them for none other cause but for the iustice sake of the Gospell whiche hurteth none and helpeth all For euen thys selfe thynge sturreth vp their hatred for which they oughte to haue shewed their loue neyther for any other cause do they rendre wronge then for the whiche they ought to haue giuen thankes Christe sayeth not blessed be they that suffre persecution of the Hethen people For thoughe a man suffre persecution as the holy Doctour ChrysostoÌ„ sayth of he retikes or of meÌ„ of power whiche seme and be called christians he is blessed w t saint ThoÌ„ Baptist with innumerable other holy martyres For yf it be true that the prophetes be martyrs which were stayne of their owne natioÌ„ w tout doubt he y t for gods cause suffreth any thing though he suffre of his owne nation hath the reward of martyrdoÌ„ And therfore the scripture hath not put the ê‘sons of y â— ê‘secuters but the cause only of the persecution that we shulde not loke who it is that psecuteth but for what cause But ye wol say who can loue such as for pleasures reÌ„ore agayne displeasures hatred and euel turnes It is an harde thinge I graunt but the rewarde is greate And what is the reward not a garlande of flowres or bay leaues not an oxe or a goote but the kyngdom of heuen Unto thys turnament we must prepare our selfes so many as woll be Christes disciples if we desire to wynne the crowne of the EuaÌ„gelicall felicitie Mans crueltie is nothyng y t ought to fraye vs from it Noman can hurte vs yf we cleaue to iustice The persecution of the euill shall not plucke awey oure innocencie but it shall rather increase our blesse Yea in the mydde stormes of the persecution we shal be blessed Let vs call to mynde my frendes the valiant martyrs and holy both meÌ„ women children which haue been before our time the memorie of all whom the church doth this daye solemnize how coÌ„stantly how paciently they suffred al vilanouse wordes al mockes skornes vnworthy punishementes yea and many of them death for the trouthes sake When men cursed them wyth bytter curses when men assawted them wyth all kynde of mischief when men falsely accused them and layd to their charge all the crymes they coulde bycause they were true folowers disciples of Christe they bewayled not theÌ„selfes as vnhappy and miserable but rather they reioysed and triumphed therin forasmuche as the more their enemies and ê‘secutours did rage agaynst them the more dyd their rewarde increase in heuen Their hurte God turned to their good The damage that they suffred of men he turned to their lucre The reproche he turned into euer lastynge and true glorie The crimes and vpbraydynges whych men brought falsly against them he turned into the titles and triumphes of true godlines mens cursinges he turned into prayses and reioysinges not only afore God whom to please they thought it ynough â–ª though they displeased the hole worlde besides forth but also afore men For of wicked and vngodly men to be dispraised for godlines is to be praysed and to be tormented of the haters of god is to be crowned Prayse and glory amoÌ„ges men they sought not for and yet neuertheles it folowed the true vertue of the owne accord Thus the holy prophetes whyche haue bene afore vs thus the blessed martyres the confessours the virgines the deuoute wydowes and brefely to speake all the halowes and godly personagies before oure tyme be rewarded crowned nowe with the crowne of immortalitie Let vs therfore dearly beloued frcendes folow them in liuing that we may also folow them thither where they now be in perpetual ioy with the father sonne and holy gost three persons and one god who be praysed foreuer Amen ¶ On the day of weddyng The Gospell Mat. xix THe pharisees cam to Iesus temptynge him and sayng Is it lawful for man to put awey his wife for all maner of causes He answered and sayde vnto them Haue ye not red that he that made man at the beginning made them man and woman and said for this cause shal man leaue father mother and cleaue to his wyfe they two shal be one fleshe Wherfore they be nomore two but one fleshe Lette not man then put a suÌ„dre that which god hath coupled togither The sermon vpon this Gospel Forasmoch as welbiloued audieÌ„ce in our Sauiour Iesu Christ we be assembled at this present tune for the solemnizatioÌ„ of matrimonie betwen these two persoÌ„s in the face of the churche accordinge to the laudable custome and rites of the same I inteÌ„d with your fauours first ere I expownd this gospel brefely to declare y â— first institutioÌ„ ordinauÌ„ce of matrimonie to thinteÌ„t not only these two ê‘soÌ„s here cou pled togither but also al other which be here gathered togither aswel maried as to be maried maye be admonished instructed of their office dutie herin First therfor ye shal vnderstand that almighty god what time he first made created man in paradice consydering of his botomles wisdom how necessary mete and conuenient it was to couple man and womaÌ„ togither in wedlok both for the comfort aide and helpe of one an other and for the multiplicatioÌ„ and meyntenaunce of mankinde in lawful successioÌ„ and also to thintent that therby generation of issue might after mans fall be continually from tyme to time maynteined vntyll the ende of the world without synne or offêse towardes god did not only euen than at the beginning and in paradice knytte Adam and Eue togyther in matrimonye and dyd ordeyne and blesse the same by his holy worde but also dyd declare and set forth the vertue and strength therof by the mouth of AdaÌ„ for he being inspired as saint Austine and other holy doctours say wyth the holy ghost when he was by almighty god whiche made him knytte and coupled in lawfull mariage wyth Eue his wife spake as a prophet these wordê folow yng Loo now these bones of Eue my wyfe be fourmed of my bones and this her flesh of my flesh She shal be called a woman bycause she is taken forth of the man And for this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and cleaue fast vnto his wyfe and they tweyne shal be one flesh By which wordes it is ment that by the strength and vertue of maryage ryghtly made the man and wyfe whiche before were two bodies be now made one bodye durynge their liues so that herafter the husbande as saynte Paule sayth hath not power ouer his owne bodye to vse it as him lusteth but it is hys wiues neyther hath the wyfe power of her owne bodye but her body is her husbandes body and wyth hym only may she vse the acte of matrimony And therfor they two so knytte conioyned by gods ordenaunce may in no wise â—e deuided for any affection either to father or mother or
we thus bewayle the slepe of oure deare freÌ„des why do we feare it our selues Nay why do we not rather desire it for the quyetnes therin Why do we not count them happy wel at ease whiche haue gotten it And with this Gospel do also the wordes of saynt Paule whiche be redde in the epistle of this day agree whiche he wrote to hys Christen brethern the Thessalonians sayng I wold not brethreÌ„ haue you ignorant as concerning them which be fallen a slepe that ye mourne not as the rest of meÌ„ do which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose againe euen so wil god bring againe with him them also which slepe by Iesus But Christes disciples beyng troubled with feare suspecting that Iesus spake not of the bodily death in dede which after a new maner of speaking he called a slepe but rather of the common maner of sleping answered and said Lord if he slepe he shall do well ynoughe Uerily the disciples were yet styll afrayd to resort agayne to Iurye therfore asmuche as they coulde they cut of the causes of goyng thither But Iesus by litle litle prepared their myndes to the beholdyng of the miracle which he wolde shewe For first of all he had rather calle him a slepe than dead that according to the maner of holy scrip ture he myghte shewe the hope of resurrection For they slepe rather then be dead which lye in rest and shal liue agayn For it is not so easy for any of vs to raise him that slepeth as it is for Christ to calle the dead agayne to lyfe The disciples therfore not vnderstandyng that he spake of slepe and of wakynge agayne to thintent they myght perceiue y t he knewe al thinges said openly vnto them after the coÌ„mon maner of speakyng â–ª Lazarus is dead I am glad for your sakes that I was not there bicause ye may beleue Neuertheles lette vs goe vnto hym Christe doth not here tell hys disciples that he wolde rayse him againe for he had rather haue it signified than expressed and he had rather perfourme it then promise it in this behalfe also giuing vs an exemple of demurenes and to flee vayne glorie And he sayeth that he is glad for their sakes that he was not ther. Why so For if he had been present at hys freendes departure and had forthwyth retorned hym to lyfe the pharisees and other whiche were euer ready to sklaunder al that Christe did wolde haue sayd that he was not dead in dede but in a trauÌ„ce for a tyme as by diuerse sickenesses it hathe chaunced to many one But now he being so long dead yea and buryed in hys graue they could not make that cauillation Christ therfore was glad for hys disciples sake that they myghte beleue But what shulde they beleue First that Christ was the true Sauiour of the worlde whiche raiseth the dead out of their graues yea and out of euerlasting daÌ„nation and helle if he had not dyed for vs. Second that he is ready euen in the middes of our troubles to helpe vs and careth for our sauetie as we haue exemple in Lazarus which was sicke yea and dyed he felt not Christes helpe yet Christ cared for hym his care was not vayne For he raised him agayne froÌ„ deth Thomas therfore which in the Greke is called didymus in Englishe a twyn one of Christâ— Apostles ê‘ceyuing that Christ wold nedes goe into Iurye agayn amonges his enemyes sayd to hys felawes Let vs goe to that we may dye with him as who shuld say sith our maister woll nedes â—eopard himselfe amonges the pharisees which seke his death let it not be said that we wol leaue our maister let vs dye wyth him Uerily thys exhortation of Thomas hath in it more rashenes than feith For albeit he is now ready to dye with Christ yet he wold not beleue hys resurrection if he had not seen in his haÌ„des the printe of the nayles So also Peter boldly ê“mised that he wolde dye with Christ but it was not feithfully and truely therfore forthwyth he denyed hys maister But afterwarde both saynt Thomas and also saint Peter were two of the stroÌ„gest and surest af all their felawes in their feith as appeareth by their actes And here we haue exemple that saintes and the cho sen people of God do otherwhiles fall by gods suffraunce into frayeltie wherfore let not vs despaire though we haue been wretched sinners yea though we haue denyed Christ with Peter Only lette vs playe Peters parte and by repentauÌ„ce rise agayne no doubt god wol take vs agayn vnto his grace But to our Gospell Christ with his disciples goeth forth fyndeth that Lazarus had lyen in his graue foure dayes alredy And Bethanye where Lazarus his susters dwelt was nighe vnto Hierusalem about xv furloÌ„ges of and many of the Iues cam to Martha Marye to coÌ„fort theÌ„ ouer their brother Truly it is the worke of charitie to coÌ„fort the heuy and troubled persoÌ„s yea it is the worke of the holy ghost and for thys cause is the holy ghost called in scripture a couÌ„forter bycause in aduersitie he coÌ„forteth the beleuers feithful christen ê‘sons And therfore the Apostle Paule doth nuÌ„bre gentlenes goodnes kyndnes towardes the neyghbour amonges the workes of y â— spirite And albeit it may be that the worke of coÌ„forting other â–ª in wyelted vngodly persons doth not ê“cede of the holy spirite of the lorde but rather of a curtesy neighberhode or nerenâ—s of bloud as appeareth in these Iues which cam to coÌ„fort the two suâ—ters Martha Marye as also the loue charitie of HetheÌ„ ê‘sons wherby they imbrace their welwillers coÌ„meth of a carnal affection yet in the godly ê‘sons it coÌ„meth of feyth true charitie is the worke of the holy ghost not of the flesh Frâ— thermore we do se here that many Iues cam to coÌ„fort these two susters not without the great ê“uideÌ„ce of god y t many might be witnesses of the great mira cle of raising Lazarus froÌ„ deth For this is y â— cast of of gods workâ— y t they shew â— farre otherface in y â— begynning thaÌ„ in y â— ende Many of y â— Iues were gathered to coÌ„forte these susters loo beside their loking for they be made witnesses of Lazarus resurrectioÌ„ Martha assone as she herde that Iesus was commyng went and met him but Mary sate styl in the howse Martha therfore so sone as she cam into Iesus sight sayd vnto him Lord if thou haddest bene here my brother had not dyed But now I knowe that what soeuer thou askest of god god wol surely giue it the. Uerily this Martha beleued in Christe but not as it behoued her to beleue For she knewe not yet that he was god â–ª that he wrought hys miracles by his owne
Babylon Ieconias begat Salathiel Salathiel begat Zorobabel Zorobabel begat Abiud Abiud begat Eliachun Eliachim begat Azor. Azor begatte Sadoc Sadoc begat Achin Achin begatte Eliud Eliud begatte Eleazar Eleazar begatte Matthan Matthan begat Iacob Iacob begatte Ioseph the husbande of Mary of whoÌ„ was borne Iesus which is called Christe The sermon vpon this Gospel IN this gospel good people many thinges are to be considered First how that our sauiour Christ the sonne of god wold for the greate loue he bare to mankinde be borne the soÌ„ne of Dauid that is wold take maÌ„s nature vpon hym to succour and help vs which were in flesh condeÌ„ned to pourge our spotted and synful byrth And verily this is the final intent of Christê incarnatioÌ„ as it is wel declared in the epistle to the Hebrues where it is writen that forasmoch as the sonne of god vouchsaued to call godly persones his brethren sayng by the prophet Dauid I will declare thy name to my brethren and otherwhiles also he calleth them the children as in Esay Lo here am I the children whom god hath giuen me and bicause these children and these his brethreÌ„ be men made of fleshe and bloude it pleased hym to be parttaker of the same wyth theÌ„ that by his death he might wipe out him whiche had lordshippe ouer death that is to say the deuyl and deliuer theÌ„ which through feare of death were al their life time subdued vnto bondage For he toke not vpon him angels but the sede of Abraham Wherfore in al thinges it becam hym to be made like to hys brethren that he might be merciful a feithful high prest in thinges towchinge God to thintent to pourge the synnes of the people Now wheras Christ is called here the soÌ„ne of Dauid ye must vnderstand it that he desceÌ„deth lineally from Dauid according to the flesh as saint Paul declareth in the beginning of his epistle to the Romaines lest we ruÌ„ne into y â— errours of certaine heretikê which say that Christe was nothynge elles but a maÌ„ not the son of God but merely the soÌ„ne of Dauid Which errour Christ himself discussed where he propowned this question to the pharisees What thynke ye of Christe whose sonne is he â–ª And when they answered the soÌ„ne of Dauid he asked them why thaÌ„ did Dauid in spirite cal him lord sayng the lord said to my lord syt on my right haÌ„de Meaning hereby that Christe was aboue Dauid not only a man but also god So that ye muste vnderstand him to be the soÌ„ne or issue of Dauid according to the flesh and not accordinge to his godhed And ye shal also marke that he is called the soÌ„ne of Dauid after the maner of speaking of the Hebrues bycause he cam of the ryght line of Dauyd For the Hebrues do calle al lineal nephues nieces be they neuer so long of sonnes and daughters Uerely the hole petigrue of Christe is here so drawen and conueyed from his auncestours that they only be put which were ê‘ttakers of y â— promise which was made of Christ. Ye must therfore marke two maner lines of men whiche beinge well marked doth discerne of whom Christ wold be borne and was borne For albeit the promise of Chryste was made to Adam yet from Cain his soÌ„ne the petigrue of Christ is not coÌ„ueyed So that one line there is whyche deriueth Christê petigree from the meÌ„bres of the true church that is to wite froÌ„ the holy fathers which were parttakers of y e ê“mise And an other line there is which coÌ„teyneth the childreÌ„ that grew out of kinde not folowing their fathers steppes therfor no ê‘ttakers of the ê“mise which two lines if ye diligently marke through out the old testament ye shal se that Christ proceded of the feithful stocke not of that whiche grew out of kinde as Cain Esau and their ofspring were And verily it becam Christ the hed of y e church to come of the membres of the true churche Seconde ye shall vnderstande that oure Sauiour Christ wolde be borne accordinge to the fleshe of the royal bloude of kinges to declare that he shuld be a kynge no worldly kynge but a spirituall kynge for the rulyng and guyding of mens consciencies And forasmuch as kinges were also annointed after the maner of prestes therfore Christ also wold be borne of kinges to shew himselfe an annoynted king that is to say both a king and a prest a king to rule and defende a prest to make intercession and prayer for vs accordyng as saynt Paule sayth of him Which also maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs. And the prophet â—ieremie sayth He shall do the office of a kinge and capitayne But for the eschuing of errours ye muste know that Dauid whose sonne Christ is according to the fleshe administred here hys kyngdome in the erth and therfore it is not to be thought that after that Christ is nowe ascended vp to heuen he exerciseth nomore hys kyngly officies but that he sytteth ydelly in heuen leauyng behind him hys deputie or vicare in erth the bishop of Rome Uerily Christes kingdom is perpetuall and so is his presthode according to the sayng of the prophet Tu es sacerdoâ— inaeternum secuÌ„dum ordinem Melchisedec Thou art an euerlastinge prest accordynge to the order of Melchisedec Thirdly ye shall vnderstande that albeit Christe and also our Ladye hys mother whose memory we solemnize this day Ioseph her husband cam of the right blessed line or stocke and not of the croked cursed lyne as I haue aforedeclared yet many of the persons aswel men as womâ— of this blessed stocke were synners and therfore here in their genealogie is mencion made also of synfull personnes For who were so wicked as kynge Manasses and his sonne Amon whiche be here rekened in Christes petigree Iudas also coÌ„mitted fornication with Thamar Salmon maryed Raab an harlot What shall I speake of Bethsabea wyth whom king Dauid coÌ„mitted greuouse aduowtrie And yet of this Bethsabea whiche was the wyfe of Urie dyd king Dauid begette SalomoÌ„ So that if a maÌ„ wol throughly consider the thinge he shall fynde almost more euell men then good amoÌ„ges the auncestours of Christ and all the women whiche be here named be none of the holy women as saynt Hierom sayth but suche as the scripture disproueth What other thinge meaneth thys but that the holy ghost wolde signifie that like as Christ cam of synners so he also cam into this world for sinners He wold be borne sayeth thys noble clerc saynt Hierom of synners y t he myght wipe awey the synnes of all Yea Christ hymselfe sayeth that he cam not to calle the rightuouse but synners to repentauÌ„ce If then he cam for synners why shuldest thou o maÌ„ despaire for cause of thy synnes Nay rather take harte vnto the and repent For then shal the grace and fauour of Christ be powred more
pleÌ„tifully vpoÌ„ the in that thou hast the more offended according to the sentence of saint Paule Furthermore we may lerne also here a moderatioÌ„ of mynd and demurenes that we hitte noman in the teeth of his auncestours or kynsfolke For yf our Sauiour Christ had amonges his auncestours very tyrantes harlottes wicked ê‘sonnes who is he that hath not amonges hys auncestours and kinsfolke both good and badde Fourthly ye shall marke that saynt Mattheu here doth calle Ioseph the husband of Marie so that it is certaine that betwene Ioseph and Marye was a iust lawfull matrimonie vnder which not without a singuler cause Christ wold be borne to shewe that matrimonie is the state whiche pleaseth God and on the other side to liue in aduowtrye and fornication is a kynoe of life abominable afore God and man Of a virgine verily Christ wolde be borne but yet vnder lawfull wedlocke A virgine to hys mother becam hym that was God but in that she was maryed is setforth vnto vs the coÌ„mendation of wedlocke Uirginitie I say becam her which by secrete inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost being herselfe pure and vndefiled conceiued and brought forth him which was moost pure cleane but yet Ioseph was oure blessed Ladies husbande Doth not thys thynge then setforth vnto vs the honour of matrimonie and condemne these wicked heretiques which say that matrimonie is a thynge fylthy vnpure of whom saynt Paule speaketh callynge them spirites of errours and deuelish teachers For if Christ had wolde he myght haue been borne before Marye his mother was betrowthed to Ioseph If matrimonie also were a fowle thing and discoÌ„mended of god as some heretikes haue said why went our Sauiour Christ to a wedding wrought there the first miracle that euer he did by turnyng water into wyne So y e thoughe virginitie be a highe thyng mete for such as be of high ê‘fection yet matrimonie is an honest state Last of all thys Gospell doth condemne those heretikes which denye y t Christ toke fleshe of the blessed virgine say either that he brought a spiritual flesh with him from heuen or that the word so was made fleshe that Christ is only of one nature not of two natures For thys heresie hathe been longe sithens condemned of Christes churche And euen with one text in this gospel it is ouerthrowne where it is said that Iacob begatte Ioseph the husband of Marie of whom was borne Iesus whiche is called Christ. If of Marye Christe was borne then it must nedes folow that he toke flesh of her The Gospel of Luke also proueth the same where the angel sayth to Ma rye Thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and beare a childe And Elizabeth saith to our Lady Blessed is the frute of thy wombe But howe can she conceyue Christ or howe can Christe be called the frute of her wombe yf he toke no parte of her Finally Paule is playne in this mater which sayeth that Christe was borne of the sede of Dauid concernynge the fleshe What caÌ„ be spokeÌ„ more plainly So ye se according also to the flesh the great nobilitie of Christes bloud For he wold be not only according to the spirite but also according to the flesh the noblest of al meÌ„ Accor ding to the spirite he desceÌ„ded froÌ„ god hys father w t out begynning so that he is the eternal sonne of the eternal god What is higher thaÌ„ this nobilitie And as to the fleshe he is descended of most holy patriarches moost myghty Kinges and Dukes In al the worlde was neuer founde lignage kynred ne house of more nobilitie then this lignage was wherof our Sauiour Christ descended accordinge to the fleshe But his spirituall lignage is without coÌ„parison This haue I therfor set out that ChristeÌ„ men shuld knowe their owne nobilitie For they that beleue in Christe be made by feith the brethren ioyntheires with Christe accordinge to the text before rehersed where Christ sayth I wil shew thy name to my brethren And in an other place he sayth These be my brethren which heare the word of god do it Saint Paul also sayth The spirite witnesseth togither w e our spirite that we be the sonnes of god if sonnes ergo heires heires of God and felawe heires wyth Christ. Nowe also with Christ we be made by feyth one bodye that we maye be his membres What is lefte then but that also we be made parttakers of Christes nobilitie And therfor we be called Christians which by interpretation signifie kingly that is to say of a kinges house and nobilitie by Christ our king But wherfore is this so greate nobilitie to be taken of vs for vayn glorye to despice our neighbour No truely For as Christe the nobler he was both in spirite and also in flesh the huÌ„bler and â—owlyer he made himselfe So let vs also folow Christê exemple and the more noble we be made by Christ so moch let vs beare our selfes y â— more lowly Nowbeit otherwhiles it is not only lawfull but also necessarie to loke alofte and beare our selfes hyghe of our nobilitie not against men but agaynst Satan For it is a great villany and shame for a noble personage to subiect himself to vile seruices For what be more vile or fylthy occupations then the workes of the deuyl which be synnes Here then let vs loke on high in Christ and be ashamed for our nobilitie sake to huÌ„ble our selfes to the fylth of synnes Now ye haue the lignage of Christ according to the fleshe and the nobilitie of him and of al Christians It remayneth therfore y t we also shulde knowlege Christ by feith and garnishe our nobilitie wyth good workes by Iesus Christ our lorde which togither wyth the father holy ghost be praised foreuer Amen ¶ On saynt Thomas day the Apostle The Gospell Ihon. xx THomas one of the twelue called Didymê° was not with them wheÌ„ Iesus cam The other disciples therfore sayde vnto hym We haue seen the lord But he said vnto them Except I se in his handes the printe of the nayles and put my fynger into the prynte of the nayles and thurst my handes into hys syde I wyl not beleue And after viij dayes againe his disciples were within and Thomas with them Iesus commeth the doores beyng shutte and stode in the middes said Peace be with you After that said he to Thomas Bringe thy fynger hither and beholde my handes and reach hither thy hand and thurst it into my side and be not vnfeithful but feithful Thomas answered and said vnto him My lorde and my god Iesus saith vnto him Thomas bycause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they which haue not seen and yet haue beleued The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell deare frendes declareth vnto vs the historie of saynt Thomas howe he wolde not beleue Christes resurrection til he had seen him and felt him
chosen folowed vp wyth hym but so yet that the coÌ„mon sort of people were not forbyden to folowe yf any amonges them had so great affection and grace When he was come to the toppe of the hylle he satte him down not as wery but as goyng about to teache high seriouse thynges which wolde requyre diligent hearers Hys disciples therfore perceyuyng that beganne to drawe nerer vnto hym that nothynge of hys heuenly doctrine myght fall to grownde Begynnyng then to teache hys diuine and most holsom lernyng not out of the proud pulpit of the philosophers neyther out of the arrogaÌ„t chaire of y â— pharâ—sees but out of a seate of grasse he did cast his eyen vpon his disciples and opening hys moost holy mouth vttred the Euangelical doctrine coÌ„cerning the felicitie of maÌ„ as yet vnknowne to the worlde and altogither disagreing from the opinion of all them which thought themselfes moost wyse in the worlde Thys doctrine his disciples yea and al holy men and women imbrased and so obteined the eternall blysse and beatitude here promysed vnto them Let vs therfore heare also thys doctrine foâ— to vs also he spake that we also maye be made blessed All the synnes of the lyfe do sprynge of false opinions and persuasions Aboue all thinges therfore we must studye to plucke these out by the harde â—ootes if we woll be his true people Bicause the most poysoned noysom sicknes of the mynd is pride and arrogance which is a let to man that he can not receyue the true doctrine or rather it is the fountaigne of all hed vices our Sauiour first healeth this disease sayeng Blessed be the pore in spirite for the realme of heauens is theirs Assuredly the slender liuing the lownes of byrth the obscuritye of estate the aduersitye of fortune maketh many men abiecte lowly to set no stoore by themselues And veryly these be y â— nerer to the blesse that the gospel speaketh of if they folow in mynd thither as fortune hath called them But this lownes humilitie of spirite that is here commended staÌ„deth in the affection and not in outwarde thinges Ye woll say how can these men raigne which take nothinge vpon them which giue place to al which set nought by themselues which suffre themselues to be troden vnder fote finally whom noman setteth by but al men despice I answere that it is yet true that the selfe trouthe hath spoken the kyngdom perteyneth only to them the kingdoÌ„ I say of heuen For thinke ye y â— these wilde fyerse cruel personnes do raigne Nay they serue a seruitude they be very villaines bondmen they suffre many lordes tyrantes ouer them They be tormented crucifyed with couetise with ire with enuye wyth lust of vengeaunce wyth feare with hope They skant liue they raigne not But the holy person the saynt the godly deuoute man or woman steyng himself vpon his innocencie vpon god vpon the rewardâ— of the world to com is free voyd of all these cares troubles for wyth a quyet hart he despiseth the thinges of this world and foloweth the heueÌ„ly goodes Doth not I praye you this man obteyne a reigne or a kyngdom farre more goodly and more excellente then is the reygne of tyrantes He is not vnder the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and rule of the lust nor of couetise neither of none of the other moost noysom pestilencies of the mynde But this holy person being armed with feith as ofteÌ„ as the case requireth doth lay his coÌ„maundement vpoÌ„ diseases and they flee awey he coÌ„mauÌ„deth the sees and they be styll he coÌ„maundeth deuilles and they departe Of thys force and power is the kyngdome of that harte whiche is godly and setteth nought by it selfe distrusting al humane helpes and socours depending holly of God The wordly kyngdom is gotteÌ„ by violence defended by hygh courage But this kingdom is gotten by modestie stablished by humilitie The world iugeth none mete to a lorship or raigne but such as be of hault and high courage But god calleth those chiefly to his kingdom which do moost of al huÌ„ble and deiecte themselfes Iesus goeth forth and addeth a nother lessoÌ„ lyke to thys sayng Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the earth Who be meke whiche inforce noman which beyng wronged do easely pardon the wrong whiche had rather loose a thynge then stryue for it which set more by coÌ„corde quietnes of mynd then great large possessioÌ„s whiche chouse rather a quiet pouertie then troublesom riches But this sort of meÌ„ be coÌ„monly for their pacience by one or other disturbed and wyped of that they haue Uerily it is trouth but this is a new maner of enlarging possessions The vnpitiful cruell lorde possesseth no not that which he hath wheras the mylde gentle person whiche had rather departe wyth hys right then coÌ„tende for it hath land in so many places as he findeth louers of the Gospell of Christe if he findeth none in thys world yet is he sure of the possession of the heueÌ„ly land out of which he caÌ„not be excluded The worlde bewaileth them as vnhappy whiche be briueÌ„ out of their couÌ„trey coÌ„pelled to liue in straÌ„ge places but Christ calleth them happy which be banished for the Gospels sake beyng made citizens of heuen They be driuen froÌ„ the frauÌ„chise of one citie expulsed out of one countrey but to true disciples of Christ the hole worlde is their countrey to such as be godly ê‘sons heueÌ„ is their home The death of frendes is miserable to the coÌ„mon sorte of people in so moch that some when they haue been depriued of their wifes fathers mothers husbandes chyldren haue kylled theÌ„selfes And for thys cause men come vnto them to aswage the bytternes of their sorowe wyth wordes of comfort But blessed be they which mourne for the loue of the Gospell whiche be also plucked awey from their affections whiche se their moost dearly beloued troubled for the iustice of the gospel which despising the pleasures of this world passe their life in weping watching fasting giuing almoise prayng visiting the poore in such like occupations For with such woll that heauenly spirite ve present secretly coÌ„fortyng rewardyng the short mournyng with in estimable ioye of mynde translatinge theÌ„ to euerlasting blesse Mans couÌ„fortyng ofteÌ„tymes increaseth the grefe while it laboureth to swage it But the holy ghost the true coÌ„forter so chereth the godly mynd that in moost bytter afflictioÌ„s of the bodie it reioyseth By the common opinion of al men hungre is a peynful thing and nedy pouertie is the thyng that euery man eschueth neyther is there any man but couÌ„teth them happy which haue augmented their liuyng so established their thynges as they may now liue in hygh welth and abundaunce But assuredly it is not the heapynge vp of goodes which satisfyeth the mynde nor the welth of
we may very wel vnderstaÌ„de that there was a singular and a right special amitie and frendship betwene this familie and our sauiour Christ. Wher fore when Lazarus was in great paryll of deathe his susters for the familiaritie which they had with Iesus sent worde vnto him how his freend Lazarus was sore sycke they nothing doubting but that he of his wonderful humanitie whyche he bare towardes al men wold helpe his freend being in such dauÌ„ger Lo say they he whom thou louest is sycke They thought it ynough only to gyue hym knowlege of his freendes sickenes and therfor they adde no praiers to desyre his helpe To whom Iesus ma keth answere in this wise Ueryly this syckenes is not deadly but it is therfore chauÌ„ced vnto him that by occasioÌ„ therof gods glory might be set out to the inteÌ„t that whaÌ„ by his vertue the disease shal be driue awey the soÌ„ne of god might also be glorified A like answere did Chryste make to hys disciples of him y â— was borne blynde sayng y e it was not his offeÌ„se y â— he was so but y e godê workes shuld be shewed in hym Certes our sauiour Christ loued very entierly Mar tha and Mary and their brother Lazarus yet not withstaÌ„ding his great loue he suffred him to fal into sicknes yea and into death to thintent we shulde not counte it an vnworthy and heuye case iâ—â—â— any time the vertuouse and good persons sâ—â—â—â—â—â—s be imbracers of true godlines the freendess 〈◊〉 be otherwhyle assaulted wyth the troubles 〈◊〉 s of this worlde god wynking at the mater eâ—â—â—â—er bicause it is so expedient for them that suffre the same or bycause it is so auaylable to the settinge forth of gods glorie not that god with mans euilles procureth his owne glorie but that for mans cause he is wonte to turne the euylles whiche do chaunce vnto vs either to our soule helth or vnto his glorie He knew full wel that his freend was sycke yea before it was tolde him but for a playne declaration of the greatnes of the miracle which he went about to vtter it was requysite to haue hys disciples myndes prepared After then that tidinges was brought vn to Iesu of his freendes death he went not forth w t but in the self same place he taryed styl for the space of two dayes not that he regarded not the daunger of his frende but bicause he awayted a more conuenient and plentifull occasion of vtteringe the miracle and also that he himself whose time was almost comme to dye for mankynde myght herby rayse vp the myndes of his disciples whiche as yet were but weake to the hope of the rysyng againe herafter But his disciples for feare holding their peace bycause their maister Christ had but a litle before esca ped out of the Iues handes and therfore thinkinge hym to be in more sauetye in wyldernes where he now was Iesus sayd vnto them Let vs goe again into the countrey of Iewry The disciples hearinge mention made of Iurye and calling to their remeÌ„braunce the deadly hatred which the pharisies bare against Christ and also how ofte they had taken vp stones to cast at him and went about to lay handes â—n him feared not only their maister but also themselfes For they had not as yet receiued y â— holy ghost and they folowed Iesus yet but with a certaine humane affection themselfes also abhorring death bicause of their frayltie and weaknes Wherfore they labouring all that they could to dissuade him from returning again to Iurye said vnto him Lord hast thou forgotteÌ„ how that a few dayes passed the Iues thy mortal enemyes wold haue stoned y â— to death if thou haddest not the soner wythdrawen thy selfe from their fury And again wolt thou now goe thither and cast thy selfe in an open daunger But Iesus counforted them putting away their feare with a certaine diffuse parable signifieng that such persons ought nothinge to feare whyche cleaue fast to Christe who is the lyght of the worlde For it is the night which bringeth with it the vayne feares The day knoweth them not Hath not the day sayth he twelue howers The night shal not come before the time appoynted In the meane season who soeuer walketh in the day stombleth not forasmoch as the Sunne which he beholdeth maketh him to se and by seing to beware the occasion of stomblynge But who soeuer whan the Sunne is wythdrawen from him walketh in the nyght he stuÌ„bleth and why verily bicause he lacketh light This dyd our sauiour Christe speak meaninge that he is the lyght of the world as saynt Ihon in the begynning of his gospel doth testifie therfore it behoued hys disciples to folow his guiding and not to go before the light neither yet to feare before the tyme come for so long as they haue Chryst to shew them lyght there is no danger But when he must be taken from them theÌ„ coÌ„meth nyght vpon them then let them feare So that according to the exposition of some Doctours the twelue houres of the day do betokeÌ„ the appointed tyme of his life as like wise he answered to theÌ„ which cam from Herode and counsailed hym to sle bicause king Herod sought to slee him It behoueth me sayth he this day and to morowe and the nexte day to walke about for it is not possible that a prophete shuld perysh in any other place but in Hierusalem And the time of his passioÌ„ he calleth the power of darknes and the houre of the wicked persons As though Christ shuld heresay to his disciples Ye nede not to feare my going into Iurye now at this present tyme for I certifie you that the tyme of my death and passion for mankynde is not yet comme The day verily hath her due houres appoynted her of almyghty god whych we at our owne choise and pleasure can neyther make shorter nor yet longer so I also haue my time prescribed appointed vnto me of my heueÌ„ly father wherin I must accoÌ„plish the busynes y â— I com for which is to redeme the world This time caÌ„ not be shortned ne yet preuâ—ted by the malice of y â— Iues. Wherforye haue no cause to feare my goynge at this tyme into the partes of Iewry Wyth these wordes after that our Sauiour Christ had mitigated the feare of hys Apostles he openeth the cause of his goyng Lazarus saith he our frend slepeth But I go to awake him out of his slepe Ue rily my freÌ„des thys is a new preaching neuer ere opeÌ„ly herd of in the world y t death is no death but rather a slepe For without doubt by the goodnes and benefite of Christ death is nowe made but a slepe to al feithful Christen men and women â–ª for Christ our redemer by his death hath vaâ—nquyshed death and made it but a slepe vnto vs. And if it be but a slepe why do