thaâ— that I se stande nexâ—e me it stode more commodiouslye for me And â—o dyd Christe by Simons bote It stode nerer for him he sawe a better seate in it A good natural reasoÌ„ Nowe come the papystes and they wyll make a misterie of it they wyll pyke out the supremesy of the Bishop of Rome in Peters bote We maye make allegoryes inoughe of euerye place in scripture but suerly it must nedes be a symple matter that standeh on so weke a grounde But ye shall se further He desired Peter to thruste oute his bote from the shore He desired hym Heare was a good lesson for the Byshoppe of Rome al hys colledge of Cardinalles to learne humilitye and gentelnes Rogabateum He desired him it was gently done of him with out any austeritie but wyth all vrbanitye wyldnes softnes and humilitie What an example is this that he giueth them heare but they spye it not they can se nothinge but the supremycye of y e Byshoppe of Rome A wounderous thynge what syghte they haue They se nothynge but the supremicie of the Byshoppe of Rome Imperabatis onibus meis saith Ezechiel Cum anaxicia et austeritate et disperse sunt absque pastore Ye haue ruled my shepe and commaunded them wyth greate lordlynes austeritye and power and thus ye haue dispersed my shepe a brode and why There was no shephard they had wanted one a greate while Rome hath bene many a hundred yeres without a good shepard They would not lerne to rule theÌ„ geÌ„tly they hade rule ouer theÌ„ but it was with curssyngs excoÌ„municacions wyth great austâ—rite thuÌ„derboltes and the diuell and all to mayntayne their vnpreachynge prelacye I beseche God open their â—yes y t they maye se the truth not be blinded with those thynges that no maÌ„ can se but they It foloweth in the texte Sedens docâ— bat de naui He taught sitting Preachers be lyke were sitters in those dayes as it is written in a nother place Sâ—dent in cathedra moisis They sit in the chayre of Moses I woulde oure preachers woulde preache sittyng or slandynge one waye or other It was a goodly pulpyt that oure Sauioure Christe had gotten hym here And olde rotten bote And yet he preached his fathers wyll hys fathers message oute of thys pulpyt He cared not for the pulpit so he myght do the people good In dede it is to be coÌ„mended for the preacher to stand or sit as the place is but I woulde not haue it so supersticiously estemed but y â— a good preacher maye declare the worde of god syttynge on a horse or preachyng in a â—re And yet if this shoulde be done the vnpreachinge prelattes woulde laughe it to skorne And though it be good to haue the pulpit set vp in churches that the people maye resort thither yet I woulde not haue it so supersticiously vsed but that in a prophane place the worde of God might be preached some tymes and I woulde not haue the people offended with all no more then they be wyth our Sauioure Christes preachyng out of a bote And yet to haue pulpettes in churches it is very well done to haue them but they woulde be ocupyed for it is a vayne thinge to haue them as they staÌ„d in many churches I hard of a Byshoppe of Englande that wente on visitacion and as it was the custom wheÌ„ the Byshoppe should come and be runge into the toune the greate bâ—lles clapper was fallen doune the tyall was brokeÌ„ so that the Bishoppe could not be runge into the toune There was a greate matter made of thys and the chyfe of the paryshe were muche blamed for it in the visitacion The Byshop was some what quicke wyth theym and sygnyfyed that he was muche offended They made theyr aunsweres and excused them selues as well as they coulde it was a chaunce sayd they that the clapper brak and we coulde not get it mended by and by we must tarrye tyl we can haue it done It shal be amended as shortelye as mayc be Amonge the other there was one wyser then the rest and he commes me to the Byshop Why my Lorde sayth he doth your lordshyp make so greate a matter of the hell that lacketh hys clapper here is a bell sayeth he and poynted to the pulpit y t hath lacked a clapper thys .xx. yeres We haue a person that fetteth out of thys benefyce fyftye pounde euerye yeare but we neuer se hym I warrauÌ„te you the Byshop was an vnpreachyng prelate He coulde finde faute with the bel that wanted a clapper to rynge him into the toune but he could not find any faute with the person that preached not at his benefyce Euer this office of preachynge hath bene leaste regarded it hath skante hadde the name of goddes seruice They must synge Salua festadies about the churche that no man was the better for it but to shewe theyr gaye cotes and garmenttes I came once my selfe to a place riding on a iornay homewarde from LondoÌ„ and I sent worde ouer nighte into y e toune that I woulde preache there in the morning because it was holydaye and me thought it was an holye dayes worcke The churche stode in my waye and I toke my horsse and my companye and wente thither I thought I shoulde haue found agreat companye in the church and when I came there the churche dore was faste locked I tarried there halfe an hower and more at last the keye was founde and one of the paryshe commes to me and sayes Syr thys is a busye daye wyth vs we can not heare you it is Rodyn hoodes daye The paryshe are gone a brode to gather for Robyn hoode I praye you let them not I was fayne there to geue place to Robyn hoode I thought my rochet shoulde haue bene regarded thoughe I were not but it woulde not serue it was faine to geue place to Robyn hoodes men It is no laughynge matter my friende it is a wepyng matter a heauy matter a heauy matter vnder the pretence for gatherynge for Robyn hoode a traytoure and a thefe to put out a preacher to haue hys office lesse estemed to prefer RoRobyn hoode before the ministracioÌ„ of Gods worde and all this hath come of vnpreaching prelates Thys Realme hathe ben yl prouided for that it hath had suche corrupte iudgementes in it to prefer Robyn hood to goddes worde Yf the Byshoppes had bene preachers there shoulde neuer haue bene any suche thinge but we haue a good hope of beteer We haue had a good beginning I besech God to continewe it But I tell you it is farre wyde that the people haue suche iudgementes the Byshoppes they coulde laughe at it What was that to them they would haue them continue in theyr ignoraunce styll and them selues in vnpreachyng prelacye Wel syttynge syttynge He satte doune and taught The texte doeth tell vs that he taughte but it
I shuld saye masse I haue put in water twyse or thryse for faylyng in so muche when I haue bene at my Memēto I haue had a grudge in my consyence fearynge that I hadde not putte in Watter ynoughe And that which is here spoken of wine he meaneth it of al artes in the cyty of al kindes of faculties for they haue al theyr medles and mynglynges That he speaketh of one thynge he menneth generally of al. I must tell you more newes yet I here saye ther is a certayne connynge come vp in myxynge of wares Howe say you were it no wonder to here that clothe makers shoulde be come poticaries Yea and as I heare saye in suche a place where as they haue professed the Gospell and the word of God most earnestly of a longe tyme. Se howe busie the Deuyll is to sclaunder the word of god Thus the pore gospel goeth to wracke Yf his clothe be .xviii. ye ardes lōg he wil set hym on a racke and streatch hym out wyth ropes and racke hym tyl the senewes shryncke agayne whyles he hath brought hym to .xxvii. yardes Whē thei haue broughte hym to that perfection they haue a pretye feate to thycke hym agayne He makes me a powther for it an playes the poticary thei cal it floke pouther they do so in corporate it to the cloth that it is wonder full to consider truely a goodly inuencion Oh that so goodly wyttes shold be so yl applyed they maye wel deceiue the people but they can not deceiue God They were wont to mak beddes of flockes and it was a good bed to Now they haue turned theyr flockes into pouther to playe the false theues with it O wicked diuell what can he inuent to blaspheme Goddes worde These mixturs come of couetousnes Thei are playne theft Woo worthe that these flockes should so slaūder the worde of God As he sayed to the Iewes thy wyne is myngled wyth water so myghte he haue sayed to vs of thys Lande Thy clothe is myngeled wyth flockepouder He goeth yet on Thys sedicyouse man reproueth thys honorable cytye and sayed Principes tui infideles Thou lande of Hyerusalem thy magystrates thy Iudges are vnfaythefull they kepe no touche they wyll talke of many gaye thynges they wyl pretende thys and that but they kepe no promise Thei be worsse then vnfaythefull he was not afrayed to call the offycers vnfaythful Et socij furum Felowes of theues for theues and theues felowes be all of one sorte They were wonte to saye Aske my felowe yf I be a thyefe He calleth Prynces theues What Prynces theues What a sedycyouse harlot was thys was he worthy to lyue in a commune wealth that would call Princes on this wyse felowes of theues Had they a standynge at shooters hyll or Stangat hoole to take a purse Why dyd they stande by the hyghe waye syde Dyd they robbe or breake open any mans house or dore No no. That a is grosse kind of theuynge They were prynces they had apryncelye kynde of theueynge Omnes diligunt munera They all loue brybes Brybery is a pryncely kynde of theuyng They wyl be waged by the rich eyther to geue sentence agaynst the poore or to put of the poore mannes causes This is the noble thefte of princes and of magistrates Thei are bribetakers Nowe a dayes they call theym gentle rewardes let them leaue their colourynge and cal them by their Chrstian name Brybes Omnes diligunt munera All all the prynces all the Iudges all the Priestes all rulers are brybers What were all the magistrates in Ierusalem all brybe takers none good No doubte there were some good This word omnes signifieth the mooste parte and so there be some good I doubte not of it in Englande But yet we be farre worsse then those styfnecked Iewes For we reade of none of thē y e winsed nor kicked against Esaies preachinge or sayd y t he was a seditiouse fellowe It behoueth the magistrates to be in credite therfore it might seme y t Esay was to blame to speake opēli against the Magystrates It is verye sure that they that be good wyl beare and not spourne at the preachers they that be faultye they must amende and neyther spourne nor wynse nor whyne He that fyndeth hym selfe toeched or galled he declareth hym selfe not to be vpryght Wo worth these giftes they subuerte iustyce euerye where Sequuntur retributiones They folowe brybes Some what was geuen to them before and they muste nedes geue somewhat againe for giffe gaffe was a good felow thys gyffe gaffe led them clene frō iustice Thei folow giftes A good fellowe on a tyme bad an other of hys frendes to a breakefaste and sayed Yf you wyl come you shal be welcome but I tel you afore hande you shal haue but slender fare one dysh and that is al what is that sayed he A puddynge and nothynge els Mary sayed he you can not please me better of all meates that is for myne owne toth you may draw me round a boute the town with a pudding These brybynge magystrates and iudges follow giftesfaster then the felowe woulde followe the puddynge I am contente to beare the title of sediciō wyth Esay Thākes be to God I am mot alone I am in no syngularitye Thys same man that layed sedycyon thus to my charge was asked an other tyme whether he were at the sermon at Paules crosse he aūswered that he was there and beynge asked what newes there Mary quod he wōderful newes we were there cleane absolued my Mule and al had ful absolution ye maye se by thys that he was suche a one that rode on a mule and that he was a gentylman In dede hys Mule was wyser then he for I dare saye the Mule neuer sclaundered the Preacher Oh what an vnhappy chaunce had thys Mule to carye suche an Asse vppon hys backe I was there at the sermon my selfe In the end of hys sermon he gaue a generall absolucion and as farre as I remember these or suche other lyke were hys wordes but at the leaste I am sure thys was hys meanynge As manye as do knowledge your selues to be synners and confesse the same and standes not in defence of it and hartelye abhorreth it and wil beleue in the death of christ and be conformable thervnto Ego absoluo uos quod he Nowe saeyth thys gentylmā his mule was absolued The preacher absolued but suche as were sorye and dyd repente Be lyke then she dyd repent her stumblynge hys Mule was wyser then he a greate deale I speake not of worldely wysedome for therin he is to wyse yea he is so wyse that wyse men maruayle howe he came trulye by tenth parte of that he hath But in wysdom which consisteth In rebus dei In rebus salutis in godelye matters and appartaynynge to oure scluaciō in this wysdome he is as
thyne Hys facte teacheth vs what to do Thys is our surgerye oure physyke when we be in Agonye And reken vpon it frendes we shal come to it we shal feele it at one tyme or an other What does he nowe what came to passe nowe when he had harde no voyce hys father was domme He resortes to hys freÌ„des seking some coÌ„fort at theyr haÌ„des seynge he hade none at hys fathers hande he comes to hys disciples and fyndes them a slepe he spake vnto Peter saied Ah Peter arte thou a slepe Peter before had bragged stoutly as thoughe he woulde haue kylled God haue mercye vpon hys soule And nowe when he shoulde haue comforted Christ he was a slepe not once buffe nor baffe to him not a worde he was fayne to saye to hys dyscyples Vigilate et orate Watche pray the spirit is ready but the fleshe is weake he had neuer a worde of them agayne They myght at the leste haue sayed Oh Syr remember your selfe are you not Chryst came not you into thys world to redeme synne be a good cheare be a good comforth this sorowe wyl not healpe you comforte youre selfe by your owne preachynge you haue sayed Oportet filium hominis pati You haue not deserued any thing it is not your faulte In dede yf they had done thys wyth hym they had played a frendlye parte wyth hym but they gaue hym not so muche as one comfortable worde We ronne to our frendes in our dystresses Agonyes as though we had al our truste and confydence in theym he dyd not so he resorted to theim but trusted not in theym we wyll ronne to our frendes and come no more to God he returned agayn What shall we not resorte to oure frendes in tyme of nede and trowe ye we shall not fynde them a slepe yes I warrante you and when we nede theyr helpe moste we shal not haue it But what shal we do when we shall fynde lacke in theym we wyll crye out vpon theym vpbrayde them chyde braule fume chaufe backebite them But Chryst dyd not so he excused hys fryendes sayinge Vigilate et orate spiritus quideÌ„ proÌ„ptus est caro autem infirma Oh quouth he watch and pray I se wel the spirite is ready but the fleshe is weake What meaneth this suerelye it is a comfortable place For as longe as we lyue in thys worlde when we be at the best we haue no more but. Promptitudinem spiritus cum infirmitate carnis The redynesse of the spirite with the infirmite of the flesh The verye Saynctes of God sayed Velle adest mihi My wyl is good but I am not able to performe it I haue benewith some and fayne they woulde fayne they woulde there was redines of spirite but it woulde not be It greued theÌ„ that they coulde not take thynges as they should do The fleshe resysteth the worcke of the holy Gost in oure hertes and lettes it lettes it We haue to praye euer to God O prayer praier that it myght be vsed in thys Realme as it oughte to be of all menne and specyallye of Magystrates of Counsaylers of greate Rulers to praye to praye that it woulde please God to putte Godly policies in their hertes Call for asystaunce I haue heard say wheÌ„ that good quene that is gon had ordeined in her house dayly prayer both before none and after none the admyral gettes hym out of the waye lyke a moule diggynge in the earth He shal be Lottes wyfe to me as long as I lyue He was a couetous man an horrible couetous manne I woulde there were no mo in EnglaÌ„d He was an ambicious man I woulde there were no mo in Englande He was a sedicious man a contemnar of commune prayer I would there were no mo in EnglaÌ„d he is gone I wolde he had lefte none behind him RemeÌ„ber you my lordes that you pray in your houses to the better mortification of your fleshe Remember god must be honored I wyl you to praye that God wyl continew his spirit in you I do not put you in comfort that yf ye haue once the spirite ye cannot lose it Ther be new spirits start vp now of late that saye after we haue receyued the spyryt we cannot synne I wyll make but one argument Saynct Paule had broughte the Galathyans to the professyon of the fayth lefte theym in that state they had receiued the spirit once but they synned agayne as he testifyed of theym hym selfe He saieth â—urrebatis bene Ye were once in a ryght state and agayne Recepistis spirituÌ„ ex operibus legis an ex iusticia fidei Once they had the spirit by faith but false Prophetes came when he was gone froÌ„ theÌ„ they plucked them cleane away froÌ„ al that Paul had plaÌ„ted theÌ„ in theÌ„ said Paul vnto theÌ„ O stulti Galathe quis vos fascinauit yf this be true we may lose y e spryte y e we haue once possessed It is a fond thyng I wyll not tarry in it But now to the passyon again Christ had ben with hys father felt no healpe he had bene w t hys frendes had no coÌ„fort he had prayed twyse and was not herd what dyd he now dyd he geue prayer ouer no he goeth agayne to hys father sayeth thesame agayne father if it be possyble awaye w t this cup here is an example for vs although we be not herd at the first time shal we geue ouer our praier nay we must to it agayne we must be importune vpon god we must be instant in prayer He prayed thryse was not herd let vs siÌ„ners pray thre store tymes folkes are very dul now adaies in praier to come to sermoÌ„s to resorte to coÌ„moÌ„ praier You houskepers and especially great men geue example of prayer in your houses Well dyd hys father looke vpon him thys secoÌ„d tyme no he went to hys frendes agayne thynkyng to finde some coÌ„fort ther but he findes theÌ„ a slepe again more deper a slepe theÌ„ euer they were Their eyes were heauy w t slepe Ther was no coÌ„fort at all they wyst not what to say to hym A wonderfull thing how he was tost froÌ„ post to piller one whyle to hys father was destytute at hys hand another whyle to hys frendes founde no coÌ„fort at theÌ„ hys father gaue him lokiÌ„g on suffred him to bite vpoÌ„ the brydle a whyle Almyghtye God behelde thys battayle that he myghte enioye that honoure and glory that in hys name all knees shuld bow Celestium Terrestrium et infernoruÌ„ in heaueÌ„ earth and hel Thys that the father wolde not here hys owne sonne was an other punyshemente due to our synne WheÌ„ we crye vnto hym he wyll not here vs. The Prophet Ieremy sayeth ClamabuÌ„t ad me et ego noÌ„ exaudiaÌ„ eos These be Ieremyes wordes here he threateneth to punyshe sin with not hearing their prayyers The Prophet
sygnifye to vs that death is ouercomable We shal in dede ouercome it yf we repente and acknowledge that our sauiour Iesu Christe pacifyed with his panges and paynes the wrath of the father hauynge a loue to walke in the wayes of God yf we beleue in Iesus Christ we shal ouercome death I say it shal not preuaile agaynst vs. Wherfor wherso euer it chaunseth the my frende to haue the tastynge of thys death that thou shalte be temted wyth thys horror of deathe what is to be done then when soeuer thou felest thy soule heauy to death make haste and resorte to this gardaine and with thys faith thou shalt ouercome thys terrour when it commeth Oh it was a greuous thynge that Chryste suffered here Oh the greatnes of his dolour that he suffered in the gardeÌ„ partlye to make ameÌ„des for our sinnes and partly to delyuer vs from deathe not so that we shoulde not dye bodylye but that thys death should be away to a better lyfe and to destroye and ouercome hell Oure Sauyoure Chryst had a gardayne but he had littel pleasure in it You haue many goodly gardaynes I wold you would in the myddes of theym coÌ„syder what agonye our sauyoure Chryst suffred in hys gardayne A goodly meditacion to haue in youre gardaines It shal occasyon you to delight no farther in vanities but to remeÌ„bre what he suffrâ—â— for you It maye drawe you from synne It is a good monumente a good sygne a good monycyon to consyder howe he be haued him selfe in this garden Well he sayeth to hys Discyples Sytte here and praye wyth me He wente a lytle way of as it were a stones cast from them and falles to hys prayer and saieth Pater si possible est transe at a me calix iste Father if it be possyble Awaye wyth thys bytter cuppe thys outragious payne Yet after he correctes him selfe and sayes Veruntamen uâ—u sicut ego volo sed sicut tu vis Not my wyll but thy wyll be done O father Here is a good medytacyon for Chrysten menne at all tymes and not onelye vpon good fryday lette good fryday be euerye day to a Christian manne to knowe to vse hys passyon to that ende and purpose not to reade the storye but to take the fruyte of it Some menne if they hadde bene in thys agonye woulde haue ruÌ„ne them selues through with theyr sweardes as Saule dyd some woulde haue hangged theym selues as Achitophell dyd Lette vs not folowe these menne they be no examples for vs but lette vs folowe Christe whyche in hys agonye resorted to hys father wyth hys praier This must be our patrone to worck by Here I might dilate the matter as touchynge prayinge to Saynctes here we maye learne not to praye to Saynctes Christe byddes vs Ora patrem qui est in celis Praye to thy father that is in heauen to the creator and not to any creature And therfore awaye wyth these auowryes Let god alone be oure auowry what haue we to do to runne hither or thither but onelye to the father of heauen I wyl not tarye to speake of thys matter Our Sauiour Chryste set hys disciples in an ordre and commaunded theym to watch and praye sayinge Vigilate et orate Whatch and praye Wherto shoulde they watche and pray he sayeth by and by Ne intretis in tentationem That ye enter not into temptacion He byddes them not praye that they be not tempted for that is as muche to say as to prai that we should be out of thys world Ther is no man in thys worlde wythout temptacion In the tyme of prosperyte we are tempted to wantonnes pleasures and all lyghtnes in tyme of aduersyte to dispayre in goddes goodnes TeÌ„ptacion neuer ceasses Ther is a difference betwene beynge tempted and entrynge into temptacion He byddes therfore not to praye that they be not tempted but that they enter not into temptacion To be tempted is no euyll thynge For what is it no more then when the fleshe the diuell and the worlde doeth solycyte and moue vs agaynst God To geue place to these suggestions and to yelde oure selues and suffer vs to be ouer comme of theym thys is to enter into temptacyon Our sauyoure Christe knewe that they shoulde be greuously tempted and therfore he gaue them warnynge that they shoulde not geue place to temptacyon nor dyspayre at hys death And yf they chaunched to forsake hym or to runne awaye in case they tripped or swarued yet to come agayne But oure Sauiour Chryste dyd not onely commaunde hys dyscyples to praye but fell downe vpon hys knees flat vppon the grounde prayed hym selfe sayinge Pater si fieri potest transeat a me calix iste Father delyuer me of this pange and paine that I am in thys outragyous payne â–ª This word father came euen from the bowels of hys harte when he made hys mone as who shoulde saye father ryd me I am in suche payne that I can be in no greater Thou art my father I am thy sonne Can the father forsake hys soÌ„ne in suche anguishe Thus he made hys mone Father take a waye this horrour of death froÌ„ me ryd me of thys payne suffer me not to be takeÌ„ whan Iudas comes suffer me not to be hanged on the crosse suffer not my haÌ„des to be perced wyth nayles nor my harte wyth the sharpe speare A wonderfull thynge that he shoulde so oft tel his discyples of it before and nowe when he commeth to the poynte to desyre to be rydde of it as thoughe he woulde haue bene disobedient to the wyl of his father Afore he sayede he came to suffer and nowe he sayes a way wyth thys cuppe Who woulde haue thoughte that euer thys geare should haue come oute of Chrystes mouthe What a case is this What shuld a man say You muste vnderstande that Christe tooke vpon hym our infyrmities of the whyche thys was one to be sorye at deathe Amonge the styppendes of synne thys was one to trymble at the crosse thys is a punyshement for oure synne It goeth otherwayes wyth vs theÌ„ wyth Christe yf we were in lyke case and in like agony almost we woulde curse God or rather wyshe that there were no God Thys that he sayed was not of that sorte it was referrynge the matter to the wyll of hys father but we seke by al meanes be it righte be it wrong of oure owne nature to be ryd out of payne he desyred it condicionally as it myghte stande wyth hys fathers wyll addyng a Veruntamen to it So his request was to shewe the infyrmytye of man here is now an example what we shal do when we are in lyke case He neuer deserued it we haue He had a Veruntamen a notwythstandynge let vs haue so to we muste haue a neuertheles thy wyll be done and not myne Geue me grace to be contente to submitte my wyl vnto