odio God hath ordained all thinges to be good And the deuil laboreth to turn al thinges to mans euil God geueth men plentye of richesse to exercise theyr faith and charity to confirm them that be good to drawe them that be nought and to bring thē to repentance and the deuil worketh al together to the contrary And it is an old prouerbe the more wicked the more fortunate But that 〈◊〉 of this couetous rich man declareth thunqui etnes of the mind that richesse bringeth with it First they are al in care howe to get richesse then are they in more 〈◊〉 how to kepe it stil. Therfore the 〈◊〉 saith Qui volunt ditescere incidunt in tentationes varias They that study to get great richesse do fal into manye diuers temptatyons But the rote of al euil is couetousnesse What shal I doo saith this riche man He asked his owne brainlesse heade what he shuld do he did not aske of the scripture For if he had asked of the scripture it wold haue told him it would haue said vnto hym Frange esurienti panem tuum c. Break thy bread vnto the hungry Al the affection of men now a dais is in building gay and 〈◊〉 houses it is in setting vp pulling down ueuer haue they done building But th end of al such great ritchesse couetousnes is this This night thou fole thy soule shal be taken from thee It is to be vnderstand of al that rise vp from litle to much as this ritch man that the gospel spake of did Ido not despise richesse but I 〈◊〉 that men shuld haue ritchesse as Abraham had and as Ioseph had A man to haue ritches to help his neighbor is a godly riches The worldlye richesse is to put al his trust confidence in his worldly richesse that he may by them liue here gallantly plesantlye and voluptuouslye Is this godly richesse No no this is not godlye rychesse It is a common saying now a dais amonge many Oh he is a ritch man he is wel worth fiue C. poundes He is wel worth v. C. poundes that hath geuen v. 〈◊〉 pounde 〈◊〉 the pore otherwise it is none of his Yea but who shal haue this v. C. pounds For whom hast thou gotten that fiuehundred poundes What sayeth Salomon 〈◊〉 v. Est alia infirmitas pessima quam vidi sub sole diuitioe conseruatoe in malum domini sui Another euil saith he and an other very naughtye imperfection richesse horeded vp and kept together to the owners owne harm for many times such richesse do perish consume away miserably Such a one shal somtime haue a sonne saith he that shal be a very begger and liue al in extreme penury O goodly riches that one man shal get it an other come to deuour it Therfore Videte cauete ab auaritia See beware of couetousnesse Beleue Gods wordes for they will not deceyue you nor lie Heauen and earth shall perish but Verbum domini manet in oeternum The wordof the Lorde abydeth and endureth for euer Oh this leauened faith this vnseasoned faith Beware of this vnseasoned faith A certain mau asked me this question 〈◊〉 thou euer see a manne lyue long that had great richesse Therfore sayth the wise man if God send thee richesse vse them If God send thee aboū daunce vse them accordynge to the rule of Goddes word and study to be rych in oure sauiour Iesus Christe To whome wyth the father and the holy ghoste be al honoure glory and prayse for euer and euer Amen Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwellinge ouer Aldersgate beneath S. Martyns And are to be sold at his shop vnder the gate Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Ma. iestatis perseptennium The congregation of the faith full at London in Quene Ma ryes tyme. Ose. vt Nume 〈◊〉 Psalme lxxix D. Latiuier withstode the sixe articles although they were confirmed by lawes The Abridgemēt of the lavv of god Mat. 22. The 〈◊〉 of al praiers Mat. 6. Lu. II. The entrance into praier VVhat it is to call God Father VVhae Christ 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 vs to call god father No vvorde in this prai er 〈◊〉 his vvaight Note what lyplabour is The deuill is diligēt to let praier The slights of the deuil 〈◊〉 53. 1 Ioh. 2. One 〈◊〉 not many Iohn 1. 2. Iohn 3. Christ suffe red not for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 4 Christ is an highe bishop Esa 53 Act. 10 All the pro phetes testi fie of Christ. Vvhat these woordes vvhich arre in heauen do teach vs Hie. 23. Esa 66. VVhy god is not appa rantly vpō earthe Psal 53. The 〈◊〉 see not loun from heauen Gene 4 God heard the crye 〈◊〉 Abels bloude 〈◊〉 Para. 24 Iohn 22. An other commoditie of this worde Father The loue of god tovvardes vs excedeth the natural loue of parentes to their ovvn children Esa. 49. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mid vvife 〈◊〉 vvas gods instrument to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by hearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bilneys ex ercise Note this 〈◊〉 He 〈◊〉 king Henry the eighte 〈◊〉 is godfather to a childe borne in prison Note one of the 〈◊〉 of ignorance Note here one other 〈◊〉 of ignorance Thus hath God vvrought a double 〈◊〉 uerance at one tyme. The purpos of Latimers tale Mat. 7. A similitude The mea ning of these 〈◊〉 des Cum 〈◊〉 t is mali God ge ueth his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 respecte of persons He that vvil receiue at go 〈◊〉 hande any thinge muste aske vvith faith VVe muste pray to god only 〈◊〉 vvhat is to be lear ned by this vvorde our Christvvold haue oure praiers cōmon to vs all 〈◊〉 18. Act. 27. Act 7 Chrisost. 〈◊〉 is not to be 〈◊〉 in this pointe A prouerbe loue me loue my hounde The propertie of praier The excellency of praier VVhat it is to despise the poore A lesson for them that 〈◊〉 aloft The number ofthem that may call god Fa ther is but smal Psal. 33. VVhat it is to be iust Psal. 145. VVho they be vvhomo God vvill heare Repetitiōs are more 〈◊〉 then pleasant 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 that preachers ought chief ly to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 17. The lordes 〈◊〉 is the sūme of all 〈◊〉 praiers The cause vvhy vve call god fa ther. To cal god our father is profita 〈◊〉 for vs two vvais VVith faith vve must fighte 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Christ hath 〈◊〉 avvay oure sinnes and the 〈◊〉 due 〈◊〉 sinnes The diuel is not afraid of holy vva ter God is both vvilling and able to help 〈◊〉 VVe haue no cause to dispeir of helpe at his hande that is both able and vvil 〈◊〉 to help 〈◊〉 Good Bil ney and good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 a poore vvo man Onely the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sethe from sinne To do that god com mauudeth is not sinne A man may syn deadlye vvith his ovvne vvise To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs 〈◊〉 Princes and plovvmen are al made of one matter
he sayth Coelum terram impleo I syll heauen and earthe And agayne Coelum mihi sedes est terta scabellum pedum meorum Heauen is my seate and the earth is my footestoole Where we see that he is a mighty GOD that he is in heauen and earthe with his power and might In heauen he is apparantly where face to face he sheweth himself vnto his Angels and Saines In earth he is not so apparantly but darkelye and obscurelye he exhibiteth himselfe vnto vs for oure corrupte and feble fleshe coulde not beare hys maiestye Yet he 〈◊〉 the earth that is to saye he ruleth and gouerneth the same ordering all things according vnto his will and pleasure Therefore we muste learne to persuade our selues and vndoutedlye beleue that he is able to helpe and that he beareth a good and fatherly wyll towardes vs that he will not forgette vs. Therfore the king and prophet Dauid sayth Dominus de coelo prospexit The Lorde hath seene doune from heauen As farre as the earthe is from heauen yet GOD loketh doune he seeth all thynges he is in euerye corner He sayethe the Lorde hathe looked doune not the Saynctes No he sayeth not so For the Sainctes haue not so sharpe eyes to see doune from heauen they be spurre blynde and sande blynd they can not see so farre nor haue not so long eares to heare And therefore our petition and prayer shoulde bee vnto hym whyche wyll heare and can heare For it is the Lorde that looketh downe He is here in earth as I tolde you verye darkely but he is in heauen moste manifestely where he sheweth him 〈◊〉 vnto his angels and sayntes face to face We reade in Scripture that Abels bloode dydde crie vnto God where it appeareth that he can heare yea not onely heare but also see and feele for he seeth ouer all thynges so that the least thought of our heartes is not hydde frome hym Therfore ponder and consyder these wordes well for they fortifie oure saythe We call hym Father to put our selues in remembraunce of his good wylle towardes vs. Heauenly we calle hym signifying his myghte and power that he maye healpe and doo all thynges accordynge to his wyll and pleasure So it appereth moste manifestly that there lacketh neither good will nor power in hym There was ones a prophete whiche whan he was yll intreated of kyng Ioas sayde Dominus videat 〈◊〉 The Lorde looke vppon it and require it There bee many menne in Englande and other where els whiche care not for God yea they be cleane without God whych saye in their heartes Nubes latibulum eius 〈◊〉 nostra considerat circa car dines 〈◊〉 ambulat Tushe the cloudes couer hym that he may not se and he dwelleth aboue in heuen But as I told you before Abels blood may certifie vs of his present know ledge Let vs therfore take hede that we doo nothyng that myght displease his maiestie neither openly nor secretely For he is euery where and nothyng can be hyd from hym Vider requiret He seeth it and will punishe it Further this worde Father is not onely apt and conuenient for vs to strengthen oure faith withall as I tolde you but also it moueth God the sooner to heare vs when we call him by that name Father For he perceiuing our confidence in him can not chose but shew hym lyke a Father So that this word Father is most mete to moue god to pitie and to graunt oure requestes Certaine it is and proued by holy Scripture that God hath a fatherly and louyng affection towarves vs farre passyng the loue of bodilye parentes to their children Yea as far as heauen and earth is a sonder so far hys loue towards mankynd exccdeth the loue of natu ral parentes to theyr children which loue is set out by the mouthe of hys holye Prophete Esay Where he sayeth Num 〈◊〉 tradet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suum quo minus misereatur 〈◊〉 vteri sui si esto 〈◊〉 illae ego tamen 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 Wyll a wyfe forget the chyld of her womb and the sonne whome she hathe borne and though she doe forgette hym yet wyll not I forgette thee Here are 〈◊〉 the affections and vnspeakeable loue whiche GOD beareth towarde vs. He sayeth 〈◊〉 potest 〈◊〉 Maye a woman He speaketh of the woman meanyng the man too but because women moste commenly are more 〈◊〉 towardes theyr Children then men bee therefore he nameth the woman And it is a verye vnnaturall woman that hateth her chylde or neglecteth the same But O lorde what craftes and conueiaunces vseth the deuyll abroade that he can bryng his matters so to passe that some women sette a syde not alonely all motherly affections but also all naturall humanitye in so muche that they kyll theyr owne children their owne bloud and fleshe I was a late credibly informed of a prieste whiche had taken in hande to be a middewyfe O what an abhominable thyng is this but what folowed he ordered the matter so that the poore innocente was loste in the meane season Suche thynges the deuyll cannebrynge to passe but what then God sayeth Though a woman doe forgette her chyldren though they kyll theym yet wyll I not forgette thee sayeth the Lorde GOD almightye Truthe it is there bee some women verye vnnaturall and vnkynde whiche shall receiue their punishements of GOD for it But for all that we oughte to beware and not beleue euerye tale tolde vnto vs and so rashelye iudge I knowe what I meane There hathe bene alate suche tales spreade abroade and most vntruly such false taletellers shal haue a greuous punishement of the Lorde whan he shall come to rewarde eue rye one according vnto his desertes Here I haue occasion to tell you a storye whyche happened at Cambridge Mayster Bylney or rather Saint Bylney that suffered death for Gods worde sake the same Bilney was the instrumente wherby God called me to knowledge for I maye thanke him next to god for that knowledge that I haue in the woord of GOD. For I was as obstinate a 〈◊〉 as anye was in Englande in so muche that when I shoulde bee made Bacheler of Diuinitie my whole oration went against Philip Melanchton agaynst his opinions Bilney heard me at that tyme and perceiued that I was zelous without knowlage and he came to me afterwarde in my studie and desired me for Gods sake to heare his confession I dyd so And to say the truthe by his confession I learned more than asore in many yeares So from that tyme forwarde I began to smell the word of god and forsoke the schole doctors and such foolries Now after I had ben acquainted with him I went with hym to visite the prisoners in the towre at Cambridge for he was euer visityng prisoners and sicke folke So we wente togither and exhorted them as well as we were able to doo mouing
so long he continued kneeling that he was not able for to rise without helpe amongst other thinges these were thre principal matters he prayed for The first that as god had appoynted him to be a precher and professor of his word so also he would 〈◊〉 him grace to stand vnto his doctrine vntil his death Thother thing the which most instantly with great vi olēce of gods sprite he desired was that god of his mercy wold restore the gospell of his sonne Christ vnto thys realm of England once again and these wordes once agayn once agayn he did so inculcate and beat into the cares of the Lord god as though he had sene god before him spake vnto him face to face The thirde principall matter wherewith in his prayers he was 〈◊〉 was to praye for the preseruation of the quenes maiesty that now is whome in his prayer accustomablye he was wont to name and euen with teares desired god to make her a comfort to this comfortles realm of England These wer the matters he prayed for so earnestly But were these things desired in vayne Did god despise the prayers of this his faythfull souldier No assuredly for the lord did most graciously graunt all these his requests First concerning profession euen in the most extremity the Lord 〈◊〉 assisted him For whē he stode at the stake without Bocardo gare at Oxford the tormen 〈◊〉 about to set the fire vpon him and that most reuerēd father D. Rid ley he lifted vp his eyes towardes heuen with a most amiable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying these words Fidelis est Deus qui non 〈◊〉 nos tentari supra id quod possumus God is faythful which doth not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength and so afterwarde by and by shed his bloud in the cause of christ the which bloud ranne out of his hart in suche aboundaunce that all those that wer presente beyng godly dyd maruell to see the most part of the bloud in his body so to be gathered to his hart and with suche violence to gushe out his body being opened by the force of the fyre By the which thinge God most gratiously graunted his request the which was to shede his harts bloud in the defence of the Gospell How mercifully the Lorde heard his second request in restoring his gospel once again to this realm these present dais can beare recorde But alasse what shal England say for her defēce how shal she auoyd the terrible plages of God for the horrible and deuelish vnthanckfulnes for that treasure The Lorde be mercifull vnto vs. Now concernyng his third request it was also most effectuously graunted to the grent prayse of God the furtheraunce of his Gospel and to the vnspeakenble comfort of this realme For when matters were euen desperate and the enemies mightely florished and triumphed Gods worde banished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sodenly the Lorde called to remembran̄ce his mercy and made an end of all these miseries and appoynted her for whom that same gray headed father Latimer so earnestly prayed in hys 〈◊〉 as the true naturall ruler owner of this imperial 〈◊〉 to shew her 〈◊〉 and by the brightnes of Gods worde to confounde the darke 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 kingdome of Antichrist and to restore the tem ple of God agayne the whiche thyng not this faithfull prophet only but al the rest whom God made worthy to be his wytnesses did most earnestly requyre and desyre in their faythfull prayers The selfe same God graunt vnto euery faythfull Christiar his spirit that they may be diligēt and watchfull in prayers for her by whom God hath bestowed such vnspeakcable giftes vpon vs that the same God will assyste her with hys grace and holy spirite to procede faythfullye in the building of his house and in plucking downe of all kyndes of synne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idolatrpe al the monuments of the same to the glory of hys name and her cuerlasting and endles comfort To the whych faythful prayers that all they whiche feare God may be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue 〈◊〉 forth these sermons made by this holy man of God and dedicated them to your grace partly because they were preached 〈◊〉 your 〈◊〉 house at Grimsthorp by this reuerend father and faythfull 〈◊〉 of god whom you did norish and whose doctrine you did most 〈◊〉 embrace to the prayse of god vnspeakable 〈◊〉 of al godly harts the 〈◊〉 did 〈◊〉 great admiration maruell at the 〈◊〉 gifts of god 〈◊〉 vpō youe grace in geuing vnto you such a 〈◊〉 spirit by whose power vertue you were able to ouercome the world to forsake your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and goodes your worldly 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highe estate and estimation with the whiche you 〈◊〉 adorned and to become an 〈◊〉 for Christe his gospels sake to 〈◊〉 rather to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the people of god then to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the worlde with a wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 greater 〈◊〉 then the treasures of Englande where 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 are farre otherwyse 〈◊〉 for they haue theyr pleasures amongst the portes of 〈◊〉 they eate and 〈◊〉 and make 〈◊〉 not passing what become of 〈◊〉 or his 〈◊〉 they bee 〈◊〉 dronken with the swete delicates of thys miserable 〈◊〉 that they wyl not tast of that buter morsels which the lord hath appoynted and prepared for his chosen children and especyall frendes Of the whiche he did make you most gratiouslye to taste geuyg vnto youre grace his spirit that you were able in all the tormoyles and greuaunces the whiche you did receaue not only at the handes of those whiche were your professed enemyes but also at the handes of them whych pretended 〈◊〉 and good will but secretly wrought sorow and myschyef to be quyet and 〈◊〉 and in the end broughte youre grace home againe into your natiue countrey no doubt to no other end but that you shoulde be a comfort vnto the comfortles and an instrumente by the whiche hys holy name should be praysed and his gospell propagated and spredde abrode to the glory of hys holy name and your eternall comfort in Christ Iesus vnto whose mercifull hands I commit your grace with all youres eternally Amen From Southam the second of October Certaine sermons made by the right reueren de father in God maister doctor Latymer before the right vertuous and honorable lady Katherine duchesse of Suffolke in the ycre of our Lord. 1552. OVR FATHER vvhich art in heauen I haue entred of late in the wase of preachyng and spoken many thynges of prayer and rather of praier than of any other thing For I thinke there is nothing more necessarie to be spoken of nor more abused than praier was by the craft and suttletie of the deuill for many thynges were taken for prayer whan they were nothyng lesse Therefore at this same 〈◊〉 also I haue thoughte it good to entreate of prayer to thintent that it might bee knowen what a precious thyng ryghte prayer is I tolde
which maried his sonne Luke saith A certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great supper but there is no difference in that very substance of the matter for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to one purpose Here is made mention of a feast maker therefore we must cōsider who was this feast maker secōdarily who was his sonne thirdly we must consider to whome he was maried who were they that called the 〈◊〉 fourthly who 〈◊〉 the gests And than we must know how the gest callers behaued thē selues and then howe the gestes behaued themselues towardes them that called them Whan all these circumstances he considered we shall synde 〈◊〉 good matters couered and hydde in this Gospell Now that I may so handle these matters that it may turne to the 〈◊〉 of your soules and to the discharge of my office I wyll moste instantely desyre you to 〈◊〉 vp youre hearts vnto God and desyre his diuine maiestie in the name of his only begotten sonne our sauior Iesus Christ that he wil geue vnto vs his holy ghost vnto me that I may speke the woorde of God and teache you to vnderstande the same vnto you that you may heare it fruitefully to the edification of your soules so that you may be edified through it youre lyues reformed and amended so that his honour and glorie may increase dayly amongost vs. And therfore I shall desire you to saye with me Our father c. DERELY beloued in the Lord the gospell that is redde this day is a parable a similitude or comparison For our sauiour compared the kyngdom of GOD vnto a man that made a mariage for his sonne And here was a mariage At a mariage you knowe there is commonly great feastynges Nowe you must know who was this feast maker and who was his sonne and to whom he was maried and who were these that should be called and who were the callers 〈◊〉 they behaued them selues and how the gestes behaued them selues towardes them that called them Now this mariage maker or feast maker is almighty god Luke the Euangelist calleth him a man saying A certayne man ordeined a great supper He called him a mā not that he was 〈◊〉 or hath taken our 〈◊〉 vpon him no not so for you must vnderstand that there be thre persons in the 〈◊〉 God the father god the sonne and god the holy ghost And these three personnes 〈◊〉 the sonne with manhode so that neither the father neither the holy ghost toke flesh vpō them but onely the sonne he tooke 〈◊〉 flesh vpon him taking 〈◊〉 of the vyrgin Mary But Luke called god the father a man not because he toke 〈◊〉 vpon him but onely compared 〈◊〉 vnto a man not that he wyll affirme him to be man Who was he now that was maried who was the 〈◊〉 Mary that was our sauiour 〈◊〉 Christ the second person in the destie the eternall sonne of god who should be his spouse to 〈◊〉 was he maried Mary to his churche and congregation for he woulde haue all the worlde to 〈◊〉 vnto him and to be maried vnto him but we see by dayly experience that the moste 〈◊〉 refuse this 〈◊〉 But here is shewed the state of that church of God for this mariage this 〈◊〉 was begunne at the beginnyng of the worlde and shall endure to the ende of the same yet for all that the most part refused it for at the very beginning of the world euer the most part refused to com And so it appereth at this our tyme how little a numbre 〈◊〉 to this weddyng and feast though we haue many callers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be but fewe of those that come So ye heare that 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 the bridegrome is Christ his sonne 〈◊〉 Sauior the bride is the congregation Nowe what maner of meate was prepared at this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ye know it is commonly seene 〈◊〉 at a 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 meate is prepared that can be gotten What was the chiefest dysh at this great 〈◊〉 what was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mary it was the bridegrome hymselfe for the father the feast maker prepared none other 〈◊〉 of meate for the geastes but the body and blood of his owne naturall sonne And this is the chiefest dyshe at this banket 〈◊〉 truely is a meruaylous thyng that the father offereth his sonne to be eaten Uerily I thynke that no man hath hearde the lyke And trewely there was neuer suche kynde of feastynges as this is where the father wyll haue his sonne to be eaten and his blood to be dronke We reade in a storye that a certayne man had eaten hys sonne but it was done vnwares he knewe not that it was his sonne elles no doubte he woulde not haue eaten hym The storye is this There was a kynge named Astyages whyche had hearde by a Prophecye that one Cyrus shoulde haue the rule and dominion ouer his realme after his departure whyche thyng troubled the sayde kyng very sore and therfore sought all the ways and meanes howe to gette the sayde Cyrus out of the waye howe to kyll hym so that he shoulde not be kyng after hym Nowe he had a noble man in his house named Harpagus whom he appoynted to destroye the 〈◊〉 Cyrus but howe soeuer the matter went Cyrus was preserued and kept alyue contrary 〈◊〉 the kynges mynde Whyche thyng whan 〈◊〉 hearde what 〈◊〉 he Mary this Harpagus that noble man which was put in trust to kyl Cyrus had a sonne 〈◊〉 the court whom the king commanded to be taken his head handes 〈◊〉 to be cut of and his body to be prepared rosted or sodden of the beste maner as coulde be 〈◊〉 After that he byddeth Harpagus to come and eate with him where ther was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one dyshe commynge after an other At lengthe the kyng asked him Syr how liketh you your fare Harpagus thanketh the king with muche praisyng the kinges banket Now the kyng perceyuyng 〈◊〉 to be merily disposed 〈◊〉 one of his seruauntes to bryng in the head 〈◊〉 and feete of Harpagus sonne whiche whan it was doone the kyng shewed hym what 〈◊〉 of meate he had eaten askyng hym howe it lyketh hym Harpagus made answere though with an 〈◊〉 hearte Quod Regi placet id 〈◊〉 quoque placet Whatsoeuer pleaseth the kyng that also pleaseth me And here we haue an ensample of a flatterer or dissembler for this Harpagus spake againste his owne heart and conscience Surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ther be a great many of flatterers in our time also which will not bee ashamed to speake against their owne heart 〈◊〉 like as this Harpagus did which had no dout a 〈◊〉 hearte in his 〈◊〉 the act of the kyng 〈◊〉 hym yet for all that with his tong he praised the same So I say we rede not in any storie that at any tyme any father had 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 willingly wittingly And this Harpagus of whom I rehersed the storie did it vnwares But the almightie god which prepared this feast
many which will reason very sore they thinke it to be no matter though the curate be erronious and naught in his doctryne they care not for that for they wyll say I wil here hym and doe accordyng as he commaundeth vnto me to doe when he teacheth false doctryne and leadeth me the wronge way he shall make answer for me before god his false doctrine shall do me no harme though I folow the same Thys is a naughty reason and contrarye to Christes our sauiours doctrine for so he sayeth yf the blynde leade the blynde they shall fall bothe into the pytte Marke here he saieth not the leader shall fall into the pytte but they shall fall both that leader he that is led the blynd curate and his blynd parishners and so it was at S. Paules tyme not onely the leaders the false teachers went to the deuyll but also they that folowed theyr false doctrine And therefore S. Paule is so earnest in admonishyng them to be ware and take hede to themselues yea with weepyng eyes he desyreth them to refuse the false prophetes So lykewise God himselfe geneth vs warnynge in the 3. Chapter of the prophet Ezechiel saieng yf I say vnto thee concernyng the vngodly man that without dout he must dye and thou geuest not hym warning nor speakest vn to him that he may turne from his euill way and so to lyue then shall the 〈◊〉 vngodly man die in his owne vnrightuousnes but his bloud wyll I requyre of thy handes Again in the 33. Chap. he saieth When I sende a sworde vppon a land yf the people of the land take a man of theyr countrey and set him to be theyr watcheman the same man when he seeth the sword come vpon the lande shall blow the trompet and warne the people if a man nowe heare the noyse of the trompet and wil not be warned and the sword come take hym awaye hys bloude shal bee vpon his owne heade for he hearde the sounde of the trompet and would not take heede therfore his bloud be vpon him but yf he wyll receyue warnyng he shall saue hys lyfe Agayne yf the watcheman seeeth the sworde come and shew it not with the trompette so that the people is not warned yf the sworde come 〈◊〉 and take any manne from amongest them the same shal bee taken awaye in his owne synne but hys bloud wyl I requyre of the watchmans handes In these places of Scripture it appeareth moste manifestly that not onely the naughty curate shall go to the deuyll but also all those that folowe hys naughtye doctryne The wicked shall dye in his wickednes for thoughe God doe require the bloude of the parishners at the curates hands yet for all that they shal be damned in the meane season But I praye you be not offended with me whan I tell you one thynge manye tymes for I do it to that ende that ye might perceiue what daunger it is to haue an yll curate this maketh me to put you manye tymes in remembraunce of it I wyll tell you nowe a prety storye of a 〈◊〉 to refresh you withall A limitoure of the graye fryers in the tyme of his limitation preached manye tymes and hadde but one Sermon at all tymes Whiche Sermon was of the tenne commaundementes And because this fryar hadde preached thys sermon so often one that hearde it before told the friars seruaunte that his maister was called friar Iohn ten commaundement wherfore the seruaunte shewed the fryar hys maister thereof and aduysed him to preach of some other maters for it greeued the seruaunte to here his maister deryded Now the fryar made answere sayeng Belyke then thou canste the x. commaundements well seeyng thou hast heard them so many a time yes said the seruaunt I warraunt you lette me heare them saith the maister then he beganne pride 〈◊〉 lecherye and so numbred the deadly sinnes for the ten commaundements And so there be many at this time whiche be werye of the olde gospel they would sayne heare some newe thynges they thinke themselues so perfecte in the olde when they be no more skilfull then this seruaunte was in hys tenne commaundementes Therfore I saye bee not offended with me whenne I tell you one thynge twoo or three tymes And specially marke thys well that the parisheners are not excused before GOD by the wickednesse and blyndenesse of the prieste For GOD sayeth not I wyll require the bloude of the people at the curates hande and the people shal bee withoute blame No not so but the wycked shall perishe beecause of his wickednes so that the blynde people and the blynde curate shall go to hell together I would wishe that all England were persuaded so for the moste part of the people think themselues to be excused by their curates But it is not so for yf there bee any man wicked because his curate teacheth hym not his bloud shal be required at the curates hands yet for all that the parishner shall goe to the diuell withall that shal be his end Therfore beware of that opinion thinke not to be excused by your curate for when ye do ye do not well and so you shall repente in the ende S. Paule therfore is so diligent to geue vs warnyng of the false prophetes 〈◊〉 we should be deceiued by them In an other place S. Paule com pareth their doctrine vnto a sycknes which is is called a canker which sickenes when she once beginneth at a place of the bodye excepte it be withstanden wyll runne ouer the whole body and so at the length kil so it is with this false doctrine Now I must answer vnto you to an obiection or doute that peraduenture some of you may haue you will thinke when ye heare what is the nature of false doctrine ye will thinke I say Alas what is done with our graūdfathers no dout they are lost euerlastyngly if this doctrine bee true for after your saying they haue had the false doctryne therfore they be 〈◊〉 ned for the nature of false doctryne is to condemne Suche doutes some will make yea and there bee some whiche in no wise wil receiue that gospel and that only for thys opinions sake for they thinke that whan they should receiue the gospel it were in as much as to thynke theyr forefathers be damned Now to this obiection or doutefulnes I will make you aunswere It is with the false doctryne like as it is with fyre the nature of syre is to burne and consume all that which is layed in the syre that may be burned So the nature of false doctrine is to condemne to bring to euerlasting damnation that is the nature of the false doctrine But yet for all that thoughe the nature of the fyre be to burne and consume all thinges yet there hath bene many thyngés in the fyre whiche haue not bene burned nor consumed as the bushe which áppeared
Discipline they be wythout al order Where they should geue place they wil not stur one inch yea where magistrates shuld determine matters they wil breake into the place before they come and at theyr comming not moue a whit for them Is this discipline Is thys good order If a man say any thing vnto them they regard it not They that be caled to answer wil not answer directly but skoffe the matter oute Men the more they know the worse they be it is truely sayde sciencia inflat knowledge maketh vs proud and causeth vs to forget all and set a way disciplin Surely in Poperye they had a reuerence but now we haue none at al Ineuer saw the like This same lack of the feare of God and dyscipline in vs was one of the causes that the father wold not hear his sonne This pain suffred our sauior Christ for vs who neuer deserued it 〈◊〉 what it was that he suffred in thys garden till Iudas came The dolors the terrors the sorrowes that he suffered be vnspeakable He suffred part ly to make amends for our sinnes partly to geue vs exā ple what we should doo in like case What comes of thys gear in th end Wel now he prayeth again he resorteth to his father again Angore correptus prolixius orabat He was in sorer pains in more anguish thē euer he was therfore he prayeth lōger more ardētly more feruētly more vehemētly thē euer he did before Oh lord what a wōderful thinge is this this horror of death is worse thē death it self more He prayeth now the third time He did it so instantlye so feruently that it brought out a bloudy sweat such plēty that it dropped down euen to the groūd There issued out of his precious body drops of blud What a paine was he in when these bloudy drops fel so aboundantlye frō hym Yet for al that how vnthankful do we shewe oure selues toward him that died only for our sakes for the remedy of our sinnes Oh what blasphemy do we commit day by day what litle regard haue we to his blessed passion thus to swear by gods bloud by Christes passion We haue no thing in our pastime but gods bloud gods woundes We continually blaspheme his passyon in hauking hunting dising carding Who wold think he shuld haue such ennemies amōg those that professe his name What became of his bloud that fel down trow 〈◊〉 was that bloud of Hales of it wo worth it What a do was it to bring this oute of the kinges hed This great abhomination of the bloud of hales could not be taken a great while out of hys minde You that be of the court especially ye sworn chaplains beware of a lesson that a great man taught me at my first cōming to the court he told me for good will he thoughte it wel 〈◊〉 sayd vnto me You must beware how so euer ye do that ye cōtrary not the king let him haue his saiyngs folow him go with him Mary out vpon this counsel shal I say as he sayes Say your cōscience or els what a worm shal ye fele gnawinge what a remorse of conscience shall ye haue when ye remēbre how ye haue slacked your duety It is a good wise verse Gutta cauat lapidem non vi sed sepe cadendo The drop of raine maketh a hole in the stone not by violence but by oft falling Likewise a prince must be turned not violently but he must be won by a litle and a litle He must haue his duty told him but it must be don with humblenesse with request of pardon or els it wer a daungerous thing Unpreachinge prelates haue bene the cause that the bloud of Hales did so long blinde the king Wo worth that such an abhominable thing shoulde be in a Christen realme but thankes be to God it was partlye redressed in the kinges dayes that dead is aud much more now God graunt good wil and power to goo forward if ther be any such abhomination behind that it may vtterly be roted vp O how happy are we that it hath plesed almigh ty God to vouchsafe that his sonne shuld sweat bloud for the redeming of our synnes and again how vnhappy are we if we wil not take it thankfully that was redemed so painfully Alas what hard hartes haue we Our sauioure Christ neuer synned and yet sweat he blud for our sinnes we will not once water our eyes wyth a few tears What an horrible thing is sinne that no other thinge would remedy and pay the raunsome for it but only the bloude of our sauiour Christ. There was nothing to pacifye the fathers wrath against man but such an agony as he suffred al the passion of al the martyrs that euer were all the sacrifices of Patriarkes that euer were al the good workes that euer were done were not able to remedy oure synne to make satisfaction for our sinnes nor any thing besides but this extreme passion and bloud sheddinge of our most merciful sauiour Christ. But to draw toward an end what became of this thre fold prayer at the length it pleased God to hear his sōnes prayer and sent him an angell to corroborate to strengthen to comfort him Christ nead no angels help if he had listed to case him self with his deitye He was the sonne of God what then for so much as he was man he receyued comfort at the aungels hand as it accordes to our infirmity His obedience his continuance and sufferinge so pleased the father of heauen that for his sonnes sake be he neuer so great a sinner leauing his sinne and repentinge for the same he wil owe him such fauoure as thoughe he had neuer committed any sinne The father of heauen wil not suffer him to be tempted wyth this great horror of death and hel to the vttermost and aboue that he is able to bear Loke for it my frendes by him and through him he shal be able to ouercome it let vs do as oure sauioure Christ did and we shal haue helpe from aboue we shal haue angels help if we truste in hym heauen and earth shall geue vp rather then we shall lacke helpe he sayeth he is Adiutor in necessitatibus an healper in tyme of nead When the angell had comforted him and when this horror of death was gon he was so strong that he offred hym self to Iudas and sayd I am he To make an end I praye you take paynes it is a daye of penaunce as we vse to say geue me leue to make you wery this day The Iewes had him to 〈◊〉 and Annas and there they whipte him bet him they set a crowne of sharpe thorne vpon hys head and nailed him to a tree yet all this was not so bitter as thys horror of death and this agony that he suffred in the garden in suche a degree as is