made ready seing her suster vnoccupied sitting at Iesus fete she thought it lost labour to chide her suster whoÌ„ she knew could not be plucked awey but she suÌ„what blamed our sauiour whych held her wyth hys wordê from the necessarie busynes as she thought Lord sayth she hast no regard y e my sustre suffreth me to do al alone CoÌ„maund her therfore y e she rise help me Our lorde being moch delyted in the zeale affection of either of these women discoÌ„mendeth not the diligent sturring about the house of Martha neyther doth he chyde her for murmuring at her suster but he gently excuseth Mary saieng Martha Martha veryly thou arte troubled vexed about many thinges But there is one thyng most nedeful which is alweys to be done if it may be as who shuld say Do thou thy fuÌ„ction office what soeuer the purueiance be But Mary hath chosen a farre bettre parte whych forgettinge the thinges of the body is holly vusied in the thinges of the mind It is not mete that she shuld be called awey froÌ„ the bettre thinges whiche she hath chosen be thurst to lower vyler seruices Thy loue zeale is thaÌ„kfull vnto me in that thou preparest a repast for the time for me mine but I am more swetely repasted of theÌ„ whyche conuey my wordes into the bowels of theyr sowles that they may be saued For this is y â— meate whyche doth singularly fede me thys is the drynke which doth singularly refresh me He that regardeth the thinges of y e body is distracted into suÌ„dry cares and of these officies there shal be then an ende when immortalitie appearing y â— necessities of mortal persons shal cease wher w t the weaknes of humane nature is now accombred But he goeth the nerest wey to worke which casting awey al such cares is altogither rauished vnto heuenly thinges setling himself to one only thing but which one is bettre thaÌ„ al the other thinges the felicitie wherof shal not be taken awey but augmented when that thing shal be abolished which is imperfect that opened which is perfecte Neither ought we to murmure againste them as though they were ydle personnes which haue sequestred themselfes from corporal ministeries do for the same purpose attend and giue themselues to heuenly doctrine folowing and ensuing the steppes of Christ lerning the thing that they may teache others throughly transposing into the intrailes of the mynde the thinges that they may instructe their euen christen to thintent they may profette the moo to the winning of euerlasting saluation And yet in the meane season they shall not lacke their rewarde which with a godly zeale do releue according to the exemple of this Martha the bodily necessities of the preachers of gods word whyche feade the hungry clooth the naked viset the sicke and prisoners harbrough receiue the nedy for in that they do this to their euenchristâ— they do it to Christ himself And he that geueth but a drawght of colde water to a prophet y â— is to say to a precher in y â— name of a prophet shal haue the same reward that the prophete hath Wherfor as â—aint Austine saith our lord rebuketh not the worke corporal seruice of Martha but â—e distinctâ—th y â— office sayng Mary hath choseÌ„ the best ê‘te which shal not be taken from her as if he shuld say Thou Martha hast not chosen an euil ê‘te but she hath choseÌ„ a better why a bettre bicause it shal not be taken from her but from the shal be ones taken the burthen of necessitie For when thou coÌ„mest to the heueÌ„ly countrey thou shalt fynd there no gest ne straunger to receyue by hospitalitie but for thy â—pfette it shal be taken from the to thintent the thing that is better might be giuen vnto the labour shal be taken from the that rest might be giuen vnto the in the stede Thou sailest in y â— midde sees she resteth in the hauen or port For the swetnes of y â— trouth is euerlastig yet in this life it is augmeÌ„ted but in that life to com it shal be accoÌ„plished shal neuer be takeÌ„ awey Now surely there was neuerwomaÌ„ no noryet man that euer atteined here in this world to y â— high perfection heuenly kind of liuing as did the most blessed virgine Mary y â— mother of Christ who was replenished with al graces most plentuously as also testified Gabriel gods angel Mary which was this Marthas suster in dede was moch to be coÌ„mended but nothing to be coÌ„pared w t the perpetual virgine Mary Christes mother Wherfore as she was here in erth replenished with al vertues so is she now in heuen replenished with al ioyes Let vs then folow the diuine contemplatioÌ„ godly meditatioÌ„ of these Maries that we maye also enioye that blesse that shall neuer be taken from vs through Christe oure lord To whom be al praise and honoure Amen ¶ On saynt Bartilmews day The Gospel Luc. xxij THere was a contention amonges the disciples of Iesus whiche of them was thoughte to be greater But Iesus said vnto them The kynges of the Gentilles do reigne ouer them they that haue power vpon them be called graciouse Be not ye so but let the greater amoÌ„gê you be made as the yonger the chief as the seruitour For whiche is greater he that sytteth down at the bourd or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth downe Uerily I am in middes of you as he that serueth ye are they which haue abode with me in my temptations And I dispose vnto you as my father hathe disposed vnto me a kyngdome that ye may eate and drinke at my bourde in my kyngdon and sitte on seates iudging the. xij tribes of Israell The sermon vpon this Gospel FOrasmuch as our Sauiour Christ at his mauÌ„dy or supper before his passion had made mention of the kingdom of God his disciples which were at that tyme sumwhat weake not throughly spiritual but smellyng yet a lytle of the fleshe fel at contention and variaunce amonges themselfes which of them shuld after his departure haue the primacie or hed rule in the kyngdoÌ„ of god For in the hole busynes of the blessed sacrameÌ„t mystery of hys mauÌ„dy he semed to take them al as egal not preferryng one aboue an other sayng vnto theÌ„ Take deuide amonges you But Iesus albeit at diuerse other tymes he had chalenged them for thys affection yet at hys departure vpon thys occasion he specially reth to plucke it cleane from them coÌ„mauÌ„ding them that they shulde not ymagen any such thinge in the kyngdom of heauen as they sawe in worldly kyngdoms For this is a farre other maner thing it standeth in benefites and not in force it is obteyned and also mainteyned w e ghostly garrisons and not with violence and is enlarged by persuasion and not by compulsion
with his haÌ„des For as the historie telleth Christe had appeared to the rest of hys felawes when he was awey and when they shewed him of it with one hole voice and consent yet he said he wold not beleue it tyl he had sene the prynte of the nayles in Christes handes and felte his woundes Uerely as saint Gregory saith this was not done by casualtie y e saynt Thomas the chosen disciple of Christ was not then present For the high clemencie of god wrought this thinge y e the doubtyng disciple whyle in his maister he gropeth the woundes of the fleshe might heale in vs the wouÌ„des of infidelitie For the infidelitie of saynte Thomas profyted more to the Christen feith then did the feith of the beleuing disciples For while he by gropyng is brought againe to the feith our mynde is all doubt set apart stablished in the feith Thre thynges then are here to be considered in thys historie First the hardnes of belefe in saynt Thomas whiche albeit he was one of the electe disciples of Christe and longe conuersant wyth hym and continually instructed of his risyng againe yet he doubteth Seconde the goodnes and tendre mercie of Christ which wolde not thus leaue him Thyrdly the constancie of thys blessed Apostle in the feith ouer after euen til his lifes ende It was doubtles a very grosse infidelitie and hardnes of be leue in saint Thomas that after so longe coÌ„paning with our Sauiour Christ and hearynge him oftentimes afore his passion say he shuld rise agayne yet he wolde not beleue his resurrection nâ— not wheÌ„ his felawes so coÌ„stantly had shewed hym how they saw him wyth their eyen what he said vnto them Hys felawes verily were grosse til they had receyued the holy ghost for they wold skant beleue his resurrection til they had seen him But saynt Thomas was grosser thaÌ„ they all For he said he wold not beleue y â— resurrectioÌ„ tyl he had seen the prynt of the nayles in Christes haÌ„des yet this was not ynough to make him beleue but he wolde also fele hys wouÌ„des with his owne handes And here we haue a lyuely image of the nature disposition of the fleshe For the flesh can not be brought to beleue but by sensible signes tokens Neither was thys carnalitie in Thomas only but it is in al meÌ„ for we be made of one mowld and god hath coÌ„cluded all meÌ„ vnder infidelitie that he might haue mercie of all Consider therfore the tender mercie of our lorde howe for one of his disciples sake he shewed himselfe hauing woundes he dyd it not forthwyth but after viii daies to the intent he being amoÌ„ges his felawes certified of theÌ„ might be kyndled vnto a greater desire and that he might be made the more feithfull in tyme coÌ„myng Our Sauiour Christe therfore eight daies after he had appeared to his felawes caÌ„ where as they were gathered togither Thomas with them He entred in vnto them the dores being shutte wyth hys accustomed salutation greteth them sayng Peace be amonges you And forthwyth turnyng hymselfe to Thomas whose infidelitie could not be hidde from him whiche bicause he ê‘ceiued proceded not of malice but of weaknes he vouch saued to heale He had him behold his haÌ„des and grope his side Thomas according as Christ had bidde him beheld the print of the nailes and thurst his hand into his side And forthwyth wyth an exclamation cryed my lorde my God Thus from a grosse and stubburne infidelitie was he brought to a fast and constant feith So Paule at the beginning was a very fierce persecutour of y â— church but afterward he becaÌ„ a right feithful Apostle and teacher of the people For these wonderful iugementes of god be for this cause described forth vnto vs that we shuld lerne to knowe the exceding goodnes of god which turneth euil into good My lord and my god sayth saint Thomas Uerily he y t confesseth god to be his god hath renouÌ„ ced al y e be his possessed those y e be gods The erth is the lordê al that is therin We be the lordes the lord is ours Wherfor al the goodes of god be ours through feyth in oure sauioure Iesu Christe This high confession of saint Thomas truly our sauiour commended but yet he suÌ„what towched him for his hardnes of beleue saing Thomas bicause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they y â— haue not seen and yet haue beleued Saint Thomas saw one thing beleued an other he saw maÌ„ confessed god He saw Christ in flesh he felt him after his resurrection which was a great furtheraÌ„ce to his feith But blessed be they y t neuer saw Christ in flesh yet haue beleued on him Certainly this kynd of people be we Gentils as many of vs as reteyne Christ in mynde whoÌ„ we haue not seen in flesh as writeth saint Gregorie if so be yet that we folow prosecute our feith with good workes For that ê‘sone doth truly vnfeynedly beleue which practizeth in working y e thing that he beleueth Such a true ernest beleuer was this blessed man saynt Thomas Let vs then take exemple of him that we may haue the rewarde that he hath euerlastinge ioy by Christe oure lorde who be praysed for euer Amen ¶ On candelmas day otherwise called the purification of our Lady Gospell Luc. ii WHen the dayes of purification were come according the lawe of moyses they brought Iesus to Hierusalem to present him to the lord accordinge as it is wrytten in the lordes lawe that euery male opening matrice shal be called holy to the lord to giue in sacrifice according to that is said in the lordes law a payre of turtyl doues or two yong pygions And behold there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this maÌ„ was iust deuout awayting for the comfort of Israell the holy goste was vpon him And he had receyued an answere of the holy ghoste that he shuld not se death before he saw the lordes Christ. And he cam by the holy gost into the temple And while the father mother were bringing in the childe Iesus that they shuld do accordinge to the vse of the lawe for him he also toke him in his armes blessed god and said Lord now lettest thou thy seruaÌ„t depart according to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue seen the sauiour sente from the whom thou haste prepared before the face of al peoples a light for the reuelation of y e Gentils and a glory of thy people Israel A sermon vpon this Gospell WHen the purification daye was comme good people that is to wite the. xlij daye from the birth of our sauiour Christ at which day y e old law of Moses coÌ„maunded y â— if it were a man chyld that was born it shuld be presented to the lorde
shal be blessed of gods holy hande they shal increase and multiplye they shal replenish the erth and haue it subiecte vnto them accordinge to the saynge of scripture If they feare the Lorde and walke togither in his wayes god shalle surely blesse them prosper and further them in al their doinges Wherfor thou maÌ„ which art hed of thy wife so loue maynteyne cherishe tender thy wyfe euen as Christe hath loued and moste tendrely imbrased his spouse the church If thou so do thou shalt eate the labours of thy haÌ„d as the prophet writeth thou shalt be happy and it shal be wel with the. Thy wife shal be as a plentifull vine tree vpon the walles of thy house Thy chyldren as oliue braunches rownd about thy table Loo sayth he thus shal the man be blessed whiche feareth the lorde This is gods institution of mariage these be the officies of maryed persons In these if ye walke like feithful and right christian persons though through the malice of the worlde ye suffre affliction here ye shal be sure after thys frayle lyfe perpetually to raygne wyth Christe oure lorde whyche wyth the father and holy goost thre per sons and one god is to be glorifyed and praised worlde without ende Amen ¶ At burienges The Gospel Ihon. xi MArtha sayd vnto Iesus Lorde if thou haddest bene here my brother had not dyed But nowe also I know y â— whatsoeuer thou askest of god god wol giue it the. Iesus sayde vnto her Thy brother shal rise againe Martha sayde vnto him I knowe y â— he shal rise at the resurrectioÌ„ in the last day Iesus sayd vnto her I am the resurrectioÌ„ and the life He that beleueth on me though he were dead yet shall he liue And euery one which liueth and beleueth in me shal neuer dye Beleuest thou this She sayeth vnto him Yea lorde I beleue that thou art Christe the sonne of god which cammest into the worlde The sermon vpon this Gospell WElbeloued people in our sauiour Christ this gospel is right comfortable to al feithful and true christian folke For in it is conteyned the glad and swere tydinges to al vnfeyned Christians that is to wit how Christ is our resurrectioÌ„ and our life if we beleue vnfeynedly vpon him and verely this is one of the chiefest articles of our religioÌ„ to beleue that though we dye here bodily for a tyme or rather slepe for so the scripture calleth it yet we shal rise againe and lyue euerlastingly wyth God in heauen through Christ in case we haue had stedfast feith in him and be founde cladde and adourned wyth the wedding garment at the day of the great Solempnitie that is to say at the generall resurrectioÌ„ of the chosen people of god when Christ the sonne of God shal be in full most perfite wise knitte conioyned in mariage to his louing espouse the church or congregation of the feithful persons But ye wol aske what thys weddynge garment is Ueryly after the minde of saint Gregorie it is charitie And that per sone entreth to the maryage but wythout the wedding garment whych being in the church hath feith but lacketh charitie Truly thys mans feith is not the true and liuely feith but it is a feyned feith and a deade feith as saint Iames calleth it bicause it is wythout workes For what auaileth it o my brethreÌ„ sayth thys holy Apostle Saynte Iames if a man wold say he had feith and hath no workes Trowe you that this feith shal saue him if your christeÌ„ brother or suster be naked and lacking dayly sustenaÌ„ce and one of you wolde say vnto them Go your way in peace warme your selues and fylle your belyes and yet neuertheles ye gyue them not the thynges necessarye for the body what wol this helpe So also feith if it hath not deades it is of it self dead By these wordes of saynt Iames we may lerne my freendes that it is not inough for a christeÌ„ man or womaÌ„ to say he beleue in Christ but he must also shew vs his feyth as saynt Iames sayeth by his dedes and workes Wherfore the weddinge wede that we must be cladde with is not bare fayth but it is charitie whyche is the frute of feyth or if ye wol nedes haue it feyth let it be that liuely fâ—yth which is garnished wyth this charitie that is to wit wyth suche zeale loue and affection whiche ye beare to god that for his sake ye freely aide releue your euen christeÌ„ accordinge to youre power And verely these be the workes that almyghty God requyreth of vs if we wol be counted his children and the inheritours of euerlasting blesse He commaundeth that our lyght shuld shyne afore men that they maye se our good workes and glorifye the father of heauen Finally the doers of these as hymselfe doth wytnes shal be called the blessed children of his father at the general resurrection and shal be â—ydden to come and entre into the vnspeakable ioyes of heuen which were prepared for theÌ„ sithens the beginning of the world Neither doth the most excellent clerke saint Hierom disagree from this interpretation saynge that the wedding garment may very wel be called the commaundementes of the lorde and the workes whiche be accomplyshed and fulfilled at the bidding of the law and gospell and he sayth that these workes do in a christen persone make the garment of the newe man whych garment verily who soeuer in the drad full day of iugement shal be found vnder a christen name not to haue shal be forthwith taken and caste into vtter â—arknes where according to the sentence of Christ shal be weping gnashing of teethe This by occasioÌ„ deare freeÌ„des haue I spoken of the weddyng garment wher w t must that sowle be cladde adourned which at y e general resurrectioÌ„ vprising again of al mankinde in flesh according to y â— article of our beleue shal by Christ liue euerlastingly But yet for the better more cleare vnderstaÌ„ding of this gospel I thinke it very expedieÌ„t to repete declare vnto you the very begynning of the historie whiche is red in this gospel accordyng as saynte Ihon the Euangelist doth report it in the begynninge of the xi chapter namely sith in it is conteined the most coÌ„fortable chefest article of the christen mans beleue The historie is this As our Sauiour Christ abode at Iordan it chaunced that in a towne named Bethania a certayne man called Lazarus laye sycke This towne was the natyue place countrey both of the sycke man and of his two susters Mary and Martha Uerely this Mary was she which wyth a notable record of loue towardes our sauiour Christ had annoynted hys hed as he sate at meate wyth a right preciouse oyntment with her heare had wyped hys feete whyche she had washed with the very teares that ranne downe from her eyen By reason wherof