and iudgement of the worlde If some man wyll say I woulde haue a true paterne and a perfect discription of an vpryght lyfe approued in the sight of God can we fynde thinke ye any better or any suche agayne as Christe Jesus is and his doctrine whose vertuous conuersation and godly lyfe the scripture so liuely painteth and setteth foorth before our eyes that we beholding that paterne myght shape and frame our lyues as nigh as may be agreeable to the perfection of the same Folow you me sayth S. Paul as I folowe Christe And saint John in his Epistle sayth Who so abydeth in Christe must walke euen so as he walked before hym And where shall we learne the order of Christes lyfe but in the scripture Another woulde haue a medicine to heale all diseases and maladies of the minde Can this be found or gotten other where then out of Gods owne booke his sacred scriptures Christe taught so muche when he sayde to the obstinate Jewes Search the scriptures for in them ye thynke to haue eternall lyfe If the scriptures conteyne in them euerlastyng lyfe it must nedes folow that they haue also present remedie agaynst all that is an hinderaunce and let vnto eternall lyfe If we desire the knowledge of heauenly wysedome why had we rather learne the same of man then of God hym selfe who as saint James sayth is the geuer of wysedome Yea why wyl we not learne it at Christes owne mouth who promising to be present with his Churche tyll the worldes ende doth perfourme his promise in that he is not only with vs by his grace and tender pitie but also in this that he speaketh presently vnto vs in the holy scriptures to the great and endlesse comfort of all them that haue any feelyng of God at all in them Yea he speaketh nowe in the scriptures more profitably to vs then he dyd by worde of mouth to the carnall Jewes when he liued with them here vpon earth For they I meane the Jewes coulde neyther heare nor see those thynges whiche we may nowe both heare and see if we wyll bryng with vs those eares and eyes that Christe is hearde and seene with that is diligence to heare and reade his holy scriptures and true fayth to beleue his most comfortable promises If one could shewe but the printe of Christes foote a great number I thynke would fal downe and worship it But to the holy scriptures where we may see daily yf we wyll I wyll not say the print of his feete onlye but the whole shape and liuely image of hym alas we geue litle reuerence or none at all If any coulde let vs see Christes coate a sorte of vs woulde make hard shift except we mought come nygh to gase vppon it yea and kysse it to And yet all the clothes that euer he dyd weare can nothyng so truely nor so liuely expresse hym vnto vs as do the scriptures Christes images made in wood stone or mettall some men for the loue they beare to Christe do garnishe and beautifie the same with pearle golde and pretious stone And shoulde we not good brethren muche rather imbrace and reuerence Gods holy bookes the sacred bible whiche do represent Christ vnto vs more truely then can any image The image can but expresse the fourme or shape of his body if it can do so muche But the scripture doth in such sort set foorth Christe that we may see both God and man we may see hym I say speakyng vnto vs healyng our infirmities diyng for our sinnes rysing from death for our iustification And to be short we may in the scriptures so perfectly see whole Christ with the eye of fayth as we lacking fayth coulde not with these bodily eyes see hym though he stoode now present here before vs Let euery man woman and chylde therefore with all their hearte thirst and desyre gods holy scriptures loue them embrace them haue their delight and pleasure in hearing and readyng them so as at length we may be transfourmed and chaunged into them For the holy scriptures are Gods treasure house wherein are found al thynges needefull for vs to see to heare to learne and to beleue necessarie for the attaynyng of eternall lyfe Thus muche is spoken onely to geue you a taste of some of the commodities whiche ye maye take by hearing reading the holy scriptures For as I said in the beginning no tongue is able to declare and vtter all And although it is more cleare then the noone day that to be ignorant of the scriptures is the cause of errour as Christe sayth to the Saducees Ye erre not knowing the scriptures and that errour doth holde backe plucke men away from the knowledge of god And as saint Hierome sayth Not to know the scriptures is to be ignoraunt of christ Yet this notwithstandyng some there be that thynke it not meete for all sortes of men to reade the scriptures because they are as they thynke in sundry places stumblyng blockes to the vnlearned Fyrst for that the phrase of the scriptures is somtyme so homlye grosse and playne that it offendeth the fine and delicate wittes of some courtiers Furthermore for that the scripture also reporteth euen of them that haue their commendation to be the children of God that they did diuers actes wherof some are contrary to the lawe of nature some repugnaunt to the law wrytten and other some seeme to fight manifestly agaynst publique honestie All whiche thynges say they are vnto the simple an occasion of great offence and cause many to thynke euyl of the Scriptures and to discredite their aucthoritie Some are offended at the hearyng and readyng of the diuersitie of the rites and ceremonies of the sacrifices and oblations of the lawe And some worldly witted men thynke it a great decay to the quiet and prudent gouerning of their common weales to geue eare to the simple and plaine rules and preceptes of our sauiour Christe in his Gospell as beyng offended that a man shoulde be redy to turne his right eare to hym that strake hym on the lefte and to hym whiche woulde take away his coate to offer hym also his cloke with suche other sayinges of perfection in Christes meanyng For carnal reason beyng alway an enemie to God and not perceauing the thynges of Gods spirite doth abhorre suche preceptes whiche yet rightly vnderstanded infringeth no iudiciall policies nor Christian mens gouernementes And some there be whiche hearyng the scriptures to bid vs to lyue without 〈◊〉 without studie or forecasting do deride tâ—e 〈…〉 ities of them Therefore to remoue and put away occasions of offence so muche as may be I wyll aunswere orderly to these obiections Firste I shall rehearse some of those places that men are offended at for the homelynes and grossenesse of speach and wil shewe the meanyng of them In the booke of Deuteronomie it is wrytten that almyghtie God made a lawe yf a man dyed without
as of the dead to geue reward to the good and iudgement to the euill That these linkes therefore of our faith should al hang together in stedfast establishment and confirmation it pleased our Sauiour not straight way to withdrawe himselfe from the bodyly presence sight of his disciples but he chose out-â—l-dayes wherein he woulde declare vnto them by manifold most strong argumentes and tokens that he had conquered death and that he was also truely risen againe to life He began saith Luke at Moyses and al the prophetes and expounded vnto them the prophesies that were written in all the scriptures of him to thintent to confirme the trueth of his resurrection long before spoken of whiche he verified in deede as it is declared very apparauntly and manifestlye by his oft appearaunce to sundry personnes at sundry times First he sent his angels to the sepulchre who dyd shewe vnto certayne women the emptie graue sauing that the buriall linnen remayned therein And by these signes were these women fully instructed that he was rysen agayne so dyd they testifie it openly After this Jesus himselfe appeared to Marie Magdalen after that to certayne other women and straight afterwarde he appeared to Peter then to the two disciples whiche were goyng to Emaus He appeared to the disciples also as they were gathered together for feare of the Jewes the doores shut At another tyme he was seene at the sea of Tiberias of Peter and Thomas of other disciples when they were fishyng He was seene of more then fiue hundred brethren in the mount of Galilee where Jesus appoynted them to be by his angell when he sayde Behold he shal go before you into Galilee there shall ye see hym as he hath sayde vnto you After this he appeared vnto James and last of all he was visibly seene of all the Apostles at suche tyme as he was taken vp into heauen â–ª Thus at sundry tymes he shewed hymselfe after he was rysen agayne to confyrme and stablish this article And in these reuelations somtime he shewed them his handes his feete and his side and bad them touch him that they shoulde not take hym for a ghost or a spirite Somtyme he also dyd eate with them but euer he was talkyng with them of the euerlastyng kyngdome of God to assure the trueth of his resurrection For then he opened their vnderstandyng that they myght perceaue the scriptures sayde vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer to rise from death the third day and that ther should be preached openly in his name penaunce and remission of sinnes to all the nations of the worlde Ye see good Christian people howe necessarie this article of our fayth is seeing it was proued of Christe him selfe by suche euident reasons and tokens by so long time and space Nowe therefore as our sauiour was diligent for our comfort and instruction to declare it so let vs be as redy in our beleefe to receaue it to our comfort instruction As he dyed not for him selfe no more dyd he ryse agayne for hym selfe He was dead saith Saint Paul for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification O moste comfortable worde euermore to be borne in remembrance He dyed saith he to put away sinne he arose agayne to endowe vs with righteousnes His death tooke away sin maledictioÌ„ his death was the rauÌ„some of them both his death destroyed death ouercame the deuill which had the power of death in his subiection his death destroyed hell with all the damnation therof Thus is death swallowed vp by Christes victorie thus is hell spoyled for euer If any man doubt of this victorie let Christes glorious resurrection declare hym the thyng If death coulde not kepe Christ vnder his dominion and power but that he arose agayne it is manifest that his power was ouercome If death be conquered then muste it folowe that sinne wherefore death was appoynted as the wages muste be also destroyed If death sinne be vanished away then is the deuilles tyranny vanished whiche had the power of death and was the aucthour brewer of sin and the ruler of hell If Christ had the victorie of them all by the power of his death and openly proued it by his most victorious and valiaunt resurrection as it was not possible for his great myght to be subdued of them and then this true that Christ died for our synnes and rose agayne for our iustification Whye may not we that be his members by true fayth reioyce and boldly say with the prophete Osee and the Apostle Paul Where is thy darte O death where is thy victorie O hell Thankes be vnto God say they whiche hath geuen vs the victorie by our Lorde Christe Jesus This mightie conquest of his resurrection was not onlye signified before by diuers figures of the olde Testament as by Sampson when he slewe the Lion out of whose mouth came sweetenes and hony and as Dauid bare his figure when he deliuered the lambe out of the Lions mouth and when he ouercame and slew the great gyaunt Goliath and as when Jonas was swallâ—wed vp of the Whales mouth and cast vp agayne on lande alyue but was also moste clearely prophesied by the prophetes of the olde Testament and in the newe also confyrmed by the apostles He hath spoyled saith saint Paul rule and power and all the dominion of our spirituall enemies He hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his owne person This is the myghtie power of the Lorde whom we beleue on By his death hath he wrought for vs this victorie and by his resurrection hath he purchased euerlastyng lyfe and righteousnesse for vs It has not ben enough to be delyuered by his death from synne excepte by his resurrection we had ben endowed with ryghteousnes And it shoulde not auayle vs to be delyuered from death except he had rysen againe to open for vs the gates of heauen to enter into lyfe euerlastyng And therefore saint Peter thanketh God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ for his aboundaunt mercie because he hath begotten vs sayth he vnto a lyuely hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christe from death to enioy an inheritaunce immortall that neuer shall perish which is layd vp in heauen for them that be kept by the power of God through fayth Thus hath his resurrection wrought for vs life righteousnes He passed through death and hell to the intent to put vs in good hope that by his strength we shall do the same He payde the raunsome of synne that it shoulde not be layde to our charge He destroyed the deuill and all his tyrannye and openly triumphed ouer hym tooke away from hym all his captiues and hath raysed and sette them with himselfe amongst the heauenly Citezins aboue He dyed to destroy the rule of the deuill in
the Lorde Which one benefite among all other is so great wonderfull that neyther tongue can well expresse it neither heart thinke it much lesse geue sufficient thankes to god for it But here is a great controuersie betwene vs and the Jewes whether the same Jesus which was borne of the virgin Marie be the true Messias and true sauiour of the worlde so long promised prophesied of before They as they are and haue ben alwayes proude stiffe necked woulde neuer acknowledge hym vntil this day but haue loked and gaped for another to come They haue this fond imagination in their heades that Messias shall come not as Christ did like a poore pilgrime and simple soule rydyng vppon an Asse But lyke a baliaunt and mightie king in great royaltie honour Not as Christ did with a fewe fishermen and men of small estimation in the world but with a great armie of strong men with a great traine of wyse noble mē as knightes Lords Earles Dukes Princes so foorth Neither do they thinke that their Messias shal slaunderously suffer death as Christ dyd but that he shall stoutly conquer and manfully subdue al his enemies and finallie obtayne such a kingdome on earth as neuer was seene from the beginning While they faigne vnto them selues after this sort a Messias of theyr owne brayne they deceaue them selues and accompt Christe as an abiect foole of the worlde Therefore Christ crucified as saint Paul sayth is vnto the Jewes a stumbling blocke and to the Gentiles foolishnes because they thinke it an absurde thing and contrary to all reason that a redemer and sauiour of the whole world should be handled after suche a sort as he was namelye scorned reuiled scourged condempned and last of al cruelly hanged This I say seemed in their eyes straunge and most absurde and therefore neyther they would at that tyme neyther wyll they as yet acknowledge Christe to be theyr Messias and sauiour But we dearely beloued that hope loke to be saued must both stedfastly beleue and also boldly confesse that the same Jesus which was borne of the virgin Marie was the true Messias and mediatour betweene God and man promised and prophecied of so long before For as the Apostle writeth With the heart man beleueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made vnto saluatiō Againe in the same place Whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall neuer be ashamed nor confounded Wherto agreeth also the testimonie of saint John written in the fourth Chapter of his first generall Epistle on this wyse Whosoeuer confesseth that Jesus is the sonne of God he dwelleth in God and God in hym There is no doubt but in this poynt all Christian men are fully and perfectly perswaded Yet shal it not be a lost labour to instruct and furnish you with a fewe places concerning this matter that ye maye be able to stoppe the blasphemous mouthes of all them that moste Jewishely or rather diuelishly shall at any time go about to teache or maintaine the contrary First ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of the angel Gabriel declared aswel to Zacharie the high priest as also to the blessed virgin Secondly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of John the Baptist poynting vnto Christe and saying Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde Thirdly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of God the father who thundred from heauen and sayde This is my dearelye beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Fourthly ye haue the witnesse and testimonie of the holye ghost whiche came downe frō heauen in maner of a white doue and lighted vpon him in time of his baptisme To these myght be added a great number more namely the witnesse testimonie of the wise men that came to Herode the witnes and testimonie of Simeon and Anna the witnesse and testimonie of Andrew and Philip Nathanael and Peter Nicodemus and Martha with diuers other But it were to long to repeate all and a fewe places are sufficient in so plaine a matter specially among them that are alredye perswaded Therfore if the priuie impes of amechriste and craftie instrumentes of the deuil shal attempt or go about to withdrawe you frō this true Messias and perswade you to loke for another that is not yet come let thē not in any case seduce you but cōfirme your selues with these such other testimonies of holy scripture whiche are so sure certaine that all the deuils in hell shal neuer be able to withstand them For as truelye as God liueth so truelye was Jesus Christe the true messias and sauiour of the worlde euen the same Jesus which as this day was borne of the virgin Marie without all helpe of man only by the power and operation of the holy ghost Concerning whose nature and substaunce because diuers sundry heresies are rysen in these our dayes through the motion and suggestion of Satan therefore it shal be needefull profitable for your instruction to speake a worde or two also of this parte We are euidently taught in the scripture that our Lord and sauiour Christ consisteth of two seuerall natures of his manhood being thereby perfect man and of his Godhead being thereby perfect god It is written The worde that is to say the seconde person in Trinitie became fleshe GOD sendyng his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe fulfilled those thinges which the lawe coulde not Christ being in fourme of God toke on him the fourme of a seruaunt was made like vnto man beyng founde in shape as a man GOD was shewed in fleshe iustified in spirite seene of angels preached to the Gentiles beleued on in the world and receaued vp in glorye Also in another place There is one God and one mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe These be plaine places for the profe and declaration of both natures vnited and knitte together in one Christe Let vs diligently consyder and waygh the workes that he dyd whiles he lyued on earth and we shall thereby also perceaue the selfe same thing to be most true In that he did hunger and thirst eate and drinke sleepe and wake in that he preached his Gospell to the people in that he wept and sorowed for Hierusalem in that he payde tribute for him selfe and Peter in that he dyed and suffered death what other thing dyd he els declare but onlye this that he was perfect man as we are For whiche cause he is called in holye scripture sometyme the sonne of Dauid sometime the sonne of man sometime the sonne of Marie sometime the sonne of Joseph and so foorthe Nowe in that he forgaue sinnes in that he wrought myracles in that he dyd cast out deuils in that he healed men with his only worde in that he knewe the thoughtes of mens heartes in that he had the seas at his cōmaundement in that he walked on the water in that
auayle vs to haue in meditation the fruites and pryce of his passion to magnifie them and to delyght or trust to them except we haue in mynd his examples in passion to folowe them If we thus therefore consyder Christes death and will sticke thereto with fast fayth for the merite and deseruing thereof and will also frame our selfe in such wyse to bestowe our selues and all that we haue by charitie to the behoofe of our neyghbour as Christe spent him selfe whollye for our profite then do we truelye remember Christes death and being thus folowers of Christes steps we shal be sure to followe him thyther where he sitteth now with the father and the holye ghost to whom be all honour and glory Amen ¶ The seconde homilee concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Christ. THat we may the better conceaue the great mercy and goodnesse of our Sauiour Christ in suffering death vniuersally for all men it behoueth vs to descende into the bottome of our conscience deeply to consider the first and principall cause wherefore he was compelled so to do When our great graundfather Adam had broken Gods commaundement in eating the apple forbidden him in paradice at the motion and suggestion of his wyfe he purchased therby not onelye to him selfe but also to his posteritie for euer the iust wrath indignation of God who according to his former sentence pronoūced at the geuing of the cōmaundement condemned both him all his to euerlasting death both of body and soule For it was said vnto him Thou shalt eat frely of euery tree in the garden but as touching the tree of knowledge of good ill thou shalt in no wyse eat of it For in what houre soeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now as the Lorde had spoken so it came to passe Adam toke vppon him to eate thereof and in so doing he dyed the death that is to saye he became mortall he lost the fauour of God he was cast out of paradice he was no longer a citizen of heauen but a fyrebrand of hell and a bond slaue to the deuil To this doth our sauiour beare witnesse in the Gospell callyng vs loste sheepe which haue goue astray wandred from the true shephearde of our soules To this also doth saint Paule beare witnesse saying That by the offence of onely Adam death came vppon all men to condempnation So that no we neyther he nor any of his had any ryght or interest at all in the kyngdome of heauen but were become plaine reprobates and castawayes being perpetually dampned to the euerlasting paynes of hell tyre In this so great miserie and wretchednes if mankind could haue recouered him selfe againe and obtayned forgeuenes at Gods handes then had his case ben somwhat tollerable because he might haue attempted some way how to deliuer him selfe from eternall death But there was no way left vnto him he coulde do nothyng that might pacifie gods wrath he was altogether vnprofitable in that behalfe There was none that did good no not one And howe then coulde he worke his owne saluation Should he go about to pacifie gods heauie displeasure by offering vp brent sacrifices according as it was ordayned in the olde lawe by offering vp the blood of Oxen the blood of calues the blood of goates the blood of lambes and so foorth O these thinges were of no force nor strēgth to take away sinnes they could not put away the anger of God they could not coole the heate of his wrath nor yet bryng mankynd into fauour againe they were but only sigures and shadowes of things to come and nothing els Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues there shall you find this matter largely discussed there shal you learne in most plaine wordes that the blooddy sacrifice of the olde lawe was vnperfect and not able to deliuer man from the state of dampnation by any meanes so that mankind in trusting thereunto shoulde trust to a broken staffe and in the ende deceaue him selfe What should he then do Shoulde he go about to obserue and kepe the lawe of God diuided into two tables so purchase to him selfe eternall life In deede if Adam and his posteritie had ben able to satisfie and fulfill the lawe perfectly in louyng God aboue all thinges and their neyghbour as them selues then shoulde they haue easily quenched the Lordes wrath and escaped the terrible sentence of eternall death pronounced agaynst them by the mouth of almightie god For it is written Do this thou shalt liue that is to say fulfill my commaundementes kepe thy selfe vpright and perfect in them accordyng to my wyll then shalt thou liue and not dye Here is eternal lyse promised with this condition so that they kepe and obserue the lawe But suche was the frailtie of mankinde after his fall suche was his weakenes imbecilitie that he could not walke vpryghtly in Gods commaundementes though he woulde neuer so faine but dayly and hourely fell from his bounden duetie offending the Lord his God diuers wayes to the great encrease of his condempnation insomuch that the prophete Dauid cryeth out on this wyse All haue gone astray all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one In this case what profite coulde he haue by the lawe None at all For as saint James sayth He that shall obserue the whole lawe and yet faileth in one poynt is become giltie of all And in the booke of Deuteronomie it is written Cursed be he sayth God which abydeth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe to do them Behold the lawe bringeth a curse with it and maketh vs giltie not because it is of it self naught or vnholy God forbid we shoulde so thinke but because the frailtie of our sinfull fleshe is such that we can neuer fulfill it accordyng to the perfection that the Lorde requireth Coulde Adam then thinke you hope or trust to be saued by the law No he could not But the more he looked on the law the more he sawe his owne dampnation set before his eyes as it were in a most cleare glasse So that now of him selfe he was most wretched and miserable destitute of all hope neuer able to pacifie Gods heauie displeasure nor yet to escape the terrible iudgement of God wherinto he and all his posteritie were fallen by disobeying the straight commaundement of the Lorde theyr god But O the aboundaunt ryches of Gods great mercie O the vnspeakable goodnes of his heauenly wysoome When all hope of righteousnes was past on our part when we had nothing in our selues whereby we myght quenche his burning wrath worke the saluation of our owne soules and rise out of the miserable estate wherin we lay Then euen then dyd Christ the sonne of God by the appoyntment of his father come downe frō heauen to be wounded for our sakes to be reputed with the wicked
that they be called Gods But it is not possible that anye should by worshypping of images get any knowledge of God. Athanasius in his booke agaynst the Gentiles hath these wordes Let them tell I pray you how God maye be knowen by an image If it be by the matter of an image then there needeth no shape or fourme seeyng that God hath appeared in all materiall creatures whiche do testifie his glorye Nowe if they say he is knowen by the fourme or fashion is he not better to be knowen by the lyuyng thynges themselues whose fashions the images expresse For of suretie the glorye of God shoulde be more euidentlye knowen if it were declared by reasonable and lyuyng creatures rather then by dead and vnmoueable images Therefore when ye do graue or paynte images to the ende to knowe God thereby surelye ye do an vnworthye and vnfitte thyng And in an other place of the same booke he sayth The inuention of images came of no good but of euil and whatsoeuer hath an euyll begynnyng can neuer in any thyng be iudged good seeyng it is altogether naught Thus far Athanasius a very auncient holy and learned Byshop and Doctor who iudgeth both the first beginnyng the end and altogether of images or idols to be naught Lactantius likewise an old and learned wryter in his booke of the Origine of errour hath these words God is aboue man and is not placed beneath but is to be sought in the hyghest region Wherfore there is no doubt but that no religion is in that place wheresoeuer any image is For if religion stande in godly thinges and there is no godlynesse but in heauenly thynges then be images without religion These be Lactantius wordes who was aboue xiii hundreth yeres ago and within three hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe Cirillus an olde holy doctour vpon the Gospell of Saint Iohn hath these wordes Many haue left the creatour and haue worshypped the creature neyther haue they ben abashed to say vnto a stocke thou art my father vnto a stone thou begottest me For many yea almost all alas for sorowe are fallen vnto suche folly that they haue geuen the glorie of deitie or God head to thinges without sense or feelyng Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cipres a verye holye and learned man who lyued in Theodosius the Emperours tyme about three hundreth and ninetie yeres after our Sauiour Christes ascention writeth this to Iohn Patriarke of Hierusalem I entred sayth Epiphanius into a certayne Churche to pray I founde there a lynnen cloth hangyng in the Churche doore paynted and hauyng in it the image of Christe as it were or of some other Saint for I remember not well whose image it was therefore when I did see the image of a man hanging in the Churche of Christ contrary to thauethoritie of the scriptures I did teare it and gaue councell to the kepers of the Churche that they shoulde winde a poore man that was dead in the sayde cloth and so bury hym And afterwardes the same Epiphanius sendyng another vnpaynted cloth for that paynted one whiche he had torne to the sayde Patriarche wryteth thus I pray you wyll the elders of that place to receaue this clothe whiche I haue sent by this bearer and commaunde them that from hencefoorth no suche paynted clothes contrary to our religion be hanged in the Churche of Christe For it becommeth your goodnes rather to haue this care that you take away such scrupulositie which is vnsitting for the Churche of Christe and offensiue to the people committed to your charge And this Epistle as worthy to be read of many dyd saint Ierome hym selfe translate into the Latine tongue And that ye may knowe that saint Ierome had this holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius in most high estimation and therfore dyd translate this Epistle as a wrytyng of aucthoritie heare what a testimonie the sayde saint Ierome geueth him in another place in this treatie agaynst the errours of Iohn Byshop of Hierusalem where he hath these wordes Thou hast sayth saint Jerome Pope Epiphanius whiche doth openlye in his letters call thee an Ieritike Surely thou art not to be preferred before hym neyther for age nor learnyng nor godlynesse of lyfe nor by the testimonie of the whole worlde And shortlye after in the same treatie sayth Saint Jerome Bishop Epiphanius was euer of so great veneration and estimation that Valens the Emperour who was a great persecutour dyd not once touche hym For heritikes beyng princes thought it theyr shame yf they shoulde persecute suche a notable man And in the trypartite ecclesiasticall hystorie the. ix booke and xlviii Chapter is testified that Epiphanius beyng yet alyue dyd worke miracles and that after his death deuils being expelled at his graue or tombe dyd rore Thus you see what aucthoritie saint Ierome and that moste auncient hystorie geue vnto the holy and learned Byshop Epiphanius whose iudgement of images in Churches and temples then begynnyng by stealth to creepe in is worthy to be noted First he iudged it contrary to Christian religion and the aucthoritie of the scriptures to haue any images in Christes Churche Secondly he reiected not only carued grauen and moulten images but also painted images out of Christes Churche Thirdly that he regarded not whether it were the image of Christe or of any other saint but beyng an image woulde not suffer it in the Churche Fourthlye that he dyd not onlye remoue it out of the Churche but with a vehement zeale tare it a sunder and exhorted that a corse shoulde be wrapped and buryed in it iudgyng it meete for nothyng but to rotte in the earth folowyng herein the example of the good kyng Ezechias who brake the brasen serpent to peeces and burned it to ashes for that idolatrie was committed to it Last of al that Epiphanius thinketh it the duetie of vigilant Byshoppes to be carefull that no images be permitted in the Churche for that they be occasion of scruple and offence to the people committed to theyr charge Nowe wheras neyther saint Hierome who did translate the sayde Epistle nor the aucthours of that most auncient historie ecclesiasticall trypartite who do most highly commende Epiphanius as is aforesaid nor no other godly or learned Bishop at that time or shortly after haue wrytten any thing against Epiphanius iudgement concerning images it is an euident profe that in those dayes whiche were about foure hundreth yeres after our sauiour Christe there were no images publiquely vsed and receaued in the Churche of Christe whiche was then muche lesse corrupt more pure then nowe it is And where as images began at that tyme secretelye and by stealth to creepe out of priuate mens houses into the Churches and that firste in paynted clothes and walles such Byshops as were godlye and vigilante when they espied them remoued them away as vnlawfull contrary to Christian religion as dyd here Epiphanius to whose iudgement you haue not onlye Saint
made without faith in hym on whom they call but that we must first beleeue in hym before we can make our prayers vnto hym whereuppon we must only and solely pray vnto god For to say that we shoulde beleeue eyther in angell or saint or in any other liuing creature were more horrible blasphemie against God and his holy worde neither ought this fancie to enter into the heart of any Christian man because we are expressly taught in the worde of the Lorde only to repose our fayth in the blessed trinitie in whose only name we are also baptized according to the expresse commaundement of our sauiour Jesus Christe in the last of Matthewe But that the trueth hereof may the better appeare euen to them that be moste simple and vnlearned let vs consider what prayer is Saint Augustine calleth it a liftyng vp of the mynde to God that is to say an humble and lowly powring out of the heart to god Isidorus sayth that it is an affection of the heart and not alabour of the lippes So that by these places true prayer doth consist not so muche in the outward sounde and voyce of wordes as in the inwarde gronyng and crying of the heart to God. Nowe then is there any angell any virgin any patriarche or prophete among the dead that can vnderstand or knowe the meanyng of the heart The scriptures sayth it is God that searcheth the heart and raynes and that he only knoweth the heartes of the chyldren of men As for the saintes they haue so litle knowledge of the secretes of the heart that many of the auncient fathers greatly doubt whether they knowe any thing at al that is commonly done on earth And albeit some thynke they do yet saint Augustine a Doctour of great aucthoritie and also antiquitie hath this opinion of them that they knowe no more what we do on earth then we know what they do in heauen For proofe wherof he alleageth the wordes of Esai the prophete where it is sayde Abraham is ignoraunt of vs and Israel knoweth vs not His mynde therefore is this not that we shoulde put any religion in worshyppyng them or praying vnto them but that we shoulde honour them by folowyng their vertuous and godly lyfe For as he witnesseth in an other place the martyrs and holy men in tymes past were wont after their death to be remembred and named of the prieste at diuine seruice but neuer to be inuocated or called vpon And why so because the prieste sayth he is Gods priest and not theirs Whereby he is bounde to call vpon God and not vpon them Thus you see that the aucthoritie both of scripture and also of Augustine doth not permit that we should pray vnto them O that al men would studiously reade and searche the scriptures then shoulde they not be drowned in ignoraunce but shoulde easily perceaue the trueth aswell of this poynt of doctrine as of all the rest For there doth the holy ghost playnely teache vs that Christe is our only mediatour and intercessour with God and that we muste seeke and runne to no other If any man sinneth saith saint John we haue an aduocate with the father Jesus Christe the ryghteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Saint Paul also sayth There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe Whereunto agreeth the testimonie of our sauiour hym selfe witnessing that no man commeth to the father but onely by hym who is the way the trueth the life yea and the only dore whereby we muste enter into the kingdome of heauen because GOD is pleased in no other but in hym For whiche cause also he cryeth and calleth vnto vs that we shoulde come vnto hym saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and be heauie laden and I shall refreshe you Woulde Christe haue vs so necessarily come vnto hym and shall we moste vnthankfully leaue hym and runne vnto other This is euen that whiche God so greatly complayneth of by his prophet Ieremie saying My people haue committed two great offences they haue forsaken me the fountaine of the waters of lyfe and haue digged to them selues broken pits that can holde no water Is not that man thinke you vnwyse that wyll runne for water to a litle brooke when he may aswell go to the head spryng Euen so may his wisedome be iustly susspected that wyll flee vnto saintes in tyme of necessitie when he may boldly and without feare declare his greefe and direct his prayer vnto the Lorde himselfe If God were straunge or daungerous to be talked withall then myght we iustly drawe backe and seeke to some other But the Lorde is nygh vnto them that call vppon hym in fayth and trueth and the prayer of the humble and meeke hath alwayes pleased hym What if we be sinners shall we not therefore pray vnto God or shall we dispayre to obteyne any thyng at his handes Why dyd Christe then teache vs to aske forgeuenesse of our sinnes saying And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse agaynst vs Shall we thynke that the saintes are more mercifull in hearing sinners then God Dauid sayth that the Lorde is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kyndnesse Saint Paul sayth that he is riche in mercy towardes all them that call vppon hym And he hymselfe by the mouth of his prophet Esai sayth For a litle while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion wyll I gather thee For a moment in myne anger I haue hid my face from thee but with euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion vpon thee Therefore the sinnes of any man ought not to withholde hym from praying vnto the Lorde his god But if he be truely penitent and stedfast in fayth let him assure him selfe that the Lorde wylbe mercifull vnto hym and heare his prayers O but I dare not wyll some man say trouble God at all times with my prayers We see that in kinges houses courtes of princes men can not be admitted vnlesse they fyrst vse the helpe and meane of some speciall noble man to come vnto the speache of the kyng and to obtayne the thing that they woulde haue To this reason doth saint Ambrose aunswere verye well writing vppon the first Chapter to the Romanes Therefore sayth he we vse to go vnto the king by officers and noble men because the kyng is a mortall man and knoweth not to whom he maye commit the gouernment of the common wealth But to haue God our frende from whom nothing is hid we nede not any helper that should further vs with his good worde but only a deuoute and godlye minde And yf it be so that we neede one to entreate for vs why maye we not content our selues with that one mediatour whiche is at the ryght hande of God the father and there
errour of Purgatorie out of our heades neyther let vs dreame anye more that the soules of the dead are any thing at all holpen by our prayers But as the scripture teacheth vs let vs thinke that the soule of man passing out of the body goeth straightwayes eyther to heauen or els to hell whereof the one nedeth no prayer and the other is without redemption The onlye Purgatorie wherein we must trust to be saued is the death and blood of Christe which if we apprehend with a true and stedfast fayth it purgeth and clenseth vs from all our sinnes euen as well as if he were now hanging vpon the crosse The blood of Christe sayth saint John hath clensed vs from all sinne The blood of Christe sayth saint Paul hath purged our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing god Also in another place he sayth We be sanctified and made holy by the offering vp of the body of Jesus Christe done once for all Yea he addeth more saying With the one oblation of his blessed body pretious blood he hath made perfect for euer and euer all them that are sanctified This then is that Purgatorie wherein all Christian men must put their whole truste and confidence nothing doubting but yf they truely repent them of their sinnes and dye in perfecte fayth that then they shall foorth with passe from death to life If this kinde of purgation wyll not serue them let them neuer hope to be releassed by other mens prayers though they shoulde continue therein vnto the worldes ende He that can not be saued by fayth in Christes blood howe shall he loke to be deliuered by mans intercessions Hath God more respect to man on earth then he hath to Christe in heauen If any man sinne sayth saint John we haue an aduocate with the father euen Jesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes But we must take heede that we call vpon this aduocate whyle we haue space geuen vs in this life lest when we are once dead there be no hope of saluation left vnto vs For as euery man sleepeth with his owne cause so euerye man shall ryse agayne with his owne cause And looke in what state he dyeth in the same state he shal be also iudged whether it be to saluation or dampnation Let vs not therfore dreame either of purgatorie or of prayer for the soules of them that be dead but let vs earnestly diligently praye for them whiche are expresly commaunded in holye scripture namely for kinges and rulers for ministers of Gods holy worde and sacramentes for the saintes of this worlde otherwyse called the faithfull to be short for all men liuing be they neuer so great enemies to god and his people as Jewes Turkes Pagans Infidels Heretikes c. Then shall we truely fulfill the commaundement of God in that behalfe plainely declare our selues to be the true children of our heauenly father which suffreth the sunne to shine vpon the good and the bad and the rayne to fall vpon the iust and the vniust For whiche and al other benefites moste aboundauntlye bestowed vppon mankynde from the beginning let vs geue him hearty thankes as we are most bound prayse his name for euer and euer Amen ⧠An Homilee of the place and tyme of prayer GOD through his almighty power wisedome and goodnes created in the beginning heauen earth the Sunne the Moone the starres the fowles of the ayre the beastes of the earth the fishes in the sea and all other creatures for the vse commoditie of man whom also he had created to his owne image and likenesse and geuen him the vse gouernement ouer them al to the end he shoulde vse them in suche sort as he had geuen him in charge commaundement also that he should declare him selfe thankful and kynde for al those benefites so liberally so graciously bestowed vpon him vtterly without anye deseruing on his behalf And although we ought at al times in al places to haue in remēbrance to be thankful to our gracious Lord according as it is written I wil magnifie the lord at al times And agayne Wheresoeuer the lord beareth rule O my soule prayse the Lord Yet it appeareth to be Gods good wil and pleasure that we shoulde at special times and in special places gather our selues together to the intent his name might be renowmed and his glory set forth in the congregation and assembly of his saintes As concerning the tyme whiche almightie God hath appoynted his people to assemble together solemly it doth appeare by the fourth commaundement of God Remember saith God that thou kepe holye the Sabbath day Upon the which day as is playne in the actes of the Apostles the people accustomablye resorted together hearde diligently the lawe and the prophetes read among them And albeit this commaundement of God doeth not bynde christian people so straytlye to obserue and keepe the vtter ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it was geuen vnto the Jewes as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in tyme of great necessitie and as touching the precise keeping of the seuenth day after the manner of the Jewes For we keepe now the first day which is our sunday and make that our sabbath that is our day of rest in the honor of our sauiour christ who as vpon that daye rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoeuer is found in the commaundement apparteyning to the lawe of nature as a thyng most godlye moste iuste and needeful for the setting forth of Gods glorie it ought to be retayned and kept of all good Christian people And therfore by this commaundemēt we ought to haue a tyme as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and nedefull workes For like as it appeareth by this commaundement that no man in the syxe dayes ought to be slouthfull or ydle but diligentlye to labour in that state wherein God hath set him Euen so God hath geuen expresse charge to all men that vpon the sabbath day which is now our sunday they should ceasse from all weaklye and workeday labour to the entent that lyke as God him selfe wrought sixe dayes and rested the seuenth and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quyetnes and rest from labour euen so Gods obedient people shoulde vse the sundaye holyly and rest from their comon and daily businesse and also geue them selues whollye to heauenly exercises of Gods true religion and seruice So that God doth not onely commaunde the obseruation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and prouoke vs to the diligent keeping of the same Good natural children wil not onelye become obedient to the commaundemēt of their parents but also haue a diligent eye to their doings and gladly folow the same So if we wil be the children of our heauenly father we
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
We can none otherwyse liue to God but by dying to sinne If Christ be in vs then is sinne dead in vs and if the spirit of God be in vs which raysed Christ from death to lyfe so shall the same spirite rayse vs to the resurrection of euerlasting lyfe But if sinne rule and raigne vs then is God whiche is the fountaine of all grace and vertue departed from vs then hath the deuill his vngratious spirit rule and dominion in vs And surelye if in suche miserable â—iate we dye we shall not ryse to lyfe but fall downe to death dampnation that without ende For Christe hath not so redeemed vs from synne that we may safely returne therto agayne but he hath redeemed vs that we should forsake the motions thereof liue to righteousnes Yea we be therfore washed in our baptisme from the filthynes of sinne that we should liue afterwarde in the purenesse of lyfe In baptisme we promised to renounce the deuill and his suggestions we promised to be as obedient chyldren alwayes following Gods will pleasure Then if he be our father in deede let vs geue him his due honour If we be his children let vs shew him our obedience like as Christ openly declared his obedience to his father which as saint Paul wryteth was obedient euen to the verye death the death of the crosse And this he did for vs all that beleue in him For him selfe he was not punished for he was pure and vndefiled of al maner of sinne He was wounded saith Esai for our wickednes and striped for our sinnes he suffred the penaltie of them him selfe to deliuer vs from daunger he bare sayth Esai al our sores and infirmities vpon his owne backe No payne did he refuse to suffer in his owne body that he myght deliuer vs from payne euerlasting His pleasure it was thus to do for vs we deserued it not Wherfore the more we see our selues bound vnto him the more he ought to be thanked of vs yea and the more hope may we take that we shall receaue all other good thinges of his hand in that we haue receaued the gifte of his onelye sonne through his liberalitie For if God sayth Saint Paul hath not spared his owne soÌ„ne from paine and punishment but deliuered him for vs all vnto the death how should he not geue vs all other thinges with him If we wante any thing eyther for body or soule we may lawfully and boldlye approche to God as to our mercifull father to aske that we desyre and we shall obtaine it For such power is geuen to vs to be the children of God so many as beleue in Christes name In his name whatsoeuer we aske we shall haue it graunted vs For so well pleased is the father almighty God with Christ his sonne that for his sake he fauoureth vs and will denye vs nothyng So pleasant was this sacrifice and oblation of his sonnes death which he so obediently and innocently suffred that he would take it for the onelye and full amendes for all the sinnes of the worlde And such fauour did he purchase by his death of his heauenly father for vs that for the merite thereof if we be true Christians in deede and not in worde onely we be now fullye in Gods grace agayne and clearelye discharged from our sinne No tongue surelye is able to expresse the worthines of this so precious a death For in this standeth the continual pardon of our daylye offences in this resteth our iustification in this we be allowed in this is purchased the euerlasting health of al our soules Yea there is none other thing that can be named vnder heauen to saue our soules but this onelye worke of Christes precious offering of his body vppon the aulter of the crosse Certes there can be no worke of any mortall man be he neuer so holy that shal be coupled in merites with Christes moste holye act For no doubt all our thoughtes and deedes were of no value if they were not allowed in the merites of Christes death All our ryghteousnes is far vnperfect if it be compared with Christes ryghteousnes For in his actes and deedes there was no spot of sinne or of any vnperfectnes And for this cause they were the more able to be the true amendes of our vnryghteousnes where our actes and deedes be ful of imperfection and infirmities therfore nothing worthy of them selues to stirre God to anye fauour muche lesse to chalenge the glory that is due to Christes acte merite For not to vs sayeth Dauid not to vs but to thy name geue the glory O lord Let vs therfore good freends with al reuerence glorifie his name let vs magnifye and prayse him for euer For he hath dealt with vs according to his great mercy by himselfe hath he purchased our redemtion He thought it not enough to spare him selfe and to sende his Angel to do this deede but he would do it him selfe that he might do it the better and make it the more perfect redemption He was nothing moued with the intollerable paynes that he suffered in the whole course of his long passion to repent him thus to do good to his enemies but he opened his heart for vs and bestowed him selfe wholly for the raunsomming of vs Let vs therefore nowe open our heartes againe to him and studie in our lyues to be thankfull to such a Lorde and euermore to be myndefull of so great a benefite yea let vs take vp our crosse with Christe and folowe him His passion is not onely the raunsome whole amendes for our sinne but it is also a most perfect example of all patience and sufferaunce For if it behoued Christ thus to suffer to enter into the glorye of his father how should it not become vs to beare paciently our small crosses of aduersitie and the troubles of this world For surely as saith saynâ— Peter Christ therefore suffred to leaue vs an example to folow his steps And if we suffer with him we shall be sure also to raigne with him in heauen Not that the sufferaunce of this transitory lyfe should be worthy of that glory to come but gladly should we be contented to suffer to be lyke Christ in our lyfe that so by our workes we may glorifie our father which is in heauen And as it is paynefull and greuous to beare the crosse of Christe in the greefes and displeasures of this life so it bringeth forth the ioyfull fruit of hope in all theÌ„ that be exercised therewith Let vs not so much beholde the payne as the rewarde that shall follow that labour Nay let vs rather endeuour our selues in our sufferaunce to endure innocentlye and gyltlesse as our sauiour Christ did For if we suffer for our deseruinges then hath not patience his perfect worke in vs but if vndeseruinglye we suffer losse of goodes and lyfe
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
the daunger of your soules So nowe lyke obedient chyldren thus purified by fayth geue your selues to walk that way which God moueth you to that ye may receaue the end of your fayth the saluation of your soules And as ye haue geuen your bodyes to vnryghteousnes to synne after sin so now geue your selfe to ryghteousnes to be sanctified therein If ye delyght in this article of your fayth that Christ is rysen again from death to lyfe then folowe you the example of his resurrection as Saint Paul exhorteth vs saying As we be buried with Christ by our baptisme into death so let vs dayly dye to synne mortifiyng and kylling the euill desires and motions therof And as Christe was raysed vp from death by the glorye of the father so let vs ryse to a newe lyfe and walke continually therin that we may likewyse as naturall chyldren liue a conuersation to moue men to glorifie our father which is in heauen If we then be risen with Christ by our faith to the hope of euerlastyng lyfe let vs ryse also with Christe after his example to a newe lyfe and leaue our olde We shal then be truely rysen if we seeke for thynges that be heauenly if we haue our affection on things that be aboue and not on thynges that be on the earth If ye desyre to knowe what these earthly thynges be which ye shoulde put of and what be the heauenly thynges aboue that ye should seeke and ensue saint Paul in the Epistle to the Collossians declareth when he exhorteth vs thus Mortifie your earthly members and olde affections of synne as fornication vncleannesse vnnaturall luste euyll concupiscence and couetousnesse whiche is worshipping of idols for the whiche thinges the wrath of god is wont to fal on the children of vnbeleefe in which thinges once ye walked when ye liued in them But now put ye also away from you wrath fiercenes malitiousnes cursed speakyng filthie speaking out of your mouthes Lie not one to another that the olde man with his workes be put of and the newe be put on These be the earthly thinges whiche S. Paul moueth you to caste from you and to plucke your heartes from them For in folowing these ye declare your selues earthly and worldly These be the fruites of the earthly Adam These shoulde you daily kil by good diligence in withstandyng the desyres of them that ye might rise to righteousnesse Let your affection from henceforth be set on heauenly thinges sue and searche for mercie kyndnesse meekenes patience forbearing one another and forgeuyng one another If any man haue anye quarrell to another as Christe forgaue you euen so do ye If these and suche other heauenly vertues ye ensue in the residue of your lyfe ye shall shew playnely that ye be rysen with Christ that ye be the heauenly chyldren of your father in heauen from whom as from the geuer commeth these graces gyftes Ye shall proue by this maner that your conuersation is in heauen where your hope is and not on earth ▪ folowyng the beastly appetites of the fleshe Ye must consyder that ye be therefore cleansed renued that ye shoulde from hencefoorth serue God in holines righteousnesse al the dayes of your lyues that ye may raigne with them in euerlastyng lyfe If ye refuse so great grace whereto ye be called what other thing do ye then heape to you damnation more more and so prouoke God to caste his displeasure vnto you and to reuenge this mockage of his holy sacramentes in so great abusyng of them Apply your selues good freends to lyue in Christ that Christ may still liue in you whose fauour assistence if ye haue then haue ye euerlastyng life alredye within you then can nothyng hurt you Whatsoeuer is hitherto done cōmitted Christ ye se hath offered you pardon clearly receaued you to his fauour agayne in ful suretie wherof ye haue him now inhabiting and dwelling within you Only shew yourselues thankefull in your liues determine with your selues to refuse auoyde al such thinges in your conuersations as shoulde offend his eyes of mercy Endeuour your selues that way to rise vp agayne which way ye fell into the wel or pit of sin If by your tongue ye haue offended now therby rise agayne and glorifie God therewith accustome it to laude and prayse the name of God as ye haue there with dishonored it And as ye haue hurt the name of your neighbour or otherwise hindered hym so nowe intend to restore it to him agayne For without restitution God accepteth not your confession nor yet your repentaunce It is not enough to forsake euil except you set your courage to do good By what occasion soeuer you haue offended turne now the occasion to the honouring of God and profite of your neyghbour Trueth it is that synne is strong and affections vnrulye Hard it is to subdue and resist our nature so corrupt leauened with the sowre bitternes of the poyson whiche we receaued by the inheritaunce of our olde father Adam But yet take good courage sayth our sauiour Christe for I haue ouercome the worlde and all other enemies for you Synne shall not haue power ouer you for ye be now vnder grace saith saint Paul. Though your power be weake yet Christe is rysen agayne to strength you in your battayle his holy spirite shall helpe your infirmities In trust of his mercie take you in hande to purge this olde leauen of sinne that corrupteth and sowreth the sweetenes of your lyfe before God that ye may be as newe and freshe dowe voyde of all sowre leauen of wyckednesse so shall ye shewe your selues to be sweete bread to God that he may haue his delyght in you I saye kyll and offer you vp the worldly and earthly affections of your bodyes For Christe our Easter lambe is offered vp for vs to slea the power of synne to deliuer vs from the daunger therof and to geue vs example to dye to synne in our lyfe As the Jewes dyd eate their Easter lambe kept their feast in remembrance of their deliueraunce out of Egypt Euen so let vs kepe our Easter feast in the thankfull remembraunce of Christes benefites whiche he hath plentifully wrought for vs by his resurrection passing to his father whereby we be delyuered from the captiuitie and thraldome of all our enemies Let vs in lyke maner passe ouer the affections of our old conuersation that we may be delyuered frō the bondage therof rise with Christe The Jewes kept their feast in abstayning from leauened bread by the space of seuen dayes Let vs Christian folke kepe our holy day in spirituall maner that is in abstainyng not from material leauened bread but from the old leauen of synne the leauen of malitiousnes and wyckednesse Let vs cast from vs the leauen of corrupt doctrine that wyl infect our soules Let vs
hath purified our heartes by fayth to the sincere acknowledging of his Gospel and imbracing of his mercies in Christe Jesu that so at this his table we receaue not only the outwarde Sacrament but the spirituall thing also not the figure but the trueth not the shadowe only but the bodye not to death but to lyfe not to destruction but to saluation which God graunt vs to do through the merites of our Lord and Sauiour to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the worthy receauing and reuerent esteeming of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christe IN the Homilee of late rehearsed vnto you ye haue hearde good people why it pleased our sauiour Christe to institute that heauenly memorie of his death and passion and that euery one of vs ought to celebrate the same at his table in our owne personnes and not by other You haue hearde also with what estimation knowledge of so hygh mysteries we ought to resort thyther You haue hearde with what constant fayth we shoulde clothe and decke our selues that we myght be fit and decent partakers of that celestiall foode Nowe foloweth the thirde thing necessarie in him that woulde not eate of this breade nor drinke of this cuppe vnworthyly which is newnesse of lyfe and godlinesse of conuersation For newenesse of lyfe as fruites of fayth are required in the partaker of this table â—e maye learne by the eating of the tipicall lambe whervnto no man was admitted but he that was a Jewe that was circumcized that was before sanctiâ—â—ed Yea Saint Paul testifieth that although the people were partakers of the Sacramentes vnder Moyses yet for that some of them were still worshippers of images whoremongers tempters of Christe murmurers and coueting after euill thinges God ouerthrewe those in the wyldernesse and that for our example that is that we Christians shoulde take heede we resorte vnto our Sacramentes with holinesse of lyfe not trustyng in the outwarde receauing of them and infected with corrupte and vncharitable maners For this sentence of GOD must alwayes be iustified I wyll haue mercie and not sacrifice Wherefore â—ayth Basâ—l it behoueth him that commeth to the bodye and blood of Christe in commemoration of hym that dyed and rose agayne not only to be pure from all filthynesse of the fleshe and spirite least he eate and drinke to his condempnation but also to shewe out euidently a memorie of hym that dyed rose agayne for vs in this point that he be mortified to sinne and the world to liue now to God in Christe Jesu our Lorde So then we must shewe outwarde testimonie in folowyng the signification of Christes death amongst the which this is not esteemed least to render thankes to almightie God for all his benefites briefely comprised in the death passion resurrection of his dearely beloued sonne The which thing because we ought chiefly at this table to solempnise the godly fathers named it Eucharistia that is thankesgeuing As yf they should haue sayde Nowe aboue all other tymes ye ought to laude and prayse god Now may you beholde the matter the cause the begynning and the ende of all thankesgeuing Nowe yf you stacke ye shewe your selues most vnthankfull and that no other benefite can euer stirre you to thanke God who so litle regarde here so many so wonderfull and so profitable benefites Seeyng then that the name thing it selfe doth monishe vs of thanks let vs as saint Paul sayth offer alwayes to god the hoste or sacrifice of prayse by Christe that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name For as Dauid singeth He that offereth to God thankes and prayse honoureth hym But howe fewe be there of thankfull personnes in comparison to the vnthankfull Loe ten Lepers in the Gospell were healed and but one only returned to geue thankes for his health Yea happye it were yf among fourtie Communicantes we coulde see two vnfaignedly geue thankes So vnkinde we be so obliuious we be so proude beggers we be that partly we care not for our owne commoditie partlye we knowe not our duetie to God and chiefely we wyll not confesse all that we receaue Yea and yf we be forced by Gods power to do it yet we handle it so coldely so drylye that our lippes prayse him but our heartes disprayse hym our tongues blesse hym but our lyfe curseth hym our wordes worshippe hym but our workes dishonour him O let vs therfore learne to geue God here thankes aright and so to agnise his exceeding graces powred vppon vs that they beyng shutte vp in the treasure house of our heart maye in due tyme and season in our lyfe and conuersation appeare to the glorifying of his holye name Furthermore for newenesse of lyfe it is to be noted that Saint Paul wryteth that we beyng many are one bread and one body For all be partakers of one bread Declaring thereby not onlye our Communion with Christ but that vnitie also wherin they that eate at this table shoulde be knitte together For by discention vaineglory ambition strise enuying contempt hatred or malyce they shoulde not be disseuered but so ioyned by the bonde of loue in one mysticall bodye as the cornes of that bread in one lofe In respecte of which strait knot of charitie the true Christians in the tender tyme of Christes Churche called this supper loue As yf they shoulde saye none ought to sit downe there that were out of loue and charitie who bore grudge vengeaunce in his heart who also dyd not professe his kynd affection by some charitable reliefe for some parte of the congregation And this was their practise O heaueÌ„ly â—anket then so vsed O godly ghestes who so estemed this feast But O wretched creatures that we be at these daies who be without reconciliation of our brethren whoÌ„ we haue offended without satisfying them whom we haue caused to fall without any kynde of thought or compassion toward them whoÌ„ we myght easyly relieue without any conscience of slaunder disdayne misrâ—poet diuision rancour or inwarde bitternes Yea being accombred with the cloked hatred of Caine with the long couered malice of Esau with the dissembled falshood of Ioab dare ye presume to come vp to these sacred and fearefull mysteries O man whyther rushest thou vnaduisedly It is a table of peace and thou art redy to fight It is a table of singlenes and thou art imagining mischeefe It is a table of quietnesse and thou art geuen to debate It is a table of pitie and thou art vnmercifull Doest thou neyther feare GOD the maker of this feast nor reuerence his Christe the refection and meate nor regardest his spouse his beloued ghest nor weighest thyne owne conscience which is sometime thyne inwarde accuser Wherfore O man tender thyne owne saluation examine and trye thygood wyl and loue towardes the chyldren of God the members of Christe the heyres of the heauenly heritage
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 bottome of our heartes detest and abhorre with all earnestnesse flee from it syth that it dyd cost the deare heart blood of the onlye begotten sonne of God our sauiour redeemer to purge vs from it Plato doth in a certayne place wryte that if vertue coulde be seene with bodily eyes all men woulde wonderfully be enflamed and kyndeled with the loue of it Euen so on the contrary if we myght with our bodily eyes beholde the filthynesse of synne and the vncleannes therof we coulde in no wyse abyde it but as most present and deadly poyson hate and eschewe it We haue a common experience of the same in them which when they haue committed any heynous offence or some filthy and abhominable synne if it once come to lyght or if they chaunce to haue a through feelyng of it they be so ashamed their owne conscience puttyng before their eyes the filthynes of their acte that they dare looke no man in the face muche lesse that they shoulde be able to stande in the syght of God. Fourthly the vncertayntie and brittlenesse of our owne lyues whiche is such that we can not assure our selues that we shall lyue one houre or one halfe quarter of it Whiche by experience we do fynde daily to be true in them that beyng nowe mery and lustye and sometymes feastyng and banquettyng with their freendes do fall sodenly dead in the streetes and otherwhyles vnder the boarde when they are yet at meate These daily examples as they are moste terrible and dreadfull so ought they to moue vs to seeke for to be at one with our heauenlye iudge that we may with a good conscience appeare before hym whensoeuer it shal please him for to cal vs whether it be sodaynly or otherwyse for we haue no more charter of our lyfe then they haue But as we are moste certayne that we shall dye so are we most vncertayne when we shal dye For our lyfe doth lye in the hande of God who wyll take it away when it pleaseth hym And veryly when the hyghest somner of all which is death shall come he wyll not be sayde nay but we must foorth with be packyng to be present before the iudgement seate of God as he doth fynde vs accordyng as it is wrytten Wheras the tree falleth whether it be towarde the South or towarde the North there it shall lye Whereunto agreeth the saying of the holy martyr of God S. Ciprian saying As God doth fynde thee when he doth call so doth he iudge thee Let vs therefore folowe the counsayle of the wyse man where he sayth Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and put not of from day to day For sodenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in thy securitie shalt thou be destroyed and shalt perishe in tyme of vengeaunce Whiche wordes I desyre you to marke diligently because they do most lyuely put before our eyes the fondnesse of manye men whiche abusyng the long sufferyng and goodnes of God do neuer thynke on repentaunce or amendement of lyfe Folowe not sayth he thyne owne mynde and thy strength to walke in the wayes of thy heart neyther say thou who wyll bryng me vnder for my workes For God the reuenger wyll reuenge the wrong done by thee And saye not I haue synned and what euyll hath come vnto me For the almyghtie is a patient rewarder but he wyll not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy synnes are forgeuen thee be not without feare to heape sin vpon synne Say not neyther The mercie of god is great he wil forgeue my manifold sinnes For mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth vpon vnrepentant synners As if he should say Art thou strong and myghtie Art thou lustye and young Haste thou the wealth and ryches of the worlde Or when thou hast synned hast thou receaued no punishment for it Let none of all these thynges make thee to be the slower to repent and to returne with speede vnto the Lorde For in the day of punishment and of his sodayne vengeaunce they shall not be able to helpe thee And speciallye when thou art eyther by the preaching of Gods worde or by some inwarde motion of his holy spirite or els by some other meanes called vnto repentaunce neglect not the good occasion that is ministred vnto thee least when thou wouldest repent thou hast not the grace for to do it For to repent is a good gyft of God which he wyll neuer graunt vnto them whiche lyuyng in carnal securitie do make a mocke of his threatnynges or seeke to rule his spirites as they list as though his workyng gyftes were tyed vnto their wyll Fifthly the auoydyng of the plagues of God and the vtter destructiō that by his ryghteous iudgement doth hang ouer the heades of them all that will in no wyse returne vnto the Lorde I wyll saith the Lorde geue them for a terrible plague to all the kyngdomes of the earth and for a reproche and for aprouerbe and for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and wyll send the sworde of famine the pestilence among them tyll they be consumed out of the land And wherfore is this Because they hardned their heartes and woulde in no wyse returne from their euyll wayes nor yet forsake the wyckednesse that was in their owne handes that the fiercenesse of the Lordes furie myght departe from them But yet this is nothing in comparison of the intollerable and endlesse tormentes of hell fyre whiche they shal be fayne to suffer who after their hardnesse of heart that can not repent do heape vnto them selues wrath against the day of anger and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Wheras if we wyll repent and be earnestly sory for our synnes and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto the mercie of our god and taking sure holde thereuppon through fayth in our sauiour Jesus Christe do bring foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce he wyll not onlye powre his manifold blessynges vpon vs here in this world but also at the last after the paynefull trauayles of this lyfe rewarde vs with the inheritaunce of his chyldren whiche is the kyngdome of heauen purchased vnto vs with the death of his sonne Jesu Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all prayse glory and honour worlde without ende Amen ⧠An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylful rebellion The fyrst parte AS GOD the creatour and Lord of al thynges appoynted his angels and heauenly creatures in all obedience to serue and to honour his maiestie so was it his wyl that man his cheefe creature vpon the earth shoulde lyue vnder the obedience of his creator and Lord and for that cause God assoone as he had created man gaue vnto him a certayne precept and law whiche he beyng yet in the state of innocencie remaynyng in paradise shoulde obserue as a pledge and
vicious and wycked men at libertie to worke their wycked wylles whiche were before brydeled by holesome lawes to weaken to ouerthrowe and to consume the strength of the Realme their naturall countrey as well by the spendyng and wastyng of the money and treasure of the prince and Realme as by murthering of the people of the same their owne countreymen who shoulde defende the honour of their prince and libertie of their countrey agaynst the inuasion of forraigne enemies and so finallye to make their countrey thus by their mischeefe weakened redy to be a pray and spoyle to al outwarde enemies that wyll inuade it to the vtter and perpetuall captiuitie slauerie and destruction of all their countreymen their chyldren their freendes their kynsfolkes left alyue whom by their wycked rebellion they procure to be deliuered into the handes of forraigne enemies as muche as in them doth lye In forraigne warres our countreymen in obteynyng the victorye win the prayse of valiauntnesse yea and though they were ouercommed and slayne yet wine they an honest commendation in this worlde and dye in a good conscience for seruing God their prince and their countrey and be chyldren of eternall saluation But in rebellion howe desperate and strong so euer they be yet wynne they shame here in fyghtyng agaynst God their prince and countrey and therfore iustly do fall headlong into hell if they dye and lyue in shame and fearefull conscience though they escape But commonly they be rewarded with shamful deathes their heades carkases set vpon poles or hanged in chaines eaten with kytes and crowes iudged vnworthie the honour of buryall and so their soules if they repent not as commonly they do not the deuyll harryeth them into hell in the myddest of their mischeefe For whiche dreadfull execution Saint Paule sheweth the cause of obedience not onely for feare of death but also in conscience to Godwarde for feare of eternall dampnation in the worlde to come Wherfore good people let vs as the chyldren of obedience feare the dreadfull execution of God and lyue in quyet obedience to be the chyldren of euerlastyng saluation For as heauen is the place of good obedient subiectes and hel the prison and dungeon of rebels agaynst God and their prince so is that Realme happie where moste obedience of subiectes doth appeare beyng the verye figure of heauen and contrarywyse where most rebellions and rebels be there is the expresse similitude of hell and the rebels them selues are the very figures of feendes and deuyls and their captayne the vngartious paterne of Luciser and Satan the prince of darkenes of whose rebellion as they be folowers so shal they of his damnation in hel vndoubtedly be partakers and as vndoubtedlye children of peace the inheritours of heauen with God the father God the sonne and God the holy ghost To whom be al honour and glorye for euer and euer Amen Thus haue you hearde the thirde part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray ¶ The prayer as before ¶ The fourth parte of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wilfull Rebellion FOR your further instruction good people to shewe vnto you howe muche almyghtie God doth abhorre disobedience and wylfull rebellion speciallye when rebelles aduaunce them selues so hie that they arme them selues with weapon and stande in feelde to fyght agaynst God their prince and their countrey it shall not be out of the way to shewe some examples set out in Scriptures wrytten for our eternall erudition We may soone knowe good people how heynous offence the trecherie of rebellion is if we call to remembraunce the heauie wrath and dreadfull indignation of almyghtie God agaynst such subiectes as do onlye but inwardely grudge mutter and murmure agaynst their gouernours though their inwarde treason so priuilie hatched in their breastes come not to open declaration of their doynges as harde it is whom the deuill hath so farre entised against Gods word to kepe them selues there no he meaneth still to blowe the cole to kindle their rebellious heartes to flame into open deedes if he be not with grace speedily withstanded Some of the chyldren of Israel beyng murmurers agaynste their magistrates appoynted ouer them by God were stricken with foule leprosie many wer burnt vp with fyre sodaynly sent from the Lorde sometyme a great sort of thousandes were consumed with the pestilence sometyme they were stinged to death with a straunge kind of fiery serpentes and whiche is moste horrible some of the captaynes with their bande of murmurers not dying by any vsual or natural death of men but the earth openyng they with their wyues chyldren and families were swalowed quicke downe into hell Whiche horrible destructions of suche Israelites as were murmurers agaynst Moyses appoynted by God to be their head and cheefe magistrate are recorded in the booke of Numbers and other places of the scriptures for perpetual memorie and warnyng to al subiects how hyghly God is displeased with the murmuring and euyll speakyng of subiectes agaynste their princes for that as the scripture recordeth their murmure was not agaynst their prince only beyng a mortal creature but against God hym selfe also Nowe if suche straunge and horrible plagues dyd fall vppon suche subiectes as dyd only murmure and speake euyll agaynste their heades what shal become of those most wicked impes of the deuyl that do conspire arme thē selues assemble great numbers of armed rebels lead them with them agaynst their prince and countrey spoylyng and robbyng kyllyng and murtheryng al good subiectes that do withstand them as manye as they may preuayle agaynst But those examples are wrytten to stay vs not onlye from suche mischeefes but also from murmuring or speaking once an euill worde agaynst our prince which though any should do neuer so secretly yet do the holy scriptures shewe that the very byrdes of the ayre wyll bewray them and these so manye examples before noted out of the same holy scriptures do declare that they shal not escape horrible punyshment therefore Now concernyng actual rebellion amongst many examples thereof set foorth in the holy scriptures the example of Absolon is notable who entryng into conspiracie agaynst kyng Dauid his father both vsed the aduice of very wittie men and assembled a verye great and huge companie of rebels the whiche Absolon though he were moste goodly of person of great nobilitie beyng the kynges sonne in great fauour of the people and so dearely beloued of the kyng hym selfe so much that he gaue commaundement that notwithstandyng his rebellion his lyfe shoulde be saued when for these consyderations moste men were afrayde to lay their handes vppon hym a great tree stretchyng out his arme as it were for that purpose caught hym by the great and long bush of his goodly heere lappyng about it as he fledde hastily bareheaded vnder the sayde tree and so hanged hym vp by the heere of his head in the ayre to geue an eternall document that neyther comelynes
the expresse and liuelye image of God he woulde notwithstanding humble him selfe and take vppon him the fourme of a seruant and that onely to saue and redeeme vs O how much are we bounde to the goodnesse of God in this behalfe Howe manye thankes and prayses do we owe vnto him for this our saluatiō wrought by his deare and onely sonne Christe who became a pilgrime in earth to make vs citizens in heauen who became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God who became obedient to the lawe to deliuer vs from the cursse of the lawe who became poore to make vs rich vyle to make vs precious subiect to death to make vs liue for euer What greater loue coulde we seelye creatures desire or wishe to haue at Gods handes Therefore dearelye beloued let vs not forget this exceeding loue of our Lorde and sauiour let vs not shew our selues vnmyndful or vnthankefull towardes him but let vs loue him feare him obey him and serue him Let vs confesse him with our mouthes praise him with our tongues beleue on him with our heartes and glorifie him with our good workes Christe is the light let vs receaue the light Christe is the trueth let vs beleue the trueth Christ is the way let vs folowe the way And because he is our onely maister our onely teacher our onely shepheard and cheefe captayne therfore let vs become his seruantes his schollers his sheepe and his souldiers As for sinne the flesh the worlde and the deuill whose seruantes and bondslaues we were before Christes comming let vs vtterly cast them of and defie them as the cheefe onely enemies of our soule And seing we are once deliuered from their cruel tyrannie by Christ let vs neuer fal into their hands againe lest we chance to be in a worse case then euer we were before Happy are they saith the scripture that continue to the ende Be faythful sayth God vntil death and I wil geue thee a crowne of lyfe Agayne he sayth in another place He that putteth his hand vnto the plough and looketh backe is not meete for the kyngdome of god Therefore let vs be strong stedfast and vnmoueable abounding alwayes in the workes of the lord Let vs receaue Christ not for a tyme but for euer let vs beleue his worde not for a tyme but for euer let vs become his seruaunts not for a tyme but for euer in consyderation that he hath redeemed saued vs not for a time but for euer and will receaue vs into his heauenly kingdome there to raygne with him not for a tyme but foreuer To him therfore with the father and the holy ghost be all honour prayse glory foreuer and euer Amen ¶ An homilee for good Friday concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christ. IT shuld not become vs welbeloued in christ being that people whiche he redeemed frō the deuil from sinne and death and from euerlasting damnation by Christ to suffer this time to passe foorth without any meditation and remembraunce of that excellent worke of our redemption wrought as about this time through the great mercy and charitie of our sauiour Jesus Christ for vs wretched sinners and his mortall enemies For if a mortal mans deede done to the behofe of the common wealth be had in remembrance of vs with thankes for the benefite and profite whiche we receaue thereby How much more redily shoulde we haue in memorie this excellent act and benefite of Christes death whereby he hath purchased for vs the vndoubted pardon and forgeuenes of our sinnes whereby he made at one the father of heauen with vs in suche wyse that he taketh vs now for his louing children and for the true inheritours with Christe his naturall sonne of the kyngdome of heauen And verily so muche more doth Christes kindnes appeare vnto vs in that it pleased him to deliuer him selfe of all his godly honour which he was equally in with his father in heauen and to come downe into this vale of miserye to be made mortall man and to be in the state of a most lowe seruaunt seruing vs for our wealth and profite vs I saye whiche were his sworne enemies whiche had renounced his holy law and commaundements and folowed the lustes and sinfull pleasures of our corrupt nature And yet I say did Christe put him selfe betwene Gods deserued wrath our sinne and rente that obligation wherein we were in daunger to God and payde our dette Our dette was a great deale to great for vs to haue payde And without payment God the father coulde neuer be at one with vs Neyther was it possible to be losed from this dette by our owne habilitie It pleased him therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge vs quite Who can now consyder the greuous det of sinne whiche coulde none otherwyse be payde but by the death of an innocent and will not hate sinne in his heart If God hateth sinne so much that he would allowe neither man nor Angell for the redemption thereof but onely the death of his onelye and welbeloued sonne who will not stande in feare thereof If we my freendes consyder this that for our sinnes this most innocent lambe was driuen to death we shall haue much more cause to bewayle our selues that we were the cause of his death then to crye out of the mallice and crueltie of the Jewes whiche pursued him to his death We did the deedes wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded they were onely the ministers of our wickednes It is meete then we shoulde step lowe downe into our heartes and bewayle our owne wretchednes and sinful liuing Let vs know for a certainetie that if the most dearly beloued sonne of God was thus punished and stricken for the sinne which he had not done him self how muche more ought we sore to be stricken for our dayly and manifolde sinnes whiche we commit agaynst God if we earnestlye repent vs not and be not sorye for them No man can loue sinne which God hateth so much and be in his fauour No man can saye that he loueth Christe truely and haue his great enemie sinne I meane the aucthour of his death familiar and in frendship with him So much do we loue God and Christe as we hate sinne We ought therefore to take great heede that we be not fauourers thereof least we be founde ennemies to God and traytours to Christe For not onelye they whiche nayled Christe vppon the crosse are his tormentours and crucifiers but all they sayth saint Paule crucifie agayne the sonne of God as muche as is in them whiche do commit vice and sinne which brought him to his death If the wages of sinne be death and death euerlasting Surely it is no small daunger to be in seruice thereof If we liue after the fleshe and after the sinfull lustes thereof saint Paule threatneth yea almightie God in saint Paule threatneth that we shal surely dye