written in the. xvi of Mathewe Tibi dabo claues regni celorum quodcunque ligaueris super terram crit ligatum et in celis et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum et in celis That is to saye Unto thee will I geue the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou doest bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest vpon earth shall also be loosed in heauen Which 〈◊〉 all Chrysten men shoulde to theyr great comforte moste gladly imbrace and by al meanes be most carefull and wary to the vttermost of theyr power to kepe them selues in such state that they may styll enioye the fruit of this soo comfortable a priueledge Wherefore good people accordyng to the exhortation of the Prophete Ezechiell in the eyghtenth chapter Tourne and doe penaunce for all youre iniquities and youre iniquitye shall not be your destruction But youe shall vndoutedly accordyng to thys article be vnburdened of your synnes and made partakers of the communion of saynctes bothe in thys worlde and in the worlde to come Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the eleuēth artycle of the Crede whiche is The resurrection of the Bodye Coucernynge thys eleuenth article for asmuche as it may seme itraunge to some men why thys word Body is here placed in the Englishe seyng the Latin is Carnis resurrcctionem That is to sai The resur rection of the fleshe 〈◊〉 shal knowe that in 〈◊〉 ture many tymes thys worde fleshe doeth signyfye the hole man as for example where it is wrytten in the fyrst of S. Jhon Verbum caro factum est that is to saye The worde was made fleshe the meanynge is that the sonne of god toke vpon hym the hole nature of man Agayne 〈◊〉 the fyrste chapiter of saynt Paules fyrste epystle to the Corynthians it is wrytten in thys maner Vt non glorietur omnis caro that is to say That no fleshe should glorye the meanynge is that no man should glorye Lykewyse where in the thyrde of S. Luke it is wrytten Videbit omnis caro salutare dei That is All fleshe shall se the sauiour sent of God The meanynge is that al men shall see the sauiour sent of god And manye tymes also thys sayde worde Fleshe doeth in scrypture signifye onely the bodye of man without any respect of the soule thereof as in the fyrst Chapyter of Genesis where Adam speakyng of hys wyfe Eue sayth in this maner Caro de carne 〈◊〉 that is Fleshe of my fleshe meanynge that her body was made of hys bodye Lykewyse in the. xxi of Job where Job sayeth Concutit carnem 〈◊〉 tremor That is Tremblyng dothe shake my fleshe meanyng there by hys fleshe hys bodye And accordynge to thys seconde acception thys Latyne worde Carnis Which is to saye Of the fleshe is taken here in thys article of the Latyn Crede and by cause the body and the fleshe here in this article doe signifye and meane one thing we maye both say the resurrection of the body and also the resurrection of the fleshe And therby we doe vnderstand that at the day of the generall dome or Judgemente when Chryste shall come as in the. vii article of thys Crede is contayned and sitte to iudge the quicke and the deade almighty God shall styrre and rayse vppe againe the very fleshe and bodies of all men women and Chyldrē both good and bad christened and heathen that euer lyued here in this world from the begynnynge of the same and died before that day And althoughe the sayde fleshe and bodyes were deade and buryed yea and consumed or by anye meanes destroyed yet God shall of his infinite power make them all at that day wholl and perfecte agayne And soo euerye man generally shall resume and take agayne the very selfe same bodie and flesh in substaūce which he had whi les he liued here on earth and so shall rise from death and liue agayne in the very selfe same bodie and soule which he had before 〈◊〉 whych tyme man thus beyng made perfect in coniunction of body and soule shall at that daye appeare before the hygh iudge our sauiour Jesu Chryst and there shall make an accompte of his workes and hys dedes such as he did good or euil while he liued here in thys worlde And for profe that the contentes of this article are true these authorities and testimonies both of the olde and the newe testamente shal be sufficient for this presente that is to witte the. xix of Job Esay xxvi Ezechi xxxvii Daniel xii Mathew xxii John v. Rom xiiii i. Cor. xv ii Cor. v i Thes iii. and. iiii Philip. iii. and the ii to Timoth. ii ¶ The exposition or declaration of the twelft Article of the Crede whiche is And the lyfe euerlastynge Amen In these fewe wordes is the moost comfortable and ioyous knyttynge vppe of this Crede that maye be For two excellent thinges are here sette fourth to be beleued the fyrst is Lyfe whiche all thynges do desyre the second is the Eternitie and continuall lastyng of it which is a thyng that maketh it most pleasaunte and most swete and most profitable And when I do saye that ther is a lyfe and also an euerlastyng lyfe I doo meane both concernyng the body and also concernynge the soule for vnto them bothe this euerlastyng lyfe shal without any endynge contynue and abyde B V T H E R E muste ye marke that lyke as the good shall enioye for euer thys mooste 〈◊〉 estate of euerlastyng lyfe to theyr vnspeakeable comforte and gladnes so also the noughtye and wycked shall bothe in bodye and also in soule receaue for euer punyshmente and tormente incessantly accordynge whervnto our Sauiour Chryst in the. xxv of saynte Mathewe sayeth Et ibunt hi in supplicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 em in uitam eternam That is to saye And they meanynge the noughtye and wycked shall goe into euerlastinge punyshment but the iuste shall goo into lyfe euerlasting And herevpon maye be 〈◊〉 that though the noughtye and wycked shall continue for euer and haue immortalitie yet forasmuch they so contynuing shall neuer haue ioye but euerlastyng torment of body and soule without hope of forgyuenes and wythoute anye ende Therefore theyr contynuaunce and immortalitie is rather to be called euerlastynge deathe then euerlastynge lyfe or lyfe at all accordynge whervnto S. Paule in the. vi chapiter of his epystle to the Romaynes doth saye Stipendia enim peccatimors gratia autem dei uita 〈◊〉 in CHRISTO IESV domino nostro That is to saye The rewarde in dede of synne is death but eternall lyfe is the gyfte of God through Jesu Chryst our lorde So that such as haue led theyr lyues in obedience obseruation of Goddes commaundementes and die in true fayth and charitie shall then be perfectly 〈◊〉 tified puryfyed and delyuered frome all contagion of synne and from all corruptible and mortalitie of the 〈◊〉 and shal be perpetuallye glorified and
euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyll lyuer eternal death beleue he neuer so wel As S. Paule wituesseth in the. v. chapyter of his Epi stle to the Galathians where he sayth Walk af ter the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of that fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the flesh These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye would But and yf ye beled of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The de des of the fleshe ar manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry witchcrafte hatred variaūce 〈◊〉 wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkēnes glotteny and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in time past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heuē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Chryst these two poyntes are requisit of our behalfe the one to beleue rightlye that other to lyue vpryghtly whych two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to know except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche which catholike church oure sauioure Chryste hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for al men to come and repayre vnto to learne such truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerla styng life This catholike church and no other company hath that true vnderstanding of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluatiō To this churche Christ maketh promis in that xvi of Thō saying Whē that spirit of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this church also he maketh that other promis written in the xxviii of Mathewe where he sayth Behold I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholike church thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assured alwayes of Chryst him selfe neuer yet fayled frō that time of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fail to the worl des ende nether can it be deceued in any necessary truth 〈◊〉 as Chryst promyseth in the. xvi of Mathe we saying That hel gates shal not pre uayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catho lyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapter of his first epistle to Timothe calleth the catholike church the piller and ground of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a companye as among which the trueth is openly preached ells Chryste woulde not haue sayde as it is wrytten in the. v of Mathew A citie that is seton a hyl can not be hid ne ther do men light a candle and putit vnder a bushel but on all cādelsticke and it geueth lyght vnto al that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke church is an vnknowen church seinge it is that citie which our sauiour there mente that candell of which he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryst and refuse the doctrine thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in reading ofscripture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into errour and ignoraunce cuē as a mā that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour Saynt Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapter of his secōd epystle geueth vs a most certayne an sure rule which if we folow we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstand scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure word of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take 〈◊〉 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntil the day dawne and the daye starre arise in your harts So that you first knowe this that no prophecy in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For that scrip ture came neuer by the wil of man butholy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Here you se howe S. Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meaning of Chrystes church and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or company And in the thyrde chapyter of the same Epystle he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to he vnderstanded whyche they that are vnlearned vnstable do peruerte as they do also the other scriptures to theyr own destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be 〈◊〉 afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the erroure of the wicked fal from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S Peter telleth the 〈◊〉 cause why men my svnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knowledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignotaunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe priuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scryptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytynge to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Limothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge which S. Paule sayeth was committed to 〈◊〉 custodye was the truth of the catholyk fayth which he sayth some fell from by reasonne of new fangeled termes and by reson aiso that they tooke vpon them knowledg beynge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde epistle to Timothie he farther sayeth Contynue thou in that thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. I reneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapter of the same boke sayeth touchyng the catholyke churche in this maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rich tresury all truth the who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of life for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what yf a controuersy shoulde happen to ryse vpon neuer so 〈◊〉 a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the
multiplied replenishe youe the earthe And consideryng the state of matrymony as it was after the synne or fal of Adam and Eue then besides the foresayde .ii. causes there was a third it is to wit to avoyde fornication and that humayne weakenes and infirmitie myght haue therfore the honest remedye of mariage and lawefull copulation accordyng wherevnto Saynte Augustyne De Genesi ad literam in hys nynth booke and seuenth chapter sayeth thus Denique utriusque sexus infirmitas propendens in ruinā turpitudinis recte excipitur honestate nuptiarum ut quod sanis possit esse officium sit egrotis medium That is to saye Finally or for conclusion the infyrmitie or weakenes of both the kyndes it is to wytte of manne and woman prone or readie to fall into the ruine or 〈◊〉 of filthines is well holden vppe or preserued by the honestie of matrimony that that whi che myght be vnto the innocente or hole per sons an office or duetye myghte be vnto the sicke or weake persones a remedy or helpe And here by the way ye shal note that yf our fore fathers Adam and Eue had not sinned thē they and theyr ofsprynge shoulde not haue bene troubled with the prickynge or styrrynge of the fleshe nor wyth the feruor or rage of carnal lust but should haue begottē or procreated chyldren without anye suche styrre or rage and without any synne at all yea and with me rite also where after theyr fall bothe they and theyr posteritie by the deadely lawe of concupiscence inhe tynge vnto theyr members without the which car nall coniunction is not done had not that liberty so that nede it was bothe them and theyr posteritie to haue some good ayde and helpe to excuse carnal copulation otherwyse culpable and to make it laweful And herevpon S. Augustine consideryng wel the matter doth attribute two offices vnto matrimony before the fal of mā and the thyrd he doeth attribute vnto it after the fal of mā But yet besides these cause or endes for which matrimony was by god in paradise instituted there is another not the least but rather and principall yf we consider and regarde the purpose of God herein whyche is that Matrimonye or maryage shoulde be a fytte sygne or mystical token of that mooste assured and strong coniunction that should be betwene Christ yet then to come and the church which churche euerlastyngly before the creation of the worlde aud from the begynnynge God dydde preordeyne chose and electe vnto hymselfe as Paule witnesseth in the fyrste chapters of his Epystles to the Ephesians and to Tyte. For the vnspeak able wysedome of God forseyng and knowynge before that man after his creation throughe the wylynes and deceate of the deuyl woulde fal and deserue eternall death dyd most mercifully in thys hys foresyght 〈◊〉 caste determine and dispose wyth hymselfe a meane howe man beyng fallen might againe be restored and regenerated And therefore appointynge vnto Chryste who shoulde be the father and parent of thys generation a maryage mete therevn to dyd to mans great and marueylous comforte in the myraculous couplynge and conioynynge of Adā representyng Chryst then to come and Eue being formed and made of the ribbe of Adames syde Adā beyng a slepe dyd I saye as in a shadowe and a fygure shewe before and expresse the same knotte and bonde of mariage of Christ and the church And this as it were plyghtyng of trouth for thys marryage to come was farther by a promyse made by God to man confyrmed and ratifyed when he sayde in the thyrd chapyter of Genesis that the sede of the wo man shoulde with his foote tread downe the serpentes heade Whyche promyse from the begynnynge contynuallye and from tyme to tyme God almyghty renued to the holy fathers and patriarches wylled hys prophetes to open and publyshe it And to passe ouer al other testunonyes how notably and playnely dothe the prophete Oze in his thyrd cha piter speake hereof sayiug Et sponsabo te mihi in sempiternum et sponsabo te mihi in iustitia in iudicio et misericordia et in miserationibus Et sponsabo te mihi sed c. That is to saye And I wyll marye the vnto my owne selfe for euermore yea vnto my selfe wyll I marie the in righte wysenes in iudgement in mercie and in com passion And in faythe also wyll I marye the vnto my selfe c. Accordyng whervnto Salomon in his notable and excellent boke called Cantica Camicorum dydde synge and prophecie of this maryage then yet to come where he declarynge the great desyre and longynge that the bride had that the daye of solempnyzynge the maryage standyng yet betwene hyr brydegrome and her in onely handfastyng or plyghtyng of fayth trouth myght come sayeth thus 〈◊〉 me osculo oris sui That is to saye Oh that he woulde kysse me wyth the kysse of hys mouthe But fynallye whan the daye drewe 〈◊〉 and the brydegrome was come downe into the worlde howe dyd Ihon baptiste the mooste holy brideman reioyce of thys the brydegromes com mynge and that the tyme was full runne oute And sayde as wytnesseth S. Iohn the Euangeliste in his Gospell and in the thyrd Chapyter in thys maner Qui habet sponsam sponsus est amicus autem sponsi qui stat audit eum 〈◊〉 gaudit propter uocem sponsi Hoc ergo gaudium 〈◊〉 impletum est That is to saye He that hathe the bryde is the brydegrome And the frende of the bridgrome who standethe and hearethe hym reioysethe greatly to heare the voyce of the brydgrome This my ioye therefore is fulfylled So that here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 howe frome the begynnynge of the worlde the churche hathe bene berrouthed to Chryste Hys seruauntes the prophtes were sente whyche should call them that were bidden to the ma riage At length came Chryste the brydegrome more beutyfull then the chyldren of 〈◊〉 to whome whyle he dyd ascende or goo vp to the bryde chamber of the crosse and there fallynge into slepe the heauenlye father out of his sonnes syde beynge opened wyth the speare of the souldier dyd 〈◊〉 and as it were shape vnto Chryste his betrouthed bryde the church and so beautified her and coupled them two together in suche an indissoluble band or knotte that euerlastynge they shall continue and cleaue together as two in one fleshe And so is fulfylled and consummate that maryage so longe before prefigured soo often promysed to the patriarches so playnelye spoken of by the prophetes and contynuallye in the laweful maryage of man and woman mystycally represented and remembred of whyche S. Paule sayeth Ephes. 5. Sacramentum hoc magnum est ego autem dico in Chisto et ecclesia That is to saye This speakynge of Matrymonye is a high or greate misterie I meane it truely in Christe and the Churche And thus muche haue we spoken to declare what matrymony is who is author thereof where is was fyrste 〈◊〉 and what were the causes of
where it appeareth that whan Cayn hadde murdered hys brother Abell almyghtye GOD sayd vnto hym in thys maner 〈◊〉 voyce of thy brothers bloude doeth crye vnto me frome the earth wherefore thou shalte be accursed vpon the earth who hath opened her mouth and receyued thy brothers bloude of thy hande when thou shalte laboure or tyll the earthe it shall not geue to the her fruytes Thou shalte be a wanderer and vagabunde vppon the earth And in the. ix also of Genesis it is thus writtē Whosoeuer shal shed the bloude of man vpon the earth his bloude shal be shedde for man is made to the symilitude of God and in the xxi of Exodus almyghtye God doth saye He that shall strike a man willinge to 〈◊〉 him shall dye the death Moreouer in the thyrde booke of the kynges and the. xxi Chapyter it is wrytten howe that when kynge Achab by the deuelyshe counsayle of his wyfe Iefabel had procured the death of Naboth for couetousnes of hys vyneyarde god sent the prophet Elias vnto hym and bad hym saye these wordes Thys doth the Lorde say Thou hast killed yea and moreouer thou haste taken possessyon And shortly after foloweth howe God bad hym saye In this place in the whiche the dogges haue lycked the bloude of Naboth they shall lycke thy bloude and shortly after there foloweth Thus sayth the Lorde I wyll brynge vpon the euyll or miserye and will cutte downe they posteritie aud wyll destroy of Achabes euery one that pysseth against the wall c. And touchynge wycked Iesabell hys wyfe it there foloweth Dogges shall eate Iesabell vnder the walles of Iesraell And of Achab likewise is there sayde If Achab die in the citie the dogges shall eate him and yf he die in the fielde the fowles of the aire shall deuoure him Moreouer in the seconde booke of the kynges and the. xii chapyter almyghtye God sayde vnto kynge Dauyd by the Prophete Nathan in thys maner Thou hast stricken with the sworde or killed Urias the Ethyte and hast taken his wyfe to be thy wyfe and hast slayne him with the sworde of the chyldren of Ammon wherefore the sworde shall not departe from thy house for euer These terrible threatnynges and punyshmentes ought to moue all men to be delygente and warye in obseruation of thys cōmaundement and in no wyse eyther in thought worde or dede to commytte anye kyude of murder beyng assured that althoughe they may chaunce to escape the due ciuyll punyshement of magystrates yet in no wyse shall they escape the greuous punishement at Goddes handes for suche theyr murder yea they shal be most well assured that vnlesse they by due meanes doo repente and be reconcyled to God they shall haue after thys lyfe for theyr trangression euerlastyng dampnation ¶ Therposition or declaration of the seuenth Commaundement whyche is Thou shalt not committe adulterye AS the greatest iniurye whyche a man can do to hys neyghboure is murder whereby he takethe awaye hys lyfe from him so the next iniury or wronge is to vyolate or to defyle hys neygheboures wyfe whyche is become one fleshe wyth hym throughe the sacramente of Matrimonye And therefore in good order doeth here nowe folowe thys commaundemente Thou shalte not commytte adultery And thys commaundemēte our sauyoure Chryst hym selfe doth in dede expounde in the Gospell as he dydde the syxte teachynge vs in the fyfte of Mathew that this commaundement not onely forbyddeth all outwarde adultery commytted in dede but also all inwarde occasyons of adulterye as lecherous thoughtes desyres lustes of concupyscence consentyuge in heart and al other meanes enducynge therevnto And here ye shal note that although thys worde adultery doth sygnifie properly the vn lawfull comixion of a maryed man with anye other woman than wyth his owne wife or els of a maried woman wyth anye other mā then her owne 〈◊〉 yet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not taken onely for that but also for all maner vnlawefull copulation betwene man and woman maried and vnmaried and all maner of vnlawefull 〈◊〉 of those partes whiche be ordeyned for generation whether it be by adulterye fornication in crest or any other meanes And a man maye euen in lawefull matrymony with hys owne wyfe breake thys commaundemente and lyue vnchaste yf ye doo vnmeasurably or inordinatelye serue hys or her fleshly appetite or luste And vpon such persones the deuyll hath power as the aungell Raphael sayd vnto Thoby Thoby ix They that marye in such wise that they exclude GOD out of their hartes and doo geue themselues vnto their owne carnall lustes as it were an horse or a mule whyche haue no reason vpon suche personnes the deuyl hath power Also all chrysten people ought hyghlye to regarde the obseruation of thys commaundement consyderynge howe much God is displeased and what vengeance he hath alwayes taken and euer wyll take for the transgression of the same For confyrmatyon whereof you shall vnderstande that God in the tyme of Moyses lawe commaunded that whosoeuer 〈◊〉 adultery should be stoned to death And that almygh ty God after the chyldren of Israell had commytted adultery wyth the women of Moab and Madyan commaunded fyrste that the heades and rulers of the people shoulde be hanged for that they suffered the people so to offende God And afterwarde commaunded also euery man to sle hys neighboure that had so offended In so much that there was slayne of that people the number of xxiiii M. and 〈◊〉 moo shoulde haue bene slayne had not Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the hygh preist turned the indignation of God from the chyldren of Israell For thys Phinees whan he sawe Zamry cheife of the tribe of Simeon in the presence of Moyses and all the people goe vnto Cosby a notable mans doughter of the Madyanities to committe fornication wyth her he arose from emongest all the multytude and takynge a sworde in hys hande went into the house wher they were and thruste them bothe thoroughe the bellyes whose feruente mynde and zeale God dyd so muche allowe that he dyd therfore bothe cease from the farther punishment of the Israelites and also graunted to Phinees and hys successours for euer the dignitie of the highest preisthod Also the trybe and stocke of Beniamin was soo punyshed for the mayntenaunce of certayne persones of the Citie of Gaba which had contrarye to thys commaundement shamfullye abused a certayne mannes wyfe that of xxv M. and. vii C. men of armes there remayned on lyue but. vi C. Moreouer almyghtye God for the transgression of thys commaundement caused brimstone and fyre to rayne downe from heauen vpon all the 〈◊〉 of Sodome and Gomor and so distroyed the hole region both menne women and beastes and all that grewe vpon the earth reseruyng onelye Loth hys two doughters These terrible examples many other lyke almighty GOD dyd shewe in tymes paste to the intente we should haue thē in oure contynual remēbraunce and shulde euer stande in awe feare so
agaynste theyr enemyes dyd ernestlye solicite and moue Ozais theyr chiefe ruler to render vppe the towne to the Assyrians who than beseyged them And that the sayde Ozias dyd exhorte then the people to be quiet and patiente and to abyde the mercye of GOD duringe the space of 〈◊〉 dayes promising them that after fyue dayes yf God dyd not succoure or ayde them againste theyr enemyes he then woulde accordynge to theyr desyres render vppe the towne vpon whych aunswere of Ozias the Godly wydówe Judyth mislikyng greatly the same dyd rebuke Ozias sharpelye for that he would and dyd presume to ap poynte God anye tyme in whyche he shoulde deliuer them from the daunger that they were in and howe also she sayde to Ozias and to other that were wyth hym in thys maner Quod est hoc 〈◊〉 in quo consensit Ozias ut tradat ciuitatem Assyris si intra 〈◊〉 dies non 〈◊〉 uobis 〈◊〉 Et qui estis uos 〈◊〉 tentatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onest iste sermo quimisericordiam prouoces sed potiut 〈◊〉 iram exitet et 〈◊〉 accendat Posuistis uos tempus miserationis domini in orbitrium uestrum diem constitu istis ei That is to saye What thynge is thys wherevnto Ozias hath consented that he woulde delyuer the cytye to the assyrians yf wythin fyue dayes there come no succour or ayde vnto you And who are you that tempt our Lord God thys speache or sayinge is not suche as may prouoke the mercy of GOD but rather such as maye styrre vp hys anger and kyndle hys fury haue you putte or sette a time of the miseration or merci of our Lord and haue apointed or prescribed vnto hym a daye after youre wyll or pleasure Nowe concernynge Charytie whyche is the thyrd thynge requyred in prayer you shall vnderstand that wythout it no prayer 〈◊〉 be in anye wyse acceptable before the face of GOD. And therefore oure Sauyoure Chryste sayeth in the 〈◊〉 of Mathewe in thys wyse Yf thou offer thy gyfte at the aultar and there dooeste remember that thy brother hathe anye thynge agaynste the leaue thy gyfte ther before the Aulter and goo and be fyrste reconciled to thy brother and than come and offer thy gyfte Thus you see howe that yf you wyl haue your prayer harde and accepted of almyghtye God you muste of necessitie be fyrst prepared thervnto by faythe hope and charytie More ouer in the scryptures lefte for oure instruction and edifienge there are sondrye examples teachynge vs that prayer accumpanyed wyth fastynge and almes dedes is made therby a greate deale the more acceptable in the syghte of almyghtye God as apearethe in the twelue chapiter of the boke called Thoby wher the Aungell of God dothe saye vnto Thoby thelder as foloweth Bona est oratio cum ieiunio 〈◊〉 magis q̄ thesaurus 〈◊〉 That is to say Prayer with fastinge and almes dedes is good rather then to heape vp threasures of Golde Other examples also there are 〈◊〉 as of Kynge Iosaphat and the Iewes in the. ix 〈◊〉 of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon of Iudeth and the chyldren of Israell in the iiii chapyter of Iudythe of the Niniuites in the thyrd chapiter yf the prophet Ionas of Cornelius the conturiō in the x. chapyter of the actes of the Apostles but these are sufficiente And to procede further Concernynge 〈◊〉 ye shall note that when when we do praye our intent and the hole desyre of oure harte ought to be ioyned alwaye with the praier of oure mouth elles that reprochs wrytten by the pro phete Esaye in his xxix Chapyter recyted also in the. xv chapyter of Mathew may wel be verified on vs whyche is Populus hic lahijs me honorat cor autem corum longe esta me That is to saye Thys people honourethe me with theyr lyppes but theyr harte is farre from me And to drawe nere to oure purpose and speciallye to speake of oure Lordes prayer called the Pater noster you shall vnderstande that amongeste all the prayers whyche a Chrysten man maye make to God there is none soo worthy and so excellent a pray er as it is For it was not made and taughte vs by anye earthlye creature no nor by anye aungell of hea uen but by the very sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Chryste who is the eternal wysedome of God the father And the prayer is soo compendions and shorte that it maye easelye be learned and borne in mynd of all men so that excuse of ignoraunce or of not knowynge of it or of omyttynge the frequente vse and sayynge of it is cleane taken awaye from all personnes hauinge the vse of reason And thoughe thys prayer be shorte in wordes yet it is excedynge longe and pro founde in sence For in vii petytions comprysed in it it dothe conteyne all thynges that we canne desyre of God whether it be for the welthe of oure soule or of oure bodye or otherwyse and not onelye concerning thys lyfe but also concernynge the lyfe to come And it dothe kepe the selfe same order whyche we oughte to kepe in alloure desyres and petytyons For fyrste and aboue all other thinges we shoulde desyre that God be knowen honoured gloryfyed and magnyfyed bothe of vs and also the people of the worlde And that is it whych we do desyre of GOD in the fyrste petition sayinge Hallowed be thy name Secondlye we shoulde desyre at Goddes handes all thynges that are good and that doo we in the three petitions nexte folowynge for in the fyrste of the thre whyche is Let thy kyngdome come we doo aske eternall good thynges in the seconde whiche is Let thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen We doo aske spiritual good thynges And in the thyrde whyche is Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade We doo aske temporal good thynges appertaynynge to our bodely sustentation Thyrdelye as we oughte to desyre God to delyuer vs from al euyll soo doo we in the three last petitions for in the fyrste of them whyche is Forgeue vs oure trespaces as we doo forgyue thē that trespace agaynste vs. we doo desyre God to deliuer vs from synne and eternall deathe whyche is the rewarde of synne And in the seconde whyche is And leade vs not into temptation We do desyre to be deliuered from our spirituall enemyes and in the laste whyche is But deliuer vs from euyll We doo desyre be sydes other thynges that we may be delyuered from euyles temporall Breifely thys prayer of our Lord is so profound soo aboundaunt and so plenteous that there is no prayer whether it be wryttrn in the olde testament or in the newe but the summe and effecte thereof is conteyned in some of these seuen petytyons Wherefore we exhorte all people to saye thys prayet ofte distinctlye and 〈◊〉 and well to note the particuler declaration thereof which here foloweth ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fyrste petition of the Pater noster whyche is Oure father
and lykenesses by thys is signyfyed the vnitie also of one nature and substaunce But to procede further concernyng the creation of man ye shall vnderstand that the second chapter of Moyses boke called 〈◊〉 in speciall maner doth recorde the seuerall making as well of the bodye of man by it selfe as also of the soule by it selfe And as touching the body scrypture doth there say that God fourmed or shaped it of the earthe Noting therby the excellēcy of mans body aboue the bodyes of other liuynge creatures For we rede not of anye other lyuyng creature that god shaped or fourmed the body of it but onely that he made it and that at the cō maundement of almighty god the earth brought fourth foure foted beastes the water in like maner brought fourth fysshes foules Only of that body of mā scripture wituesseth that God shaped it And as cōcerning the soule of mā it is written of it in the sayd second chapter of genesis howe that god bre thed it into the body which ii circumstaunces as they import a marueylous excellency of man aboue other bodely creatures so they most clerely declare thexcedyng great goodnes of God towardes man Now when god had in such a singuler fashion creted man he gaue hym souereigntie ouer all the fysshes of the sea ouer the foules of the ayer and ouer the beastes of the lande yea and made him a Kyng and Emperour on the earth And yet not satisfyed with al this he placed man in Paradyse that is in a most pleasaunt garden where he had planted all kynd of frute beautifull to beholde and delicious to eate for man to fede vpon onely one kynde of fruyte he charged hym on payne of death and that not of the body alone but of the soule also vtterlye to refrayne from which was the fruyte of the tree called in scrypture the tre of knowledge of good and euyl And lyke as in a most maruelous sorte he made Adam the fyrsteman so in as marueylous straunge a sort he made Eue the first woman euen of a rybbe taken out of Adams lefte syde and her he made parfytte and furnyshed her with like gyftes as he had done Adame the first man What canne we then thinke or deuyse that God might haue don more for vs in our creation then herein he dyd He made the soule immortall that is such as shulde continue for euer without ende He furnished it with moste singuler gyftes both of nature and of special grace also The body of man in the estate of originall innocencie had in it helth strength 〈◊〉 and other like qualities in the highest degre of perfection it had in it selfe then no fond lust or concupiscens no pronitie or inclination to euyl no 〈◊〉 in doing good no infirmitie or wekenesse no lacke or want of any qualitie fyt and decent for it The body of man was then obediente to the soule the soule altogether obedient to God So that on Gods parte oure maker and creator there is nothyng towardes vs but all perfection all great kyndnes al fatherly loue fauour Holy scrypture most euydently affyrmeth that al creatures were made good in their creation saying Vidit deus 〈◊〉 fecerat et erant ualde bona 〈◊〉 That is God sawe al things which he had made and they were very good Which thyng as it is generally true in all creatures concerning their creation so is it in a certen degre of excellencye to be verified in man touchyng the estate of his originall innocency Thus we may perceaue that in the creation of man al was excellent parfytte whiche oughte greatly to inflame vs the more to loue and serue almighty God our most louynge creator But for asmuche as that blessed estate is lost mankynd by that losse thereof fell into extreme miserie and wretchednes it is consequently to be well considered of our part by what meanes man was brought from soo good and blessed a case to so euyll and miserable an estate whiche poynte well wayed is a sufficiente grounde to cause vs on the other syde vtterly to detest abhorre al synne For that greuous fal of man came of synne Synne it was for which God thrust man oute of paradyse synne it was that caused the fleshe to striue agaynste the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe synne it was that broughte vnto mankynde necessitie of bodyly death and all the infirmities and diseases which man in thys transitory lyfe sustayneth synne fynally it was that cau sed all the posteritie of Adam and Eue to be borne in state of dampnation But some perchaunce are desyrous fardar to knowe by what meanes man was fyrst brought to commytte synne For the vnderstandyng whereof lette vs haue recourse to the iii. chap. of Genesis where it is wrytten how that that wyly serpent the deuyll came vnto Eue and sayde vnto her Why hath God gyuen you commaundement not to eate of euery tree in paradyse where vnto the woman answered and sayde of the fruyte which is in paradise we eate but of the frute of that tree that groweth in the myddest of paradyse GOD hath charged vs not to eate or touche it leste per chaunce we dye Then sayde the serpente to the woman Naye you shall not dye For God knowethe that whatsoeuer daye you shall eate thereof youre eyes shal be opened and you shal be like Gods knowynge good and euyll The woman therefore saw that the tree was good to eate of and beautifull to the eye and pleasaunte to beholde and she tooke of the fruite thereof and d d eate and gaue part to her husbāde who also did 〈◊〉 Thus through the prouocation of the deuyll man first fell into synne Wherefore as we must alwayes abhorre synne and forbeare it because of the greate misery it brought vs vnto so shold we no les 〈◊〉 and to the vttermost of our power fly the 〈◊〉 and all his suggestions knowing that thereby we 〈◊〉 fyrst induced to commytte synne For as thys oure aduersary was busy at the 〈◊〉 wyth oure fyrst parentes so is he no les but rather more busye with vs at thys present as 〈◊〉 Saynt Peter in the v. chapiter of his fyrst 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deuyl as a roryng lion goeth about seking whom he may deuour Thys aduersary of mankynde disdaynynge at the greate 〈◊〉 that Adam and Eue were in neuer ceasyd questyonynge and craftyug with the woman being the weker and frayler vessell vntyll he 〈◊〉 made them disobey gods commauudement by whych their doynge they lost the oryginal great innocency which they had at there creation which being lost nether the body woulde be obedient to the soule nor the soule to god but al was in man turned vpsidoune yea therby they fell also into necessitie of temporall death of body and which is worst of all into the estate of eternall damnation and euerlasting death both of body and soule But now because
sonne-Chryst Iesu our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye for euer Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologie professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelye of the redemption of man IT was declared vnto you good christen people in the last homelye howe oure fyrste parentes Adā and Eue were by the synguler goodnes and especiall fauoure of almyghtye God created ryghte worthye creatures and in the estate of parfytte innocencye It was also shewed howe thorought disobedience to theyr creator they broughte them selues and al mankind into the estate of euerlastynge damnation Now shall you consequentlye heare of the delyueraunce of man out of that dampnable estate that is of oure redemption For the vnderstandynge whereof you must perfytlye beare in mynde that the whole nature of man both in bodye and soule was thorough orygynall sinne greatelye defiled For the soule whych is the cheyf part of mā loste thereby the especiall gyftes of grace wyth whyche it was indued in the creation and besydes that it was also 〈◊〉 in the gyftes of nature as in memorye intelligence wyll and other lyke And the body whych is the inferior parte it also was by the meanes of orygynall synne brought to the necessarye estate of mortalitie so that it muste nedes die and was throughe that synne of our sayde fyrste parentes made weke and brought to be subiecte to 〈◊〉 drye kindes of infirmities and syckenes and nother coulde God of his iustice receaue man againe to fauor and state of eternall lyfe beynge thus in body and soule by his owne defaulte desyled vules he were first made pure and cleane againe nether man was able to helpe hym selfe herein no nor yet anye angell at al. Wherefore almyghty God whose mercy excedeth all hys workes pytienge the wretched case that mankinde was in dyd appoynt euen from the begynnynge his onely sonne the seconde person in trinitie to be the sauiour of the worlde and to restore mā agayne to perfit clennes both in body and soule and that by the way of very iustice in making a sull amendes and payinge a sufficiente raunsome for synne And thys sonne of God accordinge to the wyll of his father dyd take vpon hym the nature of man ioynynge to hys euerlastynge Godheade the whole and 〈◊〉 nature of manhode not making that nature of man which he toke a new of nothing as he dyd heauen and earth nor yet makynge it of a clod of earth as he dyd that body of Adam but he 〈◊〉 the nature of man of the very substaunce of the vyrgyn Mary his mother that like as Adam and Eue brought them selues all theyr posteritie through synne into the estate of eternal dampnatiō so Christ takinge vpon him the very selfe same nature beyng descended from Adam and Eue vnto the 〈◊〉 Mary and of her beynge taken and ioyned in hym to the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 of person should by his in nocency through death wyllingly suffered in that his most innocent bodye not only hym self become immort 〈◊〉 haue glory euerlasting but make so many also partakers of lyke blessednes as shulde en ioye the merites of his passion Wherefore it is a very pernicious errour to thynke that chryst toke not his fleshe of the verye fleshe of the blessed Uyrgyne Mary his mother How coulde his death haue done me good yf it were not of the same nature that I am of therefore S. Paule in hys seconde chapyter of his Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth Qui sanctificat et qui sanctificantur ex vno omnes that is He that santyfyeth and they whych are sanctifyed are all of one and within a lytle after he sayeth farther Debuit per omnia fratribus assimulari vt misericors fieret fidelis 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repropitiaret delicta populi that is Christe muste in al poyntes become like to his brethern that he myght be a mercifull fruithfull Bysshop to God ward to procure merci for the sinnes of the people If Chryst toke not the flesh of that Uirgin Marye howe is that promyse fulfylled which God made immediately after the falle of our first parētes when he thrust them out of paradise at which tyme he said vnto the serpente as it is written in the thyrde chapiter Genesis I wyll set 〈◊〉 betwixt the and the womans sede and it shall treade downe thy hedde Lo how mercifully God dealeth wyth mankynde He promysed that one shoulde be borne of the sede and stocke of Eue which should banquyshe our ghostly enemy the diuell Nowe in that he calleth hym the sede of the woman he moste playnely declareth that he must nedes haue in hym the selfe same nature that the woman had Agayne God makyng the second promyse of the same sede to come of the stocke of Abraham the patriarke said vnto Abraham as is wytnessed in the. xxii of Genesys In thy sede shall all the nations of the world be blessed many hūdred yeres after that he promyssed lyke wyse to 〈◊〉 Dauyd that the sede should come of hym to Which promyses of al myghty God were not to be verified in Chryst if he toke not that substaūce of his fleshe of the Uirgin Mary his mother But here it may seme straūge to some that almighty god seing he intēded from the beginninge to sēd hys sonne into that world to be incarnate for mans redēption did defer the sendinge of hym soo longe that is the space of foure thousande yeares or theraboute To whome it is to be aunswered that the long taryinge of Chryste before he was incarnate came not of lacke of good wyl in god towardes vs but of vnredines and lacke of good disposytion to 〈◊〉 hym on oure partes For if Chryste shoulde haue commen in the begynnyng of the worlde men would haue thought that if God had suffered them to vse theyr owne natural powers thei would haue attayned 〈◊〉 wel inough wythout any other helpe on Godes parte Agayne thoughe after longe experience and trauayle of man folowing the onelye lyghte of nature it was euydente that he ne ded a specyall ayde from God to the attaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe yet the worlde myghte haue demed that in case God of hys goodnes had geuen vnto manne some speciall lyghte and knowledge of hys wyll and pleasure that then vndoughtedlye wythout farther helpe he folowynge suche specyall lyght and knowledge myght be able well inoughe to attayne to euerlastynge lyfe Therefore to take all suche excuses a waye and that we should plainelye vnderstande that after we once fell into synne neyther the light of nature in vs neyther the knowledge of the wyll of God by speciall reuelation opened vnto vs was able to helpe vs god suffred mankynde to trauel fyrst by the light of nature secondly by the lawe of Moyses and yet man ranne styll farther and farther into damnation Whereby it appereth that thoughe knowledge of the truth be necessa ry to the attayning of 〈◊〉 lyfe yet suche knowledge be it
the surest pyller that men maye lene vnto be they learned or vulearned and such a pyller as who that most strongly cleueth to is in most assured state of euerlastyng lyfe ¶ There are othere obiectyons vpon iii. partyculer artycles of our crede whyche are that Christ is ascended and sytteth at the ryght hand of God the father from thense shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade ¶ Whych articles yet being ryghtly vnderstanded shoulde rather confyrme vs in the true catholyke belefe of the presence of christes body in the sacrament of the aultare For as it is aboue nature for a manes bodye to ascende and aboue the worthynes of manes nature to syt at the ryghte hande of God the father that is to be of equall power and glorie with God the father and fynallye as it is aboue the aucthoritie of mans nature to gyue sentence of eternall deathe and lyfe vpon all mankynde and yet euerye good manne stedfastlye beleueth al these supernatural powers in Christ touching hys manhed bycause he is both God and man and to god nothyng is impossible euen so shuld we with like belefe knowinge that Christ is omnipotent credite all othere thinges done or spoken by Chryst and be moost certen that how so euer they seme in apearaunce to our reason yet in very dede they agree and stand ryghte well with those foresayd iii. articles of our crede that though we cannot by oure wittes conceaue howe Chryst is ascended and is neuertheles in the Sacra ment also yet they must nedes be bothe beleued bycause gods worde doth affyrme them bothe and the catholyke churche dothe beleue them bothe whyche churche hath alwayes taught that Chryst is in heauen in the visyble fourme of a man and in the sacrament vnder the 〈◊〉 fourmes of bread and wine hys wysdome so ordeyning that wyth oure hartes we woulde beholde hys golry as he syttethe in heauen at the ryghte hande of the father and wythall should fede on hys very body in the sacrament to re ceaue the more grace and there vpon so to be gouerned wyth hys spirite that hereafter we also myghte be partakers of the lyke glory in heauen And albeit these solutyons myghte suffise and instructe sufficientlye the vnlearned people to aunswere bothe to these and all othere common 〈◊〉 made agaynste the Sacramente of the Aultare troublynge moche the heades of the symple people by there folye in crediting euyll and per nicious schole maysters to theyr destructyon wher giuing credite to the catholyke churche they myght auoyde all 〈◊〉 and meryte a great deale yet to open further the 〈◊〉 and noughtines of the heretique teachers in our tyme and howe glad willinge they are to 〈◊〉 the symplicitie of the vnlerned people ye shall haue here added some moo obiections and solutions geuē to them to thys ende that if the sayde symple people haue bene infected with the sayd obiections or such lyke they maye be wel satisfied in their conscience therevpon adhere vnto the catholyke faythe maynteyned and obserued in the catholique churche out of whych there is no saluation And to prorede herein this is one othere common obiection that much troubleth the ig noraunt people it is to wite ¶ How can that bodi and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst be in the blessed sacrament of the aultar seing that not only euyll men do many tymes receue the same but fyre also maye consume it and other like chaunces may happen vn to it ¶ For 〈◊〉 to whyche obiectiō it is fyrst principally to be sayd that this obiection procedethe of a vayne curiositie of them whyche rather delyte fondly to talke of thys high mystery theu to prepare themselues to receaue the same accordyngly Sure we are that our Sauiour Chryste is nowe man incorruptible and impassible nether by fyre nor by ought els can suffer violence and therefore where it pleaseth hym of hys tender mercy and goodnes for our great comforte and soule helth by hys omnipotent word to tourne the substaunce of breade and wyne into hys most prerious body and bloud in the sacramente of the aultare and yet so to make thys turne that neuerthelesse he sufferethe the fourmes sensible qualities of the breade and wine to remaine in there nature as they were before the consecratyon it is to be vnderstauded that the vyolence or force that is or in ye be 〈◊〉 to thys sacramente is done onely to the fourmes and qualities sensible which in dede are subiecte to passibilite corruption but in no wise to the vncorruptible bodi bloud of oure sauiour Chryst vnder them conteyned Doo we not read I pray you in the fourthe of Mathew how that our sauyour suffered the deuyll to take hym and carye hym vp into the pynacle of the temple afterward to the toppe of an high mountayne and yet who doth not know that he suffered no vilany therby at al The sonne beames also many tymes do shyne on thynges impure vncleane yet are they no whit thereby defyled The bodye of mā is with a greter vnion ioyned to the soule then are the fourmes of bread and wine to the body and bloude of our sauionr Chryst in the Sacrament of the aultar and yet we know that 〈◊〉 putrifaction and other such lyke thynges chauncynge to our body the soule hath in it no suche passion for that it is immortall The very Godhed of oure sauiour Chryst was in vnitie of personne vnited to hys manhod yet none of the passiōs paines or griefes which he sustayned in hys manhod broughte vyolence alteration or chaunge to hys godhed For the godhed is in alterable vnpossible The simplicity of Chrysten people in the primatyue churche was suche that they beleuynge mooste certenly the body and bloud of our sauiour Chryste to be in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the fourmes of bread and wine dyd without al curious talke of the fourmes accidentes bende thē selues to be 〈◊〉 at masse where in the myghtye woorke of consecratyon is wrought bi god and wherin our sauiour Christ also is in fourmes of bread and wyne offered vp to the heuenly father by the preist for the soner obteinyng of mercy and fauoure towardes vs and the sayde people beyng at masse they wyth moost feruent deuotion dyd praye and did honour the blessed sacrament of the aulter the body and bloude of our sauiour Christe and besydes this they dyd oftentimes wyth feare and tremblynge prepare them selues to the worthy teceyte therof and by suche theyr godly behauiour they dyd purchase to them selues greate aboundaunce of grace wher we by the cōtrary and moost vnchristian behauiour prouoke gods wrath dayly more and more vpon our selues and that whole realme For nothyng 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God to auengeaunce then the presumption of such as 〈◊〉 curiously enter into hys hidden secretes and thervpon doo contempne all that whyche by theyr feble wyttes they are not