and lykenesses by thys is signyfyed the vnitie also of one nature and substaunce But to procede further concernyng the creation of man ye shall vnderstand that the second chapter of Moyses boke called 〈◊〉 in speciall maner doth recorde the seuerall making as well of the bodye of man by it selfe as also of the soule by it selfe And as touching the body scrypture doth there say that God fourmed or shaped it of the earthe Noting therby the excellēcy of mans body aboue the bodyes of other liuynge creatures For we rede not of anye other lyuyng creature that god shaped or fourmed the body of it but onely that he made it and that at the cō maundement of almighty god the earth brought fourth foure foted beastes the water in like maner brought fourth fysshes foules Only of that body of mā scripture wituesseth that God shaped it And as cōcerning the soule of mā it is written of it in the sayd second chapter of genesis howe that god bre thed it into the body which ii circumstaunces as they import a marueylous excellency of man aboue other bodely creatures so they most clerely declare thexcedyng great goodnes of God towardes man Now when god had in such a singuler fashion creted man he gaue hym souereigntie ouer all the fysshes of the sea ouer the foules of the ayer and ouer the beastes of the lande yea and made him a Kyng and Emperour on the earth And yet not satisfyed with al this he placed man in Paradyse that is in a most pleasaunt garden where he had planted all kynd of frute beautifull to beholde and delicious to eate for man to fede vpon onely one kynde of fruyte he charged hym on payne of death and that not of the body alone but of the soule also vtterlye to refrayne from which was the fruyte of the tree called in scrypture the tre of knowledge of good and euyl And lyke as in a most maruelous sorte he made Adam the fyrsteman so in as marueylous straunge a sort he made Eue the first woman euen of a rybbe taken out of Adams lefte syde and her he made parfytte and furnyshed her with like gyftes as he had done Adame the first man What canne we then thinke or deuyse that God might haue don more for vs in our creation then herein he dyd He made the soule immortall that is such as shulde continue for euer without ende He furnished it with moste singuler gyftes both of nature and of special grace also The body of man in the estate of originall innocencie had in it helth strength 〈◊〉 and other like qualities in the highest degre of perfection it had in it selfe then no fond lust or concupiscens no pronitie or inclination to euyl no 〈◊〉 in doing good no infirmitie or wekenesse no lacke or want of any qualitie fyt and decent for it The body of man was then obediente to the soule the soule altogether obedient to God So that on Gods parte oure maker and creator there is nothyng towardes vs but all perfection all great kyndnes al fatherly loue fauour Holy scrypture most euydently affyrmeth that al creatures were made good in their creation saying Vidit deus 〈◊〉 fecerat et erant ualde bona 〈◊〉 That is God sawe al things which he had made and they were very good Which thyng as it is generally true in all creatures concerning their creation so is it in a certen degre of excellencye to be verified in man touchyng the estate of his originall innocency Thus we may perceaue that in the creation of man al was excellent parfytte whiche oughte greatly to inflame vs the more to loue and serue almighty God our most louynge creator But for asmuche as that blessed estate is lost mankynd by that losse thereof fell into extreme miserie and wretchednes it is consequently to be well considered of our part by what meanes man was brought from soo good and blessed a case to so euyll and miserable an estate whiche poynte well wayed is a sufficiente grounde to cause vs on the other syde vtterly to detest abhorre al synne For that greuous fal of man came of synne Synne it was for which God thrust man oute of paradyse synne it was that caused the fleshe to striue agaynste the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe synne it was that broughte vnto mankynde necessitie of bodyly death and all the infirmities and diseases which man in thys transitory lyfe sustayneth synne fynally it was that cau sed all the posteritie of Adam and Eue to be borne in state of dampnation But some perchaunce are desyrous fardar to knowe by what meanes man was fyrst brought to commytte synne For the vnderstandyng whereof lette vs haue recourse to the iii. chap. of Genesis where it is wrytten how that that wyly serpent the deuyll came vnto Eue and sayde vnto her Why hath God gyuen you commaundement not to eate of euery tree in paradyse where vnto the woman answered and sayde of the fruyte which is in paradise we eate but of the frute of that tree that groweth in the myddest of paradyse GOD hath charged vs not to eate or touche it leste per chaunce we dye Then sayde the serpente to the woman Naye you shall not dye For God knowethe that whatsoeuer daye you shall eate thereof youre eyes shal be opened and you shal be like Gods knowynge good and euyll The woman therefore saw that the tree was good to eate of and beautifull to the eye and pleasaunte to beholde and she tooke of the fruite thereof and d d eate and gaue part to her husbāde who also did 〈◊〉 Thus through the prouocation of the deuyll man first fell into synne Wherefore as we must alwayes abhorre synne and forbeare it because of the greate misery it brought vs vnto so shold we no les 〈◊〉 and to the vttermost of our power fly the 〈◊〉 and all his suggestions knowing that thereby we 〈◊〉 fyrst induced to commytte synne For as thys oure aduersary was busy at the 〈◊〉 wyth oure fyrst parentes so is he no les but rather more busye with vs at thys present as 〈◊〉 Saynt Peter in the v. chapiter of his fyrst 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deuyl as a roryng lion goeth about seking whom he may deuour Thys aduersary of mankynde disdaynynge at the greate 〈◊〉 that Adam and Eue were in neuer ceasyd questyonynge and craftyug with the woman being the weker and frayler vessell vntyll he 〈◊〉 made them disobey gods commauudement by whych their doynge they lost the oryginal great innocency which they had at there creation which being lost nether the body woulde be obedient to the soule nor the soule to god but al was in man turned vpsidoune yea therby they fell also into necessitie of temporall death of body and which is worst of all into the estate of eternall damnation and euerlasting death both of body and soule But now because
the surest pyller that men maye lene vnto be they learned or vulearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are othere obiectyons vpon iii. partyculer artycles of our crede whyche are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the ryght hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Whych articles yet being ryghtly vnderstanded shoulde rather confyrme vs in the true catholyke belefe of the presence of christes body in the sacrament of the aultare For as it is aboue nature for a manes bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of manes nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glorie with God the father and fynallye as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternall deathe and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastlye beleueth al these supernatural powers in Christ touching hys manhed bycause he is both God and man and to god nothyng is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowinge that Christ is omnipotent credite all othere thinges done or spoken by Chryst and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in apearaunce to our reason yet in very dede they agree and stand ryghte well with those foresayd iii. articles of our crede that though we cannot by oure wittes conceaue howe Chryst is ascended and is neuertheles in the Sacra ment also yet they must nedes be bothe beleued bycause gods worde doth affyrme them bothe and the catholyke churche dothe beleue them bothe whyche churche hath alwayes taught that Chryst is in heauen in the visyble fourme of a man and in the sacrament vnder the 〈◊〉 fourmes of bread and wine hys wysdome so ordeyning that wyth oure hartes we woulde beholde hys golry as he syttethe in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on hys very body in the sacrament to re ceaue the more grace and there vpon so to be gouerned wyth hys spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutyons myghte suffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all othere common 〈◊〉 made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the symple people by there folye in crediting euyll and per nicious schole maysters to theyr destructyon wher giuing credite to the catholyke churche they myght auoyde all 〈◊〉 and meryte a great deale yet to open further the 〈◊〉 and noughtines of the heretique teachers in our tyme and howe glad willinge they are to 〈◊〉 the symplicitie of the vnlerned people ye shall haue here added some moo obiections and solutions geuē to them to thys ende that if the sayde symple people haue bene infected with the sayd obiections or such lyke they maye be wel satisfied in their conscience therevpon adhere vnto the catholyke faythe maynteyned and obserued in the catholique churche out of whych there is no saluation And to prorede herein this is one othere common obiection that much troubleth the ig noraunt people it is to wite ¶ How can that bodi and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst be in the blessed sacrament of the aultar seing that not only euyll men do many tymes receue the same but fyre also maye consume it and other like chaunces may happen vn to it ¶ For 〈◊〉 to whyche obiectiō it is fyrst principally to be sayd that this obiection procedethe of a vayne curiositie of them whyche rather delyte fondly to talke of thys high mystery theu to prepare themselues to receaue the same accordyngly Sure we are that our Sauiour Chryste is nowe man incorruptible and impassible nether by fyre nor by ought els can suffer violence and therefore where it pleaseth hym of hys tender mercy and goodnes for our great comforte and soule helth by hys omnipotent word to tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into hys most prerious body and bloud in the sacramente of the aultare and yet so to make thys turne that neuerthelesse he sufferethe the fourmes sensible qualities of the breade and wine to remaine in there nature as they were before the consecratyon it is to be vnderstauded that the vyolence or force that is or in ye be 〈◊〉 to thys sacramente is done onely to the fourmes and qualities sensible which in dede are subiecte to passibilite corruption but in no wise to the vncorruptible bodi bloud of oure sauiour Chryst vnder them conteyned Doo we not read I pray you in the fourthe of Mathew how that our sauyour suffered the deuyll to take hym and carye hym vp into the pynacle of the temple afterward to the toppe of an high mountayne and yet who doth not know that he suffered no vilany therby at al The sonne beames also many tymes do shyne on thynges impure vncleane yet are they no whit thereby defyled The bodye of mā is with a greter vnion ioyned to the soule then are the fourmes of bread and wine to the body and bloude of our sauionr Chryst in the Sacrament of the aultar and yet we know that 〈◊〉 putrifaction and other such lyke thynges chauncynge to our body the soule hath in it no suche passion for that it is immortall The very Godhed of oure sauiour Chryst was in vnitie of personne vnited to hys manhod yet none of the passiōs paines or griefes which he sustayned in hys manhod broughte vyolence alteration or chaunge to hys godhed For the godhed is in alterable vnpossible The simplicity of Chrysten people in the primatyue churche was suche that they beleuynge mooste certenly the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryste to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the fourmes of bread and wine dyd without al curious talke of the fourmes accidentes bende thē selues to be 〈◊〉 at masse where in the myghtye woorke of consecratyon is wrought bi god and wherin our sauiour Christ also is in fourmes of bread and wyne offered vp to the heuenly father by the preist for the soner obteinyng of mercy and fauoure towardes vs and the sayde people beyng at masse they wyth moost feruent deuotion dyd praye and did honour the blessed sacrament of the aulter the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe and besydes this they dyd oftentimes wyth feare and tremblynge prepare them selues to the worthy teceyte therof and by suche theyr godly behauiour they dyd purchase to them selues greate aboundaunce of grace wher we by the cōtrary and moost vnchristian behauiour prouoke gods wrath dayly more and more vpon our selues and that whole realme For nothyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to auengeaunce then the presumption of such as 〈◊〉 curiously enter into hys hidden secretes and thervpon doo contempne all that whyche by theyr feble wyttes they are not
multiplied replenishe youe the earthe And consideryng the state of matrymony as it was after the synne or fal of Adam and Eue then besides the foresayde .ii. causes there was a third it is to wit to avoyde fornication and that humayne weakenes and infirmitie myght haue therfore the honest remedye of mariage and lawefull copulation accordyng wherevnto Saynte Augustyne De Genesi ad literam in hys nynth booke and seuenth chapter sayeth thus Denique utriusque sexus infirmitas propendens in ruinā turpitudinis recte excipitur honestate nuptiarum ut quod sanis possit esse officium sit egrotis medium That is to saye Finally or for conclusion the infyrmitie or weakenes of both the kyndes it is to wytte of manne and woman prone or readie to fall into the ruine or 〈◊〉 of filthines is well holden vppe or preserued by the honestie of matrimony that that whi che myght be vnto the innocente or hole per sons an office or duetye myghte be vnto the sicke or weake persones a remedy or helpe And here by the way ye shal note that yf our fore fathers Adam and Eue had not sinned thē they and theyr ofsprynge shoulde not haue bene troubled with the prickynge or styrrynge of the fleshe nor wyth the feruor or rage of carnal lust but should haue begottē or procreated chyldren without anye suche styrre or rage and without any synne at all yea and with me rite also where after theyr fall bothe they and theyr posteritie by the deadely lawe of concupiscence inhe tynge vnto theyr members without the which car nall coniunction is not done had not that liberty so that nede it was bothe them and theyr posteritie to haue some good ayde and helpe to excuse carnal copulation otherwyse culpable and to make it laweful And herevpon S. Augustine consideryng wel the matter doth attribute two offices vnto matrimony before the fal of mā and the thyrd he doeth attribute vnto it after the fal of mā But yet besides these cause or endes for which matrimony was by god in paradise instituted there is another not the least but rather and principall yf we consider and regarde the purpose of God herein whyche is that Matrimonye or maryage shoulde be a fytte sygne or mystical token of that mooste assured and strong coniunction that should be betwene Christ yet then to come and the church which churche euerlastyngly before the creation of the worlde aud from the begynnynge God dydde preordeyne chose and electe vnto hymselfe as Paule witnesseth in the fyrste chapters of his Epystles to the Ephesians and to Tyte. For the vnspeak able wysedome of God forseyng and knowynge before that man after his creation throughe the wylynes and deceate of the deuyl woulde fal and deserue eternall death dyd most mercifully in thys hys foresyght 〈◊〉 caste determine and dispose wyth hymselfe a meane howe man beyng fallen might againe be restored and regenerated And therefore appointynge vnto Chryste who shoulde be the father and parent of thys generation a maryage mete therevn to dyd to mans great and marueylous comforte in the myraculous couplynge and conioynynge of Adā representyng Chryst then to come and Eue being formed and made of the ribbe of Adames syde Adā beyng a slepe dyd I saye as in a shadowe and a fygure shewe before and expresse the same knotte and bonde of mariage of Christ and the church And this as it were plyghtyng of trouth for thys marryage to come was farther by a promyse made by God to man confyrmed and ratifyed when he sayde in the thyrd chapyter of Genesis that the sede of the wo man shoulde with his foote tread downe the serpentes heade Whyche promyse from the begynnynge contynuallye and from tyme to tyme God almyghty renued to the holy fathers and patriarches wylled hys prophetes to open and publyshe it And to passe ouer al other testunonyes how notably and playnely dothe the prophete Oze in his thyrd cha piter speake hereof sayiug Et sponsabo te mihi in sempiternum et sponsabo te mihi in iustitia in iudicio et misericordia et in miserationibus Et sponsabo te mihi sed c. That is to saye And I wyll marye the vnto my owne selfe for euermore yea vnto my selfe wyll I marie the in righte wysenes in iudgement in mercie and in com passion And in faythe also wyll I marye the vnto my selfe c. Accordyng whervnto Salomon in his notable and excellent boke called Cantica Camicorum dydde synge and prophecie of this maryage then yet to come where he declarynge the great desyre and longynge that the bride had that the daye of solempnyzynge the maryage standyng yet betwene hyr brydegrome and her in onely handfastyng or plyghtyng of fayth trouth myght come sayeth thus 〈◊〉 me osculo oris sui That is to saye Oh that he woulde kysse me wyth the kysse of hys mouthe But fynallye whan the daye drewe 〈◊〉 and the brydegrome was come downe into the worlde howe dyd Ihon baptiste the mooste holy brideman reioyce of thys the brydegromes com mynge and that the tyme was full runne oute And sayde as wytnesseth S. Iohn the Euangeliste in his Gospell and in the thyrd Chapyter in thys maner Qui habet sponsam sponsus est amicus autem sponsi qui stat audit eum 〈◊〉 gaudit propter uocem sponsi Hoc ergo gaudium 〈◊〉 impletum est That is to saye He that hathe the bryde is the brydegrome And the frende of the bridgrome who standethe and hearethe hym reioysethe greatly to heare the voyce of the brydgrome This my ioye therefore is fulfylled So that here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 howe frome the begynnynge of the worlde the churche hathe bene berrouthed to Chryste Hys seruauntes the prophtes were sente whyche should call them that were bidden to the ma riage At length came Chryste the brydegrome more beutyfull then the chyldren of 〈◊〉 to whome whyle he dyd ascende or goo vp to the bryde chamber of the crosse and there fallynge into slepe the heauenlye father out of his sonnes syde beynge opened wyth the speare of the souldier dyd 〈◊〉 and as it were shape vnto Chryste his betrouthed bryde the church and so beautified her and coupled them two together in suche an indissoluble band or knotte that euerlastynge they shall continue and cleaue together as two in one fleshe And so is fulfylled and consummate that maryage so longe before prefigured soo often promysed to the patriarches so playnelye spoken of by the prophetes and contynuallye in the laweful maryage of man and woman mystycally represented and remembred of whyche S. Paule sayeth Ephes. 5. Sacramentum hoc magnum est ego autem dico in Chisto et ecclesia That is to saye This speakynge of Matrymonye is a high or greate misterie I meane it truely in Christe and the Churche And thus muche haue we spoken to declare what matrymony is who is author thereof where is was fyrste 〈◊〉 and what were the causes of
euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyll lyuer eternal death beleue he neuer so wel As S. Paule wituesseth in the. v. chapyter of his Epi stle to the Galathians where he sayth Walk af ter the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of that fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the flesh These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye would But and yf ye beled of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The de des of the fleshe ar manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry witchcrafte hatred variaūce 〈◊〉 wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkēnes glotteny and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in time past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heuē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Chryst these two poyntes are requisit of our behalfe the one to beleue rightlye that other to lyue vpryghtly whych two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to know except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche which catholike church oure sauioure Chryste hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for al men to come and repayre vnto to learne such truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerla styng life This catholike church and no other company hath that true vnderstanding of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluatiō To this churche Christ maketh promis in that xvi of Thō saying Whē that spirit of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this church also he maketh that other promis written in the xxviii of Mathewe where he sayth Behold I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholike church thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assured alwayes of Chryst him selfe neuer yet fayled frō that time of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fail to the worl des ende nether can it be deceued in any necessary truth 〈◊〉 as Chryst promyseth in the. xvi of Mathe we saying That hel gates shal not pre uayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catho lyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapter of his first epistle to Timothe calleth the catholike church the piller and ground of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a companye as among which the trueth is openly preached ells Chryste woulde not haue sayde as it is wrytten in the. v of Mathew A citie that is seton a hyl can not be hid ne ther do men light a candle and putit vnder a bushel but on all cādelsticke and it geueth lyght vnto al that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke church is an vnknowen church seinge it is that citie which our sauiour there mente that candell of which he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryst and refuse the doctrine thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in reading ofscripture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into errour and ignoraunce cuē as a mā that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour Saynt Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapter of his secōd epystle geueth vs a most certayne an sure rule which if we folow we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstand scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure word of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take 〈◊〉 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntil the day dawne and the daye starre arise in your harts So that you first knowe this that no prophecy in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For that scrip ture came neuer by the wil of man butholy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Here you se howe S. Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meaning of Chrystes church and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or company And in the thyrde chapyter of the same Epystle he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to he vnderstanded whyche they that are vnlearned vnstable do peruerte as they do also the other scriptures to theyr own destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be 〈◊〉 afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the erroure of the wicked fal from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S Peter telleth the 〈◊〉 cause why men my svnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knowledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignotaunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe priuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scryptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytynge to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Limothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge which S. Paule sayeth was committed to 〈◊〉 custodye was the truth of the catholyk fayth which he sayth some fell from by reasonne of new fangeled termes and by reson aiso that they tooke vpon them knowledg beynge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde epistle to Timothie he farther sayeth Contynue thou in that thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. I reneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapter of the same boke sayeth touchyng the catholyke churche in this maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rich tresury all truth the who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of life for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what yf a controuersy shoulde happen to ryse vpon neuer so 〈◊〉 a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the
oration made to the prynces Israelities of the Sinagoge being at Antiochia Pisidie and amongest other thin ges speakyng of the inhabitauntes of Ierusalem the prynces thereof who put Chryst to death and of Chryste hymselfe sayethe as S. Luke in the. xiii of the Actes doth testify thus Cunque consummassent omnia que 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deponentes cum de ligno posuerunt cum in 〈◊〉 deus autem sustitauit cū a mortuis 〈◊〉 die qui uisus est per dies multos his qui simulascenderant cum co de Galileo in Iherusalem qui usque nune sunt testes eius ad plebam That is to say And when they hadde fulfylled or perfected all thinges that were wrytten of hym they takynge hym doune from the tree did put him in a Sepul chre and God dyd rayse hym vp agayne the thyrde daye from the deade and he was sene many dayes to them which came vppetoge ther with hym from Galilee to Ierusalem who euen tyll nowe be wytnesses of him to the people Lyke wyse the sayde S. Paule writing to the Corinthians and earnestly mindyng to proue the resurrection of the deade doth in his first epistle written vnto them and in the xv Chapyter therof say as foloweth Tradidi enim Vobis in primis quod et accepi quoniam Christus mortuus est propeccatis nostris secundum Scripturas quia sepultus est et quia resurrexit tertia die 〈◊〉 Scripturas c That is to say I haue delyuered vnto you speciallye that whiche I receaued howe that Chryst died for our synnes according to scrip tures and that he was buryed that he rose agayne the thyrde daye accordynge to the Scripturs c. And s. Augustine concerning this matter hath in hys cxxiij sermon thys confortable sayinge Site 〈◊〉 luano 〈◊〉 sepultura conturbet gloriosa resurrectio confirmet quicquid enim infirmitatis audis in Christo nostrae 〈◊〉 necessit 〈◊〉 t is nostre redemptionis est causa quicquid gloric cius est proprie potesta 〈◊〉 quiid co mortuus est ut uos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurrexit ut uos ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resuscitaret eternam That is to say Of the three dayes buryall or lyinge in graue of our Lord doo trouble the let his gloriouse resurreccion con fyrme the. In dede whatsoeuer weakenes or infirmitie thou doest heare in Chryst that is for cause of our necessitie the is for cause of oure redemption whatsoeuer glory thou hearest of him that is of his proper or owne power who therfore was deade that he myghte reuyue vs and therefore dyd ryse agayne that he might resuscitate vs vnto life euerlasting Lykewyse S. Augustyne agayne in his cxxxi sermon speakyng o. this matter sayth after this ma ner Triduane sepulture mora euidēter ostēdit quod dūcorpus isepulchro iacuit anima illa de infernis triūphauit That is to saye The ta rying or abydynge of the three dayes in the graue doth euydently declare or shew that the whyle that the Body of Chryst dyd lye in the sepulcher or graue that soule of hys dyd Tryumphe ouer the Helles And that Chryste dyd ryse agayne from deathe whiche is the seconde parte of this Article is most manyfest aswel by such testimonyes as are all ready here in the former part of this article alleged as also by these speciall testymonyes folowinge Fyrste Actuum ii S. Peter as S. Luke there testifieth Doth say as foloweth Hunc Iesum resuscitauit deus cuius nos omnes testes sumus That is to sai This Jesus hath God raysed vppe agayne wherof we all are wytnesses Secondlye actuum iii. S. Peter there hath these wordes Quem deus 〈◊〉 a mortuis cuius nos testes sumus That is to say Chryst whome God hathe raysed from the deade of the whych we be wytnesses Thyrdely actuum iiii S. Peter there hath bothe these wordes Quem deus suscitauit a mortuis beynge Englyshed as before as also these wordes Et Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli testimoniū resurrectionis 〈◊〉 Christo domini nostri That is to saye The Apostles with great power dyd gyue wytnes of the resurrection of Jesu Chryst our Lorde Fourthly actuum v. S Peter and the Apostles haue these wordes Deus patrum nostrorum suscitauit Iesum 〈◊〉 uos interemistis suspendentis in ligno That is to say The God of our fathers hath raysed vppe Je sus whome ye the Jewes dyd kyll hangyng him vpon the tree Fyftelye Actuum xvii S Paule preachynge in the Synagoge of the Jewes at Tessalonyca hathe these wordes Quia oportuit Christum pati et resurgere a mortuis That is to say That Chryst muste nedes haue dyed and to ryse agayne from the deade Syxtely S. Paule in vys fyrst Epystle to the 〈◊〉 rinthyans in the. xv Chapter therof hath amōgest other these wordes Si Autem Christus non resurrexit inanis est predicatio nostra inanis est 〈◊〉 vestra c. That is to saye If Chryst hath not rysen agayne then is our preachyng vayne and youre faythe is also in vayne c. And hereof also he speakethe Ad Romanos fourthe et ii ad Timotheum ii and in manye other places But what nede is it to heape any mo testimo nyes hereof seyng all the Euangelistes doo clerelye testifye the matter Mathewe the. xxviii Marke the xvi Luke the. xxiiii and Jhon the. xx By thys then it appeareth howe that our Sauyour Jesus Chryst after he had conquered and spoyled the Deuyll and hell he retourned agayne from thense lyke a mooste myghty Kynge and Conqueroure in tryumphe and glorye and so reassumed and toke agayne hys blessed naturall Body the third day after hys sayd deathe And so doyng rose out of the Sepulture in his natu rall and parfect manhode That is to say in his soule and in the selfe same body whych was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary and dyd hange vpon the Crosse. After whyche resurrection he was conuersaunte in the worlde by the space of forty dayes and dyd eate and drynke with hys Apostles and his disciples and prea ched vnto them and aucthorised them to goo fourthe into the worlde to manifest and declare that he was the very Chryst the very Messias and the very God and man whych was promised in scrypture to come to saue and to redeme al those that beleuing in hym ordered themselues in obeying and folowynge hys preceptes and commaundementes accordyngly In thys artycle of Resurrectiō it is to be noted that there is nothyng that can in all aduersirye trouble be more ioyefull and comfortable vnto vs than the 〈◊〉 of this artycle That Chryste rose agayne from corporall death to lyfe and that we shall also do the same The fayth and belefe of this if we continue in lyuinge well is our vyctorye and tryumph ouer the Deuyll hell and death and a specyall remedy to put away the horroure and feare of them Forasmuch as hereby we be assured that as death coulde not holde Chryste
euen so it cannot holde vs whiche are by a chrysten fayth the very members body of Chryst but that we shall ryse from deathe and lyue agayne in glorye with hym euerlastynglye yf we order and conforme our wyll in thys worlde to hys preceptes And the onely hope here of shoulde make vs not to feare the aduersities in this world bicause we 〈◊〉 as afore be assured to haue a better and more gloryouse lyfe after this as S. Paule writeth to the Corynthyans the. xv sayenge If we chrysten men had no hope of other lyfe than thys that is present than were we the most miserable of all men But nowe Chryste is rysen agayne from deathe Whereby is declared that there is a lyfe after thys lyfe which all Chrysten men hope to come vnto Accordyng where unto saynt Augustyne sayth All the hope of our fayth stādeth in thys poynt that we shall ryse agayne This made the faythfull and good men of whome S. Paule the. xi to the He brues speaketh to refuse to be preserued from bodyly deathe bycause they looked assuredly for a better resurrection Whych Resurrectyon as it was by many and sondrye apparytions and other infallyble argumentes declared and prouede vnto the Appostles so they being besydes other names perteynyng to their offyce specially called the witnesses of Christes resur rection dyd in all places and at all tymes open and inculcate the same as a special and a cheife artycle of Chrystes doctryne wherin shoulde depend and rest the greate comfort and solace of all trewe and fayth full beleuers in Chryste Fynallye by this article is not onely confirmed vnto vs howe the naturall bodye of man shall after the corporall death and departyng 〈◊〉 of thys presente lyfe rise againe as is before expressed but also by this resurrectiō of our sauyoure 〈◊〉 we be admonyshed that as Christ after his death rose againe so we dyeng from synne should ryse 〈◊〉 and walke in a newe lyfe of spyryt and grace ¶ Thexposition or declaration concernynge the syxt article of the Crede whych is He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty IN thys vi article ii thinges are to be considered the fyrst is that Christ ascended into heauen the second that he sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty Concernyng the fyrst ye shal note that as we by dayly experience do see when an embassadoure is sente from some greate prynce to ac cheue any greate affayre or busynes as for example to conclude and make a peace or any other such lyke thing thys embassadoure hauyng fynyshed hys busynes according to his commission comenli with glad nes and ioye do the returne agayne vnto hym from whome he was sent lyke wyse passyngers by water or by land yea and souldiers to being sent fourthe in warrefare so sone as there busynes is spedde they do returne commonly into there countrye or vnto those that dyd send them fourth Soo lykewyse oure blessed Sauyour Iesus Chryste beynge sente ambassadoure from God his father into thys world vpon an hygh aud notable worthy message that is to saye to take fleshe of the glory ouse vyrgyn S. Marye and by hys passion and death to ouercome the Prynce of thys world and Hell and to remoue and take away all other impedymentes and lettes and fynally to re deme also mankynde who by disobedience and sinne had lost the ioyous possession of Paradyse dyd dylygently and faythfullye trauayle to accomplyshe hys embassade and message and when he had done it he with great tryumphe and ioye dydde ascend 〈◊〉 retourne agayne to God hys father hauyng ouercome the olde enemy by humilitie pacience and obedience Of whom and hys sayd embassade the greate kyng and Prophet Dauyd in hys xviii Psalme thus doth saye Exultauit ad Gigas ad currendam viam That is to saye He meanyng Chryst hath reioysed or benne glade as a gyaunt to runne his course or way And immediately in the same Psalme the sayd Prophet doth farther saye A summo coeloegressio cius occursus cius usque ad sum mum cius That is to saye The goynge furth of hym is from the hyghest heauen and the recourse of hym is to the hyghest of it Accordyng wherevnto verye laudably and iustlye it is vttered in the diuine seruice of the Churche Egressus 〈◊〉 a patre regressus 〈◊〉 adi patrem 〈◊〉 usque ad inferos recure susad sedem Dei That is to saye The goynge furthe of him is from the father the retourne of him is to the father the excourse of hym is euen to the helles and the recourse of him is vnto the seate of God Beyng then conuenient as is aforesayd that Chryst should ascend into heauen as also by this artycle it appeareth he did wel it shal be to declare how and in what forte that ascension was For knowlege whereof you shal vnderstand that our sauiour christ after his resurrection and before he dyd ascende into heauen dyd eate with his Disciples aswell to shewe therein a very sygne and token of harty loue whiche frendes departyng from frendes are accustomed to do as also for to declare vnto them the veritie of hys fleshe after his resurrection which was a thing then very necessarye to be done aswell for that he woulde not afterwarde gyue vnto them any further sygne or token of his resurrection as also for that some of the Disciples not withstandyng that they had sene and felte hym woulde not yet beleue that he was so rysen And therefore s. Gregory in an Homelye made herevpon sayth Christus comedit ascendit ut per effectum commestio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnis That is to say Chryste dydde eate and ascende that by the effecte of eating the veritie of his fleshe myght be manyfested And moreouer after the sayde resurrectiō and before thys sayd ascension our sauiour Chryste dyd rebuke and blame his disciples of theyr incredulitie and 〈◊〉 nes or hardenes of beleuyng the sayde resurrectyon whiche thinge he dydde as 〈◊〉 Gregorye sayeth Vt 〈◊〉 que recidens diceret in corde audientium arctius impressa remanerent That is to saye To thintent that the wor des which he departinge would say myghte remayne in the hart of the hearers more depely imprynted Besides this our sauiour Christ hauing opened theyr wytte or sense to vnderstand the scryptures and hauinge inioyned vnto them the offyce of preachynge the Gospell throughoute the hole worlde to all creatures he went fourth wyth them into Bethany vnto mount Olyuete and lyfting vp his handes he dyd blesse them whiche blessing was well fygured by the Patriarche Iacob who when he shold dye and leaue this worlde did blesse hys chyldre as appeareth Genelis xlix And likewise was it fygured by Moyses who before his death dyd blesse the chyldren of Israell as appeareth Deute xxxiii And thys beynge dooue Chryste in the 〈◊〉 syghte was lyfted vp and a cloude takyng or receyuing him from their eyes
he was caried vp into heauen ascendynge as the Psalmist in his lxvii Psalm doth saye Super 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad orientem That is to say Aboue heauens vnto the Easte And the sayd Difciples adorynge hym dyd retourne vnto Ierusalem These thynges beforesaid are speciallye testified by S. Marke in the xvi Chapyter Luke in the. xxiiii Iohn in the. xx by S. Luke also in the fyrst Chapyter of the Actes and by sondry other partes of the scrypture By the way it may be noted that this eleuation of Chryste into Heauen dyd muche differ from hys eleuatyon vnto the Crosse for there as Esay in the. lxiii Chapyter doth saye Chryst alone dyd treade the Presse where here as Dauyd in his lxvii Psalme and S. Paule in the. iiii Chapiter to the Ephesians doth saye Christe ascending into Heauen dyd leade captiuitie captiue with him and gaue gyftes to men Furthermore the eleuation vpon the Crosse was with mooste bytter sorowe and payne where the ascension into heauen was wyth most vnspeakeable ioye and wonderfull gladnes And it is not to be forgotten here that amongest other causes why Chryst would no lenger tarye here vpon earthe but ascende into Heauen there are fiue speciallye noted The fyrst that Chrystes body beynge gloryfyed Heauen and not the Earth was a place conuenyent mete for it to be cōuersaunt in The 〈◊〉 that by the sayde ascension he myght glorifye the humaine na ture whyche before that tyme was neuer admytted vnto heauen The thyrde that ascendyng into Heuen he myght be an aduocate and an intercessoure contynuallye for vs. Hebre. ix i. Iohannis ii The fourthe that so ascendyng he myghte shewe vs the waye and prepare vs a place Michee ii 〈◊〉 iiii The fyste and last that he myght sende the Holy Ghost vn to vs which he sayd he woulde not excepte he departed Ioannis 19. And thus much for the fyrste part of thys Article For the second parte of this article which is that Chryst Sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almyghtye ye shall vnderstand that to sit on the ryghte hande of God the father is not after a carnall and worldely fashion to be vnderstanded as who saith that God the father had like men a right hand and a lefte hand but by the sitting of Christ on the ryght hand of God the father is vnderstand and ment that Chryste hath and euer shal haue communicated vnto hym of God the father glory honoure power felicitie and euerlastynge monarchye gouernaunce rule and dominion ouer all pryncypates potestates powers dominions and ouer all creatures that can be named eyther in thys worlde or in the worlde to come ordeyned to be kynge of all kynges and Lorde of all Lordes and all thynges both in hea uen and also in Earth to ve cast vnder his fete and made subiecte to hym and he appoynted to be the cheife and principall heade of the vniuersall and hole Catholyke Churche which is his misticall Body hauyng vnder hym in his Churche here in Earth suche ministers and after such order and fashion as lyked him to appoynt and ordayne in the same And albeit that Chryste is ascended into Heauen and syttethe on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye yet we maye not as the 〈◊〉 doo gether 〈◊〉 vpō contrarye to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 of Chryst in substaunce is not reallye and truelye in the Sacrament of the Aultare but contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst is bothe God and man and soo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or almyghty and hath by his godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto his manhode taken vp his Body and his 〈◊〉 nitie into heauen which to do is aboue the 〈◊〉 and reach of onely nature to accomplyshe and bryng to passe we ought with the catholyke Churche firme lye and stedfastlye beleue that 〈◊〉 as oure Sauiour Chryste bothe promysed to giue his bodye in a Sacrament and also perfourming his promise did it soo in dede as the 〈◊〉 and S. Paule also dothe testifye and declare the bodye therefore of Chryst doth both sit on the ryght hand of God the father almyghtye in heauen in the visible forme of a man accordyng to this article and is also verely real ly and truely in substannce in the Sacramente of the Aultare vnder the formes of breade and wyne And where in the. vii chapyter of the actes it is wrytten of S. Stephan that he dyd see Iesum stantem a dexteris virtu t is 〈◊〉 That is to say Iesu standing on the ryght hand of the power or vertue of God Whereby some haue gathered a contrarye ie in Scripture 〈◊〉 shall vnderstande that these wordes Christ to sytte or Christ to stand at the ryghte hande of God the father are not to be vnderstanded after the carnal and worldly maner and gesture of man but spiritually to signifye hys equalitie wyth God the father the partycipatyng of all glory with the same 〈◊〉 equalytie and partycipatyon in 〈◊〉 and the catholyke doctours is as well vnderstande by 〈◊〉 as by standyng Thus haue you hard the hole exposi tion of this vi Article conteynynge in effecte howe our Sauiour Iesus Chryst after that he hadde perfectely accomplished and performed the hole mistery of the redemptyon of mankynde by hys incarnation his byrth his passyon his death his buriall his discēdyng into Hell and rysyng agayne from death to life and after he hadde bene here in Earth conuersaunte with his Apostles and Disciples by the space of fortye dayes after his resurrection beyng amongest his Apostles and he in theyr sight assended into heauen in the verye fame his naturall bodye whyche was borne of the blessed vyrgyn hys mother and was cru cified vpon the crosse and so dydde wythdrawe hys accustomed visible conuersation from the presence of his Apostles and from the bodely sight of al other creatures By remembraunce whereof bothe they we should here in earth eleuate and lyfte vp our hole hartes myndes desyres all affections from earthly thynges and from all carnall and worldlye cares towardes heauene and heauenlye thynges and soo shoulde by hys grace prepare our hartes and make oure selues 〈◊〉 and apte to receaue hys spyrytuall gyftes which he sendeth into the worlde Wherfore the thing thus beinge let vs in dede lifte vppe oure hartes and myndes vnto Chryst thus syttynge at the right hand of God the father and there praying cōtynually for vs. And let vs soo in mynde nowe from henceforth dwel in contemplatiō of heuenly things during al the space of this mortal life that we may hereafter for euer dwell with the holy trinitie in glory euerlastyng Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the. vii article of the crede whych is From thence he shall come to ' iudge the quicke and the deade IN this Article two thynges specyally maye be con sidered the fyrst is that Chryste beinge ascended into Heauen Shall come from thense And thesecond is that commyng from thense He shall iudge both the Quycke and the
written in the. xvi of Mathewe Tibi dabo claues regni celorum quodcunque ligaueris super terram crit ligatum et in celis et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum et in celis That is to saye Unto thee will I geue the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou doest bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest vpon earth shall also be loosed in heauen Which 〈◊〉 all Chrysten men shoulde to theyr great comforte moste gladly imbrace and by al meanes be most carefull and wary to the vttermost of theyr power to kepe them selues in such state that they may styll enioye the fruit of this soo comfortable a priueledge Wherefore good people accordyng to the exhortation of the Prophete Ezechiell in the eyghtenth chapter Tourne and doe penaunce for all youre iniquities and youre iniquitye shall not be your destruction But youe shall vndoutedly accordyng to thys article be vnburdened of your synnes and made partakers of the communion of saynctes bothe in thys worlde and in the worlde to come Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the eleuēth artycle of the Crede whiche is The resurrection of the Bodye Coucernynge thys eleuenth article for asmuche as it may seme itraunge to some men why thys word Body is here placed in the Englishe seyng the Latin is Carnis resurrcctionem That is to sai The resur rection of the fleshe 〈◊〉 shal knowe that in 〈◊〉 ture many tymes thys worde fleshe doeth signyfye the hole man as for example where it is wrytten in the fyrst of S. Jhon Verbum caro factum est that is to saye The worde was made fleshe the meanynge is that the sonne of god toke vpon hym the hole nature of man Agayne 〈◊〉 the fyrste chapiter of saynt Paules fyrste epystle to the Corynthians it is wrytten in thys maner Vt non glorietur omnis caro that is to say That no fleshe should glorye the meanynge is that no man should glorye Lykewyse where in the thyrde of S. Luke it is wrytten Videbit omnis caro salutare dei That is All fleshe shall se the sauiour sent of God The meanynge is that al men shall see the sauiour sent of god And manye tymes also thys sayde worde Fleshe doeth in scrypture signifye onely the bodye of man without any respect of the soule thereof as in the fyrst Chapyter of Genesis where Adam speakyng of hys wyfe Eue sayth in this maner Caro de carne 〈◊〉 that is Fleshe of my fleshe meanynge that her body was made of hys bodye Lykewyse in the. xxi of Job where Job sayeth Concutit carnem 〈◊〉 tremor That is Tremblyng dothe shake my fleshe meanyng there by hys fleshe hys bodye And accordynge to thys seconde acception thys Latyne worde Carnis Which is to saye Of the fleshe is taken here in thys article of the Latyn Crede and by cause the body and the fleshe here in this article doe signifye and meane one thing we maye both say the resurrection of the body and also the resurrection of the fleshe And therby we doe vnderstand that at the day of the generall dome or Judgemente when Chryste shall come as in the. vii article of thys Crede is contayned and sitte to iudge the quicke and the deade almighty God shall styrre and rayse vppe againe the very fleshe and bodies of all men women and Chyldrē both good and bad christened and heathen that euer lyued here in this world from the begynnynge of the same and died before that day And althoughe the sayde fleshe and bodyes were deade and buryed yea and consumed or by anye meanes destroyed yet God shall of his infinite power make them all at that day wholl and perfecte agayne And soo euerye man generally shall resume and take agayne the very selfe same bodie and flesh in substaūce which he had whi les he liued here on earth and so shall rise from death and liue agayne in the very selfe same bodie and soule which he had before 〈◊〉 whych tyme man thus beyng made perfect in coniunction of body and soule shall at that daye appeare before the hygh iudge our sauiour Jesu Chryst and there shall make an accompte of his workes and hys dedes such as he did good or euil while he liued here in thys worlde And for profe that the contentes of this article are true these authorities and testimonies both of the olde and the newe testamente shal be sufficient for this presente that is to witte the. xix of Job Esay xxvi Ezechi xxxvii Daniel xii Mathew xxii John v. Rom xiiii i. Cor. xv ii Cor. v i Thes iii. and. iiii Philip. iii. and the ii to Timoth. ii ¶ The exposition or declaration of the twelft Article of the Crede whiche is And the lyfe euerlastynge Amen In these fewe wordes is the moost comfortable and ioyous knyttynge vppe of this Crede that maye be For two excellent thinges are here sette fourth to be beleued the fyrst is Lyfe whiche all thynges do desyre the second is the Eternitie and continuall lastyng of it which is a thyng that maketh it most pleasaunte and most swete and most profitable And when I do saye that ther is a lyfe and also an euerlastyng lyfe I doo meane both concernyng the body and also concernynge the soule for vnto them bothe this euerlastyng lyfe shal without any endynge contynue and abyde B V T H E R E muste ye marke that lyke as the good shall enioye for euer thys mooste 〈◊〉 estate of euerlastyng lyfe to theyr vnspeakeable comforte and gladnes so also the noughtye and wycked shall bothe in bodye and also in soule receaue for euer punyshmente and tormente incessantly accordynge whervnto our Sauiour Chryst in the. xxv of saynte Mathewe sayeth Et ibunt hi in supplicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 em in uitam eternam That is to saye And they meanynge the noughtye and wycked shall goe into euerlastinge punyshment but the iuste shall goo into lyfe euerlasting And herevpon maye be 〈◊〉 that though the noughtye and wycked shall continue for euer and haue immortalitie yet forasmuch they so contynuing shall neuer haue ioye but euerlastyng torment of body and soule without hope of forgyuenes and wythoute anye ende Therefore theyr contynuaunce and immortalitie is rather to be called euerlastynge deathe then euerlastynge lyfe or lyfe at all accordynge whervnto S. Paule in the. vi chapiter of his epystle to the Romaynes doth saye Stipendia enim peccatimors gratia autem dei uita 〈◊〉 in CHRISTO IESV domino nostro That is to saye The rewarde in dede of synne is death but eternall lyfe is the gyfte of God through Jesu Chryst our lorde So that such as haue led theyr lyues in obedience obseruation of Goddes commaundementes and die in true fayth and charitie shall then be perfectly 〈◊〉 tified puryfyed and delyuered frome all contagion of synne and from all corruptible and mortalitie of the 〈◊〉 and shal be perpetuallye glorified and
they maye and ought to be baptised and so receyue the graces and vertues of the same AND albeit baptysme be of this great efficacye yet ye shall vnderstande that there remaineth in vs that be baptyzed a certayne infirmitie or inclination to synne called concupiscence whiche by lustes and desyres doth moue vs many times to synnes and wickednes neuerthelesse almyghtye God of hys greate merci and goodnes hath 〈◊〉 vs such grace in this his holye Sacrament of baptysne that suche carnall and fleshely lustes and desyres shal not ne can in any wyse hurte vs excepte we do fyrst consent vnto them By whiche grace also we be made more stronge and able to resist and withstand the sayd concupyscences and carnall desyres than another man is that neuer was christened BVT this shall you note by the way that chyldren or men beyng once duley baptized ought not in any wyse as the Anabaptistes haue taught to be baptized agayne for Saynct Paule in the sixt chapter of hys Epistle to the Hebrewes sayth thus Impossibile enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui semel sunt illuminati gustauerūt etiā donū celeste et participes factisunt spiritus sancti gustauerunt nichilominus bonum dei uerbum uir tutes que seculi uenturi et 〈◊〉 sunt rursus renouari 〈◊〉 penitentiam That is to saye Impossible in dede it is those who once be illuminate and also haue tasted the heauenlye gyftes and haue bene partakers of the holye Ghoste and haue tasted besides the good word of God the vertues or power of the world to come and be fallen to be renewed agayne vnto penaunce Where by suche renewynge Saynt Paule vnderstandeth baptisme AND because aswell this sacrament of baptysme as all other sacramentes instituted by Chryste haue all theyr vertue efficacye and strength by the worde of God whyche by his holye spirite worketh all the graces and vertues whiche bee geuen by the sacramentes to all those that worthelye receyue the same Therefore we muste vnderstande and knowe that althoughe he whiche doeth minyster the sacrament be of a synnefull and euyll conuersatyon yet the vertue and effect of the sacramente is thereby nothynge dimynished or hurted neyther in infantes nor yet in them whyche beinge endued wyth the vse of reason come there vnto truly contryte and penytente of all theyr synnes done before beleuynge and confessinge al the articles of the Crede and hauyng a sure faithe and truste in the promysses of GOD of remyssyon of theyr synnes and purposynge euer after to lyue a chrysten lyfe FINALLY ye shall note concernyng thys Sacra ment of Baptisme that it maye well be called a coue naunte betwene GOD and vs whereby GOD testifyeth that he for hys sonne Chrystes sake iustifyeth vs that is to say forgyueth vs our synnes and indueth vs with his holy spiryte and gyueth vs suche graces that there by we be made able to walke in the workes of Justice ordeyned by God to be exorcised of vs in thys presente lyfe to the glorye and prayse of GOD And so perseuerynge to inioye the fruite of the lyfe euerlastyng And we agayne vpon our parte oughte most diligently to remember and kepe the promysse that we in baptysme haue made to almyghtye God that is to beleue onely in him onely to serue him and obeye him to forsake al 〈◊〉 and the workes of Sa tan to mortify our affections of the fleshe and to liue after the spirite in a newe life Of which promise and conuenaūt by vs made to GOD S. Paule putteth vs in remembraunce saying Rom. vi Knowe ye not that all we whiche are baptyzed in Iesus Chryst are baptysed to dye wyth hym for we be buryed with him by baptysme to dye that likewyse as Chryste was raysed vp frō death by the glorye of his father euen soo we shoulde walke in a newe lyfe By the whyche wordes S. Paule gyueth vs to vnderstande that al we whyche be baptized in Chryste That is to saye whyche are incorporated into the misticall bodye of Chryst haue professed and 〈◊〉 our selfe in Baptysme to dye from synne and vtterlye to abstayne from the corruption of our olde synnefull lyfe and to walke and procede in a newe lyfe of grace and the spirite into the whych we are called by the word of God and by fayth and due receauynge of thys holy Sacrament are brought and set into the same ¶ Of the Sacrament of Confyrmation and thexposition or declaration thereof HAVINGE last entreated of the Sacra mente of Baptysme by the which al maner of synne aswell original as ac tuall is remitted and the holy ghost therein geuen whiche doth regenerate vs into a newe creature doth thereby so weakē attenuate the fome or rage of cōcu piscēce in vs yea so help the weakenes of our corrupt nature that the sayd fome of concupiscence can in no wyse hurt vs excepte we wyll againe consente vnto synne mete and conuenient it shal be to intreat of cōfirmation whych is the seconde Sacrament aboue touched and rehearsed For albeit that the Sacrament of Baptysme alone to al such as haue receaued the same and bene therby regenerated by water and the holy ghost is sufficient to saluation and to brynge them to heauen if in that state of innocencye recouered and gotten by 〈◊〉 they shoulde by and by depart thys world Yet yf they hauing passed the red sea shoulde entre into the greate wildernesse and deserte of thys large and miserable worlde in asmuche as they should encountre haue much to doo wyth theyr outwarde and inwarde enemyes aswell the fleshe the deuyll and the worlde before they shoulde come to the land of promyse requisite and expediente it were for them to be armed at all pointes and made apte vnto the battayll and to abyde all assaultes that theyr enemyes woulde goo aboute to make agaynste them In consyderatyon whereof lykewyse as in the olde testament almyghtye God was benefyciall and good to the chyldren of Israell whom he caused safelye to passe the red sea drowning theyr enemyes and confortyng the sayde Israelites manye wayes aswell in spreadyng abroade ouer them the cloude in the daye for theyr protection as geuynge them fyre to lyght them in the nyght ouer and besydes the feadyng of them with celestiall fode and refreshynge of them with water that yssued oute of the harde rocke So oure blessed Sauyour Iesus Chryste hauynge fulfylled the fygures and shadowes of the olde lawe doth after baptysme geue vnto his Isralites the christen people dyuers gyftes of the holy Ghost and manyfoide graces whereby he doth hold vppe and confyrme or make stronge his sayd people that they are able to abyde to ouercome all the assaultes of theyr 〈◊〉 and amongest other he geueth vnto them hys holy Sacramentes of the whych confyrmatyon is one succedyng in order after Baptisme 〈◊〉 thys Sacramente of Confyrmation albeit the heretyckes in our tyme haue folyshlye busely and maliciously gone aboute to deface it scant 〈◊〉
pointed therein to pronounce the sentence of remyssi on of synnes in this behalfe Accordyng aswell to the counsayl of Saynt James Jacobi 5 as also to thex ample of them that were conuerted at Ephesus who beleuynge dyd come confessyng and shewynge ther actes and dedes Actorum xix And because here we doo touche and speake of confession which is the seconde thynge towardes parfytte Penaunce ye shall therefore knowe that albeit thys worde Confessyon both in scrypture and in prophane authors doth sygnifye many thynges and in dyuerse sortes yet Confession as it is heare to be accepted and taken is a voluntarye lawfull and sufficient declaratyon or vt teryng of synne to be made vnto the pryeste hauynge sufficyent aucthoritye to geue absolution therin And when I do saye Adeclaration or vtteryng I do vse the same to exclude mentall confessyon whyche though it may and ought at all tymes to be made vn to God yet that is not that sacramentall confessyon of which we heare speake And when I do saye Uo Uoluntarye I do put in that to declare that lyke as wyllyngly the synne is committed so also willingly and without compulsion the confession ought to be made And when I do say Lawefull and sufficient I do put in that to declare that it is not I noughe to make a bare or naked confession not carynge how or after what sorte it be made but to make it in suche wise that it may be lawefull and sufficiente That is to say after dewe deliberation and consultation for sene and had to so order the same that it may be done as is comprehended in these verses folowyng Sit simplex humilis confessio 〈◊〉 fidelis Atque frequens nuda discreta libens uerecunda Integra secretalacrimabilis 〈◊〉 Fortis et accusans et fit parere parata That is to say Let confessyon be playne humble pure faythefull and often not cloked discrete voluntarye hauinge shamefastnes hole secreate lamentable spedy stronge accu satorye of hym selfe and ready to obey AND when I doo put in this worde Synne I doo that to declare that he who commeth to confession must not do as the proude Pharisie did who prai sed himselfe and condempned the publican Luce. 8. But humbly and lowely as is beforesayde he muste declare and shewe his owne synne verefying in hym selfe the saying of Salomon in the. xvii chapiter of his prouerbes Iustus prior est accusator sui That is to saye A iuste man is firste an accuser of himselfe AND fynallye when I doo saye those wordes Unto the priest hauing sufficiente auctoritie to giue absolution therein I do purposelye put in them to declare that he who shall gyue absolution must be both a priest and also haue sufficient aucthoritie to gyue absolution NOVV conçernyng satisfaction which is the thirde thinge that apperteineth to perfect penaunce ye shal knowe that albeit this worde Satisfaction is diuersely taken aswell in scripture as other where yet as is shal be here consydered and as it is taken in the publyke and common vse of the catholyke Churche in thys matter it is a chastemente or punyshmente which is inflycted or put by the preist vpon the penytent synner so confessynge hymselfe accordyng to the nature and qualitie of the offence by him commytted And hereby apeareth that when we here do speake of satysfactyon we do not meane that the penytente synner by any payne or punyshmente by them to be suffred can worthely eyther merite remission of hys synnes or make vnto God any iuste or full recōpense equyualent to the synne whiche he hath commytted agaynst God and so satysfye God therby whiche in dede after that forte he neuer can do for that sorte of satysfaction onely apperteyneth to our Sauyoure CHRIST who alone by hys gloryous passyon hathe worked and purchased the same But to satisfye as here is ment by satysiactyon is the synner after 〈◊〉 and confession to submitte humblye hymselfe to suche discipline and wayes of reformation as the priest hearyng hys synnes and offences shall by hys 〈◊〉 and wysedome agreable to the worde of God thinke mete and conueniente whyche humble submission with consent and agremente to receaue dysciplyne made by the penytente vnto the priest beynge the gostlye fathere eyther to the gyuynge of almes makyng of prayor vsyng of fastynge or of doynge any such lyke workes of penaunce shall make the sayd penitent an apt vessell to be partaker of that onely satysfactyon procured meryted and gotten by the preciouse death of our Sauiour CHRISTIESVS and it shall gyue great occasyon and good mater to the penytent synner alwayes after to leade a newe lyfe declinynge from vyce and embracing vertue yet it shall enduce hym not onely to restore to all men a-that euer he hathe vniustlye taken or reteyned from them and to recompense al hurtes and iniuryes in any wyse done vnto them accordyng to hys habylitie and power But also to forgyue vnto all mene for CHRISTES sake all suche iniuryes and trespases as they in any wyse haue commytted or done agaynste hym And the penytente synner being contente thus to do wherein he shall vndoutedly muche please almyghtye God who by vertue of Chrystes satysfaction wyl accept allowe of his infinit goodnes this satisfaction contentment so don by man the sayd penitent synner may desire to heare the comfortable wordes of remyssyon of synnes and to haue absolution therof gyuen and mynystred vnto hym by the pryeste Accordyng to whose desire the preyste beynge Goddes 〈◊〉 therein muste ensuinge the Gospell pronounce and gyue vnto and vpon the sayde penytent 〈◊〉 the fentēte of absolution vnto the which sentēce the sayd penitent muste geue credence wyth perfecte fayth and beleife that hys synnes are nowe frely forgeuen by the merytes of Chrystes blessed passion in thys sacrament of Penaunce hauyng this contrition Confession satysfactyon and absolution whych we haue spoken of And albeit in the late pesti ferouse 〈◊〉 that ouerwhelmed thys realme thys Contrition Confession satisfaction and Penaunce were condempned and 〈◊〉 or at the least wise in maner neglected of all folkes yet in very dede they so ought not haue bene 〈◊〉 they are allowed approued by scrypture as anone shal be declared and shewed 〈◊〉 you and haue bene euer continuallye receyued vsed and muche set by as thynges most ne cessarye and profitable in the catholyke Churche for the amendement of mennes lyues and for they re attonement wyth almyghtye God 〈◊〉 to bee kepte in good estate and order to theyr great comfort and spe ciall releife And amongest a greate numbre of commodities that doe come by confession thys is not the lest that wher by custome or otherwise men be drouned in 〈◊〉 and do not se the abhomination and filthynes 〈◊〉 and therefore many tymes do wante Contrition and consequentlye remedye and helpe agaynst theyr synne they hauyng a discert honest gost ly father and 〈◊〉 commyng to hym may by his good instructiō exhortatiō groūded vpon the
word of God be styrred moued to detest theyr synne to lamēt theyr noughty 〈◊〉 thervpon to entre into a new lyfe to vse godlye conuersatiō and honest be hauiour in al their doīges And albeit this wai before descrybed be the ordinary way meanes for sinners to obteyne remissiō of sin to be recōciled to the fauour of almyghty GOD yet in case there do lacke a preyste to make this confession vnto and so to obteine ofhim being Goddes minister the sayd absolution or that the synner by extreme necessitie cannot do and fulfyll as of duety he ought gladly he should the said workes of Penaunce in confession so enioyned vnto him thē in that case hauing thys good wyll and beinge otherwise truely with all his harte repentāt of his hole former noughty lyfe not wanting therw t a harti mynde vn fayned purpose through Gods grace to do the same whē such necessitie shal cease good occasion or oportunitie shal be gyuē the sayd sinner vndoutedlye shall haue at Godes handes pardō forgyuenes of all hys sayd sinnes misdoinge for as S. Cipryan doth say in his first boke contra 〈◊〉 euen in the houre of death whē the soule is ready to departe out of the body the great mercyfull goodnes of God doth not dyspise Pe naūce so that neither the greatnes of synne nor the shortnes of tyme nor yet the enormitie of lyfe do exclude that sinner from the mercy of God if so be ther be true contrition vnfained change of the harte frō 〈◊〉 conuersatiō An example wherof we haue of the thefe that did hang vpon the crosse who askyng mercy with a cōtrite harte was in that case forthw t made a cetezen of Paradise where as he deserued cōdempnation punyshment this his contrite hart did chaung his payne into martirdom and his bloude into baptisme yet thys not withstandyng no man ought vpon hope of Gods mercye styll to contynue in synfull lyuing like as no man woulde be sycke in hys bodye vpon hope to recouer healthe for such as wyl not forsake theyr wyckednes and yet do thynke that GOD wyl forgeue them are full many tymes and commonlye so preuented wyth the iuste plage of GOD that neyther they haue tyme to conuerte nor yet grace to receyue the benefitte of forgeuenes For consideration of whych daunger scripture Eccle. 5. doth say thus Non tardes conuerti ad dominū et ne 〈◊〉 de die in diem subito enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illius ct in 〈◊〉 uindicte disperdet te That is to say Thou must not slacke to conuerte or tourne to God and thou must not differ or lynger from daye to daye for in dede hys anger wyl come sodenly and in the tyme of vengeaunce he will destroie the. Wherefore embrasynge the mercye of God on th one syde and fearyng the iustice of God on thother syde let vs at no tyme neyther dispayre of forgeuenes of our synnes nor yet presumptuouslye remayne 〈◊〉 in oure synnes knowynge that the iustice of God wyll straytlye exacte and require the dettes of all men which be not forgeuen or pardoned by hys clemency Here in thys matter amongest many other thynges two poyntes are specially to be noted and considered The fyrst is that althoughe the death of Christe be a satisfaction deseruyng and merytynge the remissyon of our synnes and not onelye oure synnes but of the synnes of the hole worlde as Saynct John sayeth 1. John 2. Etipse e st propitiatio pro peccatis nostris et non pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantum sed etiam pro totius mundi Wherby euerlastynge death is sufficicientlye of Christes parte abolished yet on oure behalfe it taketh not alwayes effecte by reason that we endeuor not our selues that it may be dulye applied vnto vs. For such is the mercy of CHRIST that he woulde haue all to be sauede and therefore when he approched nigh vnto the citie of Hierusalem and sawe the great enormities and wickednes therof he wepte vpon it and sayde Si cognouisses et tu et quid 〈◊〉 in hac dei tud quae ad pacem tibi nunc autem abscondita sunt ab 〈◊〉 Luce 19 That is to saye And thou yf thou hadest knowen and that in thys thy daye those thinges which belonge vnto thy peace but nowe are hid from thine eyes Luke the xix For which cause also Chryst lyke wyse in the reproche of Hierusalem cryed vnto it saying Mathei 23. Hierusalem hierusalem qui occidis prophetas et lapidas cos qui at te missi sunt quoties volui congregare filios tuos quemadmodum 〈◊〉 congregat pullos suos sub alas suas et noluisti That is to say O Hierusalem Hierusalem which dothe kyll the Prophetes and doest stone them whiche are sente vnto the howe often wolde I haue gathered thy chyldren together as the henne gathereth her chyckenes vnder her wynges but thou wouldest not Mathewe xxiii According wherevnto Christ also sayde vnto his Disciples Mathei 16. Si quis uult post me uenire aboget semetipsum et to 〈◊〉 lat crucem suam et sequatur me That is to saye 〈◊〉 anye man will come after me let hym denye hymselfe and take his Crosse and folowe me And immediately there doth folowe Qui enim uoluerit animam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saluam 〈◊〉 perdet cam Qui autem perdiderit animam suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say For in dede he that wyll saue his soule shall lease it and he that wyll lose his soule for my sake shall fynde it Agreable where vnto S. Paule not contentyd to haue sayd that no dampnation is to them that are in corpate to CHRIST and whych do not walke after the flesh but after the spirite nor beyng contented to haue called them the children of GOD the heyres of GOD and coheyres of CHRIST dothe in the. viii chapiter to the Romaynes knitte vppe al those thynges together and concludeth all the same to take effect cōditionally saying Sitamen compatimur vt et 〈◊〉 That is to say 〈◊〉 yet we do suffer with himthat with hym also we maye be gloryfyed And thys to be true it well appeared for that that at the day of Judgment when the sonne of mā shall come in his glorye and all hys holye Angelles wyth hym and on the one syde of hym there shal stand the shipe on the other the goates it shal not be sufficient or inoughe to say to Chryst Syr you haue sufficiently redemed vs by your passiō we nede not for our parte to do any thing at all sauing to beleue you soo to haue done For Chryst then shal saye otherwyse vn to them for vnto the blessed chyldren of hys father he shall saye Venite benedicti patris mei 〈◊〉 paratum nobis regnum a constitutione mundi suriui et dedistis mihi māducare c. That is to saye Come you the blessed of my father doo you possesse the kyngdome prepared for you
malum Quia etiam hoc meritum sibi quisque cum in corpore uiueret comparas uit ut ei possint ist a 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 omnibus prosunt Et quare 〈◊〉 omnibus prosunt Nisipropter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quam quisque gessit in corpore Cum ergo 〈◊〉 altaris siue quarumcunque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defāctis 〈◊〉 offerantur pro non ualde bonis gratiarum actiones sunt pro non ualde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sunt pro 〈◊〉 malis si nulla sunt adiumenta 〈◊〉 qualesc unque uiuorum consolationes sunt That is to saye And it is not to be denyed that the soules of the deade through the deuotyon of theyr frendes beinge yet aliue are relieued or eased whan as for them eyther the sacrysyce of oure mediatoure is offered vppe or almes is geuen in the churche But these thynges are auayleable to suche as in theyr lyfe tyme dyd deserue that the same myghte doo them good For there is a certen maner of life and conuersation neyther so good or perfytte that it requireth or nedeth not these thynges after death nor yet so badde that after the departinge out of this 〈◊〉 lyfe it maye not thereby haue profytte and commoditie But there is suche state of life in the good man that it requireth not such thinges And again in the extreme wicked man suche as the state of his lyfe that whan he goeth oute of thys world he can not by anye deuotion of the lyuinge be holpen Wherefore here in thys lyfe all deserte or merite is purchased Wherebye a man after thys lyfe maye either be relyeued or greued And let no man hope that he can after his decease obteine of God that thynge which he here hath neglected And therefore these suffrages which the churche dothe vse or frequent for the deade to be receaued into more fauor or mercy with god are nothynge contrary to that saying of the Apostle saynte Paule where he sayeth For all we shal stand before the iudgement seate of Chryst that eue ry oue of vs may receaue accordynge to the dedes which he him selfe heare in bodye dyd eyther good or euyll Because euerye manne whyle he liued in the bodye dyd procure to him selfe this merite also it is to wytte that these suffrages may be profitable vnto hym For vndoutedly these thinges are not auailable to al men and whye is that But by reason of the difference in the life and conuersation of eueryche man whiche he dyd vse while he here liued on the earthe wherefore when the sacrifices either of the aultar or of any maner of almes are offered for all Chrysten soules departed the sayde sacrifices for very good mē departed are thankes geuings and for suche as deceased beinge not verie euill they are propritiations and finallie for the wicked or verye euill thoughe they are no helpes to them being deade yet they are to them which are aliue some kinde of comfortes And nowe forasmuch as we haue thus fully plainly by sufficient aucthorities declared that the sacryfyce of the masse or as saynt Augustyne in his foresayde proces doth call it the sacrifyce of the Aultare is a uayleable for the deade no man oughte or can doute but that the same is also auayleable to men yet liuing which with fayth and deuotion moste humblye praye almyghty god especiaily in the tyme of thys sacrifyce to applye vnto them by Chryste that remission and 〈◊〉 whiche was purchased and deserued by hys passion before And yet as we haue in all other the formar poyntes concernynge the sacramente of the 〈◊〉 so wyll we heare also alledge some plaine and pythy testimonyes for the confirmation of this parte And fyrste you shall call to youre remembrannce the saying of the Prophete Malachy whiche is here before in thys processe alledged for the profe of thys sacryfyce and note that forasmuch as god therein doth say that the sacrifyces of the olde lawe should cease gyue place to thys pure and cleane sacryfyce whych is offered vp to hym throughoute the hole worlde as to a most excellent and most acceptable sacryfyce in hys syghte therefore all those sondrye commodytyes whyche are in Moyses lawe reckened to haue come vnto the Jewes by the sayde sacrifices of the old lawe must nowe muche more plentifullye and fruitefullye come vnto vs chrysten men by the meaue of thys soo singuler a sacrifice so that we be worthy to enioy the effecte and fruite thereof Ye shall secondly also cal to your remembraunce the place of Saynte Paule in hys fyrst epystle to Tymothie and the seconde chapyter before of vs alledged with the exposition of S. Augustyne vpon the same place in whych hys exposition he noteth vnto vs the foure partes of the masse and those to be doue accordynge to Saynt Paules mynde there Pro omnibus hominibus pro re gibus et omnibus qui in sublimitate constituti sunt ut quietam et tranquillam uitam agamus in oms ni pietate et castitate c. That is to saye For al men for Kynges for all whyche are in hyghe aucthoritie to the intente that we maye leade a quyet and peaseable lyfe in all godlynes and honestye And accordyng herevnto Saynt Basyll be yng aboue an eleuen hundred yeare ago in his masse setteth fourth as vsed in the Churche at hys tyme thys prayer folowing Da domine ut pro nostris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 populi ignorantijs acceptum sit sacrificium nostrum That is to say Graunte o lorde that for oursynnes and the ignorances of the people thys sacrifyce maye be accepted of the. And the lyke hath Saynt Chrysostome also in his masse with 〈◊〉 Saynt Augu styne fully agreing doth in very many places make mention of thys sacryfyce in the fruyte thereof but mooste notable in the eyght chapyter of hys 22 boke De ciuitate dei But nowe to come to speake of that fruite whych the worthy receauer of this sacrament enioyeth three or foure wordes may in thys behalfe suffyce partelye for that neuer any chrysten man to thys day yet ther of dyd doute and partely for that the scrypture moste playnely in the vi of Ihon doth saye Qui manducat me ipse uiuit propter me That is to saye He that eatethe me meanyng of the worthy receyuynge of the sacrament as the processe there declareth he shall also liue throughe me And what greater proffytte ioy comforte or blysse can come to anye man then to lyue through Chryst which is asmuch to saye as bothe in thys worlde to be a lyuelye member of Chryste and 〈◊〉 the lyfe to come to be coherytoure with him in the kyngdome of heauen Accordyng wherevnto Saint Cyryll in his 4 booke and xvii chapyter vpon Jhon sayeth Nos uero si uitam eternam consequi uolumus si largitorè immortalitatis habere in nobis desideramus ad recipiendam benedictionem libenter concurramus That is to soye 〈◊〉 we wil obteine euerlastyng life yf we desire to haue within vs immortalitie let vs
sacramentes we can doo no lesse then of chrysten charitie to wyshe that all those who in thys late scismaticall tyme haue vndoutedlye by the instigation of the deuyll eyther vtterlye contempned or litle regardrd these sacramentes and emongeste them speciallye this sacramente of extreme vnction will nowe after our ioyfull reconciliation to the vnytie of the catholyke churche regarde all the sayde sacramentes as they ought to do and soo lyue heare in thys transitory worlde that they conunynge to there extreme passage which at one time or other they can not escape maye from deathe come to lyfe and from death of the body haue euerlastyng lyfe of the soule and in conclusion after the generall resurrectiō haue the body ioyned vnto the soule in blysse euerlastynge whiche almyghty God graunt vnto vs all ¶ Here nowe doo folowe the ten commaundementes of almyghty God whiche are taken oute of Exodus the. xx oute of Leuiticus the xxvi and out of Deuteronomie the. v. chapiters .i. Thou shalt not haue straūge Goddes before me .ii. Thou shalte not make to the anye grauen thinge nor anye lykenesse of anye thynge that is in heauen aboue aud that is in earth beneth nor of them that be in the waters 〈◊〉 der the earth Thou shalt not adore them nor honour them with godly honoure .iii. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lorde God in vayne .iiii. Remembre that thou kepe holye the Saboth daye .v. Honoure thy father and thy mother .vi. Thou shalt not kyll .vii. Thou shalt not commytte adultery Thou shalt not steale viii Thou shall not vtter or beare false wytnesse agaynst thy neighboure ix Thou shalte not couette thy neyghboures x. house nor desyre thy neighbours wife nor his seruaunt nor hys maiden nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is hys ¶ The preface of the. x. commaundementes THree partes of oure promyse beynge nowe perfourmed it is to wytte first what fayth is and how it is to be taken in this boke secondly the exposytion of the twelue articles of the chrysten beleife theyrdely the declaration of the. vii sacramentes the promysed order nowerequyreth that in this fourth place the tenne commaun dementes with theyr declaration be set fourth vnto you for an introduction vnto whiche ye shall note foure poyntes Fyrste what is the lawe or the commaundemente of God Secondelye howe the commaundementes of God must be obserued to the plea sure of God and our saluation Thyrdely what gre uous punyshmentes God dothe in holye Scripture threaten and manace vudoutedlye to be inflycted to the breakers of his commaundementes and fourthlye what greate rewardes the keapers of hys law cōmaundementes shall receaue at Goddes handes Touchynge the fyrst poynte whiche is what the law and commaundemente of God is you shall knowe that the lawe of God is a rule gyuen to vs of God for the good guydynge of our selues Whiche rule declareth and sheweth to vs what is the wyll and plea sure of God for vs to doo or not to dooe in thoughte worde and dede And when I call it a rule I meane that as the bryckelayer cannot make a wal euen and strayghte withoute the direction of hys lyne nor a mason can not hewe any coygne or assler stone with 〈◊〉 the direction of his squyre and rule nor the 〈◊〉 master can guyde or styre his shyppe safely to good hauen or harborough withoute the direction of the compasse so neyther man nor woman can order guyde and rule theyr lyfe euenly dyrectly streightlye to the wyll and pleasure of almyghty God without the knowledge and direction of his lawe and commaundementes which are the lyne rule squyre and compasse whereby we maye reare our workes vpryghtly frame our selfes in vertue constantly and gouerne the course of lyfe into the hauen of felicitie prosperouslye And where I saye that the commaun dementes are geuen to vs of God I declare thereby that onely God hath both throughe the lawe of nature in our hartes prynted them and also in the law of Moyses with his owne fynger that is to saye by the vertue of the holy spyryte in two tables of stone wrytten them And laste of all our sauioure Chryste beynge both God and man hath ratified and expoūded them in the newe lawe of the Gospell to the intent that with all diligence we shoulde studye to obserue and kepe the sayd commaundements not onely because they are so expediente and profitable vnto vs but especially because that thei are geuen to vs of God who therby doth declare to vs his godlye wyll and pleasure vnto whom both we and all creatures els are bounde to be obedient And as touchynge the seconde poynte whiche is howe we muste obserue and kepe the commaundementes of God to his pleasure and thereby obtayne of him rewarde in heauen ye shall here note that we must kepe the 〈◊〉 three maner of wayes first holy and 〈◊〉 in theyr perfecte number being ten accordyng wherevnto in the first chapiter of S. Luke in the high and greate commendation of Zachary and Elyzabeth the parentes of Saint Ihon Baptyste it is wrytten Erant autem iusti 〈◊〉 de um incedentes in omnibus mandatis et iustificationibus domini sine querela That is to say And thei both were iust before GOD walkyng or lyuyngem all the cōmaundementes iustifications of GOD without any complaynte agaynst them And I do saye those wordes Holye and fully forasmuch as it is not inough to kepe parte or some of the sayd commaundementes of God and to leaue parte of them vnkepte But as in a harpe a lute or a vyol being instrumentes of 〈◊〉 euery string with other must be tuned and none lefte vntuned leste thereby some vnpleasant soundes and discords might be vttered so we muste putte all and euerye the commaundementes of God to theyr tuneable fashion and practyse lest that yf any be left vnused or 〈◊〉 of vs there might to the pure and cleane eares and iudgemente of Almyghtye GOD come thereby some vnpleasaunte sownde and vnswete reporte of our lyues and doynges Accordyng wherevnto Saynt Iames in the. ii chapiter of his epistle sayeth 〈◊〉 totam legem 〈◊〉 rit offendat autem in uno factus est omniū reus That is to saye whosoeuer shall kepe the hole lawe and yet offende in one poynte or parte thereof is become gyltie of all The second way by whiche we must kepe the commaundementes of God is that we doo kepe them with a ryght intention that is for the loue for the honor and for the glory of God onelye and not for anye honoure or glorye to be geuen to vs of man in thys lyfe For whosoeuer in doinge of hys good dedes intendeth principally to get honor glory or reward of man hath a wronge intention and hys dede soo done yea although it be commaunded of God is not pleasaunte or acceptable vnto God And of thys ryghte intention speaketh our sauiour Chryst in the vi chapiter of Saynte Mathewe sayinge
Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus Sioculus tuus fuerit simplex totum corpus tuum lucidum erit Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam totum corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nebrosum erit That is to saye The light of thy body is thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine eie be simple or 〈◊〉 then all thy body wil be bright or cleare but yf thine eie be euill or nought all thy bodye wil be full of darkenes Heare by the eye is vnderstanded the intente the regarde or purpose of mans hart and by the bodye is ment the wordes actes and 〈◊〉 of man procedynge from the harte and by that intente directed and ordered Therefore Saynt Paule agreing herevnto doth exhorte vs in his first Epistle to the Corynthyans and in the. x. chapiter saying thus Siue manducatis siue bibitis siue aliud quid facitis omnia in gloriam dei facite That is to saye Whether ye do eat whether ye do drink or whether ye do any other thinge ells do ye all thinges vnto the glory of GOD Nowe the thyrd way whereby we must obserue the commaundementes of GOD is with constancye and perseueraunce to contynue in the doyng of thē For as our Sauiour Chryst sayeth in the. x. of Mathewe Qui perseuer auerit usque in finem hic saluus erit That is to saye He that doth perseuer or continue vntill the very ende shall be saued And in dede so constantlye we shoulde kepe Goddes commaundementes that no temporall payne threatened or put vnto vs in this worlde shoulde moue vs to breake any of them Such a constant seruaunt to God was Susanna of whome we reade in the. xiii chapiter of Danyell that when she was prouoked to the synne of adultery by two olde iudges vnder no lesse paine then to be accused in open iudgement whiche was death by the lawe she woulde not graunte to that synnefull dede but sayde these wordes Angustie sunt mihi undique sienim hoc egero mors mihiest siautem non egero non effugiam manus 〈◊〉 Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus hominum 〈◊〉 peccare in conspectu domini That is to saye Alas I am in trouble on euery side for yf I committe this dede it is death to me and if I doo it not I cannot escape your handes Well it is better for me to fall in to the hands of mē than to synne in the syghte of GOD. We wyll passe ouer the honorable auncyent father Eleazar mencyoned of in the seconde boke and the. vi chapiter of the Machabees We wyl not stay vpon the. vii brethern and theyr mother spoken of in the. ii boke and seuenth chapiter of the Machabees of whiche one of the chyldren sayde Parati sumus magis mori quam patrias deileges preuaricari That is to saye We are redy rather to die then to breake or transgresse the lawes of God which oure fathers kepte But of late dayes in the tyme of oure pestiferous scisme the new broched brethern rather woulde tumble to hel headelonge then they would doo as the catholyke Churche from Chrystes tyme hetherto hath done concernynge the lawes of GOD and the rytes of the sayde catholyke churche And yet forsoth they wyll chaleng martyrdome but those seuen innocentes doo condempne them in this case And thys nowe haue ye heard howe ye should kepe the commaundementes of GOD to his pleasure firste in kepyng them all and euery of them and not in kepyng some and to offende in the other Secōdly in kepyng them with a ryght intention whyche is for the loue of God and eternall rewarde whych is God hymselfe And thyrdly in obseruyng the same with constancye and perseueraunce to the 〈◊〉 of our lyfe In which doinge ye kepe 〈◊〉 to the pleasure of God and to your eternall 〈◊〉 withoute kepyng of them ye neyther can please him nor haue lyfe euerlastyng accordyng to Chrystes owne sentence and iudgement when he sayd Si uis ad 〈◊〉 ingrediserua 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylte entre to lyfe kepe the commaundementes Nowe to come to speake of the thyrde parte or poynte of our diuision made in the begynnynge of thys preface it is to wytte of the greuous paynes punishmentes and afflictions that God in scrypture doth threaten and menace to be inflicted vpon such as breake hys commaundementes ye shall vnderstand first that the trangressours of Goddes law commaundementes are generally accursed of gods owne mouth as the Prophette Dauyd in the. 118. Psalme declarethe sayinge Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis That is to saye Cursed be they which doo declyne or 〈◊〉 from thy commaundementes And of the particuler sharpe and dredfull scourges punyshmentes and plages whiche do lyght vpon the trangressours of these commaundementes ye may rede in the. 〈◊〉 chapiter of Leuiticus and in the. xxvii and. xxviii chapiters of Deuteronomy And howe that to the terrible example of other almyghtye God hath from tyme to tyme executed his Justyce vpon aswell pryuate men women as also vpon myghty rulers prynces kynges and emperours besydes thē vpon Townes Cities ye hole countryes and kyngedoms in scourgyng 〈◊〉 afflyetynge and plagynge them for breaking trangressing of his lawes commaūdementes the scryptures most habundantly do testify As that some were of the earth swalowed vp quicke euen vnto hell and euerlastynge payne and that other some yea fyne hole Cities with fyre brymestone poured downe from heauen were quyte brent vp and consumed and ferther that a greate number of chyldren by beares sent by God sodenly were deuoured for theyr lewde and wycked behauioure with very many other such lyke terrible examples in the Scryptures at large sufficientlye expressed which were to longe particulerlye here to rehearse and are easye there to be founde Wherefore to conclude thys thyrd parte we aduyse all men to haue contynually before theyr eyes that dreadeful saying of S. Paule in the. vi to the Romaynes Stipendia pecca timors That is to saye The stipend or rewarde of synne is death Meanyng thereby not onelye here in thys worlde temporall death of the body but also after thys lyfe death eternal payne in hell fyre And as concernynge the fowerth and last part of our first proposed diuision it is to wytte of the great rewarde and blessynges which shall come to them that in such sorte as before we haue expounded kepe the lawes and commaundementes of allmightye God fyrst ye shall note those comfortable words of almyghty God in the twentyth chapiter of Exodus where he sayth of hymselfe thus Faciens misericordiam in millia 〈◊〉 qui diligunt me 〈◊〉 custodiunt precepta mea That is to saye Doynge mercy vnto thousands to thē that loue me kepe my commaūdements And agayne in the. xxvi of Leuiticus he sayth Si in prae ceptis meis ambulaueritis mandatamea custodieritis feceritis 〈◊〉 dabo uobis pluuias temporibus suis terragignet germen suum pomis Arbores
dyd geue Gods honoure and worship And that the ymages vsed in the churche were sygnes and memorialles of Chryste and the holy saynctes And that the reuerence whych is done before the ymages is not done or mente to be done to the wood stone syluer gold or any other suche stuffe or matter where of anye Image is made no 〈◊〉 yet to the workemanshyppe or beautiful shape thereof as though there were any suche worthynes or dignytye therin but we beholdynge the pyctures or Images myght be brought thereby in remembraunce of them theyr lyues doynges and deathes whose Images they are or whome they represente and there vpon imitate and dilygentlye folowe to our power all the same as when we ernestlye and intentiuely doe behold the Image of the Crucifixe we then haue good occasyon to remembre the incarnation lyfe passyon and deathe of our Sauiour Chryste And when we beholde the Image of the blessed Uyrgyn Mary mother of Chryst we then are styrred vp to thinke in our hartes how that blessed mother beinge of our mortal humayne nature dyd in her wombe conceyue by a meanes far passyng the capacitie of manne or angell to comprehende our sauyour Chryst being bothe god and man and that therfore we do prayse magnyfye and extolle her aboue all creatures visible and inuisible and that for lyke reason and cause the Images of the Prophetes apostles 〈◊〉 other 〈◊〉 and derely beloued seruauutes of God are certayne sygnes by whych as in a glasse we behold their godlye conuersation lyfe affliction and deathe that by the beholdynge of theyr Images we may styrre vppe and renewe in vs that affection and loue which we haue to the very Saynctes for theyr godlynes and vertues sakes And besydes thys in the sayd assēblye or general counsayle thys similitude folowyng was then thoughte mete to open and declare some what the matter and the maner of Images in the Churthes of Chrysten men wyth the vse thereof That 〈◊〉 as when we do receyue letters from an emperoure a kynge or greate prynce we do kysse the seale of the sayde letters not for the waxe sake but geuing therby our dewe honour and reuerence to the emperour kynge or prynce whose letters we doo receyue Euen so when Chrysten men are before an Image as for example before the ymage of the crucifix ther knelyng or kyssyng the same hauynge in theyr heartes and myndes godly intention and affection they doe not entende or mynde thereby to adore or worshyppe the very Image selfe being of wood stone 〈◊〉 other matter whiche in dede being 〈◊〉 mouldered a way for the oldenes of it or other wyse beynge consumed or defaced they do regarde it nothynge at all nor haue it in any estimation but beholding the said Image of the Crucifix beyng as a seale and a token or remembraunce of the passyon of Chryste they are thereby admonished and 〈◊〉 in remembraunce to salute adore him who for alour sakes suffred death vpon she crosse nayled and crucified as the Image of thys 〈◊〉 doeth effectually represent and therefore that is to saye for Chryst and hys passions sake that sygne of the crosse maye be and is set vp erected in churches houses markette places in hyghewayes and els 〈◊〉 yea and wouen in garmentes or other clothes for such godly purposes and intentes that by the oft seinge and beholdyng of the same we at all tymes and in all affayres maye be myndefull of oure Sauiour and redemer Iesus Chryste and of hys moste bytter passion whyche he for oure synnes dydsuffer The same counsayle also hath this other example that lyke wyse as when we do kysse the booke of the Gospels we haue not suche affection and loue to the parchement paper or letters made with ynke as for theyr sakes to kysse the boke but hauynge onelye respect to those holsome comfortable and holy sayinges whych are in the boke conteyned do for that respect and for their sakes with al our hole hartes mindes kysse and embrace the booke most ioyfullye Euen so when we doo worshyppe the Images of Saynctes we doo not worshyppe those outwarde shapes or fygures but we do worshyppe the gyftes graces and vertues whiche god hath wrought in those saynctes whose Images they are for we do prayse the godlynes of theyr lyues and styrre vp oure selues thereby to imitate and folowe theyr fote steppes and there withal we do make prayer vnto almyghty god that he wylbe mercifull and bountifull vnto vs through the intercession and merites of them And in dede we doe not speake to nor praye vnto the Crosse of Christ or the ymage of anye sayncte in thys wyse Dijnostricstis Exod. 32. cap. That is to saye 〈◊〉 are oure Goddes For we know ful well and are most assured what they are and that they are not nor yet can be Goddes being but only similytudes and ymages of Christe and hyssaynctes whiche saynctes we doo reuerence and worshyppe for Goddes sake as when we worshyppe any martyr we glorifye God and hys gyftes in the same Martyr and when we honoure the blessed vyrgyn Mary mother of Chryste we honoure in her Chryste whose mother she is And when we honour the apostles we honoure in them hym that sent them Besydes al these foresayd thinges expressed in the fore sayde auncient general counsayl and there wyth vnyforme consent agreed vpon and decreed you shall fynde in the same Counsayle faythfully and truely alleadged a great number of testunonyes for thys purpose oute of Athanasius Eusebius Pamphili Basilius Magnus Gregorius Nizenus Gregorius Theologus Isodorus Pelusiota Cyrillus Nilus Asterius 〈◊〉 Theodorus Myrorum A nastasius Sophromus Euagrius Theodorus lector Germanus patryarche of Constantinople beyng all auncyent fathers of the Greke Churche And oute of the Latyn Churche there be testymonyes there cytcd and brought oute as of Ambrose Hierome and Gregorye of whyche fore sayde testymonyes we wyll for youre better contentation and satisfaction alleadge some out of the very actes and recordes of the same Counsayle And fyrst of Athanasius there is thys saiyng noted and expressed Qui in alicuius typum 〈◊〉 aut effigiem ignominiosus est in illum cuius est typus iniuriam factam 〈◊〉 That is to saye whoso euer is ignominious or spitefull to the forme ymage or pycture of any we thynke that iniurye donne to hym whose forme Image or picture it is Seconde of Basilyus magnus there is in the sayde Counsayle thys testimonye or sayinge recyted Quemadmodum adeo Christianam inculpabilem nostram fidem ueluti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic confiteor in comaneo Credo autem in 〈◊〉 deum omnipotentem deum patrem deum filium spiritum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deum hec 〈◊〉 adoro glorisico Confiteor 〈◊〉 filij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deinde sanctam Mariam 〈◊〉 secundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hanc deiparam 〈◊〉 suspicio ctiam sanctos apostolos prophetas 〈◊〉 tyres qui pro me apud deum supplicant quo per illorum mediationem pro pitius sit
agaynste theyr enemyes dyd ernestlye solicite and moue Ozais theyr chiefe ruler to render vppe the towne to the Assyrians who than beseyged them And that the sayde Ozias dyd exhorte then the people to be quiet and patiente and to abyde the mercye of GOD duringe the space of 〈◊〉 dayes promising them that after fyue dayes yf God dyd not succoure or ayde them againste theyr enemyes he then woulde accordynge to theyr desyres render vppe the towne vpon whych aunswere of Ozias the Godly wydówe Judyth mislikyng greatly the same dyd rebuke Ozias sharpelye for that he would and dyd presume to ap poynte God anye tyme in whyche he shoulde deliuer them from the daunger that they were in and howe also she sayde to Ozias and to other that were wyth hym in thys maner Quod est hoc 〈◊〉 in quo consensit Ozias ut tradat ciuitatem Assyris si intra 〈◊〉 dies non 〈◊〉 uobis 〈◊〉 Et qui estis uos 〈◊〉 tentatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onest iste sermo quimisericordiam prouoces sed potiut 〈◊〉 iram exitet et 〈◊〉 accendat Posuistis uos tempus miserationis domini in orbitrium uestrum diem constitu istis ei That is to saye What thynge is thys wherevnto Ozias hath consented that he woulde delyuer the cytye to the assyrians yf wythin fyue dayes there come no succour or ayde vnto you And who are you that tempt our Lord God thys speache or sayinge is not suche as may prouoke the mercy of GOD but rather such as maye styrre vp hys anger and kyndle hys fury haue you putte or sette a time of the miseration or merci of our Lord and haue apointed or prescribed vnto hym a daye after youre wyll or pleasure Nowe concernynge Charytie whyche is the thyrd thynge requyred in prayer you shall vnderstand that wythout it no prayer 〈◊〉 be in anye wyse acceptable before the face of GOD. And therefore oure Sauyoure Chryste sayeth in the 〈◊〉 of Mathewe in thys wyse Yf thou offer thy gyfte at the aultar and there dooeste remember that thy brother hathe anye thynge agaynste the leaue thy gyfte ther before the Aulter and goo and be fyrste reconciled to thy brother and than come and offer thy gyfte Thus you see howe that yf you wyl haue your prayer harde and accepted of almyghtye God you muste of necessitie be fyrst prepared thervnto by faythe hope and charytie More ouer in the scryptures lefte for oure instruction and edifienge there are sondrye examples teachynge vs that prayer accumpanyed wyth fastynge and almes dedes is made therby a greate deale the more acceptable in the syghte of almyghtye God as apearethe in the twelue chapiter of the boke called Thoby wher the Aungell of God dothe saye vnto Thoby thelder as foloweth Bona est oratio cum ieiunio 〈◊〉 magis q̄ thesaurus 〈◊〉 That is to say Prayer with fastinge and almes dedes is good rather then to heape vp threasures of Golde Other examples also there are 〈◊〉 as of Kynge Iosaphat and the Iewes in the. ix 〈◊〉 of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon of Iudeth and the chyldren of Israell in the iiii chapyter of Iudythe of the Niniuites in the thyrd chapiter yf the prophet Ionas of Cornelius the conturiō in the x. chapyter of the actes of the Apostles but these are sufficiente And to procede further Concernynge 〈◊〉 ye shall note that when when we do praye our intent and the hole desyre of oure harte ought to be ioyned alwaye with the praier of oure mouth elles that reprochs wrytten by the pro phete Esaye in his xxix Chapyter recyted also in the. xv chapyter of Mathew may wel be verified on vs whyche is Populus hic lahijs me honorat cor autem corum longe esta me That is to saye Thys people honourethe me with theyr lyppes but theyr harte is farre from me And to drawe nere to oure purpose and speciallye to speake of oure Lordes prayer called the Pater noster you shall vnderstande that amongeste all the prayers whyche a Chrysten man maye make to God there is none soo worthy and so excellent a pray er as it is For it was not made and taughte vs by anye earthlye creature no nor by anye aungell of hea uen but by the very sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Chryste who is the eternal wysedome of God the father And the prayer is soo compendions and shorte that it maye easelye be learned and borne in mynd of all men so that excuse of ignoraunce or of not knowynge of it or of omyttynge the frequente vse and sayynge of it is cleane taken awaye from all personnes hauinge the vse of reason And thoughe thys prayer be shorte in wordes yet it is excedynge longe and pro founde in sence For in vii petytions comprysed in it it dothe conteyne all thynges that we canne desyre of God whether it be for the welthe of oure soule or of oure bodye or otherwyse and not onelye concerning thys lyfe but also concernynge the lyfe to come And it dothe kepe the selfe same order whyche we oughte to kepe in alloure desyres and petytyons For fyrste and aboue all other thinges we shoulde desyre that God be knowen honoured gloryfyed and magnyfyed bothe of vs and also the people of the worlde And that is it whych we do desyre of GOD in the fyrste petition sayinge Hallowed be thy name Secondlye we shoulde desyre at Goddes handes all thynges that are good and that doo we in the three petitions nexte folowynge for in the fyrste of the thre whyche is Let thy kyngdome come we doo aske eternall good thynges in the seconde whiche is Let thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen We doo aske spiritual good thynges And in the thyrde whyche is Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade We doo aske temporal good thynges appertaynynge to our bodely sustentation Thyrdelye as we oughte to desyre God to delyuer vs from al euyll soo doo we in the three last petitions for in the fyrste of them whyche is Forgeue vs oure trespaces as we doo forgyue thē that trespace agaynste vs. we doo desyre God to deliuer vs from synne and eternall deathe whyche is the rewarde of synne And in the seconde whyche is And leade vs not into temptation We do desyre to be deliuered from our spirituall enemyes and in the laste whyche is But deliuer vs from euyll We doo desyre be sydes other thynges that we may be delyuered from euyles temporall Breifely thys prayer of our Lord is so profound soo aboundaunt and so plenteous that there is no prayer whether it be wryttrn in the olde testament or in the newe but the summe and effecte thereof is conteyned in some of these seuen petytyons Wherefore we exhorte all people to saye thys prayet ofte distinctlye and 〈◊〉 and well to note the particuler declaration thereof which here foloweth ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fyrste petition of the Pater noster whyche is Oure father
she hathe brought forth our sauyour 〈◊〉 Chryst but also she herselfe is exalted in heauē aboue all aungelles and archaungelles Besydes thys also the matter it selfe conteyned in thys Salutation is of such worthynes comforte and spirytuall fruyte to the faythfull rememberer and deuoute frequenter of the same that all goode men haue alwayes founde them selues by meditation hereof greately edysyed And thys thinge to no man can seme straunge that wyll duely marcke the pythe effecte and weyghtye sense in the same salutation conteyned whyche 〈◊〉 wyll here 〈◊〉 declare vnto you And fyrste you shall vnderstand how that it was decreed of the hole 〈◊〉 that after the fall of 〈◊〉 fyrste father Adam by whiche mankynde was exiled out of heauen the second person in Trinitye shoulde take vpon hym the perfecte Nature of man to redeme mankynde from the power of the Deuyll and to reconcyle the same agayne vnto hys Lorde God And for thys purpose as S. Luke in hys fyrste Chapyter declareth the aungell Gabryell was sente from God to the Uyrgin Mari with the highest message that euer was which was to treate and conclude a leage of peace betwene God and manne And when thys aungell came vnto thys blessed Uirgin he sayde these wordes Hayleful of grace oure lorde is with the blessed arte thou amongest women And truelye thys worde Hayle or be ioyfull is a worde moste mete and conuenyent for the aungell commynge on a message to begynne hys Salutation wythall For neuer was there Creature that hadde soo greate and Iuste cause to reioyse for anye Benefytte receyued at godes handes as had the blessed byrgyn Marye for that it pleased almyghtye God to chuse specyallye and appoynte her to that moste excellente and incomparable dignytye that of her should be con ceyued and borne Chryste beynge both god and man the sauioure and redemer of all mankynde And not onelye for this cause or purpose the aungell beganne with this worde of highe comforte but also for that he perceyued the virgyn beyng alone would be much abashed and astonyed at hys marueylous and sodayne comminge vnto her And therefore thoughte it expedient fyrste of all to vtter thys worde of Ioye and comforte whyche myghte also put away al feare from the blessed Uyrgynne And by these woordes Our lorde is wyth the is signifyed that GOD was in the vyrgyn Mary not onelye by essence power and presence as he is in all creatures nor onely with his speciall grace as he is in all holye men and women but he was also in her by receyuynge of oure nature and fleshe of her substaunce yea the hole Trinitie was with her by a singuler and specyall sorte for the sonne of god was with her in that she conceyued bare him The holye gost was with her for that she by hys power and vertue dyd conceyne God the father was wyth her because she in tyme conceyued hys sonne being of him begottē by eternall generation before all tyme. And by these woordes blessed arte thou amongeste all women was mente that there neuer was nor shall be woman soo blessed as she was And truelye she maye well be called most blessed 〈◊〉 gest all women for that she had greate and hygh prerogatiues whyche neuer other woman euer hadde hath or shall haue Is not this a hygh prerogatyue that of all women she was chosen to be a mother to the sonne of God And what excellent honor was she put to whan not withstandyng the decree was made of Chrystes natyuitie by the holye Trinitie yet the thynge was not done and accomplyshed wythoute or before her consent was graunted for the whyche so solempne a messenger was sente and also howe hygh grace was thys that after the defaulte made throughe the perswasion of the fyrst woman Eue by whome Adam was brought into disobedyence and thereby all mankynde to state of dampnation thys blessed Uyrgyn was electe to be the instrumente of oure reparation in that she was chosen to beare the Sauiour and redemer of the worlde And is not thys a wonderfull prerogatiue to see a Uyrgyn to be a mother and conceyue her chylde wythout synne the archaungell myghte therefore worthely saye that she the sayde Mary was the most blessed of all other women And wyth these wordes the aungell Gabryell made an ende of this salutation But yet yee shall note that the wordes folowynge whyche are And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Be not the wordes of the aungell but of S. Elyzabeth mother of Ihon Baptist for whan after the departinge of the angel Gabriel the virgyn Marye beynge cōceiued 〈◊〉 Christ came to salute her cosē Elizabeth she the sayde Elyzabethe beynge inspyred wyth the holy Ghost thereby knowyng that the vyrgyn Mary was conceyued wyth Chryste spake the aforesayde wordes of the fruyte being in the vyrgyns wombe it is to wytte of our sauiour 〈◊〉 And here is also an other wonderfull thynge to be noted for as it appeareth in the fyrst chapyter of Saynte Luke the chylde in S. Elizabethes wombe that is to saye Saynt Ihon Baptiste whiche yet had scant lyfe gaue testimonye to thys frute that it shoulde saue hym and all the worlde and as a prophette he dyd lepe for ioye in his mothers wombe and althoughe he coulde not than speake yet neuerthelesse he declared by such signes and tokens as he coulde that blessed was the fruyte of that wombe And worthe ly the thyng is called the fruyte of her wombe in that the substaunce of the nature of man whych our sauiour Chryste toke vpon hym was taken of the nature of the moste blessed vyrgyn and of her wombe And so therefore it is called the fruyte of her wombe And he maye well be called the blessed fruyte for that he hath saued vs and gyuen vs lyte contrarye to the cursed fruyte whych Eue gaue to Adam by whiche we were dystroyed and broughte to deathe But blessed is the fruyte of thys wombe whyche is the fruyte of lyfe euerlastyng And it is here to be noted that althoughe thys falutatyon be not a prayer of petition supplication or request or suyte Yet neuerthelesse the Churche hath vsed to adioyne it to the ende of the Pater noster as an hymne or prayer of laude and prayse partely of our lorde and sauyoure Iesus Chryst for oure redemptyon and partelye of the blessed virgin for her humble consent gyuen and expressed to the auugell at hys salutation In dede laudes prayses thankes are in thys 〈◊〉 Maria pryncypally gyuen and yelded to our Lord as to thauetor of our redemption but yet here wythall the vyrgyn lackethe not her laudes prayse and thankes for her excellent and synguler vertues and chyefiye for that she beleued and humbly consented accordynge to the 〈◊〉 of the holye Matrone S. Elizabethe whan she sayd to thys vyrgyn Luce. i. Bessed arte thou that dyddest geue truste and credence to the aungelles wordes for all thynges that haue ben spoken vnto the shal be 〈◊〉
sonne-Chryst Iesu our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye for euer Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologie professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelye of the redemption of man IT was declared vnto you good christen people in the last homelye howe oure fyrste parentes Adā and Eue were by the synguler goodnes and especiall fauoure of almyghtye God created ryghte worthye creatures and in the estate of parfytte innocencye It was also shewed howe thorought disobedience to theyr creator they broughte them selues and al mankind into the estate of euerlastynge damnation Now shall you consequentlye heare of the delyueraunce of man out of that dampnable estate that is of oure redemption For the vnderstandynge whereof you must perfytlye beare in mynde that the whole nature of man both in bodye and soule was thorough orygynall sinne greatelye defiled For the soule whych is the cheyf part of mā loste thereby the especiall gyftes of grace wyth whyche it was indued in the creation and besydes that it was also 〈◊〉 in the gyftes of nature as in memorye intelligence wyll and other lyke And the body whych is the inferior parte it also was by the meanes of orygynall synne brought to the necessarye estate of mortalitie so that it muste nedes die and was throughe that synne of our sayde fyrste parentes made weke and brought to be subiecte to 〈◊〉 drye kindes of infirmities and syckenes and nother coulde God of his iustice receaue man againe to fauor and state of eternall lyfe beynge thus in body and soule by his owne defaulte desyled vules he were first made pure and cleane againe nether man was able to helpe hym selfe herein no nor yet anye angell at al. Wherefore almyghty God whose mercy excedeth all hys workes pytienge the wretched case that mankinde was in dyd appoynt euen from the begynnynge his onely sonne the seconde person in trinitie to be the sauiour of the worlde and to restore mā agayne to perfit clennes both in body and soule and that by the way of very iustice in making a sull amendes and payinge a sufficiente raunsome for synne And thys sonne of God accordinge to the wyll of his father dyd take vpon hym the nature of man ioynynge to hys euerlastynge Godheade the whole and 〈◊〉 nature of manhode not making that nature of man which he toke a new of nothing as he dyd heauen and earth nor yet makynge it of a clod of earth as he dyd that body of Adam but he 〈◊〉 the nature of man of the very substaunce of the vyrgyn Mary his mother that like as Adam and Eue brought them selues all theyr posteritie through synne into the estate of eternal dampnatiō so Christ takinge vpon him the very selfe same nature beyng descended from Adam and Eue vnto the 〈◊〉 Mary and of her beynge taken and ioyned in hym to the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 of person should by his in nocency through death wyllingly suffered in that his most innocent bodye not only hym self become immort 〈◊〉 haue glory euerlasting but make so many also partakers of lyke blessednes as shulde en ioye the merites of his passion Wherefore it is a very pernicious errour to thynke that chryst toke not his fleshe of the verye fleshe of the blessed Uyrgyne Mary his mother How coulde his death haue done me good yf it were not of the same nature that I am of therefore S. Paule in hys seconde chapyter of his Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth Qui sanctificat et qui sanctificantur ex vno omnes that is He that santyfyeth and they whych are sanctifyed are all of one and within a lytle after he sayeth farther Debuit per omnia fratribus assimulari vt misericors fieret fidelis 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repropitiaret delicta populi that is Christe muste in al poyntes become like to his brethern that he myght be a mercifull fruithfull Bysshop to God ward to procure merci for the sinnes of the people If Chryst toke not the flesh of that Uirgin Marye howe is that promyse fulfylled which God made immediately after the falle of our first parētes when he thrust them out of paradise at which tyme he said vnto the serpente as it is written in the thyrde chapiter Genesis I wyll set 〈◊〉 betwixt the and the womans sede and it shall treade downe thy hedde Lo how mercifully God dealeth wyth mankynde He promysed that one shoulde be borne of the sede and stocke of Eue which should banquyshe our ghostly enemy the diuell Nowe in that he calleth hym the sede of the woman he moste playnely declareth that he must nedes haue in hym the selfe same nature that the woman had Agayne God makyng the second promyse of the same sede to come of the stocke of Abraham the patriarke said vnto Abraham as is wytnessed in the. xxii of Genesys In thy sede shall all the nations of the world be blessed many hūdred yeres after that he promyssed lyke wyse to 〈◊〉 Dauyd that the sede should come of hym to Which promyses of al myghty God were not to be verified in Chryst if he toke not that substaūce of his fleshe of the Uirgin Mary his mother But here it may seme straūge to some that almighty god seing he intēded from the beginninge to sēd hys sonne into that world to be incarnate for mans redēption did defer the sendinge of hym soo longe that is the space of foure thousande yeares or theraboute To whome it is to be aunswered that the long taryinge of Chryste before he was incarnate came not of lacke of good wyl in god towardes vs but of vnredines and lacke of good disposytion to 〈◊〉 hym on oure partes For if Chryste shoulde haue commen in the begynnyng of the worlde men would haue thought that if God had suffered them to vse theyr owne natural powers thei would haue attayned 〈◊〉 wel inough wythout any other helpe on Godes parte Agayne thoughe after longe experience and trauayle of man folowing the onelye lyghte of nature it was euydente that he ne ded a specyall ayde from God to the attaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe yet the worlde myghte haue demed that in case God of hys goodnes had geuen vnto manne some speciall lyghte and knowledge of hys wyll and pleasure that then vndoughtedlye wythout farther helpe he folowynge suche specyall lyght and knowledge myght be able well inoughe to attayne to euerlastynge lyfe Therefore to take all suche excuses a waye and that we should plainelye vnderstande that after we once fell into synne neyther the light of nature in vs neyther the knowledge of the wyll of God by speciall reuelation opened vnto vs was able to helpe vs god suffred mankynde to trauel fyrst by the light of nature secondly by the lawe of Moyses and yet man ranne styll farther and farther into damnation Whereby it appereth that thoughe knowledge of the truth be necessa ry to the attayning of 〈◊〉 lyfe yet suche knowledge be it
Uyrgin Mary his mother present with hym nor anye other of his dyseyples saue onely the. xii Apostles whome he appoin ted to be the head ministers of al his misteryes here on the earth and specially to be the ministers of this most blessed sacrament and the iustructours of al other touching the same Now what meneth it that our Sauiour was not content to offer them this sa crament onely but with the offeryng therof he said also vnto them Take eate take and drinke Do mē vse to offer to other meate and drynke for anye 〈◊〉 purpose but onelye that they shoulde eate and drynke thereof but bycause it was hys bodye and hys bloude therefore he fyrste byddeth them take and not feare to eate and drynke the same Besydes this it is to be well noted that that thre Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke did al three agree in the maner of the institution of thys sacramēt they wryting all three their gospels at sō dry tymes as Mathe we eyght yere after the ascencion of our sauiour Chryst. Marke x. yeares Luke xv yeares And where in doubteful speaches of our sauiour Chryst some one or other of that Euangelists euermore openeth playnly the very meaning of the speches yet touchyng these words this is my body no one of them maketh anye declaration vpon the same but they all leue them to be takē of vs as they sound and as of most plaine words they make no exposition or interpretation of them at all Whyche poynt must be well consydered And therefore note th at where Chryst sayde It is impossible for a rich man to entre into the kingdō of heuen bicause that meaning of these wordes may be dyuersly taken thereof S. Marke in his tenth chapyter declareth the very meaning of them saying It is harde for them that trust in there substaūce to be saued Agayne Chryst at another time said to the Iewes loose you this timple in thre daies shal I build it againe Andfor that the sense of these wordes is doughtfull S. Ihon there expoundeth them and sayeth that Chryst by the tēyle ment his body which should be by the Iewes put to death and by him the thirde daye shoulde be raysed from death to lyfe In the viii of Ihon oure sauiour sayeth He that beleueth in me as the scriptnre sayeth there shall ryuers of quyck water flow out of him And because this saing is obscure S. Iohn to make it open sayeth that he spake those wordes of the spirit which they that be leued in him should receyue In the. xii chapiter of S Ihon our sauiour sayth in this maner If I be lyfte vp from the earth I wyl draw al thin ges vnto my selfe And S Iohn by and by geueth vs the exposition saying that hereby he signyfyed what kynde of death he should suffer Manye other lyke places are there in the newe testamente the matter of which places is not so hyghe nor soo nedefull to be ryghtly vnderstanded as that meaning of these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spokē Besides al this we haue in S. Paule in the xi Chapiter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touching thys Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to be leue of it than that there is in it the very body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst. For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of oursauiour euen as the Euangelists do as that he sayd this is my bodye and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuyng of thys Sacramente bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing hereof God plageth cities and cuntryes wyth sondrye greuous plages as with infirmitye with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell dylygentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Chryst be not in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promisse made thereof why dyd he as he dyd in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedlye to be of all chrysten people beleued that in the Sacrameut of the aultare there is the verye body and boulde of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substannce that is in heauen which thyng for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thyng most casye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for hym to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye 'to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in thys heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he myght be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisible vnder the visible 〈◊〉 of bread and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadynge great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he dyd not refuse to suffer death and that the deathe of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst hys wyll who of hys onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for hys wyse dome seynge he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mothere nouryshe her chyldren wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God moste hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewell that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religion so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quite and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the seife same body of our sauiour Christ in sub staūce whych was borne of the Uyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen
iudgement of our senses shoulde make vs once to doute of any one trueth in Chrystes religiō were it neuer so contrarye to the course of nature neuer so farre aboue our capacities and neuer so absurde to the appearaunce of our outwarde senses But forasmuch as through the iniquitie of these later euyll yeares diuers haue hadde sondrye fonde dowtes and scruples put into theyr heades especyally agaynst the presence of Chrystes body bloud in the Sacrament of the aultare and through such dowtes haue swarued from the true belefe therein therefore here shall folowe aunsweres and solutyons to such dowtes as haue ben most commen that from hence for the no man shal nede to be seduced by them or other lyke ¶ Fyrst it hath bene obiected that our sauiour Christ immediatlye after that he had instituted and delyuered to his Apostles the sacramente dyd say vnto them Do this in remembraunce of me Upon which wordes some haue concluded that the bodye of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament ¶ But let vs duely waye that words and meaning of the same and we shall moost plainly perceaue theyr erroure and mysvnderstandyng Sainct Paule in hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians and in the. xi chapter of the same Epistle intreating of the institu tion of the Sacrament of the aultar and there ope nyng the true sense of that commaundemente of Chryst sayth in this maner As oft as you eate of that breade and drinke of that cup you shall shew forthe the Lordes death vntil he come So then the remembraunce whych oure sauyoure there requirethe of vs is the remembraunce of hys death which is past and not presente and therefore after most proper maner of speache may well be remembred Now this remembraunce can in no wise possibly be so lyuely and so effectually worke in our hartes as when we most certenly beleue that in that sacrament of the aultare is verely the selfe same bo dy in substaunce which died for vs and therefore that Prophet Dauid foreseyng in spirit this so excellēt a memory sayeth in his 〈◊〉 Psalme Oure mercyfull gratious Lord hath made a memori of all his marueylous workes and by by decla 〈◊〉 in what maner he maketh that memori he addeth those wordes he hathe geuen a foode to suche as feare hym This fode which 〈◊〉 Prophet sayeth that Christ should leaue in remembraunce of al his maruelous workes that is of his incarnatiō his passion his ascension and glorye in heauen and other lyke workes most chiefely is to be verefied of the body and bloud of our sauyour Christe in the sacrament of the aultare Besydes thys the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ as it is in the sacramēt vnder the fourmes of breade and wine may in that respecte also very weli be a remembraunce of it selfe as it honge on the crosse in the vysyble fourme of a mortal man and as it is nowe in heauen in the forme of an immortall man Farthermore when our sauiour sayd Do this in the remembraūce of me he ment they should do the whol ministratiō which he then dyd in remembraunce of hym which whole ministration cannot be accordynglye doone otherwyse but that there must nedes be present the very body and bloude of our sauyoure Christe ¶ Another common obiection there is gathered of the wordes of Christ. Mathew xxvi when he sayd Poore men ye shal haue alwayes with you but me shal ye not alwayes haue with you Some haue vpon these wordes concluded that the body and bloude of our sauiour Christ cannot be in the sacrament of the aulter for then say they Christ should be alway with vs whereof hymselfe saythe the cōtrary ¶ But yf those mē so concludyng wold no more but confer sainct Marke and sayncte Ma thew together tonchynge the foresayde wordes of Christ and by that the one Euāgelist sayeth would sincerely iudge what the other ment they should sone perceue this ther obiectiō to be of no force or strēgth at al to proue that they thereby goo about to proue For sainct Marke iu his xiiii Chapiter fyrst telleth the story of the woman whych cam to Chryste and brought with her an Alablaster boxe of moost precious oyntment and poured the ointmēnt on his head next he telleth how certene of the disciples did murmure and grudge at that facte of the woman and sayd What meaneth this losse and waste of oyntment Might it not haue bene sold for more then three C. pence geuē to the pore Thyrdely he telleth howe oure sauioure beynge offended wyth the dysciples for theyr murmurynge agaynst the woman and how withall he allowing and commendynge her facte dyd say iu this maner Let her alone Why are ye greuouse vnto her she hath done a good dede for alwayes shal you haue poore men amongest you and when ye shal please you may bestowe your charitie on them but me shal ye not haue alwayes amongest you This woman hath bestowed on me that she had and she hathe preuented to anoint my bodi against it shal be 〈◊〉 By this processe of S. Marke it is euydent that our sauiour in al that his talke had a respecte to the charitie whiche that womau then shewed vpon hym when she poured the precious oyntmente on hys heade the lyke whereof he sayethe no man should be able to shew on him in tyme to come meaning that when he should once ryse from death to lyfe and haue an immortall bodye that then he woulde not looke to 〈◊〉 the lyke at anye mannes handes but that then men myght at their pleasure bestowe on the poore who alwayes are in the worlde in the mortall estate and maye by charity of good folke be releued and comforted In such sorte in dede oure sauiour is not nowe amongest vs but the beynge of his body and bloud in the Sacrament of the aulter is atter another sorte For in the Sacrament he is to fede vs with his body and bloude and not vysyble to shewe him selfe vnto vs as he thē did to his apostles nor to haue ointment poured on hym as he then had ¶ Another obiection is there gathered partely of S. Paule in the. x. of hys firste Epystle to the Corinthians where he speakethe of a spirituall meate and spyrytuall drynke partelye of Christes wordes in the. vi of Ihon where he sayeth that It is the spirite whych geueth lyfe and that the fleshe 〈◊〉 nothing partely vpon the common maner of speakyng vsed of the Catholyke churche which calleth the Bodye and bloude of our Sauiour Chryste in the sacrament of the aul tar a spirituall meate and a spirituall drynke ¶ For aunswere to which obiection it is syrste to be vnderstanded that one selfe thing may be bothe spirituall and yet neuerthelesse of a corporall substuunce to As for example the bodye of man after the 〈◊〉 shall as S. Paule wytnessheth in the. xv chapeter of hys fyrst
neuer so great beyng in a man cor rupted with sinne is to feble and to weake to purge hym of sinne For purgation clensing of sinne commeth by some other meanes besides that knowledge of the truth aud therfore S. Paule in the fyrste chapiter of his epystle to the Romaines most plainly 〈◊〉 meth that in the time of that law of nature men knew inough of God but yet not withstanding theyr kno ledge they fell into abhominable idolatry The wordes of S. Paule in that place are these So much as may be knowen of god is manifest in thē that is to saye in those whyche liued vnder the law of nature from Adam vnto Moyses For his inui sible thynges euen his eternal power godhed were sene of thē being vnderstanded by the works of the 〈◊〉 of the world so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God they gloryfyed hym not as god nether were thankeful but becam ful of vanitie in their imaginacions And as that lyght whiche men had by the lawes of nature was not of force to kepe them from synne so nether the lawe of Moyses beyng opened from god hym selfe by special reuelatiō could suffice to ryde mā from sinne as S. Paule in the second chapiter of hys foresayde epistle testifieth saying Behold thou art a Jew and thou doest rest in the law and doest glory in god and doest know hys wyl and plea sure being instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which art in darkenes an instructour of the foly she a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourine of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou the prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest 〈◊〉 thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshonor God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is 〈◊〉 by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such kōwledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for hys sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god againe and to haue aboundaunce of grace 〈◊〉 vnto hym by whych grace he should both in hys know ledge be that better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For thys amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal mā was made in all partes lyke vnto one of vs sinne only ex cepted 〈◊〉 he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a merue lous sort that as in vs the body being of 〈◊〉 nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this 〈◊〉 vnion of that godhed manhed in Christ S. Iohn speaketh in the fyrst cha piter of his gospell saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum est ethabitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue xxxiii yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holye prophetes whyche were to be fulfylled of hym before hys passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefully procured of the deuil agayne him to raunsome man kynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that thys ran̄some shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefui wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcynge of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of hys syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precyous bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs there in to beholde the excedyng great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not hys onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge al men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so playnefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seyng he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet hys passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaulte in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites therof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wiland consent without the which we can not ve saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne default were fallen into the estate of endles miseri and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onelye sonne our sauiour Christ. Remēber that synne and nought els brought vs first out of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incellātly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyl who being vāquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right faith of Christ valiantly with stand hym which to do graunte vnto vs the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honoure and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaring how the redempti on in Chryste is apliable to vs ALthough the death passion of our sauiour christ be in va lu a sufficient raunsome for the sinnes 〈◊〉 the whole world yet i effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neither Turke Jew nor infidel wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passion of christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the. xvi chapiter of s. Marke that Whosoeuer dothnot beleue shal be dāpned Agayne