holy ghost and might haue cause to glorifie and honoure him likewise as they honoured the sonne and the father by the doctrine of Christ whiche euer attributed and imputed all his lore instruction preaching miracles doyng vnto the father as it is plaine in many places in the gospels Therfore in as muche as they had heard muche of the power of the father and had heard many holesome exhortacions of their maister Christ had seen many merueilous woorkes miracles done by Christ the very soÌ„ne of God the father and knewe very litle manifestly plainely of the holy spirit third person in trinitie therfore as at this tyme by the high wisedome and counsell of the godhead the holye ghost shewed himselfe lighting vpon the Apostles in firie tongues geuing them suche instruction and knowledge suche comfort boldnes as they neuer had before And againe because they should not thinke the holy ghost greater of power then the father or the sonne he warned them afore saiyng Quaecun ê™ audiet â—â—quetur All that he shall heare he shall speake to you As who should say tho the giftes that he shal inspire you withall shall be wonderous yet like as he hath his beyng of my father and of me so al cunning knowledge and other giftes he hath of vs and equally with vs like as he is equal and one in substaunce with vs. And in signe and token of his godhead and godly power it foloweth there Et quae veÌ„tura sunt annunciabit vobis In this he shall specially shewe his godhead because it accordeth most cheifly to God â–ª to knowe secretes to come after and of his godhead it coÌ„meth that men haue suche knowledge reueled vnto them therfore Esaie sayth .xli. Annunciate quae ventura sunt in futuruÌ„ sciemus quia dij estis vos Tell vs what thinges shall come after and so wee shall surely knowe that you bee goddes This quickned their spirites that our sauiour Christ tolde them that the holy ghost should instruct them of thynges to come after for there is nothing that mans mynde desireth more then to knowe what world shalbe hereafter and what shall fall after our daies And the Apostles were verye inquisitiue in suche thinges therfore many tymes they asked of Christ whether he went and which was the way and when he would come to the iudgement and when Ierusalem should be destroyed and not one stone left on another And when he would come to take his kyngdome vpon him and what signe therof they shuld haue with many suche other questions concernyng thinges to come Of this thought carke of mynde our sauiour Christ dispatched them when he tolde theÌ„ that the holy ghost should teache them instruct them of all thynges to come that were mete and conuenient for them to knowe Nowe this presupposed of the godly power of our sauior Christ by whiche he might haue made his disciples as parfite in all giftes of grace as y e holy ghost did and the cause why he did not so descending to my principal purpose I will speake according to this holy tyme and solemne feast of the aboundance plentie of grace with whiche his manhode was indued aboue al other men and wemen that euer had grace And which he deriueth distributeth to all his faythfull people that receiueth grace Of him the Prophet sayth Psalmo .xliiii. Vnxit te deus deus tuus oleo letitiae prae consortibus tuis Kynges and preistes whiche bore the figure of Christe were annoynted with material and corruptible oyle but Christ was annoynted of god the father w t the oyle of gladnes that is to say with the holy ghost which was figured and signified by the sayd material oyle With this oyle of gladnes he was enbrued aboue al his felowes more excellently then any man whiche he is content to take and vse as his felowes coinheritors and copartners of the ioyes of heaueÌ„ They haue graces distributed to them seuerally by partes and the graces that one man hath another man lacketh and men hath them after a remisse and slacke maner not fully nor perfitely And they that haue graces of one kynde yet some hath theÌ„ more fully and perfitely then some other hath But Christes manhode had all graces after the highest maner that could bee geuen to any creature He was full of grace not by measure but aboue measure Saint Stephan was full of grace Stephanus plenus gratia Act. vi But howe He had as much grace as was sufficient for him to preache Christ and to suffre persecution and martyrdome paciently for Christes sake And so is euery good maÌ„ and woman full of grace after a certaine sufficiencie according to their nede and as it is profitable for them The blessed virgin Marye was called in Gabriels salutation plena gratia full of grace by a special prerogatiue or afore others in asmuche as it pleased him of whoÌ„ commeth all grace and goodnes to take her in so gracious fauoure as to take his fleshe and bloud of her most pure virginal body But the maÌ„hode of Christ had all the giftes of grace after a certaine excellencie and superaboundance by which he might deriue and distribute grace to all faithfull people euen like as the head in vs geueth influence to al partes of the body in the vse and exercise of all sensible mouinges as appeareth for when the head is a slepe or mortified with Palseies or suche diseases all other partes of the body be astonied and can do litle or nothing And contrary when the head is of good temperature and well at ease al the body is the better more apt in euery membre to do his office by reason of suche influence as is deriued from the head vnto them Suche influence of grace doth our sauior Christ geue to all christen people for he is oure head and we his lymmes or membres and that godly liuelynes of grace that we haue we haue it of his store and plentie of grace Of this store and plentie of Christes grace the blessed prophet Esay maketh mencion speaking of the misterie of Christes incarnation saiyng capi .xi. There shal a slyppe or rodde spryng out of the rote of Iesse and a floure shall ascende out of his rote and on him shall rest the spirit of God the spirite of sapience and of vnderstanding the spirite of counsell and of fortitude the spirite of science and of pietie and the spirite of the drede of God shall replenishe him By this slyppe or rodde is vnderstaÌ„d the humble virgin Mary very flexible and plyant by humilitie The floure ascending out of that rote signifieth the swete floure of our redemption our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche rose and sprong out of the stocke and roote of Iesse otherwise called Isai kyng Dauids father by the sayd slyppe or rodde Mary disceÌ„ding lyneally of Iesse by Dauid and by other holy patriarkes And on this floure shal the holy ghost rest with
carnalitie nor bringeth any man to carnall liberty As in very dede this opinion of no Purgatorye dothe Here I will not contende aboute this vocable Purgatory I meane the middle or meane place betwixt heauen and hell in whiche some soules be stayd afore they can come to that most pure and cleane citye into which nothing can enter excepte it be of the cleanest sorte For whiche place if I coulde imagine a more accommodate and conuenient vocable or terme I woulde be glad to vse it bicause the scriptures hath not the sayd word Purgatory Albeit I knowe ryght well that in all Scripture wee reade not this worde Trinitas or thys woorde Consubstancialis yet God forbid that we should denye the blessed Trinitie in the Godhed the sonne to be consubstanciall and of one substance with the father or the holye gost to be of one substance with the father and the sonne Arrius that pernicious heretike when he was conuinced and compelled by aucthorities and reasonynge to graunte that all three persons in trinitie were of one and equall substance had none other refuge but to sticke in the vocable or terme homousion that we call in latine consubstantialis or vnius substantiae and in Englyshe of one substance because that word is not vsed in scripture he would none therof althoughe he could not denye the thinge a poore cloke of defence God knoweth to graunte the thinge and to varye in the name Therfore so that I might agree with this audience and they with me that there is suche a staye and a meane place of punishment after this life I would not care thoughe I neuer called it Purgatorye but let A. be his name To denye the sayde A. and to say y t there is no such thing bringeth a man to a carnall libertye and geueth man occasion boldly to continue in sinne to hys liues ende trusting then to crye God mercye for his misliuynge and then to go through as they speake I trow they meane to go by and by to heauen as well as he or she that hath liued in vertue prayers paine and penance all the dayes of their liues And so shoulde they be in beste case that be lechers aduouterers couetous brybers and oppressioners and extorcioners vserers periurers dicers and carders hunters and haukers and all suche of the worst sort where contrarye the true beleue that he that hath not done condigne and conuenient penaunce here shall be punished greuously accordynge to the grauitie of his misliuynge afore he enter into that most clere and pure city though god may of his absolute power forgeue such alonge misliuer for one woorde of repentaunce at his laste ende Yet this will make a manne beware of him self and to amende his liuynge surely thinkyng as the truth is that for his vicious pleasures in whiche he hath delited in his lyfe tyme and hath not sufficiently satisfied for hys faulte he shall haue afore he come to heauen suche punishement and payne as the lest parte therof shall greue hym more then all his vnlawefull pleasures haue done hym solace or comforte Thys counsayle and conformitie of good and faythfull people wythdraweth menne from sinne where contrarye Consilia impiorum fraudulenta the disceiptful counsayles and conuenticles of wycked menne rather prouoketh and geueth menne comforte to continue in sinne I was once in a soleme audience where I hearde a famous preacher laboure sore to impugne the sayde meane place saiynge that if it there were anye such place at all it is a place of ease quietnesse and rest alledgyng for his purpose the woordes of the Canon of the Masse after the seconde memento Qui nos precesserunt cum signo fidei dormiunt in somno pacis Where we praye for them that begone afore vs wyth the caracter printe and signe of christes faythe and sleapeth in the sleape of peace These menne lyke as they take the wordes of the Masse and of the seruyce of the churche when they semeth to make for theyr purpose woulde GOD they coulde be so contente to alowe and admit the same in other tymes and places It foloweth there right Ipsis domine omnibus in Christo quiescentibus locum refrigeri◠Iucis pacis vt indulgeas deprecamur Where we pray our Lord God fauourably and with cheryshing to giue them a place of cooling and refreshing contrarie to heate a place of light contrarye to darkenes a place of peace contrary to trouble and vnquietnes either by perplexitie and confusion of minde or by terrible visiōs or otherwise Now if their new purgatory be a place of tranquillitie a place of lyght and a place of rest and peace it should be but all labour lost for vs so besyly to pray that they may come to suche a place seyng that they haue it alredy Then to theyr allegacion Dormiunt in somno pacis you must vnderstand these wordes by a like saying of our sauiour Christ Ioh. xi After that he had a messager sent to him from Martha and Mary that Lazar their brother was sore sicke he taried in the place where he was then beyonde Iordaine for the space of two dayes and then sayd to his dysciples Lazarus amicus noster dormit Lazar oure frende sleepeth I will go into Ieurye where he dwelleth and wake him of his slepe Then sayde his disciples Sir if he sleepe he will be safe anone when he hath slept inoughe They were as wyse then as oure newe purgatorye menne be nowe They thoughte Christe had spoken of that rest that man and beast must nedes haue after theyr labours or els shall fayle and dye whyche wee call commonlye sleepe But Christe meaned of the sleape of deathe Dixerat autem Iesus de morte eius As he expressed by and by playnely saiynge Lazarus mortuus est Lazarus is deade And thys is it that holye churche in that place of the masse calleth sleapynge in the sleape of peace as Christe spoke in like case And as the Prophete speaketh in hys persone Psal. xv Caro mea requiescet in spe My bodye shal rest in hope to ryse againe Then consideryng that holy church after the maner of holye scripture vseth to call death by the name of sleape wee muste be wise and well ware to what thinges what wordes may agree and by reason wherof they do agre or els by our words we maye deceiue our audience as well as oure selues If we thinke that this slepe or death cōmeth to man by reason of the soule we erre very sore for the soule neuer dyeth but is immortall as well by the consent of the paynym Philosophers as by the auctoritie of holy scripture Deus Abraham deus Isaac deus Iacob Exod. iii. Non est autē deus mortuorū sed viuentium Mat. xxii Abraham slepeth and Abraham is wakyng Abraham is dead and Abraham is aliue The one parte you wyll graunte for it is true the other is the saiynge of Christe whiche can not be false The firste is
places of the gospels calleth God hys father and hym him selfe the sonne of God he is true and verye truthe and cannot lye he is the onelye begotten sonne in the fathers bosome euerlasting as the father is He was afore Abraham was made afore all other creatures not made but begottē of the substaunce of the father very God of God the father Not two Gods but one God and one light and of one substaunce with the father By whom as by his wysedome and craft the father made all creatures as saint Iohn saith al things were made by him he is our Lorde which ye must here vnderstand bi his humanitie manhod for by reason of the Godhed we may sai so of the father and of the holy gost although it be not so expressed in the Apostles Creede For God is oure Lord so we should cal him by reason of his vniuersal dominiō ouer al mankind ouer al other creatures The Lorde importeth a vage dominiō and vncertain power but there is no power dominiō or authoritie so certain as the power that God hath ouer vs wherefore it semeth we may not conueniently call him the Lorde And moreouer we vse to saye the Lorde speaking of suche Lordes as haue nothing to doe with vs as the lorde of Dale the lord of Kilmayn and such like whereas if we were theyr tenauntes or otherwise held of thē we woulde say my lord of Dale or our Lord of Dale and so of others Wherfore professing our due subiection to almightye God we shoulde in common speeche cal him our Lord not dimissing our selues from our allegeaunce to his highnes And I haue knowen verye honest mē that in cōmunicatiō long afore the new translations of the bible came abrode vsed sometimes to sweare by the Lord no more intending or meaning to sweare by God then by any Lorde in the isles of Orchadie so thynking to sweare by they could not tell what or by nothing albeit lest thei should offend them that be addict to the new gise I haue aduertised them to leaue suche sayinges tyll men may be better informed But to my purpose now because all power in heauen and earth was giuen to Christ and all thyng was subiecte vnder his fete and he in his manhood taught his Apostles and all vs by them and in his manhode redemed vs and in the same shall iudge vs therfore we maye iustlye by that reason call hym our lord and maister as it is expressed in this article THe third article was added by S. Iames brother to saint Iohn the Euangelist son of zebedi called Iames the more That was conceiued by the holy gost and borne of the virgine Marie the authoure and doer of this conception was the whole trinitie the father the sonne the holy gost for the workes of the trinitie outwarde amonge creatures be vndyuided so that what so euer one persō doth the same thing doth all three persons But in asmuch as thys blessed incarnation of Christ came of the mere goodnes grace mercy and loue of God whiche is appropriate to the holy gost as power to the father wisedome to the sonne Though all these agreeth to all three persons therefore the scripture sayth as very true it is that the holy gost was the deer thereof but how it was performed done we can better beleue thē declare it faith may do very muche in this article and in all other articles of our faith speche can do very litle Saint Austine faith that lyke as by the heate and influence of the sunne a worme is gēdred of the moyst earth so by the inspiration of the holy goste santifyinge the hart of the virgin the flesh of Christ was cōceiued formed facioned of the flesh of y e virgin without the worke of any sede of man workyng to the same and therefore Christ sayd of himself by the mouth of his prophet that he was a worme and not a man because he was not conceyued as other men be In this marueilous conception the profite and whole nature of man soule and bodi together was vnite and ioyned in one person vnto the sonne of God and neither to the father nor to the holy gost because there should be no confusion but that he that was the sonne of god shuld also be the sonne of man Borne of Mary the virgin he that came to renew the nature of man cankered with sinne chose a new maner to be borne of a mayde and not of a corrupt woman And whē the God of maiestie tooke hys bodye and was borne of a vyrgine hee was no more polluted nor defowled then when he made manne of the earthe as when the Sunne or fyre woorketh on the claye he amendeth and hardeneth that he toucheth and fyleth not it selfe And it is as possyble credyble and lykelye that hee was borne of a virgine as that he made Adam of earth and Eue the first woman of the rybbe of Adams side all is the woorke of God to whom nothing is impossible Great was the prerogatiue of that virgine Mary and the loue that god had to her in that that his onely begottē son by whom he made all the worlde he gaue vnto her to be the fruite of her wombe and her naturall sonne God that made all thyng was made man of her purest bloud to renewe mankinde that by synne was brought to nought While the sonne of God was in his fathers glory not descending to our infirmitie he was vnknowen but when that worde of God was made man and dwelled amongest vs he was seene and knowen on earthe and was conuersaunt with menne for whose sakes he that is Lorde of all the world is made our brother comming forth being borne of the blessed virgine euer close and cleane with out any aperture or diuision of her blessed body euen like as after his resurrection he came into the chambre among the disciples the doores beyng shut and like as the sunne beames commeth through the glasse and breaketh it not SAint Andrewe layde his portion to thys shotte or gathering by these woordes of the fourthe article That suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried Thys Ponce Pilate was president and ruler of the countrey and highest iudge there set in his authority by Tiberius the Emperoure of Rome to whom the most part of the world was then subiecte he is here named not for any honestie to his parson but for to declare the time when Christ suffred The death on the crosse he those and neyther to haue his necke broken nor his bones burst as being cast downe from a hyll as his neighbours were aboute to serue him in Nazereth Luke .iiii. where he was brought vp in youthe neyther to be stoned to death as the Iewes would haue killed him when he hid him self and went out of the temple Iohn .viii. And al was for our health and for to saue vs for as saint Austine saith we can not
and wee haue receiued by the preaching of the woorde of God in vertuous liuing agreinge to the same He beginneth his processe with laudes and thankes to God the father of heauen for his aboundant and great mercy in this that he hath regenerate and begotten vs againe to lyfe by our sauiour Christ. Where we afore by our carnall parentes were generate and gotten to dye Therefore he saythe blessed be God and father of oure Lorde Iesu Christ that is to saye God that is the father of our Lord Iesu Christ the first person in trinitie fountain wel and original beginning of the whole trinitie to which saynt Peter geueth his laudes and thankes not excluding any person in trinitie for the father and the sonne and the holy Gost haue all one Godhead equall glory and coeternall maiestie For this you must vnderstande that thys word blessed hath diuers significations according to the thinge that it is ioyned withall When we say blesse God or saye blessed be GOD it is a woorde of thankes and is as muche to saye as laude prayse and thankes be to GOD. For by oure blessynge GOD wee cannot increase hys glorye neyther make hym anye thinge the better by oure thankes although so doyng we accomplish do our boundē dutie to him but when God blesseth vs hys willing well to vs or saying wel by vs is his dede Therefore when hee blesseth vs hee gyueth vs some gyfte of grace or temporall subsidye and healpe by his mere liberalitye and gentlenesse and not of dutie nor of our deseruinge Thyrde when the father or a frende blesseth the chyld he giueth him temporall goodes or wysheth hym well and prayeth for him well to doe as Isaac blessed hys sonnes Iacob and Esau and lykewyse Iacob and other holye Fathers blessed theyr children as I sayde of Sainte Peters blessynge in the later ende of the salutacion of this Epistle Saynte Peter as I sayde begynneth wyth thankes offeringe to GOD at the beginninge a sacrifice of laude remembryng the sayinge of the Prophet Sacrificium laudis honorificabit me The sacrifice of laude and praysinge shall doe me honour saithe almighty God And like as hee that will doe bodely sacrifice to God muste doe it by the handes of a Priest or of a Byshoppe So this sacrifice of laude Saint Peter offereth to GOD the father by the handes of the great Priest and Byshoppe oure Sauiour Iesus Christe makynge mention of hym sayinge pater domini nostri Iesu Christi The Father of oure Lorde Iesus Christe And by thys Sainte Peter gyueth vs good example to begynne all our woorkes wyth thankes and praise to hym for hys owne glorye and with desyringe and praying for his grace to preuent vs to set vs forwarde at the beginning of our workes and to be concurrent and workynge wyth vs in all our affayres and proceadynges in oure businesse Qui secundum misericordiam suam magnam regenerauit nos in spem viuā per resurrectionē Iesu christi ex mortuis Whiche accordynge to hys great mercye by the resurrection of Iesu Christ from amonge the deade hathe begotten vs againe into a liuelye hope Accordynge to the rate of mannes offence almighty GOD multiplieth his mercye And thoughe all synnes compared to almightye God againste whom they be committed be infinite yet considerynge the frowardenes of the hart and wyll of the sinner some sinnes be more greuous then other be and require proporcionablye greater abundance of mercy in the forgeuynge of them then other dothe Therefore saynt Paule thoughe he were a blasphemer and a persecutour of christen people yet because he did it ignorantlye for lacke of fayth he found mercye and was forgeuen his sinnes i. Timo. i. But kinge Dauid coulde not pretend ignorance in his takynge of an other mannes wife neither in causyng Urye the same womannes husbande that neuer offended hym to be slayne vniustly These synnes were greate and horrible therefore he cryed and called for great mercye Miserere mei deus secundū magnam miam tuam And for manifolde mercye accordynge to his manifolde sinnes Then let vs accordyng to this consider the miserable case that mankinde was in afore we were regenerate by Christe and we shal perceyue that our regeneration by baptisme takyng his strength at Christes passion came of mercy yea of great mercy and of manifold mercy Our firste father Adam at his firste creation had the supernatural gifte of originall iustice geuen him for him selfe and for all his posteritie and issue This gift of originall iustice in him made a perfect tranquillitie and quietnes in al the powers of his soule so that his will by this originall iustice shuld obediētly do after the pleasure of god and all the inferiour sensible powers should likewise obeye the wyll so directed and ruled by originall iustice the will should haue preuented the sensible powers so that vnlawefull appetites should neuer haue bene in them As for to synne in adulterye with an other mans wyfe or for to steale or take away an other mans goodes Men shoulde haue hadde none such vnlawfull lustes And by the same gyft the wyll should haue commaunded the sensible powers at tyme and place conuenient to exercise their appetites accordyng to iustice As to vse naturall generatiō at tymes conuenient with a mans owne wife to eate and drinke as reason and iustice would There shuld haue bene no discention stryfe or debate betwixte man and man but continual rest peace And in thys case all mankinde should haue bene if Adam hadde kepte his obedience to almighty GOD but as a punishemente for his disobedience to God all hys inferiour powers disobeyed their superiours And this gyfte of originall Iustyce was geuen hym for hym selfe and for all hys posteritie And therefore lyke as God woulde hym to haue kepte it so he woulde all hys posteritye to haue dooen and requireth it of all menne and women that euer came of Adam by carnall propagacion for wee all ought to haue it And therefore almightye GOD iustelye requireth of euerye persone hauynge in hym the nature of manne that gyfte of originall Iustyce whyche hee gaue to the whole nature of manne And nowe the lacke of that originall Iustyce wyth the debte or duetye to haue it is called originall synne whyche maketh all the Issue and children of Adam the chyldrene of Goddes indignation and anger And so wee by that bee lefte free from Iustice and bonde to synne and to dampnation A myserable case that wee be in synne and be made the chyldrene of anger and of dampnation afore wee haue the vse of Reason and afore wee can dooe anye synne And beside that wee be made subiecte to all miserie vexation syckenesse and trouble whyle wee be here For if Adam hadde kepte hys obedience to GOD there shoulde nothynge haue disobeyed vs nother wynde nor rayne heate nor colde to distemper vs. And then to consider howe for thee lacke of the sayde gyfte of originall Iustyce wee
w t loue cxciiii d The Wiues by their faith and good conuersation may conuert the husbande folio cccvii d Wyfe must be first taken and afterward proued otherwise then any other marchaundise fol cc b Wicliffes heresies when they troubled this realme xix a Vix saluabitur iustus is expounded fol. cclxxviii a Women when they woulde be sene to care leaste for their heare or lockes then they care moost fol. ccxviii d Womens heare is many times disgised fol. cxcix a Women whose honesty is light chepe be moste curiouse in disgisinge them selues Eodem c Woman is the weaker vessel is declared fol. ccvi b. Women of Rome in olde time knew not the vse of wine folio ccxxxiiii b. Worme of riches is pryde fo cccv b Women be no meet hearers of moral philosophy xxxiii a Women how they shuld lerne for their soul helth xxxiiii a Woman was last made and first in faute Eodem b. Women haue taught men witte fo xxxv b Worme and not a man why Christ was so called lxxviii b Worldly inheritaunce hath .iii. noughtye properties cxx c Wronges when we ought to remitte them and when we may redresse them fol. xcvi a Wronge there is none when the thinge commeth of mere grace fol. lxxv d Wyues deseruinge to be beaten reneige their wiues state and tourne to the seruauntes state againe fo cciiii b X. XAntippa Socrates wyfe cast a chamber vessell on his heade and what he sayd then fol. cciiii c. d Y. YOnge men be no mete hearers of morall philosophye folio xxxiii a. b. Yonge in age and yonge in maners Eodem clviii b Yonge men must gentilly do after their elders fo ▪ clvii d Finis ¶ The first sermon containing an introduction to the whole matter of the vii giftes of the holy goste And treatyng of the two first giftes called the spirite of sapience and the spirite of intelligence THe blessed euangelist sanct Iohn in the first chapiter of hys gospel after he had somewhat touched the ineffable coeternitie of the second person in trinitie the sonne of God with God the father cōsequently he descendeth to his temporall generacion in fewe woordes comprising the same verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis That worde of God the second person in trinitie was cōtent to come alowe and to take our mortal nature vpon him and to dwel among vs not with any diminutiō or decay of the godhead for the infinite glorye of God suffereth neither augmentacion or increase neither decreasyng or decay It is euer one after one maner though it pleased him to hyde the glory of his godhead for a season as condescending to the infirmitie of them that he should be conuersaunt withall and to teache vs the waye of humilitie and that is it that saint Paule sayth semetipsum exinaniuit formam seruiaccipiens He withdrewe his mightie power frō his operacion for if he had shewed it in his owne lykenes all the worlde had not been able to haue receiued him He kept a lower port euer vsing humilitie and lowlynes sufferyng the paynes of our mortalitie with all the despites that the Iewes did to him tyll in conclusion he came to his paynes on the crosse in his painefull passion And that he withdrewe his power from his operacion in the tyme of his bodily presence heare on yerth appeareth euidently by this that if it had pleased him he might aswel haue indued his disciples with the cōforte of the holy ghost whyle he bodily taried among them as to haue differred it tyll the commyng of the holy ghost by sensible signes at this holy tyme of whytsontide In a long sermon that he made to his disciples afore his passion among other holesome lessons he sayd thus vnto thē Expedit vobis vt ego vadā c. It is for your profite that I go from you for if I go not from you the holy ghost wyll not come to cōfort you I haue yet many thynges to teache you but as yet ye can not bear them away but when the spirit of truth the holy ghost cōmeth he shall teache you all truthes necessarye for you to knowe But good lorde what sayst thou Nowe we can not vnderstande suche thinges as we be to be taught than we shal vnderstand How may this be Is he greater of power then thou art Can he do more in teching vs then thou canst do thy selfe good maister Christ to auoyde this scruple doubt āswereth saying No syrs I do not say this for any impotencie in me or for any inequalitie betwixt the holy ghost and me for the thinges that he shall teache you shewe you he shall not speake them of him selfe but of me The cause why I say so is this Omnia quae habet pater mea sunt propterea dixi de meo accipiet annunciabit vobis All thinges that my father hath be myne all power all knowledge all connyng be equally and aswel in the sonne as in the father and in the sonne frō the father like as he hath his generacion production beyng of the father therfore sayth Christ the holy gost shall take of myne and shall shewe it you teach it you for when he shal sensibly come among you he shall shewe you my fathers pleasure which is all one with my pleasure All that he shal teache you he shall take and learne of my father and of me Like as he hath his beyng of my father and of me and as he is the infinite and ineffable loue of my father and of me Thus sayd Christ vnto his disciples for in very deede all the workes of the whole trinitie be al one vndiuidid outfurth among creatures Loke what one person doth the same thyng doth all thre persones likewise Therfore there was nothing that the holy gost taught y e Apostles but Christ could haue taught it them if it had pleased him But he reserued left this power of instructing and cōfortyng the Apostles and others by them vnto the holy gost the third person in trinitie lest if Christ had done all himselfe they would peraduenture haue thought there had be no holy ghost at all or els that the holy spirit had not been of equal power with Christ and with the father of heauen In very dede afterward there risse a pernicious sect of heretikes as Arrius and his faction whiche merueilously troubled al the world in their time saiyng that the seconde person in trinitie was but a creature and lesse of nature power then the father And that the holy ghost was also a creature and a minister and messager of the father and of the sonne and lesse of power then either of them both Because Christ would not haue his disciples to erre in this point he reserued the best porcion of learnyng of godly comfort from them that the holy spirit might teache it them for their comforte that so they might knowe the dignitie of the
a husbandman if he wold giue of going to ploughe because he seeth distemperaunce and troublous weather manye tymes and looseth hys labour and cost we shoulde all dye for hunger Lykewyse the shypman or the marchaunt if for one storme or twayne or one losse or twayne he should abhorre and giue of goyng to the sea there would at the last no man auenture to the seas and then farewell this citye of Bristowe and all good trade of marchaundyse and occupying by sea The husbandman often laboreth and breaketh one peece of grounde and litle or nothing gayneth yet at last recouereth in one yeare the losse of many yeres afore And the Marchaunt man although he hath had losse by shipwracke diuers times yet he absteineth not to passe and seke out straunge portes â–ª and many times auentreth on hys olde busynes with a Cabao gathered of borowed money and dothe full well and commeth to great substaunce and riches Then considering that these men bestoweth so great studie and labours about transitorie things that will perish shall we by and by surcesse and leaue preaching if we be not hearde as we woulde be Their condicion and ours is not like they lose both labours and cost but we shall be sure to receiue rewarde of God for oure labours for we haue done that we be bounde to do we haue layde our Lordes money to vsurye and for increase as he biddeth vs do Moreouer consideryng that the diuel neuer despayreth our destruction but euer looketh for it wythout rest shall we despayre the health saluation of our brothers Christ that knew well al thinges that should come after ceassed not to admonishe and teach Iudas whoÌ„ he knew wold neuer be good theÌ„ what shal we do toward our brothers which we knowe not whither they will be good or noâ— Of Iudas he spoke One of you shall betray me I speake not of you al for I know whom I haue chosen One of you is the dyuell He cast them al in an anguish lest he should publish and vtter the traitour and should make him past shame by manyfest and open reprofe The apostle according to this sayth ii Tim. ii Goddes seruaunt must be no wrangler but gentle toward al men teaching them that resyste the truthe if peraduenture God wyll giue them penaunce towarde the knowledge of truthe And thus I truste thys doubt is solued which I nowe moued and that we must do our dutie still preaching and teaching and let God alone with the profit and increase to grow therof And here for thys tyme I must surceasse because I haue long protract the time perceiuing your attentiue eares and diligent audience not doubting but that you will kepe in remeÌ„brance that I haue sayd of the introductioÌ„ and entring into the whole matter of the seuen giftes of the holy gost and of two of the same One called the sprite of sapience the other the sprite of vnderstanding Of the other ye shall heare more hereafter by the grace and helpe of the holye gost who wyth the father and with the sonne lyueth and reygneth one God for euer and euer Amen â–ª ¶ The seconde sermon of the gift of Counsail WOrshipfull audience when I preached last in this place I promised to declare vnto you the seuen gifts of the holy gost which as the prophet Esaye saith rested on the humanitie of our sauiour Christ most abundantly And entring that matter I spoke of the coeternitie and of the equall power of the holye goste with the father and the sonne And how the maÌ„hood of our sauiour Christ had all graces after a higher maner then euer had any other creature And then howe all these seuen giftes presuppoâ—eth faith hope and charitie in him that shall receiue them And then I declared what sapience is and howe manye wayes it is taken And then ioyntly of the gifte of intelligence or vnderstanding and why I shoulde so vnitelye or ioyntlye speake of theym Nowe consequentlye I muste speake of the third gifte of the holye gost called the spirite of counsaile or the gyft of counsaile which like as all the other giftes were giuen to the manhood of Christ and by him to vs like as the holy gost by him is spred on vs and froÌ„ him as from the head be all giftes of grace deriued vnto vs as to his limmes or meÌ„bers as I haue afore said For declaration of this gift of counsel ye shal vnderstand that this gift of the holy gost like as all the seuen gyftes be gyuen to man to help all other vertues that man hath whether they be naturall or gotten by assuefaction exercise vse or custome and also to make man more apt easy to be styrred moued to goodnes by the inspiration or mouing of the holy gost as the children of God Quicumque enim spiritu dei aguntur hij sunc filij dei Rom. viii God is euer redy to moue vs to goodnes thoughe we of our selfe be full dull to go forward hauing al the studie of our hartes set to yll at all times rather then to goodnes Gene. vi Yet where the lyght of reason ouercoÌ„meth sensualitie some intellectuall morall vertues springeth furth as it was in the paygnim Philosophers of which some were taken for excellent in the vertue of temperaunce some in liberalitie or other vertues whiche yet for all their good qualities and vertues gotten by their great paynes and labours lacked the grace that shoulde make them goodmen and acceptable in the sight of God because they lacked faithe the foundation and grounde of all sure spirituall and gostly building To helpe the said gifts gotten naturally or by assuefaction greatly auaileth this gift of the holy gost the gyfte of counsail which is a supernaturall gift of deliberacioÌ„ or aduisement superadded to that natural gift of reasoÌ„ of which the philosopher speaketh vi Eth. oportet prudentem esse bene consiliatiuuÌ„ A prudent maÌ„ a wel practised man saith he must be far casting a good counseller But this property of reason called counceling or forecasting or worldly policie that the philosopher speaketh of â–ª maye be without this supernaturall gyft of counsail that we now speake of for a man may compasse cast contriue alwaies â—e they neuer so many to bring his purpose or his frends purpose to passe and yet may faile of his intent if he lacke this godly counsail that we now speake of And the waies that he thinketh to make for his purpose shal make cleane contrary against him as it is written Psal. ii Populi meditati suÌ„t inania Astiterunt reges terrae principes conuenerunt in vnum aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius Which to the letter was writ by prophecie of the conspiracie of the chiefe rulers amonge the Iewes with Herod and Pilate againste our sauiour Christe For they had contryued by theyr counsail how to destroy Christ as appeareth by the EuaÌ„gelistes as it wer by destroying of him
our faithe They haue euer bene impugned and persecuted by heritykes wilfully and grosselye leanynge to their carnall imaginations And yet God of his goodnesse turneth all to the best agaynste their expectation It is verye profitable and necessarye that our faythe shoulde be set to woorke for as sainte Ambrose saythe Fides inexcercitata cito languescit crebris ociosa tentatur incommodis super illud psal cxviii Iniqui ▪ persecuti sūt me adiuua me Our fayth when it is vnexercised anone waxeth sicke and faint And when it is idle it is tempted and tried with many discommodities Remissas excubias callidus insidiator irrumpit As we see that he that wililye and craftelye lieth in wayte will sone breke in to an Holde or Fortresse where the watches bee slacke and sleapye euen so when oure faythe the watche of oure Soule laye idle and was not exercised and tempted by contrary heresies spying howe to breake into the fortresse of our soules it was easye to sowe the sedes of errours in our soules to destroy our faith and our soules Fortye or fifty yeares afore this present yeare of Christ M.D.xlvi the common faithe of the churche was at rest and in maner idle without trouble And by that when the Germaynes suscitated and raysed vp all maner of heresies by Luther and that rable anone they were receiued in all countreys for pax fidei corruptele materia est Ambrosius The peace and rest of faith is the matter and cause of corruption of faith Mens wits wer vnexercised not cūbred with suche newes and coulde not forthwith by learning spye the falsitie of them therefore they were taken for truthes of all carnall and wilfull people and so beleued to the vtter confusion of manye a one The true rule of our beliefe is the whole booke of holye scripture but because it is to muche for euery parson to learne all that and to beare it way therefore the holye goste hath otherwise instruct his holye churche to gather the most necessary thinges for Christen people to beleue into .xii. articles according to the nomber of the .xii. Apostles which as the holy fathers wryteth as it is credibly thought after thei had receiued y e holy gost the gift of tonges by which they coulde speake all maner of languages and muste departe a sondre into dyuers countries to preache the faith of Christ. They thought it necessarye to make a gatheryng of the sayd articles and laye them together to be taught to all people that so they might by the same shotte or gatherynge knowe that as well they among them selues as all people of their teaching varied not but agreed in one faithe euen like as souldiours vnder one Capitaine vseth one badge and one watche word And according to the nombre and names of the sayde Apostles I shall in my processe diuide the said articles They be called articles that is to saye truthes of God and of hys gracious effects compact and knit into short sentences binding vs without ambiguitie or wauering to beleue them THe first article saint Peter layde to thys collation and shotte or gatheringe and it is this I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth In whiche article ye must note the order of the words Fyrst it is said I beleue to declare that it is no point of our charge to discusse and reason the highe iudgement and secrets of God nor to require and aske these busye questions when how or why but plainelye and stedfastly to leane to our fayth beleuyng on one God It is not sufficient to beleue that there is one God for the deuils in hell beleue that and so did the Paynym Philosophers but they dyd not glorifie hym as God but played the fooles in theyr fansies as other idolatours did It is not sufficient to beleue GOD as thou beleuest thy neighbour or thy brother whē thou thinkest that hys saying is true for so doth manye a synnefull person and yet noughte wyll doe accordyng to Gods wordes which he beleueth to be true But we must beleue on God or in God that is to say ▪ with our beliefe we must extende and set fourth our selues with loue to God so to be incorporate to him and made one spirite with him and thys is the good and parfit faith adorned and decked with charitie which onely shall saue vs. And in case thou be in deadly synne out of charitye yet ceasse not to say this thy belefe in this gathering or shotte of the Apostles called the Crede for it is the belefe of the vniuersal church which doubtles is not without charitie and so by the merite of the whole congregation of Christen people thou as the vnfrutefull membre mayst labour to come to the beliefe of the whole then trulye to say that thou for thine own part beleuest in god which afore was not true but in the voyce of the whole church If thou beleue on God thou must beleue he is of infinite power but one no more for it is not possible twoo powers infinite to be Then the superstitious erroures of Paygnyms worshipping creatures as theyr gods as Iupiter Mars Venus Sunne Moone or anye element must nedes be false And the heresie of Maniche making twoo first causes or twoo Gods one of good thinges which after him were onely things inuisible and the other he put the causer and maker of all yll thinges He called all visible creatures yll and nought moued by a rude imagination because they may hurt or do yll as the fyre burneth him that cōmeth to nigh vnto it and is yll to hym therefore he sayde it was yll by kinde and made by the deuyll And water because it choketh hym that is drowned in it and so is yll to hym therefore he sayd it was nought by nature and the effecte of the naughtye God And all they that vse sorcery charmes wytchecraftes by inuocation and callynge on dampned spirites that first taught men and women to vse such folishnes and to giue faith to thē loking for reuelatiō of secrets or for knowledge of thinges to come or for healpe of the deuils whych they ought to looke for onely of God And generallye who soeuer obeyeth man more then God doing that for the pleasure of hys Lorde or mayster or for affection or carnall fauoure to hys worldlye frende or louer which he would not do to please God or doing for his louers sake that is cōtrary to Gods pleasure Al such maketh their frendes theyr God so do al they that labour to satisfie theyr carnall lust or theyr bellies more then to subdue them to Gods pleasure All suche make theyr flesh or bellies theyr Gods and do not beleue on one God as is afore declared It foloweth in this first article The father almightye in which is expressed the first parson in trinitie the original foūtain of the whole trinitie by whose frutefull memorye the second parson in Godhed the
sonne of God is gotten aske not the maner how for the angels cannot tel The Prophetes were ignorant thereof Esay saith his generation who can declare as who should say no creature We muste beleue it and reason no farther in it Not that the father is elder then the sonne neyther of greater power but that like as the fyre is not without heate neither the sunne in the fyrmament without brightnes so was the father neuer without the sonne neither had any power to do any thing but y t the sōne had y e same power to do the same like him and so hath the holy gost the third person in trinitie product and brought forth by the will of the father and of the sonne coeternally with the father with the sonne Almightynes of power is here applyed to the person of the father by appropriation although it agre to the almighty sonne to the almighty holy gost not three almighties but one God almyghtie And by this that we beleue him to be almightie we haue a great comfort and lighte to beleue all the articles that folowe in our creede for if he be almighty he may make heauen and earthe of nought he may make a man to be borne of a virgin he may forgiue synnes and giue life euerlasting Maker of heauen and earth maker by creation that is to say without any matter or stuffe to make it of That a man maketh he maketh of somewhat or of some stuffe therefore he can be no creatour but almighty god made heauen and earth of nothing therefore he is iustly called the creator of heauen and earth What is here to be vnderstande by thys woorde Heauen there be two opinions for which ye shall first vnderstand that heauen is called one maner of wise the empiriall heauen aboue the starrye skye and aboue all the orbes that moueth there in which is neyther place nor vacuitie neyther time but onelye thinges leading a most blessed life Thys farre Aristotle dreamed and discussed primo de celo mundo and it agreeth with holy scriptures and with holy doctours there putting the felicitye of Aungels and men that shall be saued in the fruition that is to say in the clere sighte and loue of God ther most aboundantly shewing his glory This the prophet in the psalme calleth the kyngdome of GOD saying to God of the same Thy kingdome is the kingdome of all worldes as who should say whatsoeuer nomber of yeares can be thoughte or spoken of thys kingdome passeth it for this king almighty God was neuer wythout a kingdome by which it semeth to be eternal and euerlasting for it is the very clerenes of God coeternal with him and not created with other visible creatures and to thys were admitted and receiued the holy angels after their creation for so long space and such durance as God knoweth best afore that he made heauen and earthe that Moyses spoke of And of this minde is Saynte Basile as appeareth in the first homilye of hys exameron Heauen is taken an other waye for the bodies aboue as Sunne Moone Sterres with the orbes and circles there Heauē is called also the thirde maner all that is aboue the earth and so the sayde bodies aboue with the speires of the fyre and of the ayre be compriseed vnder one name of heauen so it is taken in the psalme when we say the birdes of the heauen for the birdes of the ayre And after this opinion so taketh Moyses this word Heauen when he saythe that in the begynning God made heauē earth And by the Earth there is to be vnderstande the water and earth together whiche as then were not dysseuered and diuided tyll the thirde daye when the earth first appeared drye The seconde opinion which is more comon taketh this worde Heauen for the empiriall heauen replenished and fulfilled with the glorious companye of Angels whiche was made together with the earthe vnderstandynge by the Earthe the firste vnfacioned matter or stuffe of which almighty God made disposed and garnyshed al other kindes of creatures that may be sene or feled as wel in the firmament aboue as vnder it to his owne glorye to do seruice vnto man Therfore we haue great nede to take hede that vsing Gods creatures for our profite or pleasure we in no case dyshonoure God vsing thē contrary to his honour contrary to his pleasure intent that he made them for THe seconde article saynte Iohn Euangelist layd to this shotte or gathering which is this And in Iesu Christe his onelye sonne our Lorde euer repeting this word And I beleue so that this is the sentence And I beleue on Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. The second persone in trinitie the coeternall sonne of the father knowing afore the worlde beganne the syn of Adā of the miserable case that mā shuld com to was determined to saue mākinde frō the danger of the same therfore he was euer worthi to be called a sauiour Iesus is as much to sai as a sauior thē this name was his for euer it is y e name that y e father gaue him by productiō in his godhed was newly diuulged published bi the angell to our blessed Lady his mother afterward to his foster father Ioseph with y e interpretacion of y t name saying Ipse eni saluū faci po s. a pec eorū For he shall saue the people from their synnes which onely God can do and none other ▪ Gods pleasure was that the same name that he had in his Godhed should also be his name in his humanite for his humanitie was the instrument and mean by which he wrought and perfourmed our saluation and redemption Iesus and Christ signifieth one person that was borne of the virgine Mary yet there is some difference betwixte the names Iesus is his proper name as we say Hēry Thomas Roger or suche like Christ is the name of a sacrament as sainte Austine speaketh or of an office super epist. Io. tract iii. as we say a king a prophet a priest Christ is as much to saye as anoynted and he was anoynted before all other men by the chiefest oyntment which is the holye gost one God with him and with his father of which oyntment the anointyng with oyle is the sacrament and signe It foloweth his onely sonne which as saint Peter writeth was not declared by any fables But by that that he with Iohn Iames sawe and hearde on the holye hill where Christ shewed them the maiestie of his glorious body as it shuld be after hys resurrectiō because they shuld not fear nor wauer when they saw the miserable processe of his painful passiō Therfore sayth he ii Pet. i. Christ toke of God the father honour and glory by a voyce comming downe to him from the great doynge glorye after thys maner this is my welbeloued sonne in whom I haue pleasure gyue eare vnto hym And Christ in manye
the mynde here he calleth it the spirite Wee vse not to call the minde anye thinge els but the reasonable porcion and parte of the soule And sometime the Apostle ioyneth them bothe together Ephesians iiii Renoua mini spiritu mentis vestre be you renewed in the spirite of your mynde whiche is noughte els but your minde as in an other place hee vseth lyke manner of speakinge Collossians ii In expoliatione â—dip oris carnis The bodye of oure fleshe that is to say the fleshe and suche maner of speakinge we vse in the Englysh tounge the citye of Brystowe whiche is no more to saye but Bristowe The Citye of London is but London The towne of Wells is no more but Wells And nowe to my purpose I thinke that Sainte Peter in this present salutacion taketh the spirite for the whole soule of man comprisynge reason and the sensible powers wyll and sensualitie whiche all together is sanctified by the holye Goste infusinge and powring faith and charitie into our soules when we came to the grace of Christendome and by thys as I sayde wee be made obedient to Christes faythe and readye to fulfill his commaundementes Et aspersionem â—anguinis Iesu Châ—isti And you be electe accordinge to Goddes knowledge to haue the bloode of Iesu. Christe sprinckeled and cast vppon you The bloode of Abell the fyrst Martyr was shedde and sprinckeled on the grounde wheÌ„ Cain his brother kylled him but this blood sprinckelinge cried for vengeaunce Genesis iiii Vox sanguinis fratris tui clamat ad me de terra saieth almighty GOD the voyce of thy brothers bloude cryeth vnto me from the grounde as thoughe GOD sayde Thy deede is so manyfest that it neede none accuser the verye bloude shedde on the grounde declareth thy manslaughter cryeth for vengeance Nunc igitur maledictus eris super terram que aperuit os suum suscepit sanguinem fratris tui de manu tua Therefore saythe almyghtye GOD thou shalte be cursed vppon the grounde whyche hath opened her mouthe and hathe receyued the bloode of thy Brother from thy hande The bloude of Christ cryed for mercie and forgyuenes yea for theym that crucified hym Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt Father forgyue theym saythe Christe for they knowe not what they do Therfore Saynte Paule comparynge these twoo aspersions together saythe Accessistis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquenteÌ„ quaÌ„ Abel Heb. xii ye become to the sprinckling of blood that speaketh better then Abels bloud spake To this aspersion we come by baptisme in which the efficacitie and strengthe of Christes passion commeth vpon vs putteth away â—ynne blame takinge his strength 〈◊〉 to do at the bloode of Christ shed for our redemption that they that be sprynckled with the bloode of Christ might auoyde and escape from the power of the diuel as the people of Israel by the bloude of the Lambe escaped and went out of the bondage of Egipt We see also in Moyses lawe that euery thing that should be â—anctified were wont to be sprinckeled wyth the bloud of the sacrifices killed for that purpose signifying the clensing and halowing of our soules by the bloude of Christ. Gratia vobis pax multiplicetur This is the conclusion of Saint Peters salutacion or recommendacion in whiche he gyueth them his blessing of grace peace Origene vpon a like blessing saith I think that this blessing of peace grace which is giueÌ„ to Gods welbeloued seruaÌ„ts to whoÌ„ the Apostels writeth is no lesse of strength theÌ„ the blessyng that the holy Patriarch Noe gaue vnto his sonnes Sem and Iaphet which was fulfylled by the holye Goste vpon them that were so blessed And lykewyse no lesse strength then the blessing that Abraham had of Melchisedeche or then the blessynge that Iacob had of his father Isaac or then the blessing that the twelue Patriarches hadde of theyr father Israell Then I saye that thys blessynge that Saynt Peter gaue theym that he wrytte vnto was no lesse then the sayde blessinges for he had in hym selfe the holye spirite and in the holye spirite he wryt hys letter and in the same spirite he gaue his blessing Then by the same holye spirite they shall take theyr blessynges that be blessed of the Apostles or of theym that haue the holye spirite wythin them speciallye if they be founde worthye and in whom the blessynge maye fall or els the sayinge of Christe shall bee brought to passe that he saythe in the Gospell Si fuerit ibi filius pacis pax vestraÌ„ veniet super eum sin autem pax vestra ad vos reuertetur If there be the chylde of peace your peace shall fall vpon hym and if no your peace shall retourne to you agayne And that is wrytte of peace is lykewyse to be vnderstande of grace for Saynte Peter ioyneth together grace and peace for peace is neuer withoute a speciall grace of GOD nor grace without peace Therefore where is lacke of grace there canne be no peace and where wee haue no peace wee maye be sorye that wee lacke grace This grace and peace the Apostle prayeth that it maye be multiplyed vppon them that he wrytte vnto that is to saye that it maye growe and encrease euer more and more from daye to daye And because hys meanynge was not onelye by theym that he had seen wyth hys bodelye eyes in the countries where he hadde laboured but also to all other nations that shoulde heare or see thys hys blessed Epistle It is not to be doubted but thys blessyng of grace and peace he wysheth also to vs speciallye if we may saye wyth the Prophet Aduena egosum apud te peregrinus sicut omnes patres mei Psalm â–ª xxxviii I am as a straunger with thee good Lorde and a Pilgrame or wayfaring man as all my forefathers haue beene he wrytte his letter to suche straungers therefore if we counte oure selfe as such straungers not setlyng our mindes to much in the worlde but countynge oure selues not to haue anye citie or stedfast abiding here but stretching and settinge fourthe our selues to the euer lastinge citye of heauen and to the glory to come Then let vs take heede to his blessed doctrine in this Epistle take it said vnto vs aswell as vnto them that al we may by his instruction come to such grace as may bring vs to glory euerlasting through the help of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ The seconde sermon BEnedictus deus et pater dnÌ„i nostri Iesu Christi c. After his salutacion here the apostle proceedeth to hys matter and processe in this Epistle or letter remembring hys pastorall office and dutie aswell to them that he writ vnto as to vs and all Christen people that shall come after vs specially if we take our selues as straungers and wayfaring people in this world He entended by his writing to confirme theym and vs by theym in the faithe that they
a. Church of christ builded on y e xii apostles equally clxiiii b Christ suffred his paines with ioy and gladnes in the higher part of his soule but by the lower portion he was in greatest payne fol clxxxxiiii a. Christes faith was first set forth by homly rude fishers and was reproued and pursued by the mightiest people of the world and yet it preuailed fol. ccxx b Christ preached in spirit to the spirites that were harde of beleif in Noes time is vnderstand .ii wayes fo ccxxiiii d Circuit or compasse about the deuill vseth fol. clxii d. Cleanes of life is necessary for receiuing of grace fo cxxx a Codrus king of Athenis died for his couÌ„treis sake fo xlix a Couetous men be like molles fol. vi c Counsel or policie worldly many times lacketh the spirite of counsell fol xv d Counsell of Gamaliel fol. xviii c the gifte of Counsell was in Iethro whiche Moises lacked fol. xxiiii c d Christen man winneth when he is thought to lose falshead loseth when he is glad of his winninge fol. cxxxiii b Consubstantiall that word is not founde in scripture yet it must nedes be vsed fol. xx d Conception of Christe in the virgins bodye is somewhat like the generation of a worme of the moist earth by the heate of the sonne fol. lxxviii a. and .ccxxi. c Communion much mutabilitie in ministring the communion amongest the heretikes fol cccxii d CommunioÌ„ of saintes is conformite to the coÌ„pany of holy men women as wel quicke as dead fol. lxxxv c â— Commaundementes of God be moral lawes oughte to be red in churches on sondaies holydaies lxxxx a Coueringe of sinnes is of two maners fol cclii a Correction beginneth at the churche fol. cclxxvi c Colchis where it is sayd the golden flece was is in Ponto fol. cx b. Counsell Nicene was kept in Bithinia Eodem d. Comming to Christ is by fayth fol. cliiii c Corner stone the Hebrues tale of that stone fo clv c. d new Conuerses to Christ suffreth much wo and persisteth in goodnes fol. ccxxxviii d. the Companie in Bristowe brought the common gaines into the handes of a fewe fol. ccxi b CoÌ„messatioÌ„s be al extraordinary banketings fo ccxxxiiii c Crime is described fol. cclxxxv c in Croked thinges the midle swarneth from the extremities fol. cccviii d Creation what maner a thinge it is fol. lxxv a. Crosses by the high wayes deuoutlye erecte maliciouselye cast downe fo lxxxxv a. Cure we haue euery one of his neighbour fol. cclxv d. Curiositie about new knackes and new learning is reproued with remedy against the same fol. clxxv b. c Cuthbert Sainte Cuthberte receiued an anngell for his gest fol. cclxi b. c D. DArke sayinges of Christe made manye to erre euen in Christes time fol. xxxvii d Dampned bodies how they shal euer endure fol. lxxxvii a the Deuils sinne is irremissible why fol. lx a Desire of the holy fathers to se Christ. fol. cxxvii a b Death of a faire death and of a foule death fo ccxli b Diuine productions fol. ix c Difference betwixt the minde of a fole and of a wise man about the affections fol. lvii c. Diuision of tongues was the greatest stroke that euer man was striken withall after the losse of originall iustice lx d Differ not to beleue why by example fol. lxxi c Die to sinne fol. lxxxii b. Discretion of spirites is necessary for him that shall studye scriptures fol. xcix b. c. Dowries or giftes of a glorified body fo lxxxvi c Dowries or giftes of a glorious body declared fo cclxxxi a Detraction and a remedy against detractours fol. cxlvii b Desier to haue is couetousnes and so is desire to saue folio cclxviii b. c Dukes Captaines and officers dueties vnder the kinge folio clxxxi b the Deuill killinge the latter Adam lost the first Adam and all his posteritie fol. ccxxvii a the Deuil medleth not with some walketh through some and compasseth about some fol. cccix d E. EArth is diuersly vnderstand folio lxv d Election of two maners fol. cxii c Elia the newe citie of Ierusalem fol. cxxviii b Embringe dayes fasted with prayers for orderinge of preistes fol. cclxxxiiii b Enuy is described is mete for no place but for hel cxlvii d Enuy commeth of vayne glory fol. cc. lxiiii d. Enuy how it may be put away by sufferinge in the fleshe folio ccxxxiii a. d Enuied and disdained is al new conuersion as wheÌ„ Saul prophecied fol. ccxxxvi c d Epicures felicitie fol. xlv c Epictetus determination of the affections fo lvii d Ephesus is a citie in the countrey of Asia the lesse fo cxi a Eue the first woman was made for two vses and in both she was excedingely punished fol. xcvi c Extremities of fortitude fol. xxvii a Examples of the gospels to forsake our parentes for to folow Christ in religion fo lii d Exhortation to seruauntes to their maisters fol xliii v Example of Christes paines in his most tender body shuld be our armour and defence fo ccxxx c Example of concord betwixt man and wife the lampraye with the veuemous viper geueth fo ccv c. Examples declareth and easeth our faith fo ccxxi b. F. FAbles pleasauntly couereth truthes fol. lxi d Faith is diffined and that it is necessarye for mans saluation fol. lxxi a b Faith hope and charitie be presupposed to the .vii. giftes of the holy goost fol v b Faith helpeth intelligence and contrary wise fol x. d Faith at rest and vnexercised anone decayeth fo lxxii c Faith is the instrumente by whiche God preserueth vs in goodnes fol. cxxii a Faith ouercommeth all worldlines and sinne is declared generally Eodem b Fear is necessary fol. lviii d Fear is deuided into sixe members after Damascen lxiiii d Fear is deuided into mundane seruile filial or chast EodeÌ„ Feare presupposeth a loue fol lxiiii d Feare seruile of god though it be not sufficient yet it doth good fol lxvi c Feare seruile and chast feare be like the feare of an adulteres wife and of a chast wife fol. lxvii c d Fear seruile is like the heare or bristel that leadeth bringeth in the threde fol lxix b Feare that is one of the seuen gifte of the holy goost is humilitie fol lxx b the rule of oure Faith is the whole booke of holye scripture fol. lxxiii a the Father in trinitie is neither elder nor more of power then the sonne or the holy Goste fol. lxxiiii d Flatterers of their lordes beleue not on one God properlye Eodem c Flateringe proueth a man fol. cxâ—iiii â— c Flattering hostes and tapsters that wil let vs in our iourney to heauen fol. clxxiiii b Fleshe desireth ease new inuentions and swetenes of tasting and touchinge Eodem c Flesh desireth against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh is vnproperly spoken fol. clxxvii a Feblenes of our wittes to vnderstande the holye scriptures fol. lxxxxix a Felowes to Christ. fol. ciiii c.
And euen like the gift of counsayle without fortitude or manlinesse is of no price Nother manlines without counsell or good aduisement No more is science without pietie or pietie without the discretion of science And fear muste haue some of the saide giftes concurrent with it or els no good will come of it Then to our purpose Because that our knowlege naturally beginneth at some of our fiue exteriour or outward senses which we call the .v. wits if our knowledge shall be eleuate aboue that his common course to heauenly matters as be thinges parteyning to our fayth it hath nede of some supernaturall light by whiche it may ascende and pearce into the knowledge of such thinges as by his natural power he caÌ„ not attayne to As that there be three persons in one substaunce of the Godhead And that the father by his fecund and fruteful memory produceth and getteth his onely begotten sonne the second person in trinitie And that the father and the sonne by their fecunde and frutefull will bringeth forth the holye gost coeternall and of equall might and power with theÌ„ both And y â— that one God thus distinct in thre persons by his endles and mighty power at his pleasure and wheÌ„ he thought good made all the world of nought And that by his onelye goodnes he mainteneth and preserueth the same so that if he would once withdrawe his hande of maintenaunce but one little moment from hys creatures they should sodainely fall to nought as they came fro And that all the glorious company of aungels he made to honour him like as all other creatures after their kindes and maners doth And where as some of the aungelles swarued from the grace that they were creat in and were damned to be the horriblest creatures and in most payne of all creatures of the world the others persistyng standinge in their goodnesse were confirmed in grace so that now they can not fall but continuallye remayneth in the glorious fruition sighte and loue of God euer ready to do his commaundemeÌ„t in heauen and at his pleasure here in earth toward vs mortall men Hebr. i. These and such high misteries of heauenly matters to perceiue and as it were by the sharpenes of mans witte to pearce into theÌ„ as man may here in this grose and corruptible bodye perteyneth properly to the gifte of vnderstandynge Ad donum intellectus And the more perfectly that this gifte is inspired into man by the holy gost the more distinctly and plainely he shal perceiue such hie secrets though perceue theÌ„ as he shall do hereafter in glory we can not yet And by mature and wise iudgement to discerne these verities from their contraries perteyneth properly to the gifte of Sapience or godly wisdome Ad donum sapientiae As to discerne one God from the false Gods To know that the .iii persons in Trinitie be equall in power and not one of them minister or seruaunt to the other as Arrius saide To know that there is but one maker of all thinges no more and not to put two creatours one of good thinges an other of euyl thinges as Manicheus saide And to iudge when the angels of God doth trulye Gods message And to discerne them from the aungels of darknes which many times disguise them selues into the fashion of the angels of light These and such other hye iudgementes in heauenly causes ê‘teineth properly to the gift of sapience or godly wisdome For this supernaturall gift of Sapience the wise man prayed Sapi. ix Da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam Geue me the wisdome from aboue that is euer assistent bi thy seat of glory and from thence is deriued and infused or send downe to menne Because that Si quis erit consummatus inter filios hominuÌ„ si ab illo fugerit sapientia tua in nihilum computabitur If a man be neuer so profound and excellent in mans wisdome if he lacke this godlye wisdome good Lord he shall not be estemed wise but rather a fole in as much as worldly wisdome is counted but folishnes afore God .i. Corin. iii. And the prophet Dauid prayed that he might obtayne thys supernaturall gift called Donum intellectus the gift of intelligence wittinesse or fine and cleare vnderstandyng saying Psal. cxviii Da mihi intellectum vt discam mandata tua Geue me intelligeÌ„ce that I may learne thy coÌ„mandementes Where it is highly to be noted that this noble king and prophet whiche so well knew Gods lawes and that saide he had kept Gods eloquent sayinges yet nowe he prayed for finer and clearer vnderstandyng by whiche he might yet better ascende and pearce into the same And we haue nede so to pray as the prophet did that this gift of Intelligence may be geuen vs to helpe our fayeth like as in many cases our faith helpeth our intelligence or vnderstandyng accordyng to the saying of Esay vii Nisi credideritis non intelligetis As saint Augustine and others redeth that letter Excepte ye beleue ye shall not vnderstande For many thinges there be whiche except ye beleue ye can not vnderstande as the articles of our fayeth with other like And many truthes there be that we can not beleue except we haue vnderstandyng either by hearyng the preacher by instruction or by study as Paule sayth Ro. x Fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi And this is acquisite fayth gotten by laboure studie or hearyng and so is vnderstandyng proporcionablye to the same whiche bothe be made more firme fast and certaine by fayth infused and by Intelligence or vnderstandynge infused and geuen from aboue of the holy gost And this gift of Intelligence is neuer withdrawen from good men specially about such thinges as be necessary for mannes saluation to be knowen although some men haue it in a higher degree theÌ„ some other haue but about other thinges not necessary to be knowen it is withdrawen to pul men downe that the matter occasion of pride and curiositie may be taken away and lest men should be to proud of gods gifts and accordyng to this speaketh saint Iohn i. Ioh. ii Vnctio eius docebit vos de omnibus The oyntment infusion or inspiration of the holy goste will teach you in all thinges necessary to be learned although very good men hauyng the grace that maketh theÌ„ acceptable and in the fauour of God may be dul and little or nought perceiue of other truthes without whose knowledge a man maye come to heauen wel inough Chrisostome in a sermon De spiritu sctoÌ„ vseth a more familier playner distinction of these two giftes Sapience and Intelligence saiyng When it besemeth a doctour or a teacher to speake plainely his gifte is called the spirite of Sapience And where nede is that the hearer do wittily perceiue that is spoken the gifte that he muste haue is named the spirite of vnderstanding which also is called the spirite of reuelation wheÌ„ nede is to learne
nother to be without payne and to take thy ease or thy pleasure generallye as Epicure sayde But rather to saye and answere that we were made and brought forth into this world for to worshippe God whiche begote vs to doe hym seruice And this after Lactancius is called Pietas Dei parentis agnitio ▪ The knowlege of God our father and maker not speaking of bare and naked knowledge of GOD as they hadde Qui cum cognouissent deum non sicut deum glorificauerunt Roma .i. Whiche when they knewe GOD did not honour him as GOD nother thanked hym for his gyftes but played the fooles fallynge to Idolatrye makynge Goddes of menne birdes and beastes Therfore sayth s Augustine .iiii. ciui ca. xxiii Pietas vera est verax veri dei cultus And as he saythe .x. ci ca. i. it is called by the Greke word Latria which is properly that seruice that perteineth to the worshippyng of God may be called also by an other latine word Religio Religion which properly signifieth the worshippyng of God and taketh his name secundū Lactanciū li. iiii ca. xxviii A religando ▪ because that by the bonde of the seruyce and worshippe that wee owe to God GOD hathe bounde manne to hym to do hym seruice as to our Lord and master and to do him worshyppe honour and reuerence as to our father Thus he hath bounde vs to hym by the faythe that he infused and poured into vs at oure christenynge and wee haue bounde our selfe to hym by our promysse that wee there professed for hys sake to renounce refuse and forsake the deuyll and all hys pompe and proude workes and so all wee were there made religious persones applied and appoynted chiefelye to thys seruyce that I nowe speake of pietas that is to saie the true worshippynge of GOD or the inwarde habite qualitie or gifte of the soule by the holye Goste geuen to man or woman by whiche a manne or a woman hauing it is inclined to goodnesse and made well disposed well minded prompte and ready to serue GOD and to do hym worshippe But because it is playne by the Prophet Esay where my matter is grounded that all these gyftes rested in the manhode of our Sauioure Christe whom he called the flower that shoulde rise vp out of the rodde springynge forthe from the roote of Iesse Let vs searche the scriptures whether it do appere by his actes that he hadde this gift Luke ii when he was twelue yere olde and able to take some labours he wente wyth his mother and wyth his foster father to Hierusalem They casting no perylles wente homewarde after the solemnitie of the feast thinking that Christe hadde been in the companye of the neighbours that thē went together homwarde frō Hierusalem after the maner as Pylgrymes vsed to go in flockes togither Thus they passed the way a whole daies iourney afore thei missed him when thei missed him it was no nede to bid thē seke they had lost their greatest iewel They sought him among their frends acquaintance and coulde not finde him the nexte daye they returned backe to Hierusalem the thirde day they sought all aboute in the Citye the fourth daye that is post tridium after thre dayes they found him in the temple sittynge among the doctours hearynge them and askynge questions of them He first hearde them reade and teache and then asked questions and opposed them Woulde GOD our Bible clerkes woulde so do nowe adaies that they woulde firste heare and learne and afterward to oppose for so they should profite them selues and theim that they do oppose Where nowe when they do oppose it is wythout anye learned maner and more for a vayne glorie or for to publishe and open mennes ignoraunces rather then to instruct them and that appeareth for commonlye they be doinge most busie with theim that be vnlearned rather then with them that be learned Our sauiour Christe occupied not him selfe soe but gate him selfe amonge the verye beste of the doctours that were in the Temple firste geuinge good aduertens and audience to their saiynges and then opposynge them for their learnynge And after thys maner his Parentes founde him occupied hys mother saide vnto hym Sonne why haue you serued vs so your father and I with sorowe and care haue sought you And Christe said vnto them why sought you me Know ye not that I muste nedes be in those thinges that be my fathers Or aboute my fathers busines Where he called the resorting and commyng to the temple and there to be occupied in contemplation in preachinge readynge teachinge disputynge or reasonyng his fathers matters his fathers businesse And in this he declared this gift of pietie that I nowe speake of to be in him and that by this gifte he was inclined so to do and so to occupy him selfe in the seruice of his father and in the worshippyng of almighty God And after when s Iohn Baptiste was cast in prison then came our sauiour Christe abroade and preached his holye doctrine in Galilee and other places Luke iiii and in his progresse he came to Nazareth where he was nourced and brought vp in his childhode And there came into the churche on the Sabboth daie as he was wont to do and stode vp and redde a porcion of the scripture as the maner was The scripture was of the prophecye of Esay ca. lxi Spiritus domini super me propter quod vnxit me euāgelizare pauperibus misit me c. After he had redde it he clasped vp the booke deliuered it to the clerke or minister that hadde the kepyng of it and sate downe like a doctour ▪ or a reader in his chaire or on his stole and expounded and declared the same scripture appliyng it to him selfe as the true litterall sence of that scripture did pretende saiynge Hodie impleta est hec scriptura in oculis vestris Now this scripture is fulfilled afore your eyes The holye spirite of God was on him and did annointe him and sende him to preach to the poore people that be poore in spirite and lowlye in herte All this was the seruice of his father redoundyng to his worshippe and to his fathers honour he applied all his preachinge Ioh. xiiii The sermon that you haue hearde is not mine but it is my fathers that sende me Also Ioh. xv In this my father is glorified that you maye bringe furthe muche fruite and may be made my scholers He did not attribute or geue it to his owne glorye or prayse that his disciples increased in knowledge and in the fruite of good works comming of the same but to the glorye and prayse of his father Likewise that his disciples and we by them be Christes disciples he willeth vs to geue laudes and glorie therfore to the father although y e fathers glorie and his by reason of his Godheade were is all one Thus ye may well perceiue through the Gospels howe vehemently and earnestly he was
seruile feare that serueth or dothe well onelye for feare of payne and it is true also of the feare that groweth in processe which is partlye for feare partly for loue that is called Timor inicialis this is the next meane to the chaste feare or holye feare that remaineth for euermore But nowe finallye to speake of the seuenth gift of the holie Gost whiche as the Prophete Esay sayeth rested on our sauiour Christ. It is not mundane humane nor carnal feare nother the seruile feare or the bondmannes feare His good and gracious workes that he did on earthe he did not for feare of the paynes of Hell or for feare of anye other punishmentes It was the holye feare that remayneth for euer It was louynge and reuerende feare of God suche as all the angels in heauen haue nowe And that maye begin in vs grow vp with charitie here on earth and shal shote vp and growe vp with euerlastinge charitie or loue that shall neuer fall awaye or fayle but shall euer abide more and more in euerlastynge glory This feare dothe not importe anye perturbation or trouble of minde but rather a certayne reuerence towarde almightye God Suche is the feare that the angels haue in heauen where is no trouble of minde or vnquietnesse but readye and ioyful obedience to almighty God And such reuerende feare of the father hadde our sauiour Christe as appeareth in manye places of the gospell where hee protesteth hym to dooe the commaundementes of his father and to fulfyll his pleasure with manye suche like Honorifico patrem c. Thus he did lowlye and reuerently magnifie his father by reason of his manhode by whiche he was inferiour and lower and subiect to his father And in his manhode he hadde these seuen giftes of the holye Gooste restynge on hym as Esai saide and as I haue declared in times paste And this gifte of dreade or feare of GOD after scolasticall doctours is Humilitie which was most excellently in our sauiour Christ Phili. ii Humiliauit semetipsuÌ„ dominus noster Iesus Christus c. Our Lorde Iesus Christe did humiliate him selfe kepynge obedience euen to hys death on the crosse for whiche God the father exalted him gaue him a name aboue al names that all creatures in heauen earthe or hell shall bowe the knee to this blessed name of Iesus and all tonges shall confesse that our Lorde Iesus is in the glorye of god his father there to be mediatour a meane and intreater for vs to bringe vs as his coparteners and coenheritours wyth him to his inestimable glory in heauen and that we maye all come to that enheritaunce he graunt vs for his infinite mercy that for vs dyed Amen An homilie or sermon of the articles of our christian faythe FAyth as saynt Paule sayth to the Hebrewes is y e beginnynge of heuenly ioyes that we hope to come vnto makinge our wits surely to assente agree to thinges that wee do not yet see nor knowe by experience Euerlastyng lyfe shall stande in the clere knowledge of the Godhead and of the glorified manhode of our sauiour Christ knitte in one persone to the seconde persone in Trinitie one God with the father and with the holye Gost. This knowledge and sighte wee shall haue in heauen clearelye and perfitelye whiche wee haue here but darkelye by heresaye But let vs leane fast by our fayth to this that we hearesaye by Gods scriptures and liue accordinglye and wee shall not faile to come to the cleare knowledge in heauen where we shall knowe God as he knoweth vs without corporall similitudes to conduct vs to that knoweledge and without anye impedimente Without faieth it is impossible to please GOD. For he that wyll come to God muste neades beleue as the Apostle saythe Hebre. xi Wee muste not diffarre nor refuse to beleue so longe tyll wee can declare or proue by reason the articles or poyntes that wee be bounde to beleue for if wee woulde be so daungerous it myght chaunce that by the difficilitye of the scriptures of the things that we shuld beleue we myght be withdrawen and kept backe from the merite and rewarde of our faythe for euer He that woulde so differ to beleue shoulde be like a manne almoste deade for honger whyche hauynge breade and meate offered hym woulde not open hys mouthe to eate thereof tyll hee knewe who made the breade and dressed the meate and howe and wyth what instrumentes or tooles it was made and dressed He were like to be deade for honger afore he came to that knoweledge Better it were for him firste to take hys meate and saue his lyfe and afterward if nede were at leasure to laboure for such knoweledge if he myght obtayne it So best it is for vs with an open harte to beleue as wee be taughte by Christes churche and to feede oure soules with suche Godly foode and to saue our liues by fayth afterward by exercise to attaine to more distincte and playne vnderstandynge of that wee do beleue accordynge to suche measure of fayth as shall please God to distribute to euerye one of vs. There was neuer manne saued from the beginnynge of the worlde neither shall be to the ende of the same but by his beliefe on Goddes rewarde prouided for his faithfull people by the merite of our sauiour Christe as by the mediatoure and meane to come thereto The holye menne and women that were afore Christes incarnation by the space of fiue thousande yeres and more were saued by their fayth of saluation by the mediatour that was to come and in signe thereof they vsed their sacrifices afore the lawe written and also in the tyme of the lawe writte by Moyses as figures to proteste and signifie the misterie of the mediatour which the auncientes and they that hadde higher reuelation and that were best learned among them beleued more distinctlye and plainelye then the younger and simpler sorte did or were bounde to beleue And nowe in the plentuoâ—s tyme of grace bothe yonge and olde be bounde to haue expresse faythe of Christes incarnacion alreadye exhibited and perfourmed and of suche articles and pointes as be commonlye declared and openlye set furthe in the churche concernynge our saluation by our sauioure Christe as the onelye meane to obtayne the same Al be it they that haue clearer wyttes and they that be sette in aucthoritye and offyce speciallye to haue the rule and cure of Christes flocke be bound more expreslye dystynctlye and playnelye to haue the knoweledge of subtyller and hygher consyderations consernynge the Articles of oure faythe then the rude and vnlearned folcke so that they maye by their knoweledge and learnyng declare the truthes and the possibilitie of the same to them that be ignorant and would learne i. Pet. iii. To declare I saye but not to proue by reason the veritie of them They must also bee able to replye and conuince theim that frowardely woulde repugne and countersaye anye article of
done whether it be good or yll .ii. Cor. v. And so Christ sayde that when he shoulde come in his glory with his aungels then he shall pay euery one accordinge to his dedes These wordes are greatlye to be feared for he sayth not that then he wyll geue after his mercy to euery one but after theyr owne dedes here he is mercifull there he wyll be all rightuous therfore the longer that he loketh for oure amendemente here so muche more greuouselye he wyll do vengeaunce yf we wyll not amende This iudgemente is greatelye to be feared for the hyghe wysedome of the iudge and for the cleare knowledge that he hath for al thinges be naked bare and opened to his eyes as well the secrete thoughtes of mynde as open deedes there shall nede no wytnes to accuse the synners for theyr owne consciences and theyr thoughtes shall be the accusers and wytnesses of theyr owne iniquitie accusinge or excusynge in that terrible daye Roma ii His fyrste comminge to take oure nature vpon him was in infyrmitie weakenes and pouertie but his seconde cōmynge that shall be to this merueilous iudgemente shall be in myghtye power and maiestie His power is almightye in it selfe and besyde that all the worlde wyll take his parte and fyghte wyth hym agaynste lewde synners there shall be no man to speake or to entreate for them and then he wyll be verye terrible and angrye to reproued synners in so muche that they shall wysshe the mountaynes and hylles to fall vpon them and to hyde them from the angre of the Lambe Oh merueylous agonye and furye of mynde that they shall be cumbred wyth to be so afrayde of a Lambe He wyll shewe him selfe very amiable pleasaunte and comfortable to his electe people and therefore to theym he wyll be as a Lambe and to the others wonderous sore and greuous THe nynth article of oure fayth is of the thyrde personne in Trinitie the holye Gooste expressed by Saynte Iames the sonne of Alphey called Iames the lesse because he came later to be CHRISTES scholer then the other Iames the Sonne of Zebede of whome I spoke in the thyrde Article This is the article I beleue in the holy Gost. Like as we must beleue on the father on the sonne so must we beleue on the holy Goost for he that beleueth not on all three persons taketh no profite beleuinge on one or twayne of them for this is the catholike and common fayth to beleue one God in Trinitie and a Trinitie of persons that is to saye thre persons in one Godhead The holy Goost the thyrde person is brought forth by the fruitefull will of the father and of the sonne as the equall wyll and loue of them both of equall mighte and power and maiestie with the father and with the sonne on whome we muste beleue After the article of beleuinge on the holy Goost conuenientlye foloweth two other articles concerninge the workes of grace of the holy Goost One is of the worke of grace in gettinge that thinge that is good the other in amouing and auoydinge that is yll OF the fyrst grace Symon the Apostle called Chananeus and Zelotes putteth the tenth article of oure crede saying The holy catholike Churche the communion of sainctes After the myndes of some holy doctors we may not saye properlye that we beleue in the holye Churche or on the holy Churche for the Church is not God on whom we beleue as is aforesayd it is the house of God Albeit if we say so it may be allowed as S. Paule praysed the Collossen i. for the fayth and charitie that they had in Deo in omnes sanctos on God and on all holy persons because that by theyr fayth and charitie they extended theim selues to God and all good men So in as much as we extende and set forth oure selues to conforme our selues to the vnitie of all holy churche and to the communion and company of all holy folkes by our fayth adourned with charitie mouinge our selues to suche conformitie in perfection of life we may by that reason saye that we beleue on the holye Churche and on the communion of sainctes This Churche is called holy as for a distinction and difference from the Churche that the prophete speaketh of saying I hate the churche of imaginers of mischiefe dissention and debate For suche Churches be not holy but rather yll and very noughte It is also called holy because the people and company of the same be washed from the vncleanes of sinne by the holy Sacramentes of the church takinge their efficacitie and strength at the bloude of our Sauiour Christ. It is called catholike that is to say vniuersall or whole ouer all the world not mutteringe in sundry corners or countreys as heretikes haue imagined theyr Churches There can be no greater treasure no greater honour gottē then to haue the grace of the lyuely fayth of this vniuersall churche This fayth saueth sinners worketh miracles ministreth Sacramentes who so euer he be or in what state or condition so euer he be yf he be not in this fayth of the catholyke churche he is no true christen man neyther can be saued lyke as there was no man nor woman saued aliue in the great floude that was in the tyme of Noe but onelye they that were within his great shippe The communion of sainctes or of holy persons that is to saye like as I beleue the holy churche to be one and holye and that yf I will be saued I muste conforme my selfe to that vnitie not swaruinge from it by heresies or dissention so I muste in perfection of lyfe conforme my selfe to the felowship and companye of holy persons as well of them that be nowe aliue as of them that be departed to God afore vs. For if we wyll haue communion or felowship with the sainctes or holye men in euerlastinge life we muste studye to folowe them in liuinge for they muste perceaue in vs somwhat of theyr vertues that so they may vouchesafe to pray for vs to almightie God And although we can not suffre martirdome as some of them did yet at the lest wise we must by example of them repugne and resist yll and vnlawfull concupiscence and the rather by their prayers that so we may obteyne forgeuenes of oure sinnes hauinge a merueylous good helpe thereto by the holy Sacramentes of this catholike churche whiche sacramentes all holye men and women commoneth and vseth felowlike pore and riche all together And by the vnitie and communion in the fayth and Sacramentes of this holye churche we receaue as well the merite of Christes passion and of his holy lyfe as of the good liuinge and good dedes of all holye people beynge all one knitte together by the liuelye fayth of the sayde catholike Churche according to the prophetes sayinge I am partaker of al them that feare the O Lorde And therefore euerye true lymme of the sayde Churche is partaker of all the good
in manye pointes they be very ciuill and holsome rules to direct comonalties or particuler persons wher Christen princes and noble counsaâ—les thynketh it good to take any of the saide iudiciall lawes of Moyses and to stablishe theym to order theyr subiectes then the sayd subiectes be bounde to obserue and kepe them not as giuen of Moyses but as newlye made by their owne superiours and rulers But as for the Iewes ceremonies because they were the very figures and onelye significations of Christ to come and of some sacraments ceremonies to be vsed in Christes church in the tyme of grace now alredy exhibited and performed giuen vs by our sauiour Christ. They must needes surceasse for when the veritie of the sygnes and fygures be put in execution the shadowes be of no efficacitie It is mortal sinne now to vse them putting any trust of saluation in them for in so doing we shoulde shewe oure selues to be of the Iewes faith thinkinge that our redemption by Christ is not yet sufficiently performed whych is plaine false and dampnable to be beleued Notwithstanding Christes churche is not clearelye without ceremonies some ordeined by Christ by his Apostles and holy fathers by the comon consent of noble princes and commonalties for the adorning aduauncing and settyng furthe of Christes religion For we haue sacrifices sacramentes sacred or halowed thinges and obseruaÌ„ces proporcionably to the foure that as I tolde you were vsed in Moyses law one most excelleÌ„t sacrifice is the busy and dayly sacrifice and offering in the masse of the blessed bodye and bloude of our sauiour Christ in the forme of breade and wine This sacrifice we be taught and commaunded to vse by the eternall priest after the order of Melchisedech our sauiour Iesus Christ at hys last supper sacrificing vnto his father bread and wyne turned by the vertue of his holy and mighty worde into hys owne bodye and bloude And in this doyng most deuoutly is called to mans remembrance his blessed immolation on the crosse and is presented vnto hys father for health and grace to theym that be a lyue and for reast and quyetnes for all them that be departed in fayth A contrite and a troubled hart for a mannes sinnes the Prophet in the psalme calleth a sacrifice which almighty God will not despise And in an other psalme God sayth by the same prophet the sacrifice of laude and praysing shal do me honor kyll the wantonesse of thy wyll and the ranknes of thy fleshe in the loue of him and so thou shalt set vpon Gods aulter that is to say on Christes crosse the most acceptable sacrifice vnto him and who so euer voweth and payeth to God all that he hath all that he lyueth all that he vnderstandeth as the Apostles did he offereth to God an holocaust that is to saye an alburned sacrifice For generally euery dede that we do by whych we shewe our selues to cleaue and stickefast vnto God referred to an heauenlye ende maye be called a sacrifice ¶ Sacramentes we haue also seuen in nomber taking their efficacitie and strengthe at oure sauiour Christ and left in the church as holesom medicines against the manyfold infirmities and diseases of our soules â–ª These be the very few and manifest sacraments in which the mercy of god woulde haue his churche free and at lybertie as saynt Austine writeth in his boke of the customs of the churche to Ianuarye And yet all these be not necessary for euerye man that shall be saued For euery man taketh not holye orders neyther euery man contracteth matrimony many a man is saued without confirmation and also wythout the blessed sacrament of the aulter and with out extreme vnction that we cal Inoyling Baptisme is necessary and to theym that after baptisme haue fallen to mortall sinne penance must nedes be had And this seemeth to be the hardest Sacrament or ceremonie that Christe lefte in hys Churche specially for that part of it that is confession in whyche we reueale and vtter to a mortall manne the synnes that afore were priuye and secrete betwyxte GOD and vs. But to mitigate thys confusion or shame wee must inwardly consider the losing of our synfull bondes and by that to be set at libertie oute of the deuils danger this shall make vs not to be ashamed to tell the truth for our soules sake Let vs with all consider that he to whom we be confessed is most straitly bound to keepe our counsayl vnder a more priuie seale then we be our self bounde and so we shall not neede to stycke nor shrinke to make a plaine confessioÌ„ Sacred or halowed thinges we haue very manye as churches and Churchyardes Chalice Corporas Cruets Uestimentes and other ornamentes of the ministers doynge seruice in Christes churche besyde their daily rayment shewing distinction of them froÌ„ the laife which is a veri honest ceremony necessary to be vsed albeit a great many of vs priestes litle regard it going in our apparell lyke the lay men by that declaring that we be ashamed of our order and woulde be glad to pull our heade out of that yoke if we might We haue also obseruances of holye dayes as sondayes and other solempne feastes by course succedynge after the reuolucion of the yere We obserue also certayn solempne times of fastinge as the faste of Lent the Embre daies and in the remeÌ„brance of Christes passion we punish our bodies with abstineÌ„ce and fasting euery fridai The deuout ceremonies on Palme sondayes in processions and on good fridaies about the laying of the crosse and sacrament into the sepulchre gloriouslye arayed be so necessary to succour the labilitie of mans remembrance that if they wer not vsed once euery yere it is to be feared that Christes passion wold sone be forgotten the crucifixes erected in churches crosses by the highe wayes were intended for the same purpose although some pestiferous persoÌ„s haue ouerthrowne them and destroyed them for the very contempt of Christes passion more then to finde money vnder them as they haue pretended We obserue as a necessary ceremoni likewise a sober silence in the church in time of preachyng the worde of God and also while diuine seruice is a doyng with manye suche other ceremonyes which were to long here to be rehersed ¶ And finally to speake of the iudiciall lawes the Iewes were neuer yoked nor troubled wyth halfe so manye gyuen to them as we be pressed withal what with ecclesiastical lawes and other statutes and actes aboue nomber So that as Sainte Austine in the booke of the customes of the church saith the condition of the Iewes seemeth more tollerable and easye to be borne then the case that ChristeÌ„ people be in For the Iewes neuer knewe the tyme of lybertie and yet they were not bouÌ„d but only to the burdens expressed in Gods lawes and not to mens presumptions as we be in somuche that if a Iewe well learned in Moyses law and conuerted to Christes faith
faythfull people as well Iewes as Gentyles dispersed as straungers here and there in the saide countreis S. Peter wrytte his epistle and he calleth them electe and chosen by the knowledge of God the father not excludynge the sonne or the holye Gooste for the prescience foreknowledge and knowledge is all one in all three personnes in trinitie Whom the father doth predestinate or choose to grace or to saluation the same doth the sonne and also the holye Gooste predestinate and chuse to be saued Theyr workes amonge creatures be all one but in as muche as Saynte Peter calleth theym that he writeth vnto electe and chosen by the knoweledge of GOD the father We muste not thynke that all they that were conuerted to CHRISTES fayth in the sayde countreis to whiche Sainte Peter wrote were electe by suche election as Christe speaketh of in the parable Math. xxii Multi sunt vocati pauci vero electi Manye be called and but fewe chosen for here it is meaned that fewe be chosen fynallye to be saued and to be sure of lyfe euerlastynge It is not to be thoughte that Saynte Peter would make to all them that he wrote vnto anye suche assuraunce but he taketh election more largelye as Christe speaketh of it Nonne ego vos duodecim elegi vnus ex vobis Diabolus est Ioh. vi Dydde not I chose you twelue and one of you is the Deuylles birde And also Ioh. xv Non vos me elegistis sed ego elegi vos You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Where we muste vnderstande by this election the vocation and callinge to the faith and to beleue on Christe for neyther they that this was spoken to nor any other were chosen because they beleued on CHRISTE but because CHRISTE chose theym therefore they beleued on hym so that GODDES eternall election was the cause of oure vocation to fayth And therefore Sainte Paule sayth Ephes. i. Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem GOD the father chose vs in CHRISTE afore the worlde was made he chose vs to be saued by the fayth of CHRISTE whiche is the onelye and verye necessarye waye to saluation Nowe to my purpose all these people of these countreis to whiche Saynt Peter wrytte were electe and chosen by the prescience and foreknowledge of GOD to be called and to come to Christes fayth and to continue in the same as GOD knew GOD knewe who were his that woulde finallye continue in CHRISTES fayth and be saued and who woulde fall frome the same to infidelitie agayne or by sinne and misliuinge deface and defoule theyr fayth and be dampned But here yet riseth a doubte for Saynte Paule sayth Roman vii Quos presciuit predestinauit hos vocauit c. Theim that he afore knewe and dydde predestinate he called and them that he called he iustified and them that he iustified he magnified and glorified and appointed finallye to glorie euerlasting Therefore it shuld seme that if they were called they were iustified and if they were iustified then muste it nedes folowe that they were gloryfyed Here you muste vnderstande that there is two maners of calling or chosinge one is secundum presentem iustitiam accordinge to a certayne iust maner of liuinge that men be of for the tyme of theyr callinge and as they appeare in the face of the worlde as the scripture speaketh of Saule i. Reg. ix Erat Saul electus bonus non erat viâ— de filiis Israel melior illo Saul was chosen and good and of all the issue of Israell there was not one better then he Then he was good after he was noughte So Iudas when he was chosen was good ynough although he afterwarde betrayed his mayster and ours For this kinde of callinge doth not so confirme men in goodnes but that they may fall and be noughte so was Saul and so was Iudas and so were manye of them that S. Peter writte vnto although thei were called and chosen to Christes faith by the ministery and labour of S. Peter S. Paule or of others of the Apostles There is another election chosinge or callinge whiche is secundum dei propositum accordinge to Goddes determinate purpose Of this S. Paule speaketh Rom. viii Scimus autem quoniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum his qui secundum proposituÌ„ vocati sunt sancti To them that by Goddes determinate purpose be called all thinges worketh for the best yea sinnes that they do maketh theÌ„ to repent theyr doyng and to arise by penaunce and to be better ware of suche sinnes thereafter and to do no more so Therefore I say to the letter of S. Peters epistle they were elect and chosen as God knewe that all shoulde come to the faith of Christe In sanctificationem spiritus to be saÌ„ctified in spirite by baptisme and to haue their soules in the way of saluation in sanctificationem spiritus saith the vulgate and comon text per sanctificationem spiritus in obedientiam c. saythe the newe translation and they come all to one purpose For by that that we haue our spirit sanctified and made holy by Gods holy spirite the holy gost we come to obedience and be made obedient to the faith of Christe and be redy to fulfyll perfourme and do the workes of the spirite and to bring furth the fruites of the spirite which be charitas gaudium pax patientia c. Gala. v. And S. Paule prayed almighty GOD for his disciples and by them for vs all .i. Thessa. v. Ipse autem deus pacis sanctificet vos per omnia vt integer spiritus vester et anima corpus fine querela in aduentu domini nostri Ieâ—u Christi conseruetur The God of peace make you all holy in euery point that your spirite your soule and your bodye maye be kepte without complaint in the comming of our Lord Iesu Christ. In which wordes he diuideth man into three partes the spirite the soule and the body where you shall note that the spirite sometyme signifieth the whole soule of man and so it is taken in the prophetes words in the psalme In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum which Christ spoke vpon the crosse And it foloweth there Inclinato capite tradidit spiritum he bowed his head and yelded bp his spirite that is hys soule But when we finde in the scriptures such a distinctioÌ„ of the partes of man as the Apostle putteth in the place aboue rehersed then we muste take the spirite more preseisely for that parte of the soule by whiche we vnderstande and reason a matter And that same parte Saynte Paule calleth in an other place the minde Mente seruio legi dei carne autem legi peccati Roman vii Wyth my mynde I serue the lawe of GOD but by my fleshe I serue and incline to sinne And lykewyse Galathians v. Caro concupiscit aduersus spiritum spiritus autem aduersus carnem so that he called afore
victorie that ouercommeth the worlde oure faith for our fayth on God and on his holy worde telleth vs that no manne shall desyre to haue an other mans wyfe neither any woman to haue an other womans husband nether anye man beside her own husbaÌ„d Likewise if thou se another mans good lye by the negligentlye so that thou maist conuey it awaye and no man to se the yf thou take it awaye or consent thereto here thy fayth is tryed and proued noughte for thy fayth telleth the that thou shalt take awaye none other mans goodes Lykewise in thy occupyinge if for couetousnes to get the penye thou sell false or noughty ware or by false weightes or measures deceiue thy neighbours so doynge thou shewest thy self to forget thy faith to God and to his holy worde Statera iusta equa sint poÌ„dera Leuit. xvii Let thy balance be iuste and thy weightes equall And. Ezech. xlv Statera iusta ephi iustum and also byddinge the do none otherwyse to an other man then thou wouldest an other man should do to the. And coÌ„trary wise wheÌ„ thou art tempted to suche vnlawfull Lecherye as I spoke of or to false pyckinge stealynge or robbinge or to deceiue any man or woman by false occupiynge if thou sticke stedfastlye to thy fayth doing accordinglye to Gods holye worde then thy faith by this teÌ„ptation is proued good and muche better in the sighte of God then if it had neuer bene so tried And by this it is lyke to golde tryed by the fyre and shall be founde worthy to receiue praise glory and honour wheÌ„ Christ shall shewe him selfe in his glory at the generall iudgemente then he wil geue to the blessed children of his father whiche then shall be set vpon his right hand disseuered from the refuse deputed to dampnation on the lift hande to all them I saye that hath theyr fayth tried by temptation and proued sounde and pure as golde â–ª Christ wyll geue laude and praise sayinge to you I was an hungred and you gaue me meate I was a thirste and ye gaue me drinke I lacked clothes and ye gaue me clothes and so he wyl saye I had nede of such ware as you occupied and you serued me faythfully and trustely and my wife was in thy sight and in thy companye where thou mighte haue had occasion to tempte her to yll and yet thou dyddeste not And to the honest wyfe wydowe or mayde he wyll geue like laude and praise sayinge that where they were sore tempted to incontinencie yet they didde strongely and stedfastly resist and withstande for Goddes sake and for his holye wordes sake for suche workes of iustice and honestye the iudge wyll praise vs as well as for the workes of mercye whiche be namelye expressed in the Gospell because we shall by them thinke lykewise to be praysed for all lyke good and godlye workes And when he or she that haue this prayse shall saye I neuer serued the of anye ware and I neuer sawe thy wyfe for whom thou geueste me these thankes he wyll saye That you didde for the least of my seruauntes that you didde to me occupyinge with my seruauntes iustelye withoute gyle or deceite thou occupied iustelye with me and abstayninge from my seruauntes wife doughter mayde or seruaunte thou didde shewe thy selfe honest towarde my wife doughter or seruaunt Nowe what ioye and pleasure and comforte it shall be for a Christen man to haue suche laude and praise of the highe iudge at that terrible day when folke shall haue nede of comforte iudge who can It passeth my braine Oure fayth so tryed by trouble or temptation shall be founde worthye to haue glorye when the iudge shall say to vs Venite benedicti patris mei possidete paratum vobis regnum Math. xxv Come you blessed chyldren of my father and take possession of that glorious kyngedome that was prepared for you frome the beginninge of the worlde in whiche we shal be no more seruauntes but coparteners and coinheritours with our sauiour Christe and with all the gloryous Aungelles and glorious companye of heauen where we shall haue the graâ—e that GOD gaue vs here consummate perfourmed and in his hygheste perfectyon whiche wee call glorye whyche honoure we shall haue as Saynte Peter sayeth when we shalbe set a lofte and in highe estate whiche shall appeare more euidentlye by the deiection and ouerthrowinge of others of which Esa. xxvi saith Tollatur impius ne videat gloriam Dei Take awaye the wycked synner that he se not the glorye of GOD And also Christ sayth Go frome me you wicked persons into fier euerlasting when the dampned men and women wepinge and waylinge and cryinge oute when they se the exaltation of good men shall say Nos autem insensati c. Sap. v. we dastardes estemed and counted their liues but folishnes or madnes lo nowe howe they be counted amonge the children of God All this shall redounde to the honoure of them that shalbe saued This sayde prayse glorie and honoure we shall be indued wyth all by Chryste when he shall shew hym selfe in his glory Therfore though you do not nowe se him yet ye loue him For as Saint Augustyne sayth we maye loue thinges that wee se not so that we haue knoweledge of them for no man can loue that that he hath no knowledge of We know Christe by heare saye by readinge and hearinge his holy gospelles declaringe his gratious goodnes for whiche we muste nedes loue hym And although you se him not yet you do beleue vppon him for whiche beleife you shall be merye and haue suche ioye as no tounge can tell for it shall be the ioye of the glorye of heauen when you shall receaue for youre rewarde the ende and perfection of youre faith whiche is the health of your soules Nowe here you knowe by Saint Peters wordes what is the ende of youre faith it is the helth of your soules whiche health shall exclude al sicknes payne and miserie for none suche can come into that glorye of heauen where you shall haue the sayde health and saluation and neuer afore for here is no ioye but it is contaminate defouled and interrupted by discomforte payne and trouble And here you muste vnderstand perfect faith garnished and adourned with charitie and good workes accordinge for none other wyll serue vs to come to that glorious rewarde of health euerlastinge De qua salute exquisierunt atque scrutati sunt Prophetae Here Saynte Peter styrreth vp oure deuotion and loue that we shoulde haue to oure soule health that we shall obteyne and gette by the triall and profe of our fayth as he sayde afore He taketh an argumente of the olde fathers holye prophetes that in olde tyme prophecied of the grace that should fall vpon vs by the comminge of our Sauiour Christ which they vehemently desired to see in their time but they coulde not As Christe saith Math. xiii Multi prophete et iusti
cupierunt videre quae vos videtis et non viderunt et audire quae auditis et non audierunt Esay lxiiii prayed and wysshed Vtinam dirumperes coelos et descenderes Woulde God thou wouldest break the heauens and wouldest come downe to be incarnate And the Prophet Dauid Psal. lxxix Excita potentiam tuam et veni vt saluos facias nos Wake rayse and stirre vppe thy olde power whiche thou were wonte to shewe by wonderous myracles shewed in olde tyme in Noes time in Moyses time This power of thine semeth nowe a siepe vntill thou renewe it againe declaringe the veritie and signification of the saide myracles by thy blessed comminge into oure nature by thy incarnation And he coūteth almightie God angrie with him because he came not Quousque irasceris super orationem serui tui in whiche he declareth the vehemencye of his earnest loue and desyre to see Chryst and sayde Shewe thy face and we shalbe safe And yet not doubting but that he would come he sayth in an other Psalme Inclinauit coelos descendit caligo sub pedibus eius Where for the certentie and surenes of his Prophecie he vseth the pretertēce for the future tense speaking of the time to come as thoughe it were past in dede because he was as sure of it as though it had be past as we vse to saye in common speach of one that is past remedye or sure to dye he is but a deade man He hath inclined the heauēs and came downe and trode darkenes that is to say sinne downe vnder his feete Damasc. li. iii. Cap. i. Hoc est inhumiliabilem eius altitudinem in humilitate humiliauit descendit ad seruos suos The highnes of his Godhead whiche can not be made lowe by nature he broughte a lowe by his humilitie and gentlenes whiche is the newest the straungest and most wonderous worke that euer was wroughte Of whiche sayth Ieremie Cap. xxxi Creauit Dominus nouum super terram foemina circundabit virum Oure Lorde hath wrought a newe thinge or a straūge thinge vpon the earth a woman shall enuyron or compasse aboute a man that is to saye the blessed Uyrgyn Marye for she compassed about and closed within her vyrgynall bellye oure Sauyoure Christe a perfecte man in connyng knoweledge and vertue euen frome the fyrst instante of his incarnation And Daniel that holye Prophete Vir desideriorum a man ful of desires because he was so desirous to knowe of the retourne of his people of Israell from the captiuitie of the Medes and Persies and of the comminge of Messias and what shoulde betide his people at the later ende he was asserteyned by an aungell sent from GOD not onelye of the retourne of the people from captiuitie but also of the mistery of Christes incarnation and of his passion and at the last of the final desolation and abhominable destruction of the newe citie of Ierusalem by the Emperours Uespasian and his sonne Titus and at the last by Elius Hadrianus whiche of the ruynes of the olde citie destroyed by Titus made a towne there and called it Elia after his owne name Of these blessed prophetes that laboured and searched so diligently for to knowe of the time of grace that the spirite of Christe proceading from the sonne and from the father and therefore he is called the spyryte of Chryste as he is called the spirite of the father that inspyred the sayde holye Prophetes and spoke in theym woulde tell them when it shoulde be within howe manye yeares after them in quale tempus into what manner of time it should be differred as whether tyll time of peace or of warre Iacob the blessed patriarch said it should come when there should be no kinges and rulers as of the linage of the Iewes so it proued for our sauiour Christ come whē He rode an alien and straunger was made kinge by the aucthoritie of Augustus then Emperoure of Rome And Esay sayde of that time Et conslabūt gladios suos in vomeres et lanceas suas in falces ca. ij It should be in time of peace when all the world liued in rest and peace and had no warre but lyued quietlye vnder the rule of the Romaines so that all men mighte blowe their swordes into plowe yrons and their speare heades and moris pikes into sithes hokes and sickles to cut their hay or corne Then Christ should come saith S. Peter suffer paines and passions prenuncians eas quae in Christo sunt passiones speakinge in the plurell number for he suffred in soule and in his body and also in his limmes or members as he doth now daylie in his elect people and true seruauntes and should haue for the same futuras glorias two speciall glories he had after his passion that is to say the glory of his resurrection the glory of his assention All they sayth S. Peter had knowledge by reuelation that they labored not for them selfe but for vs not to haue thē perfourmed in their time nor vpon them selues but vpon vs according as they be nowe taught you by the ministers of the word of God y t haue preached to you continually sith the holy gooste was sente from heauen vpon the Apostles in sensible signes as fierye tongues wyth diuersitie of languages geuen by the holy Goste On whom the blessed Angels in heauen desire to beholde and loke on Not that they lacke that glorious sighte at anye tyme but Saint Peter vseth this maner of speakynge because the ioyfull contemplation and sight of the Godheade euer beinge presente with them dothe saciate them and perfectly content them and yet so that they be neuer wearye of it but euer desire to continue in that contemplation For Christe sayth Math. xviii Angeli eorum in celis semper vident faciem patris mei qui in coelis est The angels see and desire to see desiereth to see and seeth For lest there shoulde be anye doubt in their desire they be saciate and content and assured whyle they desireth And leste there should bee anye lothinge or fulsomenes or wearines in their sacietie or fulnes while they be full yet they desire Therefore they desireth to see and that without laboure or payne for contentation foloweth their desire and they be content without lothsomenesse for their fulnesse is inflamed by their desire And euē so wee shal be when we shal come to that well of life there shal be printed in vs a delectable thirste or desire and fulnesse of contentation withall but there shall be in the thirste no necessitie nother in the fulnes anye lothesomenesse for while that we be desierous to see that glory of GOD we shall be full of that sight and whyle we be full yet we shall desire to se it styll after such a maner as we can not now perfectly perceiue tyll we come to that state in which we shalbe like the angels and then wee shall knowe it by experience as
they dooe through the helpe of our sauiour Iesus Christe who with the father and the holye Goste liueth and raigneth for euer Amen The fourth treatise or Sermon PRopter quod succincti luÌ„bos mentis vâ—e c. VVherfore tucke vp the Loynes of youre minde and be sober and perfect and trust on the grace that is offered you by the reuelation of Iesu Christe as obedient children not made like to the former desires of your ignoraunce but like that holye one that called you that so you maye be holie in all conuersation because it is written You shall be holye for I am holie Now in contemplation that all that the Prophetes laboured and desiered to heare and to see they were instructed by the holye Gost that they should be perfourmed not for their tymes but on vs in our times that haue hearde the preachers of the Gospell euer sith the sensible commynge of the holye Gooste in fierye tongues from heauen Therfore the blessed apostle Saint Peter exhorteth vs so to dispose our selues that we maye be able and apte to receiue this grace so that by our owne faulte wee be not frustrate and disapointed of it And to that purpose is first required cleannes of life whiche the apostle meaneth biddyng vs Tucke vp the loines of your minde and be sober and perfect He vseth a maner of speakinge often vsed in the scriptures whiche speakyng of the soule of man applieth to it bodelye membres or limmes and the operations and workes of the bodye As the eyes of the soule Ad te leuaui oculos meos â–ª and Leuaui oculos meos in montes I haue lifte vp mine eies to the mouÌ„taines not the bodely eyes which some men lacke but the sight of the minde whiche serueth as well by nighte as by daie And the Apostle â–ª Ephe. i. Det vobis illuminatos oculos cordis vestri vt sciatis que sit spes vocationis eius He praieth that God woulde geue them the eyes of their harte that is to say of their minde lightened to know what they might trust for by his callynge And ii Cor. ii He calleth the preachinge of the Gospel a smell or sauoure because that like as the thing that is not sene is perceiued by the sauour so the inuisible GOD is smelled out and perceiued amonge the people by the preachers And then as you know they that be vsed to stinking sauours can not liue in Bucklersbury or in the poticaries shoppe So to some the true preaching is a smel or sauour that infecteth and killeth theim as to them that maligneth grudgeth and abhorreth true doctrine which be worse and more sicke for the worde where to other it is a sauour of lyfe and bringeth them to lyfe euerlastynge And the scripture speaketh as thoughe the soule hadde a mouthe and lymmes of tastynge it appereth by the prophet Gustate videte quoniaÌ„ suauis est dominus Taste and see that our Lorde is swete And Esay speaketh as though the soul hadde wombe or bealy to conceiue child Esa. xxvi A faciae tua domine concepimus quasi parturiuimus peperimus spiritum salutis He speaketh to almighty God as one longing to se the glorious and moste delectable face of God which is so delectable that the aungels of heauen desiereth to beholde it and hathe inestimable pleasure in the contemplacion of it as I said a little rather and as saint Peter saieth here in this Chapter By the beauty of thy face saieth the Prophete we haue conceiued and haue in maner traueilled And also be deliuered and haue brought foorthe the spirite of health that is to saye Securam fiduciam sure truste to come to the thinge that wee desire to see He vseth this metaphore and similitude of conceiuinge and labouring of childe because that like as the mother hathe paine in traueilynge and ioye when the childe is borne so that the former paine is anone forgotten for ioy of the childe Ioh. xvi so the desire to see the face of God to see the Godhead hath now payne annexed for the dilation differringe of it we can not haue it when we will and as the wise man saieth pro. xiii Spes que differtur affligit animam â–ª The hope that is deferred proloÌ„ged and put of vexeth the minde But yet the sure trust to come to that glorious sight dothe somewhat comfort vs for the time but when we haue perfectly obteyned and gotten it then the paine will be clerely past and cleane forgotten Saint Paule vseth like maner of speakinge to the Gala. iiii callinge them his little children because they were so childishely turned by pseudapostles and false Preachers from the sinceritie of the true doctrine of the Gospell that he had instructed theim in My babes saieth he of whiche I trauaile nowe againe vntyll Christe be newe fourmed in you I traueled once to bringe you from Infidelitie to the true faith of Christ as earnestly in minde as the mother dothe bodelye for her childe And now that you be thus inuegled I muste labour and trauaile for you againe to bringe you to the right trade againe Euen such maner of speache vseth Sainte Peter in these wordes rehearsed bidding vs. Tucke vp the loynes of your mindes The bodely loines be the breaders of carnal lust and therefore Christe biddeth Sint lumbi vestri precincti That your loynes be girde vp with the girdle of chastitie that they flie not abrode to vnlawfull lustes of the fleshe and because the exteriour actes of the bodie riseth of the inward concupiscence of the minde Sainte Peter woulde haue the loynes of our minde girde vp that they vage not rouing abroade by the lewde thoughts and vncleane meditations The loynes of the minde be the witte and will when the witte is gird in and kept close and exercised in honest studie and the wil desiereth nothing but that is coÌ„formable to honestie theÌ„ the loins of your minde be tucked vp as Saint Peter would haue them and so you shall be cleane of body from vnlawfull actes of the fleshe And this is a great parte of cleannes of life Sobernes perteineth to cleannes of life and is also necessarye to that we shall be able to hope and looke for that perfecte grace and glory that is offered vs against the reuelation and glorious commynge of our sauiour Iesu Christe at the generall iudgement at which tyme hee shall appeare in his glorious maiestye to confounde theim that contemned hym in hys infirmitie Sobernes is the vertue by whiche a manne measureth him selfe againste the intisementes and occasions of surfete and against the floude or streames of dronkennesse This vertue is so necessarye for man thath without it all goeth to hauocke for it is the defence and sauegarde of the minde and of the â—immes of the bodye It defendeth honestye and chastitie as a stronge warde or castell so that when sobernes is broken and gone chastitie is sone defowled Loth when he was dronken defowled his
owne daughters whiche he woulde neuer haue done if he had kepte sobernes Sobernesse is conseruer of frendship amitie of peace where dronkennes breaketh theÌ„ Spes iubet esse ratas Ad prelia trudit inermem Horac It maketh all thinge sure y t a man wold haue If the dronken maÌ„ wold kil the deuil surely he wil thinke he caÌ„ do it while his cups be in He will fight though he lack both weapon and harneâ—s and wyll breake a loueday and fall to variaunce wyth his best frende yea thoughe it be his owne brother Where contrary sobernes excheweth suche rashenes and auoydeth perils Sobernes requiteth one good turne for an order and abhorreth pride and arrogaÌ„cy and kepeth his housholde in measure with honestie and kepeth fidelitie trustely with euery man that putteth trust in hym Where dronkenes by pride of harte bringeth furthe vnkindenesse as pride dothe euer for a proud manne thinketh all thinges done of dutye that a man doth for hym so neuer regardeth to do good for good againe The sober man kepeth his housholde in measure where the dronkarde is euer in extremities Finally Sobernes may be called the mother of all vertues and dronkennesse mother of all vices Therfore without lothsome excesse y e belly wold be filled for what profite doth it to take to much of that that thou shalt lose by and by Nature is coÌ„tent with a very litte Therfore if thou charge it ouer much either thou shalt by that thou hast taken haue little pleasure or els greate hurte Therfore Saint Peter saieth we must be sober and generally we muste be perfect in all workes of vertue and so shall boldely hope to see the glorye of Christe Where contrary he that no good doth and liueth viciously may be sore afrayed of that glorious commyng lest he come to shortly and to soone for hym Quasi filij obedientie non coÌ„figurati prioribus ignorantiae vestre desiderijs As childreÌ„ of obedieÌ„ce or obedient children vnto the monicion and holesome lessons of your father not forgettynge that I haue taught you Shew not your selues like vnto your olde blindenes in carnall vyces and in all other inâ—quitie to which you were geuen afore you were called out of the darkenes of ignoraunce vnto the light of faythe by your spirituall fathers the Preachers of the worde of GOD among you but conforme your selues to that holye one that called you whiche was chieflye our sauiour Christe by whose word published amonge theim by the Preachers and speciallye by Sainte Peter that hadde laboured amonge them they were reduced and broughte to the light of knowledge that so sayeth Saint Peter you may be holy firme and fast in goodnesse agaynst vyce againste trouble and vexation for that is the signification of this woorde Sanctus firme faste and sure in goodnes that is holye in all your conuersation and dealyng lyke as he that called you is holie To confirme that Saint Peter alledgeth the saiynge of almighty GOD in the .xix. Chapter of Leuiticus coÌ„maundynge the people of Israell and by them all vs faythfull and true Israelites christian people Sancti estote quoniam ego sanctus sum dominus deus vester Be you holye for I your Lorde GOD am holye And our Sauiour Christe in the Gospell hath a like saiynge Mat. v. Estote vos perfectisicut pater vester celestis perfectus est Be you perfect as your heauenly father is perfecte Where this worde sicut As importeth not equalitie but a certaine imitation or folowinge as Saint Paule biddeth Estote imitatores dei folowe God as nigh as mannes fragilitie wil permitte or suffer though no creature can attayn to be equall with God in holines or perfection And here good neighbours I should by these wordes of S. Peter exhorte you to be fast sure and stedfast in the good opinions that you haue bene reduced vnto by catholike preachers where afore by pseudapostles and leude preachers you were seduced and broughte into sinistre opinions in whiche you walked darkely and blyndely contempninge the sacramentes and ceremonies of Christes churche and so vsinge a leude libertye you fell to all desires of darke ignoraunce liuing carnally nother regardinge prayers fasting abstinence nor chastitie For surely this is the effect of suche lewde libertie as some men would vendicate and claime by the Gospell where there is nothinge more contrary to the Gospell Et si patrem inuocatis eum quae sine personarum acceptione iudicat c. In these wordes the Apostle perswadeth and reasoneth that we oughte to be of cleane lyfe sobre and perfecte that we maye obediently and reuerently hope and loke for glorye at the reuelation and comminge of Christ in his glory sayinge If you call him your father that iudgeth without parcialitie according to euery persons worke see that you be conuersaunt in feare and in your conuersation haue feare for the time that you be here abidinge in this worlde In which wordes he willeth vs to considre almightie God as oure father and also as our iudge In that he is oure iudge we owe vnto him feare as to oure Lorde and maister that maye do with vs what shall please him and in that he is our father we owe vnto him loue as to oure maker and regeneratour Accordinge to the saying of Malachi i. Si pater ego sum vbi est honor meus si dominus ego sum vbi est timor meus If I be youre father as you call me Pater noster qui es in coelis where is the honour that you owe to me If I be youre lorde where is the feare that you owe to me Saynte Peter ioyneth them both together meaninge that we owe vnto almightie God loue as to our father and feare as to our lorde and iudge and specially because he iudgeth withoute parcialitie or affection to any partie hauinge respecte to a mannes workes and not to the personne But yet here riseth a doubte vppon Saynte Peters wordes â–ª that God iudgeth without parcialitie it semeth contrary by the wordes of Malachye the Prophet aforesaid where the worde of God sayd by that Prophet in the fyrst Chapter Nonne frater erat Esau Iacob dicit dominus dilexi Iacob Esau autem odio habui They had done nother good nor yll as S. Paule sayth Roman ix therefore not for any thinge of their parte God sayde I loued Iacob and I hated Esau and then in verye dede for that that God loued Iacob Iacob proued a good man and for that he hated Esau Esau proued nought and all his posteritie for the mooste part And Iacob for his goodnes and for good workes folowinge of the same was saued where Esau or they of hys issue for theyr noughtie liuinge were reproued and dampned therefore of this it semeth that God was partiall in his election because there was no cause in the parties wherfore one shuld be electe rather then the other and also in the sequele that came thereof dampninge
beleue vpon hym And beside that offendeth in wordes againste Christe and againste his blessed Sacramentes after the maner aforesayde our Sauiour Christe is Lapis offensionis petra scandali As sainte Peter sayeth here he is a stumblyng Stone such a one as men take harme of and be agreued withall not for occasion geuen of hym but by the pryde of mens hartes and sturdinesse or hardnes in not beleuynge The Iewes were offended and thought amisse of Christe because they sawe him in the infirmitie of his flesh They sawe him eat and drinke slepe and laboure as other men did They knewe his bryngynge vp in youthe and where he was nursed and who was his mother who were his kinsfolkes This made a great meyny of them to shake him of and in no wise to beleue vppon him and by that this stone fell vpoÌ„ them al to crasshed theÌ„ to naught Quia super quem ceciderit lapis iste conteret enim Math. xxi On whom so euer this stone falleth it wyl braye hym and crashe hym And in that place Christe sayeth that some men falleth on this stone and breaketh or hurteth theim selues on it And on others this Stone falleth and brayeth theim or crassheth them as corne or other grayne is brayed betwixt two mill stones or in a querne They that conseruynge and kepynge their fayeth yet falleth sometymes to synne They fall vpon the stone and taketh harme and be hurt by their fall As when a christen man or woman not erring in the articles of our fayth yet by infirmitie of the flesshe or by temptation of the deuill falleth to synne they fall on Christe this liuynge Stone and hurteth theim selues right sore bringynge them selues in daunger of death and damnation euerlastyng and makyng them selues more vnable to resist synne an other tyme for the oftener thou sinnest the more redy thou shalt be to sinne againe and the more vnable to resist temptation but when a man or woman falleth to infidelitie or to heresie then fare well For this stone falleth vpon them and breaketh theim to duste and to asshen euerlastynge Qui non credit iam iudicatus est He that beleueth not is iudged already The sentence is geuen and past in the mynde and foreknowledge of the iudge our Sauioure Christ. Because that saint Peter saith here that Christ was Lapis offensioÌ„is Petra scandali The stone that men shoulde take hurte by and that by him men shoulde take occasion to fall euen as the prophetes hadde saide of him afore And as the Gospels reherseth of hym likewyse I thinke it necessarye to demore and tarye in the declaration of that maner of speakynge of the Scriptures and what is meaned by the same Luke ii It is written that when Christes foster father and Mary his mother presented him in the temple as the lawe was The holye and well disposed man Symeon toke hym in hys armes with great ioye because he knew it was he that shold be the consolation and comforte of Israell And he knewe the tyme was then come or very neare hande when Christe shoulde come He knewe it also by reuelation of the holye Gooste that then moued hym to goe to the Temple as it is there sayde Et venit in spiritu in templum Where after great ioye of that he hadde seene he then desiered to be let go in peace to dye And among other thinges he saide this plainely to Marye the blessed Mayde and mother of Christe as a cordiall or rather a corosiue Ecce positus est hic in ruinam in resurrectionem multorum in Israel insignum cui contradiceretur Et tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius Loe sayeth he Thys childe is set to make men fall and to make many men to ryse among the people of Israel And he is set as a signe or a mark that folke wil couÌ„tersay speke against And as for your part said he to Marie his mother the sworde of sorowe shall pearce your harte which yet shall redound and turne to the comfort of manye others Here you see that this blessed man sayde that Christe shoulde be the ruyne of many a one and suche a one as should be countersaid and spoken against of manie others And. Mat. xi When sainte Iohn Baptist sente two of his disciples to Christe to aske him a question for their learnynge whether it was he that they loked for that aboute that time they knew shoulde come to saue mankinde or whether they should loke for another Because they shoulde not saye as the Iewes were euer ready and wonte to saye Tu de te ipso testimonium dicis testimonium tuum non est veruÌ„ Thou bearest witnesse of thy selfe thy witnesse is not true Christe referred them to his workes that by them he might allure them to beleue vpon him knowynge that the blinde were made to see The lame were made to goe The leprouse be made cleane the deafe to heare â–ª The deade were raysed to lyfe againe and that the poore were taughte the Gospell and good tydynges of lyfe euerlastynge And at laste he saied vnto theim Beatus est qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me Blessed is hee that by me taketh none occasion to fall or to offende In whiche wordes Christe touched the messengers and manye others by them They sawe hym a mortall man as other were they could scarce beleue any Godhed in him yet seinge that Christ knewe their wan and fainte beleue and the secretes of their hartes this made them to haue more affiance beleue vpoÌ„ him for it is aboue y e knowlege of a pure maÌ„ to knowe y e secretes of an other mans minde They knewe he spoke by theÌ„ he knew they wer offended by y t thei saw in him And not onely these messengers of sainte Iohn but also manie a thousand others be offended by Christe and by Christes woordes euerye daye Because men see not the bloud runne about the Priestes fingers in the masse at the fractions of the Sacrament they be so harde harted and so dul in beleue that thei wil not beleue that Christ saide true when he saide this is my bodye or my fleshe and bloude in the sacrament of the aultare because thei perceiue not by it as they do bi other fleshe and bloud in the Shambles not beleuing that Christe by his Godlye power causeth and maketh his owne fleshe and bloud there secretelye vnder the fourme of breade and wyne for to augment and encreace the merite of our fayeth which shold be smal or none if we saw that with our bodelye eyes that wee see by the fayethfull eyes of our christen hartes They that be addict and wedded to their carnall senses their fyâ—e wits be offended and agreued to here that they muste beleue that thinge that they see not And euen so they iudge by sacramentall confession of sinnes thinkynge men no more bounde nowe to be confessed nother anye otherwyse then to God because that
doers you shold haue no thanke of god for you haue euen as you haue deserued Take exāple of our master Christ which once died for our sins the iust for the vniust a good man for shrewes and noughly liuers That so he might offer vs vp to god the father not being noughty as we were before for so we shoulde be no pleasaunt offerynge to almighty God but we must be by example of him Mortified in flesh and quickened in spirit Like as he died for our sinnes and roose againe for oure iustification so muste we be mortified and muste dye to all carnalitie and sinne so that there be none left aliue in vs. And we must be viuificate and made aliue in spirite so that our liuyng be all spirituall good and godly pliant to the inclination of the holy spirit This example of our maister Christ saint Peter brought in to teach vs that thei that being good and vertuous yet suffreth vexatiō and trouble they folow Christ whiche in like maner suffered iniuries paines and passion that he neuer deserued Some there be that by their vexation and trouble that they suffre amēdeth their liues leaueth their vices knoweth god cōmeth to goodnes And they maie be cōpared to y e blessed theife that was condēned to death for his former giltes faults yet in his paines hangyng on the crosse he came to the knowledge of Christe called for mercy had mercye came to paradice to saluation Others there be that for all the paynes and punishementes vexation and trouble that they suffer be neuer the better but bee rather worsse and worsse fretynge chafynge cursynge and blaspheming against God These be like the thiefe on the left hand which for his faults was hanged on the crosse and there hanginge rayled against Christe as others did and descended into hell to paynes euerlastynge The newe translation readeth this place Mortificatus quidē carne viuificatus autem spiritu speaking of Christ which was mortified in the fleshe bodely diyng for vs and was viuificate and euer aliue in the spirite for his soule neuer dyed in signe and token that by his example we shoulde likewise do gostly diynge to all carnalitie and euer liuinge spiritually as I saide afore In quo his qui in carcere erant spiritibus veniens predicauit This text is diuerslye expounded one way thus In which spirite bi which he was euer aliue Christ came and preached to the spirites that were in prison whiche once were harde of beleue when they loked for Goddes pacience and longe sufferance in the dayes of Noe while the Arche or greate shippe was a makinge in whiche shippe a fewe that is to saie viii liues were saued bi the water lifting vp the shippe a flote from the daunger of drowning Christ came in spirite and preached to the spirites that were in pryson The workes of the whole Trinitie be al one outwarde amonge the creatures as I haue manye times tolde you therfore in that that almighty God inspired the blessed patriarch Noe to preach vnto the people of his time penaunce and amendement of lyfe it maye be saide that the father in spirite preached to the people then beinge in pryson and that the sonne in spirite preached to the same prysoners and that the holy goste in spirite preached to the same people For the whole trinitie inspired Noe to preache therfore it is true that euery persone in trinitie did it And so it mai be said that Christ preached to theim for that is true of the seconde person in trinitie is true of Christe Per communicationem idiomatū As we say the sonne of god is a man and a man is the sonne of God And so we say that the sonne of god suffred death on the crosse that a man made the starres in the skye Because of the perfit vnion and knot of the godhead to the manhode in one person and the same person that now is incarnate and made man did it And he preached to the Prysoners that were dull in beleuyng Noe tellyng theim Gods commination and threatenyng to destroy the world wyth water except they would amende And yet they were hard of beleue and loked for more fauour at Gods hand and for longer pacience and forbearynge theim and so trifled tyll the floude came vpon thē and drowned them They were in pryson sayth s Peter whiche after this exposition must be vnderstande morally in as much as they were bounde as prysoners by the bondes of sinne as the prophet speaketh Funes peccatorum circumplexi sūt me The ropes of sins haue wrapt me in rounde aboute and likewise speaketh the wiseman Pro. v. Iniquitates sue capiunt impiū funibus peccatorum suorum constringetur His owne iniquities taketh the wicked persone and wyth the ropes of his owne sinnes he shalbe strayned knit And in that case were the people of Noes tyme for all mankinde had corrupt his way and the maner of his liuing Omnis caro corruperat viam suam Gen. vi All flesh all men left vertue and liued insolently viciously This is one exposition of this text of s Peter But this exposition though it be good catholike yet it semeth more moral then litteral because it taketh the name of the prison of them that were in pryson morally for the custome vse of sinne not for a place where a prisoner is kept in paine sorow to his displesure it taketh the prisoner for him that is intangled poluted defaced with the deformity of customable sinne This prisoner though he be in extreme peril daunger of soule yet not knowyng the case that he standeth in maketh merye fealeth no harme nor paine but counteth hym self most at liberty at hartes ease Therfore I thinke s Peter speaketh of the spirits or soules of thē that woulde not regard the exhortation of Noe made vnto thē for amendmēt of their liues tyll the very floude came vpon thē And then seing the water rise higher higher men and women and other liuynge creatures perishe in the same floude and that there was no place able to saue them from drownynge they toke remorse of conscience and repentaunce as well for their hardnesse of harte contemnynge Noes exhortion as for their owne naughty liuynge so callyng for mercy were receyued to mercy saued their soules Yet in asmuch as the gate to heauen was not opened bi Christ thei were staied in the skirt of hel a place prouided by GOD to receiue their soules that died in the state of grace and in Gods fauour in whiche if they hadde any thinge to be purged as for venial sinnes or for lacke of sufficient satisfaction for mortall offences done by their life tyme hadde first greuous paines for their purgation and then consequently were receiued into Abrahams bosome a place of tranquilitie rest and quietnes where they had no sensible payne They hadde none other paine but onlye the paine of
commotion or rebellion agaynst the emperoure Of all this processe Peter was oculatus testis a wytnesse that sawe it with his eye to his greate discomforte payne and heauines and specially after that the cocke had crowen thrise when Christ loked backe vpon him and so pearced his hearte with his looke that he remembred what he had done deniynge his maister that then furth he went and wept bytterly and afterwarde by his preaching and teaching he testified the same processe of his passion and of his glorious resurrection and ascention and stickt neither for threateninge beating nor imprisonment This should make all them that woulde beleue on Christe to credite him and to do as he bad them Another perswasion he expresseth Qui et eius quae in futuro reuelanda est gloriae communicator I am a Preist as you be I am a witnes of Christes paines and passion which I saw with mine eyes and thirde I was partaker of his glory which shalbe reueled and openly shewed in time to come meaninge the marueilous and glorious sight that he sawe at Christes transfiguration of whiche S. Mathewe writeth in the .xvii. cha At which time he saw the glory of Christes glorified bodye for the tyme for the which it is to be vnderstanded that there be .iiii. dowres as they be called dotes corporis gloriosi of a glorious bodye for whiche you must coÌ„sider that the soule of our sauiour Christ from the fyrst momeÌ„t of his conceptioÌ„ was glorious had the giftes of glory by reason of y e perfit vnioÌ„ of it to his Godhed albeit by Gods pleasure ordinaunce it was y t the glorye of Christes Soule did not redounde and shew it selfe in his bodye that so hys bodie might be mortal and passible to performe the pryce of oure redemption And by like prouision of God it was that for the tyme of his transfiguration the like glorye shoulde redounde and shewe it selfe in his bodye althoughe it were not permanent and continuynge as it is nowe in hys blessed bodye and shall be in our bodyes when we shall ryse to saluation and lyfe euerlastyng at the general iudgmente It was for the tyme in hym as Passio transiens a qualitie passynge and therefore for that tyme not properlye the dowrye of a glorified bodye Quia dos de sua ratione importat qualitatem permanentem And this that I saye of these giftes or dowryes of a glorious body is not onlye a fraske or a knack of the scolastical lernyng but it is the true doctrine of saint Paule .i. Co. â—v where he declareth the maner howe deade mens bodyes shall rise at the generall iudgement sayinge Seminatur in corruptione surget in incorruptione Where he expresseth the gift or dowrye of Impassibilitie Nowe our bodyes be subiect to all paynes of sickenesse strokes and lyke harmes then we shall ryse impassible so that neither fire nor water sworde nor anye other weapon shall hurt vs by the dowry or gyfte of impassibilitie Seminarur in ignobilitate surget in gloria Our bodies shall be buried in ignobilitie that is to saye dymme darke colourlesse but it shal ryse in glorye by the gyfte of clearenesse and brightnesse that is to saye in suche clearenes and bryghtnes that no mortall eye shall be able to beholde it Seminatur in infirmitate surget in virtute Our bodyes shall be sowed or buried in Infirmitie that is to saie dull weake not able to stirre hither or thither but they shall arise in might strength and subtiltie so penetratiue percynge so subtill and fine that it shal be able to pearce through the stonewals without any diuision or breaking either of oure bodyes or of the wall euen lyke as Christ came among his disciples w tout breaking of y e dores or wals or any diuisioÌ„ of his own body Seminatur corpus animale resurget corpus spirituale Our bodies be buried as of the kinde of the flesh suche as beastes haue but it shall ryse a spirituall bodye by the gyfte or indument of Agilitye so quycke so nymble so quyuer that a man shall be where he lyste in a moment or tyme vnperceptible And so we haue of saynte Paule these foure giftes that I spake of and of which saint Peter meaned wheÌ„ he said that he was coÌ„municator or partaker of Christes glory which though it wer marueilous at that time of his transfiguration yet it shal be reueled shewed much more manifestly more gloriously wheÌ„ he shal come iÌ„ glory to iudge the quick the dead Part of this glory s Peter saw at the time of Christes traÌ„figuration as I said when he could not wel tel what he said or did But he was so well pleased wyth the fight that he saw y t he wold haue ben glad to haue taried there stil al his company with him as wel Moses Helias as Iohn Iames. BonuÌ„ est nos hic esse Here is good abiding for vs he wished lodgynges to be made for Christe also for Moses and Hely and wold haue placed him selfe I thinke with Christ and his two coÌ„panions with Moyses Hely But anone his corage was delayed when he saw a bright shining cloud couering theÌ„ by the which was signified the presence of the holy gost And out of the said cloude came the voice of the father saiynge Hic est filiuâ— meus dilectus in quo mihi bene coÌ„placituÌ„ est ipsuÌ„ audite This is my welbeloued son in whoÌ„ I delite heare him When Peter Iohn Iames hearde this voice they fell flat on their faces and were sore afraied Christ came to theÌ„ and touched theÌ„ bad theÌ„ arise fear not wheÌ„ they loked vp thei saw no maÌ„ but Christ their master alone These iii. allectiues which s Peter toucheth to alure theÌ„ to geue credit to his writing and to his doctrine thus declared let vs further procede to the letter S. Peter calleth such priests seigniours or elders ancients specially for their ancieÌ„tnes grauitie sadnes in maners conditions In very dede presbiter in the greke is by interpretation senior in the latin in Englishe an auncient or an elderman Albeit euery olde man or auncient man is not a Prieste but onely suche as by prophecye or election and imposition of a prelates hande is piked out chosen among the moe to be addict and appoynted to God and to be a minister of God in the Churche or congregation in thynges belongynge to God and to his seruice somewhat like as in this example In cities and townes we call theim Aldermen not euer that be the eldest men within their warde but such as partely for their substaunce and more for their honestye and sadnesse and wisdome be thought worthy to rule the stretes and the people within their wardes and so they be called eldermen or aldermen by election although they be yonge men by yeares But these seigniours or elders that we call priestes be made and euer haue ben
whiche thyng he moost earnestly attempted afterwarde when he made his father to forsake the Citye and to shyfte for hym selfe as well as he coulde Thys came of suche flatterynge coâ—ses There is a manner of kyssynge whiche is a faynynge kissynge And soo Ioab kyssed Amasa ii Regum xx fearynge that he woulde aspire into the fauour of the kinge that he shoulde be lyke to putte hym oute of fauoure when he mette hym at an oportunitie for hys purpose came to hym flatterynge and toke him by the chynne wyth the one hande and kissynge hym drewe out hys skeen or hanger wyth the other hande and stroke Amasa in the syde so sore a wounde that hys guttes fell about hys feete Here was a fayning cosse fainyng loue where was nought els but malyce and hatred There is an other trayterous cosse and suche kissynge vsed Iudas to our Sauioure Christe not for anye loue whiche he ought to haue had towarde hym but onelye to geue to the Souldiours and Seruauntes of hys companye a sygne that they might knowe Christe and then set hande on him and craftelye to carye hym awaye Abducite caute as he hadde geuen theim instructions The traytour was afrayed nowe that he hadde gon so farre lest Christ should by his mighty power haue scaped frome theim as hee myghte if hee wold inuisibly as he did at Nazareth when the malicious people for hys preachyng for reprouyng their vyces rubbing them on the gall they woulde haue pytched hym downe the clefe or rocke on which their citi stode was builded on TheÌ„ Iesus transiens per medium illorum ibat Inuisibly he scaped awai that neuer a maÌ„ spied him This Iudas knew he could doe and therfore he â—ade them beware and conuey him away craftely There is an other baudy or lecherous cosse as the adulterous woman or the courtisan kisseth the youngman as it is write Pro. vii ApprehensuÌ„ deosculatur inuenem procaci vultu blaÌ„ditur She colled the yong man kissed him with her fliering couÌ„tenance flattered him All these maners of kissing must be left and you must amonge you saith s Peter to his scholers that he writ vnto kisse like dowes with peaceable cosses chast cosses in signe of peace loue And this was much vsed in the primatiue church and afterward eueÌ„ to our time in the holy church at the holy time of masse when the priest in some places specially in chathedral churches kisseth the deacon then the deacon goeth downe to the step of the quere kisseth the rectors they go euery one on hys side and kisseth the seniors and they vpward on both the sides the quere til all the quere haue geuen the cosse of peace one to another And this is daiely obserued in the cathedral church of wells at high masse euen to this present time And because y t as it is written in Genises Our corrupte nature is prone to noughtines more theÌ„ to goodnes in asmuch as some haue more folowed carnalitie and carnall loue then chaste loue the people haue misused the said cosse of peace turninge it to wantannes Therfore such kissing of peace at the masse hath bene left where hath bene present both men and women wheÌ„ the priest hath geuen the cosse of peace saiynge to his minister Pax tibi ecclesie dei He kisseth the paxe of siluer or other mettall or other honest stuffe that is caried about through the churche that they that wil not chastly louingly kisse one another may at the lest wise kisse that pax so by imitation folowing the vsage of the primitiue church the couÌ„sell of s Peter here willing vs one to kisse an other in a holy cosse or euery one kissig y e said pax that an other hath kissed which is no smal signe of concorde amitie frenship Where contrary he that loueth not another wil not with a good wil kisse nor touch that that his aduersary hath kissed or touched Gratia vobis oibus qui estis in Christo Iesu. Amen He begonne his epistle with harty prayer for grace to them that were dispersed as straungers in Pontus Galatia c. Gratia vobis pax multiplicetur And eueÌ„ so he endeth his epistle or letter wisshyng praiyng for grace to al them that be constant and remaine stedfast in Christe Iesu to whom with the father and with the holy Gost be all honour and glorye for euer Amen FINIS Sco. iii. di xxxiiii xxxv King Henry the eight set forthe a boke agaiÌ„st Luther in defence of the popes aucthority