auayle vs to haue in meditation the fruites and pryce of his passion to magnifie them and to delyght or trust to them except we haue in mynd his examples in passion to folowe them If we thus therefore consyder Christes death and will sticke thereto with fast fayth for the merite and deseruing thereof and will also frame our selfe in such wyse to bestowe our selues and all that we haue by charitie to the behoofe of our neyghbour as Christe spent him selfe whollye for our profite then do we truelye remember Christes death and being thus folowers of Christes steps we shal be sure to followe him thyther where he sitteth now with the father and the holye ghost to whom be all honour and glory Amen ¶ The seconde homilee concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Christ. THat we may the better conceaue the great mercy and goodnesse of our Sauiour Christ in suffering death vniuersally for all men it behoueth vs to descende into the bottome of our conscience deeply to consider the first and principall cause wherefore he was compelled so to do When our great graundfather Adam had broken Gods commaundement in eating the apple forbidden him in paradice at the motion and suggestion of his wyfe he purchased therby not onelye to him selfe but also to his posteritie for euer the iust wrath indignation of God who according to his former sentence pronoūced at the geuing of the cōmaundement condemned both him all his to euerlasting death both of body and soule For it was said vnto him Thou shalt eat frely of euery tree in the garden but as touching the tree of knowledge of good ill thou shalt in no wyse eat of it For in what houre soeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now as the Lorde had spoken so it came to passe Adam toke vppon him to eate thereof and in so doing he dyed the death that is to saye he became mortall he lost the fauour of God he was cast out of paradice he was no longer a citizen of heauen but a fyrebrand of hell and a bond slaue to the deuil To this doth our sauiour beare witnesse in the Gospell callyng vs loste sheepe which haue goue astray wandred from the true shephearde of our soules To this also doth saint Paule beare witnesse saying That by the offence of onely Adam death came vppon all men to condempnation So that no we neyther he nor any of his had any ryght or interest at all in the kyngdome of heauen but were become plaine reprobates and castawayes being perpetually dampned to the euerlasting paynes of hell tyre In this so great miserie and wretchednes if mankind could haue recouered him selfe againe and obtayned forgeuenes at Gods handes then had his case ben somwhat tollerable because he might haue attempted some way how to deliuer him selfe from eternall death But there was no way left vnto him he coulde do nothyng that might pacifie gods wrath he was altogether vnprofitable in that behalfe There was none that did good no not one And howe then coulde he worke his owne saluation Should he go about to pacifie gods heauie displeasure by offering vp brent sacrifices according as it was ordayned in the olde lawe by offering vp the blood of Oxen the blood of calues the blood of goates the blood of lambes and so foorth O these thinges were of no force nor strēgth to take away sinnes they could not put away the anger of God they could not coole the heate of his wrath nor yet bryng mankynd into fauour againe they were but only sigures and shadowes of things to come and nothing els Reade the Epistle to the Hebrues there shall you find this matter largely discussed there shal you learne in most plaine wordes that the blooddy sacrifice of the olde lawe was vnperfect and not able to deliuer man from the state of dampnation by any meanes so that mankind in trusting thereunto shoulde trust to a broken staffe and in the ende deceaue him selfe What should he then do Shoulde he go about to obserue and kepe the lawe of God diuided into two tables so purchase to him selfe eternall life In deede if Adam and his posteritie had ben able to satisfie and fulfill the lawe perfectly in louyng God aboue all thinges and their neyghbour as them selues then shoulde they haue easily quenched the Lordes wrath and escaped the terrible sentence of eternall death pronounced agaynst them by the mouth of almightie god For it is written Do this thou shalt liue that is to say fulfill my commaundementes kepe thy selfe vpright and perfect in them accordyng to my wyll then shalt thou liue and not dye Here is eternal lyse promised with this condition so that they kepe and obserue the lawe But suche was the frailtie of mankinde after his fall suche was his weakenes imbecilitie that he could not walke vpryghtly in Gods commaundementes though he woulde neuer so faine but dayly and hourely fell from his bounden duetie offending the Lord his God diuers wayes to the great encrease of his condempnation insomuch that the prophete Dauid cryeth out on this wyse All haue gone astray all are become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one In this case what profite coulde he haue by the lawe None at all For as saint James sayth He that shall obserue the whole lawe and yet faileth in one poynt is become giltie of all And in the booke of Deuteronomie it is written Cursed be he sayth God which abydeth not in all thinges that are written in the booke of the lawe to do them Behold the lawe bringeth a curse with it and maketh vs giltie not because it is of it self naught or vnholy God forbid we shoulde so thinke but because the frailtie of our sinfull fleshe is such that we can neuer fulfill it accordyng to the perfection that the Lorde requireth Coulde Adam then thinke you hope or trust to be saued by the law No he could not But the more he looked on the law the more he sawe his owne dampnation set before his eyes as it were in a most cleare glasse So that now of him selfe he was most wretched and miserable destitute of all hope neuer able to pacifie Gods heauie displeasure nor yet to escape the terrible iudgement of God wherinto he and all his posteritie were fallen by disobeying the straight commaundement of the Lorde theyr god But O the aboundaunt ryches of Gods great mercie O the vnspeakable goodnes of his heauenly wysoome When all hope of righteousnes was past on our part when we had nothing in our selues whereby we myght quenche his burning wrath worke the saluation of our owne soules and rise out of the miserable estate wherin we lay Then euen then dyd Christ the sonne of God by the appoyntment of his father come downe frō heauen to be wounded for our sakes to be reputed with the wicked
hath ouerthrowen death that we beleuing in him myght lyue for euer and not dye Ought not this to engender extreme hatred of sinne in vs to consyder that it did violently as it were plucke God out of heauen to make him feele the horrours and paynes of death O that we would sometimes consyder this in the middest of our pompes pleasures it would bridle the outragiousnesse of the fleshe it would abate and asswage our carnall affectes it woulde restraine our fleshly appetites that we shoulde not run at randon as we commonly do To commit sinne wylfully desperatly without feare of god is nothing els but to crucifie Christ a new as we are expressly taught in the 〈◊〉 to the Hebrues Which thing if it were dencâ—â— printed in all mens heartes then shoulde not sinne raigne euery where so much as it doth to the great griefe and torment of Christe nowe sittyng in heauen Let vs therefore remember and alwaies beare in minde Christe crucified that therby we may be inwardly moued both to abhorre sinne throughly and also with an earnest and zelous heart to loue god For this is another fruite which the memoriall of Christes death ought to worke in vs an earnest and vnfayned loue towardes god So God loued the worlde sayth saint John that he gaue his only begotten soÌ„ne that whosoeuer beleued in hym shoulde not perishe but haue life euerlasting If god declared so great loue towardes vs his seely creatures how can we of ryght but loue him agayne Was not this a sure pledge of his loue to geue vs his own sonne from heauen He myght haue geuen vs an angel if he would or some other creature and yet should his loue haue ben farre aboue our desartes Nowe he gaue vs not an angell but his sonne And what sonne His only sonne his naturall sonne his welbeloued sonne euen that sonne whom he had made Lorde and ruler of al thinges Was not this a singuler token of great loue But to whom did he geue him He gaue him to the whole worlde that is to say to Adam and all that should come after him O lord what had Adam or anye other man deserued at Gods handes that he should geue vs his owne sonne We are all miserable persons sinfull persons dampnable persoÌ„s iustly driuen out of paradice iustly excluded from heauen iustly condempned to hell fyre And yet see a wonderfull token of Gods loue he gaue vs his only be gotten sonne vs I say that were his extreme and deadly enemies that we by vertue of his blood shed vppon the crosse might be cleane purged from our sinnes and made righteous agayne in his sight Who can chose but maruaile to heare that god should she we such vnspeakable loue towardes vs that were his deadly enemies Indeede O mortall man thou oughtest of ryght to marueyle at it to acknowledge therein Gods great goodnesse and mercie towards mankind which is so wonderful that no fleshe be it neuer so worldly wyse may wel conceaue it or expresse it For as Saint Paul testifieth God greatly commendeth and setteth out his loue towardes vs in that he sent his sonne Christ to die for vs when we were yet sinners and open enemies of his name If we had in any maner of wyse deserued it at his handes then had it ben no marueile at all but there was no desert on our part wherefore he shoulde do it Therefore thou sinful creature when thou hearest that GOD gaue his sonne to dye for the sinnes of the worlde thinke not he dyd it for any desert or goodnes that was in thee for thou wast then the bondslaue of the deuill But fall downe vpon thy knees and crye with the prophete Dauid O Lorde what is man that thou art so mindefull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him And seeing he hath so greatlye loued thee endeuour thy self to loue him againe with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength that therin thou mayst appeare not to be vnworthy of his loue I report me to thyne owne conscience whether thou wouldest not thinke thy loue ill bestowed vpon him that could not finde in his heart to loue thee agayne If this be true as it is most true then thinke howe greatly it behoueth to thy duetie to loue God whiche hath so greatly loued thee that he hath noâ— spared his owne onlye sonne from so cruell and shamefull a death for thy sake And hitherto concerning the cause of Christes death passion which as yet was on our part most horrible and greeuous sinne so on the other side it was the free gift of God proceeding of his meere and tender loue towards mankind without any merite or desert of our part The Lorde for his mercies sake graunt that we neuer forget this great benefite of our saluation in Christe Jesu but that we alwayes shewe our selues thankefull for it abhorring all kinde of wickednesse and sinne and applying our myndes wholy to the seruice of God and the diligent keeping of his commaundementes Now resteth to shewe vnto you howe to applie Christes death and passion to our comfort as a medicine to our woundes so that it maye worke the same effect in vs wherefore it was geuen namely the health saluatioÌ„ of our soules For as it profiteth a man nothing to haue salue vnlesse it be well applied to the part affected So the death of Christ shall stand vs in no force vnlesse we applie it to our selues in suche sorte as God hath appoynted Almightie God commonly worketh by meanes and in this thing he hath also ordained a certaine meane wherby we may take fruite and profite to our soules health What meane is that forsooth it is fayth Not an vnconstant or wauering fayth but a sure stedfast grounded and vnfaigned fayth GOD sent his sonne into the worlde sayth Saint John. To what end that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shoulde not perishe but haue lyfe euerlasting Marke these wordes that whosoeuer beleueth in him Here is the meane whereby we must apply the fruites of Christes death vnto our deadly wounde Here is the meane whereby we must obtaine eternall lyfe namely fayth For as saint Paul teacheth in his Epistle to the Romanes With the heart man beleueth vnto ryghteousnes and with the mouth confessioÌ„ is made vnto saluation Paul beyng demaunded of the keeper of that prison what he should do to be saued made this aunswere Beleue in the Lorde Jesus so shalt thou and thyne house both be saued After the Euangelist had described and set foorth vnto vs at large the life and the death of the Lorde Jesus in the end he concludeth with these wordes These thinges are written that we may beleue Jesus Christe to be the sonne of God a through sayth obtayne eternall lyfe To conclude with the wordes of saint Paul which are these Christ is the ende of the lawe vnto saluation for euery
kepe our feaste the whole tearme of our lyfe with eatyng the bread of purenes of godly life and trueth of Christes doctrine Thus shal we declare that Christes giftes and graces haue their effect in vs and that we haue the ryght beleefe and knowledge of his holy resurrection where truely if we apply our fayth to the vertue thereof and in our lyfe confourme vs to the example signification meant thereby we shal be sure to ryse hereafter to euerlastyng glory by the goodnesse and mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory thankes geuyng and prayse in infinita seculorum secula Amen ¶ An homilee of the worthy receauyng and reuerent esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe THE great loue of our Sauiour Christ towardes mankynd good Christian people doth not onlye appeare in that deare bought benefite of our redemption saluation by his death passiō but also in that he so kindlye prouided that the same most mercyful worke myght be had in continual remembraunce to take some place in vs and not be frustrate of his ende and purpose For as tender parentes are not content to procure for their chyldren costly possessions and liuelode but take order that the same may be conserued and come to their vse So our Lorde and sauiour thought it not sufficient to purchase for vs his fathers fauour agayne whiche is that deepe fountayne of all goodnesse and eternall lyfe but also inuented the wayes most wysely whereby they myght redound to our commoditie profite Amongst the which meanes is the publique celebration of the memorie of his pretious death at the Lordes table Whiche although it seeme of small vertue to some yet beyng ryghtly done by the faythfull it doth not onlye helpe their weaknesse who be by their poysoned nature redyer to remember iniuries then benefites but strengthneth comforteth their in ward man with peace gladnesse and maketh them thankfull to their redeemer with diligent care and godly conuersation And as of olde tyme God decreed his wonderous benefites of the delyueraunce of his people to be kepte in memorie by the eatyng of the passeouer with his rites and ceremonies So our louyng Sauiour hath ordeyned and establyshed the remembraunce of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the institution of his heauenly supper where euery one of vs must be ghestes and not gasers eaters and not lookers seedyng our selues and not hiryng other to feede for vs that we may lyue by our owne meate and not perishe for hunger whiles other deuour all To this his commaundement forceth vs saying Do ye thus drinke ye all of this To this his promise enticeth This is my body whiche is geuen for you this is my blood whiche is shed for you So then as of necessitie we muste be our selues partakers of this table and not beholders of other So we must addresse our selues to frequent the same in reuerent and due maner least as phisike prouided for the body beyng misused more hurteth then profiteth so this comfortable medicine of the soule vndecently receaued tendeth to our greater harme and sorow And saint Paul sayth He that eateth and drynketh vnworthyly eateth and drynketh his owne dampnation Wherefore that it be not saide to vs as it was to the ghest of that great supper Freende howe camest thou in not hauing the mariage garment And that we maye fruitfully vse Saint Paules counsell Let a man proue hym selfe and so eate of that bread and drynke of that cuppe We muste certaynelye knowe that three thynges be requisite in hym which woulde seemely as becommeth suche hygh mysteries resorte to the Lordes table That is Fyrste a ryght and a worthye estimation and vnderstandyng of this mysterie Secondely to come in a sure fayth And thirdely to haue newenesse or purenesse of lyfe to succeede the receauing the same But before all other thynges this we must be sure of especially that this Supper be in suche wyse done and ministred as our Lorde and sauiour did and commaunded to be done as his holy Apostles vsed it and the good fathers in the primatiue Churche frequented it For as that worthy man saint Ambrose sayth he is vnworthy of the Lord that otherwise doth celebrate that mysterie then it was delyuered by him Neither can he be deuout that other waies doth presume thē it was geuen by the aucthor We must then take heede leaste of the memorie it be made a sacrifice least of a cōmunion it be made a priuate eatyng least of two partes we haue but one least applying it for the dead we lose the fruit that be aliue Let vs rather in these matters folowe the aduice of Ciprian in the lyke cases that is cleaue fast to the firste beginnyng holde fast the Lordes tradition do that in the Lordes cōmemoration which he him selfe did he him selfe commaunded his apostles confirmed This caution or foresight yf we vse then may we see to those thynges that be requisit in the worthy receauer wherof this was the fyrste that we haue a ryght vnderstandyng of the thyng it selfe As concerning which thing this we maye assuredlye perswade our selues that the ignoraunt man can neyther worthyly esteeme nor effectually vse those marueilous graces and benefites offered and exhibited in that Supper but eyther wyll lightly regarde them to no small offence or vtterly condempne them to his vtter destruction So that by his negligence he deserueth the plagues of God to fall vppon hym and by contempt he deserueth euerlastyng perdition To auoyde then these harmes vse the aduice of the wyse man who wylleth thee when thou sittest at an earthlye kynges table to take diligent heede what thinges are set before thee So nowe much more at the kyng of kynges table thou must carefully searche and knowe what dainties are prouided for thy soule whyther thou art come not to feede thy senses and belly to corruption but thy in warde man to immortalitie and lyfe nor to consyder the earthlye creatures whiche thou seest but the heauenlye graces which thy fayth beholdeth For this table is not sayth Chrisostome for chattering Jayes but for Egles who flee thither where the dead bodye lyeth And yf this aduertisement of man can not perswade vs to resorte to the lordes table with vnderstandyng see the counsell of GOD in the lyke matter who charged his people to teache their posteritie not onlye the rites and ceremonies of the Passouer but the cause and ende thereof Whence we may learne that both more perfect knowledge is required at this tyme at our handes and that the ignoraunt can not with fruite and profite exercise hym selfe in the Lordes Sacramentes But to come nygher to the matter Saint Paul blaming the Corinthians for the prophaning of the Lordes supper concludeth that ignoraunce both of the thing it selfe and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither
vnreuerentlye not discerning the Lordes bodye Ought not we then by the monition of the wise man by the wisdome of God by the fearefull example of the Corinthians to take aduised heede that we thrust not our selues to this table with rude and vnreuerent ignoraunce the smart whereof Christes Churche hath rued and lamented these many dayes and yeres For what hath ben the cause of the ruyne of Gods religion but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this grosse idolatrie but the ignoraunce hereof What hath ben the cause of this mummishe massyng but the ignoraunce hereof Yea what hath ben and what is at this day the cause of this want of loue and charitie but the ignoraunce hereof Let vs therfore so trauaile to vnderstand the Lordes Supper that we be no cause of the decaye of Gods worship of no idolatrie of no dumme massing of no hate and malice so maye we the boldlyer haue accesse thyther to our comfort Neyther neede we to thinke that suche exact knowledge is required of euery man that he be able to discusse al high pointes in the doctrine thereof But this muche he must be sure to hold that in the supper of the Lorde there is no vaine ceremonie no bare signe no vntrue figure of a thing absent But as the Scripture sayth the table of the Lorde the bread and cuppe of the Lorde the memorie of Christe the annuntiation of his death yea the Communion of the bodye and blood of the Lorde in a marueylous incorporation whiche by the operation of the holye ghost the verye bonde of our conâ—unction with Christe is through fayth wrought in the soules of the faythfull whereby not onlye theyr soules lyue to eternall lyfe but they surely trust to winne to their bodyes a resurrection to immortalitie The true vnderstandyng of this fruition and vnion whiche is the bodye and the head betwixt the true beleuers and Christe the auncient Catholique Fathers both perceauing them selues and commendyng to theyr people were not afrayde to call this Supper some of them the salue of immortalitie and soueraigne preseruatiue agaynst death other a deificall Communion other the sweete dainties of our Sauiour the pledge of eternall health the defence of fayth the hope of the resurrection other the foode of immortalitie the healthfull grace and the conseruatorie to euerlastyng lyfe All which sayinges both of the holy Scripture and godly men truely attributed to this celestial banquet and feaste yf we woulde often call to minde O how woulde they inflame our heartes to de 〈…〉 e the participation of these mysteries and oftentimes to couet after this breade continuallye to thirste for this foode Not as speciallye regarding the terrene earthly creatures which remayne but alwayes holdyng faste and cleauyng by faith to the rocke whence we may sucke the sweetenesse of euerlasting saluation And to be briefe thus much more the faithful see heare and knowe the fauourable mercies of God sealed the satisfaction by Christe towardes vs confirmed and the remission of sinne established Here they may feele wrought the tranquilitie of conscience the encrease of fayth the strengthning of hope the large spreadyng abrode of brotherly kindnes with many other sundry graces of god The taste whereof they can not attayne vnto who be drowned in the deepe durtie lake of blyndnesse and ignoraunce From the whiche O beloued washe your selues with the liuyng waters of Gods worde whence you maye perceaue and know both the spirituall foode of this costly supper and the happy trustinges effectes that the same doth bring with it Now it foloweth to haue with this knowledge a sure and constant faith not only that the death of Christe is auayleable for the redemption of all the world for the remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God the father but also that he hath made vppon his crosse a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee a perfect clensyng of thy sinnes so that thou acknowledgest no other Sauiour redeemer mediatour aduocate intercessour but Christe only and that thou mayst say with the Apostle that he loued thee and gaue him selfe for thee For this is to sticke fast to Christes promise made in his institution to make Christe thyne owne and to applicate his merites vnto thy selfe Herein thou nedest no other mans helpe no other sacrifice or oblation no sacrifisyng Priest no masse no meanes established by mans inuention That faith is a necessarie instrument in al these holy ceremonies we may thus assure our selues for that as Saint Paul sayth without fayth it is vnpossible to please god When a great number of the Israelites were ouerthrowen in the wildernesse Moyses Aaron and Phinees dyd eate Manna and pleased God for that they vnderstoode sayth Saint Augustine the visible meate spiritually Spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it that they myght be spiritually satisfied And truely as the bodily meate can not feede the outward man vnlesse it be let into a stomake to be digested whiche is healthsome and sound No more can thy inwarde man be fed except his meate bereceaued into hisâ—oule and hart sound whole in fayth Therfore saith Ciprian when we do these thinges we nede not to whet our teethe but with sincere fayth we breake and diuide that holy bread It is wel knowen that the meate wee seeke for in this supper is spiritual foode the norishmeÌ„t of our soule a heauenly refection and not earthly an inuisible meate and not bodylye a ghostly substaunce and not carnall so that to thinke that without fayth we maye enioye the eatyng and drynkyng therof or that that is the fruition of it is â—ut to dreame a grosse carnall feeding basely obiecting and byndyng our selues to the elementes and creatures Whereas by the aduice of the counsel of Nicene we ought to lyft vp our mindes by faith leauing these inferiour and earthly thinges there seke it where the sâ—nne of ryghteousnesse euer shineth Take then this lesson O thou that art desyrous of this table of Emissenus a godly father that when thou goest vp to the reuerent Communion to be satisfied with spirituall meates thou loke vp with faith vpon the holy body and blood of thy god thou maruel with reuerence thou touche it with thy minde thou receaue it with the hand of thy heart and thou take it fully with thy inwarde man. Thus we see beloued that resortyng to this table we must plucke vp all the rootes of infidelitie al distrust in Gods promises we must make our selues lyuing members of Christes bodye For the vnbeleuers and faithlesse can not feede vpon that pretious body whereas the faythfull haue theyr life their abiding in hym their vnioÌ„ and as it were their incorporation with hym Wherefore let vs proue and trye our selues vufaignedly without flattering our selues whether we be plantes of that fruitful Oliue liuyng braunches of the true vine members in deede of Christes mystical body whether God
of good reason with all true Christians to be of most wayght and estimation It is written of all the foure Euangelistes as a notable acte and worthy to be testified by many holy witnesses how that our sauiour Jesus Christe that mercifull and mylde Lorde cōpared for his meekenesse to a sheepe suffring with scilence his fleece to be shorne from him and to a lambe led without resistaunce to the slaughter whiche gaue his body to them that dyd smyte hym aunswered not hym that reuiled nor turned away his face from them that dyd reproche hym and spit vpon him and accordyng to his owne example gaue preceptes of mildnes and sufferaunce to his disciples Yet when he seeth the temple and holy house of his heauenly father misordred polluted and prophaned vseth great seueritie and sharpenes ouerturneth the tables of thexchaungers subuerteth the seates of them that solde doues maketh a whip of cordes and scourgeth out those wicked abusers and prophaners of the temple of God saying My house shal be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues And in the. ii of John Do not ye make the house of my father the house of marchaundize For as it is the house of GOD when Gods seruice is duely done in it So whē we wickedly abuse it with wicked talke or couetous bargayning we make it a den of theeues or an house of marchaundize Yea and suche reuerence woulde Christe shoulde be therein that he woulde not suffer any vessell to be caryed through the temple And where as our saniour Christe as is before mentioned out of S. Luke coulde be founde no where when he was sought but only in the temple amongst the doctours and nowe agayne exerciseth his aucthoritie and iurisdiction not in castles and princely palaces amongst souldiers but in the temple Ye may hereby vnderstande in what place his spirituall kyngdome whiche he denyeth to be of this worlde is sonest to be founde and best to be knowen of all places in this worlde And accordyng to this example of our sauiour Christe in the primitiue Churche which was most holy godly and in the which due discipline with seueritie was vsed agaynst the wicked opē offenders were not suffered once to enter into the house of the Lorde nor admitted to common prayer and the vse of the holye Sacramentes with other true Christians vntil they had done open penaunce before the whole Churche And this was practised not only vpon meane persons but also vpon the ryche noble and mightie persons yea vpon Theodosius that puissaunt and mightie Emperour whom for cōmittyng a greeuous and wylfull murther S. Ambrose Byshop of Millayne reproued sharply and did also excommunicate the said Emperour and brought hym to open penaunce And they that were so iustly exempted and banished as it were from the house of the Lorde were taken as they be in deede for men diuided and separated from Christes Churche and in most daungerous estate yea as S. Paul sayeth euen geuen vnto Satan the deuyll for a tyme and theyr company was shunned and auoyded of all godly men and women vntyll suche tyme as they by repentaunce and publique penaunce were reconciled Suche was the honour of the Lordes house in mens heartes and outwarde reuerence also at that tyme and so horrible a thing was it to be shut out of the Churche and house of the Lorde in those dayes when religion was most pure and nothyng so corrupt as it hath ben of late dayes And yet we wyllyngly eyther by absentyng our selues from the house of the Lorde do as it were excommunicate our selues from the Churche and felowshyp of the Saintes of God orels comming thyther by vncomely and vnreuerent behauiour there by hastie rashe yea vncleane and wicked thoughtes and wordes before the Lorde our God horribly dishonour his holy house the Churche of GOD and his holy name and maiestie to the great daunger of our soules yea and certayne damnation also yf we do not spedily and earnestly repent vs of this wickednesse Thus ye haue hearde dearely beloued out of Gods worde what reuerence is due to the holye house of the Lorde how all godly persons ought with diligence at times appoynted thither to repayre howe they ought to behaue them selues there with reuerence and dread before the Lord what plagues and punyshementes as well temporall as eternall the Lorde in his holy worde threatneth aswell to suche as neglect to come to his holy house as also to suche who commyng thither do vnreuerently by iesture or talke there behaue them selues Wherefore if we desyre to haue seasonable weather and thereby to enioye the good fruites of the earth yf we wyll auoyde drought and barrennesse thirste and hunger whiche are plagues threatned vnto suche as make haste to go to their owne houses to alehouses and to tauernes and leaue the house of the Lorde emptie and desolate yf we abhorre to be scourged not with whyppes made of cordes out of the materiall temple only as our sauiour Christe serued the defilers of the house of God in Hierusalem but also to be beaten and dryuen out of the eternall temple and house of the Lorde which is his heauenly kingdome with the iron rodde of euerlastyng damnation and caste into outter darkenes where is weeping and gnashing of teeth if we feare dread and abhorre this I say as we haue most iust cause to do then let vs amende this our negligence and contempt in comming to the house of the Lorde this our vnreuerent behauiour in the house of the Lorde and resortyng thither diligently together let vs there with reuerent hearyng of the Lordes holy worde calling on the Lordes holy name geuing of heartie thankes vnto the Lorde for his manyfolde and inestimable benefites daily and hourly bestowed vpon vs celebrating also reuerently of the Lordes holy Sacramentes serue the Lorde in his holy house as becommeth the seruauntes of the Lorde in holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our lyfe and then we shal be assured after this lyfe to rest in his holy hyll and to dwell in his tabernacle there to prayse and magnifie his holy name in the congregation of his saintes in the holy house of his eternal kingdome of heauen which he hath purchased for vs by the death and sheddyng of the pretious blood of his sonne our sauiour Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost one immortal maiestie of GOD be all honour glorie prayse and thankesgeuyng worlde without ende Amen An Homilie against perill of idolatrie and superfluous decking of Churches The first part IN what poyntes the true ornamentes of the Church or temple of GOD do consiste and stand hath ben declared in the two last Homilies intreating of the right vse of the temple or house of god of the due reuerence that all true Christian people are bound to geue vnto the same The summe wherof is that the Churche or
moste worthyly repelled and rebuked at the Lordes hande In lyke maner we reade in the Actes of one Simon Magus a Sorcerer howe that he perceauyng that through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was geuen offered them money saying Geue me also this power that on whom soeuer I lay my handes he may receaue the holy ghost In makyng this request he sought not the honour and glorye of GOD but his owne priuate gayne and lucre thinking to get great store of money by this feate and therefore it was iustly sayde vnto him Thy money perishe with thee because thou thinkest that the gifte of God maye be obtayned with money By these and suche other examples we are taught whensoeuer we make our prayers vnto God chiefely to respect the honour and glorye of his name Whereof we haue this generall precept in the Apostle Paul Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you do looke that you do it to the glory of god Which thing we shal best of all do if we folowe the example of our sauiour Christe who praying that the bitter cuppe of death myght passe from him woulde not therein haue his owne wyll fulfilled but referred the whole matter to the good wyll and pleasure of his father And hytherto concernyng those thinges that we may lawfully and boldly aske of God. Nowe it foloweth that we declare what kinde of persons we are bounde in conscience to praye for Saint Paul wryting to Timothie exhorteth him to make prayers and supplications for all men exempting none of what degree or state soeuer they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kynges and Rulers whiche are in aucthoritie putting vs thereby to knowledge howe greatlye it concerneth the profite of the common wealth to praye diligentlye for the higher powers Neyther is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles craue the prayers of Gods people for hym selfe For in so doyng he declareth to the worlde howe expedient and needefull it is dayly to call vppon GOD for the ministers of his holy worde and sacramentes that they may haue the doore of vtteraunce opened vnto them that they may truely vnderstand the scriptures that they may effectually preache the same vnto the people and bring foorth the true fruites thereof to the example of all other After this sorte dyd the congregation continually pray for Peter at Hierusalem and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great encrease and furtherance of Christes Gospell And if we folowyng theyr good example herein wyll studie to do the lyke doubtlesse it can not be expressed howe greatly we shall both helpe our selues and also please God. To discourse and runne through all degrees of persons it were to long Therefore ye shall briefely take this one conclusion for all Whomsoeuer we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue for those also are we bound in conscience to pray But we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue all men as our selues therefore we are also bound to pray for all men euen as well as if it were for our selues notwithstandyng we knowe them to be our extreme and deadly enemies For so doth our sauiour Christe plainely teache vs in his Gospell saying Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you praye for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your father whiche is in heauen And as he taught his disciples so dyd he practise him selfe in his life time praying for his enemies vpon the crosse and desyring his father to forgeue them because they knewe not what they dyd As did also that holy and blessed martyr Stephen when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubberne and stifnecked Jewes to the example of all them that wyll truely and vnfaignedly folowe their Lorde maister Christe in this miserable mortal life Nowe to entreate of that question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this world or no. Wherein yf we wyll cleaue only vnto the word of God then must we nedes graunt that we haue no commaundement so to do For the scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the elect and blessed of god the other to the reprobate and dampned soules as may be well gathered by the parable of Lazarus and the riche man whiche place saint Augustine expoundyng sayth in this wyse That which Abraham speaketh vnto the riche man in Lukes Gospel namely that the iust can not go into those places where the wicked are tormented What other thinges doth it signifie but only this that the iust by reason of gods iudgement which may not be reuoked can shewe no deede of mercie in helping them which after this lyfe are cast into prison vntill they pay the vttermost farthyng These wordes as they confounde the opinion of helping the dead by prayer so they do cleane confute and take away the vaine errour of purgatorie which is grounded vpon this saying of the gospell Thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payde the vttermoste farthing Nowe doth saint Augustine say that those men which are cast into prison after this life on that condition may in no wyse be holpen though we woulde helpe them neuer so much And why Because the sentence of God is vnchaungeable can not be reuoked agayne Therfore let vs not deceaue our selues thinking that eyther we maye helpe other or other maye helpe vs by their good and charitable prayers in time to come For as the preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South or towarde the North in what place soeuer the tree falleth there it lyeth meanyng thereby that euery mortall man dyeth eyther in the state of saluation or dampnation accordyng as the words of the Euangelist John do also plainely impart saying He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath eternall lyfe But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Where is then the thirde place whiche they call purgatorie or where shall our prayers helpe and profite the dead Saint Augustine doth onlye acknowledge two places after this life heauen and hell As for the thirde place he doth plainely denie that there is anye suche to be founde in all scripture Chrisostome likewyse is of this minde that vnlesse we washe away our sinnes in this present worlde we shall finde no comfort afterwarde And saint Ciprian sayth that after death repentaunce and sorowe of paine shal be without fruite weping also shal be in vayne and prayer shal be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make prouision for them selues whyle they maye because when they are once departed out of this lyfe there is no place for repentaunce nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the grosse
the expresse and liuelye image of God he woulde notwithstanding humble him selfe and take vppon him the fourme of a seruant and that onely to saue and redeeme vs O how much are we bounde to the goodnesse of God in this behalfe Howe manye thankes and prayses do we owe vnto him for this our saluatiō wrought by his deare and onely sonne Christe who became a pilgrime in earth to make vs citizens in heauen who became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God who became obedient to the lawe to deliuer vs from the cursse of the lawe who became poore to make vs rich vyle to make vs precious subiect to death to make vs liue for euer What greater loue coulde we seelye creatures desire or wishe to haue at Gods handes Therefore dearelye beloued let vs not forget this exceeding loue of our Lorde and sauiour let vs not shew our selues vnmyndful or vnthankefull towardes him but let vs loue him feare him obey him and serue him Let vs confesse him with our mouthes praise him with our tongues beleue on him with our heartes and glorifie him with our good workes Christe is the light let vs receaue the light Christe is the trueth let vs beleue the trueth Christ is the way let vs folowe the way And because he is our onely maister our onely teacher our onely shepheard and cheefe captayne therfore let vs become his seruantes his schollers his sheepe and his souldiers As for sinne the flesh the worlde and the deuill whose seruantes and bondslaues we were before Christes comming let vs vtterly cast them of and defie them as the cheefe onely enemies of our soule And seing we are once deliuered from their cruel tyrannie by Christ let vs neuer fal into their hands againe lest we chance to be in a worse case then euer we were before Happy are they saith the scripture that continue to the ende Be faythful sayth God vntil death and I wil geue thee a crowne of lyfe Agayne he sayth in another place He that putteth his hand vnto the plough and looketh backe is not meete for the kyngdome of god Therefore let vs be strong stedfast and vnmoueable abounding alwayes in the workes of the lord Let vs receaue Christ not for a tyme but for euer let vs beleue his worde not for a tyme but for euer let vs become his seruaunts not for a tyme but for euer in consyderation that he hath redeemed saued vs not for a time but for euer and will receaue vs into his heauenly kingdome there to raygne with him not for a tyme but foreuer To him therfore with the father and the holy ghost be all honour prayse glory foreuer and euer Amen ¶ An homilee for good Friday concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christ. IT shuld not become vs welbeloued in christ being that people whiche he redeemed frō the deuil from sinne and death and from euerlasting damnation by Christ to suffer this time to passe foorth without any meditation and remembraunce of that excellent worke of our redemption wrought as about this time through the great mercy and charitie of our sauiour Jesus Christ for vs wretched sinners and his mortall enemies For if a mortal mans deede done to the behofe of the common wealth be had in remembrance of vs with thankes for the benefite and profite whiche we receaue thereby How much more redily shoulde we haue in memorie this excellent act and benefite of Christes death whereby he hath purchased for vs the vndoubted pardon and forgeuenes of our sinnes whereby he made at one the father of heauen with vs in suche wyse that he taketh vs now for his louing children and for the true inheritours with Christe his naturall sonne of the kyngdome of heauen And verily so muche more doth Christes kindnes appeare vnto vs in that it pleased him to deliuer him selfe of all his godly honour which he was equally in with his father in heauen and to come downe into this vale of miserye to be made mortall man and to be in the state of a most lowe seruaunt seruing vs for our wealth and profite vs I saye whiche were his sworne enemies whiche had renounced his holy law and commaundements and folowed the lustes and sinfull pleasures of our corrupt nature And yet I say did Christe put him selfe betwene Gods deserued wrath our sinne and rente that obligation wherein we were in daunger to God and payde our dette Our dette was a great deale to great for vs to haue payde And without payment God the father coulde neuer be at one with vs Neyther was it possible to be losed from this dette by our owne habilitie It pleased him therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge vs quite Who can now consyder the greuous det of sinne whiche coulde none otherwyse be payde but by the death of an innocent and will not hate sinne in his heart If God hateth sinne so much that he would allowe neither man nor Angell for the redemption thereof but onely the death of his onelye and welbeloued sonne who will not stande in feare thereof If we my freendes consyder this that for our sinnes this most innocent lambe was driuen to death we shall haue much more cause to bewayle our selues that we were the cause of his death then to crye out of the mallice and crueltie of the Jewes whiche pursued him to his death We did the deedes wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded they were onely the ministers of our wickednes It is meete then we shoulde step lowe downe into our heartes and bewayle our owne wretchednes and sinful liuing Let vs know for a certainetie that if the most dearly beloued sonne of God was thus punished and stricken for the sinne which he had not done him self how muche more ought we sore to be stricken for our dayly and manifolde sinnes whiche we commit agaynst God if we earnestlye repent vs not and be not sorye for them No man can loue sinne which God hateth so much and be in his fauour No man can saye that he loueth Christe truely and haue his great enemie sinne I meane the aucthour of his death familiar and in frendship with him So much do we loue God and Christe as we hate sinne We ought therefore to take great heede that we be not fauourers thereof least we be founde ennemies to God and traytours to Christe For not onelye they whiche nayled Christe vppon the crosse are his tormentours and crucifiers but all they sayth saint Paule crucifie agayne the sonne of God as muche as is in them whiche do commit vice and sinne which brought him to his death If the wages of sinne be death and death euerlasting Surely it is no small daunger to be in seruice thereof If we liue after the fleshe and after the sinfull lustes thereof saint Paule threatneth yea almightie God in saint Paule threatneth that we shal surely dye
as of the dead to geue reward to the good and iudgement to the euill That these linkes therefore of our faith should al hang together in stedfast establishment and confirmation it pleased our Sauiour not straight way to withdrawe himselfe from the bodyly presence sight of his disciples but he chose out-â—l-dayes wherein he woulde declare vnto them by manifold most strong argumentes and tokens that he had conquered death and that he was also truely risen againe to life He began saith Luke at Moyses and al the prophetes and expounded vnto them the prophesies that were written in all the scriptures of him to thintent to confirme the trueth of his resurrection long before spoken of whiche he verified in deede as it is declared very apparauntly and manifestlye by his oft appearaunce to sundry personnes at sundry times First he sent his angels to the sepulchre who dyd shewe vnto certayne women the emptie graue sauing that the buriall linnen remayned therein And by these signes were these women fully instructed that he was rysen agayne so dyd they testifie it openly After this Jesus himselfe appeared to Marie Magdalen after that to certayne other women and straight afterwarde he appeared to Peter then to the two disciples whiche were goyng to Emaus He appeared to the disciples also as they were gathered together for feare of the Jewes the doores shut At another tyme he was seene at the sea of Tiberias of Peter and Thomas of other disciples when they were fishyng He was seene of more then fiue hundred brethren in the mount of Galilee where Jesus appoynted them to be by his angell when he sayde Behold he shal go before you into Galilee there shall ye see hym as he hath sayde vnto you After this he appeared vnto James and last of all he was visibly seene of all the Apostles at suche tyme as he was taken vp into heauen â–ª Thus at sundry tymes he shewed hymselfe after he was rysen agayne to confyrme and stablish this article And in these reuelations somtime he shewed them his handes his feete and his side and bad them touch him that they shoulde not take hym for a ghost or a spirite Somtyme he also dyd eate with them but euer he was talkyng with them of the euerlastyng kyngdome of God to assure the trueth of his resurrection For then he opened their vnderstandyng that they myght perceaue the scriptures sayde vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behoued Christe to suffer to rise from death the third day and that ther should be preached openly in his name penaunce and remission of sinnes to all the nations of the worlde Ye see good Christian people howe necessarie this article of our fayth is seeing it was proued of Christe him selfe by suche euident reasons and tokens by so long time and space Nowe therefore as our sauiour was diligent for our comfort and instruction to declare it so let vs be as redy in our beleefe to receaue it to our comfort instruction As he dyed not for him selfe no more dyd he ryse agayne for hym selfe He was dead saith Saint Paul for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification O moste comfortable worde euermore to be borne in remembrance He dyed saith he to put away sinne he arose agayne to endowe vs with righteousnes His death tooke away sin maledictioÌ„ his death was the rauÌ„some of them both his death destroyed death ouercame the deuill which had the power of death in his subiection his death destroyed hell with all the damnation therof Thus is death swallowed vp by Christes victorie thus is hell spoyled for euer If any man doubt of this victorie let Christes glorious resurrection declare hym the thyng If death coulde not kepe Christ vnder his dominion and power but that he arose agayne it is manifest that his power was ouercome If death be conquered then muste it folowe that sinne wherefore death was appoynted as the wages muste be also destroyed If death sinne be vanished away then is the deuilles tyranny vanished whiche had the power of death and was the aucthour brewer of sin and the ruler of hell If Christ had the victorie of them all by the power of his death and openly proued it by his most victorious and valiaunt resurrection as it was not possible for his great myght to be subdued of them and then this true that Christ died for our synnes and rose agayne for our iustification Whye may not we that be his members by true fayth reioyce and boldly say with the prophete Osee and the Apostle Paul Where is thy darte O death where is thy victorie O hell Thankes be vnto God say they whiche hath geuen vs the victorie by our Lorde Christe Jesus This mightie conquest of his resurrection was not onlye signified before by diuers figures of the olde Testament as by Sampson when he slewe the Lion out of whose mouth came sweetenes and hony and as Dauid bare his figure when he deliuered the lambe out of the Lions mouth and when he ouercame and slew the great gyaunt Goliath and as when Jonas was swallâ—wed vp of the Whales mouth and cast vp agayne on lande alyue but was also moste clearely prophesied by the prophetes of the olde Testament and in the newe also confyrmed by the apostles He hath spoyled saith saint Paul rule and power and all the dominion of our spirituall enemies He hath made a shewe of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in his owne person This is the myghtie power of the Lorde whom we beleue on By his death hath he wrought for vs this victorie and by his resurrection hath he purchased euerlastyng lyfe and righteousnesse for vs It has not ben enough to be delyuered by his death from synne excepte by his resurrection we had ben endowed with ryghteousnes And it shoulde not auayle vs to be delyuered from death except he had rysen againe to open for vs the gates of heauen to enter into lyfe euerlastyng And therefore saint Peter thanketh God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ for his aboundaunt mercie because he hath begotten vs sayth he vnto a lyuely hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christe from death to enioy an inheritaunce immortall that neuer shall perish which is layd vp in heauen for them that be kept by the power of God through fayth Thus hath his resurrection wrought for vs life righteousnes He passed through death and hell to the intent to put vs in good hope that by his strength we shall do the same He payde the raunsome of synne that it shoulde not be layde to our charge He destroyed the deuill and all his tyrannye and openly triumphed ouer hym tooke away from hym all his captiues and hath raysed and sette them with himselfe amongst the heauenly Citezins aboue He dyed to destroy the rule of the deuill in
hath purified our heartes by fayth to the sincere acknowledging of his Gospel and imbracing of his mercies in Christe Jesu that so at this his table we receaue not only the outwarde Sacrament but the spirituall thing also not the figure but the trueth not the shadowe only but the bodye not to death but to lyfe not to destruction but to saluation which God graunt vs to do through the merites of our Lord and Sauiour to whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen The seconde part of the Homilee of the worthy receauing and reuerent esteeming of the sacrament of the body and blood of Christe IN the Homilee of late rehearsed vnto you ye haue hearde good people why it pleased our sauiour Christe to institute that heauenly memorie of his death and passion and that euery one of vs ought to celebrate the same at his table in our owne personnes and not by other You haue hearde also with what estimation knowledge of so hygh mysteries we ought to resort thyther You haue hearde with what constant fayth we shoulde clothe and decke our selues that we myght be fit and decent partakers of that celestiall foode Nowe foloweth the thirde thing necessarie in him that woulde not eate of this breade nor drinke of this cuppe vnworthyly which is newnesse of lyfe and godlinesse of conuersation For newenesse of lyfe as fruites of fayth are required in the partaker of this table â—e maye learne by the eating of the tipicall lambe whervnto no man was admitted but he that was a Jewe that was circumcized that was before sanctiâ—â—ed Yea Saint Paul testifieth that although the people were partakers of the Sacramentes vnder Moyses yet for that some of them were still worshippers of images whoremongers tempters of Christe murmurers and coueting after euill thinges God ouerthrewe those in the wyldernesse and that for our example that is that we Christians shoulde take heede we resorte vnto our Sacramentes with holinesse of lyfe not trustyng in the outwarde receauing of them and infected with corrupte and vncharitable maners For this sentence of GOD must alwayes be iustified I wyll haue mercie and not sacrifice Wherefore â—ayth Basâ—l it behoueth him that commeth to the bodye and blood of Christe in commemoration of hym that dyed and rose agayne not only to be pure from all filthynesse of the fleshe and spirite least he eate and drinke to his condempnation but also to shewe out euidently a memorie of hym that dyed rose agayne for vs in this point that he be mortified to sinne and the world to liue now to God in Christe Jesu our Lorde So then we must shewe outwarde testimonie in folowyng the signification of Christes death amongst the which this is not esteemed least to render thankes to almightie God for all his benefites briefely comprised in the death passion resurrection of his dearely beloued sonne The which thing because we ought chiefly at this table to solempnise the godly fathers named it Eucharistia that is thankesgeuing As yf they should haue sayde Nowe aboue all other tymes ye ought to laude and prayse god Now may you beholde the matter the cause the begynning and the ende of all thankesgeuing Nowe yf you stacke ye shewe your selues most vnthankfull and that no other benefite can euer stirre you to thanke God who so litle regarde here so many so wonderfull and so profitable benefites Seeyng then that the name thing it selfe doth monishe vs of thanks let vs as saint Paul sayth offer alwayes to god the hoste or sacrifice of prayse by Christe that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name For as Dauid singeth He that offereth to God thankes and prayse honoureth hym But howe fewe be there of thankfull personnes in comparison to the vnthankfull Loe ten Lepers in the Gospell were healed and but one only returned to geue thankes for his health Yea happye it were yf among fourtie Communicantes we coulde see two vnfaignedly geue thankes So vnkinde we be so obliuious we be so proude beggers we be that partly we care not for our owne commoditie partlye we knowe not our duetie to God and chiefely we wyll not confesse all that we receaue Yea and yf we be forced by Gods power to do it yet we handle it so coldely so drylye that our lippes prayse him but our heartes disprayse hym our tongues blesse hym but our lyfe curseth hym our wordes worshippe hym but our workes dishonour him O let vs therfore learne to geue God here thankes aright and so to agnise his exceeding graces powred vppon vs that they beyng shutte vp in the treasure house of our heart maye in due tyme and season in our lyfe and conuersation appeare to the glorifying of his holye name Furthermore for newenesse of lyfe it is to be noted that Saint Paul wryteth that we beyng many are one bread and one body For all be partakers of one bread Declaring thereby not onlye our Communion with Christ but that vnitie also wherin they that eate at this table shoulde be knitte together For by discention vaineglory ambition strise enuying contempt hatred or malyce they shoulde not be disseuered but so ioyned by the bonde of loue in one mysticall bodye as the cornes of that bread in one lofe In respecte of which strait knot of charitie the true Christians in the tender tyme of Christes Churche called this supper loue As yf they shoulde saye none ought to sit downe there that were out of loue and charitie who bore grudge vengeaunce in his heart who also dyd not professe his kynd affection by some charitable reliefe for some parte of the congregation And this was their practise O heaueÌ„ly â—anket then so vsed O godly ghestes who so estemed this feast But O wretched creatures that we be at these daies who be without reconciliation of our brethren whoÌ„ we haue offended without satisfying them whom we haue caused to fall without any kynde of thought or compassion toward them whoÌ„ we myght easyly relieue without any conscience of slaunder disdayne misrâ—poet diuision rancour or inwarde bitternes Yea being accombred with the cloked hatred of Caine with the long couered malice of Esau with the dissembled falshood of Ioab dare ye presume to come vp to these sacred and fearefull mysteries O man whyther rushest thou vnaduisedly It is a table of peace and thou art redy to fight It is a table of singlenes and thou art imagining mischeefe It is a table of quietnesse and thou art geuen to debate It is a table of pitie and thou art vnmercifull Doest thou neyther feare GOD the maker of this feast nor reuerence his Christe the refection and meate nor regardest his spouse his beloued ghest nor weighest thyne owne conscience which is sometime thyne inwarde accuser Wherfore O man tender thyne owne saluation examine and trye thygood wyl and loue towardes the chyldren of God the members of Christe the heyres of the heauenly heritage
deuill and not of God albeit they pretende outwardly to the worlde neuer so muche holinesse For as the Gospell teacheth vs the spirit of Jesus is a good spirit an holy spirit a sweete spirite a lowely spirite a mercifull spirite full of charitie and loue ful of forgeuenes and pitie not rendring euil for euill extremitie for extremitie but ouercomming euill with good and remitting all offence euen from the heart Accordyng to which rule if any man liue vprightly of him it may be safely pronounced that he hath the holy ghost within him If not then it is a plaine token that he doth vsurpe the name of the holye ghost in vaine Therfore dearely beloued according to the good councel of S. John beleue not euery spirite but firste trie them whether they be of God or no. Manye shall come in my name sayeth Christe and shall transfourme them selues into Angels of light deceauing if it be possible the very elect They shall come vnto you in sheepes clothing being inwardlye cruell and rauening Wolues They shall haue an outwarde shewe of great holines and innocencie of lyfe so that ye shall hardly or not at all discerne them But the rule that ye must folowe is this to iudge them by their fruites Which if they be wicked and naught then is it vnpossible that the tree of whoÌ„ they proceede should be good Such were all the popes and prelates of Rome for the most parte as doth well appeare in the storye of their lyues and therefore they are worthylye accounted among the number of false prophetes and false Christes whiche deceaued the worlde a long whyle The Lorde of heauen and earth deâ—fende vs from their tirannie and pryde that they neuer enter into his vineyarde agayne to the disturbaunce of his feely poore flocke but that they may be vtterly confounded and put to flight in all partes of the worlde And he of his great mercy so worke in al mens heartes by the mighty power of the holy ghost that the comfortable Gospell of his sonne Christe may be truely preached truely receaued and truelye followed in all places to the beating downe of sinne death the pope the deuil all the kingdome of Antichrist that lyke scattered and dispearsed sheepe beyng at length gathered into one folde we maye in the ende rest altogether in the bosome of â—braham Isaac and Jacob there to be partakers of eternal and euerlasting life through the merites and death of Jesus Christ out sauiour Amen ⧠An Homilee for the dayes of rogation weeke That all good thynges commeth from God. I Am purposed this day good deuout Christian people to declare vnto you the most deserued praise commendation of almighty God not only in the consyderation of the marueylous creation of this worlde or for conseruation and gouernaunce thereof wherein his great power and wysedome might excellentlye appeare to moue vs to honour and dread him but moste specially in consyderation of his liberall large goodnes whiche he daylye bestoweth on vs his reasonable creatures for whose sake he made the whole vniuersall worlde with all the commodities and goods therein Which his singuler goodnes well and diligently remembred on our part shoulde moue vs as dutie is agayne with hartye affection to loue him and with word and deede to praise him and serue him all the dayes of our lyfe And to this matter being so worthye to entreate of and so profitable for you to heare I trust I shal not neede with much circumstaunce of words to stirre you to geue your attendance to heare what shal be said Only I would wish your affection inflamed in secrete wyse within your selfe to rayse vp some motion of thankes geuing to the goodnes of almightie God in euery 〈…〉 che poynt as shal be opened by my declaration particulerly vnto you For els what shall it auayle vs to heare and knowe the great goodnesse of God towarde vs to knowe that what soeuer is good proceedeth from him as from the principal fountayne and the onelye aucthour or to knowe that what soeuer is sent from him must needs be good and holsome if the hearing of suche matter moueth vs no further but to knowe it onely What auayled it the wyse men of the worlde to haue a knowledge of the power and diuinitie of God by the secrete inspiration of him where they did not honor and glorifie him in their knowledges as God What prayse was it to them by the consyderation of the creation of the world to behold his goodnesse and yet were not thankful to him againe for his creatures What other thing deserued this blindnes and forgetfulnes of them at Gods handes but vtter forsaking of him and so forsaken of God they could not but fall into extreme ignorance and errour And although they muche esteemed them selues in their wittes and knowledge and gloried in their wisdome yet vanished they away blyndly in their thoughtes became fooles perished in their folly There can be none other ende of suche as draweth nygh to God by knowledge and yet depart from him in vnthankfulnes but vtter destruction This experience sawe Dauid in his dayes For in his Psalme he saith Behold they which withdrawe them selues from thee shall perishe for thou hast destroyed them all that are strayed from thee This experieÌ„ce was perceaued to be true of that holy prophete Jeremie O Lord sayth he what soeuer they be that forsake thee shal be confounded they that depart from thee shal be written in the earth and soone forgotten It profiteth not good people to heare the goodnes of God declared vnto vs if our heartes be not inflamed therby to honour thanke hym It profited not the Jewes whiche were Gods elect people to here much of God seyng that he was not receaued in their heartes by fayth nor thanked for his benefites bestowed vpon them their vnthankfulnes was the cause of their destructioÌ„ Let vs esche we the maner of these before rehearsed and folowe rather the example of that holye Apostle Saint Paul whiche when in a deepe meditation he dyd beholde the marueylous proceedinges of almyghtie God and consydered his infinite goodnes in the ordering of his creatures he brast out into this conclusion Surely sayth he of hym by hym and in him be al thinges And this once pronounced he stacke not still at this poynt but forthwith therupon ioyned to these wordes To him be glory prayse for euer Amen Uppon the grounde of which wordes of Saint Paul good audience I purpose to builde my exhortation of this day vnto you Wherein I shall do my endeuour first to proue vnto you that al good things commeth downe vnto vs from aboue from the father of lyght Secondly that Jesus Christ his sonne and our sauiour is the meane by whom we receaue his liberall goodnesse Thirdly that in the power and vertue of the holy ghost we be made meete and able to receaue his giftes graces Which
to be coÌ„dempned vnto death to take vpon him the rewarde of our sinnes and to geue his body to be broken on the crosse for our offences He sayth the prophete Esai meaning Christe hath borne our infirmities hath caried our sorowes the chastisement of our peace was vpoÌ„ him by his stripes are we made whole Saint Paul like wyse sayth God made him a sacrifice for our sinnes whiche knewe not sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God by him And saint Peter most agreeably wryting in this behalfe sayth Christe hath once died suffered for our sinnes the iust for the vniust c. To these myght be added an infinite number of other places to the same effect but these fewe shal be sufficient for this tyme Now then as it was said at the beginning let vs ponder weigh the cause of his death that therby we may be the more moued to glorifie him in our whole lyfe Whiche yf you wyll haue comprehended briefelye in one worde it was nothyng els in our parte but onlye the transgression and sinne of mankinde When the angell came to warne Joseph that he should not feare to take Mary to his wife Did he not therefore will the childes name to he called Jesus because he should saue his people from their sinnes When John the Baptist preached Christ and she wed hym to the people with his finger Dyd he not playnely say vnto them Behold the lambe of God whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde When the woman of Canaan besought Christ to helpe her daughter which was possest with a deuil did he not openly confesse that he was sent to saue the lost sheepe of the house of Israel by geuing his life for theyr sinnes It was sinne then O man eueÌ„ thy sinne that caused Christe the onlye sonne of God to be crucified in the fleshe and to suffer the most vyle slaunderous death of the crosse If thou haddest kept thy selfe vyryght if thou haddest obserued the commaundementes yf thou haddest not presumed to transgresse the wyll of God in thy fyrst father Adam then Christe being in fourme of God needed not to haue taken vppon him the shape of a seruaunt being immortall in heauen he needed not to become mortal on earth beyng the true bread of the soule he needed not to hunger being the healthfull water of lyfe he needed not to thirst being life it selfe he needed not to haue suffred death But to these and many other suche extremities was he dryuen by thy sinne which was so manifolde great that god could be onlye pleased in hym and none other Canst thou thinke of this O sinful man and not tremble within thy selfe Canst thou heare it quietlye without remorse of conscience and sorowe of heart Did Christ suffer his passion for thee and wylt thou shewe no compassion towardes hym Whyle Christe was yet hangyng on the Crosse and yelding vp the ghost the Scripture witnesseth that the vale of the temple did rent in twaine and the earth dyd quake that the stones claue asunder that the graues dyd open the dead bodyes rise And shall the heart of man be nothyng moued to remember how greeuously and cruelly he was handled of the Jewes for our sinnes Shall man shew himselfe to be more hard hearted then stones to haue lesse compassion theÌ„ dead bodies Call to minde O sinful creature and set before thyne eyes Christe crucified Thinke thou seest his body stretched out in length vppon the crosse his head crowned with sharpe thorne his handes his feete pearsed with nailes his heart opened with a long speare his fleshe rente and torne with whippes his browes sweating water and blood Thinke thou hearest hym nowe crying in an intollerable agonie to his father saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Couldest thou behold this wofull sight or heare this mournefull voyce without teares consydering that he suffered all this not for any desart of his owne but only for the greeuousnes of thy sinnes O that mankinde shoulde put the euerlasting sonne of God to such paines O that we should be the occasion of his death the only cause of his condempnation May we not iustly crye wo worth the time that euer we sinned O my brethren let this image of Christe crucified be alwayes printed in our heartes let it stirre vs vp to the hatred of sinne prouoke our mindes to the earnest loue of almightie god For why Is not sinne thinke you a greuous thing in his sight seing for the transgressing of Gods precept in eating of one apple he condempned all the world to perpetuall death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own sonne True yea moste true is that saying of Dauid Thou O Lorde hatest all them that worke iniquitie neyther shall the wicked and euill man dwell with thee By the mouth of his prophete Esai he cryeth mainely out agaynst sinners and sayth â—o be vnto you that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as it were with cart ropes Dyd not God geue a plaine token howe greatly he hated abhored sinne wheÌ„ he drowned all the world saue only eyght persons when he destroyed Sodome Gomorra with fire and brimstone when in three dayes space he killed with pestilence threescore and ten thousande for Dauids offence when he drowned Pharao and al his hoast in the red sea when he turned Nabuchodonozor the kyng into the fourme of a bruite beast creeping vppon all foure when he suffered Achitophel Iudas to hang them selues vpoÌ„ the remorse of sinne whiche was so terrible to theyr eyes A thousand such examples are to be found in scripture yf a man would stand to seeke them out But what neede we This one example which we haue now in hande is of more force ought more to moue vs then all the rest Christe being the sonne of god and perfect God him self who neuer committed sinne was compelled to come downe from heauen to geue his body to be bruised broken on the crosse for our sinnes Was not this a manifest token of Gods great wrath and displeasure towardes sinne that he could be pacified by no other meanes but onlye by the sweete precious blood of his deare sonne O sinne sinne that euer thou shouldest dryue Christe to suche extremitie Wo worth the tyme that euer thou camest into the world But what booteth it now to bewayle Sinne is come and so come that it can not be auoyded There is no man liuing no not the iustest man on the earth but he falleth seuen times a day as Salomon sayth And our Sauiour Christe although he hath deliuered vs from sinne yet not so that we shal be free from committing sinne But so that it shal not be imputed to our condempnation He hath taken vpon him the iust rewarde of sinne which was death by death
the bottome of our heartes detest and abhorre with all earnestnesse flee from it syth that it dyd cost the deare heart blood of the onlye begotten sonne of God our sauiour redeemer to purge vs from it Plato doth in a certayne place wryte that if vertue coulde be seene with bodily eyes all men woulde wonderfully be enflamed and kyndeled with the loue of it Euen so on the contrary if we myght with our bodily eyes beholde the filthynesse of synne and the vncleannes therof we coulde in no wyse abyde it but as most present and deadly poyson hate and eschewe it We haue a common experience of the same in them which when they haue committed any heynous offence or some filthy and abhominable synne if it once come to lyght or if they chaunce to haue a through feelyng of it they be so ashamed their owne conscience puttyng before their eyes the filthynes of their acte that they dare looke no man in the face muche lesse that they shoulde be able to stande in the syght of God. Fourthly the vncertayntie and brittlenesse of our owne lyues whiche is such that we can not assure our selues that we shall lyue one houre or one halfe quarter of it Whiche by experience we do fynde daily to be true in them that beyng nowe mery and lustye and sometymes feastyng and banquettyng with their freendes do fall sodenly dead in the streetes and otherwhyles vnder the boarde when they are yet at meate These daily examples as they are moste terrible and dreadfull so ought they to moue vs to seeke for to be at one with our heauenlye iudge that we may with a good conscience appeare before hym whensoeuer it shal please him for to cal vs whether it be sodaynly or otherwyse for we haue no more charter of our lyfe then they haue But as we are moste certayne that we shall dye so are we most vncertayne when we shal dye For our lyfe doth lye in the hande of God who wyll take it away when it pleaseth hym And veryly when the hyghest somner of all which is death shall come he wyll not be sayde nay but we must foorth with be packyng to be present before the iudgement seate of God as he doth fynde vs accordyng as it is wrytten Wheras the tree falleth whether it be towarde the South or towarde the North there it shall lye Whereunto agreeth the saying of the holy martyr of God S. Ciprian saying As God doth fynde thee when he doth call so doth he iudge thee Let vs therefore folowe the counsayle of the wyse man where he sayth Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and put not of from day to day For sodenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in thy securitie shalt thou be destroyed and shalt perishe in tyme of vengeaunce Whiche wordes I desyre you to marke diligently because they do most lyuely put before our eyes the fondnesse of manye men whiche abusyng the long sufferyng and goodnes of God do neuer thynke on repentaunce or amendement of lyfe Folowe not sayth he thyne owne mynde and thy strength to walke in the wayes of thy heart neyther say thou who wyll bryng me vnder for my workes For God the reuenger wyll reuenge the wrong done by thee And saye not I haue synned and what euyll hath come vnto me For the almyghtie is a patient rewarder but he wyll not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy synnes are forgeuen thee be not without feare to heape sin vpon synne Say not neyther The mercie of god is great he wil forgeue my manifold sinnes For mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth vpon vnrepentant synners As if he should say Art thou strong and myghtie Art thou lustye and young Haste thou the wealth and ryches of the worlde Or when thou hast synned hast thou receaued no punishment for it Let none of all these thynges make thee to be the slower to repent and to returne with speede vnto the Lorde For in the day of punishment and of his sodayne vengeaunce they shall not be able to helpe thee And speciallye when thou art eyther by the preaching of Gods worde or by some inwarde motion of his holy spirite or els by some other meanes called vnto repentaunce neglect not the good occasion that is ministred vnto thee least when thou wouldest repent thou hast not the grace for to do it For to repent is a good gyft of God which he wyll neuer graunt vnto them whiche lyuyng in carnal securitie do make a mocke of his threatnynges or seeke to rule his spirites as they list as though his workyng gyftes were tyed vnto their wyll Fifthly the auoydyng of the plagues of God and the vtter destructiō that by his ryghteous iudgement doth hang ouer the heades of them all that will in no wyse returne vnto the Lorde I wyll saith the Lorde geue them for a terrible plague to all the kyngdomes of the earth and for a reproche and for aprouerbe and for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and wyll send the sworde of famine the pestilence among them tyll they be consumed out of the land And wherfore is this Because they hardned their heartes and woulde in no wyse returne from their euyll wayes nor yet forsake the wyckednesse that was in their owne handes that the fiercenesse of the Lordes furie myght departe from them But yet this is nothing in comparison of the intollerable and endlesse tormentes of hell fyre whiche they shal be fayne to suffer who after their hardnesse of heart that can not repent do heape vnto them selues wrath against the day of anger and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Wheras if we wyll repent and be earnestly sory for our synnes and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto the mercie of our god and taking sure holde thereuppon through fayth in our sauiour Jesus Christe do bring foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce he wyll not onlye powre his manifold blessynges vpon vs here in this world but also at the last after the paynefull trauayles of this lyfe rewarde vs with the inheritaunce of his chyldren whiche is the kyngdome of heauen purchased vnto vs with the death of his sonne Jesu Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all prayse glory and honour worlde without ende Amen ⧠An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylful rebellion The fyrst parte AS GOD the creatour and Lord of al thynges appoynted his angels and heauenly creatures in all obedience to serue and to honour his maiestie so was it his wyl that man his cheefe creature vpon the earth shoulde lyue vnder the obedience of his creator and Lord and for that cause God assoone as he had created man gaue vnto him a certayne precept and law whiche he beyng yet in the state of innocencie remaynyng in paradise shoulde obserue as a pledge and
token of his due and bounden obedience with denuntiation of death if he dyd transgresse breake the said lawe commaundement And as God would haue man to be his obedient subiect so did he make al earthly creatures subiect vnto man who kept their due obedience vnto man so long as man remayned in his obedience vnto god in the which obedience if man had continued stil there had ben no pouertie no diseases no sicknesse no death nor other miseries wherewith mankynde is nowe infinitely and most miserably afflicted and oppressed So here appeareth the originall kyngdome of God ouer angels and man and vniuersally ouer all thinges and of man ouer earthly creatures whiche God had made subiect vnto him and withall the felicitie and blessed state whiche angels man and all creatures had remayned in had they continued in due obedience vnto GOD theyr kyng For as long as in this fyrst kyngdome the subiectes continued in due obedience to God theyr kyng so long dyd God embrace all his subiectes with his loue fauour and grace whiche to enioy is perfect felicitie whereby it is euident that obedience is the principall vertue of all vertues and in deede the verye roote of all vertues and the cause of all felicitie But as all felicitie and blessednesse shoulde haue continued with the continuaunce of obedience so with the breache of obedience and breaking in of rebellion all vices and miseries dyd withall breake in and ouerwhelme the worlde The first aucthour of which rebellion the roote of all vices and mother of all mischeefes was Lucifer fyrst Gods most excellent creature and moste bounden subiect who by rebelling agaynst the maiestie of God of the bryghtest and most glorious angell is become the blackest and moste foulest feende deuill and from the heyght of heauen is fallen into the pit and bottome of hell Here you may see the first aucthour and founder of rebellion and the rewarde thereof here you maye see the graunde captayne and father of all rebels who perswadyng the folowyng of his rebellion agaynst GOD their creator and Lorde vnto our fyrst parentes Adam and Eue brought them in high displeasure with GOD wrought their exile and vanishment out of paradise a place of all pleasure and goodnesse into this wretched earth and vale of all miserie procured vnto them sorowes of their mindes mischeefes sicknesse diseases death of theyr bodies and whiche is farre more horrible then all worldly and bodyly mischeefes he had wrought thereby theyr eternall and euerlastyng death and dampnation had not GOD by the obedience of his sonne Jesus Christe repayred that whiche man by disobedience and rebellion had destroyed and so of his mercie had pardoned and forgeuen hym of whiche all and singuler the premises the holye scriptures do beare recorde in sundrye places Thus you do see that neither heauen nor paradise coulde suffer anye rebellion in them neyther be places for any rebels to remayne in Thus became rebellion as you see both the first and greatest and the verye roote of all other sinnes and the first and principall cause both of all worldlye and bodyly miseries sorowes diseases sicknesses and deathes and whiche is infinitely worse then all these as is sayde the very cause of death and dampnation eternall also After this breache of obedience to God and rebellion agaynst his maiestie all mischeefes and miseries breaking in therewith and ouerflowyng the worlde lest all thinges shoulde come vnto confusion and vtter ruine GOD foorthwith by lawes geuen vnto mankynde repayred agayne the rule and order of obedience thus by rebellion ouerthrowen and besides the obedience due vnto his maiestie he not onlye ordayned that in families and housholdes the wyfe shoulde be obedient vnto her husbande the chyldren vnto their parentes the seruauntes vnto their maisters but also when mankynde increased and spread it selfe more largely ouer the worlde he by his holye worde dyd constitute and ordayne in Cities and Countreys seuerall and speciall gouernours and rulers vnto whom the residue of his people shoulde be obedient As in readyng of the holye scriptures we shall finde in very many and almoste infinite places aswell of the olde Testament as of the newe that kynges and princes aswell the euill as the good do raigne by Gods ordinaunce and that subiectes are bounden to obey them that God doth geue princes wysdome great power and aucthoritie that God defendeth them agaynst their enemies and destroyeth their enemies horribly that the anger and displeasure of the prince is as the roaring of a Lion and the very messenger of death and that the subiect that prouoketh hym to displeasure sinneth agaynst his owne soule With many other thinges concernyng both the aucihoritie of princes and the duetie of subiectes But here let vs rehearse two speciall places out of the new Testament which may stand in steade of all other The first out of saint Paules Epistle to the Romanes and the. 1◠Chapter where he wryteth thus vnto all subiectes Let euery soule be subiect vnto the hygher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeyned of god Whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinaunce of God and they that resist shall receaue to them selues dampnation For princes are not to be feared for good workes but for euil Wylt thou then be without feare of the power Do well so shalt thou haue prayse of the same For he is the minister of GOD for thy wealth but yf thou do euill feare for he beareth not the sworde for naught for he is the minister of God to take vengeaunce vppon hym that doth euyll Wherefore ye muste be subiect not because of wrath only but also for conscience sake for for this cause ye pay also tribute for they are Gods ministers seruyng for the same purpose Geue to euery man therefore his duetie tribute to whom tribute belongeth custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare belongeth honour to whom ye owe honour Thus farre are saint Paules wordes The seconde place is in saint Peters first Epistle and the second chapter whose wordes are these Submit yoūr selues vnto all maner ordinaunce of man for the lordes sake whether it be vnto the kyng as vnto the cheefe head eyther vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euyll doers but for the cheryshing of them that do well For so is the wyll of GOD that with well doyng ye may stoppe the mouthes of ignoraunt and foolishe men as free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloke of malitiousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of god Honour all men loue brotherly felowship feare GOD honour the kyng Seruauntes obey your maisters with feare not onlye yf they be good and curteous but also though they be frowarde Thus farre out of Saint Peter By these two places of the holy scriptures it is moste euident that Kinges Queenes and other Princes for he speaketh of
then such lenitie whiche sinfull humanitie sayeth holy Chrisostome is more cruell before God then any murder or shedding of blood when it is commaunded of god But yet how euill soeuer Saul the kyng was and out of Gods fauour yet was he obeyed of his subiect Dauid the verye best of all subiectes and moste valiaunt in the seruice of his Prince and countrey in the warres the moste obedient and louyng in peace and alwayes most true and faythfull to his soueraygne and Lord and furthest of from all maner rebellion For the which his most painfull true and faithfull seruice Kyng Saule yet rewarded him not onelye with great vnkyndnesse but also sought his destruction and death by all meanes possible so that Dauid was faine to saue his lyfe not by rebellion nor any resistaunce but by flight and hyding him selfe from the kings sight Which notwithstanding when kyng Saul vpon a time came alone into the caue where Dauid was so that Dauid might easily haue slaine him yet woulde he neither hurt him him selfe neyther suffer any of his men to lay handes vppon hym Another tyme also Dauid entring by nyght with one Abisai a valiaunte and a fierce man into the tent where Kyng Saule did lye a sleepe where also he myght yet more easylye haue slayne hym yet woulde he neyther hurte hym hym selfe nor suffer Abisai who was wyllyng and redye to slea Kyng Saule once to touche hym Thus did Dauid deale with Saule his prince notwithstanding that Kyng Saule continuallye sought his death and destruction It shall not be amisse vnto these deedes of Dauid to adde his wordes and to shewe you what he spake vnto such as encouraged him to take his oportunitie and aduantage to slaye kyng Saule as his mortall enemie when he myght The Lord keepe me sayth Dauid from doing that thing and from laying handes vpon my Lorde Gods annoynted For who can lay his hand vpon the Lords annointed and be gyltlesse As truely as the Lord lyueth except that the Lorde do smyte hym or his dayes shall come to dye or that he go downe to warre and be slayne in battell the Lorde be mercifull vnto me that I laye not my hande vppon the Lordes annoynted These be Dauids words spokeÌ„ at sundry times to diuers his seruauntes prouokyng hym to stea king Saul when oportunitie serued him thervnto Neither is it to be omitted and left out how when an Amalechite had slayne king Saul euen at Sauls owne bidding commaundement for he would lyue no longer now for that he had lost the feeld against his enemies the Philistines the said Amalechite making great hast to bryng fyrst word and newes thereof vnto Dauid as ioyous vnto him for the death of his mortal enemy bringing withall the crowne that was vppon Kyng Saules head and the bracelet that was vppon his arme both as a proofe of the trueth of his newes and also as fit and pleasaunt presentes vnto Dauid beyng by God appoynted to be king Saul his successour in the kyngdome Yet was that faithfull and godly Dauid so farre from reioycing at these newes that he rent his clothes wept and mourned and fasted and so farre of from thankesfeuing to the messenger either for his deede in killing the king though his deadly enemy or for his message and newes or for hys presentes that he brought that he sayd vnto him How happened it that thou wast not afrayde to lay thy handes vppon the Lordes annoynted to slea hym Whereupon immediatelye hee commaunded one of his seruauntes to kyll the messenger and sayd Thy blood be vpon thyne owne head for thine owne mouth hath wytnessed agaynst thy selfe in confessyng that thou haste slayne the Lordes annoynted This example dearely beloued is notable and the circumstances thereof are well to be considered for the better instruction of all Subiectes in theyr bounden duetie of obedience and perpetuall fearyng of them from attemptyng of any rebellion or hurt agaynst theyr Prince On the one part Dauid was not onely a good and true Subiect but also suche a Subiect as both in peace and warre had serued and saued his Princes honour and lyfe and delyuered hys countrey and countreymen from great daunger of Infidels forraigne and most cruell enemies horribly inuading the kyng and hys countrey for the whiche Dauid was in singuler fauour wyth all the people so that he might haue had great numbers of them at hys commaundement if he woulde haue attempted any thyng Besydes thys Dauid was no commoÌ„ or absolute subiect but heyre aparant to the crowne and kyngdome by God appoynted to raygne after Saule whiche as it increased the fauour of the people that knewe it towardes Dauid so did it make Dauids cause case much differing from the case of common and absolute subiectes And which is most of all Dauid was hyghly and singulerly in the fauour of God On the contrary part kyng Saul was out of Gods fauour for that cause which is before rehearsed and he as it were Gods enemy and therefore like in warre and peace to be hurtful and pernitious vnto the common wealth and that was knowen to many of his subiectes for that he was openly rebuked of Samuel for his disobedience vnto God whiche might make the people the lesse to esteeme him Kyng Saul was also vnto Dauid a mortall and deadlye enemie though without Dauids deseruing who by his faythfull paynefull profitable yea moste necessarye seruice had well deserued as of his country so of his prince but kyng Saul farre otherwyse the more was his vnkyndnesse hatred and crueltie towardes suche a good subiect both odious and detestable Yet would Dauid neither him selfe sâ—ea nor hurt suche an enemie for that he was his prince and Lord nor would suffer any other to kill hurt or laye hand vppon hym when he myght haue ben slayne without any sturre tumult or daunger of any mans lyfe Now let Dauid answere to such demaundes as men desyrous of rebellion do vse to make Shall not we speciallye beyng so good men as we are ryse and rebell agaynst a Prince hated of God and Gods enemie and therefore like not to prosper either in warre or peace but to be hurtful and pernitious to the commoÌ„ wealth No sayth good and godly Dauid Gods and such a kynges faythful subiect and so conuicting such subiectes as attempt any rebellion agaynst suche a king to be neither good subiects nor good men But say they shall we not ryse and rebell against so vnkynde a Prince nothing consyderyng or regarding our true faythfull and payneful seruice or the safegarde of our posteritie No sayth good Dauid whom no such vnkyndnesse coulde cause to forsake his due obedience to his Soueraigne Shall we not say they ryse and rebell agaynst our knowen mortall and deadly enemie that seeketh our lyues No sayth godly Dauid who had learned the lesson that our Sauiour afterwarde playnelye taught
22. Deut. 27. 1. Thess. 4. Deut. 19. Pro. 11. 20. Prou. 25. Psal. 36. Daniel 4. Agges 1. Leui. 19. Deut. 24. 1. Cor. 9. Ioel. 8. Prou. 3. 1. Mach. 4. i. Cor. 5. i. Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 Pet. 3. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Gen. iii. Iob. v. Eccle. vii Prou. v. ii The. iii. i. Tim. v. Ezec. xvi Prou. x. Pro. 11. 28. Prou. x. Eccle. 33. Mat. xiii ii Reg. xi ii Reg. xii Iudg. xvi Herodotus Ephe. iiii Psalm 128 Eccle. iii. i. Thes. iiii Ephes. iiii Eccle. xi Num. 25. The doctrine of repentance is most necessarie Luk. xiiii Actes xx Matth. iii. Matth. iiii Ioel. ii 〈◊〉 perpetuall â—ule whiche all â—ust folowe Luke xv Ezec. 18. Esai i. i. Iohn ii Esai 37. ii Par. 33. Luk. 7. 16. From whence we must returne Esai lix Galat. v. Ephe. 5. â—nto who 〈…〉 we ought to returne By whom 〈◊〉 must returne vâ—â—o 〈◊〉 Mat. 3. Ioh. xiiii Iohn i. i. Pet. i. Act. v. Luke 24. Iohn xv The maner oâ— oâ—â— returning Esaias 29. Mat. xv Deut. 6. Haltyng on both sydes Psal. 25. Psal. 52. Hypocrites do counterfait all maner of â—hinges Psal. 51. â—ow repentaunce is 〈◊〉 vnprostâ—able Exod. 34. Esaias 55. Psal. 103. 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Mat. 12. Mark. 3. The sinne agaynst the holy ghost Hiere 4. Esaias 55. Ozee 6. 〈◊〉 Eccle. 7. i. Iohn i. Act. 13. 2. Sam. 7. 2. Sam. 11. 2. Sam. 12. Peter Iohn 6. Mat. 26. Mat. 10. Act. 2. Galath 2. What we 〈◊〉 be more of Iohn 15. 2. Cor. 3. Phillip 2. Hiere 4. Ambros. de vocat gentium lib. 1. ca. 9. There be foure partes of repentaunce Psal. 51. ii Sa. xii Act. iiii Ezech. 18. Psal. xxxi i. Iohn i. In Epist. ad Iulianâ— comitem 30. Mat. 5. Aunswere to the aduersaries which mainteyne auriculer confession Iohannes Scotus li. 4. senten distinc 17. quest 1. Math. 8. Ambrose Nectarius soromenus ecclesiast histo li. 7. cap. 16. Lib. 10. confessionum ca. 3. The repentaunce of the 〈…〉 ole men Judas and his repentaunce Mat. 27. Peter and his repentaunce Depenitentia distin 1. cap. petrus Matth. 3. Ionas 3. Luk. 19. Luk. 7. Iohn 5. Iohn 15. The causes that should moue vs to repent Esai 31. Ezech. 33 Ozee 14 Hier. 4. Ezech. â—8 Similitude Esai 59. Death the Lordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccle. 11. Contra Demetrianum Eccle. 5. Iere. 24. Rom. 2. Psalm 96. b. 8. 102 d. 20. 148. a. 2. Dani. 3. c. 58. 7. c. 10. Mat. â—6 c. 55 Coloss. 1. b 16. Heb. 1. b. 4. c. 14. Apoca. 19. b. 10. Gen. 2. c. 17. Gen. 1. d. 28. Mat. 4. b. 9. Mat. 25. d. 43 Ioh. 8. f. 44. 2. Pet. 2. a. 4. Epi. Iud. a. 6 Apo. 12. b. 7. Gene. 3. a. 1. c. Sap. 2. d. 24. Gen. 3. b. 8. 9 c. c. 17. d. 23. 24. Rom. 5. c. 12. c. d 19. c. Gen. 3. d. 17. Gene. 3. c. 16. Iob. 34. d. 30. 36. a. 7. Eccl. 8. a. 2. 10. c. 16. 17. d. 20. Psal. 18. g. 50. 20. b 6. 21. a. 1. 144. a. 1. Pro. 8. b. 15 Rom. xiii i. Pet. ii Psal. 10. b. 16. 45. a. 6. c. 47. a. 2. Eccle. 17. c Mat. 18. c. 23. 22. a. 2 Psalm x. b 16. 45. a. b. 47. a. 2. c. Mat. 22. b. 13. 25. c. 34. Psal. 82. b. 6. Eccle. 10. d. 1â— Pro. 16. 29. Eccle. x. Esai 32. a. Eccle. x. d xvi Prou. 28. 29. Iob. 34. d. 30. O see 13. a. 6. 2. Par. 2. 9. Prou. xvi 1. Reg. 12. c Pro. xxi a Esdr. 7. d. 1. Tim. 2. a Baruc. 1. b. â— Deu. 17. c. 15. 1. Reg. 25. c. 11. e. 22. g. 35. Chriso 10. 1. Home 1. aduersus Iudeos 1. Reg. 18. c. 10. 12. 1. Reg. 16. c. 14. c. 15. 1. Re. 19. b. 9 c. 20. 1. Reg. 17. d. 26. c. 1. Reg. 18. g. 27. 1. Reg. 19. a. 5. b. 8. 1. Reg. 23. 1. Reg. 27. 1. Reg. 16. d 25. 1. Reg. 19. a. 4. 1. Re. 24. b. 9â— 1. Re. 18. c. 9. f. 25. g. 29. 1. Re. 19. b. 19. 1. Reg. 21. 1. Reg. 22. 1. Re 24. a. 5. 2. Re â—4 b. 8 1. Re. 26 a. 6. 1. Re. 26. b. 9. 1. Re 24. a. 5. 1. Reg. 24. b. 7. c. 1. Reg. 26. b. 9. b. 10 c. 2. Reg. 24 a. 5 1. Reg. 1 b. 7. b. 9. 2. Reg. 1. b. 10 2. Reg. i. c.13 â–ª 2. Reg. 1. c. â—â— c. 15. 1. Reg. 8. d. 18. g. 30. i. Reg. 16. c. â— c. i. Reg. 18. c. 11 i. Reg. 15. c. 11 i. Reg. 18. c. â—0 12. i. Reg. 15. 22. f. 26 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The demaund The answe 〈…〉 The de 〈…〉 The answ 〈…〉 The demaund The a 〈…〉 swere The demaund The aunswere 〈◊〉 vnnaturall and wicked Question Luk. 2. a. â— c. Luk. 2. a. 7. Luke 2. a. â— Mat. 17. d 2â— c. Maâ— 12. b. 17. Luk. 20. d. 2â— Mat. 27. a. 2. Luk. 23. a. 1. Ioh. 19. b. 20. Mat 27. c. 26 Luk. 23. d. 24. Rom. 13. The first table of Gods lawe broken by rebellion and the â—innes of rebels agaynsâ— God. The â—â—fth commaundement The syxt and eyght commaundement The seuenth commaundement The nynth commaundement The tenth com maundement 2. Reg. 24. c. 14. 2. Reg. 24. c. 14. Mat. 12. b. Pro. 14. Rom. 13. Num. 11. a. Num. 12. c 10. Num. 16. Psal. 77. Num. 16. Exo. 16. b. 7. c. Eccl. 10. d. 2. Re. 15. c. 12. 17. a. 1. c. 11. 18. b. 7. 81. 2. Reg. 18. b. 5. 2 Reg. 18. b. 9. Achitophel 2. Re. 15. c. 12. 16. d. 21. 23. 17. f 23. 2. Reg. 18. c. 7. 8. 9. 2. Reg. 20. Psal. 20. 12. b. Gen. 14. 2. Reg. 15. c. 12. Mat. 17. d. 25. Mar. 12. b. 14. Lnk. 20. d. 25. Mat. 27. Luke 23. Ro. 13. a. 1. c. i. Ti. 2. a. 1. i. Pe. 2. c. 13 Ioh. 6. b. 15 18. f. 36. Mat. 20. d 25 Mar. x. f. xlii Luk. 22. c. xxv Mat. 23. a. 8 Luk. ix f. xlvi ii Cor. i. d xxiiii i. Pet. 5. a. â— Mat. 18. a 4 20. d. 28. Luk. 9. f. 48. 22. c 27. Sext. decree lib. 3. tit 16. cap. vnico lib. 5. tit 9. cap. 5. in glossa Of ignoraunce of the simple people the latter part Matth. 27. Luke 23. Luke 23. e. 34. 1. Cor. 2. b. 8. Iohn 15. d 21. 16 c. 23. Si cognouissent Gregorius 2. 3. Anno. do 726. c. In the second commaundement Henri 4. Gregorius 7. Anno domini 1076 Paschalis 2. An. 1099. King Iohn Innocentius 3. Philip Frenche Kyng Lewes Dolphin of France Pandolphus Bee the actes of Parliament in king Edward the third his dayes Mala. 2. Ier. 18. c. 18 Eze. 7. g. 26. Osee.