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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
dead corps or of any other vncleane thinge Saint Paule calleth them neady and pore principles for they nother geue grace to the vsers nother geueth to the ministers any spiritual power to remit sinne The priest bi his order had power to kil the cow and to burne her and to mingle the asshen with running water to sprinkle it vpon the vnclene and so to purge him from an externall irregularitie of his flesh that so he might lawfully come into the courts of the tabernacle staÌ„d amongst honest meÌ„ where as afore he ought not so to do And for this thapostle saith they sanctify folkes for the clensyng of the flesh â–ª Heb. ix Euen like as when a prelate dispeÌ„seth with a bastard or with a maÌ„ that hath but one eye that he may be made priest bi this dispensation he geueth him not any grace but only taketh away the irregularitie maketh hym able to be ordered where afore he was not so ¶ Of the thirde maner of ceremonies were sacred or halowed things to gods seruice As y e tabernacle teÌ„ple y e parts of theÌ„ the courts about them the implementes and vtensils as cruets cuppes morters caudrons and kettles And so were certayne dayes and solemne feastes as the vii day of the weke the seuenth yere the Iubily yere with a great multitude more which should be to long here to be rehearsed ¶ The obseruances were certain religious maners of liuinges that the people of Israell and the holy fathers their progenitours as the electe and chosen people of GOD vsed to shewe them selues distincte and differente from all Idolaters of which the world was then full In Moses time almighty God expressely commaunded theÌ„ by Moyses and Aaron to obserue keepe a prescise maner in their diet They should eat no fleshe of any four foted beastes but onely of such as were both clouen foted and did also ruminat his meat or chew quyd All other they should repute vnclene and not eat of theÌ„ They should nother eat porke pigge hare nor conyes with many others They were forbidden all fish that had not both finnes and skales tench eles congres loches culles with manye others were not for for them of birdes all raueners liuynge by prey as haukes grifes kites and all kinde of rauens or crowes and such like and swanne flesh with many others they were forbidden as things vnclene to be eaten to be touched And they sholde not drinke nor occupie the water or other liquor that any such or any part of them had falleÌ„ into the vessell conteynynge such liquor should be couÌ„ted vnclene and if it were an earthen vessell it should be broken and cast away Albeit brokes welles mayrs pondes and cesternes made to gather water and to kepe them mighte be occupied for drinke and to dresse meat although such filthy forbidden thinges had fallen into them How they shold punysh theÌ„ selues with fastyng In the feast of expiation or clensynge many other seasons and how the wiues vowe to offer or to fast or to do any such like thing of deuotion should be approued by her husbande as sone as he knew of it or els not to binde her And in case he wold say coÌ„trary on the first day that he knew of his wiues vow she was discharged he with out fault but if he deferred it til the morow theÌ„ next folowing she was bound to perfourme her vow And if theÌ„ he wold coÌ„pel her to do coÌ„trary he should beare the perill of her iniquitie transgressing breaking her vow The vowes promises of y e maids dwelling within their fathers houses did likewise binde if the father saide not coÌ„trary on the first day that he knew therof if afterward he wold say nay on his perill the synne was his As coÌ„cerning their raiment thei should wear no cloth woueÌ„ of wollen linneÌ„ threde together as be our carpets tapstry works They shold also haue in the skirts of their gownes certain ribands in color reseÌ„bling the skie on a clere day No man shold wear a womans garmeÌ„t nother any womaÌ„ a mans garmeÌ„t for that was abhominable afore god Of yokinge their cattell in their plowes of sowyng their vyneyards their feldes And of the very birdes neasts thei had ceremonial obseruances appointed theÌ„ In al these this is to be taken for a generall rule that suche ceremonies as semeth to be without ani sad reason without any necessitie or profite in kepyng of theÌ„ or eschuyng theÌ„ Almighty God intended to remoue his people farre of froÌ„ the â—ites of Idolatry in which such thinges as be here forbidden were vsed The payn for not obseruing these ceremonies in manye cases was death whereby thei were very daÌ„gerous painful vntollerable as s Pet. saith thei wer so heuy y t nother Iewes in his tyme beynge nother their forefathers coulde bear theÌ„ Act. xv They were very many to the number of .vi. hundred or aboue of whiche some were verye chargeable what payne and charge was it for euerye manne to appeare in Ierusalem three times in the yere how farre of so euer he dwelled Likewise to kepe holy day all the .vii. th yere in deuotioÌ„ nother to plow nor to sow nor to gather corne so in the space of two yeres together they had but small sustenaunce ¶ Nowe wee haue hearde howe these Lawes bounde the Iewes to obserue and keepe theim vnder the paynes expressed for transgressours of the same it is necessarye to knowe howe they binde vs christen people in the tyme of grace exhibited and geuen vs by oure Sauioure Iesus Christe For this you shall vnderstande that the morall preceptes because they be consonant and agreing to the light and iudgement of right reason whiche is one in all men naturally printed in their Soules at their creation they must nedes binde vs christian people as well as they bounde the Iewes Al be it the Iewes as verye ignare rude vnperfitly and grosely vnderstode the saide morall coÌ„maundements as thinking it sufficient to kepe this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Thou shalt not kill if they held their handes they thought it none offence to be angry w t their neighbour To imagine mischefe against him This imperfectioÌ„ of their grosse vnderstanding our sauiour Christ clerely taketh away forbiddyng vs to be angry with our neighbour inwardly in our harte or by exteriour signes in word hand or in couÌ„tenauÌ„ce Mat. v. takynge away the very rote of homicide The iudicialles of Moises law as giuen by him hath this imperfection annexed that they make a man to doe well for feare of punyshment more then for loue And feare hath euer payn annexed and therfore Moyses law was called the law of feare and by that is a painefull law It woulde abhorre a mans hart to heare how many tymes the payne of deathe is inculcated and repeted among the sayd iudiciall lawes specially but they as giuen by Moyses bindeth not vs ChristeÌ„ people notwithstandinge because
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
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
vtilitie and profite that commeth of the same not to him but to vs. Vobis relinquens exemplum to you seruantes specialli Now to my purpose giuing example of the despites that wer done to him of the trouble and vexation that he suffered of the whips and scourges that he was beaten with And if you be ouercharged with heauy burdens remembre the heauy burden of the crosse that was layd on hys shoulders when he was not able to beare it but fell downe vnder it he was so faint and wearye with long abstineÌ„ce with watching al the night afore and with much rude haÌ„dling by them that came wyth Iudas for to take him with much haling pullinge of him from one iudge to an other and then with the ache smarting of manâ— sore stripes that he suffered wyth shedyng of his blood at his scourging when he was whypped And theÌ„ remembre what villanie they intended against him putting him to that deathe that they thought most dispiteful hanging him on the crosse that he was nayled on as we now a daies esteme hanging on the galowes that in y e coÌ„mon place of execution for felons and malefactours as we say here at Mighel hyll or in London at Tiburne or such others And finally then consider the death that he suffered for our sakes â–ª you must take him for your myrrour or glasse to loke in for your example that you mai folow his steps He was vngiltie to dye for he neuer did aniâ—ant in dede neither any gile or false word y t cam out of his mouth by which any man might be deceiued Al this that foloweth S. Peter taketh of the .liii. chapter of Esay where y e prophet hath the same sentence It is a great discoÌ„fort for him y t hath a great iourney vpon him to do to go out of his way therfore he had nede to beware at the beginning for a litle errour at the beginning wil be a great errour at the end As when ther be .ii. wayes meting together if the Pilgreme take the wrong way go on a quarter of a mile that mai be sone amended he may with a litle labour com into his way againe but if he go on stil til he be a dosen mile or .xx. mile out of his way it wyll be a shrewd paine to coste ouer the countrey to get into the way again The surest thing to kepe a maÌ„ from masking and straying out of the way also to bring a man into the way if he be out of the wai is a wise gide to go afore a man to leade him the way Blessed S. Peter like a good shepherd fearing least his Lambes bondmen prentises seruantes to which speacially he speaketh now should by the rygour roughnes of correxion be driuen out of the right waye to heauen by murmuring grudging chidynge and checking theyr maisters or brawling and fighting with theym this is the streight way to hell biddeth them folow the steps of theyr gyde our sauioure Christ which suffered much more paine then they could haue layd vpon theÌ„ neuer offending nor geuynge cause to the same And our mother holye churche in the Epistle of the seconde Sunnedaye after Easter readeth the same woordes of Saynte Peters Epistle exhortynge all her chyldren all Christen people to folowe the steppes of oure gide our sauiour Christe that we swarue not out of the way to heauen in which were sette a lyttle afore in the holye tyme of Lent by the Sacrament of penaunce and at Easter by the moste reuerende sacrament of the aulter the true Viaticum meate to strengthe vs in oure iourney We must folow him thinking that if God the father spared not his onely begotten natural soÌ„ne but put him into sinfull mens handes let him be beaten for our sakes then he wyll not spare hys handy workes and his children by adoption If he scourged his sonne that was without syn will he suffer them to be vnscourged that be full of syn It wil not be God scourgeth euery child that he taketh for his therfore if you be excepted from the scourge you be excepted from his chyldren For he that is a sure stedfast christen man must not onely do well but must also be content to suffer yll remembring that Christ neuer sayd yl by any maÌ„ yet he was missaied very il spokeÌ„ to CuÌ„ malediceretur non male dicebat WheÌ„ he was missayed he missayd no maÌ„ again nor said any yl He was called a Samaritane which was as dispiteful among theÌ„ as is now to be called an heretik with vs. For the Samaritanes wer but as it were halfe Iewes they came of the Assirians and vsed the superstitions of the Gentiles yet mengled muche of Moyses lawe wyth theyr errours therefore the Iewes loued theym not nor companyed with them He was also called traytour agaynst the Emperour tauerne hunter c. And where he knewe muche worse by theim yet he gaue them neuer an yll worde agayne Cum pateretur non comminabatur When they layde on him with roddes and scourges he threatned not that he woulde be reuenged or that he woulde be euen with them Ecclesiasticus saythe .xxii. That lyke as a fore the fyre burneth the vapour and the smoke riseth on high sic et ante sanguinem maledictio contumelie et mine So afore bloode shedding yll railing wordes dispites and manishyng or threatning goeth afore Where Christ had vengeaunce in his hand and might haue cast it vpon them by and by he would not so doe but tradidit vindictam ei qui iudicat iuste as sayth the new traÌ„slation he committed the vengeaunce to God the father that iudgeth iustli letting him alone with the vengeaunce as in deede God biddeth vs doe Mihi vindictam ego retribuam mea est vltio ego retribuam Deu. xxxii Ro. xii Let me alone with the vengeance and I wil requite theÌ„ And so he did in dede by the Iewes he payde theym home eueri half peny vt in prouerbio The blod of Christ fell vpon them and vppon theyr issue .xlii. yeares after when the noble Emperour Vespasian hys sonne Titus destroyed the citye of IerusaleÌ„ wyth suche an horrible strage and murder as woulde abhorre any yron hart to consider as Iosephus in the last booke de bello Iudaico expresseth it Our translation saith tradebat autem iudicanti se iniuste He committed him selfe or deliuered him selfe to him that iudged vniustly to Pilate which partly to please the Iewes that pursued Christ partly for feare least he shoulde be accused of treason to the Emperour for letting a traytour scape as they said Christ was because he would be a king they said and that was treasoÌ„ against the Emperour But there is neyther fauour nor feare mede nor dreade that shoulde haue made him to condempne an innocent that neuer offended the lawes Now how Christ committed him selfe to Pilate you must consider that
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
excellencie of the ministers of the newe testament to the glory and ryaltie of the ministers of the old testament That thing that floorished and was had in glorye and riallie esteemed was not glorified in this behalfe in respecte of the excellent glorye of the thinges of the new testament of Christe As the Apostle sayth a litle before Si ministratio mortis litteris deformata in lapidibus fuit in gloria ita vt non possent intendere filij Israell in faciem Mois◠propter gloriam vultus eius que euacuatur quo modo non magis ministratio spiritus erit in gloria ii Cor. iii. If the seruice of death described and written with letters in the stones of the two tabels was had in glory and reuerence so that the people of Israell coulde not looke vpon the face of Moyses which was the minister of that lawe for the glorie and shyning bryghtnes of his face which is sone taken away for it taried not How then can it be that the seruice of the spirite by the grace of the new Testament should not be in glorie muche more He calleth the ministration and seruice of the olde leuits priestes of Moyses law the ministration and seruice of death bycause that Moyses lawe was the occasion of death of the soule not of it self but by the malice and yll will of man whiche commonly laboreth and inclineth to the thing whiche is forbidden so runneth headlonge to breake the commaundementes of God whiche be set forthe by Moyses law and consequently to run headlong to death euerlasting And also Moyses law is full of the comminations and threateninges of the death of the body for the breakinge of it He that gathered stickes on the holy daye was put to deth he that missayde his father or mother should die for it and such other Yet the ministers of the same were had in glorie great reuerence whiche the Apostle declareth by the glory shyninge brightnes of the face of Moyses when he came downe from the mount from GOD bringinge downe with him the lawes then his face had certayne bright shining beames comming from it which appered to the people like hornes ascending vpward from his face so that the peoples eyes could not abyde the sight to loke vpon him but runne backe awaye from him in so muche that he was fayne to put a veyle or a couerynge ouer his face when he spoke to them and when he went vp to talke with God he vncouered his face and when he should declare Goddes pleasure to the people he couered his face agayne that they myght more easly aproche and looke vpon him and heare him as it is playne in the story Exo. xxiiii Of this the Apostle Saynte Paule argueth If the ministration and seruice of death whiche also is euacuate abolished and gon were had in glory and reuerence as it was in deede as appereth by the storie now rehersed then muche more the ministration and seruice of the spyrite of the new law and Testament in whiche the holye spiryte of GOD is gyuen to faythfull people whyche is also the seruice of loue and of libertie of the soule must needes be had in glory and in reuerence For in comparyson of the glory of the lawe of the Gospel and of the law gyuen by Chryst the former glory and clearenes of Moyses law is not seen but vanysheth awaye euen like as the light of the Moone or of the sterres is hyd and sheweth not by the light of the son in a clere day Then saith Chrisostome conuerting his contemplacion to our misteries of the new testament of Christ and to the ministers of the same Let vs consider among other thinges how it is cōmytted to them here dwelling on earth in thys mortall bodye to dispence and bestowe the treasure and riches of heauen for it is giuen to priestes to haue suche power as almighty God would neyther giue to the angels nor to any of the archangels or to any other angels of heauē For it was neuer sayd to any of them whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be losed in heauen whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bounde in heauen This bonde toucheth the very soule of men and reacheth vp euen to heauen aboue so that whatuer the priest doth in this behalfe here beneth on earth almighty God doth ratifie and alowe the same aboue in heauen and he beyng the lord and mayster doth aproue the sentence of his seruāt Now what maye a man call this els but that in maner al the power in heauen is committed and graunted to the priest for Christ sayth whosoeuer sinnes you forgiue thei be forgiuen and who soeuer sinnes you restrayne or bynde they be restraint bound Tel me saith Chrisostom what power can be giuen greater then this one The father hath giuen to the sonne al power in heauē and earth But now I see saythe Chrisostome the same power the sonne hath giuen to the prest which the father hath giuē to him Imagyn that if a noble king had gyuen to one of hys faythfull and true seruauntes or subiectes power to caste into prison whom it pleased him and to take him out of prison againe or ani other prisoner that he thought wel to do such a man should be counted a marueilous man and in great fauour with his souerayne and worthy to be highly estemed of all the realme And it were a plaine madnes for anye man to despise such an auctoritye euen so it were a manifest madnes to despise or litle regard that authoriti without which we can not obtain our soule helth here in this world saith Chrisostom nor can obtaine the good promisses of the ioyes of heauē Here you must vnderstand Chrisostom that he speaketh of them that be of age and dyscretiō and hath time and oportunitie to vse the sacramentes which the priest ministreth For no man can come to heauen except he be regenerate by water and by the holy gost and he that eateth not the fleshe of Christ drinketh not his blood can not haue life euerlasting Al these thynges be performed and brought to passe by the priest thē how can it well be that without theyr helpe wee may escape the euerlasting fyre of hell or obtaine or wyn the reward of the eternall garlande and crowne of glorye These bee they these be they I say to whom the spiritual trauelyng and the byrthes or deliueraunce of soules to God be put to and they be put in credite and trust with thē By them we put on vs Christe for our garment when we be made Christen men by theym we be buried with Christ by baptisme as Saint Paul speaketh and be made the limmes and the members of hys blessed body For these consideratiōs we ought to feare them to do them more honour then to our carnall father for by our carnall parentes we be borne ex sanguinibus voluntate carnis of bloud the peasure of
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
geuen to the true seruice and honour of god seking the glory of God and not his owne glory or the glory of his manhode Ego non quero gloriam meam est qui querat iudicet Ioh. viii which is the verye exercise and practise of this sixt gift of the holy gost called in latine pietas in englyshe the worshipping of God or the gifte of grace by whiche we be prompte and ready and glad to worshippe God And when we be so disposed taking example at our Sauiour Christe commynge to his holye Temple or churche dedicate to Gods honour where his holy word is redde and song expounded preached and declared and there occupie our selfes in contemplation and prayer like good christian people it is a great signe that we be partakers of his plenty hauynge this gifte of the holy goost deriued vnto vs by our Sauioure Christe And this I thinke is one proper signification of pietas and is as saint Ambrose i offi xxvii sayth the firste and principall parte of our iustice and the beginnynge of wisdome to know of whom we haue our wit and al other goodnes and to do him seruice accordynge to his benefite Albeit if we should extend and enlarge the name of pietas of reuerende worshippe we shall finde that wee owe seruice or reuerende worshippe to our countrey also to our parents that brought vs into this world and nursed vs cherished vs and helped vs when we could not helpe our self and also to thē that be nye of kinred to vs. So that this vocable pietas semeth now to haue .iii. significations to whiche he agreeth secundum analogiam quandam as the Logition speaketh After a certaine order likewise as there is an order betwixt the thynges signified we owe a reuerende seruyce and worshippe to almyghty GOD as to our maker mainteyner and redemer as I haue sayde Wee owe also a reuerende seruice and worshippe to our countrey Wee also owe a reuerende honoure and worship to oure fathers and mothers to thē that be to vs nexte of kinred But we be not so bounde to serue our countrey as wee be to serue God nor so straightly bound to our parētes kinred as to our coūtrey If the whole countrey or the whole realme in whiche thou were borne would moue thee to do that facte or that thinge that shuld be contrarye to Gods pleasure and contrary to his holy scriptures forsake thy countrey esteme it not take no parte with them but cleaue faste to Gods holye worde and resiste euen to death the malice and frowardenesse of suche miscreantes as would moue thee to the contrarie Did not the Apostles so Were they not al Iewes borne was not all the whole countrey bended to extinct the remembraunce of Christe Howe oft were they commaunded they shoulde not once Preache or speake of his name vnder paine of stripes yea vnder paine of deathe But all this would not serue all this could not disseuer them frō Christ nor from publishyng of his fayth and of his holy name nother trouble nor perplexitie or distres nor honger nor nakednesse nor peryll nor persecution nor sworde axe or anye weapon Ro. viii Seconde we be more bounde to our countrey then to our parentes or kynred in so muche that if there woulde anye foreine Potentate or alien power attempte to inuade the Realme where thou art inhabitant of the nacion yea though thine owne father vncle brother all thy kinred that thou hast were on that partye so irrupting into thy coūtry thou oughtest to forsake thē al to fight against thē al for the defence sauegard of thi coūtrey yea that goeth nere to the then so to forsake thy selfe and thine owne lyfe and healthe and to put thy selfe in ieopardy for thy countrey sake The paynim capitayns did so the holy men that scriptures doth commende and repute theim in Catalago sanctorum in the rolle and number of saintes did so likewise Codrus king of Athens in a battaile against the Peloponensis perceiued by an aunswere that the deuill had made speakinge in an ydole to the said Peloponensis that they shoulde haue the victorye if thei killed not the capitaine of the contrary parte Wherfore the whole hoste was commaunded to saue Codrus the kinge of the Athenensis in anye case This was not so secretelye done but it came to Codrus eare which for the pietie and loue that he hadde to his countrey disgised him self like a poore labourer with his sith on his backe and so came amonge the host of his enemies and what with shrowde wordes and misbehauiour and with his sithe he displeased the souldiours and hurte one of them with hys sithe whiche turned to him and with his speare staffe killed him When this was knowen the Peloponensis fled and so the Athenensis had the victorie without anye more bloudsheading In a certaine cōtrouersie betwixt the Carthaginensis the people of Cyrene a certayne citie in Libia of which it is touched Act. ii Et partes Libie que est circa Cyrenem it lieth eastward from Carthage now I trow called Tuneis toward Egypt bothe in Affricke In a contrauersie I saye betwixte those two parties for the meyres or boundes of their territoryes and dominions which cōtinued long to the great murther destructiō of the people of both parties At the last it was agreed betwixt bothe that at a certaine time appointed betwixt both y e cities there shold certayne curriers be send furth where so euer they met there to be meyre stones pitched such markes made whereby it myght be knowen for euer howe farre bothe lordshippes dyd extende they that were sente out of Carthage were twoo brothers Phileni called but so it was that these brothers were come a great waye further then the other partye thought they should And so the Cyrenensis pretended some fraude to be in the setting forth of these mē But they for theyr coūtreys sake and for the auoydaunce of further trouble of the same for to assure the contrarye partie that the thing was done without collusion offred them selfe there to be buryed quick that theyr tombes or graues might be the verye meires in this purpose with whyche the other partie thinking no man woulde make suche an offer for the defence of a false matter was content and so ceased that controuersie In holye scriptures we haue examples abundaunt how that neither father nor mother wyues neyther mens own naturall children coulde withdrawe men from the loue of their countreys in so much that when some of theim were banisshed and driuē out of theyr coūtrey yet whē thei herd that theyr countrey was in daunger distresse they sticked not to forget al displeasures and vnkindnes to do the best they could to saue their coūtreys It is writ Gen. xiiii That y e holy patriarch Abrahā being but a straunger in the land of Canaan now called the holy lande had such reuerend loue to the coūtrey wher
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
conuey out of the citie were caried in a wayne and there receiued had in very greate veneration And thereof it was ordeyned that thinges perteyninge to the seruyce of their Goddes shoulde be called Ceremonies because the Ceretanes worshipped them in that decaye and destruction of the citie of Rome as wel as when it floryshed in prosperitie And the translatours of holy scripture vseth the same latin worde to signifie the rites maners and vsages accustomed in the seruice of the true and onelye lyuinge God almighty maker of all creatures and about thinges dedicate applyed and belonginge to the same seruice callinge them Ceremonies They be externall or outwarde protestations and declarations of the inwarde worshippinge of GOD whiche is by fayth hope and charitie and hath ben vsed in the time when the law of nature had his course and afterwarde in the time of the law written vnto Christes time and finallye in the time of grace from the firste publique and open preachinge of Christes Gospell and so shal continue vnto the worldes ende Almightye God alowed and commended the holy patriarch Abraham vnto Isaac saiyng I will geue to thee and to thy posteritie all these countreys hereaboute and all nacions of the worlde shall be blessed in thy seede for Abrahams sake because he obeyed my voice and kepte my commaundementes my ceremonies and my lawes ▪ Gene. xxvi What ceremonies kept Abraham for which he was worthy thus to be commended Uerely some speciall deuout fashions or behauiour that he vsed about the sacrifices or seruices of God as he had learned of his anceters which I thinke verely were euen the same or muche like to them that afterwarde were expresly commaunded by God and written by Moyses Abel Adams sonne learned of his father to honoure God wyth the fruites that God sende him and to make oblations to him of the same Enos that was sonne vnto Seth begonne to call vpon the name of God inuentinge deuout wordes by the waye of prayer to honour him Enoch the fourth generation after him of whose goodnesse scripture speaketh saiynge that he walked with God and appeared no more amonge the sinnefull people for God toke him away doubtlesse he was no lesse ceremonious in sacrifices oblatiōs and prayers ▪ then his progenitours were And of Noe the holye Patriarch it is expressely written y t when he came out of his ship after y e great flode with his sonnes his wife and his sonnes wiues and all the beasts that were saued bi that shippe Forthwith he erected and made vp an aultare for almighty god and offered sacrifices of part of the beastes and birdes that were clene burnyng thē vpon the same aultare and our Lord God smelled the swetenesse of his oblation acceptynge it graciously for the faith and deuocion of the offerer and not for the things self that were offred Here you haue manifest ceremonies the aultare was Ceremoniall so was the distinction of the clene beastes from the vnclene And of the cleane fowles from he vnclene the burnynge vp of the whole carkasses head fete bowels and al except the skinne was ceremoniall But afore that wee entreate of these ceremoniall lawes I thinke it necessary somewhat to speake of morall lawes and also of Iudiciall lawes which knowen the ceremonies may be more euident The morall lawes cōmaunded by God be they that be of the iudgement of right reason or much consonant agreing to the same that shal moue a mā to fulfil do thē although there wer no law writtē to cōpell a mā to fulfil thē as this Thou shalt honor thy father mother for reasō wil that thou shalt do the best thou canst for thē that brought thee into this worlde and nourished thee and cherished thee when thou were not able to helpe thy self Of this kinde be the .x. cōmaundements of God sonderly expressed to his elect people of Israel and bi them to vs to reduce them and vs to the lyght of naturall reason whiche by euyll exercyse was blinded in thē as it was throughout all the worlde in that tyme and as I feare me it is in manye of vs nowe for malyce was neuer so abundaunte For this purpose it is verye necessarye that they shoulde be declared in the churches on sondayes and holy dayes to put men in remembraunce of their duetie to GOD and to their neighbors other morall rules there be whyche bynde as monicions by the waye of honestie as this Afore a white heade thou shalte rise vp and do thy dutye And this Honod◠the person of an olde man with manye others like And of the saide morall commaundementes dependeth bothe the Iudiciall preceptes and the ceremoniall The Iudiciall lawes be as it were yokes or bondes to binde the people to kepe and do that reason woulde to be done in an order to God and to their neighboure determinynge the paynes and punyshemente for transgressours quietynge and endynge strife plees and controuersies hauynge their strengthe to binde not of the necessary iudgement of right reason but only by institution or of that that they be made by theim that haue auctoritie to make lawes example of thys A morall lawe this is Thou shalt not kyll auye man woman or childe Then if a man breake this lawe by prepensed malyce killynge a manne the Iudiciall lawe sayeth the he shall dye for it where as if he did it by chaunce medley wythout anye suche intended mischiefe he myghte saue hym selfe by some sanctuarye Thou shalte honour thy father and mother is a morall commaundemente To punishe them that do contrarye the iudiciall lawe saith whosoeuer hurteth father or mother shal die for it And whosoeuer rayleth vpō thē geuing thē opprobrious words shal also dye for it ¶ Ceremonies vsed afore Christes tyme were of foure diuers maners Some consisted in sacrifices Some in sacraments Some in halowed thinges or thinges dedicate or applied to Gods seruice Some in obseruaunces Sacrifices they hadde of whiche some were offered for the sinnes of the people or of particuler persons Some of deuotion to pacify Gods displeasure and to obtein his grace and fauour or for to obteine some speciall benefite of almighty GOD. Some were all burned some were part burned part rosted or sodde and parte appointed for the priestes part part for the owner that offred it to make merye with all And they were commonly of rudder beastes of sheepe or goates And amonge birdes of doues or turtles and seldome of sparrowes as in the purgation of Lepris which as S. Paule saith can not purge the cōscience of them that serueth in them for it is not possible sinne to be taken away by the bloude of bullockes or goates Hebr. x. ¶ Sacramentes they had among them as circumcisiō and the paschal lambe and order of the priestes ministring in the tabernacle or temple and the water of expiation made of the asshen of the redde Hefer running water to clense folke frō their irregularitie bi touchīg of a
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
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
be so prone and headstronge to all actuall Synnes as to pride couetuousnesse anger enuye and such other whyche all make agaynste saluation and worketh to dampnation euerlastynge All these miseries and wretchednes considered it is playne that mankynde hath nede of greate mercy and manifolde and abundant mercy to releue hym And therfore Saynt Peter sayde that almightye God by his greate mercye regenerate vs and gote vs again to life agaynst al these mortal deadly miseries The regeneration new begettyng is by the water of baptisme wyth y e words the cooperation and working of the holy spirit without whiche no man maye see the kyngdome and glorye of God By this the dutye or debt of originall iustice is washed away so that GOD will require it no more of vs but he geueth vs in the stede of the sayde originall Iustice an other gyfte equiualent and as good to helpe vs to heauen as it was whiche is the grace that maketh vs in the fauoure of God againe and acceptable to hym This gifte God sendeth into our soules with fayth at our Baptisme and will still at all tymes require it of vs lyke as afore he required the saide originall iustice so that the former debt and dutye of originall Iustice is chaunged into this latter debte and dutie to conserue and kepe the grace geuen vs at our baptisme And yet the mercy of God is so great toward miserable mā that if it mischaunce vs to lose the same baptismall grace by sinne he hath prouided vs an other helpe the seconde table a seconde remedy by penaunce to washe awaye our sinnes and to make vs cleane againe that we may recouer his grace and fauour So that like as originall iustice after it was lost was recompensed by the grace of baptisme so the grace of baptisme after it is lost by actuall sinne is recompensed by grace geuen vs with remission of our sinne bi penance And so loke how necessary baptisme is to wash vs frō the deformitie of originall sinne and to restore vs to grace so necessary is penāce to clense vs frō the deformitie of actual sinne cōmitted after baptisme to restore vs to grace fauour of god And euē like as God requireth originall iustice of al men that be not baptised as of Turkes Saracens Paignims and Infidels which all receiued it in Adam and as for lacke of it they remayne the children of anger of damnation so of al that be christened he requireth the said grace geuē with baptisme they that haue lost it by deadly sinne remaine the children of damnation except thei be healed by penaunce whiche shal geue them grace equiualent to the baptismal grace like as I said that baptisme geueth grace equiualent to originall iustice Al be it the disobedience and rebellion of the powers of our soules for lacke of the foresayde originall iustice dothe remayne in vs as a payne for Adams synne and as a nours◠and a breader of actuall synne and because almightye GOD while he dothe scourge vs doth not forgette to be mercifull he leaueth the sayde disobedience and rebellion of the powers of our soules as a matter of vertue if we will labour and striue against it to ouercome all vices that it woulde incline vs to By this regeneration also all actuall synnes mortall and veniall be cleane forgeuen when anye manne or woman dothe worthelye receiue it He hathe begotten vs againe sayeth saynt Peter into a liuelye hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christe By whiche the Apostle meaneth that lyke as there be two maner of fayethes a deade fayth and a liuelye fayeth so there be two maners of hope a deade hope and a lyuelye hope Hope is the expectation and lokynge for euerlastyng beatitude and ioye throughe grace and our merites Then the hope of hym that will hope and loke to come to heauen and wyll doe no good thynge to brynge him thither is a deade hope and a presumption rather then hope Thys considered the blessed manne Iob whose hope on God was so firme and sure that he sayde Etiam si occiderit me in ipso sperabo Iob. xiii Althoughe he wyll kyll mee yet I wyll hope and truste vppon hym Yet he sayeth there Veruntamen vias meas in conspectu eius arguam ipse erit saluator meus Non enim veniet in conspectu eius omnis ypocrita I wyll discusse my lyfe accuse myne offences afore hys face And then he wyll be my Sauioure For there is no Hypocrite none that wyll shewe oute warde more hope deuotion or holinesse then they haue in deede that shall come in hys sight Therfore lyke as wee haue powred into vs at our regeneration or Baptisme a liuelye fayeth so wee haue a liuynge or liuelye Hoope that lyke as Christe rysse from deathe to a lyfe immortall so shall wee dooe for the father of heauen so disposed and ordeyned for vs that hys sonne shoulde dye for vs that when hee hadde destroyed deathe by hys resurrection he myghte geue vs good example and lyuelye Hope that wee shoulde lykewyse ryse agayne from death to lyfe For lyke as he dyed for to shewe and geue vs Example not to feare Deathe so he roose agayne because wee shoulde surelye hope lykewyse to ryse agayne Into an inheritance that is vncorruptible vndefowled and neuer fadynge conserued and kepte in store in heauen The inheritaunce of Heauen as the Apostle saythe here hathe three excellente properties whyche wee maye ymagine by three contrarye properties whiche no purchaser wyll haue in anye Patrimonie manour or Lordshippe that he shoulde bye or purchase for him selfe to inhabite or dwell in Firste if it bee a rotten grounde where all thynge anone moulleth the tenauntes and mortises of tymber buyldynge rotteth oute and loseth their pynnes The walles or rouffes gathereth a mosse or a wylde Fearne that rotteth out the Lyme and Morter from the stones And where the Sea or freshe water weareth out the ground so that all thinges that there is in shorte space commeth to nought Hee is not wyse that wyll bestowe hym selfe or hys money on suche a grounde Second if there bee in the Lande or House any infectyue or pestylente Ayre disposynge menne to manye infirmityes and genderynge adders snakes or todes or these stingyng scowts or gnats that will not suffre men to slepe a man shoulde haue litle ioye to dwel in such a manour Third if it be suche a grounde where all thinge withereth and dryeth awaye for lacke of moysture where hearbes proueth not and trees groweth not to theyr naturall quantitie where the leues waxeth yelowe and falleth at Lammas tyde where men soweth a busshel and reapeth a peck and for redde wheate reapeth like rye or otes that is bestowed on suche a purchase is but cast awaye The inheritaunce of this transitorye worlde hath all these noughty properties rehersed and manye worse townes and towres castels and manours decayeth continuallye and where noble men haue dwelled nowe
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
whom is no partialitie And knowynge the price that was paide for vs whyche was no corruptible metall as gold or siluer but the precious bloud of a pure Lambe our sauiour Iesus Christ and considering that the seede by whyche we wer regenerate is not corruptible as the sede of our parentes is by which men be goten to die but it is immortall as he is immortall that it commeth of almighty God The sede is the immutable gospell by which we come to baptisme that washeth vs from all our sinnes where I shewed you howe necessary that sacrament is to all sexes and to all ages as wel infants as other that lyke as they be kylled or hurte by an other mans sinne so they may be reuiued by other meÌ„s faith Now consequently in this second chapiter the blessed Apostle sainte Peter intreateth of the nursing or bringing vp of them that were by the saide holy sede goten and borne to Christ and so to life euerlasting This is a naturall order that saint Peter kepeth here for naturally the byrthe goeth afore the nourishinge And because he that hath a shrewd stomake filled with nociue and yll humors must first haue his stomake purged afore any meate shall do him good therefore saint Peter like a good Phisicion for the soule counseleth vs first to rid the stomaks of our soules our hartes or consciences from all malice or wyll to hurt our neighbours That is malice and he that hathe suche an appetite to hurt an other man or woman is called a malicious person otherwyse willing to do to others then he woulde an other should do to him which is contrarie to the law of nature to the iudgement of right reason for the iudgemeÌ„t of reasoÌ„ giueth that we should none otherwise wil intend or do to ani other theÌ„ we reasonably wold they shuld wil intend or do to vs. FroÌ„ this generalitie he descendeth to the particulers special vices saying that we must also rid oure soules from all gile and imaginacion to deceiue our neighbours vnder the pretence and colour of some honestie or goodnes as I rede Gen xxxiii When Dina doughter to Iacob and sister to the .xii. Patriarchs sonnes of Israell would walke abrode to see the women of the countrey and to be sene as the maner of maidens is specâ—tatuÌ„ veniunt veniunt spectentur vt ipse she came to the towne where Emor was Lorde and a great prince there whiche had a sonne called Sichem as soone as he hadde cast his eye vpon this faire damsell Dina he was enamored woulde nedes haue her and so had his pleasure of her whyther she woulde or not And yet his loue swaged not but euer still he loued her more and more In so muche that he prayed and required his father to be suter to Iacob father to the damsell and to be woer for him that he myghte haue her to wyfe mary with her and so did Emor this yong mans father but Iacob would make no graunt til hys sons came to the coÌ„municacion When they herd that Dina theyr sister was deflowred and rauished by force they chafed and tooke the matter very angerlye Notwithstanding after large offers and fayre promisses made to theim by thys good gentleman Emor and by the younge man Sichem hys sonne Responderunt filij Iacob Sichem patri eius in dolo seuientes ob stuprum sororis The sonnes of Iacob made answere to Sichem and to his father in gyle for they were in a rage for the raueshing of theyr sister Mark their answer and theyr intent and you shall perceyue the gile and what gile is This was theyr aunswer It is vnlawfull and a great offence for vs to mary our sister to a man that is vncircumcised but if ye will come to our religion and be circumcised as we be then it shall be lawfull for vs to mary together your men with our women our men with your women and so we may dwel together and liue like frendes and if you wil not then let vs haue our sister away and we wyll be gone This offer pleased Emor and hys sonne Sichem verye well Sichem made no tarying but did as they desired and forthwith was circumcised for the feruent loue that hee had to Dina and then the father and the sonne came into the towne perswaded all the people to agre and so thei did agre circuÌ„cised al the men of the town what age so euer thei were of But then folowed the subtile false intent of Dinays brothers soÌ„s of Iacob For on y e third day after the circuÌ„cising of the people wheÌ„ their wouÌ„des wer sorest y t thei might not wel stir in cam to the town with their swerdes in theyr hands Symeon Leui brothers to Dina bi father mother for Lya was their mother Gen. xxx they slew all theÌ„ that were circuÌ„cised and Emor lorde of the town and Sichem his sonne with al toke away theyr sister with theÌ„ And then came in the rest of Iacobs soÌ„nes with their bushmentes and made hauoke of all that was lefte Here you see that their pretence was good and godly but theyr intent was noughte this is dolus gile If there haue been anye suche gyle vsed by faire promisses and large offers to traine ani man or woman to be of sinister or false opinion or heresie to kill his soule vnder the pretence or colour of euangelicall truthe or libertye this muste be left and layde downe as saint Peter saith here The sutteltie and gile that is vsed in vttering of your wares by suche wiles as you vse for the colourable setting furth of theÌ„ must be left and layde downe and no more vsed Ther is an other gile whiche in comparison of thys is called bonus dolus good gile such as men of war feighting in a iust cause vseth to circumuent and deceiue their enemies Such gile Iosue â–ª viii vsed against the towne of Hay where his host were afore put to rebuke dryuen backe and loste xxxvi men Iosue vii At the second saute he set a strong bende of men to the nomber of fyue thousand in a stale at the West side of the towne of Hay And then the captaine with his armie shewed freshlye against the towne as thoughe they woulde haue fought with them The kinge there encouraged by the victorie at the former skirmige aduanced furth boldly against Iosue the captaine And Iosue reculed backe and ranne awaye as the other company had done afore and when by his reculing he had slocked the kinge of Hay a great wai out of the town he gaue a signe to them that lay in the stale which rose vp and got into the town then being without people for euerye manne and woman was runne oute to pursue Iosue and to get somewhat in the chase and they sette it on fyre and burned it and furthwith came forth on the backe of the kinge of Hay and his hoste and
requite il words then il dedes for meÌ„ dare not at al tunes strike wheÌ„ they be strikeÌ„ nor rob when thei be robbed yet words be sone paied home many times worst then they be giuen of which coÌ„meth much dissentioÌ„ anger breach of charity Therfore the apostle specially biddeth theÌ„ that he wrot to vs by them beware of that faut endeuour our selues to say wel when we be ill said by for cursings to pai hom blessings again for which he bringeth a vehement persâ—oasioÌ„ by that that we be called to Christes faith to haue Gods blessing by enheritaunce whiche shall be giuen vs at oure iudgment Therfore s. Peter meaneth that what soeuer we desire to haue in the world to com in y e same thing we should exercise our selues in thys world blessing our Lord maker by laud praising him blessing our brothers sisters our eueÌ„ christeÌ„ saying wel by theÌ„ wishing praying theÌ„ good in this world so preparing our selfes for the heauenly blessing that shal neuer fail vs. S. Peter alledged the prophet Dauid in the psal xxxiii whosoeuer wil loue life euerlasting in heaueÌ„ in whiche no maÌ„ dieth and will loue to se good daies that shal neuer be darkened nor discoÌ„tinued by ani night let him refraine his tong froÌ„ il saiynges not blaspheming y e name of god nor murmuring agaiÌ„st him And let him refrain his lips that they speake no gile nor deceit against his neighbour but be true in thy words in keping thi honest promises for vnlawful vnhonest ê“mises thou shuldest make none but if thou haue made any such thou shouldest repent thy foly breake thy promis Christ saith Mat. xii Ex verbis tuis iustificaberis et exveâ—bis tuis condemnaberis by thy woordes thou shalt be iustified approued as a good man afore god and by thy words thou shalt be dampned the children of Adders being noughtye theÌ„ selfe can not say wel ex abundantia enim cordis loquitur os for y e mouth speaketh of the stuffe of the hart Il wordes declareth an ill hart good words declareth a good hart And therfore when the prophet also s. Peter forbiddeth the tong from il he forbiddeth the hart from il thoughts aswel as y e tonge from il wordes S. Iames saith Iac. iii. Be a horse neuer so strong feirce yet with a good bit in his mouth with the bridle a man may turne him winde him as he list and likewise a ship though it be very great and vnweldi be set furth in his way with a right boistous strong forwinde yet with a litle sterne it may be turned wynded as the maister y t holdeth the helme list So the toÌ„ge is but a litle lim of a mans body et magna exaltat it setteth forth many great matters mors et vitam manibus lingue it bringeth life temporal and much quietnes if it be well bestowed and causeth life euerlasting to him that well vseth hys tonge in godlye doctrine and gostlye exhortation vttered in season wher contrary a wicked tonge maketh muche trouble in thys worlde and manye times death temporal and eternal foloweth of it A little fire burneth a whole groue or a greate wodde An yll tongue is a fire that marreth all and burneth vp coÌ„sumeth and wasteth al goodnes specially when the fire of hell hath set it on a flame when the deuyll hath blowen the coale It is an vnquiet mischiefe full of deadly poyson Prohibe linguam tuam a malo When the Deuyll moueth thee to saye yll then play the controller playe the commaunder bidde thy tongue kepe it selfe wythin hys bondes and saye none euyll thoughe thy courage woulde contrarye And then Declinet a malo faciat bonum Where the blessed apostle Saint Peter by the words of the Prophet biddeth vs vse Iustice in our woorkes and dedes as he hath willed vs to vse iustice in our thoughtes and in our wordes And because there be two principall partes of Iustice one to decline from euill and the other to do good hee that will see good dayes must decline from euil so perfourmynge the preceptes negatiue Thou shalt not take the name of God in vayne Thou shalt not kyll any man woman or childe Thou shalt not steale nor robbe Thou shalt do no lechery nor such other The seconde precept concerninge the other parte of Iustice is to dooe good fulfillyng the precepts affirmatiue Beleuyng on one God louyng him and fearyng him Kepyng thy holy daye holilye worshippynge thy father and mother and generallye so doynge to an other as thou wouldest an other should do to thee Inquirat pacem prosequatur eam Let him seke peace with God and man and earnestly folowe it The worlde can geue no peace but will rather driue away peace and make disseÌ„sion and debate betwixt god and man and betwixt man and man Therfore the Prophete saith not onelye thou must seke for peace but also thou muste pursue it runne after it laboure and finde all meanes possible to catche it and to holde it els it will be gone the worlde and carnalitie wil haue it awaye from thee And because he that declineth and auoydeth from euill and doth well and also laboureth and taketh paine to obtaine Iustice taketh great labour and pains in so doing The blessed apostle sainte Peter forth with comforteth vs telling what is the reward of iustice and of good men that kepe iustice Oculi domini super iustos This shall be their rewarde Firste our Lorde Gods eyes wyll fauourablie beholde them and louinglye loke vppon theim as on his frendes as a mans eyes runneth muche on the thinge that a man loueth Seconde his eares will be open mercifully inclined to heare their prayers where contrary he will make a face and loke with a terrible countenance vpon them that do yll and kepe not these partes of Iustice afore rehersed nor careth for peace nor will not labour for to obtaine it Where the prophet applieth corporal limmes or meÌ„bres to almighty god coÌ„descending to our infirmitie of our wittes whiche must be led vp bi corporal similitudes to the coÌ„sideration of heuenly thinges of the maner vsed among men by his amiable casting his eyes vpon vs his louing fauour and by his frowning terrible countenance his anger and displeasure Et quis est qui vobis noceat si boni emulatores fueritis â— Here the apostle excludeth a certaine doubt that might moue mens mindes saiyng that if we shal thus do as you saye not requite euil for euil nor checke for checke but contrary waies do good for yll blesse or saye well for yll wordes and euer to labour for peace and quietnes then euery maÌ„ would treade vs vnder fote and would hurt vs and rob vs and do vs displeasures one after another so we shold be in worse case then all other men be To this s. Peter answereth comfortyng
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
lacke of glorye which doubtlesse was a greuous payne for theim that daylie and hourely loked for it as the wisemanne saithe Pro. xiii Spes que differtur affligit animam The hoope that is prolonged and put of vexeth and punisheth the minde Amonge these were manye of them that were swalowed vp in the water at Noes floude Yet diynge penitent as I sayd of which saint Peter here maketh special mencion vnderstandynge by them all the rest of the holye fathers that were in the same pryson and in the paine of lacke of glory To these spirites or souls of theim thus beinge in that painefull Prison where they were payned with the hōger thirst of eiger and gredy desire to see the glorie of God Christe came in spirite in his soule while his bodye laye stil in the sepulchre and preached declared and reueiled vnto them that the high misterie of his painful passion was exhibited and perfourmed and mans raunsome payed by the price of his precious bloude and there he was conuersaunt with them to their greate consolation and comfort and to the confusion of all the deuyls in hell tyll the time when it pleased him to vnite and ioyne his soule to his body againe agaynst the time of his glorious resurrection and then toke away with him suche as were to his pleasure as he sayde afore that he woulde do Ego si exaltatus fuero à terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be lyft vp from the grounde I shall drawe all thinges to me as well in hell as in earth for of both he drewe a great part to him According to this speaketh the increate wysedome of God the seconde person in Trinite Eccle. xxiiii Penetrabo omnes inferiores partes terre inspiciam omnes dormientes illuminabo omnes sperantes in domino I shall pearce and entre into all the lower partes of the earth and I wyll loke on all theim that be a slepe whose bodies rest in their graues in the slepe of peace and I wyll geue light to all them that hope in theyr Lord God And Saint Augustine in the .cxxvii. sermon sayth Omnia ab stulit vtique electa electi quamuis in tranquillitatis sinu tamē apud inferni claustra tenebantur Non enim infideles quosque pro suis criminibus aeternis suppliciis dedicos ad veniam dominus resurgendo reparauit sed illos ex inferni claustris rapuit quos suos fide actibus recognouit Christ toke awaye with him all that were electe and chosen for suche althoughe they were in the bay or bosome of tranquillitie ease and reste yet they were kepte and holden within the clausures of hell For our lord Christ when he rose did not repaire or restore to pardon and forgiuenes all infideles and such as for theyr crimes or mortall sinnes were deputed to euerlastinge paynes and punishmentes but them he plucked out of the cloysters and clausures of hell whiche he knew for his owne by their fayth and by their dedes For the soule of Christe ioyned to the Godhead from whiche it was neuer separate descended into the said darke place gaue light to thē that were ther kept in prison By occasion of that he spoke of Noes shyppe in whiche a fewe lyues were saued by the water that is to saye the liues of Noe and of his wife and the liues of theyr three sonnes and of theyr thre wiues .viii. personnes in all the blessed apostle Sainte Peter declareth the allegorye of the same fygure sayinge that like as the sayde .viii. personnes or liues were saued from drowninge beynge lifte vppe in the shippe a flote aboue the grounde euen so sayth he In like fourme and maner you be saued by baptisme from dampnation euerlastinge Non carnis depositio sordium sed conscientiae bone interrogatio in Deum The water alone is not the thinge that doth it althoughe his propertie be to washe away the filth and vncleanes of the body but it is the examination and discussion of a good cōscience toward God saith S. Peter because that in the water the worde doth make cleane the soule as S. Augustin speaketh tract .lxxx. in euangel Iohan. Uppon these wordes Iam vos mundi estis propter verbum quod locutus sum vobis Ioh. vx Take away the holy sacramentall wordes from the water and what is the water but bare water Accedit verbum ad elementum fit sacramentum The worde ioyned to the element of water maketh the sacramente For the water can nor of it selfe haue suche strengthe as to touche the body and withall to clense the soule but onely by the worde And by the worde not because it is soūded or said by him or her that doth christe but because it is beleued According to that S. Peter had said Act. xv Fide purificans corda eorum God clensith theyr hartes by fayth the water and the worde concurringe with the same fayth Then this clensing of the soule must not be attribute to the water excepte we put to the worde and then ioyne theim both together and they shall be of suche strength that they may purge and make cleane the least chylde that euer was borne whiche as I haue sayde in tymes past beleueth in the fayth of the churche lyke as he or she that is of discretiō beleueth by his own faith Al these circumstances S. Peter speaketh in few wordes Conscientie bone interrogatio in deum the examination or discussion of a good wel beleuing conscience toward God comprehending as wel the cathechisation or instruction going afore the baptisme where y e party may haue such oportunitie as the Sacramentall wordes with the water with faith and all together According to this saith S. Paul Eph. v. Christus dilexit ecclesiam et seipsū tradidit pro ea vt illā sancti ficaret mūdans eā lauachro aque in verbo vite Christ loued his churche deliuered him self to sinfull mennes handes that he mighte make her holye clensynge her with the lauer of water in the worde of lyfe This blessed Sacramente of baptisme by whiche we be regenerate and gotten agayne to God was signified by the water that drowned the earth and earthly carnall people and saued the eyght liues that then were saued And that the water of the sayde flud saued none that were out of the shippe signifieth that all heretikes that be out of the common receaued fayth of the churche althoughe they were in the water although they be christened and glorieth to be called christen men yet by the same water they shall be drouned into hell by which the ship the catholike churche was lifte and borne vp into heauen and saued as the materiall shippe of Noe was lifte vp into the ayre aboue grounde and saued by water And lyke as they that were drowned in Noes floude had theyr corpsis wasshed from exterior fylth of theyr bodies whiche preuayled them not against drowninge so there was
domini prophetabis cum eis muâ—aberisin virum alium The spirit of our lord shall fall vpon thee sodainly thou shalt prophecy as thei do and thou shalt be chaunged into another maner of maÌ„ And as Samuel y e prophet saied so it chaunced in dede And Saul prophecied with them singing lauding god also speking by y e way of prophecy of things to come Of this came the murmure and admiration and wonder of theim that knewe hym and were acquaynted with hym afore euen as Saynte Peter speaketh here they saide Quenam res accidit filio Cis â–ª Num Saul inter Prophetas Cis was father vnto Saule what is become vnto the sonne of Cis What is Saule amonge the Prophetes or one of the Prophetes These menne did not thanke GOD for the gifte that God hadde geuen to Saule but rather disdayned and fell to mockynge of hym Other there were that manifestlye despised hym Filii autem Belial dixerunt Num saluare nos poterit iste despexerunt cum The Deuylles chyldren malicious persones sayde Can this man saue vs from our enemies They dispised hym and set hym at naught and woulde not take hym as their Kynge nor brought anye presente vnto hym as others did Euen accordynge to suche common practice of the worlde speaketh Saynte Peter here They that yet styll persisteth and continueth in their old accustomed vyce and misliuynge filii Beliall the deuylles birdes marueyleth at you That you forsake theim and that you fall not to suche coÌ„fusion of all Lecherye and voluptuous liuynge as they dooe and as you were wonte to dooe blaspheminge and missaiynge you because you abstaine from their noughtie conuersation they despise you and sette not a strawe by you but sayeth Wyll you see thys Pope holye horeson Num Saull inter Prophetas Wee shall haue a Prophete or a Preacher of hym with suche other blasphemynge and raylynge woordes Qui reddent rationem ei qui paratus est iudicare viuos mortuos Whiche shall make a reakening and accompte for their raylinge vnto hym that is readye to Iudge the quicke and the deade our Sauiour Iesus Christe vnto whome the father hath geuen auctoritie to Iudge all them that shall be iudged for if you holde your tonge and speake nothinge that iuste Iudge will not kepe silence nor holde his tongue but will paye theim home for their blasphemye and raylynge and shall geue you large rewarde for your Pacience accordynge to that Sainte Paule sayeth that pacience tryeth a manne a tryall worketh hoope of saluation And that hope shall not bee confounded but shall be saciate with ioyes euerlastinge in heauen accordinge to our expectation Amen The fiftenth treatice or Sermon â—Iuant autem secundum Deum in spiritu In these wordes that I haue nowe reade vnto you the blessed Apostle Sainte Peter sheweth vs the commoditie that came to theÌ„ that beyng infidels hadde the Gospell and good tidings of Christes doctrine preached vnto them And the same coÌ„moditie commeth also to all theÌ„ that beinge in deadly sinne and so dead spiritually heareth the Gospell and the worde of God preached vnto them which is amendment of life Thus he sayeth Propter hoc c. For this cause the Gospell and holye doctryne of Christes faith was preached to you and to theÌ„ while they were afore dead by infidelitie and for lacke of the lyfe of grace that they might be likewise iudged or condemned by carnal vicious persons as you be and might be likewise hadde in dispite as you be for Christes sake and for your good vertuous liuing And notwithstanding sinister iudgemente of naughty men yet they should liue Godly and according to Goddes pleasure in spirite for commonly those two thinges foloweth of the receyuynge of Christes fayth and for liuynge accordinge to the same firste that accidentallie and by occasion of good and christian liuynge menne suffereth muche woe and vexation and many dispitefull wordes Second euen of purpose of theÌ„ that preacheth or conuerteth men to good they that be so conuerted maye liue vertuouslye accordynge to Goddes pleasure Omnium autem finis appropinquabit Because he sayd euen now that Christe is readye to come to iudge the quick and the beade as though he woulde not be long nor tarie Nowe he saieth accordyng to the same that the ende of all menne is at hande for as Christe saieth in the Gospell of that daye of iudgement no man knoweth howe nighe it is or howe farre of it is And therefore we muste euer thinke vppon it as thinkinge euerye mornynge it woulde be come afore night And euen so we muste thinke of our owne particuler iudgement at our departinge euerie man and woman for oure owne parte as well for the aucthoritye of Goddes woorde that in manye places geueth vs warnynge to bee euer readye as for the manifolde Pronostications and messagers of death that wee haue euerye daye Of whiche one is Age whiche daielye creapeth vppon vs aduertisynge vs of oure ende to whiche he daielye driueth vs as by lacke of naturall heate and by colde folowynge of the same And this commeth to manye menne by longe continuynge in thys lyfe and by multitude of yeres To others it commeth afore their tyme accedentallye and in a manner vyolentelye as by syckenesse paynes and aches and to others by vnmeasurable solicitude and care of minde Eccle. xxx Cogitatus ante tempus senectam adducit And to others by ouermuche Studye and watchynge for to get learnyng and knowledge Vigilia honestatis tabefaciet carnes cogitatus illius auferet somnum Eccle. xxxi â—â—â—chyng about matters of honestye and goodnes shall consume the fleshe and the thinkyng on such thinges will take awaye a mans slepe for of muche thought and of profounde study about weighty matters and likewise of musinge on terrible and troublous causes there commeth into the sensuall appetite of manne manye passions and troubles to vexe hym and vnquiet him as feare and sorow and heauinesse or suche other whiche manye tymes altereth the bodye soore and vnmeasurablye so that a mannes naturall complexion is distempered by the same and a mannes naturall moysture is consumed and natural strength weakened and decayed and so the fleshe widdereth and dryeth the skyne wrinkeleth and quaketh And therefore saide the wiseman Pro. xxv Sicut tinea vestimento vermis ligno ita tristicia viri nocet cordi As a moght hurteth a garment and a worme consumeth a Tree so dothe sorowe and heauinesse hurte a mannes harte and consequentlye all the bodye after And therfore holye Iob in his greate calamitie and vexacion sayde Cutis mea aruit contracta est Iob. vii My skinne is withered and shronke together This saide holye Iob considerynge that hys naturall moysture was coÌ„sumed by age for his manifold diseases and sores An other proâ—ostication messager of our end is sickenes soores maleÌ„ders as weaknes of coÌ„plexion disposion to many feuers to be now then vexed w t
fruites of y e earth proueth largely when God maketh the sonne to shine vpon good bad men indifferently and sendeth rayne to the iust men as to the vniust these and such other pertaine to temporal lyfe prosperitie he that wil not loue god laud him for thē is very vnkind By this almighty god sheweth what he reserueth and kepeth in stoore for them that be good whyle he geuethe all suche pleasures to theym that be noughte Then yf thou haue plentye thanke GOD that gaue it thee or yf thou lacke yet thanke God for he is not taken from the that geueth all thinges thoughe his gyftes be withdrawen for a time Remember what holy Iob sayde when he was spoyled of al that he had Dominus dedit dominus abstulit sicut domino placuit ita factum est sit nomen domini benedictum This is verye true charitie towarde God that so laudeth God in prosperitie that yet it kepeth a man vp that he be not broken nor ouerthrowen in aduersitie And here is hyghlye to be considered the true sentence and mynde of holy Iob concerninge prouidence cure or prouision about thinges longinge to man whiche many of the paignim philosophers imputed to desteny or to fortune or to influence of the sterres or suche other causes For Iob sayth Dominus dedit GOD hath geuen it to me Where he confesseth that worldly prosperitie commeth to man not by chaunce nor by desteny nor by influence of the sterres nor onely by mans studye and laboure but of Gods dispensation disposinge And in that he sayth Dominus abstulit God hath taken it away he confesseth that aduersitie commeth to man also by Goddes prouidence meaninge by this that man hath no iust cause to cōplaine or grudge against God if he be spoyled of al temporal goodes gifts For the things that God geueth gratis without any deseruing of vs he may geue them for a time or els to a mās last ende as it pleaseth him Therefore when he taketh them away afore our end or when we haue most nede of thē there is no cause why we shuld complaine And when holy Iob sayth Si cut domino placuit ita factum est sit nomen domini benedictum He declareth that considering that if a mā be spoyled of all that euer he hath yet if he loue God he shuld conforme his wil to Gods wyll so not to be supped vp or ouercome with sorow but rather to be glad to geue thankes to God y t it hath pleased him to fulfil his will vpon hym as the apostles did Ibant gaudentes a conspectu consilii quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Iesu contumeliam pati they went from afore the coūsell nother wepynge nor grudginge but with a mery heart that it had pleased GOD to repute thē worthy to suffre despites for Christes name and for his sake As if a sicke man take a bytter potion he should be glad so to do in hope of helth that he trusteth to receiue by the medicine And so if God visit his louer with aduersitie doubtles it is for some better purpose that he knoweth better then we Therfore although the flesh woulde grudge yet reason shoulde be contente glad of it Thyrd like as a garment couereth a mans secretes and vncleanly partes that a man would not haue sene so doth charitie couer the vnclenlines of the soule so that withoute it the soule goeth naked Therfore it is sayd Apo. xvi Beatus qui vigilat custodit vestimēta sua ne nudus ambulet videāt turpitudinem eius Blessed is he that walketh as one regarding caring for his owne saluation sauegard and that kepeth his raiment of vertues lest he walke naked at y e day of the generall iudgement that all the aungelles holy cōpany cōming w t Christ may se his filthines Fourth Charitie is the wedding liuery or garment without which no man can be alowed to sit at Christes feast but if he presume to come without it he shall be taken vp and bound hand and fote and cast into the darke dongeon of hel It is written Hester iiii that it was not lawfull for any man to entre into the court of kinge Assuerus beynge clothed in sackclothe or such vile rayment Assuerus by interpretation is as muche to saye as beatitude so it maye not be that anye man withoute charitie beynge as one wrapt in a sacke or vyle ragges of vices to come into the courte of euerlastinge beatitude in heauen This is the heauenlye vertue by whiche mortall men yet here liuinge be made lyke the inhabitauntes of heauen Of this vertue it is written Can viii Valida sicut mors dilectio Loue or Charitie is mightie and stronge as death The strength of Charitie coulde not haue ben more nobly expressed For who can resist or withstande death Fyre may be withstanden weapons may be withstanden kynges and men of greate power maye be withstanden but when death commeth it selfe alone who resisteth or withstandeth it There is nothing stronger then it and therefore charitie is compared vnto the strength of it And because that Charitie kylleth in vs that we were afore kylleth synne with whiche we were infect afore and maketh vs as we were not afore therfore it causeth in vs a certayne death suche as he was deade with that sayde Mihi mundus crucifixus est ego mundo The worlde is crucified kylled and deade to me and I to the worlde This is the vertue that neuer falleth nor faileth but in the highe and heauenly citie aboue is consummate and made parfit and set in highest perfection that here is feable and weake and abideth much trouble and hath many interruptiōs It foloweth in the text of this epistle Hospitales inuicem sine murmuratione You shall kepe hospitalitie and open householdes or your houses open one to another without yl wil or grudginge Saynt Paule commendinge the constancie and stedfast fayth of the holye patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Iacob and others amonge other vertues specially commendeth them Quod confessi sunt se hospites aduenas super terram declarantes se patriam inquirere Heb. xi because they confessed and toke them selues as gestes straungers or waifaring men in y e land whiche was promised thē as a peculier inheritaunce yet they setled not theyr mindes on it but euer had an eye to thinheritaunce that should neuer fayle which is heauen aboue signified by the sayd lāde that they were in then by this geuing vs exāple that while we be here how greate so euer welth and ryches patrimonie landes or reuenues God geueth vs yet we shoulde not setle our mindes to fast on them as in them to prefixe our ende our felicitie as men thinking none other heauē but that we should euer by example of such holy fathers set forwarde our selues to wyn the sure habitatiō of heauen y t neuer decaieth nor faileth taking our selues while we
the flesh but these men these priests be the aucthors and doers of that byrth which we haue of God and of that blessed regeneration and trew liberty by which we be made the children of God by adoption and speciall grace The Iewes priestes of Moyses law had power not to pourge clense the bodie from leprie of them that were infecte with the same disease but rather to discerne iudge whether men were purged or not purged from that disease and yet was their priesthod in hie estimacion and ambitiously desired as appered bi Chore Dathan and Abyron which for their obstinate and greedie desyre sanke into Hell the earth opened and swalowed them vp with all theyr confederacie Then coÌ„sider how the priesthod of the new Testament is amplified made of more sanctimonie by reason of the most holie misteries and sacramentes with whiche it is exercised then euer was the priesthod of Moyses law For Christes priestes doth not only declare and iudge whether men be purged fro the lepres of the soule or not but rather doeth purge them in deede by the power that Christ hath geuen to them Therfore after Chrisostom looke howe great difference there is betwixt vehement loue and desire of a thing and the contempt or despising of a thing so greatly thei that despiseth the holy priesthod of Christes ministers be more detestable to be reproued then euer were Chore and Dathan and their confederacy which with so ardent and feruente desyre aspired to the priesthod of Moyses time The one sanke downe into the gapinge earth which swalowed theÌ„ downe into Hell then let not the other thinke to escape without more shame and vengeauÌ„ce Moreouer yet further to compare the priestes to our naturall parentes Almighty God hath geueÌ„ to priestes more power vpon vs then to our naturall parentes For our parentes begetteth vs into this present temporall lyfe but the priestes getteth vs into euerlasting life Our carnall parentes can nother saue vs from temporall sickenes nor froÌ„ temporal death but the priestes not only when they regenerate vs by water and with the holy spirite or when by their holy doctrine they recouer vs from vice to vertu but also when we be bodyly sicke also sicke in our soule they cure and heale vs obtayning by the succour and help of their prayers bothe health of body and soule witnesseth S. Iames Iaco. vlt. Infirmatur inter vos aliquis accersat presbiteros ecclesie orent super euÌ„ vngeÌ„tes euÌ„ oleo in nomine dnÌ„i oratio fidei saluabit infirmuÌ„ et alleuiabit euÌ„ dominus et si in peccatis sic remittentur ei WheÌ„ any maÌ„ amoÌ„ge you is sicke let him sende for the priests of the church let them pray ouer him anoynt him with oyle in y e name of our Lord the praiers of faythfull persoÌ„s shal saue y e sick our lord shal set him vp agayn And if he be in sinnes they shalbe forgiueÌ„ him Natural pareÌ„ts cannot help theyr children if they offende against princes or kinges in anye poynt of treason or greuous offence where priestes many times obteineth grace mercy and fauour for theyr spirituall children not of mortall princes but of almighty God wheÌ„ he is offended with them Well thys excellencie of priesthod coÌ„sidered which I haue now at large declared euer presupposing their excellency power and auctority to be principallye vpon the soule of man in such things and doinges as be toward God to whom be all honour glory for euer Amen ¶ The .xix. treatise or sermon WOrshipful frendes I truste you remember that in my laste sermon that I made in this place I entred on the fift chapter of Saynt Peters first epistle In which I declared vnto you how Saynte Peter like as he had giuen good and godly lessons to all kynde maners of men and women maryed and single masters and seruauntes bondmen and freemen so because the ministers of the church shuld not lak learning he instructeth prelates and priests and informeth theÌ„ of theyr dutie alluring al priestes to giue credence to his doctrine by that he professeth him selfe to be a priest and one of such experience of the affayres of our Sauiour Christe that had sene as well the glory of Christes glorified body at his transfiguration as also the vexacion that he suffred in the whole processe of his painful passion and that he was partaker of the same And then consequentlye I descended to speake of the order of priesthode and of the dignity of the same which I declared at large bi the scriptures and by the auncient writers holye fathers And I had litle thanks for my labour specially of them that beinge priestes be ashamed of that name and of likelyhood would faine de discharged of theyr order if they could tell howe most agreued they were with me because I said nothing in the defence of theyr shameful and incestious bawdry which they would couer wyth the name of matrimony so by them sclaundring that holy sacrament Then I declared many properties of a good priest which to exchew prolixitie I will now not rehearse againe for I trust you haue not al forgotten them These properties of a good priest or prelate thus declared let vs see what Saint Peter now here in the letter willeth them to do Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei Feede the flocke of God that is vnder your hand Because that now lateli this matter of the diuersitie of shepeheards and pastours was very well and aboundantly handled and declared I wil passe ouer it presupposing these good properties afore rehersed of him that shal be a good shepheard or pastour We must take heede to our charge Act. xx Atten dite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spuÌ„s sâ—tuÌ„s posuit episcopos regere ecclesiaÌ„ dei quaÌ„ acquisiuit sanguine suo Take hede to your selfe sayth S. Paule to the priestes prelates of Ephesus and to all the whole flocke in whiche the holy goost hath set you bysshops Lo here he calleth them byshops they were not then all in such preminence or so set in aucthoritie or superioritie aboue others as bishops were then sone after and be now but he meaneth priestes afore he called them maiores natu ecclesie the elders of the church or congregation Now he calleth the same byshops these S. Paule biddeth take hede to their flocke Saynt Peter byddeth them feede their flocke as Christe had commaunded Peter to feede his lammes and to feede his sheepe his people whiche should be lyke laÌ„mes full of simplicitie tractablenes and geÌ„tlenes which Christ willeth all them that wilbe saued by him to vse So Saynt Peter descendeth as by an ordinate Iherarchie and giueth like charge to such as he had constitute and ordeyned to be curates after him willing them to feede the flocke prouidentes non coacte prouiding for theÌ„ without coaction They must wyth discrete solicitude and studie prouide such