in the whole body and canon of the sayde bible are so necessary to be beleued for mans saluation that whosoeuer wyll not constantlye beleue those thynges or wyll obstynately beleue the contrarye of them cannot in that state remaynyng be the true and verye members of Chryste and his espouse the Churche but eyther are very infideles or heretikes and members of the Deuyll with whome yf they repent not they shal be per petually dampned Thyrdely that al Christen people ought must not onely beleue mayntayne and defende al the sayde thynges as moste certayne and infallible truthes of Gods worde neuer by any contrary opinion or aucthoritie to be altred or conuelled but also must take and interprete all the same thynges accordyng to the same sence vnderstandyng and meaning which the Holy ghost hath geuen thereto and whyche also the approued Doctours of the Catholike Churche haue receaued and agreably defended Fourthlye that all true Chrysten people muste vtterlye refuse and condempne all those opynyons whych were of long tyme past condempned in the iiii holye Counsayles That is to saye in the Counsell of Nyce Constātynople Ephese and Calcedonense Fyftly and fynallye That althoughe all thynges as they are nowe pertyculerlye vsed in the catholyque Churche here in Earth are not so distinctly particulerly and expreslye in all wordes fashions cyrcumstaunces and poyntes set forth taught and expressed in Scrypture yet the pithe the substaunce the matter the foundation grounde with the effecte thereof in general wordes are not onely comprehended and conteyned in Scrypture but also by expresse wordes confyrmed by other sufficient aucthoritie And seynge the Catholyke Churche hath soo receyued beleued allowed and approued the sayde thynges time out of mynde therfore it shal be a very great presumption and an vncomely parte anye man to controll or contempne any such thinges so receyued beleued allowed and approued by the sayd catholique church and in so doyng the same is in dede not worthy to be taken or reputed for a faythfull membre or obediente chyld of the sayd Church but for an arrogant noughty and very wycked person ¶ Here foloweth the exposition or declaration of the fyrst article of the Crede which is I beleue in God the Father almightye maker of heauen and earth FOr the better and more playne vnderstandyng of this article ye muste knowe that this worde Beleue taken by it selfe generallye and symplye spoken is to haue fayth after the fyrste acception or takyng of fayth as it hath bene before already decla red and shewed vnto you but these wordes I beleue in haue a farther and more particuler vnderstandyng it is to wyt to haue fayth after the second acception maner or takyng of fayth And therefore when we are cōmaunded to beleue in God we must not onely assent graunte and take for true thys one thynge that God is which in dede the very deuiles them selues do acknowledge and confesse or this second that all the wordes and sayinges of God reueled in Scrypture are of moste certayne trouthe and vnfallible veritie or this third that al thinges whyche were taught by the Apostles and whyche haue bene by a whole vniuersall consent of the Catholyke Churche 〈◊〉 taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued and kept as a perfect doctrine Apostolyke But also we must haue a sure confidence and hope to attayne whatsoeuer God hath promysed for Christes sake and we muste also haue an hartye loue to God with obedyence to hys commaundementes then we do not onely 〈◊〉 God but also we do beleue in God This manner of 〈◊〉 that is to saye I beleue in we ought to haue on 〈◊〉 in God and not in any other creature of God els be it neuerso excellent And therfore in this crede the said maner of speakyng I beleue in is vsed only in ye. iii. articles which concerne the thre persons in trinitie that is the Father the Sonne and the holy ghoste for we do and ought to say I beleue in God the Father I beleue in God the Sonne and I beleue in God the holi gost we do not so saye in any thyng els as more at large shal be said whan it shal be spoken of the Catholyke Churche We muste further note that as by thys artycle we are bounden to beleue stedfastlye that both God is and that he is true in al his wordes and promises and as we are bounden to beleue lyke wise that god is omnypotent and creator of heuen and earth and that we must with this our beleif loue god cleaue onely to hym with al our harte and power continuynge and dwellyng styl with him in loue and obey inge vnto hys will aswell in al our inward thoughtes and affectiōs as also in our outward actes and dedes so must we abhorre and forsake all vice and noughtynes and not wysshe or desyre of God anye euyll or vngodly thyng And ouer this we must con stantly betake and commit our selues and all ours wholy vnto God and fixe all oure hole hope truste and confidence in God and we must quiet oure selues in him beleuyng perfitly and assuredly that he 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 shew no lesse goodnes loue mercy grace and fauoure vnto vs then he promysed by hys word to do wyth vs vsynge oure selues as afore is sayde 〈◊〉 we muste note touchynge thys article that God is a spirytuall and an inuisible substaunce or nature of infinite power eternall withoute begynnyng or endyng and of incomprehensible knowledge wysedome goodnes iustice and mercye We must also note for farther declaraiton of thys article that albeit ther be but one very true God beside or without whiche there is no other God yet there are in the Godhede three distincte persones the Father the Sonne and the Holy gooste and thoughe they are thre persons yet they ar not thre goddes but all oue God one nature one substaunce all one euerlastynge essence or beynge and all lyke and equall in might power wysedom knowledge ryghtuousnes and in al other thynges els belonginge to the deitie And moreouer we must knowe beleue that God the Father is the fyrst person in thys Trynitie godheadde yea and the Father of hys onelye begotten Sonne whych is the second person in Trinytie and that he the sayd Father dyd beget of hys owne substaunce the sayde seconde person by eternall generation that is to saye by generation that neuer had be gynnynge And where this article conteyneth farther that God the father is almyghty it is to be noted that thys worde almyghtye is as much to saye as that God the fathere maye do all thynges that he wyll in heauen and in earth and that nothyng to him is impossible and that his godly power and myght doth excell infinitelye and incomparablye all powers in Heauen earth and hell Soo that all other powers whyche be in Heauen earthe or hell be nothynge as of them selues but haue all theyr myghte force and strength of hym
and be all subiecte vnto hys power and cannot resyste or let the same And here with farther is to be learned that althoughe God be omnipotent and of infinyte power yet he is not the aucthor or worker of any synne for whensoeuer any synne is done by anye creature the same is wrought by the malyce of the deuil or fre wil of man or by both God onelye sufferyng and permyttynge the same to be done and not by his power and worke styrryng vp fertheryng or assystyng the malyce or the euyll thought or dede in that behalfe Fynallye concernynge those laste wordes of thys Artycle it is to wytte Maker of heauen and earth we are taughte and instructed thereby to be leue that God the father Almyghtye dyd at the begynnyng create fourme and make of noughte Heauen and Earth and al thynges visible and inuisible and that he dyd gyue vnto them al theyr power and myght and that he so from time to tyme continually doth preserue gouerne susteine and maynetaine the whole worlde and all the creatures therein by hys onely goodnes and hyghe prouydence that without his continuall workyng nothyng is or can be able in any wyse to endure ¶ The exposition or declaration cōcerninge the seconde Article of the Crede whyche is And in Iesu Christ his onelye sonne oure Lorde IN this article iiii thinges ar specially to be noted Fyrst that the second person in Trinitie is verye Iesus the second that he is Christ. The third that he is an onely Sonne and the fourth that he is our lord For the better vnderstandyng of which foure poyntes ye shall know that Iesus is asmuche to saye as a Sauiour S. Mathewe bearynge witnes therevnto in the fyrste Chapiter of his Gospell where the Aungell of God appearynge to Ioseph in a vision or dreame and speakyng to him of the blessed 〈◊〉 Marye and of the notable byrthe that she shoulde be beutified withal doth saye Pariet autem filium uocabis normen eius 〈◊〉 ipse enim saluum faciet populum suum a 〈◊〉 corun That is to saye She shall bringe forth a sonne and thou shalt call the name of hym Iesus for he shall make his people safe from theyr synnes Accordyng wherevnto S. Luke in the first chapiter of his Gospel sayeth that the Aungel of god 〈◊〉 vnto the sayd Uyrgin these wordes Ne time as Maria 〈◊〉 enim gratiam apud deum ecce 〈◊〉 in utero et paries 〈◊〉 et uocabis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Feare thou not Mary for thou hast founde grace before God Lo or beholde thou shalte conceaue in thy wombe and bryng forth a sonne and thou shalt cal the name of him Iesus And agreable herevnto S. Luke in the second chap. of hys sayd Gospel sayeth 〈◊〉 postquā 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dies octo ut circūcideret 〈◊〉 puer uocatum est nomen cius Iesus quod 〈◊〉 est ab angelo priusquam in utero conciperetur That is to saye And after that eyght dayes were perfited or ended that the chylde should be circumcised the name of hym was called Iesus which was called or named of the Aungell before that he the saide child was conceiued in his mothers wombe Nowe forasmuche as the second person in Trinite was eternally preordeyned and appoynted by the decre of the whole Trinitie to be our redemer and Sa uiour therefore in this seconde Article here he is called Iesus And as concernynge this other name Chryst wherewith also the sayde seconde person in Trynyte is called and named ye shall know that Chryst is asmuche to saye as annoynted And by cause that God hath annoynted Chryst as the great Prophete Dauyd in his xliiii Psalme doth testyfye with the oyle of gladnes aboue his partakers or felowes and hath both anoynted him kinge and preist therefore the sayd second person in Trinytye is and ought to be called Christe And where the sayde second person is called also here in thys article an one ly sonne ye shall for the better vnderstandyng here of know that although almyghty God the father be the father of al people by creation and general grace yea and the father of all christen people by creation adoption and also speciall grace yet concernyng the godhed of our Sauiour Christe and the eternall generation of him wherof mention is made amonges other places Psalme 2. Psalme Cvi and Ioh. i god the father in that respecte is the father of Chryst only by dyuyne nature begettynge hym of his godly na ture and substaunce eternally Chryst beyng therein very God and of the same substaunce with God the father and with God the holy ghoste vnto whome he is equall in all thinges of the Godhed Where as cōcernyng the humanitie of Chryste God the father is greater then Chryste accordyng to chrystes owne sai yng testified in the. xiiii Chapiter of S. Johns gospell Patermaior me est That is to saye The father is greater then I. meaning his own humanite And in this respecte God the father is the father of Chryste by creation also adoption and grace And where moreouer the sayd seconde person is called here in this Article Our Lorde as in dede he is ye shall nothing there at maruayle at al conside ryng that by the sayd decree of the whole Trynytye it was also eternally preordeyned and appoynted that the sayd seconde person shoulde be oure Lorde redemynge and bryngynge vs frome the thraldome of the Deuyll and synne vnto his kyngdome Lordshype and gouernaunce worthely therefore to be called a kyng a pryest and a Lorde as hauynge done and fulfylled for all mankynde the verye offyce of a preist of a kynge and of a Lorde Of a preiste for that he offered vnto Almyghtye God a sacrifice euen hys verye bodye and Bloude which he beyng a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech dyd at hys maundye which was the nyght before he suffred death offer vnder the visible fourmes of breade and wyne institutynge there the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud commonly called the Sacramente of the Aultare and commaundynge his bodye and bloude in the sayde Sacramente to be offered vnto the worldes ende fulfyllyng thereby the sayinge of God the father spoken to Chryste the sonne Tues Sacerdos in et ernum secundum ordinem Melchisedech psal 106. That is to saye Thou art a preist for euer af ter the order of Melchisedech And Chryste dyd also fulfyll the offyce of a preist in that he vpon good Fryday which was the day next folowing did offer the same Bodye and bloude vpon the Crosse in the visible fourmes of fleshe and Bloude sufferynge hys naturall body there to be slayne and his bloude 〈◊〉 visibly to be shed for the remission of sin nodifference at all being in the substance of the thynges so diuerse ly offered at the maundy and vpon the Crosse but the difference standynge in the maner forme and outewarde doyng therof And as for the offyce of a kynge and Lord that he dyd fulfyll
and thynketh it a burdenintollerabel to be bounde to loue them that hate hym But the burden shoulde be easye yuoughe yf on the other syde euery man woulde consyder what dyspleasure he hath done to hys enemy agayne what pleasure he hath receyued of hys enemye And yf we fynde no egall recompence neyther in receyuing pleasures of our enemy nor in rendryng dyspleasure vnto hym agayne then let vs ponder the dyspleasu res whyche we haue done agaynste almighty God Howe often and howe greuously we haue offended hym Whereof yf we wyll haue of God forgyuenes there is none other remedye but to forgyue the offēces done vnto vs whyche be very small in comparison of oure offences done a 〈◊〉 God And yf wee consyder that he which hath off 〈◊〉 vs deserueth not to be forgyuen of vs let vs consider againe that we muche lesse deserue to be forgyuen of God And althoughe our enemy deserue not to be forgyuen for hys 〈◊〉 sake yet we oughte to forgyue hym for gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 howe great and manyfest benefytes we haue receyued of hym withoute oure desertes and that Chryste hathe deserued of vs that for his sake we should forgyue them their trespasses commytted agaynst vs. But here may ryse a necessary question to be dyssolued If charity requyre to thinke speake and doo well vnto euery man bothe good and euyl how can magystrates execute iustyce vpon malefactoures with charytye Howe can they caste euyll men into prison take away theyr goodes and sometyme theyr lyues accordynge to lawes yf Charytye 〈◊〉 not suffer them so to doo Herevnto is a plaine and brief answer that plages and punishementns be not euel of them selues yf they be well taken of innocentes and to an euyll man they are bothe good and necessarye and may be executed accordynge to charitye and with charity should be executed For declaracion whereof you shal vnderstande that charity hath two offices the one contrarye to the other and yet 〈◊〉 necessarye to the vsed vpon men of contrarye sorte and dysposion The one office of Charitye is to cherishe good and innocent men Not to oppresse them with false accusations but to incourage them wyth rewardes to doo well 〈◊〉 in well dooynge defendynge them wyth the sworde frō theyr 〈◊〉 And the offyce of Byshops and pastours is to laude good men for wel doyng that they maye perseuer therein and to rebuke and correct by 〈◊〉 woorde of God the offēces and 〈◊〉 of all euyll disposed persons The other office is to rebuke correcte punysh vyce without acceptation of parsons and thys is to be vsed against theim onely that be 〈◊〉 men and malefactours And it is aswell the offyce of charitie to rebuke punyshe and corrocte them that be euyll as it is to cheryshe and rewarde them that be good and innocent Sainte Paule soo declareth writing to the Romaynes and sayenge the 〈◊〉 poweres are ordeyned of GOD not to be dreadefull to them that doo well but vnto Malefactoures to drawe the swoorde to take vengeaunce of hym that commytteth the synne And sayncte Paule byddethe Tymothye constantlye and vehementlye to rebuke synne by the woorde of GOD. So that bothe offyces shoulde be dylygently executed to impuge the kyngdome of the deuyll the preacher wyth the woorde and the Gouernoure wyth 〈◊〉 swoorde Els they loue neyther God nor them whome they gouerne yf for lacke of correction they wylfully suffer God to be offended and them whom they gouerne to perishe For as euery louyng father correcteth his natural sonne when he dothe amysse or els he loueth hym not So all gouernoures of Realmes Countreys Townes and houses should louynglye correcte them who be offendours vnder theyr gouernaunce And cheryshe them who doo lyue innocently yf they haue any respecte eyther vnto God and theyr office or loue vnto them of whome they haue gouernauce And suche rebukes and punyshementes of them that doo offende must be done in due tymes least by delaye the offender fall headlinges into al maner of myschiefe and not onelye bee euyll theim selues but also doo hurte vnto many men drawynge other by theyr euyll example to synne outrage after them As one theef maye bothe robbe manye men and also make many theues and one sediciouse persō may allure many and noye a hole towne or countre And suche euyl persons that be so great offenders of god and the common wealth charity requireth to be cut of from the body of the common weale lest they corrupte other good and honest persons like as a good surgeon cutteth awaye a putrified and festred mem ber for the loue he hath to that hole body least it infecte other members adioynynge to it Thus it is declared vuto you what true charitie or christan loue is so playnely that no man nede to be deceyued Whyche loue whosoeuer kepeth bothe towardes God whom he is bounde to loue aboue al thinges and also towardes hys neyghbours aswell frende as fooe it shal surely kepe hym frō al offence of God and iuste offence of man Therefore beare welaway thys one shorte lesson that by true christian charitye God ought to be loued aboue all thynges and all men oughte to be loued good and euyll frende and foo and to al suche we ought as we may doo good those that be good of loue we ought to encorag and cherysh because they be good And those that be euil of loue we ought to procure vnto them theyr correction and dewe punyshement that they may therby either be broght to goodnes or at the lest that god and the common welthe maye be the lesse hurte and offended hating alwaies the vyce or offence but louynge the person alwayes as the creature of God and as one who by nature is ioyned in kynred vnto vs. And yf we thus directe oure lyfe by christian loue and Charytye then Chryste doothe promyse and assure vs that he loueth vs and that we be the Chyldren of our heauenlye father and reconsiled to his fauor being very members of Christ and that after the shorte tyme of thys presente and mortall lyfe we shall haue with hym eternall lyfe in his euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Ther fore to hym wyth the father and the holy Ghost be al honor and glorye nowe euer Amen E. B. ¶ An Homely declaryng howe daungerous a thynge the breache of Charitye is Ur Saiyour Christ in ye. v. of Mathew setteth forth an vniuersal doctrine that is a doctrine apper teyning indifferently to all Chrysten mē and there he declareth how great per fection of lyfe ought to be in one of vs sayinge in thys maner Nisi abundauerit iustitia uestra plus quam Scribarum pharisaeo rum nonimrabit is in regnum 〈◊〉 That is to saye Except your ryghtuousnes excede the ryghtuousnes of the Scribes the Pharyseis ye cannot entre into the kyngedome of heauē For the ryght vnderstandynge of which wordes it is to be noted that rightuousnes in thys texte doth
that case is amonges the Chrysten people called in Latyn Infidelis That is to saye Unfaythfull or Heathen And because God as before is declared hath made promyse and conuenaunt wyth man and is euer in hys wordes pro myses moost true moost iust moost constante and wyll as we must moost assuredly beleue and thynke performe and accomplyshe the same soo farre forthe as he hath promysed in any wise therefore God is cal led as he is in very dede Fidelis et verax that is to say Faythful and true obseruyng and kepyng his fayth that is to saye hys promyse to man requyryng that man shoulde lyke wyse kepe hys faythe and promyse towardes hym Nowe of these thynges that are before spoken it is manyfest that fayth as it is taken in the seconde accep is the perfecte faythe of a true chrystian man conteynynge the obedience to the hole doctryne and religion of Chryste And after thys sorte is faythe taken of S. Paule in his epystle to the Romaynes and in other places of Scrypture where it is sayde that we be iustifyed by fayth In whych places man may not thinke that we be iustifyed by fayth as fayth is a seuerall vertue seperated from hope and charytie from feare of God from repentaunce but by fayth there is ment not the late inuented and deuised faith that is to say onely faythe or fayth alone but faythe with the foresayde vertues coupled and ioyned to gether conteinyng as is aforesaide the obedience to the hole doctryne and religion of Chryst. And here by the way is to be noted that euerye man that doth offend God doth not vtterlye lose his fayth therby for both they that do synne by frailtie soden motions from which euen the iust men ar not holly free and be taught therefore of Chryste to saye with other Forgyue vs our trespaces c And the other also whych aduysedly fall into deadely synne as they that do committe murder adulterye and other abhominations albeit they be fallen from the liuelye and perfecte fayth for that they are disobediente to the doctrine and religion of Chryste whyche they dyd knowe yet there doth remayne in them so offēdyng the certeine and assured knowledge of God and his doctrine whiche is the faythe after the fyrste sorte and acception of fayth And that these ii thynges it is to wytte knowlege and obedience are sometime seperated and a 〈◊〉 Chryste in the. xii chapiter of Saint Lukes Gospell doth playnely declare it speakyng of a seruaunt that knoweth the wyl of his maister and doth it not And lykewyse S. James in his epystle sayeth that fayth may remayne wythout charitie Wherefore the truth being thus a transgressoure of the lawe of Almyghty God after baptysme dothe kepe a remorse of conscience the light of knowledg by fayth whereby he seeth the remedyes howe to at tayne the remyssion of synne and by a speciall gyfte of further grace is moued to vse the same remedyes and soo by faythe walketh the wayes ordeyned to at tayne remyssion of synne as in the Sacramēte of pe naunce shal be more perfytlye hereafter declared Thus haue you harde the. ii acceptions or takynges of fayth that the fayth of knowledge may remayne in hym that hath fallen frō the perfect faith of a Chrystian man But whether there be any specyall particuler knowledge whych man by fayth hath certaynely of hymselfe whereby he maye testyfye to hymselfe that he is of the predestynates whiche shall perseuer to the ende in their callyng there is not spoken as yet of nor 〈◊〉 can by the Scryptures or Dectoures be proued that any such fayth can or ought to be preached 〈◊〉 taught Truthe it is that in the Sacramentes 〈◊〉 by Chryste and vsed in his Catholique Churche here in earth we may constantly and assuredlye beleue the workes of god in them and the applycation of his grace and fauour therein to oure presente comforte with assuraunce also that he wyll not faile vs yf we fall not from hym And therfore we so contynewyng in the state of grace wyth hym haue warrante and may beleue vndoutedly that we shal be saued BVT FORASMVCH as our frayltye noughtines ought euer to be feared in vs it is therfore expedient for vs to lyue in contyuuall watche and in contynuall fight with our enemyes the deuyll the fleshe and the worlde and not to 〈◊〉 to muche of our perseueraunce and contynuaunce in the state of grace whych on our behalfe is vncertayne vnstable but dilygently and ofte to remembre the godly and wyse lesson of S. Paule in the. x. chapiter of his first epistle to the Corinthyans where he sayeth Qui se existimat 〈◊〉 Videat ne 〈◊〉 that is to saye he that thynketh or iudgeth him selfe to stande let him take hede that he fall not For all thoughe GODDES promysses made in CHRIST be immutable yet as it hath bene sayde afore he doth not make them to vs but with conditiō So that hys promyse standyng we maye yet fayle of the effect of the promyse hicause we kepe not our promis And therfore yf we assuredly do recken vpō the state of our 〈◊〉 as grounded vpon Goddes promisses and do not remember therwyth that no man shal be 〈◊〉 onlesse he lawfully fighte we shal tri umphe before the victori and so loke in vaine for that whych is not other wyse promysed but vnder a 〈◊〉 and after this sorte euery chrysten man muste and ought assuredly beleue ¶ Here foloweth the crede or the. xii Articles of the Christian fayth i. I beleue in God the father Almyghty maker of heauen and earth ii And in 〈◊〉 Christ his onely sonne oure Lorde iii. Which was conceyued by the holy gost borne of the 〈◊〉 Mary iiii Suffred vnder Ponce Pilate was crucifted dead and buryed descended into hel v. And the third day he rose agayne from death vi He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty vii From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade viii I beleue in the holy Ghost ix The holy Catholike churche x. The 〈◊〉 of saintes The forgiuenes of sinnes xi The resurrection of the body xii And the life euerlastinge Amen Here foloweth thexposition and declaratiō of this crede AS concernyng this crede there are v. points generally to be marked and obserued first that al chrysten people ought and must constantly beleue mayntayne and defende al those thinges to be true whych be comprehended in this crede in the other two credes whereo◠the one is vsed to be sayde at Masse beyng approued and establyshed by auncient generall counsayles and the other was made by the greate clerke holy man Athanasius And likewise we must also constantly beleue mainteyne and defende al other thynges whych are comprehended in the whole body and canon of the Byble Secondely that all thinges conteyned in thys crede or in any of the other ii credes or
accomplyshe in that he most myghtely conquered ouercame and vtterly oppressed his enemyes hath spoyled them of the 〈◊〉 session of mankyud which they wan before by fraud deceyt lying and blasphemyng And he hath brought vs now into his possession and dominatiō to reigne ouer vs in mercy like a most louyng 〈◊〉 and gouernour and therefore in this Article we call hym also Our Lorde Fynallye there is to be considered in this matter that althoughe this worde DOMINVS dyuerse tymes is translated into oure Englyshe Tounge The Lorde which the place and circumstaūce of Scripture manye tymes so requyreth and maye well beare yet amongest vs Christen men in our cō men speach when we speake of Chryste and do call hym Lorde it is mooste mete and conueniente that we call hym Our Lorde to 〈◊〉 and admonyshe vs that we be his peculier people redemed by hym and delyuered from the dominion and the captiuitie of the deuyll and be made his owne proper obedient seruauntes After whiche forte the Heithen people because of their infidelytie be nether his sernauntes nor partakers of his benefites and therefore cannot saye and call him as Chrysten men doe Our Lorde And the thing thus being so great pythe effecte and comforte consystynge in this word Our what an iniury do these newe fangled wyttes who for a singularitie or for a glorious badge of a protestaunt do in all their talke speaking of Christ our Lorde vse this peculier fashion of speakyng the Lorde the Lorde the Lorde ¶ The exposition or declaration of the third Artycle of the Crede whych is Which was conceaued by the holy Ghost borne of the Uyrgyn Marye IN this article two thynges are specially to be cōsidered the first is that Chryste was conceaued by the holye Ghoste And the seconde is that Chryste was borne of the Uyrgyn Marye And concernyng the fyrste ye shal learne that when we say that christ was conceyued by the holy Ghost we geue not ther in suche grosse and 〈◊〉 vnreuerente vnderstandyng as though the holy Ghoste dyd therein worke as man do the with woman in carnall generatyon which God forbyd we shoulde conceyue or thynke for his holye worke of the incarnation of Chryste was not wroughte by the sede of man but by the ver tue and power of the holye goste in the sayde mooste blessed virgyn without any motion of any concupiscence or spot of synne and was accomplyshed wyth oute any violation or detriment of the virginitye of that blessed vyrgyn S Marye who both in the conception and also in the byrth natiuitie of her chyld our sauiour Iesus Chryste yea and euer after dyd retayne styll her pure and immaculate virginitie as clere and without blotte as she was at the tyme that she was fyrst borne But when we do say that chryst was conceaued by the holy Ghost we doo consyder therin as Scripture doth That Mense sexto meaning of that sixt moneth that S. Elizabeth S. Ihon Baptistes mother had gone with chyld with S. Iohn missus est Angelus Gabriel a deo in ciuitatem Galilee cui nomē Nazareth ad uirginem desponsatam uiro cui nomen erat Ioseph de domo Dauid nomen uirginis Maria et ingressus Angelus ad eam dixit Aue gratia plena dominus tecum Benedicta tu in mulieribus Que cum audisset turbata est in sermone eius et cogitabat qualis esset ista salutatio et ait Angelus ei Ne timeas Maria inuenisti enim gratiam apud deum ecce concipies in utero et paries filium uocabis nomen eius IESVM hic erit magnus filius altissimi uocabitur dabit illi dominus deus sedē Dauid patrisleius et regnabit in domo Iacob ineternū regni eius non erit finis Dixit autē maria ad angelum Quomodo fiet istud quoniam uirum non cognosco respondens Angelus dixit ei Spiritus sanctus superueniet in te uirtus altissimi obumbrabit tibi Ideoque quod nascetur ex te sanctum uocabitur filius dei Lucae primo That is to saye In the syxt moneth the Aungell Gabriell is sent from God into the citie of Galilee to whom the name was Nazareth to a Uyrgin despoused vnto a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the name of the virgin was Marye and the Aungell entringe in sayd to her All hayle full of grace the Lorde is with thee blessed art thou among women Which wor des when she had harde she was troubled in his sayinge and thoughte what maner salutation thys was And the Aungell said vnto her Feare not Mary for thou hast founde grace with God Beholde thou shalte conceaue in thy Wombe and thou shalte brynge forth a Sonne and thou shalte call the name of him Iesus he shal be greate and shal be called the Sonne of the hyghest and the Lorde God shall geue to him the seate of Dauid his Father and he shall reigne in the house of Iacob for euer and no ende shal be of his Kyngdome And Marye sayde vnto the Aungell Howe shall this be for I knowe not a man And the aungell aunswerynge sayde to her The holye Ghost shall come from aboue into the and the power of the most hyghe shall ouershadowe the and therefore euen that holy one which shal be borne of the shal be called the Sonne of God Luke the fyrst Accordyng whervnto the Aungel of our Lord as S. Mathew testyfyeth in hys Gospell Math 1 saith Cum esset despōsata mater IESV Maria Ioseph ante quam conuenirent inuenta est in utero habens de spiritu sancto That is to say When Marye the mother of Iesus was despoused to Ioseph and before they came to dwell together she was founde hauyng in her wombe of the holy Goost And immediatelye it foloweth in the same place Ioseph autem uir eius cum esset iustus nollet eam traducere uoluit occulte dimittere eam Haec autem eo cogitante Ecce Angelus Domini apparuit in somnes Ioseph dicens Ioseph fili Dauid noli timere accipere Mariam coniugem tuam quod enim in ea natum est de spiritu sancto est That is to saye And Ioseph the husbande of her when he was a iust man and would not sclaunder her he purposed secretlye to leaue her And he thus thinking Beholde the aungell of the Lorde appeared to Joseph in a vision or dreame saying O Joseph the Sonne of Dauid feare thou not to take Marye thy wyfe for that which is borne in her is of the holy Goost So that the second person in Trinitie whych is the Sonne of God by eternall generatiō dyd in the wombe of the blessed vyrgyn Mary by the vertue and workyng of the holy Ghoost take vpon hym of her verye fleshe the nature and substaunce of man and beyng conceyued by the holy Ghoste was borne of her body and dyd vnite and conioyne together the
requireth of vs and so prepare our selues and order our 〈◊〉 towardes God that we may be in a readines at all tymes whansoeuer it shall 〈◊〉 God to call sommon vs to appeare before hym in the sayde generall iudgement there by his mercye and goodnes to receaue the crowne which he promysed vnto all men that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and loue hym and walke in hys wayes This article the declaration thereofhath many and most manifest testimonyes bothe in the olde Testament and in the newe of whych amonge many other these places folowing may for thys presente suffyce Psal 92. Eccle. 11. Esa. 13. 51. Zach 14. Mala. 4. Soph. 1. Iohel 3. Math. 13 16. 24. 25. Mar. 9. 13. Luc. 9. 17. 21. Act. 1. 1. Corrinth 1. 2. Corin 〈◊〉 2. Tessa 1. 2. 1. Thesi. 4. Phil 4. 2. Pet 3. Heb. 10. Apo. 3. 22. ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the eyghte article of the crede which is I beleue in the holy ghost FOr the better vnderstandynge of thys article ye shal note that as there is in the Trynitie one 〈◊〉 son which is and so also called God the father and as the same Trynytye there is an other personne whyche is and so also called God the sonne soo in the same Trinitie there is a thyrd person whyche is and so also called God the holye Ghoste And knowe you also that it is not inoughe to beleue onely that there is an holy Ghost but we must also beleue in him likewyse as we do concernyng God the father and God the sonne for it is not ynough for vs onely to beleue that there is a God the father and that ther is a God the sonne But we must beleue in them al as is more specially and largelye declared before in thexposytyon of the first Article And this holye Ghost beyng the thirde personne in Trinitie is in dede very God and Lorde author and former of al thynges created and dothe procede bothe from God the father and from God the son of one with thē in nature and substaūce and of the same euerlastyng essence or being which the father and the sonne be of and is equall also vnto thē both in almyghtynes of power and in the worke of creation and in all other thynges pertaynynge vnto the deytie or Godhed wherefore he is also to be honored and glorified equally wyth them both This holy Ghost which is the spyryte of God is of his nature all holye yea holynes it selfe That is to say he is the onely Ghost or spyryte whych with the father and the sonne is was and euer shal be the author causer and worker of all holynesse purytye and sanctimonye and of all the grace comforte and spirituall lyfe whych is wrought and commethe into the harte of any man in so muche that no man canne thinke well or do any thinge that good is but by the motion ayde and assistence of this holye spirite neythere is it possible that the Deuyll or anye of those euel spyrites which do possesse and reigne in suche per sons as be subiecte vnto 〈◊〉 can be expelled or put out of them but by the power of thys holye spyryte neyther is it possyble that the harte of anye manne beinge once corrupted made as prophane by synne can be purged purified sanctified or iustified wythout the worke and operation of thys holye spyryte neyther is it possible for any man to be reconciled vn to the fauoure of God or to be made and adopted in to the number of his chyldren or to obtayne that in comparable treasure whyche oure sauioure Iesus Chryste 〈◊〉 purchased and layd vppe for mankynd oneles this holy spyryte shall first illumyne and lyghten his harte with the ryght knowledge and faythe of Chryst and stirre him by grace to haue dewe 〈◊〉 penaunce for his synnes shall also instruct hym gouerne hym aide hym dyrecte hym and indue him wyth such spiritual gyftes and graces as shal be requisite and necessary to that ende and purpose Moreouer thys holy spirite of God is of hys owne nature full of all goodnes and benignitie 〈◊〉 goodnesse it selfe from whome procedeth all and singuler graces gyftes of feare wysedome vnderstandyng counsell strength faythe charitie hope and all other whych be geuen conferred and distributed vnto vs mortall men here in the Earth at his owne wyll and dispensation and that no man canne purchase or obteyne ne yet receaue retayne or vse anye of them wythoute the operatyon of thys holy Spyryte whych gyftes neuerthelesse he geueth not nor dispen seth the same equally and to euery man a lyke but he deuideth them particularly and speciallye to euerye member of the Churche as is most necessarye for the hole body and in suche plentye and measure as vnto his Godly will and knowledge is thought to be most beneficiall and expediente for the same All whyche thynges he doth of his mere mercy and goodnes frely and aboue our deseruyng Furthermore this holy spirit is of his owne nature ful of charitie holy loue yea charitie it self frō whōe procedeth al charitye so by his godly operatiō is the bond knot wherewith our Sauioure Iesus Christ and his most dere espouse the Church whiche is also hys misticall body be vnyted knytte and conioyned together in such perfect euerlastinge loue and charitie that the same cannot be dyssolued or separated And ouer this is also the very bond and knot where by all and euerye one of the verye members of Chrystes Churche and Bodye be vnited coupled conioyned the one of them with the other in mutuall loue and charitie Also thys holye spyryte of God is the spyrite of truthe and the aucthour of all holye scripture conteined in the hole canon of the byble and dyd not onely inspyre and instruct all the holy patriarches and prophetes with all the other members of the Catholike Churche that euer were from the begynnyng of the worlde in all the Godlye truthes and verytyes that euer they dyd knowe speake or wrytte but also descended and appeared in the similitude and lykenesse of fyrye tonges and dyd lyghte vpon the Apostles Dyscyples of Chryste and inspyred them wyth the knowledge of all truth and replenyshed them wyth heauenly gyftes and graces and shal be contynually present in the Catholyke Church and shal teach and reuele vnto the same Church the secretes and mysteryes of all truth whych are necessarye to be knowen and shall also continuallye from tyme to tyme rule dyrecte gouerne and sauctyfye the same Churche gyue remyssion of synnes and all spirituall comforte aswell inwardelye by secret operations as also outwardelye by the open mynystratyon and effycacye of the worde of God and of the holy Sacramentes in the sayd Churche and shall endue it wyth all such spyrytual graces and gyftes as shal be necessarye for the same 〈◊〉 shall also note that albeit holy Scrypture dothe worthely attribute vnto the holy Ghost our sanctification our
iustification and al other benefites which Chryst by hys passion hath meryted and deserued for vs yet neuerthelesse the same be also the workes of the hole Trynitie and be not to be seperated in any wyse although Scripture commonly doth attribute them vnto the holy Ghost For in lyke 〈◊〉 dothe Scrypture artribute power vnto the father and wysdome vnto the sonne whyche neuerthelesse be common vnto all three FINALLY ye shall note the maner of the speache here in thys article where it is not sayde I beleue the Ghost or spirite but it is sayd I beleue in the holy Ghost and so holy is adioined vnto the Gost whiche is done not onely to declare that here is not mente of euery thynge that is or maye be called a spyryte or a Ghost but here is onely ment of that spyryte whyche by excellencye and by peculyer name in Scrypture bothe is and so also called the holy spyryte or Ghoste which is the thyrd person in Trynytie and therefore thoughe manye tymes in Scrypture an incorporall thing is called a spyryte and also both Angels and the myndes of men dyuerse tymes haue that appellation or name yet here aswell for the sayde peculier name as by a certen excellency the sayd thyrd person in trinytie is called the holy spyryte or holy Ghost for he it is that doth make holye or sanctifye all creatures that are called holye ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the ninthe Article of the Crede which is The holy Catholyke Church IN these fewe wordes of this nynthe Article foure thynges are to be considered fyrste what heare is ment by thys worde Churche Secondely whye or for what cause the same Churche is called Holye Thirdely why it is called Catholyke And forthely what it is To beleue the holi Catholike Churche Concernyng the fyrste ye must vnderstande that thoughe in oure Englyshe tonge we by thys worde Churche sometymes do meane the place wherein the word of GOD is commonlye preached and the sacramentes mynistred and vsed yet in this present article it dothe sygnyfye the hole multitude of people which being called of GOD do come to one fayth one doctryne the selfe same Sacramentes accordyng to the Apostolyke and catholyke tradition in an indiui sible bonde or knotte of concorde and vnytie whether the sayde multytude be of the cleargye or of the laytie Concernyng the seconde ye shall consyder that albeit in the sayd church or multitude of people there be many euyll men many synners many that tourne by true penaunce to grace and sometymes yet do fall agayne some after theyr tourne by true penaunce styll perseuer and contynue in goodnes manye also that fall and neuer ryse agayne so that spottes blots and imperfections doo appeare 〈◊〉 in thys Churche and manye tymes in the more parte thereof yet neuerthelesse because the callyng is of it selfe holy the caller also most holy and the ende of callynge holynes it selfe with this 〈◊〉 that the people soo called do prosesse holynes aud make a bodye where of the cheife headde our Sauiour Chryste is mooste holye or rather holynes it selfe by the merytes of whose 〈◊〉 the sayde people are releued and nouryshed with the seuen holy sacramentes and be in theyr callyng endued with moste speciall holy gyftes and gra ces of almyghtye God beynge authoure thereof and fynally by hys holy spyryte are directed and gouerned in the saine so longe as they by folowyng theyr concupyscence the Deuyll or the worlde do not fall from that state For these causes I say the Church is called Holye takyng this name Holye of that that Chryste the highe headde thereof is Holye God the caller Holye The profession and callynge Holye the ende Holynes whych of very dewty ought to be in all them that be called and is in dede ' in suche members as doo continue and perseuer in that holye callyng Touchynge the thyrde ye must vnderstande that thys worde Catholyke being orygynally taken out of the Greke toungue and nowe vsed in oure Englyshe tongue is asmuche to saye as vnyuersall or whole And forasmuch as God of hys goodnes dothe call al people as is afore withoute all acceptyon of 〈◊〉 or acception of Countrye therefore thys Churche is called Catholyke in asmuch as all people of all maner of estates of all places and countryes throughout the hole worlde may professyng the foresayd one fayth one doctrine and the selfe same sacramentes accordyng to the sayd Apostolique and catho lyke tradition be of thys Catholyke churche and cōtynue in the same excepte they wyllyngly by heresy scysme do goo out of it or for other theyr offences be cut of and cast oute thereof And here by the waye is to be noted that althoughe in the worlde ther be manye particuler Churches and seuerall multytudes of people hauing the sayd fayth the sayd doctryne and the selfe same Sacramentes accordynge to the sayde tradition and therefore are commonlye called euerye one of them catholyke yet they all together make but one catholyke vniuersall Churche of whyche one catholyke vniuersall Churche al the rest be called catholyke as beynge partakers and members of the sayd one catholyke vniuersall Church and fully agreing in al necessary poyntes with the same And nowe as concernyng the fourth whyche is What it is To beleue the Catholyke Churche Ye shal vnderstand that to beleue the Catholyke Churche is not onelye to beleue that here in earthe is and shal be continually to th end of the worlde such a holy catholyke Churche as before is declared commonly called the Church Mylytante but also to gyue credyte and beleife vnto the whole Doctryne fayth and religyon of the sayd Church And for the farther vnderstanding of thys whole article here maye moost frutefully and verye well to the purpose be brought in one most notable place of S Augustyne wryten vpon this same article of the Crede in his clxxxi sermon de tempore where he sayeth in thys maner Sciendum est quod Ecclcsiam credere non tamen in Ecclesiam credere debemus qui Ecclesia non Deus sed domus dei est Catholicam dicit toto orbe diffusam quia diuer sorūhaereticorum ecclesic idio catholicae non dicuntur quio per loca atque per suas quasque prouincias cantinentur Haec uero a solis ortu usque adoccasum unius fidei splendore diffūditur Nullasunt maiores diuitiae nulli the sauri nulli honores nullae huius mundi maior substantia quam est cacholicafides quae peccatores homines saluat saecos illuminat infirmos curat Cate chuminos baptizat fideles iustificat poenitentis reparat iustos augmentat martyris coronat clericos ordinat sacerdotes consecrat regnis celestibus preparat in aeterna haereditate cum Angelis sanctis communicat Quisquis ille est 〈◊〉 ille est Cristianus nonest qui in Christi Ecclesia non est Solaquippe est perquam sacrificium dominus libentur accipiat sola quae pro errantibus fiducia
liter intercedat Vnde etiam de agni hostia dominus praecepit dicens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domo commeditls necefferetis de carnibus eius 〈◊〉 In unanāque domo agnus come ditur quia in una Catholica ecclesia uera hostia redēptoris immo latur De cuius carnibus diuinaiussio efferriforas prehibet quia dari sanctū canibus uetat Sola est in qua opus bonum fructuose peragitur unde merre dē de narū non nisi qui intra uine ā laborauerūt acceperūt Sola est quae in ra se positos uaelid a charitatis cōpage custodit unde aqua diluuii arcā quidē ad sublimiora sustulie omnes autem quos extro arcam inuenit extinxit Sola est in qua mysteria superna ueraciter contemplemur Vnde ad Moyses Dominus dicit Estlocus apud me stabis suprapetram 〈◊〉 Paulo post tol lammanum mean uidebit posteriora mea Quia enim cx sola catholica Ecclesia ucritas conspicitur apud se esse locum Dominus perbibet de quo ui 〈◊〉 in petra Moyses ponitur ut Deispeciē contempletur quia nisi quii fidei soliditatem tenuerit 〈◊〉 presentam non agnoscit Auelle inquit radium solis a corpore diuisionem lucis unitas non capit Frange 〈◊〉 ab arbore fractus germinare non poterit A fonte praecide riuum praecisus as rescit In his Cipriani uerbis intelligimus lucem non capere diuisionem nisi in sanctis regno Dei praedestinatis qui diuidi ab Ecclesia nullo modo possunt 〈◊〉 non germinare ramum sructum salutis 〈◊〉 germine accipimus Ariditatem uero riui a fonte praecisi in co quod spiritu sancto 〈◊〉 qui 〈◊〉 unitate seperantur 〈◊〉 That is to say We ought to beleue the churche and not in the churche for the churche is not God but the house of god Thys churche he calleth catholyke that is to saye spredde thoroughout the whole worlde because the churches of sundrye heretikes be ynge but in perticuler places and prouinces can in no wyse be called catholyke But thys church from the East to the West glyttereth and 〈◊〉 with the brightnes of one fayth No greater ryches no greater treasures no higher honours no greater substance can be in thys worlde that is the catholyke faythe which saueth synners gyueth syghte to the blynd doth heal the sycke maketh yonglinges to be baptised iustifyeth the faythfull restoreth penitent synners encreseth righteous men crowneth martyres doeth admitte clerkes to orders doth consecrat preistes maketh preparation to the kyngdome of heauen and makethe men partakers of the euerlastynge enheritaunce with the holye Angels Who so euer he be and of what qualitie or condytion soeuer he be he that is not in thys churche of Christ is no Chrysten man for this church is she onely by whome our Lorde willingly receyueth sacrifice she onely it is whyche maye confidently make intercession for suche as do erre Wherefore oure Lorde speakynge of the sacrifyce of the lambe did commaund 〈◊〉 In one house shall ye eate and of the fleshe thereof ye shall cary nothyng out of the dores forsoth in one house is this lambe eaten for asmuche as in one catholyke churche the true sacrifice of oure redemer is offered Of whose fleshe the commoundemēt of God forbiddeth any thing to be caried oute for that he forbid deth that whych is holye to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dogges She onelye it is in whome a good worke is done frutefullye for whiche cause onely they that laboured wythin the vyne yarde hadde the rewarde of the pennye She only it is that al such as ar once placed in her doth kepe together with a stronge ioynte or knotte of charitie Wherefore the water of the floude bare vppe the arke to the 〈◊〉 but all suche as were founde withoute the same arcke it drowned She onely it is in whome we do beholde truely the heauenly misteries Wherefore oure Lorde sayeth vnto Moyses Exod .xxxiii. There is a place with or byme and thou shalt stand vpon the rocke c. and by and by after he saieth I will take awaye my hande and thou shalt se my backe part And because in dede out of this catholyke church alone the truth is sene our Lorde sayeth a place to be wyth him frō whych he may be sene Moyses is sette vpon the rocke that he maye beholde the forme of God for onles a man haue and hold the stedy substanciales of faith he knoweth not the dyuine presence Take away sayth he meanyng S. Cyprian the beame of the sonne from the body of the sonne the vnitie of the lyght can not suffer no diuision breake a boughe from the tree the bough so broken can florishe and budde no more cut of the riuer frō the spring the ryuer so cut of dryeth vp In these wordes of Cypryan we perceyue that lyght doth not admytte any diuision in the sayntes predestinate to the Kyngedome of God which can by no meanes be deuided frome the Churche and that the bough broken of can not budde with a budde of euerlastyng saluation And fynally we knowe the drying vp of the riuer beinge cutte of from the sprynge or heade in that they are made voyde of the holye ghoste whych are seperate frō the vnitie Thus muche sayeth S. Augustyne wherby it appeareth that though we muste beleue in God the father in God the sonne and in God the holy Ghost as was declared here afore vnto you in the expositiō of the first artycle of this crede yet concernynge the Catholique Churche we must beleue it That is to saye geue credite to it but not to beleue in it for to beleue in it were to make it God as more at large shal be declared in some Homelies hereafter specially to be made thervpon also by what sygnes tokens the true Catholyke churche is continually knowen And forasmuch as this catholyke militant church of which this article entreateth hath for the preseruation of the vnitie thereof by the ordinaunce and appoyntment of our sauiour Chryst one principall head or cheife gouernour here vpon earth whiche beynge the chief vycar and substitute of Chryst in hys sayde church doth and ought with other ministers vnder him attende and geue heade to the good order and rule of the said militant churche S. Peter the Apostle being the firste generall vycar aud gouernoure therein and hauing to hym and to all his lawful successours iu the Apostolique see the gouernaunce rule and charge thereof cheifelye committed and geuen whych in very dede both he and they by the continuall helpe and assistaunce of the holye spyryte of God from tyme to tyme in theyr succession alwaies hither to haue done and thereby haue preserued and kepte the vnitie of the sayde churche therefore all they whiche haue or do refuse to acknowledge the said gouernoure gouernement and aucthoritie can not in anye wyse be accompted or taken for catholyke persones but for suche as in dede
receaue both in bodye and soule together euerlastynge lyfe which lyfe euerlastyng though it passeth all mennes wittes to expresse howe pleasaunt and ioyefull it is and that mannes capacitie can not compryse and vn derstande the same as S. Paule witnesseth in hys 〈◊〉 epistle to the Corinthians the. ii chapter saying That whiche the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not herde nor hath not entred into mans harte GOD hath ordeyned for them that loue hym 〈◊〉 holye scrypture speaketh of it after our capacitie and intelligence but farre vnder the worthynes excellency thereof For the prophete Esay sayeth in the. xxxv chapiter Euerlastynge gladnes shal be ouer their heades they shall haue ioye and gladnes sorowe and wayling shall forsake them And 〈◊〉 Jhon in the seuenth chapyter of hys 〈◊〉 sayeth God that sytteth on his throne shal dwell ouer them They shall not hunger or thyrste anye more neyther sonne nor heate shall hurte them for the lambe that is in the myddes of the throne shal fede them and bryng them to the fountaynes of the water of lyfe and God shall wype awaye all weapyng teares from theyr eyes death shall endure no longer There shal be no waylyng nor crying nor sorowe anye more 〈◊〉 there is no ioye or comforte that can be wysshed for but it is there moost plentyfully There is true glorye where prayse shal be without errour or flattery There is tru honour which shal be geuen to none onles he be worthye there is true peace where no man shal be molested or greued neyther by hymselfe nor by others There is true and pleasaunte felowshype where is the company of blessed angels and the elect and chosen 〈◊〉 of God There is true and perfecte loue that neuer shall fayle For all the heauenly companye is linked and fastened together by the bonde of perfecte charitie whereby also they be vnited and knitte to almyghty God euerlastynglye Fynallye there is the true rewarde of all Godlynes God hym selfe the sight and fruition of whome is the ende and rewarde of al oure beleife and of all oure good workes and of all those thynges whyche were purchased for vs by Chryst He shal be oure sacietie or fulnesse and desyre he shal be oure lyfe oure helth our glorye our honour oure peace oure euerlastyng reste and ioye he is the ende of all our desyres whome we shall se continually whom we shall loue most feruently whom we shall prayse and magnifye incessantly and world without ende And forasmuch as most firmely and wythout all doute we beleue al the foresayd articles of this crede and euery thing concerninge the same and in them comprehended to be moste true And moreouer for that we lykewyse beleue al thynges whiche concerne eyther oure creation redemption or sanctification of the heuenly father by hys sonne and with the holye ghoste to be fully wrought and that they shall moste certenlye through the mercye of God come vnto vs. Therefore in the ende of this crede we saye Amen Whiche is a worde confirmyng a sayinge and a pray inge that it maye soo be allowed and establysshed the verye signification of whyche worde beyng be it so moost certaynelye Of the seuen Sacramentes FOrasmuche as there are nowe two parts performed of the promyse made vnto you in the preface of thys worke it is to wytte of the acception or ta kynge of this worde Fayth and also of the articles ofy e 〈◊〉 with expositiō or declaratiō of the same The nexte matter to be set forth and declared is the treatyse of the. vii Sacramentes with theyr expositions And forasmuche as it is expediente before the speciall intreatye therof to speake somewhat aswell of the signification of this word Sacrament being taken in his generaltie as also to defyne in specialtie howe this word Sacrament shal be taken and vnderstanded here in this treatyse therefore here in the begynning these two thynges shal be set fourth and opened vnto you And as concernyng the fyrste ye shall vnderstand that this worde Sacrament is diuersely takē for amongest them that haue a respecte to the proprietie of the Latin tounge do seke the significatiō thereof in prophane writers A sacramente amonge other 〈◊〉 is pryncipally called an obligation or promyse made and confyrmed by an othe of whyche thinge S. Augustine in his clxxxi Sermon maketh mention And amonges them that haue a respect vn to scrypture and the wryters thereof a Sacrament doth signify a mistery that is to saye a secret or hydden thynge apperteynyng to the religion and so beyng consydered it is sometymes taken in a more larger signifycation and sometymes in a more strayter and beynge taken in the larger signification it doth signifye euerye secrete mysterye appertaynynge to religion and euerye holy thynge hydden thoughe it be not a sygne or token of another thyng as whē we vse to name and say the sacrament of the godheade meanynge thereby the very godhead it selfe whythe is a hyd and secrete thynge and yet not a sygne or token of any other thynge And in this signification also S. Paule doth vse it in the fyrste Chapter of hys epystle to the Ephesians where he sayeth that God hath reueyled or opened vnto vs the Sacrament of his wyll meanynge there by the Sacramente of hys wyll the secrete eternal wyl of God whereby he appoynted from the begynnynge that the Gentyles shoulde be incorporated and made partakers of hys promyse in Iesu Chryste in whome we al haue trust and in truste haue an accesse by fayth vnto him And lykewise he doth in the thyrd chapter of his fyrst epystle to Tymothe where be writeth 〈◊〉 this maner Et manifeste 〈◊〉 est pictatis Sacramentum quod mainfestatum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is to saye And vndoubtedly great is the Sacrament of godlynes whiche is she wed in the flesh c. Meanyng therby that Chryst hym selfe is a great Sacrament of godlines for that he beyng the inuisible sonne of God is manifested or opened in the fleshe And this worde sacramente beynge taken after the strayter maner or acception in which moost cōmonlye it is it signifieth the sygne of a holye thynge which beareth the similitude or likenes of the thyng whose signe it is After which sort the sygnes and fygures of the olde testamente are called sacramentes so the auncient fathers speakynge of the sygnes of the olde testament do vse commonly and frequently to name them According whereunto S. Augustine in the. xiii Chapiter of his xix boke agaynst Faustus doth saye Prima Sacramenta gue obseruabantur celebrabantur ex lege 〈◊〉 erant Christi uenturi That is to saye The fyrste Sacramentes whyche were obserued and celebrated by the lawe were prenunciatyue of Christe to come Nowe to consider the signification of this worde sacrament as it shal be con sidered and vsed in this treatyse which is the moost straytest signification of al other ye shall note that it being so takē is defined after
And they are also most readye remedies agaynst synne and do farre passe those of the old law For they were the shadowes of thinges to come and as sygnes and fygures were abolyshed Chryst after his comming hauinge fulfylled them and they were therefore abolyshed because they were fulfylled But these of the new testament were instituted both as greater in vertue better in profyt easier in mynystration and fewer in number as beynge but seuen and that they shoulde not onelye signifye but purge and sanctifye also In euerye of whiche seuen sacramentes the minister or dispenser of the same doth not execute in his owne behalfe or name but doth represent the person of our sauiour Iesu Christ to whome be honoure and glorye Amen ¶ Of the Sacrament of Baptysme and the exposition or declaration thereof BEcause the Sacrament of Baptisme is in order the fyrst of al Sacramentes and the gate or entrye by whiche we must and doe entre into the churche and vnto the other Sacramentes thereof to obteyne remission of oure synnes and is a thynge so necessarye that withoute it no man can enter into the kyngedome of God as Christe in the thyrde chapiter of S. Johns gospell doeth playnlye testifie sayinge Nisi quis renatus 〈◊〉 ex aqua 〈◊〉 spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 in'reg 〈◊〉 dei That is to saye Excepte one be borne agayne of water and the holye ghoste he can not entre into the kyngdome of God Therefore in this noumbre of vii Sacramentes the Sacrament of Baptysme for these respectes shal occupie the fyrste place For the better vnderstandynge whereof ye shall emongeste other thynges consyder and note foure poyntes Fyrste ye shall note that in the Sacrament of Bap tysine there are certayne formall wordes necessarye and requysyte to be vsed in the ministration thereof Seconde that in the sayd Sacrament of Baptisme besydes the sayde formal wordes there is requyred al so an outwarde visible thing or element to be concur runt therewith Thyrde is to be considered the vertue force and effecte of the sayde Sacrament And iiii is to be declared what rites solempnities or ceremonies are required for the dewe administration of the sayde Sacramente Nowe concernynge the fyrst of these foure thynges to be noted in Baptysme ye shall knowe that oure sauyoure Chryste when he dyd sende hys apostles to preach throughout the hole worlde he dyd saye vnto them as is testyfyed in the xxviii Chapiter of Sayncte Mathewes Gospell Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra euntes ergo docete omnes 〈◊〉 baptizantes cos in nominc patris filij ci spiritus sancti That is to saye All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth go you therfore and do you teache all nations baptizinge them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the ho ly Ghost By whyche playnly appeareth that oure 〈◊〉 Chryste in hys commyssyon geuen vnto hys apostles dyd prescrybe certayne formall wordes vnto them whiche they in administration of Baptysine shoulde vse accordyng whervnto the minister of the Churche being therein the successoure of the apostles doeth and must vse in the administration of the Sacramente of Baptisme these formall wordes I doe Baptise thee in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holye Ghost and thys muche for the fyrste poynte For the seconde poynte consydered in Baptysme ye shall note the specyall wordes of our sa uyour Christ in the foresayde iii. Chapiter of Sainct Iohns Gospell where speakynge of regeneration or Baptisme he vseth these wordes Aqua et spiritu sancto say ing Nisi quis renatus fucrit ex aqud spiritu sancto non potest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regnum dei Wherby it is euident that water which is a visible element and an open thyng is a substancial part of baptisme must nedes be concurrēt with the formall wordes vsed in the administration of Baptisme Accordyng wherevnto we 〈◊〉 reade in the. viii chapter of the actes that when Philip which was one of the seuē deacons actes vi had conuerted vnto the fayth of CHRIST a certayne noble man being in greate aucthoritie and offyce wyth Candate the Queene of Ethiope he dyd baptyse the sayde noble man wyth water so that water is required in Bap tisme The lyke wherof appeareth the x. Chapiter of the actes where it is euidente that Saynte Peter the apostle baptysed in water one Cornelms a Centuryon and others with hym Touchynge the thyrd thynge to be considered in Baptysme whych is the vertue force and effect ther of ye shall knowe that the forgeuenes or remyssyon of synnes and the grace of the holye ghost is the vertue force and effecte of baptysme as is manyfeste in the seconde chapiter of the actes where the blessed apostle S. Peter sayeth thus Penitentiam agite baptizes tur unusquisque uestrum in nomine IESV CHRISTI in remissionem peccatorum uestrorum et accipietis donum spiritus sancti That is to saye Do you penaunce let euerye one of you be Baptised in the name of Iesu Christe in remission of youre synnes and ye shall reccaue the gyfte of the Holye Ghoste Thys effecte and grace hath thys Sacrament of baptisme by the vertue and workyng of almyghty God there in by his minister accordynge to his owne promyse annexed adioyned to this Sacrament as playnly appeareth in the. xvi chapter of S. Marke where Christe geuinge commission to his Apostles to goe in the whole world to preache the gospell sayth these wordes Qui credideret baptisatus fuerit saluus erit that is to say Who shall beleue and be baptysed shal be saued And as concernynge the. iiii thyng to be considered in baptysme ye shall note that albeit of late some haue vntruely preached and reported that the maner of baptysinge or christening nowe vsed in the Church is not the same whiche was vsed in the prymatyue Churche but hath ben of late yeares inuented and deuised yet the auncient fathers bothe of the Greke of the Latyn Churche haue in theyr workes declared the contrarye for profe whereof amonges many other ye shal reade Denyce the Areopagyte in his boke De ecclesiastica hierarchia in the tytle De perficiendis in baptismate of whose aucthoritie none nedeth to doubte seyng that S. Luke in the. xvii of the actes maketh mention of him ye may reade also S. Cyprian in his fyrst boke and. xii Epistle where he sayth thus 〈◊〉 uero mūdari sanctificari aquā prius a sacerdote ut possit baptismo suo peccat a hominis qui baptisatur abluere that is to say The wa ter must fyrste be made cleane sanctified of the priest that it may clense the synnes of him that is baptysed Reade also S. Ambrose in hys treatise De ijs qui initiantur misteriis and in his fyrste boke al so De sacramentis And if you list rede Chrisostome in hys Homely entituled of Adam Eue where
takynge or allowynge it for a rite or ceremonye and vtterly denying it to be a Sacramente yet euer in the catholyke Churche and 〈◊〉 the faitheful Chrysten people it hath bene as in dede it oughte taken accepted vsed and allowed for a Sacramente yea and for one of the seuen Sacramentes to For the 〈◊〉 whereof besides the testimonies of the said faith of the catholyke Churche and of the moste holye and most auncient fathers thereof we haue diuerse moste playne and euident open places of Scripture by continuall vsage acceptyon and interpretatyon so allowed ratified and approued And fyrste ye shall for profe thereof haue the testimonye of S Luke in the viii chapter of the actes where he sayeth thus Cum autem 〈◊〉 Apostoli qui erant in Hierosolimis quod recepisset 〈◊〉 maria uerbum DEI miserunt ad eos Petrum et 〈◊〉 Qui cum uenissent 〈◊〉 pro ipsis ut acceperent spiritum 〈◊〉 non dum enim in quemquam illorum uenerat sed baptizati tantum erant in nomine Domini 〈◊〉 tunc imponebant manus super illos et 〈◊〉 spiritum sanctum That is to say And when the Apostles whych were at Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had 〈◊〉 the worde of God they did send vnto them Peter and Jhon Who when they were commen dyd praye for them that they myght receaue the holy ghoste for as yet the holy ghost was not comen into any of them but onelye they were baptysed in the name of our Lorde Jesus then they dyd put or laye theyr handes vpon them and they dydde 〈◊〉 the holy ghoste Accordyng where vnto S. 〈◊〉 in the. xix chapter of the Actes sayeth thus Factum est autem cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set 〈◊〉 ut Paulus peragratis superioribus patribus 〈◊〉 et Ephesum et inuenire quosdam discipulos dixitque ad eos Si spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credentis At illi dixerunt ad eum Sed neque sispiritus sanctus ost audiuimus ille uero 〈◊〉 in quo ergo baptisati estis qui dixerunt in Ioannis baptismate Dixit autem Paulus Ioannes baptiz auit baptismo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicens in 〈◊〉 qui uenturus 〈◊〉 post ipsum ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est in Iesum hijs auditis baptisati sunt in nomine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et cu 〈◊〉 illis manus Paulus uenit spiritus sanctus super coset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 〈◊〉 That is to say And it came so to passe when Apollo was at Corynth that Paule hauynge trauayled throughe or passed the ouer partes of the countreye dyd come to Ephesus and dyd finde there certayne disciples and he demaundinge sayde vnto them Haue you synce you beleued receiued the holy gost And they aunswering saide no nor yet haue heard whether there be any holy ghost at al. Then Paule saide In whome then are ye baptised and they saide in the baptysme of 〈◊〉 Then Paule sayde Jhon dyd 〈◊〉 the people with the baptisme of Penaunce tellyng them that they should beleue in hym that should 〈◊〉 after hym That is to saye in Iesus these thynges beynge hearde they were baptised in the name of our Lord Iesus And when Paule had layde his handes vpon them the holye Ghoste came vpon them and they dyd speake with tounges and dyd prophecye By whych aucthorities beyng of all catholyke wryters vnifourmely euer taken and vnderstand of thys sacrament of Confyrmation it appeareth moste manifestiye that by the outward visible signe of imposytion or layinge on of the handes after baptysme not onelye grace is geuen and conferred but also the spirite of grace it selfe accordyng wherevnto we reade in the. xx chapter of Saint Ihons ghospell that oure Sauiour Chryst albeit after hys resurrection he dyd breath vpon his apostles sayinge take you the holye Ghoste whiche yet neuerthelesse in some degre they had receyued before in baptysme yet for all that oure sayd sauiour being ready to ascend into heauen dyd promyse to his Apostles and by them to all that by baptysme shoulde be regenerate an other gyfte sayinge Luce. 24. Ego 〈◊〉 promissum patris mei in uos uos autem sedete in ciuitate quoadusque induamini uirtute ex alto That is to saye I wyll sende into you the promyse of my father doo you sytte or tarye in the Citye vntyll ye be indued with vertue from aboue Lykewyse as is testified Actorum 1. Our Sauiour hauyng eaten with his apostles and hauing bidden them to tary at Iherusalem and not to departe from thence but looke for the promyse of God the father sayeth Accipictis uirtutem 〈◊〉 spiritus sancti in uos c. That is to saye 〈◊〉 shall receaue the vertue of the holy ghost commyng vpon you And this gyft so promysed was perfourmed most eui dently vpon Whytsondaye by visible sygnes and tokens feetlye resemblynge and lyuelye answerynge to thys sacrament wherein ye may consider that as in baptisme the holye ghost came downe in the fourme of a Doue declaryng thereby that as the Doue is of all other simple and innocent soo by Baptysme innocency is purchased and obtayned So firy tonges be yng sent downe vpon the Apostles on Whitsondaye dyd signifye the ardente zeale and greate boldenesse that the apostles and christen people shoulde haue to expresse and declare theyr profession and fayth Therfore as in baptysme we are regenerate to lyfe soo by confirmation succedynge baptysme we are armed strēgthened to fyght and battayle In baptysme sinne is forgeuen and grace is geuen in confirmation the grace geuē is 〈◊〉 In baptisme we do professe the faythe and religion of Chryste In confirmatyon we haue grace and 〈◊〉 boldelye to mayntayne and to sticke to the same so that he which is baptysed and confirmed hath more aboundaunt grace and glorye then he which is baptised onely Example hereof we haue in the apostles For Peter the heade of the apostles although he hadde sene Chryste tasted also of his glorye in the mounte had harde the voyce of hys heauenly father had sene with his eyes the wonderfull workes that Chryst had wrought and had hym selfe done myracles walked vpon the water and bene verye familier wyth Chryste 〈◊〉 and after that he was washed and pronounced also to be pure clene and finallye after he had made a bragge that he wold with Chryst go into prison and suffer death yet after all these thynges the sayd Peter was afrayde at the voyce of a wenche and did by and by denye Chryste and the lyke also he dydde at the voyce of an other wenche yea and moreouer after Chrystes resurrection when he hadde sene Christe and receyued greate comforte at Chrystes handes he dyd with the other Apostles for feare of the Iewes hyde hym selfe and also when the sayde Peter with other the Apostles had sene Christ gloriouslye ascendynge and had bene by the syghte of the aungeles greatlye comforted yet he durst not shewe hys face abroade but taryed and loked for the commynge of the holye Ghost to make hym stronge and
bolde At whose commynge bothe he and the rest of the apostles were so confyrmed and boldned that they shranke not before all the Iewes and all creatures vnder the skye ye before the kynges prynces to preache the name of Iesus And professyng theyr chrysten fayth wyth all boldnes and constancye did reioyce to suffer displeasures and rebukes inflicted and done vnto them therefore And because we here doo speake of confirmation some peraduenture do loke that we should geue some diffynytyon of confirmatyon wherin to satisfie theyr appetites thys may be sayde That Confirmation is a certayne consignation or markyng made with chrisme in the foreheade of the persone that is baptyzed wyth a certayne forme of wordes to the intente that the person confyrmed shoulde boldely geue the name of Christe or els thus maye be sayde to them CONFIRMATION is an enoyntynge in the foreheade of the partye that is baptysed made in the fygure or forme of the crosse by a Byshoppe with holye chrysme for the strengthe or encrease of the faythe to be boldelye by the sayde partye confessed And thys chrysme is made of oyle and balme The sayde oyle whyche is a cleare or cleane thynge of it selfe to betoken the clearenes or cleannes of the hearte or conscience in oure selfe The balme whiche is a thynge verye fragraunt and of a swete smellyng to signifie the swete and good sauoure of good name and fame towardes oure neyghbour and the sayd oyle and balme beynge mingeled together to signifye that the partye confirmed should haue truely in hym selfe both clerenes of conscience and also wyth hys good workes to haue a good name and to styrre there by hys neyghbours to the lyke And we ought not to thynke that thys enoyntinge is a new inuention in asmuche as Dionyse and Clement beynge in the apostles tyme and besydes them Fabian and 〈◊〉 beyng very nyghe the sayde Apostles tyme and Cypryan Hierome and Saynte Augustyne not being much from the Apostles tyme with other 〈◊〉 wryters do vnyformely agree that thys sorte of enoyntyng came from the Apostles For as concernyng Dionyse he besydes manye other places doeth affyrme it in hys boke De ecclesiastica hierarchia and in the. iii. chapter And amongest many other notable thynges doth saye thus Deinde chrisma summus sacerdos accipiens 〈◊〉 ponit diuino altari c. That is to saye The cheife preiste afterwardes takynge the chrisme doth put it vpon the diuine aulter c And Clemēt doth speake hereof in the. iii. boke of his recognitions in the seconde epistle thereof Fabiane also in hys seconde epistle wrytten to all the byshops of the Easte doeth moste playnelye affyrme the lyke Tertullian lykewyse in hys fyrst boke agaynst Martian doth the same And to speake of S. Cypriane he also in hys sermon De vnctione Chrismatis in diuerse places doeth testifie it most largelye Lykewyse S. Hierom most playnly in hys commentaryes vpon the xvi chapiter of Ezechiel and vpon the. xxxiii of Iob. And as for S. Augustine he most largely playnly and effectually approueth it specially in hys secōd booke and. iiii chapiter Contra literas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in hys xv booke and. xxvi Chapiter De Trinitate And so doeth Euse bius in hys vi boke and. xliii chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where speakynge of Nouatus who was baptised onely in hys bedde not hauynge other thynges vsually obserued after the order rule of the churche he sayth thus 〈◊〉 exorcistis curatus in 〈◊〉 morbum incidit et quoniam iam moriturus putabatur inipso lecto quo decumbebat baptismi infusionem accepit sitamenhancillum accepisse dicendum est Imo nec 〈◊〉 consequutus est post verbum quae iuxta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consequidebebat obsignationem uidelicet ab episcopo 〈◊〉 cum autem illa potitus non sit quomodo spiritum sanctum est consequutus That is to saye Nouarus beinge cured of the exorcistes dyd fal into a greuous disease and because it was thought that he woulde dye out of hande he dyd in the same bedde vpon whyche he laye sycke receaue the infusion of Baptysme yf a man may saye that he receaued that but as concernyng thynges whyche as yet remayned vndone and whych he ought according to the order and rule of the Churche to haue had that is to say the consignatiō or 〈◊〉 to be geuen or conferred by the by 〈◊〉 those thinges after his discease he receaued thē not and forasmuch as he had not that how than hath he receaued the holy goost CONCERNINGE the latter wryters in asmuch as they be innumerable and vniformely do agre here vpon I wyll not rehearse them at all but by them a greynge with the auncient and holye fathers of the churche ye maye vndoutedlye see and perceaue that thys sacrament of confirmation or imposition of the Byshopes handes is receaued approued and specyallye commended of all Catholique menne and at al tymes Seyng then that thys Sacrament of Confyrmation for many considerations is so gretly to be estemed and regarded not onelye for the aucthoritie of Chryste that dyd institute it and the aucthoritie of the churche and of the Apostles that dydde re ceaue and vse it but also for the commoditie and profyt which the sayde Sacrament dothe brynge wyth it Therefore they doo verye wyckedlye that in anye wyse doo contempne it And those maye be sene and iudged to contempne it whiche eyther do rayle at it or ells hauyng oportunitie to haue it ministred do re fuse it or wyllyngly neglecte it And the formall wordes vsed in Confyrmatyon whiche in olde tyme was called Impositio manuum are these Signo te signo crucis confirmo te 〈◊〉 salutis in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti That is to saye I sygne or marke the with the sygne of the Crosse and confirme the with the chrysme or oyntement of helth In the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost And of this imposition of handes we haue besydes manye other places expressed in scrypture a notable example in the. x. of saynte Marke practised and vsed by Chryst hymselfe And this Sacrament of Confirmation or layinge of the byshops handes was instituted ordeined and vsed in the catholyke Churche to remedye the weakenes that ryseth of the fome or rage of concupyscence which weakenes remayneth in vs for oure exercyse and is of two sortes that is to say inwarde and outwarde The inwarde is a certayne shamefastnes or timerousnes whereby we do not boldely confesse the name of Chryst as Chryst requyreth of vs sayinge in the tenth Chapter of Saynt Mathewe Omnis qui 〈◊〉 me coram hominibus 〈◊〉 ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 patre meo 〈◊〉 in coelis est qui autem negauerit me coram hominibus negabo ego 〈◊〉 coram 〈◊〉 meo qui in coelis est That is to saye Euery one that wyll confesse me before men I wyll also acknowledge him before my father which is in heauen And who wyll denye me before
the holye Martyr Cypryan who in his v sermon entytuled de lapsis sayth thus Nec cesset in agenda poenitentia atque in domini misericordia 〈◊〉 canda 〈◊〉 quod minus esse in qualitate delicti uidetur in neglecta satisfactis one cumuleter which is Let not the synner cease in doing penaunce and callynge for the mercye of God least that whiche in the qualitye of the faulte it selfe doth seme to be lytle shoulde be accummulated or made greater in the neglectinge satisfaction Wherevpon he concludethe a generall lesson of all men easelye to be borne awaye in these wordes Confiteantur singuli quaeso uos sratres delictum suum dum adhuc qui deliquit in seculo est dum 〈◊〉 confessio eius potest dum satisfactio remissio facta per saccrdotes apud dominum grata est That is to saye I besech you brethren let euerye man make confession of his faulte whyle he that hath offended is yet here in this worlde and while his confession maye be admytted and while the satisfaction and remission gyuen by the preist is acceptable before GOD. 〈◊〉 he sayeth further Let vs conuerte vnto God with al oure mynd and expressyng our penaunce with true sorowes lamentynges for our synnes lette vs call for the mercye of God In which two breyfe sentences of this mooste excellent and famous Martyr ye do se comprised and conteyned the hole and penitente conuersation of man to God by contrition Confession satisfactyon which thre poyntes or partes must of necessitie be in the doer of true Penaunce so it is required of the said penitent as we before haue proued And the sacrament of Penaunce it selfe being the absolution pronoū ced by the preist vpō such true penitentes in the said sētēce of S. Cipriā is likewise comprehended ¶ Of the Sacrament of the Aultare wythe Thexposition or declaration thereof HAVINGE 〈◊〉 spoken of three notable Sacramentes instituted by Chryst and alwayes solempnely vsed in his catholike Churche it is to wit of Baptisme Confirmation and Penaunce hauing also fyrst entreated of the Sacramente of Baptisme whereby we haue a spirytual regeneration hauyng consequently and secondly spoken of the Sacramente of Confyrmation commonly succeding Baptisme and gyuing vnto vs a spirituall augmentyng and incresse of grace boldely to mayntayne and defende the professyon of oure fayth made at the tyme of our Baptisme and hauing thyrdely set forth the sacrament of Penaunce which purgeth and clenseth vs fallynge by synne 〈◊〉 oure baptysme and confirmation Mete and conueniente it shall nowe be that we do intreate of that excellent spirituall fode and noryshement whiche in the sayde catholyke churche is mynistred and gyuen vnto vs being so baptyzed confyrmed and pourged And because in the sacrament of the Aultar there is that excellent spirituall fode and true nonryshmēt that passeth all other it is to witte the most precious body and bloude of oure sauioure Jesus Christ there fore as was promysed in the preface of this boke here nowe shal be intreated of that moste excellente sacrament of the Aultare And in dede ryght conuenient mete it shal be to entreate diligently and fully of thys sacrament in asmuche as it bothe in worthynes and dignifie doeth greatly surmounte and passe al the other Sacramentes of the Churche as also for that of late yeres it hath most of all other bene assaulted and impugned and yet of no good manne but of the wretched sort alone And to begyn thys order in some respecte maye herein be thought conuenient fyrst to declare the institution of thys sacrament Seconde to set forth the vse of it And thyrdely to declare the notable or rather the vnspeakeable fruyte thereof And as concernyng the syrste thys emongest other is cheifelye to be mar ked that after oure Sauyoure IESVS CHRISTE had accordynge to the ryte and vsage of the olde lawe eaten with hys twelue Apostles the fyguratiue or tipical pascal lambe beinge risen frō 〈◊〉 had was shed his disciples fete he sittyng downe agayne dyd take bread into hys blessed handes giuing thākes dyd breake it and gaue it to hys Dyscyples sayinge Take and eate thys is my Bodye whyche shal be geuen or deliuered for you Lykewyse He toke the cuppe and gaue thankes gaue it vnto them saying Drinke ye al of this for thys is my bloude of the newe testamente whiche shal be shed for many to the remission of theyr synnes Do this in the remembrance of me These wordes being spokē by the mouthe of the sonne of Gob who is equall in Godheade wyth the father and the holye ghoste and testifyed also by hys holye Euaugelistes ouer and besydes the faythefull continual testimonye of Chrystes espouse the Catholyke church who is he that can with any good grūd of Scripture or lawefull aucthoritie saye but that whyche Chryste gaue to hys Apostles at the maundye was Christes very bodye and bloude yea that selfe same bodye and bloude whych was geuen and shed vpon the crosse the next day for them and al mākynde The veritie of whych Article the Catholyke Churche being ruled and gouerned by the holy ghost hath alwayes most constātly beleued and taughte declaring that in this sacrament of the Aultar there is by the omnipotencye of God and the vertue and force of hys word the very body and bloude of oure Sauiour Christ reallye truelye substantiallye and in dede AGREBLYE wherevnto that blessed instramente of God Saynt Paule beyng instructed by a secreat reuelation from God of the truth of thys his mistery and speakynge of thys most blessed sacrament dothe in the eleuenth chapiter of hys fyrste Epistle to the Cyrynthyans saye in thys maner Ego enim accepi ao domino quod et 〈◊〉 uobis Quoniam dominus Iesus in qua 〈◊〉 trade datur accepit panem et gratias agens fregit et dixit Accipite et manducate hoc est corpus meum quod pro nobis credetur hoc facite in meam 〈◊〉 similiter et calicem post quam caenauit dicens hic calix nenum testa mentum est in meo sanguine hoc facite quotie scunque biberitis in meam commemorationem That is to saye I in dede haue taken or receued of oure Lorde that whiche I haue deliuered vnto you that is to say That our Lorde Jesus in that nyght in which he was betrayed did take breade and geuing thankes dyd breake it and sayde Take ye and eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen or delyuered for you Do you this in my remembraunce Like wise also he did take the cup after he had supped sayinge This Cuppe is the newe Testamente in my bloude do you thys as often as ye shall drinke of it in my remembraunce Besides these moste playne wordes aswell of oure Sauioure hym selfe at the institution of thys sacramente as of S. Paule also in the wryttynge of hys sayde secret reuelation whych alone myght suffice to content and certifye any godly heart herein
our selues dothe soo wyll vs and commaude vs to do The greate clerke Orygen whome also Saynt Hyerome foloweth doth allote or appoynt vnto the fyrste of these two tables 〈◊〉 commaundementes makynge of Non babebis deos 〈◊〉 coram me And of Non facies tibi sculptile two commaundementes as we doo vnderstandynge in the fyrste to be forbydden al Idolatry spyry 〈◊〉 or internall and in the second all Idolatrye externall or bodely And vnto the seconde table he doth allote or appoynte sixe preceptes or commaundemēts knittynge and puttynge together for one precepte or commaundement the prohybytyon of 〈◊〉 the wyfe or Goodes of thy neyghbour But Saynt Augustyne in his seconde booke of 〈◊〉 vpon Exodus in the. lxxi chapyter and as manye as doo folowe Saynt Augustyne do appoynte vnto the fyrste table three preceptes or commaundementes onelye ioyning our two fyrste in one and vnto the Seconde table appoynting vii preceptes or commaundemēts deuydinge 〈◊〉 ten or last commaundement whiche is concernynge the vnlawefull desyre of the wyfe and Goodes of our neyghbour into two special 〈◊〉 dementes it is to wytte Non concupisces 〈◊〉 proximi tui and Nec desiderabis uxorumeius non 〈◊〉 ancillam non bouem non 〈◊〉 ne comniaque illius sunt Whyche dyuysion or order Saynte Augustyne doethe allowe and followe especiallye for that it settethe fourthe 〈◊〉 and representeth very lyuely the mysterye of the holy Trinitie in that that the fyrst commaundement is referred to the father the seconde to the Sonne who is the name and worde of God and the thyrde to the holye Ghost by whose workynge in vs we do kepe a sabboth and do reste from all seruyle workes whyche the fleshe destitute of the spyryte doth ingen 〈◊〉 and bryng forthe in vs. And forasmuche as saynte Augustyne hym selfe euen in the same place before al leged dothe declare that bothe these maners of ioynynge or partynge the two fyrst or the two last commaundementes were vsed and allowed in his tyme. And for that also neyther in the one or in the other maner of deuydynge or reckenynge these tenne commaundementes eyther the sense the worde or anye one 〈◊〉 of the matter is altered no nor yet anye more or lesse in eyther of the sayde ii tables thereby conteyned Therfore no man ought with thys our dyuisyon wherein for certayne good consideratyons we folowe Origene Saint Hierome to be in any wyse offended Folowynge then thys ourorder ye shall note that thys commaundemente Thou shalte haue no straunge Goodes before me as it is the fyrst in order so is it the most cheife and princypall emongest them al for in thys commaundement God requireth of vs these foure thinges in which consisteth his chief and pryncipall honour it is to wytte feare faythe hope and charitie and they to be geuen of vs vnto hym as beynge oure onelye and true God And as concerning the fyrste that is to saye feare howe necessary a part of oure secuyce duety towardes God that is Salomon in the. ix chapiter of his prouerbs playnelye and breifely declareth saying Principium sapientiae timor domini That is to saye The begynnynge of wysedome is the feare of God And of this feare also our sauioure Chryste 〈◊〉 speaketh in the. xii of Luke declaryng there that God chieflye and prin cipallye is to be dred and feared where he sayth thus 〈◊〉 eum qui postque occiderit corpus habet 〈◊〉 mittere in 〈◊〉 hennem I ta dico uobis hunc timete That is to say Feare him who 〈◊〉 that he hathe slayne or kylled the body 〈◊〉 power to put or cast into hel thus I saye vnto you feare hym And thys kynde or sorte of feare is commonlye called seruyle But there is an other kynde or sorte of feare due vnto god wher of the prophete Dauyd in hys xviii Psalme speaketh saying Timor domini sanctus permanet in seculum seculi That is to saye The holy feare of God continueth or abydeth for euermore And as concernyng fayth whiche is the seconde parte of our duetie towarde God there is wryttē of it in the. ii chapter of Ecclesiasticus after thys sorte Qui timetis dominum credite ille non euacuabitur mercis uestra That is to saye 〈◊〉 that feare our Lorde haue fayth in him or geue credite to him and your rewarde shal not be frustrate And to entreate further offayth in god here in thys place we nede not but do referre you to the declaration thereof made before both vpon the acceptions of fayth also vpon the fyrst artycle of the crede And as touchynge the thyrde parte of our bounden duety requyred on our behalfe towarde god which is Hope there is wrytten of it in the sayde seconde chap. of Ecclestasticus after thys sorte Qui 〈◊〉 dominum sperate in illum in oblectationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 that feare oure Lord do ye hope in him and his mercye shall come to you to your comforte or delectation And the prophet also in hys 〈◊〉 psal speaking hereof sayeth thus Beneplacitum est domino super timentis eum in eis qui sperant super misericordia eius That is to saye Oure Lorde hathe pleasure vnto them that feare him and in them that do hope vpon hys mercye Of which hope S. Paule in the. v. chapiter of his epi stle to the Romaynes doth say thus Gloriam in spe gloriae filiorum dei That is to say We retoyce or triumphe in the hope of the glorye promised to the chyldren of God But mooste notablye of this hope the same s. Paule speaketh in the. viii cha of the same epi stle to the Romaynes saynge Spe enim salui facti sumus spes autem quae 〈◊〉 non est spes Non quod uidit quis quid sperat si autem quod non uidemus speramus per 〈◊〉 expectamus c. That is Thorugh hope truely we be made safe but the hope which is sene is not hope For wher fore doth one hope or trust for that whiche he doth se but if we hope for that whyche we se not thē do we loke for or tary by 〈◊〉 c Nowe concernyng the fourth poynt or parte of oure duety towardes God it is to wytte Charitie ye shal vnderstād that this is the most excellent soueraigne vertue that belongeth to anye Chrysten man or woman And of this vertue there is wrytten in the foresayde seconde chapiter of Ecclesiasticus where it is sayd Qui timetis dominum diligite illum illuminabuniur corda uestra That is to saye You that feare oure lorde loue ye him and your heartes shal be 〈◊〉 But howe or in what sorte we maye or oughte to perfourme this true loue and charitie towardes god that doth oure Sauioure Chryste hym selfe in the. x. chapter of Saynt Luke teache vs sayinge Diliges 〈◊〉 minum 〈◊〉 tuum ex toto corde tuo ex 〈◊〉 anima tua ex omnibus uiribus tuis ex omni
deus noster benignissimus remissione peccatorum mihi gratis largiatur quam ob causam historias imaginum illcrum honoro palā adoro hoc enim nobis a sanctis apostolis traditum nō est prohibendum sed in omnibus ecclesijs nostris eorum historias erigimus That is to saye Euen as we haue receyued of GOD oure Christian and inculpable faith as it were by right of inheritaunce so do I confesse it and abyde in the same I verelye do beleue in one God almyghtye God the father GOD the sonne and GOD the holy ghost these three beynge one God I adore and gloryfye I cōfesse also the hole dispensation of Chryste in carnate and next the holye virgin Marye of whome Christ toke fleshe and was borne I callyng her mother of God I reuerence also the holy Apostles prophetes and martyres whiche do make intercession to God for me that thorough their mediation oure mooste benigne god may be merciful frely graunte vnto me remissyon of sinnes For whyche cause I do honoure and openlye adore also theyr Images for this thinge beinge of the holy apostles deliuered vnto vs is not to be letten or bydden but in all oure churches we erecte or set vp their Images Besydes all these there was in the sayde 〈◊〉 generall counsayle alledged the aucthoritie of Germanus patriarche of Cōstantinople who sayde thus Non offendat quenquā quod ante sanctorum imagines lumina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accendūtur Simbolice enim ista fieri nō lignis aut 〈◊〉 bus sed in honorem illorum opinandum est quorum cum Christo requies quorum honor adipsum recurrit hoc ipsum testante sapiente Basilio quod ergo conseruos bonos honor erga ipsum dominum commune 〈◊〉 signum exhibet Sensibilia enim lumina 〈◊〉 sunt immateriales illius 〈◊〉 a deo datiluminis Aromatum autem incensio sincerum totum sancti spiritus afflatum in replitionem significat That is to saye Let it offende no man that before the ymages of Sainctes Candels and 〈◊〉 sauoutyng encence are brent For we must thynke that these thynges are done mysticallye not vnto the very wode or stones but in and for the honoure of thē whose reste is with Christ the honoure of whiche sainctes repaireth or commeth agayne vnto Christe the sage Basyll testifiynge the same and saying that the honour done to oure fellowe seruaunces being good doth geue or exhibit a common 〈◊〉 or signe of beneuolence to oure Lorde or maister hym selfe For the sensible lyghtes or candels are a sygne of that pure and immaterial lyght geuen of God And the burnynge of frankencense dothe sygnifye the pure and the ful or hole inspiration and 〈◊〉 of the holye ghost There was also in the saide assemble or counsayle an other testimonye or sayinge of the sayde patryarche Germanus and that is thys Deūsepe 〈◊〉 designasse mi racula hominibus qui admonitione imaginum argente ergadeum sanctos eius affectu commoti fuerint That is to say God oftentymes 〈◊〉 haue wrought or shewed wonderfull myracles to men who by the contemplation of Images haue with an ardent affectyon or loue to God and hys saintes bene moued and styrred And the sayde patryarche Germanus amongest very many myracles there by hym recyted both saye that in the ecclesiasticall hystorye of Eusebyus it is wrytten howe that in the 〈◊〉 Panneada called in the Gospell Cesarea Philyppi before the doore of that woman which had the bloudye 〈◊〉 was cured thereof by touchyng the hem of our sauiours garmet as Marke in hys v. chap. wytnesseth there was an ymage of brasse erected which was made according to the fourme and shape of Chryst wearynge a longe garment and that before the same ymage was sette direct ye the ymage of the sayde womā knelynge deuoutely and humblye holdynge vp her handes to the sayd ymage of Chryst and that at the fete of Chrystes ymage a certen vnknowen herbe of a straunge forme dyd growe and that euer as it came in growing to touche the hem of the sayde longe garmente of Chryst then had it the power and vertue to cure and remedy all maner of diseases Further the fathers at the sayde seuenth counsayle assembled doo in the actes and recordes of the sayde counsayle testify and re corde that thys matter of ymages was entreated of and debated in the syxt generall counsayle kepte and holden at Constantinople declarynge howe that in the sayde syxt generall counsayle it was defyned and determined that it was a chrysten vsage to haue the Image of the crucifixe to the intente that hereby we shoulde be broughte in remembraunce of Chryste whych toke awaye the synnes of the worlde And at length the sayde seuenthe generall counsayle concludyng doth saye that the honour and reuerence geuen to Images is not that kynde of honoure which is cal led Latria That is to saye Godes honoure whyche onely is due to God and muste of vs creatures be geuen to none other but onelye to our creature but it is another kynde of honoure done in remembraunce of theyr vertues godlynes and conuersation and for other godlye respectes before expressed And thys determination as concernyng Images wyth all other thynges then and there agreed vpon was of all and euery of the Patryarches and catholyke byshoppes then and there beynge aswell of the Greke as of the Latyne Churche beynge in all aboue three C. Bysshoppes besydes other degrees of the clergye wyth an vniforme consent well allowed gladelye receyued and earnestly and obedientlye obserued 〈◊〉 these premysses duely consydered and wayed al men oughte to conforme them selues to the vse of the Catholyke Churche herein and to folowe the rule and counsayle of Saynte Paule in hys thyrde chapyter of hys epystle to the Collossenses where he sayeth thus Omne 〈◊〉 facit is in uerbo aut in opere 〈◊〉 in nomine domini 〈◊〉 stri 〈◊〉 Christi gratias agentes deo patriper ipsum That is to saye Euerye thynge whatsoeuer ye doo in worde or in dede do ye all thynges in the name of oure Lorde Iesus Chryste gyuynge thankes to GOD and the rather by or throughe Chryste Whiche rule who that foloweth in the vse of these Images as the hole Catholyke Churche heretofore hath and no we doth can not iustlye nor ought not to be reprehēded or misliked nor rekoned to haue don a mysse or to breake thys seconde commaūdement For by the very wordes therein conteyned we be not forbydden to make or to haue similytudes or Images but onelye we be forbydden to make 〈◊〉 to haue them to the intente to gyue Goddes honoure vnto them or to take them as Godes as it appeareth in the. xxvi Chapyter of Leuiticus And therefore although Images of Chryste and hys saynctes be the workes of mennes handes yet they be not so prohibited but that they may be hadde and sette vp bothe in churches and in other places to the intente that we in beholdyng and lokynge vpon them as
to be ouercome therewith accordyng where vnto Saynt Paule sayth i. Corin. x. God is true and faythfull and will not suffer vs to be teneed aboue that we maye beare but he wyll so moderate the tentation that we maye susteine and ouercome it And S. Iames sayeth Iacob i. Thynke that you haue a greate cause to ioye when you be troubled with diuers tentations For the triynge of your faythe bringeth pacience and pacyence maketh perfect workes so that you maye be perfecte and sounde lackynge in nothynge And almyghtye God also exhorteth vs and callethe vpon vs to fyghte agaynst tentatiōs saying Apo. ii He that getteth the victorye agaynst them I shall geue hym to eate of the tree of lyfe And agayne he sayeth He that ouercommeth them shall not be hurte with the seconde deathe And Saint Paule sayeth ii Timothy ii No 〈◊〉 shal be crowned excepte he fyght lawefullye That is to saye Excepte he defende hym selfe and resyste hys enemyes at al poyntes to hys power oure sauiour geueth vs a good courage to fyghte in thys battayle where he sayeth Ioan. xix Be of good comforte for I haue ouercome the worlde that is to saye I haue hadde the victorye of all synnes aud tentations and soo shall you haue yf the faulte be not in youre selues For ye fyghte wyth an aduersarye whyche is alredye vanquyshed and ouercome ✚ The exposition or declaration of the seuenth and last petition of the Pater noster whyche is But delyuer vs from euyll Amen WOncerning thys vii petition ye shall note that lyke as in the. vi petytyon Chryste taught vs to desyre and praye our heauenlye father that he woulde preserue vs from the daungerous tentations of the fleshe the worlde the deuyll and not to be ouercome wyth them euen so nowe in thys seuenth and laste petityon he dothe teache vs to praye that yf by oure fraylenes and corrupte nature we through tentation doo fall into the thraldome of the Deuyll by synne yet that he wyll sone delyner vs from it not to lette vs contynue in it not to lette it take roote in vs not to suffer synne to reigne vpon vs but to delyuer vs and make vs free from it Synne is the excedyng euyll from the whyche in this petition we desyre to be deliuered and though in thys petition be also comprehended ail euylles in the worlde as syckenes pouertye deathe wyth other lyke aduersitie yet cheifely it is to be vnderstanded of synne whych onelye of it selfe is euyll oughte euer withoute condition to be eschued And as for other aduersities neyther we canne ne oughte to refuse when god shall sende them neyther we oughte to praye for the eschuinge of thē otherwyse then with this condition if gods pleasure so be Many thynges we suffer in this worlde take them for euyl but they be not euyll of them selfe All afflictions diseases punyshementes and tormentes of the bodye all the troubles of thys worlde and all aduersytyes be good and necessarye instrumentes of God for oure saluation For God hymselfe who canne not saye other then trueth sayeth Apocalip iii. Those that I loue I chastyse And agayne the apostle Hebre. xii sayeth He receyueth none but whom he scorgeth Thys is a tyme of scourgynge and the tyme to come is the tyme of rest ease and blysse And surelye it is a greate token that we be in the fauoure of God when he doeth scourge vs and tryeth fyneth vs lyke golde in the fyre whiles we be in thys world As contrarye it is a greate tooken of hys indignatyon towardes vs to suffer vs lyuynge euyll to contynue in prosperitye and to haue all thynges after our wyl and pleasure and neuer to trouble or punyshe vs wyth aduersitye Therefore oure sauyoure Chryste Iesus who knoweth what is beste for vs teacheth vs to praye and to desyre to be delyuered not cheyfely from worldely afflyctions trouble and aduersytye whyche GOD sendeth habundantlye euen to them whome he beste loueth and wyth whome he is beste pleased But the euyll whych we most chieflye should pray to be delyuered from is 〈◊〉 whyche of it selfe is so euil that in no wise god can be pleased ther with And because oure auncient enemy the deuyll who is the well and sprynge of iniquitye and is not onlye hymselfe an homicide a lyer and hater of the trueth from the begynnyng but also is the verye roote and occasion of all synne the cōmon prouoker styrrer of man to the same yea and the letter or 〈◊〉 of all vertue and goodnes because thys enemye neuer cesseth but continuallye serchethe by all craftes and wyles to enduce vs to sinne and soo to 〈◊〉 vs and to bring vs thereby to euerlastynge damnation Therefore lyke as we desyre here to be delyuered from synne soo also we desyre that oure heauenly father wyl saue vs and defende vs from this euyll the causer of synne that is to saye the Deuyll and from hys powre tyrannye so that he shall not by his malyce and gyles entyce and drawe vs into synne whereby we maye finallye be broughte vnto euerlastynge dampnation from the whyche also we praye here to be delyuered And fynallye touchynge thys woorde Amen ye shall note that it is here added vnto the ende of thys most excellent prayer to teache vs thereby that yf we doo come soo as we oughte to be prepared for to make this prayer whych due preparation we before haue declared in the preface of this Pater noster that then vndoutedlye we shall receiue of our Lorde those thinges nedefull for vs whiche in thys prayer of the pater noster we doo aske whyche that we maye doe graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen ¶ Here folowethe the Salutation of the archaungell Gabryell made to the blessed Uyrgyn Mary taken out of the fyrst chapter of Saint Luke commonlye called the Aue Maria with the exposition or declaration thereof Hayle Marye full of grace oure Lorde is with the blessed art thou amongeste all women And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe IT is not without greate and weyghtye considerations that oure forefathers throughoute the vniuersall or catholyke Churche haue nexte after the Pater noster set fourthe and commended the Salutation of the Archaungell Gabryell where wyth he saluted the blessed vyrgyn Marye mother of our sauiour Iesus Chryst called the Aue maria the same to be frequented deuoutely vsed and sayde of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For seynge that the hygh messenger of almyghtye God and heauenly spirite Gabriel did moste ioyfullye wyth thys salutation greete the Uyrgyn Marye beynge then a mortall woman liuinge on the earthe and not hauynge then conceyued in her 〈◊〉 and chaste wombe our sauiour Chryst howe much more oughte we mortall earthlye and synnesull creatures with all promptnesse and 〈◊〉 to salute with the self same woordes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nowe when as not onely
is not to be ouercomed or stayed or letted by anye worldelye pleasures or vanities The offyce of Fortitude or strength is not to omytte or leaue vndone any good thynge whyche ought to be done for 〈◊〉 worldely grieues or troubles And by the way we do here note that these foure Prudence temporance iustice and fortitude are commonly called Cardinall vertues for asmuch as they are the pryncipall and doo conteyne vnder them many other vertues Now concerning the eyght beatitudes forasmuch as they are moste playnelye and orderly sette furth in the. v. chapter of S. Mathew we wyl here rehearse the same vnto you as they of hym are rehearsed desi 〈◊〉 you seriouslye and ofte to mediate the same as whereby you maye bothe knowe wherin felicitie dothe consist and howe also to attayne and comme vnto the same And concernynge thys matter of the beatitudes S. Mathewe in the sayd v. chapyter doth thus 〈◊〉 forth the processe thereof Videns autem 〈◊〉 turbas ascendit in montem cum sedisset 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 discipull cius apericns os 〈◊〉 docebat 〈◊〉 dicens Beati 〈◊〉 spiritu quoniam ipsorum est 〈◊〉 celorū 〈◊〉 mites 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 terram Beati qui lugent quoniam ipsi consolabuntur 〈◊〉 quiesuriunt 〈◊〉 iustitiam 〈◊〉 ipsi saturabuntur Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsi 〈◊〉 consequentur 〈◊〉 mundi corde quoniam ipsi deum uidebunt Beati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filij dei uocabuntur Beati qui 〈◊〉 patiuntur propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsorum est regnum celorum That is to saye And Iesus 〈◊〉 the multitude did go vppe vnto a hyll and whan he was set hys dysciples came vnto him and he openynge hys mouthe did teache them sayinge Blessed are the poore in spirite for theires is the kyng dome of heauen Blessed are the meke for they 〈◊〉 possesse the earthe Blessed are they that doo mourne for they 〈◊〉 receaue comforte Blessed are they who doo hunger and thryste the iustyce for they 〈◊〉 fylled Blessed are the mercyfull for they 〈◊〉 obtayne or gette mercye Blessed are the pure or cleane in harte for they shall see God Blessed are the peace makers for they shal be called the sonnes or children of GOD. Blessed are they whoo doo suffer persecution for iustice sake for theirs is the 〈◊〉 of heauen And thus nowe hauinge for the tyme donne so muche as one man with this chapleynes and frendes coulde doo and wisshynge that it were muche more better and more exactlye doone then it is fynallye submyttynge the whole vnto the iu gemente of the catholyke churche and the see Apostolyke in all poyntes I wyll nowe adde herevnto certayne Collectes to be sayde and rehearsed dayelye by the preistes in their Masse concernynge both oure holye father the Pope with his mooste reuerende Legate the Lorde Cardinall poole and also concernynge the kynges and Quenes most excellent maiesties whose health and wealth are our great sauegarde and assuraunce And yet ouer and besydes thys a speciall collecte or prayer seuerallye for the kynges prosperouse iorneye bothe in goynge in tarienge and in well retournyng to be had whyche the holye Tryny ye the father the sonne and the holye Ghost mercifullye doo graunt and brynge to passe Unto whom be all honoure prayse and glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the most holy father the Pope DEus omnium fidelium pastor rector famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem ecclesie tue precesse uoluisti propitius respice da ei que sumus uerbo exemplo quibus pre est proficere ut ad uitam una cūgrege sub credito per ueniat sempiternam Per. Secreta Oblatis quesumus domini placare muneribus famulum tuum Paulum papam eius nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti assidua protectione guberna per. Poctcommunio Hec nos quesumus domini diuine sacramenti perceptio protegat famulum tuum Paulum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominis quartum quem pastorem populo tuo esse uoluisti una cum commissio sibi grege saluat semper muniat per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the mooste reuerend Lorde Cardynall Poole REge quesumus domini famulum tuum Reginaldum Polum Cardinalem sacro sancte sedis apostolice a latere legatum intercedente beata dei genitrici Maria cum 〈◊〉 sanctis tuis gratiae tue in eo dona multiplica ut ab omnibus liberetur offensis temporalibus non destituatur auxiliis 〈◊〉 ternis gadeat at institutis per. Secreta Suscipe quesumus domini tibi munus oblatum intercedente beata dei genetrice Maria cum omnibus sanctis tuis famulum tuum Reginaldum 〈◊〉 Cardinalē sacro sancta sedis apostolicae a latere legatum tua propitius ubique miseratione 〈◊〉 at que ab omnibus quas 〈◊〉 aduersitatibus redde securum ut tranquillitate precepta ab omnium uisibilium inuisibilium inimicorum 〈◊〉 liberatus deuota tibi menta de seruiat Per. Post communio Subiectum 〈◊〉 famulum tuum Reginaldum Polū Cardinalem sacro sanctae sedis Apostolicae a latere legatum quesumus domine inter cessione beatae deî genetricis Mariae cum omnibus sanctis tui propitiatio celestis amplificet ut presentis uitae periculis 〈◊〉 perpetuis donis firmetur Per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the kynge and Quenes maiesties and theyr counsaylers Oratio DEus in cuius manu sunt corda regnum qui eis humilium consolator at fidelium fortitudo et protector omniū in te sperantium da regi uostro Philippo reginae nostrae Mariae eorumque consilitatis populo Christiano triumphū uirtutis tue scienter excolere ut perte semper reparentur ad uenian Per. 〈◊〉 Suscipe quesumus domine precis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tuae quas pro salute samili tui regis nostri Philippi Regine nostrae Mariae eorum que 〈◊〉 rum ac protectione fidelium populorum tuae maiestati offerimus sut plicantes ut antiqua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ope rante miracula super at is inimicis secura t. bi 〈◊〉 Christianorum libertas Per. Postcommunio Presta quesumus omnipotens deus ut per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steria sancta quae sumpsimus rex noster Philippus regina nostra Maria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ac populus Christianus 〈◊〉 rationabilia meditantis que tibi placita sūt dictis 〈◊〉 ātur factis Per. ¶ The three collects or orations for the prosperous voyage and safe retourne of our moste noble kyng Phylyppe Oratio primo APesto domine supplicationibus nostris uiam 〈◊〉 ac pij famuli tui Philippi regis nostri et omnium 〈◊〉 qui in eius sunt comitatu in salutis tuae prosperitate dispone ut inter omnes 〈◊〉 uitae 〈◊〉 marietatis tuo semper protegantur auxilio Per Secreta Propitiare domini supplicationibus nostris has oblationes quas tibi offerimus pro deuoto 〈◊〉
tuo Philippo rege nostro omnibus illis qui in eius sūt comitatu benignis assume Vt uiam illorum precedente gratia tua dirigas subse quente comitari digneris ut de actu atque incolumitate eorum se cundum 〈◊〉 die tue presidi agaudeamus per Postcommunio Sumpta quesumus domine celistis mysterij 〈◊〉 ad prosperitatē iteneris deuoti pij famuli tui Philippi reges nostri omnium eorum qui in eius sunt comitatu proficiant eos ad salutaria cuncta perducant per. ¶ The three Collectes or orations for the byshop of London Oratio COncede quesumus domine 〈◊〉 tuo 〈◊〉 episcopo nostro ut predican do extendo quae recta sunt exemplo bonorum operum animas suorum instruat subditorum eterne remunerationis mercedem a 〈◊〉 pastore perciplat per. Secreta Munere nostra quesumus domine placatus suscipe famulum tuum Edmundum Episcopum nostrum 〈◊〉 sibi cōmissum benignus sēper ubique misericorditer protege per Postcommunio Hec nos communio domine purget a crimine famulum tuum Edmundum episcopum nostrum commissum sibigregem benigna quesumus pietate cōserua Per. ¶ A prayer in verses for the prosperouse voyage abode and retourne of our most excellente and noble kyng kyng Phylyppe 1. Prosper eat noster terraque marique Philippus Prospera sint ut iter sic mora sicreditus 2. Prosper eat noster maneat redeat que Philippus Prospera sint terra cuncta mari atque polo 3. Sit tibi rex noster terraque marique Philippe Tam bene quam tua quam nostra Maria cupit Ad lectorem Viue uale siquid nouistis rectius istis Candidus imparti sinon hijs utere mecum ED E MVNDVS ESTO BONVS ESTO BONIS DAE GLORIAM DEO FINIS EXCVSVM LONDINI IN EDIBVS 10 hannis Cawodi Typographi Regiae Maiestatîs HOMElies sette forth by the righte reuerende father in God Edmunde Byshop of London not onely promised before in his booke intituled A necessary doctrine but also now of late adioyned and added therevnto to be read within his diocesse of London of all persons vycars and curates vnto theyr parishioners vpon sondayes holydayes Anno. M. D. LV. I. C. The Table i. Of the creation and fall of Man ii Of the misery of all mankynde and of hys condempnation to death iii. Of the redemption of Man iiii Howe the redemption in Chryst is apliable to man v. Of chrysten loue and Charitie vi Howe daungerous a thinge the breake of Charitie is vii Of the Churche what it is and of the commoditie thereof viii Of the aucthoritie of the Churche ix Of the Supremacy x. Of the Supremacy xi Of the true presence of Chrystes body blud in the sacrament of the Aultare xii Of transsubstantiation xiii Of certen Aunswers agaynst some commō obiections made agaynst the sacrament of the Aultare ¶ The Bysshoppe of London to all persons and curates within his dioces of London FOrasmuch as the people of my dioces beyng within your seueral cures charge do as in dede of reason they maye loke for to haue at theyr pastours hand or at the least way by his prouision meane good instruction and teachinge especiallye howe to serue and please God and how also otherwyse to do their dutie as to any one of them in theyr degre doth appertayne And forasmuch also as there is not now a dayes that multitude and plenteth of preachers whiche in tymes past hath ben and by Gods grace hereafter shal be And fynallye for that euery one of you in your owne person is not able to discharge the office of preaching which many good folke do greatly wyshe and desyre ye could and woulde Therfore desyrynge to haue somethyng doue onward til God of his goodnes prouide something better I haue laboured with my chapleyns frendes to haue these Homelies prynted that ye may haue somewhat to instruct and teache your flocke withall requyrynge and charginge euerye one of you that diligentlye vpon the sondayes and holydayes ye reade to youre flocke frutefully and deliberately one of the said Homelies And thus fare you well Geuen at my house in London the fyrste daye of July M. D. LU. ¶ An Homely of the creation and fall of man THe Prophette Dauid in his fore score and nintēth psalme exhortyng all people to synge prayse to almighti god to serue hī in gladnes and re ioyse in his sight alledgeth thys as a sufficient cause thereof Scitote quoniam ipse est dominus ipse fecit nos et non ipsinos which is to saye Know you that he is our Lord it is he that made vs and we made not our selfes And in dede who that diligently wayeth the creatiō of man can not but therin most highly laude prayse almighty god his creator For wher in the creation of al other visible thinges he did but onely commaunde will that they should be made and incontinēt they were made in the creatyng of man he vsed great solempnitie and many notable circumstaunces Fyrst touchyng mā he said let vs make mā which words be as it were the wordes of god the father to God the sonne to the holy ghost spoken after the maner of men when they go about some great matter at what time they take good aduisement or they begyn and doo ioyne with the best wysest counsellours that they can get Thys circumstaunce not beyng necessary of goddes parte as withoute the which he might haue created man doth most manifestly declare the special fauour of almyghty god towardes mankynde but that nexte circumstaunce which doth immediatly folowe thys fyrst is a more surer profe and declaration of gods tender loue towardes mā whē he sayth Let vs make man to our owne similitude likenes Now mark good people howe much god dyd for vs in our creation He made vs in very dede like vnto himselfe in so doynge what could he haue done more for vs A wonderfull excellēt benefite comfort is it vnto vs to consyder that man was made like vnto god And to vnderstand this thyng the better you shall know that the similitude and likenes of man to god was not in the body of man for this you must moost certenly beleue that the godhed is a spirite not a bodely substaunce but this similitude and likenes was in the soule which was endued with most heuenly god-like qualities as vnderstandyng memory and wil with sondry gyftes also of grace And here is to be noted by the way that where almighty god sayeth Let vs make man to our owne similitude lykenes he geueth vs to vnderstād that there be three parsons in trinitie yet but one god For in that he sayeth let vs make man therein is signified a pluralitie or number of persones agayne in that he sayeth to our similitude and likenes and not to oure similitudes
it maye paraduenture seme in some mans iudgement that seyng the thing that Adam and Eue did was but the eatyuge of an appell therefore their faut was not great nor deserued so greuous punish ment 〈◊〉 vs consyder the cyrcumstaunces and we shall sone perceyue the offence not lyght but verye sore and heynous Fyrst the thyng whych god commaunded man to forbeare was a thyng moste easye for hym to forbeare and so much was hys faute the greater Besides this whan a man is tolde before of great peryll and daunger that shall lyght vpon hym if he doo thys or that in case after suche warnyng he offende therein hys fault is thereby made the 〈◊〉 Thyrdly the lesse inclynatyou a man hath to any synne the more he synneth yfhe doo the same Nowe Adam and Eue had in them no inclynation at al nother to one vice nor to other Fourthly whē a man hath late receyued great benefites at hys soueraygns handes if he incontmently breake his expresse wyll the contempt and dysobedience is made therby the greater The thyng that Adam and Eue dyd eate was in dede but an appell yet the eatyng thereof in that case was an high disobediēce against god and the corrupting of al mankynd for as much as they two were the verye route whereof all men muste ryse and the route being once naughte howe can the tree or braunches cummynge of that route be good Therefore S. 〈◊〉 in his Epystle to the Ro maines in the. v. chapyter therof sayeth By the of fence of one man synne came vpon all men to condempnation and in the same chapiter 〈◊〉 after he sayeth to iyke 〈◊〉 through the disobedience of one man manye became synners And within a lytle after he saieth Sinne came into this world by one mā through synne came death so death passed to al mē Thus haue you hard fyrste the 〈◊〉 kyndnes of God to man in that he created hym in so worthye a maner nexte ye haue harde the myschefe that commeth to mankynd by synne and thirdly what an extreme enemy 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 is vnto vs. In an other homily hereafter ye 〈◊〉 heare of the exceding great mercy of god in 〈◊〉 mākind by a meruelous maner out of the estat of this dampnatiō Wherfore to conclude for thys presente tyme this shal be to exhorte you that you fayle not daylye and howtelye to geue most harty thankes to almyghty God for that he of his mere goodnes created you created you not without sense as the stones not without reason as the brute beastes but hathe gyuen you all notable qualities and powers that other corporal creatures haue and besides hathe perticularlye planted in you reason and vnderstāding and 〈◊〉 goodly qualities of body and soule seuerall to the nature of man only and not common to mā and other erthly creatures Thys is furthermore also to exhorte you that remembryng what miserye came to mankinde by synne and by such a synne as in some mēs iudgement might 〈◊〉 to be but very smale it is to wytte by eatynge of an appel you wyl be circumspecte in a uoiding of al kynde of sume and disobedience be the thynge in his owne nature neuer so smale a 〈◊〉 whyche is by God hym selfe or by suche as we owe obedience vnto commaunded Fynallye and laste of al thys is to exhorte you to consyder dilygently that we haue a deadly cnnemy which is that deuil who de fyreth oure destruction and doth moost craftely and busely trauayle by all meanes with vs to worke the same of whose mooste subtyl and wilye traynes we muste principally take hede of whiche graunt vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde withoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae Professor Arch. London ¶ An homely of the miserie of all mankinde and of hys condempnation to euerlastynge deathe by hys owne synne THe holye ghoste in wrytyng the holy scripture is in nothyng more diligēt then to pull downe mannes vayne glori and pryde which of all vices is moost vniuersally graffed in mankynde euen from the fyrste infec tion of our fyrste father Adam And therefore we reade in may places of scripture manye notable lessons agaynst thys old rooted vyce to teache vs the moost cōmēdable vertue of humilitie howe to know our selues to remēber what we be of our selues In the booke of Genesis almyghty God geueth vs all a tytle name in oure great graunde father Adam which ought to admonishe vs al to consyder what we be where of we be from whence we came whyther we shall sayenge thus In sudore 〈◊〉 tui vesceris pane tuo donee reuertaris in terram de qua sūptuses quia puluis es 〈◊〉 in puluerem reuertcris That is to saye In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade vntyll thou retournest into the earth oute of whych thou waste taken for dust thou art into dust thou shalt retourne Here as it were in a glasse we may learne to know our selues that we be but grounde earthe and dust and that to ground earthe and duste we shall returne agayne whiche name and title of earthe and duste appoynted and assigned by God to all mankynde the holye Patriarche Abraham dyd well remember and therefore he calleth hym selfe by that name when he maketh his earnest prayer for Sodome and Gomorre saying in the. xviii of 〈◊〉 Cum sim puluis et cuius that is to saye seyng I am dust and ashes And we reade that Iudith Hester Iob Hieremie with other holy men and women in the olde testament did vse sacke clothe and dyd cast duste and asshes vpon theyr heades when they bewayled theyr synnefull lyuynge They called and cryed to 〈◊〉 for helpe and mercy with suche a ceremony of sacke clothe duste and asshes that thereby they myght declare to the hole world what an hum ble and lowlye estimation they had of theim selues and howe well they remember theyr name tytle aforesayde theyr vyle corrupte fraile nature duste earth and asshes The booke of wysedome also willynge to pull downe oure proude stomakes moueth vs diligently to remember our mortall and earthly generation which we haue al of him that was first made and that all men aswel kynges as subiectes doo come into this worlde and doo goo oute of the same in lyke sorte that is as of oure selues ful myserable as we maye dayly see And almyghtye God commaūded his Prophet Esay to make a proclama tion and to crye to the 〈◊〉 worlde that all 〈◊〉 is grasse and that al the glorye of man is as the flower of that feilde the grasse is withered and the flower doth fal away for the winde of our Lorde bloweth vpon it The people sure ly is grasse whiche dryeth vp and the flower fadeth away but the woorde of our Lord abideth for euer Accordynge wherevnto the holye prophet Iob
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
neuer so great beyng in a man cor rupted with sinne is to feble and to weake to purge hym of sinne For purgation clensing of sinne commeth by some other meanes besides that knowledge of the truth aud therfore S. Paule in the fyrste chapiter of his epystle to the Romaines most plainly 〈◊〉 meth that in the time of that law of nature men knew inough of God but yet not withstanding theyr kno ledge they fell into abhominable idolatry The wordes of S. Paule in that place are these So much as may be knowen of god is manifest in thē that is to saye in those whyche liued vnder the law of nature from Adam vnto Moyses For his inui sible thynges euen his eternal power godhed were sene of thē being vnderstanded by the works of the 〈◊〉 of the world so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God they gloryfyed hym not as god nether were thankeful but becam ful of vanitie in their imaginacions And as that lyght whiche men had by the lawes of nature was not of force to kepe them from synne so nether the lawe of Moyses beyng opened from god hym selfe by special reuelatiō could suffice to ryde mā from sinne as S. Paule in the second chapiter of hys foresayde epistle testifieth saying Behold thou art a Jew and thou doest rest in the law and doest glory in god and doest know hys wyl and plea sure being instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which art in darkenes an instructour of the foly she a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourine of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou the prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest 〈◊〉 thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshonor God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is 〈◊〉 by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such kōwledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for hys sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god againe and to haue aboundaunce of grace 〈◊〉 vnto hym by whych grace he should both in hys know ledge be that better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For thys amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal mā was made in all partes lyke vnto one of vs sinne only ex cepted 〈◊〉 he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a merue lous sort that as in vs the body being of 〈◊〉 nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this 〈◊〉 vnion of that godhed manhed in Christ S. Iohn speaketh in the fyrst cha piter of his gospell saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum est ethabitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue xxxiii yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holye prophetes whyche were to be fulfylled of hym before hys passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefully procured of the deuil agayne him to raunsome man kynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that thys ran̄some shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefui wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcynge of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of hys syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precyous bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs there in to beholde the excedyng great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not hys onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge al men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so playnefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seyng he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet hys passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaulte in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites therof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wiland consent without the which we can not ve saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne default were fallen into the estate of endles miseri and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onelye sonne our sauiour Christ. Remēber that synne and nought els brought vs first out of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incellātly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyl who being vāquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right faith of Christ valiantly with stand hym which to do graunte vnto vs the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honoure and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaring how the redempti on in Chryste is apliable to vs ALthough the death passion of our sauiour christ be in va lu a sufficient raunsome for the sinnes 〈◊〉 the whole world yet i effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neither Turke Jew nor infidel wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passion of christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the. xvi chapiter of s. Marke that Whosoeuer dothnot beleue shal be dāpned Agayne
stande in Who is there almoost emongest vs but that vncharitably calleth hys neighbour fole or som like euyl name yea who is ther in maner that doth not far passe thys degree of vncharitablenes And yet our sauiour nameth no mo degrees partely bicause the payne of thys thyrde degree beinge hell fyre no greater payne coulde be named for suche as should passe the same degre partly because the Chrystyan man should at the least be soo wary circumspecte in kepyng brotherlye loue and charitie that thoughe he dyd perchaunce so farre forgette hymselfe as to call hys brother foole vucharitably yet fardar than so he should not so much as thinke thoroughout his whole lyfe It is written of one Solon an infidell but yet a very polityke man howe when he made lawes for the gouernmēt of that famous citie of Athēs he in all hys lawes appoynted no punyshment for a parricide that is for suche a one as shoulde kyll hys father or mother and when he was demaunded why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he verely thought and beleued that no one beynge brought vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at any tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speketh but of those fore saide three degrees of 〈◊〉 for that it is not lykely chrysten men beinge traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at any tyme proced in the violatyng of 〈◊〉 charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauioure hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise anye man may soo doo but therby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For answere to thys questiō it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs al kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els For asmuch then as in that third of Mathewe S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scribes and pharisies adders brode and S Paule calleth the Galathians fooles and men without vnderstā ding in the second chapyter of his epistle writtē to them yea Chryst hymselfe in the. xxiiii of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and 〈◊〉 of belefe and the thing which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must say that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassoures offenders therby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that this kind uf rebuking is lawfull and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst. But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth ne good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wyshed hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharita ble mynde doth thou hym or tush at him or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him fole ideot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs let al accustomed tancour and malice from henceforth be vtterly banyshed from emongest vs that we dwelling in cha ritie may dwell in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen wyth hym for euer which graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste to whome be all honor and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London 〈◊〉 An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce that inestimable good nes of almyghtye God and his inesti mable mercye towards vs nothing deseruing the same yf there be any spot of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankfulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fall downe in body soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his trāsgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of god you haue a sufficiente and moste euident declarati on in these godly and deuout homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation redemption of man Neuerthelesse for your further instruction gostlye comfort in this behalfe I haue thought good to lett you vnderstand an other hye benefytte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauyng perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenly benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whi che our deare and dreadefull Sauiour both before and after his paynefull deathe dyd ordeyne and ap poynt to be for euer to vs a moost louinge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyller of truth in all our doutefull daungers Which churche forsomuch as he hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that manye more is the pitie had separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue rune astray beynge ledde and caried with euerye waue and wynde of newe lerning I purpose by Godes grace to open shortly to you what this churche is what maner of church it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professyng one faith of God and one vse of all the holy sacraments whi che churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauioure Iesus Christe it is most derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent na mes as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum celorum c. that is to say The body misticall of Chryste the spouse of Chryst the kyngdome of heauen For S. Paule speakyng of Chryste sayeth That he hath appointed sundry officers to maintaine the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the bodi of Christ. And kyng Salomon taught by the holy ghost dyd forsee the dignitie and beutye of his holye Churche and sayde in the name of GOD thereby 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 mea perfectamea That is to saye One is my doue and my perfyte one Wyth many other such louing words as my sister my spouse c. And Saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue theyr wyues euen as Chryst loued the church Lykewyse in the holy Ghospell our sauiour Chryst doth compare the 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 thinges vnder the name of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as vnto a kyng whych made o mariage for his sonne somtimes to tenne Uyrgynes and many such other by al which names callings we may learne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and derely beloued to almyghty God who for his churche sake did gyue hys onely sonne to most vyle death for that whiche also he hath prepared the kingdome of heauen Nowe
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
lyfe and quietnes of conscience and yf at any tyme throughe our frail nes we hapen to fall we haue readye to rayse vs vpagayne the holye Sacramentes throughe the comfortable helpe whereof we be made sironge and so daye by daye more able to procede in al kynde of vertue and thus hauynge vpon earthe oure mother the holye churche which is the spouse of Iesus Christe the Sonne of God we maye be bolde to call vpon GOD our father and be assured that he wyl heare vs as hys dearebeloued chyldren and gyue vs the inheritaunce of heauen whyche is prepared for vs through our sauiour Iesus Christe To whōe wyth the father and the holy ghost be honour prayse and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An Homelye of the Primacy or supreame power of the 〈◊〉 gouernor of the militant Church AS in euery natu rall and polytyke 〈◊〉 so in the churche militāt whych is a misticall body superioritie and inferioriti must neds be amōgest that m mbers thereof or ells it cannot endure And for thys cause speciallye our Sauiour Chryste when he was here conuersaunte on the Earth dyd hymselfe appoynte hys Apostles Disciples and there successours to haue the ouersyght cure and hygh gouernement of hys church to the worldes edde And to the intente that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie he dothe saye in the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon Amen Amen Dico vobis quis accipit si quem misero me accipit Qui autemme accipit accipit eum qui me misit That is to say Uerely Uerely I saye vnto you who that receyueth hym whome I sende receyueth me And he that receiueth me receyueth hym that sent me And in the tenth of Luke he sath Quiuos audit me audit qui uos 〈◊〉 me spernit Qui autem me spernit spernit eum qui misit me That is to saye He that heareth you hearethe me and he that dispiseth yon dispiseth mee and he that dispiseth me dyspiseth hym that sent me Of the Apostles also and theyr successours and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke doth Saynt Paule speake in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans saying Ipse dedit quosdam quidem A postolos quosdam autem Prophetas aliouero Euangelistas alios autem pastores et doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerū in edifieationem Corporis Christi donec 〈◊〉 omnes in unitatem fidei agnitionis filii dei in uirum perfectum in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut 〈◊〉 non simus paruuli flue tuantes neque clicuferamur omniuento doctrine in nequitia hominum in asturia ad circumuentionem erroris That is to saye He meanyng Chryste hath gyuen or appointed some to be Ipostles some Prophets some Euangelistes some pastores and teachers to the perfytynge or consummating of the holyons to doo the worke of the mynistery to edyfye the body of Chryst vntyll we all come together in one vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto the estate of a perfecte man after the measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst that from henceforth we should not be as babes waueryng neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne in the wicked nes of men in the wylynes of them who go aboute to deceyue vs. Thys place of Saynt Paule most playnelye setteth before our eyes the aucthority and gouernemēt whyche our sauiour hath apoynted to contynue to the ende of the worlde in his churche and howe the Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Preachers and teachers are giuen of Chryst to hys pleple to gouerne them And therewyth al Saynt Paule in the sayde place she weth to what ende suche gouernement and authoritie is instituted it is to wytte for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body in the fayth for the defense of the hole bodye from the poyson of heresye And in dede no one thing can so muche suppresse heresye as yf the Anthoritie and gouernment 〈◊〉 be accordyngly therevnto estemed obeyed as 〈◊〉 Saynte Ciprian the blessed Martyr in hys fyrst boke and thyrd Epystle saieng Neque 〈◊〉 bereses obortae sunt aut 〈◊〉 sunt scismata 〈◊〉 lnde quod sacer 〈◊〉 dei non obtemperatur 〈◊〉 unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos 〈◊〉 tempus iudex uice Christi cogitatur cuisi sneundum magisteria diui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uniuersa nemo 〈◊〉 sacerdotem collegia 〈◊〉 moueret That is to saye Neyther other where or hy othere meanes are heresies 〈◊〉 vp and scisines rysen than hereof that obedience is not gyuen to the preiste of God Nor one is consydered or thought to be in that churche for the tyme the preist and for the time the iudge in Christes stede vnto which one yf the hole fraternitie dyd according to the heauenly commaundements 〈◊〉 no man woulde stirre or moue anye thynge against the Colleges or cōpanies of preistes Hereby you may perceyue that saynt Cypryans cōclusion or iudgemēt is that the gouernment Ecclesiasticall and especially of one to be caken and reputed as Christes vicar is the best meane to let and suppresse heresies and that such one gouernor is 〈◊〉 be o beyed of all chrysten people which thynge may be proued very playnely and euidently by the holye scriptures them selues For the scryptures doo witnesse that our 〈◊〉 appoynted S. Peter to thys hygh rowme and charge ouer his hole flocke and no one of the Apostles 〈◊〉 In the. xxi of S. John it is wrytten howe oure sauiour after his resurrection appearing at the sea 〈◊〉 Tiberias to certen of hys Apostles amongest whome was Peter dyd fyrste take breade and fyshe and gaue vnto them And when they had 〈◊〉 them selues he fayde vnto Peter Simon Iohannes diligis me plus hijs 〈◊〉 ei 〈◊〉 domine tu scis quia amore Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as eagnos meos Dicit ei iterum Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligis me Ait illi Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ci Pasce 〈◊〉 meos Dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amas me Contristatus est Petrus qui a dixit 〈◊〉 tertio amas me 〈◊〉 ci Domine tu omnia nosti tu scis 〈◊〉 amote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oues meas That is to saye Symon the sonne of Ioannes 〈◊〉 thou loue me more then these do He aunswered vnto him Yea Lorde thou 〈◊〉 that I loue thee He sayde vnto him Fede my lambes 〈◊〉 he spake to hym agayne and sayde Simon the sonne of Ioannes doeste thou loue me He aunswered yea Lorde thou knoweste that I loue thee Hesayde vnto hym againe Feede my lambes Then spake he vnto him the third tyme and sayde Symon the sonne of Ioannes doest thou loue me Peter was sorie because Christ sayd vnto him now the thyrde tyme doest thou loue me and he aun swered and sayde Lorde thou knoweste all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee He sayde vnto him feede my shepe Thys processe of Scripture hath in it many
resistance And by this reason alone the most glorious Martyr Cyprian in many Epystles doth most boldely glory or reioyse agaynst all the aduersaries of anye of the Bysshoppes accordyng as we do reade in the third boke of the kynges Where allthough the. x. tribes of Israell dyd departe from Roboam the sonne of Salomon yet bycause it was done by the wyll of God it was without other authoritie firme stable For also emongest all the deuines the will of the signe whiche they doo call the workyng of God is to be feared no lesse thē other signes of the will of God as precepts and thinges forbydden c. And therefore I doo not se howe they be excused from the offence or synne of scy sine who doing or cōminge agaynst this will doo withdrawe or pull them selues from the Authoritie of the Romaine Bysshoppe Thus much saythe Luther himselfe and soo shall you fynd it if ye reade his sayde worke in the place aforesayd and the thyng so being you may se what a holy father that marchant was to deceiue the people as he dyd and to bryng them to that wonderfull calamitie that the thyrde or fourth generation if that worlde so longe do continue shall feele and smarte for it as other also shall that be in the same case And now to returne to our owne country of Englande thys may be truly spoken that of all 〈◊〉 christen there is none that hath besydes the general dutie so speciall cause to fauour the see of Rome as England hath For from that see cam the faythe into this Iland in the daies of king Lucius about an hundreth and fyftye yeares after Chryste And vi Cyere after Christ when the Saxons wer spred ouer the hole realme and were infidells ther were sent most notable and godly preachers hither into England who conuerted and tourned many thousandes to the fayth And what benefites we haue in our daies receaued of that see of Rome al menne doo 〈◊〉 and feale in them selues do thancke god therefore or ells the deuyll hathe wonderfullye blynded and seduced them Now on the other syde what miseries haue be falen emongest vs synce our disobedience agaynst the see of Rome and synce the tyme that temperall prynces dyd take vpon them that offyce which is spirituall and not belongynge to the regali power but greatly distant and dyfferent from the same I nede not in words to declare 〈◊〉 as you haue felt the smart therof in dede and to this day are not quyte of Gods plage for the same Wherfore to conclude in this matter this shal be to exhort you and in Gods name to requyre you to esteme the primacy and supremitie of the sea of Rome as an authoritie instituted by Chryst for the quyetnes of the christen people and for the preserua tion of chrystendome in one catholyke true fayth for the defence of it agaynst all heresie and wherby quyeting your selues to serue God in the catholike truth you shall sonest appease his wrath and purchase his fauour and grace in this lyfe and hereafter obteyne the euerlastyng lyfe which sende vnto you all the father the 〈◊〉 and the holy Ghost to whome be al honor and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London An homilye declaringe that in the blessed Sacrament of the aultare is the very bodye and bloude of our Sauioure Chryst. AFter that men are once graft in Christ and be made partakers of his death passion amonge other theyr duetyes one of the cheife is diligētly to prepare them selues to the worthy receauyng of that blessed Sacrament of the aultare where vnto are two thynges on our partes requisit as sayeth saynt Basell good reason confyrmeth the one feare the other faythe The feare whyche men must haue when they prepare them selues to come to this sacrament ought to be grounded vpō that terrible saying of saynt Paule in the. xi chapter of hys fyrst Epystle to the Corinthians wher he sayth that whosoeuer doth participate therof vnworthely doth eate and drinke his owne dampnation The faith which we must haue in our hartes when we come to Gods borde is to be buylded lyke wyse vpon the vndonted aucthorities of scripture whych declare moost playnlye vnto vs what meate it is that we there eate For the parfit vnderstandyng wherof let vs consider that our sauyour Chryst beynge here on earth did fyrste make a solempne promyse of a meate whyche hym selfe woulde geue vnto vs and afterwarde in dede he dyd geue the same accordynge to hys promyse In the promyse makynge he sayde as it is wrytten in the. vii chapter of S Jhons gospell The breade or foode that I wyll geue vnto you is my fleshe which fleshe I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the world and in the same chapter he also saith My fleshe is 〈◊〉 meat and my bloud is ve rely drincke And as he then promised so he after ward perfourmed euen the very laste nyghte that euer he companied with his Apostles before hys death at which tyme he toke breade into his handes and gaue thankes and breake it and gaue it to his disciples and sayde Take eate this is my body whiche shal be geuen for you Yf we cō pare the wordes spoken by Chryst when he made the promyse of a meat to be by hym geuen vnto vs with those other wordes which he vttered in giuing of that same we nede not doubt of the thinges whiche he gaue In the promyse makynge he sayd that he woulde geue vs his fleshe in the perfourminge of the promyse he geueth the same saying take eate this is my body Agayne in the promise making he affirmeth that the fleshe whith he woulde geue vs to fede on should be the selfe same fleshe that shold be geuen for the lyfe of the world and in the perfor maunce of his promise he said that the thing which gaue was his bodye whyche shoulde be geuen to death for vs. Nowe the circumstaunces beyng wel considered which our sauiour vsed in the institution of this most blessed Sacrament shal greatly cōfyrme al godly hartes in the true be lefe of the same The tyme was the night before he suffered deathe to signifye vnto vs that thys meate being differred to the last day that euer our Sauiour was conuersaunt with his Apostles must nedes be his very body and bloude in dede and such ameate as no other can be in any wyse comparable vnto it Agayne in that our sauyour dyd eate of the pascall lambe with his Apostles immediatli before he did institute this sacrament it most playnely declareth vnto vs that this sacrament is a marueylous worthey mysterye and that veri thing which the eating of the paschal lambe in the olde lawe did prefygurate for whyche cause whē this was instituted that was abrogated Nether is it withoute a meruelouse consideration that Chryst at that heauenly banket would of purpose nother haue the blessed
Uyrgin Mary his mother present with hym nor anye other of his dyseyples saue onely the. xii Apostles whome he appoin ted to be the head ministers of al his misteryes here on the earth and specially to be the ministers of this most blessed sacrament and the iustructours of al other touching the same Now what meneth it that our Sauiour was not content to offer them this sa crament onely but with the offeryng therof he said also vnto them Take eate take and drinke Do mē vse to offer to other meate and drynke for anye 〈◊〉 purpose but onelye that they shoulde eate and drynke thereof but bycause it was hys bodye and hys bloude therefore he fyrste byddeth them take and not feare to eate and drynke the same Besydes this it is to be well noted that that thre Euangelystes Mathew Marke and Luke did al three agree in the maner of the institution of thys sacramēt they wryting all three their gospels at sō dry tymes as Mathe we eyght yere after the ascencion of our sauiour Chryst. Marke x. yeares Luke xv yeares And where in doubteful speaches of our sauiour Chryst some one or other of that Euangelists euermore openeth playnly the very meaning of the speches yet touchyng these words this is my body no one of them maketh anye declaration vpon the same but they all leue them to be takē of vs as they sound and as of most plaine words they make no exposition or interpretation of them at all Whyche poynt must be well consydered And therefore note th at where Chryst sayde It is impossible for a rich man to entre into the kingdō of heuen bicause that meaning of these wordes may be dyuersly taken thereof S. Marke in his tenth chapyter declareth the very meaning of them saying It is harde for them that trust in there substaūce to be saued Agayne Chryst at another time said to the Iewes loose you this timple in thre daies shal I build it againe Andfor that the sense of these wordes is doughtfull S. Ihon there expoundeth them and sayeth that Chryst by the tēyle ment his body which should be by the Iewes put to death and by him the thirde daye shoulde be raysed from death to lyfe In the viii of Ihon oure sauiour sayeth He that beleueth in me as the scriptnre sayeth there shall ryuers of quyck water flow out of him And because this saing is obscure S. Iohn to make it open sayeth that he spake those wordes of the spirit which they that be leued in him should receyue In the. xii chapiter of S Ihon our sauiour sayth in this maner If I be lyfte vp from the earth I wyl draw al thin ges vnto my selfe And S Iohn by and by geueth vs the exposition saying that hereby he signyfyed what kynde of death he should suffer Manye other lyke places are there in the newe testamente the matter of which places is not so hyghe nor soo nedefull to be ryghtly vnderstanded as that meaning of these wordes this is my body and yet of these wordes no one Euangelist maketh any exposition bycause the wordes are playnely and symply to be taken as they were spokē Besides al this we haue in S. Paule in the xi Chapiter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians a goodly and a large processe touching thys Sacrament and yet in that whole processe no matter to instructe vs otherwyse to be leue of it than that there is in it the very body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst. For fyrste he vttereth the wordes of oursauiour euen as the Euangelists do as that he sayd this is my bodye and he maketh no declaration vpon the same Secondly where none of the Euangelists make mentiō of any paine due to the vnworthy receauer S Paule affirmeth that the vnworthy receyuyng of thys Sacramente bryngeth iudgement and dampnation Thirdly he telleth that for the vnworthy receauing hereof God plageth cities and cuntryes wyth sondrye greuous plages as with infirmitye with syckenes and with death also Forthely he geueth vs counsell dylygentlye to examine and trye our selfes before we come to gods borde If the very body and bloude of oure sauiour Chryst be not in dede in the sacramēt of the aultare why shold our sauiour so speake as he spake in the promisse made thereof why dyd he as he dyd in the instituting therof why dyd none of the Euāgelists so declare christes wordes why dyd sayncte Paule so terribly pronounce of the vnworthy receauynge of it and so ernestly warne vs of due preparation to be made therefore It is then most vndoutedlye to be of all chrysten people beleued that in the Sacrameut of the aultare there is the verye body and boulde of our sauiour Chryst worthy of all honour and glory the selfe same in substannce that is in heauen which thyng for Chryst to bryng to passe is a thyng most casye he being God almighty maker of heauen and earth and for hym to do is moost semely that as he gaue that bodye 'to deathe to redeme vs so he should giue the same in thys heauenly bankitte to fede vs that he myght be all in all The body of our sauiour Christ to be in very dede in heauen in the visible fourme of a mā and in the Sacrament of the Aultare inuisible vnder the visible 〈◊〉 of bread and wyne nether is impossible to hys power that made all thinges of noughte nether vnsemely for his exceadynge great loue towardes vs who so loued vs that for vs he dyd not refuse to suffer death and that the deathe of the crosse neyther yet is it agaynst hys wyll who of hys onely mercye so promysed and wyth hys omnipotent word so instituted it nother is it fynally vnfytte for hys wyse dome seynge he hath so ordeyned that euery naturall mothere nouryshe her chyldren wyth the substaunce of her owne body And why then shold christen men refuse to beleue it why do we not rather embrace it and gyue God moste hartye thankes for it being the greatest iewell that euer was amonge mortal men why do we not prepare our selues worthely to receaue it and as in all other poyntes of the christen religion so in the belefe of it geue credite to fayth and bryng reason and our senses in subiectiō vnder fayth but suffer our ghostly enemy by carnall reasons to bryng vs away into heresie quite and cleane to pull the ryghte faythe out of oure hartes Let vs all good people from hence forth be constaūt in the trueth and as all the catholyke churche beleueth and hath alwayes beleued let vs vndoutedlye perswade our selues that in the blessed sacrament of the Aultare there is vnder the fourmes of breade wine the seife same body of our sauiour Christ in sub staūce whych was borne of the Uyrgin Mary and suffered death on the crosse for vs to whō with the father the holy gost be all honor glory world wythout ende Amen
aske howe Chryst was able to giue thē his fleshe to eate The wordes of saincte Cyryll be these They aske not without great impietie how canne thys man geue vs hys fleshe and they remember not that nothing is impossible to God but let vs sayeth 〈◊〉 haue firme faith in the misteries and let vs neuer in so high mat ters eyther thincke or aske this how When God is the worker let vs not aske how but let vs leaue the knowledge of his worke to hym selfe S. Chrisostome lykewyse vppon the sayde v. Chapiter sayeth that when this questyon howe anyethyng is done commeth into oure myndes then wyth all there commeth vnbelyfe also But bycause in scrypture the thyng that we receaue when we come to the sacramente is called bread therefore men haue fansied wyth thē selues that there must be the substaunce of materyal breade deceauing them selues by mystakyng the signification of thys worde breade For thoughe in oure common speach we vse to signify by thys word bread that one kinde of materiall substaunce which is made of corne or grayne yet in scrpture it signifieth all kynde of fode whether it be the fode of the body or the foode of the soule and so dothe also the latyne worde Panis elles when we desyre god in oure Pater noster to geue vs our dayly bread we shold make an vnperfytte petition whiche yet is a mooste perfyt petition wherby we aske of our heauenly father all necessary fode In the. vi of Ihon Manna is called breade and yet was it made of no kynde of corne or grayne and in the same chapyter Chryste is called breade because he is the foode of the soule and ther lykewyse the fleshe of Chryst in the sacrament is called breade and not there onely but in S. Pau les Epystle also to the Corinthians for that it is the fode whereon we fede when we receaue the sacra ment Agayne it is a commen trade in scrypture to cal thinges by the name of that thinge whyche they once were as Adam is called earth because he was made of Earth and Chryst sayeth the blinde see the lame walke that deafe heare the dumme speake meanyng by the blynde lame deafe and dumme suche as before had bene soo but then were otherwyse Thyrdelye for that the fourme of breade doeth remayne it is in that respecte too called breade For these causes good faythfull hartes are nothing gre ued wyth the callyng of it breade in the scrypture but groundynge them selfes vpon the woordes of our sauioure Chryste when he sayde thys is my bodye and knowynge that it to be bothe breade and hys bodye also at once is impossible they vndoutedlye beleue that by the power of GOD the substaunce of bred is turned into the substaunce of Chrystes bodye and soo mnste al men beleue that wyll be lyuely members of the catholyke churche and in that there belefe they muste honoure the bodye and bloude of oure sauioure Chryst in the sacramente of the Aultare as alwayes chrysten people haue vsed to doo Saint Austen in his exposition made vpon the. 99. Psalmesayth that it is synne not to ho noure the bodye of Chryste meanynge in the Sacramente of the Aultare And as it is before in thys Homily 〈◊〉 he also sayeth in the name of all men We doo honoure vnder the fourmes of breade and wyne whych we se the bodye and bloude of Chryst whych we doo not see Wherfore good chrysten people knowing nowe what is the ryght belefe touchynge the Sacramente of the aultare embrace and folowe the same and cleaue faste to the catholyke churche the spouse of Chryste that you maye be true 〈◊〉 of Chryst to whome wyth the father and the holye Ghoste be al honoure and glory world wythoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London ¶ An Homely wherin is aunswere made to certayne common obiections agaynst the presence of Chrystes bodye and bloude in the sacrament of the Aultare MEte it were dearly beloued in our sauiour Christ that we all should so fully wholy cleaue to the faith of Christes catholike church that no appearaūce of reasō to the cōtrari therof shoulde cause vs once to doute or stagger in anye part of the same For such a kynd of faith doth god requyre of vs and for suche kynde of faythe good christen people are in scripture called Abrahās children which Abraham as it is writtē in the fourth to the Romaynes cōtrary to hope beleued in hope that he should be the father of many nations accordyng to that which was spokē So shal thy sede be And he fainted not in the faith nor yet cō sidered his own bodi which was now dead euen when he was almost an hundred yere olde nether yet that Sara was past childe bearyng he staggered not at the promyse of god through vnbelefe but was strōg in the faith gaue honor to god fully certified that what he had promysed the same he was able to make good Yf we then wil be the childrē of Abraham we muste not faynt in faith nor consyder gods wordes after the course of nature Saint Paule in the. x. chapiter of his second epistle to the Corinthians geueth vs an example in hym selfe howe we should alwayes brynge reason in subiection to fayth saying The wepons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty in God to ouerthrowe stronge holdes to destroy counseles and euery hyghe thynge that exalteth it selfe agaynste the knowledge of God to brynge in captiuitie vnto the seruyce of Chryste all vnderstanding What think you is the cause why the Iewes beleue not in Chryste Uerelye fyrste because he was borue of a Uyrgyn which is contrary to the course of nature Secondly lykewyse he was in vnitie of person God man whych howe it maye be no mans wit is able by natural power to conceaue thyrdly because he being God and man suffered the deth of the crosse which for God to be content to do semeth to natural reason a thyng moost absurde but good chrysten folke geuyng place to faith do most vndoutedly beleue in Chryst God mā crucified according to that s. Paule writeth in his first Chapter of his fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians saying We preach Christe crucified to the Iewes a stumblyng blhcke to the gentels a folishnes but to so many of that ie wes gētels as ar called Christ the power wysedome of God And agreably here vnto he sayeth also in the nexte Chapiter folowynge My talke my preachyng was not in that per suasible wordes of mans wysedome but in shewynge of power and of the spyryte that your faythe should not rest in the wisedome of man but in the power of God This general aduise and counsel of S. Paule may and ought so to staye vs in the faythe of the catholyke churche that nether carnall reasons grounded vpon the feble intelligence of mans natural wyt nether the de ceatfull
as the excel lent prelate and notable great clerke the Lord byshop of winchester nowe most worthy Lord chauÌ„celet of England in hys learned boke of confutacioÌ„ of heresies against the sacrament of the aulter doth prudeÌ„tly aduertise vs clerly affirme in the doctrine preceptes of the now militaÌ„t church al thinges of our religion fayth ought to be taken simply plainely And in very dede if in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter were not the true bodi of Christ but a figure a significatioÌ„ onely of it thaÌ„ the sacrameÌ„ts of the new testameÌ„t shold haue nothing more but rather lesse theÌ„ the sacra meÌ„ts of the old testameÌ„t had which is against the catholyke doctrine of the churche against al good reasoÌ„ ¶ An other obiection is this Christ at hys last supper takyng the chalice or cup into hys handes dyd after that he had blessed it saye Thys cuppe is the newe testament in my bloud And seing these woordes must nedes as they say be taken fyguratiuely inasmuch as the very material cup it selfe was neyther the newe testamente ne yet the bloude of Christ therefore lykewyse these wordes also whych Christ takiÌ„g bread into his haÌ„des blessiÌ„g it saying This is my body must nedes be takeÌ„ figuratiue ly ¶ For answer whervnto we may say as we did say before to the same obiection that this argument is noughte very euyl framed for though we dyd admit a figure to be herein the cuppe yet it foloweth not therby that we must nedes take the other speche touchiÌ„g the body to be fyguratyue also especially for that in the one spache it is to wit touchyng the body al the circuÌ„st aÌ„ces of the texte course of scripture do enforce vs to take the speache properlye wherein the other speache touching the cup al the circumstances of the texte and course of scripture doth importe the contrarye ¶ An other obiection is that Chryste hath but one true natural body nowe say they one true natural body can not truely be but in one place therefore say they seyng Christes body is truely in heauen it can not be truely also in the sacrament of the aulter ¶ For aunswere whereunto maye be sayde that in dede it is true that Christ hathe but one true naturall body and where they saye that one true naturall body can not be but in one place it is also true after one the selfe same maner of beyng but after diuerse maners of being one body maye be sondrye wher yea and at one tyme to it is to wyt in heaueÌ„ in the visible fourme and maner of man and in the sacrament of the aulter vnder the forme and maner of breade and wyne and in eueryche of them really and truely to in those respectes God beyng therein the doer who is omnipotent ¶ Ther is also another obiection and that is thys GOD can make man but man cannot make God now say they if the true bodye of Christe were really and in dede in the sacrament of the aulter then the priest which is a man should therby make God but maÌ„ cannot make God therefore in the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter ther is not the very true body of Christ ¶ For aunswere whervnto is to be sayd that this obiectioÌ„ procedeth of a great ignoraunce for he that maketh this obiection taketh that the priest saying masse and pronouncing the woordes of coÌ„secracion doeth make God where in very dede the priest goeth aboute no suche thinges and yf he dyd nether be ne yet god himselfe câ—n make God but the truth is that the preist being the minister of God and god beyng ther the worker with hys worde by the preist pronounced there is caused the very body of Chryst to be ther present wher it was not ther before yet no new body ther made but that bodye ther presente which loÌ„g ago was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary the same I say in substaunce is there present onely vnder the formes of breade and wyne ¶ An other obiection there is and that is thys S. Luke in the. xvii chapiter of the actes doeth testifye that S. Paule beyng at athens and in mars strete before the councell there dyd saye amongest other wordes that God doeth not dwell in temples made with handes where vpon the 〈◊〉 vnlernedly doth gather that seyng the material temple is made with handes and the sacrament of the aultar is in the sayd materiall temple it foloweth say they that the body and bloude of Chryste can not be in it because God doth not dwell in temples made with handes And thys obiection hath bene soo muche iiked and commended amongest the procedyng prechers abusing the ignoraunt that they thought it ineuitable therfore abusyng the sayd people they caused it to be sette vp and paynted for a gaye shew in the temples ¶ For aunswere whervnto this is to be tolde you that ther is a great dyfference betwene beyng dwellyng in a place for a greate manye of you I 〈◊〉 not haue bene both in the 〈◊〉 syde in Paules churche yarde yea and Paules churche to wher ye haue not with moost due reuerence vsed and behaued your selues and yet I am sure that ye dwell not there In dede God is properlye sayde to dwell in heauen because he ther doth shew and manifest his great glorye and in the hartcs of iust and good peo ple he is also sayd to dwell by grace but as for other places he is in them beyng but not dwelling And as concernyng the beyng of God in the sacrament of the aultare forasinuch as there is the very substaunce of chrystes naturall and true body and bloude taken of the Uyrgyn Mary and that the di uinitie is in vnitie of persoÌ„ inseperably vnited and ioyned to the sayd bodye and bloude therefore we must saye and beleue that the godhed of Christ is in the sacrameÌ„t of the aultar with his humanitie in a very specyall sorte and dothe not thereby dwell in the sayde sacramente and soo this obiection is not worth a 〈◊〉 butten for all the bragges that hath bene made of it Other fond and folishe obiections ther are which are not worthy to be answered vnto and therfore are not nedefull to be touched exhortyng you therfore in Chryst 〈◊〉 and stedfastly to beleue the doctrine of the 〈◊〉 church herein and so shal you auoyde daunger please God profyt your selfe and lyuyng wel come at the last to ioy euerlastyng which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be honoure and glory for euer AMEN Tetrastichon in immodicam praesentis temporis plâ—uiam Obsecro quid sibi â—â—lt ingensque ab aethere nymbus Noctes atque dies sic sine fine ruit Mortales quoniam â—olunt sua criminia flerâ— Coelum pro nobis soluitur in lacrimas A Dialoge betwene man and the Ayre of like effecte Man These 〈◊〉 showres and ragyng 〈◊〉 that
and ryghteousnes all the dayes of this our lyfe so that finally we may attayn to the life that neuer shal fayle but continue for euer which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye gooste preseruing our good kyng and queene in all ioye and felicitie longe to continue to theyr glory and oure comfortes Amen ¶ Concernynge fayth what it is and howe it is to be considered and taken here in this boke ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface for as much as fayth is the fundation ground of all oure Christian religion I shal now intreate and speake thereof And knowe you that althoughe this worde fayth be diuersly taken both in prophane Aucthors and also in Scrypture sometymes signifying trust sometymes truth sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉 sometimes credulitie sometymes credence sometimes promys sometymes profe sometymes helpe sometymes the gyfte or grace of God and such lyke yet here in this boke or processe there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated or spoken of euery kynd of fayth as in eue ry way it maye be considered but onely of two kyndes or acceptions thereof And Fyrst do you vnderstand that fayth maye be considered by it selfe as it is a seuerall gift of god separate and distincte from hope and charitie and beinge so considered and taken it signifieth and importeth a perswasion and beleif wrought by god in mans harte whereby man assenteth graunteth and taketh for true not onely that God is which knowledge is taughte and declared by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God whych be releued and opened in the scrypture are of most certayne trueth and infallible veritie And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto but also that all thynges els which were taught by the Apostles and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste euer sythe that tyme contynually taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued accepted taken and kepte as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique This then is the fyrst acception of fayth whyche man hath of God and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge whych is by reason but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth wythout whych faith man is ignoraunte and blynde and cannot vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys vii Chapiter saying Nisi credideritis non intelligetis That is to saye onlesse ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand This faith is the beginnyng the entry and the introduction vnto all Christian relygion Godlynes For as S. Paule sayeth in his xi Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉 He that cometh to God must beleue that he is and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym And thys fayth although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye and such an introduction verye necessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes yet yf it do procede no farther adioynyng with it hope and charitie it is called in Scrypture a deade faythe be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe aud wantethe the helpe and efficacie of charitie And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception Faythe as it is considered in the seconde acception maye not be alone but muste nedes haue hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faythe so taken doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst acception and taking of fayth but also it signifyeth a sure confydence and hope to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake and it signifieth and comprehendeth also a hartye loue to GOD and an obedience to his commaundementes And faythe thus considered is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll And this is the effectual fayth whiche worketh by charitie and whyche as S. Paule testifiet vnto the Galathians is of value strēgthe in Chryst Iesu. By this fayth Abraham not knowyng whyther he shoulde go went out of his countrye and dwelte in the lande of beheste or promyse as in a straunge lande lokyng and trustyng for a cytye founded and buylded by almyghty God By this fayth also Abraham when he was tempted was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉 in whome he loked for the promyse nothynge doubting but that God who made the promise was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe And in thys sorte and wyse faythe is taken in the moost parte of the examples which be recyted of S Paule in the. xi chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes And thys faythe so consydered and taken euerye Chrysten man doth promyse professe and couenaunt to kepe when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme And here is to be noted and considered that all the promyses of god made at any tyme to man after the fall of Adam for Christes sake are not absolutely and puerly made but vnder thys condytyon that is to saye that man should beleue in God and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe and kepe the commaundementes of God so that yf man do beleue in God and wythe the sayde grace do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaundementes man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power to kepe and accomplysh the sayde commaundementes then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses or the benefyte thereof in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante made no other wyse by God vnto man but vnder condytion as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth in the. lxxx and lxxxviii Psalmes aud Chryst in the. xix of Mathe w. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mandata That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes The Churche the refore according vnto the same intendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde that is to saye that the promises of god to man be made but vpon condycion and that with out kepyng of the condytyon no man is partaker of Goddes promyses hath taughte and ordeyned that men before they do receaue baptysme shall promyse and conuenaunt to fulfyll the sayd condytion and to forsake the Deuyll and the worlde and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God man is called in Latyn infidelis that is to saye Faythful And on the other syde yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt or after that he hath made it he doth renoūce and refuse it then that man in
he was caried vp into heauen ascendynge as the Psalmist in his lxvii Psalm doth saye Super 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad orientem That is to say Aboue heauens vnto the Easte And the sayd Difciples adorynge hym dyd retourne vnto Ierusalem These thynges beforesaid are speciallye testified by S. Marke in the xvi Chapyter Luke in the. xxiiii Iohn in the. xx by S. Luke also in the fyrst Chapyter of the Actes and by sondry other partes of the scrypture By the way it may be noted that this eleuation of Chryste into Heauen dyd muche differ from hys eleuatyon vnto the Crosse for there as Esay in the. lxiii Chapyter doth saye Chryst alone dyd treade the Presse where here as Dauyd in his lxvii Psalme and S. Paule in the. iiii Chapiter to the Ephesians doth saye Christe ascending into Heauen dyd leade captiuitie captiue with him and gaue gyftes to men Furthermore the eleuation vpon the Crosse was with mooste bytter sorowe and payne where the ascension into heauen was wyth most vnspeakeable ioye and wonderfull gladnes And it is not to be forgotten here that amongest other causes why Chryst would no lenger tarye here vpon earthe but ascende into Heauen there are fiue speciallye noted The fyrst that Chrystes body beynge gloryfyed Heauen and not the Earth was a place conuenyent mete for it to be cōuersaunt in The 〈◊〉 that by the sayde ascension he myght glorifye the humaine na ture whyche before that tyme was neuer admytted vnto heauen The thyrde that ascendyng into Heuen he myght be an aduocate and an intercessoure contynuallye for vs. Hebre. ix i. Iohannis ii The fourthe that so ascendyng he myghte shewe vs the waye and prepare vs a place Michee ii 〈◊〉 iiii The fyste and last that he myght sende the Holy Ghost vn to vs which he sayd he woulde not excepte he departed Ioannis 19. And thus much for the fyrste part of thys Article For the second parte of this article which is that Chryst Sitteth on the right hande of God the father Almyghtye ye shall vnderstand that to sit on the ryghte hande of God the father is not after a carnall and worldely fashion to be vnderstanded as who saith that God the father had like men a right hand and a lefte hand but by the sitting of Christ on the ryght hand of God the father is vnderstand and ment that Chryste hath and euer shal haue communicated vnto hym of God the father glory honoure power felicitie and euerlastynge monarchye gouernaunce rule and dominion ouer all pryncypates potestates powers dominions and ouer all creatures that can be named eyther in thys worlde or in the worlde to come ordeyned to be kynge of all kynges and Lorde of all Lordes and all thynges both in hea uen and also in Earth to ve cast vnder his fete and made subiecte to hym and he appoynted to be the cheife and principall heade of the vniuersall and hole Catholyke Churche which is his misticall Body hauyng vnder hym in his Churche here in Earth suche ministers and after such order and fashion as lyked him to appoynt and ordayne in the same And albeit that Chryste is ascended into Heauen and syttethe on the ryght hande of God the father almyghtye yet we maye not as the 〈◊〉 doo gether 〈◊〉 vpō contrarye to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 of Chryst in substaunce is not reallye and truelye in the Sacrament of the Aultare but contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst is bothe God and man and soo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or almyghty and hath by his godhed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto his manhode taken vp his Body and his 〈◊〉 nitie into heauen which to do is aboue the 〈◊〉 and reach of onely nature to accomplyshe and bryng to passe we ought with the catholyke Churche firme lye and stedfastlye beleue that 〈◊〉 as oure Sauiour Chryste bothe promysed to giue his bodye in a Sacrament and also perfourming his promise did it soo in dede as the 〈◊〉 and S. Paule also dothe testifye and declare the bodye therefore of Chryst doth both sit on the ryght hand of God the father almyghtye in heauen in the visible forme of a man accordyng to this article and is also verely real ly and truely in substannce in the Sacramente of the Aultare vnder the formes of breade and wyne And where in the. vii chapyter of the actes it is wrytten of S. Stephan that he dyd see Iesum stantem a dexteris virtu t is 〈◊〉 That is to say Iesu standing on the ryght hand of the power or vertue of God Whereby some haue gathered a contrarye ie in Scripture 〈◊〉 shall vnderstande that these wordes Christ to sytte or Christ to stand at the ryghte hande of God the father are not to be vnderstanded after the carnal and worldly maner and gesture of man but spiritually to signifye hys equalitie wyth God the father the partycipatyng of all glory with the same 〈◊〉 equalytie and partycipatyon in 〈◊〉 and the catholyke doctours is as well vnderstande by 〈◊〉 as by standyng Thus haue you hard the hole exposi tion of this vi Article conteynynge in effecte howe our Sauiour Iesus Chryst after that he hadde perfectely accomplished and performed the hole mistery of the redemptyon of mankynde by hys incarnation his byrth his passyon his death his buriall his discēdyng into Hell and rysyng agayne from death to life and after he hadde bene here in Earth conuersaunte with his Apostles and Disciples by the space of fortye dayes after his resurrection beyng amongest his Apostles and he in theyr sight assended into heauen in the verye fame his naturall bodye whyche was borne of the blessed vyrgyn hys mother and was cru cified vpon the crosse and so dydde wythdrawe hys accustomed visible conuersation from the presence of his Apostles and from the bodely sight of al other creatures By remembraunce whereof bothe they we should here in earth eleuate and lyfte vp our hole hartes myndes desyres all affections from earthly thynges and from all carnall and worldlye cares towardes heauene and heauenlye thynges and soo shoulde by hys grace prepare our hartes and make oure selues 〈◊〉 and apte to receaue hys spyrytuall gyftes which he sendeth into the worlde Wherfore the thing thus beinge let vs in dede lifte vppe oure hartes and myndes vnto Chryst thus syttynge at the right hand of God the father and there praying cōtynually for vs. And let vs soo in mynde nowe from henceforth dwel in contemplatiō of heuenly things during al the space of this mortal life that we may hereafter for euer dwell with the holy trinitie in glory euerlastyng Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the. vii article of the crede whych is From thence he shall come to ' iudge the quicke and the deade IN this Article two thynges specyally maye be con sidered the fyrst is that Chryste beinge ascended into Heauen Shall come from thense And thesecond is that commyng from thense He shall iudge both the Quycke and the
amongeste diuerse other his notable sayinges ye shal fynde these wordes folowinge Illud etiam quod circa baptizandos in unluerso mundo sancta ecclesia siue sunt paruulisiue iuuenes uniformiter agit non ocioso contemplemur intuitu quod cū ad regenerationis ueniunt sacramēium non prius fontem uite ingrediuntur quā exorcismis et exufflacionibus clericorum spiritus ab eis immundus abigatur That is to saye This thyng also whiche the holye Churche through the hole worlde uniformelye dothe practyse in persones that are to be baptyled whether they be litle children or yong folke let vs not with idell consideration beholde howe that when they do come to the Sacra ment of regeneration or baptisme they doo not enter into the funt of lyfe before that the unclene spirite be dryuen awaye by the exorcisines and exsufflations of the clerkes or mi nisters Agreable wherevnto S. Austyne in his second boke De gratia Christi And in hys xl chapiter doth say thus Ipsa sancte ecclesie sacramenta que tam prisce traditionis authoritate concelebrat satis indicant paruulos a partu etiam recētistimos per gratiam CHRISTI de diaboliseruitio liberari excepto enim quod in peccatorum remissionem non fallaci sed fidcli misterio baptizantur etiā prius exorcizatur in eis et exufflatur potestas contraria cui etiam uerbis eorum a quibus portantur se se renunciare respondent that is to say The very Sacramentes of the holy Church which she by so olde or auncient tradition to gether with other doth celebrate sufficiently do declare yonge chyldren euen most newly or freshely cummen from byrthe to be by the grace of Chryst deliuered from the seruyce of the deuyll For besides that they be baptised not with the deceatefull but with the true misterye there is also fyrst in them exercised and exufflate the contrary power meanynge there by the Deuyll which contrary power the childre by the wordes of them that did bere thē make aunswere that they do renounce it The same S. Augustine also in the. iiii boke xxiiii Chapyter of his worke intituled De baptismo contra Dona tistas wryteth in this maner Et sicut in illo latrone quod exbap tismi sacramento defuerat compleuit omnipotentis benignitas quia non 〈◊〉 perbia uel contemptu sed necessitate defuerat Sic in infantibusqui baptiza timoriuntur eadem gratia omnipotētis implere credenda est quod nō exa impiauoluntale sed ex etatis indigentia nec corde credere ad institiā possunt nec ore confiteri adsalutem ideo aliipro eisrespondent ut impleatur erga eos celebratio sacramenti ualet utique ad eorum consecrationem quid ipse respondere non possunt That is to saye And as the be nignitie of the almyghtye dyd fulfyll in the these specyally mentioned in the xxiii of S Luke that thyng which wanted as touchyng the sacramente of Baptisine because it wanted not of pryde nor of contempte but of necessitie So the same grace of the almighty must be beleued to fulfyll that thyng in infantes who do dye beyng baptised which they not of wycked or noughtye wyll but of lacke of age neyther with hert were able to beleue to iustice nor with mouth confesse to saluation by reason wherof other do aunswer for them that the celebration of the sacrament meaninge Baptysme maye be fulfylled towardes them whiche in dede is auaylable to theyr sanctification because they cannot aunswere Nowe thys sacrament of Baptisme being instituted and ordeyned by oure Sauiour CHRISTE in the newe testament and the effecte and vertue of the same being the forgeuenes of synnes and it hauinge with it the grace of the holy ghoste and fynally it not onely apparteynyng to all such as haue the vse of reason who thereby haue all kynde of synnes both originall and actuall committed and done before they re baptysine clearelye taken awaye from them but also ap pertaynynge and beinge offered vnto infantes who being borne in originall synne haue nede to be chrystened and beinge offered in the faythe of the churche do both receue the forgeuenes of theyr synne and also such grace of the holy ghost that yf they dye in the state of theyr infancy they shall by the sayd baptisme be vndoutedlie saued Ye shall note touchynge thys oryginall synne in infantes that as the said infantes do take of theyr parentes theyr original and natural qualities euen so they receyue from them oryginall synne by whyche they are made the chyldren of the yre of God and by the same haue a natural inclinati on to synne by lustes and desyres whyche in fnrther age and tyme sensibly doo moue and styrre them to wyckednes For althoughe the parentes be neuer so clene purged and pardoned of theyr oryginall synne by baptisme and grace geuen in the same yet neuerthelesse the chyldren of them begotten be conceyued and borne in original synne Example we maye take of corne whiche thoughe it be neuer so cleane wynowed and purged from the chaffe yet if it be caste into the grounde and sowen the newe whiche spryngeth of it is ful of chaffe againe vntyl it be also winowed and cleansed So likewise the children of christen mē be ful of the chaffe and corruptyon of originall synne vntyll that by baptysme they be washed clensed and purged from the same as their parentes were AND althoughe certayne heresies haue rysen vp and spronge in our dayes agaynst the Chrystenynge of infantes yet as the auncient fathers and holy 〈◊〉 of the church do testify the vniuersal consent of the churches in all places and of all tymes vsynge and frequentynge the Chrystenynge of infantes is a sufficient witnesse and profe that thys custome of the Churche in baptyzing of infantes was vsed by Chrystes Apostles them selues and by them geuen vnto the churche and in the same hath been alwayes continued euen vnto these daies And this custome and perpetual vsage of the churche euen from the begynning is agreable with the saying of S. Paule Ephe v. Chryst loued his Churche and hath geuen hym selfe to the deathe for his Churches sake to sanctifye her and make her holye in cleansynge her by the fountayne of water in hys worde c. So that no man is nor canne be of thys Churche but he whych is clensed by the Sacrament of Baptysme Lyke as the texte before alledged sheweth where Chryste sayethe Whosoeuer is not borne againe of water and the holy Gost shall not enter into the Kyngedome of Heauen Wherefore seing that out of the churche nether infantes nor no man els cā be saued they must nedes be christened and clensed by baptysme and soo incorporated into the Churche And as the infancy of the chyldren of the Hebrues in the olde testamente dyd not let but that they were made participant of the grace and benefytte geuen in Circumcision Euen so in the newe Testament the infancye of Chyldren doth not let but that
chrysten relygyon and saramentes yet in her harte she woulde not be persuaded neuerthelesse at length dissemblyngly she fained herselfe to be by hym herein persuaded and therevpon entendyng by fraude to cloke her doynges and to perfourme more easely her purpose she made one of her maydes whome she trusted verye well pryueye of her entent and purpose he thus wryteth Mulier post 〈◊〉 persimulationem annuit ex ancillis quam 〈◊〉 sibi esse credebat uni quid factura esset credibit ut per fraudem uirum falleret 〈◊〉 sacrorum 〈◊〉 tempore accedens illa donum sicuti mors erat qui 〈◊〉 instituti sunt quid dicam intelligunt accepit at que id retinens perinde atque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mysteriumque sacro sastum occul 〈◊〉 et que 〈◊〉 ancilla pro 〈◊〉 panem communem domo allatum obtulit quem illa ori admouens in lapidis naturam induratum esse dum dentibus atterere conatur sensit c. That is to saye This wo man after that she by dissimulatiō had graū ted or agreed did vnto one of her handmaydens whome she thought to be faithfull vnto her tell or shewe what she intended to do to the intente that by fraude she myghte deceyue her husbande And she the sayde woman commyng in the tyme of the holy miste ryes dyd take the gyfte as the custome or maner was what thynge I saye or meane when I say that they that are instructed in christen religion doo vnderstande well And kepynge it as thoughe she woulde haue fallen to prayer leanynge dounewarde bowed her selfe and did hide the most holy mysterye And her handmayden which stode by her deliuered vnto her for the sayde mysterye the common breade which she had brought with her from home whiche common breade she the sayde woman puttynge it to her mouthe dyd the meane whyle she went about to haue broken it with her tethe fele or perceyue it to be hardened as turned into the nature of a stone c. By which most notable historye besydes other goodly matters there in recorded it apeareth moste euydently that euen at the same tyme the sacrament of the Aultare was ministred vnto the laye people vnder one kynde only it is to wytte vnder the forme of breade For yf ye consider well the wordes whiche do expresse the facte and there wyth do note and remember the intent of that woman to deceaue her husbād in the recepte of this sacrament there can be no dout herein Ouer and besydes all this it is euydent by ferther recorde that al the hole body of Chrystendome with longe and moste diligent deliberation examynyng this matter aboue vii score yeres ago by reasō of certayne disordered persones in the kyngedome of Boheme which sterred vp emongest the people of the sayde realme greate vnquyetnes the lyke whereof ye knowe well inough hath by other in some othere places with toth and nayle bene attēpted and sette forth touchyng thys maner of receyuing vnder one kynde dyd then find that laye men and wemen had of very aunciente tyme before those dayes vsed the same fashion of receauyng the sacrament onelye vnder the forme of breade and that vse in the churche to haue bene also in the former ages generally commēded and allowed as maye appear both in the xiii session of the generall consayle holden at Constans also in the thirtyth Sessyon of the general counsayle holden at Basyll aboute sixt score yeares ago where thus it is wrytten Laudabilis quoque consuetudo communicandi 〈◊〉 populum sub una specie ab 〈◊〉 et sanctis patribus rationabiliter introducta 〈◊〉 hastenus diutissime obseruata a doctoribus diuinae legis sacrarum scriptuarum atque canonum multam peritiam habentibus iam a longeno tempore commendare pro lege habenda est nec allicui 〈◊〉 cst eam reprobare aut sine authoritate ecclesiae ipsam immutare That is to say The law dable custome also to communicate or howsel the laye people vnder one kynde or forme beyng by the churche and holy fatheres with good reason brought in and hitherto of most longe tyme kepte or obserued and also of the docters hauynge great knowledge of the diuine lawe of the holye scryptures and of the Canons nowe of longe tyme commended must be had or taken for a lawe nor lawfull it is to any man for to reproue it or without the aucthoritye of the churche to chaunge it The thing thus beyng mete conuenient it is that the authoritie 〈◊〉 the churche which is as Saynt Paule sayeth in his first epystle and thyrd chapter to Timothe Columna firmamentum ueritatis That is to saye The Pyller and staye of truthe do contente satysiye vs well in thys behalfe Hauyng nowe spoken of the institution of thys sacrament and also of the vse therof consequently there remayneth accordynge to the promysed order to speake of the thyrde and last part whiche is of the inessimable fruite procedynge of the ryght vse of the sayde sacrament And because the vse is as we haue sufficientlye here before proued in two fortes it is to wytte in offerynge and in receyuyng thereof it shall therefore be expediente seuerally to entreate of the specyall fruite of them bothe And fyrst touchyng the fruite of the sacrifyce of the masse we must vnderstand that 〈◊〉 the sacrifice which was made vpō the crosse the sacrifyce of the masse as concernynge the substaunce of the thynge offered there is no difference for as muche as in that respecte it is one and the same though the maner of offerynge be diuerse as hath bene shewed and proued heretofore vnto you For in the sacrifyce made vppon the Crosse there was the visible sorme and shape of Christes bodye beynge man yea and the visible fleshe and 〈◊〉 of Chryst in the natiue forme of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but herein this sacrament the same fleshe and bloude of Chryst being truely in substaunce is set 〈◊〉 not in the natiue formes of fleshe and bloude but vnder the formes of breade and wyne And therefore emongest the most aunciente fathers beynge of the Greke churche also of the Latyn The one sacrifyce made vpon the crosse is called a bloudy sacryfyce because vi sibly there out of the syde of Chryst bloude was shed And the other whyche by the Preiste is offered at masse vpon the Aultare is named Incruentum sacraficium that is to saye A sacrifice vnbloudye or wythout bloudshedynge not because there is no 〈◊〉 there but because there is no visible effusion 〈◊〉 bloud beynge there neuerthelesse in substaunce as we at large before haue proued both the fleshe and bloude of Christe And because ye shall not thynke that thys distinction or diuersitie is an imagination or a newe inuention ye maye for the try all hereof read the gret and notable famouse Counsayles and other verye weyghtye aucthorities of the Catholike Church And 〈◊〉 ye maye fynde in the epistle sente to Ne storius from the
Counsayle of Ephesus this same difference noted in whiche Counsayle Saynte Cyryll at that tyme was presidente and that difference or distinctyon is 〈◊〉 agayue by the same 〈◊〉 in his treatyse agaynst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 undecimo and in the generall counsayle kepte at 〈◊〉 there is vsed in the Canons thereof the same distinction whyche is before specyfyed Nazianzen lyke wyse in his verses to the byshoppes and in his firste 〈◊〉 agaynst Iulian hath the same distinction And so haue sondrye other ryght 〈◊〉 fathers And passynge from thys distinction to declare vnto you the effecte and fruite that cōmeth of the dew oblation of the body bloude of Christ in the sacrifice of the masse ye shal vnderstād that nothinge beinge so acceptable vnto the father of heauē as is the body bloud of our sauiour Christ his sōne the catholike churche therfore in al the cōclusiōs of praiers petitions that are made vnto the father is accustomed commonlye to saye 〈◊〉 Christum Dominum nostrum that is to saye Throughe or for the sake of our Lorde Chryste or suche lyke wordes tendynge euer to the same purpose nothynge doutynge but that the thynge whiche is so asked in his name shall the soner be attayned in asmuche as Chryste hym selfe both learned vs so to doe and adioyued thereto the promyse of obreynyng the same as maye appeare in the. xvi of Iohn where Chryste sayeth thus Si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit uobis that is to saye 〈◊〉 ye aske my father any thinge in my name he will geue it vnto you Nowe the Catholyke churche doeth in the sacrifice of the masse not onelye praye in the name of Chryste as in other her prayers but wyth prayer doeth also offer vppe and exhibyte therein vnto the father in heauen the bodye bloude of hys dearelye beloued sonne oure 〈◊〉 Iesus Chryste by that meane as beyng the very 〈◊〉 and iucomparable meane passynge all other meanes to obteyne most frutefully most habundantlye moste assuredly all the merites and benefytes of Chrystes deathe to be applied vnto vs and that suche prayers as are made in the time of the masse and the sacryfyce thereof are specyall and aboue all other effectnall S. Augustyne proueth by scrypture dicuslynge mooste exactly thys place of S. Paule in the second chapter of hys fyrst epystle to Timothe where Saynt Paule thus wryteth Obsccro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes 〈◊〉 tioncs postulatioms gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus et ommbus qui in 〈◊〉 consti uti sunt ut quietam et tranquillam uitam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omni pietate et chastitate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bonum est et acceptum coram saluatore nostro 〈◊〉 qui omnes homines uult saluos fieri et ad 〈◊〉 nem ueritatis uenire That 〈◊〉 to saye I besech you therefore aboue all thynges that obsecrations 〈◊〉 supplications and thankes geuyng be made or had for all men for kynges and for all thē whyche are in high aucthoritie that we may lyue a quiet and a peasable lyfe in all godlynes and honestye For that is good and acceptable before GOD our Sauioure whose wyl is all men to besaued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth Upon whych place S. Augustyne discoursynge very dilygentlye in his 〈◊〉 epystle wrytten vnto Paulinas doeth saye that by those foure seuerali wordes of Saynt Paule it is to wite obsecrations obtestations supplications and thankes geuynge are mente the foure seuerall partes frequented in the hole Catholyke Churche in the diuine celebration whyche is done at Goddes borde As by the fyrst worde obsecrations to be vnderstand al that whych is sayde at the altar before that the breade and the chalyce set vpon the aultare be blessed By the second worde Whiche is ob testations to be mente all those prayers whyche be sayde from thence vnto the fractions of the hoūe in declaration of whyche parte Saynt Augustine doth expresly call thys sacrament the 〈◊〉 of the holye Aultare And by the thyrde worde Supplications to be vnderstanded that part wherein the byshoppe after the foresayd fractions doth turne vnto the people and blesse them and wherein also the sacramente is receyued And fynally by the fourth worde Which is thankes geuyng to be ment the very end and conclusion of the diuine celebration All whyche thynges concernyng the mynde of S. 〈◊〉 vpon those foure wordes of S Paule 〈◊〉 maye more at 〈◊〉 synde in the foresayde epistle of S. Augustine So then this place of Scripture thus vnderstanded doth most manifestly and euidently declare the great fruite and commoditie of the masse and the oblation of the same for immedyatlye in S. Paule foloweth that these foure partes should be executed to the ende Vt quietam et tranquillam uitam 〈◊〉 in omni 〈◊〉 chastitate That is To the ende that we mighte liue or leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlines and honestie Where is to be noted that when saynct Paule gaue thys exhortation to Tymothy chrysten men euery where dyd lyue vnder the domynion of heathen princes and yet S. Paule would these foure partes to be amonge the Chrysten menne frequented and vsed yea for the sayd heathen princes that they eyther shoulde perfectlye be conuerted there by or at the least some what relent from theyr soo out ragious and cruell 〈◊〉 wyth the chrysten men beynge theyr subiectes But nowe farther to procede in declaration of the inestimable 〈◊〉 and fruyte whych commeth of thys sacryfyce of the masse it shal be necessarye here to note vnto you that the fruyte thereof doth not onely extende it selfe to people beyng yet here vpon the earth lyuynge to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vuto them hauing good harte minde to take and receyue the profitte thereof grace and mercy at gods handes but it is also fruitefull vnto as manye as departyng thys presente lyfe are not vtterlye excluded from the fauour of God and the hope of the fruityon of the godheade 〈◊〉 asmuche as suche are membres of Chrystes mysticall bodye hauynge buylded vppon Chryste the foundation not onelye golde syluer and precyous stones but tymber hey and stubble also whyche by fyre must be consumed before they can enter into the kyngdome of heauen where is all puritie cleanenes and perfection And that these sortes maye by the sacrifice of the Masse be releaued and the soner deliuered oute of theyr paynes and therevpon be receaued into eternal ioye there are besyde the verye Scryptures of God infinite authorities of the most auncient fathers of Chrystes Catholyke Churche of which authorities we here nowe alledge certeyne of the mooste notable vnto you And fyrste we wyll brynge in Sainte Chrysostome in hys 96. homilye ad 〈◊〉 antiochenum where he wrytethe in thys maner Non temere ab apostolis hec sancita fuerunt ut in tremendis mysteriis defunctorum agatur commemoratio Sicunt enim illi sinde multum contingere lucrum utilitatem multam Stante sequidem
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
in certayne bokes and signes maye call to remembraunce the manifolde examples of vertues whyche were in the sainctes whome they doo represent And so we maye the rather be prouoked kyndeled stirred to yelde thankes to oure lord to prayse hym his said 〈◊〉 and to remember and lament our synnes and offences and to praye God that we maye haue grace to followe theyr goodnes and holye lyuyng 〈◊〉 for an example the ymage of oure sauiour hangeth on the Crosse of the rode or in paynted clothes walles or wyndowes as an open booke to the intent that besydes the exāples of vertues whyche we maye learne at Chryst we may be also manye wayes prouoked to remembre hys paynefull and cruell passion and also to cōsyder oure selfes when we beholde the same ymage and to 〈◊〉 and abhore oure fynne whych was the cause of hys cruell deathe And furthermore consyderyng what hygh benefytes we receyue by hys redemption we maye be prouoked in all oure distresses and troubles to runne for comforte vnto hym All these lessons wyth many mo be brought to oure remembrauuce by the boke of the 〈◊〉 yf we beyng fyrst well enstructed and taughte what is represented and mente thereby do diligently beholde and loke vpon it And as our sauiour Chryste is represented by thys ymage of the rode euen so the holy sayntes whych folowed hym be represented vnto vs by theyr ymages and therefore the sayde ymages maye well be set vp in churches to be as bookes for vnlearned people to put them in remembraunce of those sayntes of whome they maye learne examples of fayth humilitie charytie pacyence temperāce and of all other theyr vertuus and gyftes of GOD whych were in theym For whyche causes ymages maye be set in the churche and oughte not to be despised but to be vsed reuerentlye althoughe we be forbydden to geue goodes hououre vnto theym These lessones should be taught by euery curate to theyr parysheners And where as we vse to sense the sayde Images and to knele before theym and to crepe to the Crosse. wyth suche other thynges 〈◊〉 muste knowe and vnderstande that suche thynges be not nor ought to be done to the ymage it selfe but to God in his honor although it be done afore the ymage whether it be of Chryst of the Crosse or of our Ladye or of anye other Saynte Agayne thys commaundement dyd offende generally before the commynge of Chryste al gentylles and people that were not of the nation of Israell For they dyd geue goddes honoure vnto Idolles and worshypped false godes some one some another of the whyche forte there was a greate number For besydes theyr common goodes euerye countrye euery cytye or towne euerye house and familye had theyr prayer and peculyer gooddes where of is much mention made in authors both Chrysten and heathen And these gentilles thoughe they hadde knowledge of a very god yet as saynct Paule sayth Rom. 〈◊〉 they had 〈◊〉 and vayne fantasyes whyche led them from the truthe caused theym where they coūted thē selues wyse to become foles And agaynst thys cōmaundement offended the Iewes also manye and sondry tymes yea almost 〈◊〉 For notwythstandynge that they professed the knowledge and worshyppyng of the very true god yet they fell to the adoration of Idoles and false goddes as the holye Scripture maketh mencion in many places And here we make an 〈◊〉 touchynge thys seconde commaundement ¶ 〈◊〉 or declaration of the thyrde Commaundemente whyche is Thou shalte not take the name of thy Lorde God in vayne FOr the better and more 〈◊〉 vnder standinge of thys commaundemente you shall briefelye call to your remem braunce that as in the fyrst cōmaundemente there was a prohybytion to haue straunge Goddes and therin implyed that we must haue one God onelye And as in the seconde commaundemente there is a prohibition to make to the anye 〈◊〉 thynge c. to adore or honoure it wyth gods honoure and therein implyed that we muste adore and honoure God onelye wyth hys due and peculyer honoure So lykewyse in thys commaundement beynge also a negatyue there is a prohibition to take the name of thy Lorde GOD in vayne and therein is imployed thys affyrmatiue that we must take and vse the name of God ryghtely and reuetently And hereby appeareth howe one of these commaundementes dothe depende vpon another in verye good order As fyrste to haue one God onelye the seconde to geue vnto hym hys due honoure and the thyrde to vse hys name wyth reuerence And here you shall learne that albeit the 〈◊〉 of God beynge of itselfe fully perfecte and mooste holy cannot in it selfe eyther receyue increase of honoure and sanctification or decrease and diminutyon of the same yet concernynge the vse and abuse of it amongest men it maye be taken and coūted on the one side for sanctifyed and honoured as beynge well vsed And on the other syde for polluted and dyshonoured as abused and not well handled And here shall you note that the p ythe and 〈◊〉 effecte of this cōmaūdemente doth consyst in thys that we must ryghtlye vse the name of GOD and in no wyse abuse it and ryghtlye we 〈◊〉 and doo vse it and 〈◊〉 it by nyne specyall sortes and meanes amongest other Fyrst by confessyng openlye the name of God and of oure Sauyoure Iesu Chryste openynge and expressynge by our mouth the sayth of Chryst before all mē of what sorte state or condityou they be when the case so requirethe and not to cease 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the same for any pleasure or paine that maye grow and be geuen to vs or inflicted by them Of whyche sorte and maner our sauioure Chrysts in the 〈◊〉 chapiter of S Mathewe doth speake saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me coram hominibus 〈◊〉 ego eum coram patre 〈◊〉 qui in 〈◊〉 est saying also in the 〈◊〉 of Luke Qui me 〈◊〉 meos sermones hunc filius hominicis erubescet cum uenerit in maiestate 〈◊〉 patris sanctorum angelorum And Saynt Paule also in the x. chapter to the Romaynes 〈◊〉 Corde 〈◊〉 ad iustitiam ore dutem consessiofit ad salutem The Englishe of these three sentences is thys Euerye 〈◊〉 that wyll confesse or acknowledge me before men I also wyll confesse and acknowledge him before my father whiche is in heauen And who is ashamed of me or wyll not acknowledge me and my sayinges hym also the sonne of man when he shall come in hys maiesty and in the maiestye or presence of hys father and of the holy aungelles shal be ashamed of and not acknowledge By hearte or mynde one doth in dede beleue to iustice but by the mouth confession is made to health or saluation Accordyng where vnto the prophets Dauyd sayeth Confitemini domino inuocate nomen eius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 psal ciiii That is to say Do you make or gyue conseffion or prayse to oure Lorde and call vppon hys name doe you shewe or declare amonges the
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
whiche arte in heauen hallowed be thy name WE cannot comprehend in our mynde the great goodnes of God towardes vs in that he hath taughte vs here in the begynnyuge of oure prayer to cal hym Oure father Of truthe this was not vsed in the tyme of the olde testamente amongeste the Iewes for they lyued vnder the bondage of Moyses lawe as seruauntes and durste not call God theyr father but Lorde whych is a 〈◊〉 of maiestye and power but we Chrysten men are taughte by oure Sauioure Chryste hymselfe the author and maker of thys prayer boldelye to call God oure father whyche is a name of be 〈◊〉 mercy gentlenes and greate loue And yf the holy pa triarche Abraham who was called the frend of god dyd call GOD his Lord whan he made hys prayer vnto hym sayinge in the. xviii of Genesys Shall I speake to my Lorde seynge I am but dust and 〈◊〉 Howe muche lesse durste we haue called God our father except that he had so taught vs and commaunded vs to 〈◊〉 In why the hys doynge he hath gyuen vs ryghte great cause to put our hole con fidence in hym and to loke and truste for all good at his hande But ye wyll percase aske howe hathe almyghtye God made hym selfe to be oure father Trulye it is not by natural generation for after that sorte he onelye is father vnto Iesus Chryste but he hath made hymselfe to be our father by adoptinge vs 〈◊〉 hym throughe faythe in Chryste Iesus whych thyng he doth in the tyme of oure baptysme accordyng as it is wrytten in the fyrste of S. Iohn 〈◊〉 eis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dei fierihijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 He Chryst gaue vnto them power to be made the sonnes of God to thē who beleue in hys name And in the. viii to the Bomaynes S. Paule sayeth 〈◊〉 haue receiued the 〈◊〉 of Adoption to be the sonnes of God in whych 〈◊〉 we doo crye Abba father And in the 〈◊〉 to the Ephesyans S. Paule sayeth Be ye folowers of God as mooste dearelye beloued sonnes and walke in loue as Chryst hath loued 〈◊〉 And in the fyft of Mathew our sauiour Christ saieth Be ye perfit as youre heauenlye father is perfit And here is to be noted a lesson that as 〈◊〉 worde father doth declare the greate 〈◊〉 mercy and loue of GOD towardes vs as well in creation as also in the redemption of man so it 〈◊〉 sheth vs agayne of oure duetye towardes hym and howe we be bound to shew agayne vnto hym our hole harte loue obedience and redynes to fulfyll with all gladenes and humilitye all hys preceptes and commaundementes And therefore whosoeuer presumeth to come to God with this prayer and to call hym father and yet hathe not full intente and purpose to vse hym selfe in all thynges lyke a kynde and an obedyente Sonne he commeth to him as Iudas came to Christ wyth a kysse pretendyng to be his frende and hys ser uaunte in callynge hym mayster and yet he was in dede a traytoure to hym and a deadelye enemye And for thys consideration euerye chrysten man that intendeth to make thys prayer ought inwardly and throughly to searche and examyne hym selfe and yf he fynde in hymselfe anye notable cryme for the whiche he oughte to be ashamed to cal GOD his father let hym accuse hym selfe therefore to God and recognyse hys vn worthynes saying as the prodygal sonne sayde father I haue offended the I am not worthye to be called thy sonne And wyth due repentaunce 〈◊〉 purpose and intente to amende hys naughtye lyfe let hym lyte vppe hys harte to God and callynge for hys grace of reconciliation let hym humbly say Oure father c. Neyther is it wythoute greate cause that oure sauyour Chryste teacheth vs to saye Oure father and not My father For thereby he geuethe vs clerly to vnderstande that as we our selues be the sōnes and chyldren of God by adoption throughe faythe so are all other Chrysten men and women the chyldren of GOD by the same faythe and therefore we ought to loue them all with perfecte loue and charytye as brethen and systers in God Oure heauenlye doctoure in thys worde doeth geue vs instruction of vnitye concorde and peace and to praye to God for all chrysten people knowen and vnknowen for and frende And for that purpose and effecte he hath not learned vs to saye My father whiche art in hea uen but he hath taught vs to saye Oure father whiche arte in heauen Lykewyse we saye not gyue me thys daye my daylye breade but Giue vs thys daye oure daylye breade nor we say not forgiue me my synnes and trespasses but forgyue vs oure synnes and trespasses Lykewyse we saye not delyuer me from euyll but Delyuer vs from euyll To sygnyfye that throughe faythe in Iesus Christe we are all the sonnes of God and therefore shoulde not the gentleman dyspyse the yoman nor the ryche the poore Malachye Malach. 2. doth saye Nunqui non pater unus omnium nostrum 〈◊〉 non unns deus creauit nos quare ergo unusquisque nostrum despicit fratrem suum That is to saye Haue not we all one father hathe not one God made vs all wherefore than doth euerye one of vs dyspise hys brother The prayer in dede that the proude Pharisey made Luke 18 〈◊〉 not acceptable vnto God bycause he dispised hys neighboure the publican Let vs al 〈◊〉 knowe our selues to be brethren in god through sayth equally to be hys chyldren And as concerninge these wordes whych art in heauen we maye not by theym vnderstande that God is conteyned and included wythin the heauenes as the aungelles and holy sayntes are for as Salomon sayeth in the thyrd booke of the kynges and the eyght chapyter The heauens of heauens doo not comprehende or include hym But in thys respecte he is sayde to be in heauen because he by hys almyghtye power doth conteyne kepe holde vp and mayntayne all the heauens and also all other creatures whyche are enclosed and shutte vnder the cope or compasse of heauen accordynge as S. Paule sayeth Collos. i. Omnia in ipso constant That is to saye All thynges in hym haue theyr beynge And therefore vnto god onelye we doo saye whyche arte in heauen Bycause that god onely as he hath made heauen and all thynges vnder heauen so he onely is in all the heauens and wyth hys almyghtye power conserueth and kepethe them in all theyr beyng And here must we note that we maye not thynke that god is so in heauen that thereby he can not be or is not in earth also as shall please hym selfe For truelye he is in all places by hys essence by hys presence and by hys power accordynge as he sayethe Hieremye xxiii Nonne coelum terram ego impleo That is to saye Doo not I fyll heauen and earth and he is sayde specyally to be in heauen for as muche as in heauen he
is manyfest and sheweth hys godheade hys dyuyne maiestye power glorye ioye and blysse eternall whyche he hath promysed to geue as a rewarde to al suche as doo perseuer in hys fayth and obedience accordynge as he sayeth Math. v. Merces uestra multa est in coelis That is to saye Youre rewarde is greate in heauen And here doo you marke that these wordes whych arte in heauen are so placed and set furth to styrre vp our heartes to God and to cause in vs an inward desyre and a greate care and studye to come to the place where our heauenly father is yea and muche to couete hys syghte and presence For lyke as a louyng chylde is euer desyrous to be where hys father is euen so oughte we euer to desyre to be wyth oure heauenlye father and to endeuoure our selues that our conuersation be al wythdrawen frō the worlde the fleshe and the deuyll and be set vpon heauen and heauenlye thynges as S. Paule teacheth Phil. iii. And therefore we shoulde contynuallye wayle and lament because we be not wyth oure heauenlye father saying with the prophet Psal. cxix wofull am I that my dwellynge vpon the earth is soo muche prolonged And by these wordes shoulde there be engendred in vs a stronge hope of eternall glorye And howe can we fayle thereof yf we wyll seynge oure heauenlye father hathe bothe the wyll and also the power to perfourme it Hys wyll we clearelye vnderstande in asmuche as he made hym selfe to be oure father hys power is well knowen for that he is a God of power and glorye and maker and preseruer of Heauen Earthe and of all that in them is And here shall you further note that these wordes Our father whych art in heauen are put lyke a prologue before all the seuen petitions yea and euery one of them may haue prefixed before them the same prologue declaryng playnely that no man can saye thys prayer truely and duelye that no pleasure of god and hys owne meryte excepte he haue fayth hope and Charytye for wythout faythe nor can say truelye O father and wy thoute charytye to hys neyghbour no man cane say truelye and meritoriouslye Oure father and wythout hope no man can saye truelye Whyche arte in hauen doo thou remyt vs our synnes And in these wordes Halowed be thy name it is to be noted that by the name of God is vnderstande God hym selfe the power of God the myght the maiestye the glory the wysedome the prouidence the mercye and goodnes of God and all such other good thynges as in scrypture be attribute vnto God And thys name is halowed when it is praysed gloryfyed sette furthe honoured and magnyfied of vs bothe in woorde and dede And where in thys petytyon we praye that hys name maye be hallowed it is not to be taken or thoughte that thys name of God whyche in it selfe is euermore moste holy most glorious most merueylouse and full of maiestye can be eyther aduaunced or dymynished by vs or any thyng that we can doo but we desyre here that thys moste holye name maye accordynge as it is in it selfe moste holy be so taken vsed honoured and halowed of vs and of all others as well heathen as chrystened lyke as on the contrary parte thys name is sayde to be polluted and defyled when we doo eyther in worde or in deede contumelyouslye and contemptuouslye or otherwyse dyshonor the same We desyre therefore in thys petytion that all false faythe by the whyche men eyther mystrust god or put theyr confidence in anye othere thyng more then in hym may be destroyed And that all wytche craftes and false charmes coniurations by the whyche Sathan and other creatures be inchaunted maye cease and geue place to goddes holy name and so lykewyse that all heresyes and false doctrynes maye vanyshe awaye so that goddes holy worde may be truely interpreted and purely taught and sette furth vnto al the worlde and that all infydels maye receyue the same and be conuerted to the ryght catholyke faythe whereby al disceyte hipocrisye and counterfaytynge of trueth of ryghteousnesse or of holynes may clearely be extincted Furthermore we do beseche and praye god here that his name may be halowed so that no mā should swere in vayne by it or otherwyse abuse the same to lye or deceyue hys neyghboure And generallye that none shoulde fall into pryde or ambition into desyre of worldlye glorye and fame into enuy malyce couetousuesse adulterye gluttonye slouth backbytynge sclaunderynge of hys neyghbours ne into any other euyll or wicked thoughtes and dedes whereby the name of god maye be dyshonored and blasphemed In thys prayer also we doo requyre god to graunte vs that in all perylls and daungers we ruime vnto hym as vnto our onely refuge and call vpon hys holye name and that in oure good woorde and woorkes we maye please and magnifye hym and be by hym preserued from the mooste damnable synne of vnkyndnes towardes hym And also that we whoo doo all readye professe the ryghte fayth may styl continue therein and maye doo and expresse the same aswell in oure outwarde conuersation as in confessynge it with our mouthe so that by oure good lyfe and oure good workes all other maye be moued to good and that by oure euyll woorkes and synnes no man maye take occasion to sclauuder the name or dimynyshe the laude and prayse of God but that all our woorkes and doynges may redoūd to the honor prayse and glorye of Goddes name ¶ The exposition or declaratiō of the seconde petition which is Thy kyngdome come THys seconde petition verye orderlye doth folowe vppon the fyrst for as in the fyrst we do aske of God our eternall father that hys gloryous name maye be knowen through out all the worlde and be of all people whether they be turkes Jues or heathen loued magnifyed and gloryfyed alwayes aswell as it is of vs Chrysten men which is a thynge aperteynyng to the dewe honor and glory of God and whych we ought of dutye fyrste and pryncipallye to desyre So in thys second petition we aske of God our heauenly father that he wyll vouchsafe to brynge vs to hys eternall kyngdome euermore to be wyth hym and partycypante of hys enerlastyng glorye and heauenly enherytaunce wyth Chryst Jesu our Sauiour whych is a thyng of al other that a mā may wysh to hys owne selfe the chief most greatest And for the declaratiō of thys second peticion you shall vnderstand that there are two kyngdomes the one contrarye to the other it is to wytte the kyngedome of god and the kyngedome of the Deuyll For as concernynge worldelye kyngdomes and dominions they 〈◊〉 they be well gouerned and guyded by order of Jystyce doo perteyne to the kyngoome of god as Saynte Paule testifyeth in the. xiii chapter to the Romaynes And 〈◊〉 they be misordered through want of 〈◊〉 vsyng Tyranye they doo pertayne to the kyngdome of the deuyll Nowe concernynge the kyngdome of
god it is of two fortes it is to wytte the kyngedome of grace in thys worlde and the kyngdome of glorye in the worlde to come and of the kyngdome of grace S. Paule dothe speake in the. xiiii to the Romaynes in thys wyse Règnum dei est iustitia pax gaudium 〈◊〉 spiritu sancto Qui enim in hoc seruit Christo placet deo probatus est hominibus That is to saye The kyngedome of God is iustyce and peace and ioy in the holy gost for he that in thys serueth Chryste pleasethe God and is allowed with men Lykewyse the sayd Saynt Paule speakynge of thys kyngdome of grace doth in the fyrste chapiter of hys epistle to the Collossenses say thus He hath translated or caried vs frome the power or kyngedome of darkenes into the kyngedome of his derelye beloued sonne in whome we haue redemption and remission of synnes And moreouer we doo reade in the fyfte of the Apocalipse after thys maner Fecisti nos deo nostro regnum That is to saye Thou haste made vs a kingedome vnto our God For doubtles so longe as we remayne in grace god doth raygne in vs as in a spirituall kyngedome and we as his faythfull people doo obeye hym therein And as concernynge the kyngedome of glorye in the worlde to come you shall vnderstand that oure Sauiour in hys second comminge which shal be at dōes day shal giue entrance perpetual possessiō therof to 〈◊〉 elect whēhe shal say vnto them as it is 〈◊〉 Comeye the blessed of my father doo you posselle the kyngedome prepared for you before the creation or beginning of the worlde Nowe concernynge the kyngedome of the Deuyll which is cleane contrarye to the kyngdome of God that in dede is a dominion or rule and souerayntye whych the deuyll hathe in the hartes of the wycked men and women who accordyng to his pernycious wyll and entycynges doo transgresse the commaundementes of God and doo make them selfe bonde and thrass to synne wyllyngly consentynge to the denyles tentations and drawen thereby to hys seruice and holden also therein by concupyscence of the fleshe by concupyscence of the eye and by pryde of life And of thys kyngedome of the deuyll S. Paule Ephe. ii doth speake sayinge He God the father hathe reuyued you al at ones when you were deade thorough your trespasses wherein in tymes past you did walke accordinge to the course of this worlde after the prynce of the kynge dome or power of this ayre the spirite which nowe worketh vpon the children of vnbeleif Accordynge wherevnto oure sauiour also Jhon xii doeth call the deuyll the prynce of thys worlde that is to saye of all euyll and wycked people lyuynge in the worlde And in the. xli chapter of Job the deuyll is called the kynge of al proude men And forasmuche as it is not in oure power to delyuer our selues from the 〈◊〉 of the Deuyll but onelye by Godes helpe For oure perdition and vndoing is of oure selues but oure helpe and faluation is of God as sayeth the Prophete Ozee cap. 13. therefore it is very necessarye for all true christen people to make this petition incessantlye vnto our heauenly father and to beseche hym according to this doctryne of Chryste that by hys grace helpe we may escape the dominion and power of the Deuyll and that we maye be made subiecte vnto hys heauenlye kyngedome Therfore in this petytyon we dysyre God to gyue vs afore all thynges true and constant fayth in him and in hys sonne Jesus Christ and in the holye Ghoste with pure loue and charitie towardes hym and all men to kepe vs also from infidelitie desperation and malyce whyche myghte be the cause of oure destruction and to delyuer vs from dissensions couctuousnes lecherye and euyll desyres and lustes of synne and so the vertue of his kingdom to come to reigne within vs that al our heart 〈◊〉 and wyttes wythall our strength inwarde and outwarde maye be ordered and directed to serue GOD to obserue his commaundementes and hys will and not to serue our 〈◊〉 the fleshe the worlde or the Deuyll We desyre also that this kingdome ones in vs begonne maye be daylye cucrcased and goo forwarde more and more so that all subtyll and secrete hate or slouth whych we haue to goodnes be not suffered to rule so in vs that it shall cause vs to loke back againe and to fall into synne but that we maye haue a stable purpose and strenghte not onelye to begynne the 〈◊〉 of innocencye but also to procede ernestly furthe in it and to perfourme accordynge to the sayinge of Saynt Paule Colosse i. where he prayeth that we maye walke worthelye pleasynge god in all thynges beyng fruitefull in all good workes growynge and increasynge in the knowledge of god Also Eph. iiii he doth saye Worke and doo the truth in charite and increase and goo forwarde in Christ. Therefore in this prayer desyrynge the kyngedome of god to come we requyre also that we beynge alredy receyued and entred into the kyngdom of grace and mercye of god may soo contynue and perseuer therein that after this lyfe we may come to the kyng dome of glorye whych endureth for euer and thys is that greate and feruent desyre where with good men beyng mortyfyed from worldely affections haue bene and be alwayes kyndled and enflamed as appeareth by Saynte Paule when he sayd Philip. I woulde be losed from this bodye and be with Chryste and he sayth Rom. eyght We that haue receiued the firste fruites of thy spyryte doo wayle and mourne in our selues 〈◊〉 and loking to be delyuered from the mortalitie miserles of this body into the glory of the children of God 〈◊〉 Thexposition or declaration of the thyrde petition whyche is Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen AFter that in the seconde petition we doo aske of God oure eternall father that hys kyngedome of grace maye come vnto vs in thys worlde that we maye finallye come to hys eternal kyngdome in heauen whyche is the hyghest degree of mans filicitye there doth by ryghte order folowe thys thirde petition wherein we doo aske of God oure eternall father that hys wyll maye be fulfylled here in earthe by the fulfyllynge and kepynge of hys commaundementes whyche is the best and mooste perfecte meanes to procure vnto vs the foresaide highe degree of our felicytie And for the better and playner vnderstandynge of thys thyrde petition you shall note that by disobedience and synne of our fyrst father Adam we be as of our nature onelye without the grace of God vnhable to fulfyll the wyll and preceptes of God and so are enclyned to loue our selues and oure one wylles that we canne not hartely loue neither god nor man as we oughte to doo And therfore we being once chrysten men it is requisite for vs to praye that lyke as the holye aungelles and saynctes in heauen in whome GOD reygnethe perfectlye and holye
doo neuer cease ne shall cease to gloryfye hym to prayse hym and to fulfyll hys wyll and pleasure in all thynges and that moste readylye and gladely without any maner of grudgynge or resystinge there vnto knowyng certainelye and clearelye that hys will is 〈◊〉 the best euen so that we the chyldren of God in earthe maye daylye and continuallye prayse God and by our holy conuersation in good workes and good lyfe honour and groryfye hym and that we maye from tyme to tyme so mortyfye oure owne naturall corrupte and synnefull appetyte and wyll that we maye be euer redye lyke louynge children humbly lowely and obe dientlye to approue allowe and accomplyshe the wil of God oure father in all thynges and to submytte our selues wyth all oure hearte vnto the same and to acknowledge that whatsoeuer is the wyll of GOD the same is moste perfecte moste iuste most holy and mooste expediente for the health and wealthe of oure soules we I say ought also for these things to pray Wherefore in this petition also we desyre of God true and stable pacience when oure wyll is letted or broken And that whan anye man speaketh or doeth contrarye to our wyll yet therefore we be not oute of pacyence 〈◊〉 curse or murmure or seke vengeaunce agaynste our aduersaryes or them whyche let oure wyll but that we maye saye well of them and doe well to them We pray also that by goddes grace we may gladelye suffer all diseases pouerty dispysynges persecutions and aduersities knowynge that it is the wyll of God that we shoulde crucyfye and mortyfye oure wylles And whan any such aduersitie chaūceth vnto vs to attribute al vnto the wil or sufferaunce of GOD and geue hym thankes therefore who doth order all suche thynges for oure weale and benefytte eyther for the exercyse and the tryall of the good to make them stronger in goodnes and vertue or ells for the chastysemente and amendemente of the euyll to suppresse theyr euyll motyons and desyres And also we praye that whansoeuer it shall please god to call vs oute of thys transytorye lyfe we maye be wyllyng to dye and that consyrmynge our will to the wyll of God we maye take our deathe gladely so that by feare or 〈◊〉 we be not made dysobedyent vnto hym We desyre furthermore that all oure members eyes tonge hart handes and feete be not suffered to follawe the desyres of the fleshe but that all maye be vsed to the wyll and pleasure of GOD and that malycyouslye we reioyse not in theyr troubles whyche haue resisted our wyll or haue hurt vs nor that we be enuyously sorye when that they prosper and haue welfare but that we maye be contented and pleased with althing that is gods wyll ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fourth petition which is Gyue vs this day our dayly breade AFter that in the three former petitions we are orderly taught fyrst to desire praye for suche thynges as do cōcerne God to gloryfye hallowe his name Secondly to desyre and praye for the cheife and principall blysse that man may haue whiche is the kyngedome of God And Thirdelye to desyre praye for such cheife meanes by whiche that 〈◊〉 blysse is obteyned that is to saye by the fulfyllynge here in earth of gods wyl and pleasure Now next and fourthly we are here taught to desyre of God thinges that be necessarye for the foode and 〈◊〉 both of our bodye also of our soule so longe as we shall here 〈◊〉 vpon the Earthe And fyrste as touchynge the sustenance of the bodye you shall note fyue thynges in this petition The first is that our lorde teacheth vs in this petytyon not to aske any superfluouse thynge of pleasure and vayne delite but onely thinges necessarye sufficiēt there fore he biddith vs aske onelye breade wherein is not ment 〈◊〉 greate substaūce or habundaunce of thinges aboue our state cōditiō but such thinges onely as be necessary for euery man in his degree that it should be one ordinary dayly maner of sustenaūce 〈◊〉 trade of liuing nether inordinat nor excessiue And therefore yf we Chrysten men haue meate and drynke and cloth that is to saye thynges suffycyente let vs holde our selues content for they that set there myndes on ryches and wyll haue superfluities more than nedeth or is expedyent to there vocatyon they fall into daungerouse temptatyons and into snares of the deuyll and into manye vnprofytable and noysome desyres which drowne men into perdityon and euerlastinge 〈◊〉 for the spryng and roote of all euylls is suche superfluouse desyre The wyseman also makyng hys petition to our lorde Prouerbe 35. sayth Gyue me neither pouertie nor excesse but onelye thinges sufficiente for my liuinge lest that hauinge to much I be prouoked to denye God and to forgette who is the Lord and on the other syde lest that by pouertie cōstrayned I fall into thefte and forswere the name of my God Whereby is declared that we shoulde desyre onely thynges necessarye signified here by breade and refuse and renounce superfluities vnprofitable daungerous and noysome The second thyng to be considered in this petiti on is that we doo desyre and praye not absolutelye for breade but we doo desyre and praye for Oure breade By whyche wordes appeareth that that breade onelye is oures which we do get by true iuste honest and lawefull meanes for yf we doo get ought by deceyte fraude crafte or any vnlawfull or 〈◊〉 wayes that is in no wyse ours but other mens So that in thys worde Our is most euidentlye implyed and conteyned a greate reproche to all those persons which eate not theyr owne bread but deuoure other mens breade of whyche sorte be all those that lyue of theft robbery rauyne and spoyles extortion or craft and deceyte They also are of thys sort who neyther doo laboure with their handes nor otherwyse apply theyr study theyr industry or diligence to some thinge whiche maye be good and profytable to the common wealthe and to the honoure of GOD but doo lyue in case rest ydelnes and wanton pleasure They lykewyse are of thys sorte and worthy therefore to be reproued who beyng in any roume or vocation of aucthoritye or seruice do not fully truely and faythfullye fulfyl and performe the duetye of theyr vocation The thirde thing to be noted in this petitiō touching our corporall sustenaunce is that we muste saye vnto almyghtye God 〈◊〉 That is to saye Geue thou to the entente that we should not thinke that out meate drynke clothe or any other worldelye sustenaunce is wonne or gotten onely by oure owne industry wyt and laboure thoughe we be bounde by the lawe of God to laboure and trauayle in our vocation to the vttermost of our 〈◊〉 for the mayntenaūce sustenaunce of our selues and all ours but that when we haue played and done our parte 〈◊〉 we must firmely beleue that all thinges so commynge vnto vs are geuen vs by
hauynge in hym selfe great erperience of miserable and synnefull estate of man dothe open the same to the worlde in these workes Homo natus de muliere breui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repletur multis miserijs qui quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut vmbra et 〈◊〉 in eodem statu permanet et dignū ducis super 〈◊〉 aperire oculos tuos et adducere cum 〈◊〉 in iudicium qui potest 〈◊〉 mundum de immūdo conceptum femine That is to say Man beyngeborne of a woman lyuynge a worte tyme is full of manyfolde miseries he spryngeth vp lyke aflower fadeth againe vanyshyng away as it were a shadow and neuer contine weth in one state And doest thou iudge it mete O Lord to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one and to brynge him to iudgement with thee who can make hym cleane that is cōceyued of an vncleane sede In dede all men of they re euylnes and naturall prones were so vniuersallye gyuen to synne that God as the scripture testifyeth repented the euer he made man And by sinne his indygnatyon was so muche prouoked agaynste the worlde that he drowned all the worlde wyth Noes fludde except Noe himselfe and hys lytle householde It is not without greate cause that the scripture of God doth so many times call all menne here in thys worlde earthe sayenge O thou earth thou earth thou earth heare the woorde oure Lorde Hiere xxii Thys oure ryght name vocation and tytle earthe earthe earth prouounced by the prophet sheweth what we be in dede by what soeuer other style tytle or dignitye mē doo cal vs. Thus he plainly nameth vs who knoweth best bothe what we be what we ought of ryght to be called And thus he dyscribeth vs 〈◊〉 kynge by hys faythfull Apostle S. Paule to the Romaynes the. iii. Chapiter saying All men Jewes and Gentiles are vnder synne there is none ryghteous no not one there is none that vn derstandeth there is none that seketh after God they are all goone out of the wai they are all vnprofitable there is none that dothe good no not one theyr throte is an open se crafte and deceyte the pyoson of serpentes is vnder theyr lippes their mouthe is full of cursinge and bitternes their fette are swifte to shed bloude destruction and wretchednes are in theyr wayes the waye of peace haue they not knowen there is no feare of God be fore their eyes Aud in an other place that is to wit Galathians iii. S Paule wryteth thus God hath wrapped all nations in vnbeleif that he myght haue mercy on all The scripture concludeth all vnder sinne that the promise by the fath in Jesus Christ should be geuē vnto theim that beleue S. Paule in many pla ces paynteth vs out in our callours callyng vs the chyldren of the wrathe of God when we be 〈◊〉 sayeng also that we cannot thinke a good thought of oure selues much lesse we can say wel or do wel of our selues And the wyseman sayeth in the boke of Prouerbes the iuste man falleth seuen tymes a daye The mooste tried and approued mā Job feared all hys woorkes S. John the Baptist beyng sanctified in hys mothers wombe and praised before he was borne called an aungel and great before the Lorde replenyshed euen from hys byrth with the holy ghost the preparer of the way for our sauiour Chryst to be more then a Prophet and the greatest that euer was borne of a womā yet he plai nely graunteth that he had nede to be washed of Chryst he worthely extolleth and glorifieth his lord and mayster Chryste and humbleth himselfe as vn worthy to vnboukle hys showes and geueth al honoure and glory to God So doeth sayncte Paule both oft and euydently confesse hym selfe what he was of hym selfe euer geuinge as a moste faithfull seruaunte ought to doo all prayse to hys mayster and sauioure So doeth blessed saynte Ihon the euangelyst in the name of hym selfe and of al other holy men be they neuer so iust make this open con session If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgyue vs our synnes and to clense vs from al vnrighteousnes If we say we haue not synned we make him a lier and his worde is not in vs. Wherfore the wysemā in the booke called Ecclesiastes openly de clareth that there is not one iuste man vpon the earth that doth good and sy nneth not And sainte Dauid is ashamed of hys synue but not to confesse hys synne Howe ofte howe earnestly and how lamentable doeth he desyre Gods greate mercye for hys great offenses and that God shuld not entre in to iudgement wyth hym And agayne howe well wayeth this holy man hys synnes when he confesseth that they be so many in number and so hydde and harde to 〈◊〉 that it is in maner vnpossyble to knowe vtter or number them Wherfore he hauinge an earnest and depe contemplation consideration of hys synnes and yet not comming to the 〈◊〉 of them maketh supplicatiō to god to forgyue hym his prinye secrete hydde synnes to the knowledge of the whych he cannot attayne He wayeth ryghtly hys synnes from the origynall roote and spryng heade 〈◊〉 inclinations prouocations 〈◊〉 stynginges budes braūches dregges infections tastes feiynges sentes of them to cōtinue in him stil. Wherefore he sayeth Marke behold I was conceiued in sines He saieth not sinne but in the plurel number sinnes for asinuche as oute of one as fountayne spryngeth all the reste And oure sauiour Christ sayth there is none good but God and that we can doo nothing that is good without hym or no man can come to the father but by hym He commaundeth vs all to saye that we be vnprofitable seruauntes when we haue doone all that we can doo He preferreth the penitente Publican before the proude holye and gloryouse Pharysey He calleth hymselfe a phisition not to them that be hole but to them that be sycke and haue nede of his salue for theyrsore He teacheth vs in oure prayers to reacknowledge oure selues synners and to aske forgeuenes and deliueraunce from all euyls at oure heauenly fathers hande He declareth that the synnes of oure owne hartes doo defyle oure owne selues He teacheth that an euyll worde or thought deserueth condempnation affyrmyng that we shall gyue an accompte for euery ydle woorde He sayeth he came not to saue but the shepe that were vtterlye lost and cast awaye Therefore fewe of the 〈◊〉 iust learned wyse perfect and holy Pharisies were saued by hym because they iustified them selues by theyr counterfeyte holynes before men Wherefore good people let vs beware of such Hypocrisie vaine glorye and iustifienge of our selues Let vs loke vpō oure feete and then downe oure Pecockes fethers downe proude harte downe vayne claye frayle and
brittle vessels Of our selues we be crabbe trees that can bryng furth no Aples we be of our selues of such earth as can bryng furth but weedes nettels brambles bryers cocle and darnell Our fruytes 〈◊〉 declared in the fyfte chapter to the Galathians We haue neitherfayth Charitie hope pacience chastitie nor any thinge els that good is but of God and therefore these vertues be called there the fruytes of the holy ghoste and not the frutes of man Let vs therefore acknowledge our selues before God as we be in dede miserable and wretched synners And let vs earnestly repent and humble oure selues hartely to cry to God for mercye Lette vs all confesse wyth mouth and harte that we be full of imperfections Let vs knowe our owne workes of what imperfection they be and then we shall not stande folyshly and arrogantly in our owne conceytes For truely ther is imperfections in our best 〈◊〉 we doo not loue God so muche as we are bounde to doo with all our harte mynde and power we doo not feare God so muche as we ought to doo we doo not pray to God but wyth great and many imperfections We geue forgeue beleue loue and hope vnper fectlye we speake thinke and doo vnperfectly we fyght agaynst the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe vnperfectly Let vs therefore not be ashamed to cō fesse playnely oure 〈◊〉 of imperfection yea let vs not be ashamed to confesse imperfection euen in al our workes Let none of vs be ashamed to sai with holy S Peter I am a synfull man Let vs all saye with the holy prophete Dauid We haue sin ned with our fathers we haue done amisse and dealt wyckedlye Let vs all make confession with the prodigall sonne to oure father and say with hym We haue synned agaynst heauē and be fore thee O father we are not worthy to be called thy sonnes Lette vs all saye wyth holye Baruche O lord our God to vs is worthely ascribed shame and confusion and to the righteousnes We haue sinned we haue don wicked ly we haue behaued our selues vngodly in all thy rightousnes Let vs al saye with the holy prophet Danyell O Lorde rightuousnes belongeth to thee vnto vs beldngeth cōfusion We haue synned we haue bene naugh tie we haue offended we haue fled frō the wee haue gone backe from all thy precepts and iudgementes So we learne of al good men in holy scripture to humble our selues and to exalte extoll prayse magnifye and glorifye God Thus ye haue hearde howe euill we be of our selus how of our selues by our selues we haue no good nes helpe nor saluation but contrary wyse synne dampnation and deathe euerlastynge whyche yf wee depely weyghe and consyder we shall the bet ter vnderstande the great mercy of God and how our saluation commeth onely b y Chyst for in our selues as of our selues we fynde nothyng whereby we may be delyuered from this miserable capti uitie into 〈◊〉 whyche we were cast throughe the enuye of the deuyll by transgression of Godes commaundement in our fyrst parente Adam We are al become vncleane but we al of our selues are not hable to clēse our selues nor to make one an other of vs cleane We are by nature the chyldren of Gods wrathe we are not hable of oure selues to make vs the chyldren and inheritours of Gods glorye We are shepe that 〈◊〉 astray we cānot without goddes grace and helpe come agayne to the shepefolde so greate is our imperfection and weakenes In our selues therefore maye not we glorye which of oure selues are nothyng but synnefull neyther maye we bragge of oure workes that we doo whyche all be so vnperfecte and vnpure that they are not of them selues hable to stande before the ryghteous throne of GOD as the holye Prophete Dauyd sayeth Enter not into iudgemente wyth thy seruaunte O Lorde for no man that lyuethe shal be founde ryghtuous in thy syghte To God therefore must wee stye or els shall we neuer fynde peace rest and quyetnes of conscience in oure hartes For he is the father of mercyes and God of all consolation he is the Lorde with whom is plen teouse redemption He is the God whiche of hys owne mercy saueth vs and setteth oute his charitie and exceading loue towards vs in that of his owne voluntary goodnes when we were peryshed he saued vs and prouyded an euerlastyuge kyngedome for vs. And all these heauenly treasures are giuē vs of hys mere mercy freelye And for whose sake Trulye for Iesus Christes sake that pure and 〈◊〉 Lambe of God He is that dearely beloued sonne for whose sake God is fullye pacifyed satisfyed and set at one with man He is the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde of whome it maye be truely spoken that he dyd all thinges wel and in his mouthe was founde no crafte nor subtyltye Lykewyse he maye saye the prynce of the worlde came and in me hath nothinge He maye saye also which of you shall reproue me of anye faulte He is that hyghe and euerlastynge preiste whyche hathe offered him selfe to God whē he instituted the sacrament of the Aultar and once for all in a bloudye sacryfyce doone vpon the crosse with which oblatyon he hath made perfecte for euermore theym that are sanctified He is the mediatoure betwene God and man which payed our raunsome to God wyth hys owne bloude and wyth that hathe clensed vs from synne He is the Phisition whych healeth all our dyseases He is that sauioure whiche saueth the people from all theyr synnes To be short he is that flowing and most plenteous fountayne of whose fulnes all we haue receyued For in him are all the tresures of the wysedome and knowledge of God hydden And in hym and by him haue we from God the father al good thinges perteyning eyther to the bodye or to the soule O howe much then are we bounde to this oure heauenlye father for these his greate mercyes whiche he hath so plenteouslye declared vnto vs in Chryst Iesu oure Lorde and sauiourer What thankes worthy and sufficiente can we giue to him Let vs all wyth one accord burst oute wyth ioyfull voices euer praysynge and magnifying this Lord of mercy for hys tender kindenes shewed to vs in his dearelye beloued sonne Iesus Chryst our Lord. Let vs nowe iearne to knowe our selues our frailtie and weakenes withoute anye ostentation or vnastynge of our owne good dedes and merytes Let vs also knowledge the exceadynge mercye of God towarde vs and confesse that as of our selues commeth all euyll and dampnation so lykewyse of hym commeth all goodnes and saluation as God hym selfe saith by the Prophet Oze O Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe but in me onely is thy helpe and comforte If wee thus humbly submytte our selues in the sight of God we may be sure that in the time of his visitatyō he wil 〈◊〉 vs vp into the kyngedome of his derely beloued
Apostles were conuersaunt and ther learne the truth in that controuersy ye what yf the Apostles had lefte behynde thē no writyng at al must we then not haue folowed the order of tradition delyuered by them to such as they committid the churches vnto to which tradition manye barbarous nations beleuing in christ do giue credite with out any other wrytyng then that which is in their hartes wrytten Al this wryteth Irene us and within a lytle after he sayeth Yf to these barbarous nations any man 〈◊〉 preach in their owne language these inuentiōs of heretikes by and by they would stope their eares and 〈◊〉 as farre as they could frō him and not once here hys blasphemous talke thus sayth S. 〈◊〉 Now yf christen people at this 〈◊〉 would folow this trad which this blessed 〈◊〉 here speaketh of thē should no mārunne into heresy but al men shold cleue fast vnto that wholsome doctryne of the catholike churche abhor and detest whatsoeuer any precher would vtter to thē contrary to the same For whosoeuer precheth any doctrine not agreable to that general 〈◊〉 doctrie in the open knowen church he it is such as be like to him of whō our 〈◊〉 biddeth vs to 〈◊〉 sa yng in yt. vii of Mathewe Beware of false prophets which com to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenyng wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure that soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth farder of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of pore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer is taught contraty to that that al 〈◊〉 openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true 〈◊〉 les we wold 〈◊〉 that christ hun selfe wer not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the church and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towards god and the worlde but the catholyke church nor no other doctrine auay leable to eternall lyfe but that which the catholyke church teacheth therefore all christē people are required to make a solēpne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade 〈◊〉 saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrary wyse he that 〈◊〉 it not is in a moste certayne estate of euerlastyng dampnation 〈◊〉 that youe maye knowe what the 〈◊〉 churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particulerly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisite to be beleued practised of all Chrysten people that no man may haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but al men beyng sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge such doctryne attayne to euerlasting lyfe whyche send vnto vs all the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the Sonne and the holy 〈◊〉 to whom be all honoure and glory 〈◊〉 without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch London ¶ An homely of Christian loue or Charitie FOrasmuch as that pith and summe of al things which be contemed either in the lawe or in the prophets doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of 〈◊〉 neyghbour as our 〈◊〉 Christ doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stifye in the. xxii Chapiter of saint Mathewe sayinge 〈◊〉 of the Pharises beyng a doctour of the lawe tēping did aske him and say maister what is the great cōman̄demēt in the law Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto him Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy 〈◊〉 God with al thy harte wyth all thy soule and with althy hole minde this is sayeth he the greateste and firste 〈◊〉 And the seconde is like vnto it Thou 〈◊〉 loue thy neig hboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundements al the lawe doth 〈◊〉 and the Prophetes And forasmuch also as we can not loue God well excepte we doo loue our neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue our neyghboure well excepte we doo 〈◊〉 God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Jhon the euangelist so testifyeng and declaryng in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonical Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct John in the sayd thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therfore it is ryght expediente and necessarye to haue alwyes thys loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tonge and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but ve ry megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of truthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is no thing more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie as wel for that al maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the 〈◊〉 of the world the banysh ement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuch as almost euery mā maketh frāeth to hym selfe a charity after hys owne appetyte and how 〈◊〉 so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hymselfe styll that he hathe chatitye Therefore you shall here nowe a true and playne descryption of charity not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of our sauioure Jesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consider him selfe and see plai nely without error whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with al oure harte withall our life with al our powers with al our strength Wyth all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to 〈◊〉 his woorde to trust in hym and to loue him aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delite be sette vpon him and his honoure and our hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruyce of hym aboue al thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth 〈◊〉 to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more 〈◊〉 me saith Christ is not worthy to haue me 〈◊〉 all oure powers that is to say that with our handes and feet wyth our eyes and eares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tongues and wyth all other parts powers both of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the 〈◊〉 pynge and fulfyllyng of hys commaundementes This is is the fyrst and the principal part of chariti but it is not the whole For charitie is also to 〈◊〉 euery man good and 〈◊〉 frende and fooe And 〈◊〉 cause be gyuen to the contrary yet