vnreuerentlye not discerning the Lordes bodye Ought not we then by the monition of the wise man by the wisdome of God by the fearefull example of the Corinthians to take aduised heede that we thrust not our selues to this table with rude and vnreuerent ignoraunce the smart whereof Christes Churche hath rued and lamented these many dayes and yeres For what hath ben the cause of the ruyne of Gods religion but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this grosse idolatrie but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this mummishe massyng but the ignoraunce hereof Yea what hath ben and what is at this day the cause of this want of loue and charitie but the ignoraunce hereof Let vs therfore so trauaile to vnderstand the Lordes Supper that we be no cause of the decaye of Gods worship of no idolatrie of no dumme massing of no hate and malice so maye we the boldlyer haue accesse thyther to our comfort Neyther neede we to thinke that suche exact knowledge is required of euery man that he be able to discusse al high pointes in the doctrine thereof But this muche he must be sure to hold that in the supper of the Lorde there is no vaine ceremonie no bare signe no vntrue figure of a thing absent But as the Scripture sayth the table of the Lorde the bread and cuppe of the Lorde the memorie of Christe the annuntiation of his death yea the Communion of the bodye and blood of the Lorde in a marueylous incorporation whiche by the operation of the holye ghost the verye bonde of our conâ—unction with Christe is through fayth wrought in the soules of the faythfull whereby not onlye theyr soules lyue to eternall lyfe but they surely trust to winne to their bodyes a resurrection to immortalitie The true vnderstandyng of this fruition and vnion whiche is the bodye and the head betwixt the true beleuers and Christe the auncient Catholique Fathers both perceauing them selues and commendyng to theyr people were not afrayde to call this Supper some of them the salue of immortalitie and soueraigne preseruatiue agaynst death other a deificall Communion other the sweete dainties of our Sauiour the pledge of eternall health the defence of fayth the hope of the resurrection other the foode of immortalitie the healthfull grace and the conseruatorie to euerlastyng lyfe All which sayinges both of the holy Scripture and godly men truely attributed to this celestial banquet and feaste yf we woulde often call to minde O how woulde they inflame our heartes to de 〈…〉 e the participation of these mysteries and oftentimes to couet after this breade continuallye to thirste for this foode Not as speciallye regarding the terrene earthly creatures which remayne but alwayes holdyng faste and cleauyng by faith to the rocke whence we may sucke the sweetenesse of euerlasting saluation And to be briefe thus much more the faithful see heare and knowe the fauourable mercies of God sealed the satisfaction by Christe towardes vs confirmed and the remission of sinne established Here they may feele wrought the tranquilitie of conscience the encrease of fayth the strengthning of hope the large spreadyng abrode of brotherly kindnes with many other sundry graces of god The taste whereof they can not attayne vnto who be drowned in the deepe durtie lake of blyndnesse and ignoraunce From the whiche O beloued washe your selues with the liuyng waters of Gods worde whence you maye perceaue and know both the spirituall foode of this costly supper and the happy trustinges effectes that the same doth bring with it Now it foloweth to haue with this knowledge a sure and constant faith not only that the death of Christe is auayleable for the redemption of all the world for the remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God the father but also that he hath made vppon his crosse a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee a perfect clensyng of thy sinnes so that thou acknowledgest no other Sauiour redeemer mediatour aduocate intercessour but Christe only and that thou mayst say with the Apostle that he loued thee and gaue him selfe for thee For this is to sticke fast to Christes promise made in his institution to make Christe thyne owne and to applicate his merites vnto thy selfe Herein thou nedest no other mans helpe no other sacrifice or oblation no sacrifisyng Priest no masse no meanes established by mans inuention That faith is a necessarie instrument in al these holy ceremonies we may thus assure our selues for that as Saint Paul sayth without fayth it is vnpossible to please god When a great number of the Israelites were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse Moyses Aaron and Phinees dyd eate Manna and pleased God for that they vnderstoode sayth Saint Augustine the visible meate spiritually Spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it that they myght be spiritually satisfied And truely as the bodily meate can not feede the outward man vnlesse it be let into a stomake to be digested whiche is healthsome and sound No more can thy inwarde man be fed except his meate bereceaued into hisâ—oule and hart sound whole in fayth Therfore saith Ciprian when we do these thinges we nede not to whet our teethe but with sincere fayth we breake and diuide that holy bread It is wel knowen that the meate wee seeke for in this supper is spiritual foode the norishmeÌ„t of our soule a heauenly refection and not earthly an inuisible meate and not bodylye a ghostly substaunce and not carnall so that to thinke that without fayth we maye enioye the eatyng and drynkyng therof or that that is the fruition of it is â—ut to dreame a grosse carnall feeding basely obiecting and byndyng our selues to the elementes and creatures Whereas by the aduice of the counsel of Nicene we ought to lyft vp our mindes by faith leauing these inferiour and earthly thinges there seke it where the sâ—nne of ryghteousnesse euer shineth Take then this lesson O thou that art desyrous of this table of Emissenus a godly father that when thou goest vp to the reuerent Communion to be satisfied with spirituall meates thou loke vp with faith vpon the holy body and blood of thy god thou maruel with reuerence thou touche it with thy minde thou receaue it with the hand of thy heart and thou take it fully with thy inwarde man. Thus we see beloued that resortyng to this table we must plucke vp all the rootes of infidelitie al distrust in Gods promises we must make our selues lyuing members of Christes bodye For the vnbeleuers and faithlesse can not feede vpon that pretious body whereas the faythfull haue theyr life their abiding in hym their vnioÌ„ and as it were their incorporation with hym Wherefore let vs proue and trye our selues vufaignedly without flattering our selues whether we be plantes of that fruitful Oliue liuyng braunches of the true vine members in deede of Christes mystical body whether God
of good reason with all true Christians to be of most wayght and estimation It is written of all the foure Euangelistes as a notable acte and worthy to be testified by many holy witnesses how that our sauiour Jesus Christe that mercifull and mylde Lorde cōpared for his meekenesse to a sheepe suffring with scilence his fleece to be shorne from him and to a lambe led without resistaunce to the slaughter whiche gaue his body to them that dyd smyte hym aunswered not hym that reuiled nor turned away his face from them that dyd reproche hym and spit vpon him and accordyng to his owne example gaue preceptes of mildnes and sufferaunce to his disciples Yet when he seeth the temple and holy house of his heauenly father misordred polluted and prophaned vseth great seueritie and sharpenes ouerturneth the tables of thexchaungers subuerteth the seates of them that solde doues maketh a whip of cordes and scourgeth out those wicked abusers and prophaners of the temple of God saying My house shal be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues And in the. ii of John Do not ye make the house of my father the house of marchaundize For as it is the house of GOD when Gods seruice is duely done in it So whē we wickedly abuse it with wicked talke or couetous bargayning we make it a den of theeues or an house of marchaundize Yea and suche reuerence woulde Christe shoulde be therein that he woulde not suffer any vessell to be caryed through the temple And where as our saniour Christe as is before mentioned out of S. Luke coulde be founde no where when he was sought but only in the temple amongst the doctours and nowe agayne exerciseth his aucthoritie and iurisdiction not in castles and princely palaces amongst souldiers but in the temple Ye may hereby vnderstande in what place his spirituall kyngdome whiche he denyeth to be of this worlde is sonest to be founde and best to be knowen of all places in this worlde And accordyng to this example of our sauiour Christe in the primitiue Churche which was most holy godly and in the which due discipline with seueritie was vsed agaynst the wicked opē offenders were not suffered once to enter into the house of the Lorde nor admitted to common prayer and the vse of the holye Sacramentes with other true Christians vntil they had done open penaunce before the whole Churche And this was practised not only vpon meane persons but also vpon the ryche noble and mightie persons yea vpon Theodosius that puissaunt and mightie Emperour whom for cōmittyng a greeuous and wylfull murther S. Ambrose Byshop of Millayne reproued sharply and did also excommunicate the said Emperour and brought hym to open penaunce And they that were so iustly exempted and banished as it were from the house of the Lorde were taken as they be in deede for men diuided and separated from Christes Churche and in most daungerous estate yea as S. Paul sayeth euen geuen vnto Satan the deuyll for a tyme and theyr company was shunned and auoyded of all godly men and women vntyll suche tyme as they by repentaunce and publique penaunce were reconciled Suche was the honour of the Lordes house in mens heartes and outwarde reuerence also at that tyme and so horrible a thing was it to be shut out of the Churche and house of the Lorde in those dayes when religion was most pure and nothyng so corrupt as it hath ben of late dayes And yet we wyllyngly eyther by absentyng our selues from the house of the Lorde do as it were excommunicate our selues from the Churche and felowshyp of the Saintes of God orels comming thyther by vncomely and vnreuerent behauiour there by hastie rashe yea vncleane and wicked thoughtes and wordes before the Lorde our God horribly dishonour his holy house the Churche of GOD and his holy name and maiestie to the great daunger of our soules yea and certayne damnation also yf we do not spedily and earnestly repent vs of this wickednesse Thus ye haue hearde dearely beloued out of Gods worde what reuerence is due to the holye house of the Lorde how all godly persons ought with diligence at times appoynted thither to repayre howe they ought to behaue them selues there with reuerence and dread before the Lord what plagues and punyshementes as well temporall as eternall the Lorde in his holy worde threatneth aswell to suche as neglect to come to his holy house as also to suche who commyng thither do vnreuerently by iesture or talke there behaue them selues Wherefore if we desyre to haue seasonable weather and thereby to enioye the good fruites of the earth yf we wyll auoyde drought and barrennesse thirste and hunger whiche are plagues threatned vnto suche as make haste to go to their owne houses to alehouses and to tauernes and leaue the house of the Lorde emptie and desolate yf we abhorre to be scourged not with whyppes made of cordes out of the materiall temple only as our sauiour Christe serued the defilers of the house of God in Hierusalem but also to be beaten and dryuen out of the eternall temple and house of the Lorde which is his heauenly kingdome with the iron rodde of euerlastyng damnation and caste into outter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth if we feare dread and abhorre this I say as we haue most iust cause to do then let vs amende this our negligence and contempt in comming to the house of the Lorde this our vnreuerent behauiour in the house of the Lorde and resortyng thither diligently together let vs there with reuerent hearyng of the Lordes holy worde calling on the Lordes holy name geuing of heartie thankes vnto the Lorde for his manyfolde and inestimable benefites daily and hourly bestowed vpon vs celebrating also reuerently of the Lordes holy Sacramentes serue the Lorde in his holy house as becommeth the seruauntes of the Lorde in holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our lyfe and then we shal be assured after this lyfe to rest in his holy hyll and to dwell in his tabernacle there to prayse and magnifie his holy name in the congregation of his saintes in the holy house of his eternal kingdome of heauen which he hath purchased for vs by the death and sheddyng of the pretious blood of his sonne our sauiour Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost one immortal maiestie of GOD be all honour glorie prayse and thankesgeuyng worlde without ende Amen An Homilie against perill of idolatrie and superfluous decking of Churches The first part IN what poyntes the true ornamentes of the Church or temple of GOD do consiste and stand hath ben declared in the two last Homilies intreating of the right vse of the temple or house of god of the due reuerence that all true Christian people are bound to geue vnto the same The summe wherof is that the Churche or
in stone tymber mettall and other lyke matter and were not onlye set vp but began to be worshypped also And therefore Serenus Byshoppe of Massile the heade towne of Gallia Narbonensis nowe called the Prouince a godly and learned man who was about sixe hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe seeyng the people by occasion of images fal to most abominable idolatrie brake to peeces all the images of Christe and saintes whiche were in that citie and was therfore complayned vpon to Gregorie the first of that name Byshop of Rome who was the first learned Byshop that dyd alowe the open hauyng of images in Churches that can be knowen by any wrytyng or historie of antiquitie And vpon this Gregorie do all image worshyppers at this day ground theyr defence But as all thinges that be amysse haue from a tollerable beginning growen worse and worse tyll they at the last became vntollerable So dyd this matter of images Firste men vsed priuately stories paynted in tables clothes and walles Afterwardes grosse and embossed images priuately in theyr owne houses Then afterwardes pictures first and after them embossed images began to creepe into Churches learned and godly men euer speaking agaynst them Then by vse it was openly mayneteyned that they might be in Churches but yet forbidden that they shoulde be worshypped Of which opinion was Gregorie as by the sayde Gregories Epistle to the forenamed Serenus Bishop of Massile playnely appeareth Whiche Epistle is to be founde in the booke of the Epistles of Gregorye or Register in the tenth part of the fourth Epistle where he hath these wordes That thou diddest forbid images to be worshipped we praise altogether but that thou diddest breake them we blame For it is one thyng to worshyp the pycture and another thyng by the pycture of the storie to learne what is to be worshypped For that whiche scripture is to them that reade the same doth picture perfourme vnto idiottes or the vnlearned beholdyng and so foorth And after a fewe wordes therefore it shoulde not haue ben broken whiche was set vp not to be worshipped in Churches but onlye to instruct the mindes of the ignoraunt And a lytle after thus thou shouldest haue sayde If you wyll haue images in the Churche for that instruction wherefore they were made in olde tyme I do permit that they may be made and that you may haue them And shewe them that not the syght of the storie whiche is opened by the picture but that worshyppyng whiche was inconueniently geuen to the pictures did mistike you And if any woulde make images not to forbid them but auoide by all meanes to worship any image By these sentences taken here and there out of Gregories Epistle to Serenus for it were to long to rehearse the whole ye may vnderstand wherunto the matter was now come vi hundreth yeres after Christe that the hauyng of images or pyctures in the Churches were then maynteyned in the west part of the worlde for they were not so frowarde yet in the easte Churche but the worshyppyng of them was vtterlye forbidden And you may withall note that seeyng there is no grounde for worshyppyng of images in Gregories wrytyng but a playne condemnation thereof that suche as do worshyp images do vniustly alleage Gregorie for them And further if images in the Churche do not teachemen accordyng to Gregories mynde but rather blynde them it foloweth that images shoulde not be in the Churche by his sentence who onely woulde they shoulde be placed there to the ende that they might teache the ignoraunt Wherefore if it be declared that images haue ben and be worshypped and also that they teache nothyng but errours and lyes which shall by Gods grace hereafter be done I truste that then by Gregories owne determination al images and image worshippers shal be ouerthrowen But in the meane season Gregories aucthoritie was so great in all the west Churche that by his incouragement men set vp images in all places but their iudgement was not so good to consider why he would haue them set vp but they fell all on heapes to manifest idolatrie by worshyppyng of them which Bishop Serenus not without iust cause feared woulde come to passe Now if Serenus his iudgemēt thinking it meete that images whervnto idolatrie was committed should be destroied had taken place idolatrie had ben ouerthrowen For to that which is not no man committeth idolatrie But of Gregories opinion thynkyng that images might be suffered in churches so it were taught that they should not be worshipped what ruine of religion and what myschiefe insued afterwarde to all Christendome experience hath to our great hurt and sorowe proued First by the scisme rysing betwene the East and the West Churche about the sayde images Nexte by the diuision of the Empire into twoo partes by the same occasion of images to the great weakening of all Christendome whereby last of all hath followed the vtter ouerthrowe of the christian religion and noble empire in Grece and all the east partes of the worlde and the encrease of Mahomets false religion and the cruel dominion tyrannie of the Sarasens Turks who do nowe hange ouer our neckes also that dwell in the west partes of the worlde readye at all occasions to ouerrunne vs And all thys do we owe vnto our idols and images and our idolatrie in worshipping of them But nowe geue you eare a little to the processe of the historie wherin I do much follow the histories of Paulus Diaconus others ioyned with Eutropius an olde writer For though some of the aucthours were fauourers of images yet doe they most playnely and at large prosecute the histories of those times whom Baptist Platina also in his historie of Popes as in the lyues of Constantine and Gregorie the seconde byshoppes of Rome and other places where he intreateth of this matter doth chieflye followe After Gregories time Constantine bishop of Rome assembled a councell of bishoppes in the west Churche and did condempne Philippicus then emperour and John bishop of Constantinople of the heresie of the Monothelites not without a cause in deede but very iustly When he had so done by the consent of the learned about him the sayd Constantine Bishop of Rome caused the images of the auncient fathers which had ben at those sixe councels which were alowed and receaued of all men to be paynted in the entrie of saint Peters Church at Rome When the Grekes had knowledge hereof they began to dispute and reason the matter of images with the Latines and held this opinion that images could haue no place in Christes Churche and the Latines helde the contrarie toke part with the images So the east west Churches which agreed euil before vpon this contention about images fell to vtter enmitie which was neuer well reconciled yet But in the meane season Philippicus and Arthemius or Anastasius Emperours commaunded images and pictures to be pulled downe rased out in euery place of their
the world assembled a counsell of Germans at Frankford and there procured the spanishe councel against images afore mentioned to be condemned by the name of the Foelician heresie for that Foelix Bishop of Aquitania was chiefe in that councell obteyned that the actes of the second Nicene counsel asâ—eÌ„bled by Hyrene the holie Empresse whom ye hearde of before and the sentence of the bishop of Rome for images might be receaued For much after this sort do the papistes report of the historie of the councell of Frankforde Notwithstanding the booke of Carolus magnus his owne writing as the tytle sheweth whiche is nowe put in print and commonly in mens handes sheweth the iudgement of that prince and of the whole councel of Frankforde also to be against images against the second councell of Nice assembled by Hyrene for images and calleth it an arrogant foolishe and vngodly councel and declareth the assemble of the councell of Frankforde to haue ben directly made and gathered against that Nicene councell the errours of the same So that it must needes folow that either there were in one princes time two councels assembled at Frankforde one contrarie to another whiche by no historie doth appeare or els that after their custome the Popes and Papistes haue most shamefully corrupted that councell as their manner is to handle not onely councels but also all histories and wrytinges of the olde Doctours falsifiyng and corrupting them for the mayntenaunce of their wicked and vngodlie purposes as hath in tymes of late come to lyght and doeth in our dayes more and more continuallye appeare most euidentlie Let the forged gyft of Constantine and the notable attempt to falsifie the first Nicene councell for the Popes supremacie practised by Popes in Saynte Augustines tyme be a witnes hereof which practise in deede had then taken effect had not the diligence and wisedome of saynt Augustine and other learned and godly bishoppes in A 〈…〉 rike by their great labour and charges also resisted and stopped the same Nowe to come towardes an ende of this historie and to shewe you the principall poynte that came to passe by the maintenaunce of images Where as from Constantinus Magnus tyme vntil that day al aucthoritie imperiall princely dominion of the empire of Rome remayned coÌ„tinually in the right and possession of the Emperours who had their continuaunce and seat imperiall at Constantinople the citie royall Leo the third then Bishop of Rome seing the Greeke Emperours so vent agaynst his Gods of golde and syluer tymber and stone and hauyng the kyng of the Francons or Frenchemen named Charles whose power was exceeding great in the west countries very appliable to his mynde for causes here after appearing vnder the pretence that they of Constantinople were for that matter of images vnder the Popes ban curse and therefore vnworthy to be emperours or to beare rule and for that the emperours of Grece being farre of were not redye at a beche to defende the Pope agaynst the Lumbardes his enemies and other with whom he had variaunce This Leo the thirde I saye attempted a thyng exceeding straunge and vnhearde of before and of incredible boldnesse and presumption For he by his papall aucthoritie doth translate the gouernement of the Empire and the crowne and name imperiall from the Greekes and geueth it vnto Charles the great kyng of the Francons not with out the coÌ„sent of the forenamed Hyrene empresse of Grece who also sought to be ioyned in mariage with the said Charles For the which cause the sayd Hyrene was by the Lordes of Grece deposed and banished as one that had betrayed the empire as ye before haue heard And the said princes of Grece did after the depriuation of the sayde Hyrene by common consent elect and create as they alwayes had done an Emperour named Nycaephorus whom the Bishop of Rome and they of the west would not acknowledge for their Emperour for they had alredy created them another and so there became two Emperours And the empire whiche was before one was diuided into two partes vppon occasion of idols images and the worshipping of them Euen as the kingdome of the Israelites was in olde tyme for the lyke cause of Idolatrie diuided in King Roboam his tyme And so the Byshoppe of Rome hauing the fauour of Charles the great by this meanes assured to him was wonderously enhaunced in poweâ— and aucthoritie and did in all the west Church specially in Italie what he lust where images were set vp garnished and worshipped of al sorts of men But images were not so fast set vp and so much honoured in Italie and the west but Nycaephorus emperour of Constantinople and his successours Scauratius the two Michaels Leo Theophilus and other emperours their successours in the empire of Grece continually pulled them downe brake them burned them and destroyed them as fast And when Theodorus Emperour would at the councel of Lions haue agreed with the Bishop of Rome and haue set vp images he was by the nobles of the empire of Grece depriued and another chosen in his place and so rose agelousie suspition grudge hatred and enmitie betwene the christians and empires of the East countries and west which could neuer be quenched nor pacified So that when the Sarasens first and afterwarde the Turkes inuaded the Christians the one part of christendome would not helpe the other By reasoÌ„ wherof at the last the noble empire of Grece and the citie imperial Constantinople was lost and is come into the hands of the infidels who now haue ouerrunne almost all christendome and possessing past the middle of Hungarie whiche is part of the west empire do hang ouer all our heades to the vtter daunger of all christendome Thus we see what a sea of mischiefes the maintenaunce of images hath brought with it what an horrible scisme betweene the east and the west Churche what an hatred betwene one christian and another councels agaynst councels churche agaynst church christians agaynst christians princes against princes rebellions treasons vnnaturall and most cruell murders the daughter digging vp and burning her father the Emperours bodye the mother for loue of idols most abominably murdering her owne sonne being an Emperour at the last the tearing in sunder of Christendome and the empire into two peeces till the Infidels Sarasens and Turkes common enemies to bothe partes haue most cruellye vanquished destroyed and subdued the one parte the whole empire of Grece Asia the lesse Thrasia Macedonia Epirus and manye other great and goodlye countries and prouinces and haue wonne a great peece of the other empire and put the whole in dreadfull feare and most horrible daunger For it is not without a iust and great cause to be dread leaste as the Empire of Rome was euen for the lyke cause of images and the worshyppyng of them torne in peeces and diuided as was for Idolatry the kyngdome of Israel in olde tyme diuided so lyke
his holy worde hath left free to be taken and vsed of all men with thankes geuing in all places and at all times yet for that suche lawes of princes and other magistrates are not made to put holines in one kinde of meate drinke more then another to make one day more holye then another but are grounded merely vpon poliicie al subiectes are bound in conscience to kepe them by Gods commaundement who by the Apostle willeth all without exception to submit them selues vnto the aucthoritie of the higher powers And in this point concerning our dueties which be here dwelling in Englande enuironed with the sea as we be we haue great occasion in reason to take the commodities of the water which almightie God by his diuine prouidence hath layd so nye vnto vs whereby the encrease of victuals vppon the land may the better be spared cherished to the sooner reducing of victualles to a more moderate price to the better sustenaunce of the poore And doubtlesse he seemeth to be to daintie an English man which consydering the great commodities whiche may ensue wyll not forbeare some peece of his licentious appetite vpon the ordinaunce of his prince with the consent of the wyse of the Realme What good Englishe heart woulde not wishe the olde auncient glory should returne to the realme wherin it hath with great commendations excelled before our dayes in the furniture of the Nauie of the same What wyll more daunt the heartes of the aduersarie then to see vs as well fenced and armed on the sea as we be reported to be on the lande If the prince requested our obedience to forbeare one day from fleshe more then we do and to be contented with one meale in the same day shoulde not our owne commoditie thereby perswade vs to subiection But now that two meales be permitted on that day to be vsed whiche sometime our elders in very great numbers in the Realme dyd vse with one onlye spare meale and that in fishe onlye shall we thinke it so great a burthen that is prescribed Furthermore consyder the decay of the townes nye the seas whiche shoulde be most redy by the number of the people there to repulse the enemie and we whiche dwell further of vppon the lande hauing them as our buckler to defend vs should be the more in suretie If they be our neighbours why should we not wish them to prosper If they be our defence as nyest at hand to repell the enemie to kepe out the rage of the seas whiche els woulde breake vpon our faire pastures why should we not cherish them Neither do we vrge that in the ecclesiasticall pollicie prescribing a fourme of fasting to humble our selues in the sight of almightie God that that order whiche was vsed among the Jewes and practised by Christes Apostles after his ascention is of suche force and necessitie that that onlye ought to be vsed among Christians and none other for that were to binde Gods people vnto the yoke burthen of Moyses pollicie yea it were the verye way to bring vs whiche are set at libertie by the freedome of Christes Gospel into the bondage of the law againe which God forbid that any man shoulde attempt or purpose But to this ende it serueth to shewe howe farre the order of fasting nowe vsed in the Churche at this day differeth from that which then was vsed Gods Churche ought not neither may iâ— be so tied to that or any other order nowe made or hereafter to be made and deuised by thaucthoritie of man but that it may lawfully for iust causes alter chaunge or mitigate those ecclesiasticall decrees orders yea recede wholy from them breake them when they tende eyther to superstition or to impietie when they drawe the people from God rather then worke any edification in them This aucthoritie Christ him selfe vsed and left it vnto his Church He vsed it I say For the order or decree made by the elders for washing oft times which was diligently obserued of the Jewes yet tendyng to superstition our sauiour Christe altered and changed the same in his Church into a profitable sacrament the sacrament of our regeneration or newe birth This aucthoritie to mittigate lawes and decrees ecclesiasticall thapostles practised when they wryting from Hierusalem vnto the congregation that was at Antioche signified vnto them that they would not lay any further burthen vppon them but these necessaries That is that they shoulde abstayne from thinges offered vnto idols from blood from that whiche is strangled and from fornication notwithstandyng that Moyses law required many other obseruances This aucthoritie to chaunge the orders decrees and constitutions of the Churche was after the Apostles time vsed of the fathers about the maner of fasting as it appeareth in the Tripartite historie where it is thus written Touching fasting we finde that it was diuersly vsed in diuers places by diuers men For they at Rome fast three weekes together before Easter sauing vpon the Saterdayes and Sundayes whiche faste they call Lent. And after a fewe lines in the same place it foloweth They haue not all one vniforme order in fastyng For some do fast and abstayne both from fishe and fleshe Some when they fast eate nothyng but fishe Others there are which when they fast eate of all water foules as well as of fishe grounding themselues vpon Moyses that such foules haue their substaunce of the water as the fishes haue Some others when they fast wyll neither eate hearbes nor egges Some fasters there are that eate nothing but drye bread Others when they fast eate nothing at all no not so muche as drye bread Some fast from all maner of foode tyll nyght and then eate without makyng any choyse or difference of meates And a thousande such like diuers kindes of fasting may be founde in diuers places of the worlde of diuers men diuersly vsed And for all this great diuersitie in fasting yet charitie the very true bonde of Christian peace was not broken neyther dyd the diuersitie of fasting breake at anye time their agreement and concorde in fayth To abstaine sometime from certayne meates not because the meates are enill but because they are not necessarie This abstinence sayth Saint Augustine is not euill And to restraine the vse of meates when necessitie and time shall require this sayeth he doth properly parteyne to Christian men Thus ye haue hearde good people fyrst that Christian subiectes are bound euen in conscience to obey princes lawes whiche are not repugnaunt to the lawes of god Ye haue also hearde that Christes Churche is not so bounde to obserue any order lawe or decree made by man to prescribe a fourme in religion but that the Churche hath full power and aucthoritie from God to chaunge and aulter the same when nede shall require which hath ben shewed you by the example of our sauiour Christe by the practise of the apostles and of the fathers since that time Nowe
muâ—â— be careful to keepe the christian sabbath day which is the sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse commaundement but also to declare our selues to be louing children in folowing the example of our gratious Lorde and father Thus it may playnely appeare that Gods will and commaundement was to haue a solemne time and standing day in the weke wherin the people shoulde come together and haue in remembraunce his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them as apparteyneth to louing kynd obedient people This example and commaundement of God the godly Christian people began to follow immediately after the ascention of our Lorde Christ and began to chose them a standing daye of the weeke to come together in Yet not the seuenth day which the Jewes kept but the Lordes day the day of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ the day after the seuenth day which is the first of the weeke Of the which day mention is made of saint Paule on this wyse In the first day of the sabbath let euery man lay vp what he thynketh good meaning for the poore By the first day of the sabbath is meant our Sundaye whiche is the first daye after the Jewes seuenth day And in the Apocalips it is more plaine wher as saint John sayth I was in the spirite vpon the sunday Sithens whiche time Gods people hath alwayes in all ages without any gaynsaying vsed to come together vpon the Sunday to celebrate and honour the Lordes blessed name carefully to kepe that day in holy rest quyetnes both man woman chylde seruaunt and stranger For the trangression and breache of whiche day God hath declared him selfe much to be greued as it may appeare by him who for gathering of sticks on the sabbath day was stoned to death But alas all these notwithstanding it is lamentable to see the wicked boldenes of those that will be counted gods people who passe nothing at al of keeping and halowing the sundaye And these people are of two sortes The one sort if they haue any businesse to do though there be no extreme neede they must not spare for the sunday they must ryde and iourney on the sunday they must dryue carry on the sunday they must row and ferry on the sunday they must buye and sell on the sunday they muste keepe markets and fayres on the sundaye Finallye they vse all dayes alike workdaies and holy daies al are one The other sort is worse For although they wil not trauell nor labour on the sunday as they do on the weke day yet they wil not rest in holines as God commaundeth but they rest in vngodlines filthines prauncing in their pryde prancking and pricking pointing and painting them selues to be gorgeous and gay they rest in exces superfluitie in glutteny and drunkennesse lyke rattes and swyne they rest in brawling and rayling in quarreling and fyghting they reste in wantonnes in toyishe talkyng in filthy fleshlinesse so that it doth to euidentlye appeare that God is more dishonored and the deuill better serued on the sunday then vpon all the dayes in the weeke besyde And I assure you the beastes whiche are commaunded to rest on the sunday honour God better then this kynde of people For they offende not God they breake not their holyday Wherefore O ye people of God lay your handes vpon your heartes repent amend this greeuous and daungerous wickednesse stand in awe of the commaundement of God gladlye folowe the example of God him selfe be not disobedient to the godly order of Christes Churche vsed and kept from the apostles tyme vntill this day Feare the displeasure and iust plagues of almighty God if ye be negligent and forbeare not labouring and trauayling on the sabbath day or sunday and do not resort together to celebrate magnifie Gods blessed name in quiet holinesse and godly reuerence Nowe concerning the place where the people of God ought to resort together and where especially they ought to celebrate and sanctifie the sabbath day that is the sunday the day of holye rest That place is called Goddes Tentple or the churche because the company congregation of Gods people which is properly called the church doth there assemble them selues on the dayes appointed for such assemblies meetinges And sorasmuch as almightie God hath appointed a speciall time to be honored in it is very meete godly and also necessary that there should be a place appoynted where these people should meete and resort to serue their gracious God and mercifull father Trueth it is the holy Patriarches for a great number of yeres had neyther temple nor churche to resort vnto The cause was they were not stayed in any place but were in a continuall perigrination and wandering that they could not conueniently buyld any churche But so soone as God had delyuered his people from their enemies and set them in some libertie in the wildernes he set them vp a costly a curious tabernacle whiche was as it were the paryshe church a place to resort vnto of the whole multitude a place to haue his sacrifices made in and other obseruaunces and rites to be vsed in Furthermore after that God according to the trueth of his promise had placed and quyetlye setled his people in the land of Chanaan now called Jury he commaunded a great and a magnificent temple to be buylded by kyng Salomon as seldome the lyke hath ben seene a temple so decked and adourned so gorgeously garnished as was meete and expedient for people of that tyme whiche would be allured stirred with nothing so much as with suche out warde goodlye gaye thinges This was nowe the temple of God indued also with many gyttes sundry promyses This was the paryshe churche and the mother Churche of all Jury Here was God honoured and serued Hyther was the whole realme of all the Israelites bounde to come at three solempne feastes in the yere to serue their Lord God here But let vs proceede further In the tyme of Christe and his Apostles there was yet no temples nor Churches for Christian men For whye they were alwayes for the moste part in persecution veration and trouble so that there coulde be no libertie nor lycence obteyned for that purpose Yet God delyghted much that they shoulde often resort togyther in a place and therefore after his ascention they remayned togyther in an vpper chamber sometyme they entred into the Temple sometyme into the synagoges sometyme they were in pryson sometymes in theyr houses sometymes in the feeldes c. And this continued so long till the fayth of Chryste Jesus began to multiplye in a great parte of the worlde Nowe when dyuers Realmes were establyshed in gods true religion and God hath geuen them peace and quyetnes then began kynges noble men and the people also stirred vp with a godly zeale and feruentnesse to buylde vp temples and Churches whyther the people might resort the better to do their dutie
hath ouerthrowen death that we beleuing in him myght lyue for euer and not dye Ought not this to engender extreme hatred of sinne in vs to consyder that it did violently as it were plucke God out of heauen to make him feele the horrours and paynes of death O that we would sometimes consyder this in the middest of our pompes pleasures it would bridle the outragiousnesse of the fleshe it would abate and asswage our carnall affectes it woulde restraine our fleshly appetites that we shoulde not run at randon as we commonly do To commit sinne wylfully desperatly without feare of god is nothing els but to crucifie Christ a new as we are expressly taught in the 〈◊〉 to the Hebrues Which thing if it were dencâ—â— printed in all mens heartes then shoulde not sinne raigne euery where so much as it doth to the great griefe and torment of Christe nowe sittyng in heauen Let vs therefore remember and alwaies beare in minde Christe crucified that therby we may be inwardly moued both to abhorre sinne throughly and also with an earnest and zelous heart to loue god For this is another fruite which the memoriall of Christes death ought to worke in vs an earnest and vnfayned loue towardes god So God loued the worlde sayth saint John that he gaue his only begotten soÌ„ne that whosoeuer beleued in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting If god declared so great loue towardes vs his seely creatures how can we of ryght but loue him agayne Was not this a sure pledge of his loue to geue vs his own sonne from heauen He myght haue geuen vs an angel if he would or some other creature and yet should his loue haue ben farre aboue our desartes Nowe he gaue vs not an angell but his sonne And what sonne His only sonne his naturall sonne his welbeloued sonne euen that sonne whom he had made Lorde and ruler of al thinges Was not this a singuler token of great loue But to whom did he geue him He gaue him to the whole worlde that is to say to Adam and all that should come after him O lord what had Adam or anye other man deserued at Gods handes that he should geue vs his owne sonne We are all miserable persons sinfull persons dampnable persoÌ„s iustly driuen out of paradice iustly excluded from heauen iustly condempned to hell fyre And yet see a wonderfull token of Gods loue he gaue vs his only be gotten sonne vs I say that were his extreme and deadly enemies that we by vertue of his blood shed vppon the crosse might be cleane purged from our sinnes and made righteous agayne in his sight Who can chose but maruaile to heare that god should she we such vnspeakable loue towardes vs that were his deadly enemies Indeede O mortall man thou oughtest of ryght to marueyle at it to acknowledge therein Gods great goodnesse and mercie towards mankind which is so wonderful that no fleshe be it neuer so worldly wyse may wel conceaue it or expresse it For as Saint Paul testifieth God greatly commendeth and setteth out his loue towardes vs in that he sent his sonne Christ to die for vs when we were yet sinners and open enemies of his name If we had in any maner of wyse deserued it at his handes then had it ben no marueile at all but there was no desert on our part wherefore he shoulde do it Therefore thou sinful creature when thou hearest that GOD gaue his sonne to dye for the sinnes of the worlde thinke not he dyd it for any desert or goodnes that was in thee for thou wast then the bondslaue of the deuill But fall downe vpon thy knees and crye with the prophete Dauid O Lorde what is man that thou art so mindefull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him And seeing he hath so greatlye loued thee endeuour thy self to loue him againe with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength that therin thou mayst appeare not to be vnworthy of his loue I report me to thyne owne conscience whether thou wouldest not thinke thy loue ill bestowed vpon him that could not finde in his heart to loue thee agayne If this be true as it is most true then thinke howe greatly it behoueth to thy duetie to loue God whiche hath so greatly loued thee that he hath noâ— spared his owne onlye sonne from so cruell and shamefull a death for thy sake And hitherto concerning the cause of Christes death passion which as yet was on our part most horrible and greeuous sinne so on the other side it was the free gift of God proceeding of his meere and tender loue towards mankind without any merite or desert of our part The Lorde for his mercies sake graunt that we neuer forget this great benefite of our saluation in Christe Jesu but that we alwayes shewe our selues thankefull for it abhorring all kinde of wickednesse and sinne and applying our myndes wholy to the seruice of God and the diligent keeping of his commaundementes Now resteth to shewe vnto you howe to applie Christes death and passion to our comfort as a medicine to our woundes so that it maye worke the same effect in vs wherefore it was geuen namely the health saluatioÌ„ of our soules For as it profiteth a man nothing to haue salue vnlesse it be well applied to the part affected So the death of Christ shall stand vs in no force vnlesse we applie it to our selues in suche sorte as God hath appoynted Almightie God commonly worketh by meanes and in this thing he hath also ordained a certaine meane wherby we may take fruite and profite to our soules health What meane is that forsooth it is fayth Not an vnconstant or wauering fayth but a sure stedfast grounded and vnfaigned fayth GOD sent his sonne into the worlde sayth Saint John. To what end that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Marke these wordes that whosoeuer beleueth in him Here is the meane whereby we must apply the fruites of Christes death vnto our deadly wounde Here is the meane whereby we must obtaine eternall lyfe namely fayth For as saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Romanes With the heart man beleueth vnto ryghteousnes and with the mouth confessioÌ„ is made vnto saluation Paul beyng demaunded of the keeper of that prison what he should do to be saued made this aunswere Beleue in the Lorde Jesus so shalt thou and thyne house both be saued After the Euangelist had described and set foorth vnto vs at large the life and the death of the Lorde Jesus in the end he concludeth with these wordes These thinges are written that we may beleue Jesus Christe to be the sonne of God a through sayth obtayne eternall lyfe To conclude with the wordes of saint Paul which are these Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto saluation for euery
kepe our feaste the whole tearme of our lyfe with eatyng the bread of purenes of godly life and trueth of Christes doctrine Thus shal we declare that Christes giftes and graces haue their effect in vs and that we haue the ryght beleefe and knowledge of his holy resurrection where truely if we apply our fayth to the vertue thereof and in our lyfe confourme vs to the example signification meant thereby we shal be sure to ryse hereafter to euerlastyng glory by the goodnesse and mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory thankes geuyng and prayse in infinita seculorum secula Amen ¶ An homilee of the worthy receauyng and reuerent esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe THE great loue of our Sauiour Christ towardes mankynd good Christian people doth not onlye appeare in that deare bought benefite of our redemption saluation by his death passiō but also in that he so kindlye prouided that the same most mercyful worke myght be had in continual remembraunce to take some place in vs and not be frustrate of his ende and purpose For as tender parentes are not content to procure for their chyldren costly possessions and liuelode but take order that the same may be conserued and come to their vse So our Lorde and sauiour thought it not sufficient to purchase for vs his fathers fauour agayne whiche is that deepe fountayne of all goodnesse and eternall lyfe but also inuented the wayes most wysely whereby they myght redound to our commoditie profite Amongst the which meanes is the publique celebration of the memorie of his pretious death at the Lordes table Whiche although it seeme of small vertue to some yet beyng ryghtly done by the faythfull it doth not onlye helpe their weaknesse who be by their poysoned nature redyer to remember iniuries then benefites but strengthneth comforteth their in ward man with peace gladnesse and maketh them thankfull to their redeemer with diligent care and godly conuersation And as of olde tyme God decreed his wonderous benefites of the delyueraunce of his people to be kepte in memorie by the eatyng of the passeouer with his rites and ceremonies So our louyng Sauiour hath ordeyned and establyshed the remembraunce of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the institution of his heauenly supper where euery one of vs must be ghestes and not gasers eaters and not lookers seedyng our selues and not hiryng other to feede for vs that we may lyue by our owne meate and not perishe for hunger whiles other deuour all To this his commaundement forceth vs saying Do ye thus drinke ye all of this To this his promise enticeth This is my body whiche is geuen for you this is my blood whiche is shed for you So then as of necessitie we muste be our selues partakers of this table and not beholders of other So we must addresse our selues to frequent the same in reuerent and due maner least as phisike prouided for the body beyng misused more hurteth then profiteth so this comfortable medicine of the soule vndecently receaued tendeth to our greater harme and sorow And saint Paul sayth He that eateth and drynketh vnworthyly eateth and drynketh his owne dampnation Wherefore that it be not saide to vs as it was to the ghest of that great supper Freende howe camest thou in not hauing the mariage garment And that we maye fruitfully vse Saint Paules counsell Let a man proue hym selfe and so eate of that bread and drynke of that cuppe We muste certaynelye knowe that three thynges be requisite in hym which woulde seemely as becommeth suche hygh mysteries resorte to the Lordes table That is Fyrste a ryght and a worthye estimation and vnderstandyng of this mysterie Secondely to come in a sure fayth And thirdely to haue newenesse or purenesse of lyfe to succeede the receauing the same But before all other thynges this we must be sure of especially that this Supper be in suche wyse done and ministred as our Lorde and sauiour did and commaunded to be done as his holy Apostles vsed it and the good fathers in the primatiue Churche frequented it For as that worthy man saint Ambrose sayth he is vnworthy of the Lord that otherwise doth celebrate that mysterie then it was delyuered by him Neither can he be deuout that other waies doth presume thē it was geuen by the aucthor We must then take heede leaste of the memorie it be made a sacrifice least of a cōmunion it be made a priuate eatyng least of two partes we haue but one least applying it for the dead we lose the fruit that be aliue Let vs rather in these matters folowe the aduice of Ciprian in the lyke cases that is cleaue fast to the firste beginnyng holde fast the Lordes tradition do that in the Lordes cōmemoration which he him selfe did he him selfe commaunded his apostles confirmed This caution or foresight yf we vse then may we see to those thynges that be requisit in the worthy receauer wherof this was the fyrste that we haue a ryght vnderstandyng of the thyng it selfe As concerning which thing this we maye assuredlye perswade our selues that the ignoraunt man can neyther worthyly esteeme nor effectually vse those marueilous graces and benefites offered and exhibited in that Supper but eyther wyll lightly regarde them to no small offence or vtterly condempne them to his vtter destruction So that by his negligence he deserueth the plagues of God to fall vppon hym and by contempt he deserueth euerlastyng perdition To auoyde then these harmes vse the aduice of the wyse man who wylleth thee when thou sittest at an earthlye kynges table to take diligent heede what thinges are set before thee So nowe much more at the kyng of kynges table thou must carefully searche and knowe what dainties are prouided for thy soule whyther thou art come not to feede thy senses and belly to corruption but thy in warde man to immortalitie and lyfe nor to consyder the earthlye creatures whiche thou seest but the heauenlye graces which thy fayth beholdeth For this table is not sayth Chrisostome for chattering Jayes but for Egles who flee thither where the dead bodye lyeth And yf this aduertisement of man can not perswade vs to resorte to the lordes table with vnderstandyng see the counsell of GOD in the lyke matter who charged his people to teache their posteritie not onlye the rites and ceremonies of the Passouer but the cause and ende thereof Whence we may learne that both more perfect knowledge is required at this tyme at our handes and that the ignoraunt can not with fruite and profite exercise hym selfe in the Lordes Sacramentes But to come nygher to the matter Saint Paul blaming the Corinthians for the prophaning of the Lordes supper concludeth that ignoraunce both of the thing it selfe and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither
These words are sufficient to proue that Peter was alredye iustifyed through this his lyuelye fayth in the onely begotten sonne of god wherof he made so notable and so solemyne a confession But did not he afterwardes moste cowardlye denye his maister although he had heard of hym Whosoeuer denyeth me before men I wyll denye hym before my father Neuerthelesse assone as with weeping eyes with a sobbyng heart he did acknowledge his offence and with earnest repentance did flee vnto the mercy of God taking sure holde thereupon through faith in him whom he had so shamefullye denyed his sinne was forgeuen him for a certificate and assurance therof the roome of his Apostleship was not denyed vnto him But now marke what doth followe After the same holy Apostle had on Whitsondaye with the reste of the Disciples receaued the gyft of the holy ghost most aboundauntly he committed no smal offence in Antiochia by brynging the consciences of the faythfull into doubt by his example so that Paule was faine to rebuke him to his face because that he walked not vprightlye or went not the ryght way in the Gospell Shall we now say that after this greeuous offence he was vtterly excluded and shut out from the grace and mercy of God that this his trespasse wherby he was a stumbling blocke vnto manye was vnpardonable God defende we shoulde saye so But as these examples are not brought in to the ende that we shoulde thereby take a boldnesse to sinne presuming on the mercye and goodnesse of God but to the ende that if through the fraylenesse of our owne fleshe and the temptation of the Deuill we fall into the lyke sinnes we shoulde in no wyse dispayre of the mercy and goodnes of God Euen so muste we beware and take heede that we do in no wise thinke in our heartes imagine or beleue that we are able to repent aright or to tourne effectuallye vnto the Lorde by our owne myght and strength For this must be verifyed in all men Without me ye can do nothing Agayne Of our selues we are not able as much as to thynke a good thought And in another place It is God that worketh in vs both the wyl and the deede For this cause although Hieremie had sayde before If thou returne O Israel returne vnto me sayeth the Lorde Yet afterwardes he sayeth Turne thou me O Lorde and I shall be turned for thou art the Lorde my god And therefore that holye wryter and auncient father Ambrose doth playnely affirme that the turnyng of the heart vnto God is of God as the Lorde hym selfe doth testifie by his prophete saying And I will geue thee an heart to knowe me that I am the Lorde and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shal returne vnto me with their whole heart These thinges beyng consydered let vs earnestlye pray vnto the liuyng God our heauenlye father that he wyll vouchsafe by his holye spirite to worke a true and vnfained repentance in vs that after the paynefull labours and trauayles of this lyfe we may liue eternally with his sonne Jesus Christe to whom be all prayse and glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ The seconde parte of the Homilee of Repentaunce HJtherto haue ye heard wel beloued how needeful necessary the doctrine of repentaunce is how earnestly it is throughout all the scriptures of God vrged and set foorth both by the auncient prophetes by our Sauiour Jesu Christ his Apostles and that forasmuche as it is the conuertion or turning agayne of the whole man vnto God from whom we go away by sinne these four pointes ought to be obserued That is from whence or from what thinges we muste returne vnto whom this our returnyng muste be made by whose meanes it ought to be done that it may be effectual and last of all after what sort we ought to behaue our selues in the same that it may be profitable vnto vs and attayne vnto the thing that we do seeke by it Ye haue also learned that as the opinion of them that denie the benefite of repentaunce vnto those that after they be come to God and graffed in our sauiour Jesu Christe do through the fraylenesse of theyr fleshe and the temptation of the deuill fall into some greeuous and detestable sinne is most pestilent and pernitious So we muste beware that we do in no wyse thynke that we are able of our owne selues and of our own strength to retourne vnto the Lorde our God from whom we are gone awaye by our wyckednesse and sinne Nowe it shall be declared vnto you what be the true partes of repentaunce what thinges ought to moue vs to repent and to returne vnto the Lorde our God with all speede Repentaunce as it is sayde before is a true returning vnto God whereby men forsakyng vtterlye their idolatrie and wickednes do with a lyuelye fayth embrace loue and worship the true lyuyng God onelye and geue them selues to all maner of good workes whiche by Gods worde they knowe to be acceptable vnto him Nowe there be foure partes of repentaunce which beyng set together maye be lykened to an easie and short ladder whereby we may clymbe from the bottomles pit of perdition that we caste our selues into by our daylye offences and greeuous sinnes vp into the castle or to wre of eternal and endelesse saluation The fyrst is the contrition of the heart For we must be earnestly sorye for our sinnes and vnfaynedlye lament be wayle that we haue by them so greuously offended our most bounteous and mercifull God who so tenderlye loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to dye a most bitter death to shed his deare hart blood for our redemption and deliueraunce And veryly this inward sorowe and greefe being conceaued in the heart for the haynousnesse of sinne if it be earnest and vnfayned is as a sacrifice to God as the holy prophete Dauid doth testifye saying A sacrifyce to God is a troubled spyrite a contrite and broken heart O Lord thou wylt not dispyse But that this may take place in vs we must be diligent to reade and heare the scriptures and worde of God whiche most lyuely do paynt out before your eyes our naturall vncleanlynesse and the enormitie of our sinfull lyfe For vnlesse we haue a through feeling of our sinnes how can it be that we shoulde earnestlie be sorye for them Afore Dauid did heare the worde of the Lorde by the mouth of the prophet Nathan what heauinesse I praye you was in hym for the adultrie and murther that he had committed So that it myght be sayd right wel that he slept in his owne sinne We reade in the Actes of the Apostles that when the people had hearde the Sermon of Peter they were compunct and pricked in theyr heartes Whiche thing woulde neuer haue ben if they had not heard that holsome Sermon of
the principall and most vsual causes as specially ambition and ignoraunce By ambition I meane the vnlawful and restles desire in men to be of higher estate then God hath geuen or appoynted vnto them By ignoraunce I meane no vnskilfulnesse in artes or sciences but the lacke of knowledge of Gods blessed wyll declared in his holye worde whiche teacheth both extremely to abhorre all rebellion as the roote of all mischeefe and specially to delyght in obedience as the begynnyng and foundation of all goodnesse as hath ben also before specified And as these are the two cheese causes of rebellion so are there specially two sortes of men in whom these vices do raigne by whom the deuill the aucthour of al euill doth cheefely stirre vp all disobedience and rebellion The restlesse ambitious hauing once determined by one meanes or other to atcheeue to theyr intended purpose when they can not by lawfull and peaceable meanes clime so hygh as they do desyre they attempt the same by force and violence wherein when they can not preuaile agaynst the ordinarie aucthoritie and power of lawfull princes and gouernours them selues alone they do seeke the ayde and helpe of the ignoraunt multitude abusing them to theyr wicked purpose Wherfore seeing a fewe ambitious and malitious are the aucthours heades and multitudes of ignoraunt men are the ministers and furtherers of rebellion the cheefe poynt of this part shal be aswell to notifie to the simple and ignorant men who they be that haue ben and be the vsuall aucthours of rebellion that they may knowe them and also to admonishe them to beware of the subtill suggestions of suche restles ambitious persons and so to flee them that rebellions though attempted by a fewe ambitious through the lack of mayntenaunce by any multitudes maye speedyly and easyly without any great labour daunger or domage be repressed and clearely extinguished It is well knowen as well by all histories as by dayly experience that none haue eyther more ambitiously aspired aboue Emperours Kinges and Princes nor haue more pernitiously moued the ignoraunt people to rebellion agaynst theyr Princes then certayne persons whiche falsely chalenge to them selues to be onlye counted and called spirituall I must therefore heare yet once agayne breefely put you good people in remembraunce out of Gods holye worde howe our Sauiour Jesus Christe and his holy Apostles the heades and cheefe of all true spirituall and ecclesiastical men behaued them selues towards the princes and rulers of their tyme though not the best gouernours that euer were that you be not ignoraunt whether they be the true disciples and folowers of Christe and his Apostles and so true spirituall men that eyther by ambition do so highly aspyre or do most malitiously teach or most pernitiously do execute rebellion agaynst theyr lawfull princes beyng the worst of all carnall workes and mischeuous deedes The holye scriptures do teache most expresly that our sauiour Christe him selfe and his apostle saint Paul saint Peter with others were vnto the magistrates and higher powers which ruled at their beyng vppon the earth both obedâ—â—nt them selues and dyd also diligently and earnestly exhort all other Christians to the lyke obedience vnto their princes and gouernours whereby it is euident that men of the Cleargie and ecclesiasticall ministers as theyr successours ought both them selues specially and before others to be obedient vnto their princes and also to exhort all others vnto the same Our sauiour Christe like wyse teachyng by his doctrine that his kingdome was not of this worlde dyd by his example in fleeing from those that would haue made him kyng confirme the same expresly also forbidding his Apostles and by them the whole Cleargie all princely dominion ouer people and nations and he and his holy Apostles like wyse namely Peter Paul dyd forbid vnto all ecclesiasticall ministers dominion ouer the Churche of Christe And in deede whiles that ecclesiasticall ministers continued in Christes Church in that order that is in Christes worde prescribed vnto them and in Christian kyngdomes kept them selues obedient to their owne princes as the holy scripture do teache them both was Christes Churche more cleare from ambitious emulations and contentions and the state of Christian kyngdomes lesse subiect vnto tumultes and rebellions But after that ambition and desyre of dominion entred once into ecclesiasticall ministers whose greatnes after the doctrine and example of our sauiour shoulde cheefely stande in humbling of them selues and that the Byshop of Rome being by the order of Gods worde none other then the bishop of that one see and diocesse and neuer yet well able to gouerne the same did by intollerable ambition chalenge not only to be the head of all the Churche dispersed throughout the worlde but also to be Lorde of all the kyngdomes of the worlde as is expresly set foorth in the booke of his owne Cannon lawes most contrary to the doctrine and example of our sauiour Christe whose Uicar and of his holy apostles namely Peter whose successour he pretendeth to be after his ambition entred and this chalenge once made by the Byshop of Rome he became at once the spoyler destroyer both of the Church which is the kyngdome of our sauiour Christe and of the Christian Empyre and all Christian kyngdomes as an vniuersall tyraunt ouer all And whereas before that chalenge made there was great amitie and loue amongst the Christians of al countreis herevpon began emulation and much hatred betweene the Bishop of Rome and his Cleargie and freendes on the one part and the Grecian Cleargie and Christians of the East on the other part for that they refused to acknowledge any such supreme aucthoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer them the Bishop of Rome for this cause amongst other not onlye namyng them and taking them for schismatikes but also neuer ceassing to persecute them and the Emperours who had their see and continuaunce in Grece by stirring of the subiectes to rebellion agaynst their soueraigne lordes and by raysyng deadly hatred and most cruell warres betweene them and other Christian princes And when the Byshops of Rome had translated the title of the Emperour and as much as in them dyd lye the Empyre it selfe from their lorde the Emperour of Grece and of Rome also by ryght vnto the Christian princes of the West they became in short space no better vnto the West Emperours then they were before vnto the Emperours of Grece For the vsuall discharging of subiectes from their othe of fidelitie made vnto the Emperours of the West their soueraigne lordes by the Byshops of Rome the vnnaturall stirring vp of the subiectes vnto rebellion agaynst their princes yea of the sonne agaynst the father by the Byshoppe of Rome the most cruell and blooddy warres raysed amongst Christian princes of all kyngdomes the horrible murder of infinite thousandes of Christian men beyng slayne by Christians and whiche ensued therevpon the pitifull losses of so manye goodlye Cities countreys
22. Deut. 27. 1. Thess. 4. Deut. 19. Pro. 11. 20. Prou. 25. Psal. 36. Daniel 4. Agges 1. Leui. 19. Deut. 24. 1. Cor. 9. Ioel. 8. Prou. 3. 1. Mach. 4. i. Cor. 5. i. Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Gen. iii. Iob. v. Eccle. vii Prou. v. ii The. iii. i. Tim. v. Ezec. xvi Prou. x. Pro. 11. 28. Prou. x. Eccle. 33. Mat. xiii ii Reg. xi ii Reg. xii Iudg. xvi Herodotus Ephe. iiii Psalm 128 Eccle. iii. i. Thes. iiii Ephes. iiii Eccle. xi Num. 25. The doctrine of repentance is most necessarie Luk. xiiii Actes xx Matth. iii. Matth. iiii Ioel. ii 〈◊〉 perpetuall â—ule whiche all â—ust folowe Luke xv Ezec. 18. Esai i. i. Iohn ii Esai 37. ii Par. 33. Luk. 7. 16. From whence we must returne Esai lix Galat. v. Ephe. 5. â—nto who 〈…〉 we ought to returne By whom 〈◊〉 must returne vâ—â—o 〈◊〉 Mat. 3. Ioh. xiiii Iohn i. i. Pet. i. Act. v. Luke 24. Iohn xv The maner oâ— oâ—â— returning Esaias 29. Mat. xv Deut. 6. Haltyng on both sydes Psal. 25. Psal. 52. Hypocrites do counterfait all maner of â—hinges Psal. 51. â—ow repentaunce is 〈◊〉 vnprostâ—able Exod. 34. Esaias 55. Psal. 103. 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Mat. 12. Mark. 3. The sinne agaynst the holy ghost Hiere 4. Esaias 55. Ozee 6. 〈◊〉 Eccle. 7. i. Iohn i. Act. 13. 2. Sam. 7. 2. Sam. 11. 2. Sam. 12. Peter Iohn 6. Mat. 26. Mat. 10. Act. 2. Galath 2. What we 〈◊〉 be more of Iohn 15. 2. Cor. 3. Phillip 2. Hiere 4. Ambros. de vocat gentium lib. 1. ca. 9. There be foure partes of repentaunce Psal. 51. ii Sa. xii Act. iiii Ezech. 18. Psal. xxxi i. Iohn i. In Epist. ad Iulianâ— comitem 30. Mat. 5. Aunswere to the aduersaries which mainteyne auriculer confession Iohannes Scotus li. 4. senten distinc 17. quest 1. Math. 8. Ambrose Nectarius soromenus ecclesiast histo li. 7. cap. 16. Lib. 10. confessionum ca. 3. The repentaunce of the 〈…〉 ole men Judas and his repentaunce Mat. 27. Peter and his repentaunce Depenitentia distin 1. cap. petrus Matth. 3. Ionas 3. Luk. 19. Luk. 7. Iohn 5. Iohn 15. The causes that should moue vs to repent Esai 31. Ezech. 33 Ozee 14 Hier. 4. Ezech. â—8 Similitude Esai 59. Death the Lordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccle. 11. Contra Demetrianum Eccle. 5. Iere. 24. Rom. 2. Psalm 96. b. 8. 102 d. 20. 148. a. 2. Dani. 3. c. 58. 7. c. 10. Mat. â—6 c. 55 Coloss. 1. b 16. Heb. 1. b. 4. c. 14. Apoca. 19. b. 10. Gen. 2. c. 17. Gen. 1. d. 28. Mat. 4. b. 9. Mat. 25. d. 43 Ioh. 8. f. 44. 2. Pet. 2. a. 4. Epi. Iud. a. 6 Apo. 12. b. 7. Gene. 3. a. 1. c. Sap. 2. d. 24. Gen. 3. b. 8. 9 c. c. 17. d. 23. 24. Rom. 5. c. 12. c. d 19. c. Gen. 3. d. 17. Gene. 3. c. 16. Iob. 34. d. 30. 36. a. 7. Eccl. 8. a. 2. 10. c. 16. 17. d. 20. Psal. 18. g. 50. 20. b 6. 21. a. 1. 144. a. 1. Pro. 8. b. 15 Rom. xiii i. Pet. ii Psal. 10. b. 16. 45. a. 6. c. 47. a. 2. Eccle. 17. c Mat. 18. c. 23. 22. a. 2 Psalm x. b 16. 45. a. b. 47. a. 2. c. Mat. 22. b. 13. 25. c. 34. Psal. 82. b. 6. Eccle. 10. d. 1â— Pro. 16. 29. Eccle. x. Esai 32. a. Eccle. x. d xvi Prou. 28. 29. Iob. 34. d. 30. O see 13. a. 6. 2. Par. 2. 9. Prou. xvi 1. Reg. 12. c Pro. xxi a Esdr. 7. d. 1. Tim. 2. a Baruc. 1. b. â— Deu. 17. c. 15. 1. Reg. 25. c. 11. e. 22. g. 35. Chriso 10. 1. Home 1. aduersus Iudeos 1. Reg. 18. c. 10. 12. 1. Reg. 16. c. 14. c. 15. 1. Re. 19. b. 9 c. 20. 1. Reg. 17. d. 26. c. 1. Reg. 18. g. 27. 1. Reg. 19. a. 5. b. 8. 1. Reg. 23. 1. Reg. 27. 1. Reg. 16. d 25. 1. Reg. 19. a. 4. 1. Re. 24. b. 9â— 1. Re. 18. c. 9. f. 25. g. 29. 1. Re. 19. b. 19. 1. Reg. 21. 1. Reg. 22. 1. Re 24. a. 5. 2. Re â—4 b. 8 1. Re. 26 a. 6. 1. Re. 26. b. 9. 1. Re 24. a. 5. 1. Reg. 24. b. 7. c. 1. Reg. 26. b. 9. b. 10 c. 2. Reg. 24 a. 5 1. Reg. 1 b. 7. b. 9. 2. Reg. 1. b. 10 2. Reg. i. c.13 â–ª 2. Reg. 1. c. â—â— c. 15. 1. Reg. 8. d. 18. g. 30. i. Reg. 16. c. â— c. i. Reg. 18. c. 11 i. Reg. 15. c. 11 i. Reg. 18. c. â—0 12. i. Reg. 15. 22. f. 26 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The de 〈…〉 The answ 〈…〉 The demaund The a 〈…〉 swere The demaund The aunswere 〈◊〉 vnnaturall and wicked Question Luk. 2. a. â— c. Luk. 2. a. 7. Luke 2. a. â— Mat. 17. d 2â— c. Maâ— 12. b. 17. Luk. 20. d. 2â— Mat. 27. a. 2. Luk. 23. a. 1. Ioh. 19. b. 20. Mat 27. c. 26 Luk. 23. d. 24. Rom. 13. The first table of Gods lawe broken by rebellion and the â—innes of rebels agaynsâ— God. The â—â—fth commaundement The syxt and eyght commaundement The seuenth commaundement The nynth commaundement The tenth com maundement 2. Reg. 24. c. 14. 2. Reg. 24. c. 14. Mat. 12. b. Pro. 14. Rom. 13. Num. 11. a. Num. 12. c 10. Num. 16. Psal. 77. Num. 16. Exo. 16. b. 7. c. Eccl. 10. d. 2. Re. 15. c. 12. 17. a. 1. c. 11. 18. b. 7. 81. 2. Reg. 18. b. 5. 2 Reg. 18. b. 9. Achitophel 2. Re. 15. c. 12. 16. d. 21. 23. 17. f 23. 2. Reg. 18. c. 7. 8. 9. 2. Reg. 20. Psal. 20. 12. b. Gen. 14. 2. Reg. 15. c. 12. Mat. 17. d. 25. Mar. 12. b. 14. Lnk. 20. d. 25. Mat. 27. Luke 23. Ro. 13. a. 1. c. i. Ti. 2. a. 1. i. Pe. 2. c. 13 Ioh. 6. b. 15 18. f. 36. Mat. 20. d 25 Mar. x. f. xlii Luk. 22. c. xxv Mat. 23. a. 8 Luk. ix f. xlvi ii Cor. i. d xxiiii i. Pet. 5. a. â— Mat. 18. a 4 20. d. 28. Luk. 9. f. 48. 22. c 27. Sext. decree lib. 3. tit 16. cap. vnico lib. 5. tit 9. cap. 5. in glossa Of ignoraunce of the simple people the latter part Matth. 27. Luke 23. Luke 23. e. 34. 1. Cor. 2. b. 8. Iohn 15. d 21. 16 c. 23. Si cognouissent Gregorius 2. 3. Anno. do 726. c. In the second commaundement Henri 4. Gregorius 7. Anno domini 1076 Paschalis 2. An. 1099. King Iohn Innocentius 3. Philip Frenche Kyng Lewes Dolphin of France Pandolphus Bee the actes of Parliament in king Edward the third his dayes Mala. 2. Ier. 18. c. 18 Eze. 7. g. 26. Osee.
not also heare sinners yf with a true penitent heart and a stedfast faith they pray vnto him Yes yf we acknowledge our sinnes God is faythfull iust to forgeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse as we are plainely taught by the examples of Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene the Publicane and diuers other And where as we must nedes vse the helpe of some mediatour intercessour let vs content our selues with him that is the true and only mediatour of the new Testament namely the Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christe For as saint John sayth If anye man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes And saint Paul in his first Epistle to Timothie sayth There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe who gaue him selfe a raunsome for all men to be a testimonie in due time Nowe after this doctrine established you shal be instructed for what kinde of thinges and what kinde of persons ye ought to make your prayers vnto god It greatly behoueth all men when they pray to consyder well and diligently with them selues what they aske and require at Gods handes lest if they desyre the thing which they ought not their petitions be made voyde and of none effect There came on a time vnto Agesilaus the king a certaine importunatesuter who requested him in a matter earnestly saying Sir and it please your grace you dyd once promise me Trueth quoth the king if it be iust that thou requirest then I promised thee otherwyse I did onlye speake it and not promise it The man woulde not so be aunswered at the kynges hande but still vrging him more and more said It becommeth a kyng to perfourme the leaste word he hath spoken yea yf he should only becke with his head No more sayth the kyng then it behoueth one that commeth to a king to speake and aske those thinges whiche are rightfull and honest Thus the kyng cast of this vnreasonable and importunate suter Nowe if so great consyderation be to be had when we kneele before an earthly kyng howe much more ought to be had when we kneele before the heauenly kyng who is onlye delighted with iustice and equitie neyther wyll admit any vayne foolishe or vniust petition Therefore it shal be good and profitable throughly to consyder and determine with our selues what thinges we may lawfully aske of God without feare of repulse and also what kinde of persons we are bound to cōmend vnto god in our dayly prayers Two thinges are chiesely to be respected in euerye good and godly mans prayer His owne necessitie the glory of almightie god Necessitie belongeth eyther outwardly to the body or els inwardly to the soule Whiche part of man because it is muche more pretious excellent then the other therefore we ought first of all to craue such thinges as properly belong to the saluation thereof as the gift of repentaunce the gyfte of fayth the gifte of charitie and good workes remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes patience in aduersitie lowlinesse in prosperitie and suche other like fruites of the spirite as hope loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes meekenesse and temperauncie which thinges God requireth of all them that professe them selues to be his children saying vnto them in this wyse Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen And in another place he also sayth Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then al other things shal be geuen vnto you Wherin he putteth vs in mind that our cheefe and greatest care ought to be for those things which parteine to the health and safegarde of the soule because we haue here as the apostle sayth no continuing citie but do seeke after another in the worlde to come Nowe when we haue sufficiently prayed for thinges belonging to the soule then may we lawfully and with safe conscience pray also for our bodily necessities as meate drinke clothing health of body deliueraunce out of prison good lucke in our dayly affayres and so foorth accordyng as we shall haue neede Wherof what better example can we desire to haue then of Christ him selfe who taught his disciples and all other Christian men first to pray for heauenly things and afterwarde for earthly thinges as is to be seene in that prayer whiche he lefte vnto his Churche commonly called the Lordes prayer In the thirde booke of kinges and thirde Chapter it is written that God appeared by night in a dreame vnto Salomon the king saying Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wylt and I wyll geue thee Salomon made his humble prayer and asked a wise prudent hearte that might iudge and vnderstande what were good what were ill what were godlye and what were vngodly what were righteous and what were vnrighteous in the sight of the Lorde It pleased God wonderously that he had asked this thing And God sayd vnto him Because thou hast requested this worde and hast not desyred manye dayes and long yeres vpon the earth neither aboundaunce of ryches and goodes nor yet the lyfe of thyne enemies which hate thee but hast desyred wisdome to sit in iudgement Beholde I haue done vnto thee accordyng to thy wordes I haue geuen thee a wyse heart full of knowledge and vnderstāding so that there was neuer none like thee before time neither shal be in time to come Moreouer I haue besides this geuen thee that whiche thou hast not required namelye worldlye wealth and richesse princely honour and glorie so that thou shalt therein also passe all kynges that euer were Note this example howe Salomon beyng put to his choyse to aske of God whatsoeuer he woulde requested not vaine and transitorie thinges but the high and heauenly treasures of wysdome and that in so doyng he obtayneth as it were in recompence both riches and honour Wherein is geuen vs to vnderstande that in our dayly prayers we should chiefely and principally aske those things which concerne the kingdome of God and the saluation of our owne soules nothyng doubting but all other thinges shall accordyng to the promise of Christe be geuen vnto vs But here we must take heede that we forget not that other ende whereof mention was made before namely the glorye of god Whiche vnlesse we minde and set before our eyes in makyng our prayers we may not looke to be harde or to receaue any thing of the Lorde In the. xx Chapter of Matthewe the mother of the two sonnes of Zebedee came vnto Jesus worshipping him and saying Graunt that my two sonnes may sit in thy kingdome the one at thy ryght hand and the other at thy left hande In this petition she dyd not respect the glory of GOD but plainely declared the ambition and vaine glory of her owne minde for which cause she was also
moste worthyly repelled and rebuked at the Lordes hande In lyke maner we reade in the Actes of one Simon Magus a Sorcerer howe that he perceauyng that through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was geuen offered them money saying Geue me also this power that on whom soeuer I lay my handes he may receaue the holy ghost In makyng this request he sought not the honour and glorye of GOD but his owne priuate gayne and lucre thinking to get great store of money by this feate and therefore it was iustly sayde vnto him Thy money perishe with thee because thou thinkest that the gifte of God maye be obtayned with money By these and suche other examples we are taught whensoeuer we make our prayers vnto God chiefely to respect the honour and glorye of his name Whereof we haue this generall precept in the Apostle Paul Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you do looke that you do it to the glory of god Which thing we shal best of all do if we folowe the example of our sauiour Christe who praying that the bitter cuppe of death myght passe from him woulde not therein haue his owne wyll fulfilled but referred the whole matter to the good wyll and pleasure of his father And hytherto concernyng those thinges that we may lawfully and boldly aske of God. Nowe it foloweth that we declare what kinde of persons we are bounde in conscience to praye for Saint Paul wryting to Timothie exhorteth him to make prayers and supplications for all men exempting none of what degree or state soeuer they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kynges and Rulers whiche are in aucthoritie putting vs thereby to knowledge howe greatlye it concerneth the profite of the common wealth to praye diligentlye for the higher powers Neyther is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles craue the prayers of Gods people for hym selfe For in so doyng he declareth to the worlde howe expedient and needefull it is dayly to call vppon GOD for the ministers of his holy worde and sacramentes that they may haue the doore of vtteraunce opened vnto them that they may truely vnderstand the scriptures that they may effectually preache the same vnto the people and bring foorth the true fruites thereof to the example of all other After this sorte dyd the congregation continually pray for Peter at Hierusalem and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great encrease and furtherance of Christes Gospell And if we folowyng theyr good example herein wyll studie to do the lyke doubtlesse it can not be expressed howe greatly we shall both helpe our selues and also please God. To discourse and runne through all degrees of persons it were to long Therefore ye shall briefely take this one conclusion for all Whomsoeuer we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue for those also are we bound in conscience to pray But we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue all men as our selues therefore we are also bound to pray for all men euen as well as if it were for our selues notwithstandyng we knowe them to be our extreme and deadly enemies For so doth our sauiour Christe plainely teache vs in his Gospell saying Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you praye for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your father whiche is in heauen And as he taught his disciples so dyd he practise him selfe in his life time praying for his enemies vpon the crosse and desyring his father to forgeue them because they knewe not what they dyd As did also that holy and blessed martyr Stephen when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubberne and stifnecked Jewes to the example of all them that wyll truely and vnfaignedly folowe their Lorde maister Christe in this miserable mortal life Nowe to entreate of that question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this world or no. Wherein yf we wyll cleaue only vnto the word of God then must we nedes graunt that we haue no commaundement so to do For the scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the elect and blessed of god the other to the reprobate and dampned soules as may be well gathered by the parable of Lazarus and the riche man whiche place saint Augustine expoundyng sayth in this wyse That which Abraham speaketh vnto the riche man in Lukes Gospel namely that the iust can not go into those places where the wicked are tormented What other thinges doth it signifie but only this that the iust by reason of gods iudgement which may not be reuoked can shewe no deede of mercie in helping them which after this lyfe are cast into prison vntill they pay the vttermost farthyng These wordes as they confounde the opinion of helping the dead by prayer so they do cleane confute and take away the vaine errour of purgatorie which is grounded vpon this saying of the gospell Thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payde the vttermoste farthing Nowe doth saint Augustine say that those men which are cast into prison after this life on that condition may in no wyse be holpen though we woulde helpe them neuer so much And why Because the sentence of God is vnchaungeable can not be reuoked agayne Therfore let vs not deceaue our selues thinking that eyther we maye helpe other or other maye helpe vs by their good and charitable prayers in time to come For as the preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South or towarde the North in what place soeuer the tree falleth there it lyeth meanyng thereby that euery mortall man dyeth eyther in the state of saluation or dampnation accordyng as the words of the Euangelist John do also plainely impart saying He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath eternall lyfe But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Where is then the thirde place whiche they call purgatorie or where shall our prayers helpe and profite the dead Saint Augustine doth onlye acknowledge two places after this life heauen and hell As for the thirde place he doth plainely denie that there is anye suche to be founde in all scripture Chrisostome likewyse is of this minde that vnlesse we washe away our sinnes in this present worlde we shall finde no comfort afterwarde And saint Ciprian sayth that after death repentaunce and sorowe of paine shal be without fruite weping also shal be in vayne and prayer shal be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make prouision for them selues whyle they maye because when they are once departed out of this lyfe there is no place for repentaunce nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the grosse