matter to despise God's word, or the
minister of the same; for the office of preaching is the office of
salvation; it hath warrants in scripture, it is grounded upon God's word.
St. Paul to the Romans maketh a gradation of such-wise: _Omnis quicunque
invocaverit nomen Domini salvabitur: quomodo ergo invocabunt in quem non
crediderunt, aut quomodo credent ei quem non audisrunt_? that is to say,
"Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved: but how
shall they call upon him, in whom they believe not? How shall they
believe on him of whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" At the
length he concludeth, saying, _Fides ex auditu_; "Faith cometh by
hearing." Where ye may p