then such lenitie whiche sinfull humanitie sayeth holy Chrisostome is more cruell before God then any murder or shedding of blood when it is commaunded of god But yet how euill soeuer Saul the kyng was and out of Gods fauour yet was he obeyed of his subiect Dauid the verye best of all subiectes and moste valiaunt in the seruice of his Prince and countrey in the warres the moste obedient and louyng in peace and alwayes most true and faythfull to his soueraygne and Lord and furthest of from all maner rebellion For the which his most painfull true and faithfull seruice Kyng Saule yet rewarded him not onelye with great vnkyndnesse but also sought his destruction and death by all meanes possible so that Dauid was faine to saue his lyfe not by rebellion nor any resistaunce but by flight and hyding him selfe from the kings sight Which notwithstanding when kyng Saul vpon a time came alone into the caue where Dauid was so that Dauid might easily haue slaine him yet woulde he neither hurt him him selfe neyther suffer any of his men to lay handes vppon hym Another tyme also Dauid entring by nyght with one Abisai a valiaunte and a fierce man into the tent where Kyng Saule did lye a sleepe where also he myght yet more easylye haue slayne hym yet woulde he neyther hurte hym hym selfe nor suffer Abisai who was wyllyng and redye to slea Kyng Saule once to touche hym Thus did Dauid deale with Saule his prince notwithstanding that Kyng Saule continuallye sought his death and destruction It shall not be amisse vnto these deedes of Dauid to adde his wordes and to shewe you what he spake vnto such as encouraged him to take his oportunitie and aduantage to slaye kyng Saule as his mortall enemie when he myght The Lord keepe me sayth Dauid from doing that thing and from laying handes vpon my Lorde Gods annoynted For who can lay his hand vpon the Lords annointed and be gyltlesse As truely as the Lord lyueth except that the Lorde do smyte hym or his dayes shall come to dye or that he go downe to warre and be slayne in battell the Lorde be mercifull vnto me that I laye not my hande vppon the Lordes annoynted These be Dauids words spokeÌ„ at sundry times to diuers his seruauntes prouokyng hym to stea king Saul when oportunitie serued him thervnto Neither is it to be omitted and left out how when an Amalechite had slayne king Saul euen at Sauls owne bidding commaundement for he would lyue no longer now for that he had lost the feeld against his enemies the Philistines the said Amalechite making great hast to bryng fyrst word and newes thereof vnto Dauid as ioyous vnto him for the death of his mortal enemy bringing withall the crowne that was vppon Kyng Saules head and the bracelet that was vppon his arme both as a proofe of the trueth of his newes and also as fit and pleasaunt presentes vnto Dauid beyng by God appoynted to be king Saul his successour in the kyngdome Yet was that faithfull and godly Dauid so farre from reioycing at these newes that he rent his clothes wept and mourned and fasted and so farre of from thankesfeuing to the messenger either for his deede in killing the king though his deadly enemy or for his message and newes or for hys presentes that he brought that he sayd vnto him How happened it that thou wast not afrayde to lay thy handes vppon the Lordes annoynted to slea hym Whereupon immediatelye hee commaunded one of his seruauntes to kyll the messenger and sayd Thy blood be vpon thyne owne head for thine owne mouth hath wytnessed agaynst thy selfe in confessyng that thou haste slayne the Lordes annoynted This example dearely beloued is notable and the circumstances thereof are well to be considered for the better instruction of all Subiectes in theyr bounden duetie of obedience and perpetuall fearyng of them from attemptyng of any rebellion or hurt agaynst theyr Prince On the one part Dauid was not onely a good and true Subiect but also suche a Subiect as both in peace and warre had serued and saued his Princes honour and lyfe and delyuered hys countrey and countreymen from great daunger of Infidels forraigne and most cruell enemies horribly inuading the kyng and hys countrey for the whiche Dauid was in singuler fauour wyth all the people so that he might haue had great numbers of them at hys commaundement if he woulde haue attempted any thyng Besydes thys Dauid was no commoÌ„ or absolute subiect but heyre aparant to the crowne and kyngdome by God appoynted to raygne after Saule whiche as it increased the fauour of the people that knewe it towardes Dauid so did it make Dauids cause case much differing from the case of common and absolute subiectes And which is most of all Dauid was hyghly and singulerly in the fauour of God On the contrary part kyng Saul was out of Gods fauour for that cause which is before rehearsed and he as it were Gods enemy and therefore like in warre and peace to be hurtful and pernitious vnto the common wealth and that was knowen to many of his subiectes for that he was openly rebuked of Samuel for his disobedience vnto God whiche might make the people the lesse to esteeme him Kyng Saul was also vnto Dauid a mortall and deadlye enemie though without Dauids deseruing who by his faythfull paynefull profitable yea moste necessarye seruice had well deserued as of his country so of his prince but kyng Saul farre otherwyse the more was his vnkyndnesse hatred and crueltie towardes suche a good subiect both odious and detestable Yet would Dauid neither him selfe sâ—ea nor hurt suche an enemie for that he was his prince and Lord nor would suffer any other to kill hurt or laye hand vppon hym when he myght haue ben slayne without any sturre tumult or daunger of any mans lyfe Now let Dauid answere to such demaundes as men desyrous of rebellion do vse to make Shall not we speciallye beyng so good men as we are ryse and rebell agaynst a Prince hated of God and Gods enemie and therefore like not to prosper either in warre or peace but to be hurtful and pernitious to the commoÌ„ wealth No sayth good and godly Dauid Gods and such a kynges faythful subiect and so conuicting such subiectes as attempt any rebellion agaynst suche a king to be neither good subiects nor good men But say they shall we not ryse and rebell against so vnkynde a Prince nothing consyderyng or regarding our true faythfull and payneful seruice or the safegarde of our posteritie No sayth good Dauid whom no such vnkyndnesse coulde cause to forsake his due obedience to his Soueraigne Shall we not say they ryse and rebell agaynst our knowen mortall and deadly enemie that seeketh our lyues No sayth godly Dauid who had learned the lesson that our Sauiour afterwarde playnelye taught
thinges distinctly aduisedly consydered in our myndes must needes compell vs in most low reuerence after our bounden duety alwayes to render him thankes againe in some testification of our good hearts for his deserts vnto vs And that the entreating of this matter in hand may be to the glory of almighty God let vs in one faith and charitie call vpon the father of mercy from whom commeth euery good gyfte and euery perfect gift by the mediation of his welbeloued sonne our sauiour that we maye be assisted with the presence of his holye spirite and holsomelye on both our partes to demeane our selues in speaking and hearing to the saluation of our soules In the beginning of my speaking vnto you good Christian people suppose not that I do take vpon me to declare vnto you the excellent power or the incomparable wisdom of almightie God as though I would haue you beleeue that it myght be expressed vnto you by wordes Nay it maye not be thought that that thing maye be comprehended by mans wordes that is incomprehensible And too muche arrogancie it were for dust and ashes to thynke that he could worthyly declare his maker It passeth farre the darke vnderstanding of wysedome of a mortall man to speake sufficiently of that diuine maiestie whiche the Angels cannot vnderstand We shall therefore lay apart to speake of that profounde and vnsearcheable nature of almightie God rather acknowledging our weaknes then rashely to attempt that is aboue all mans capacitie to compasse It shall better suffise vs in low humilitie to reuerence and dreade his maiestie whiche we can not comprise then by ouermuch curious searchyng to be ouercharged with the glorie We shal rather turne our whole contemplation to aunswer a whyle his goodnes to wardes vs wherein we shall be muche more profitably occupied and more may we be bold to search To consyder this great power he is of can but make vs dreade and feare To consyder his hygh wisedome myght vtterly discomfort our frailtie to haue any thyng adoo with him But in consyderation of his inestimable goodnes we take good heart agayne to trust wel vnto hym By his goodnes we be assured to take him for our refuge our hope and comfort our mercyfull father in all the course of our lyues His power and wisedome compelleth vs to take hym for God omnipotent inuisible hauyng rule in heauen and earth hauyng all thynges in his subiection and wyll haue none in counsell with hym nor any to aske the reason of his doyng For he maye do what lyketh hym and none can resist hym For he worketh all thynges in his secrete iudgement to his owne pleasure yea euē the wicked to damnation saith Salomon By the reason of this nature he is called in Scripture consumyng fyre he is called a terrible and fearefull GOD ▪ Of this behalfe therefore we maye haue no familiaritie no accesse vnto hym but his goodnesse agayne tempereth the rigour of his hygh power and maketh vs bolde and putteth vs in hope that he wyll be conuersaunt with vs and easye vnto vs It is his goodnesse that moueth him to say in scripture It is my delyght to be with the children of men It is his goodnesse that moueth him to call vs vnto him to offer vs his frendship presence It is his goodnes that paciently suffereth our straying from him and suffreth vs long to winne vs to repentaunce It is of his goodnes that we be created reasonable creatures where els he myght haue made vs bruite beastes It was his mercye to haue vs borne among the number of christian people thereby in a muche more nyghnes to saluation where we might haue ben borne if his goodnes had not ben among the Panims cleane voyde from God and the hope of euerlasting lyfe And what other thing doth his louyng and gentle voyce spoken in his worde where he calleth vs to his presence frendship but declare his goodnes onelye without regarde of our worthynes And what other thing doth stirre him to call vs to him when we be straied from him to suffer vs paciently to win vs to repentaunce but onelye his singuler goodnes no whit of our deseruyng Let them all come together that be nowe glorified in heauen and let vs heare what aunswere they will make in these poyntes afore rehearsed whether their fyrst creation was in Gods goodnes or of them selues Forsooth Dauid woulde make aunswere for them all and say Knowe ye for suretie euen the Lorde is God he hath made vs and not we our selues If they were asked againe who should be thanked for their regeneration for theyr iustification and for their saluation whether their desertes or Gods goodnes only Although in this poynt euery one confesse sufficiently the truth of this matter in his owne person yet let Dauid aunswere by the mouth of them all at this tyme who cannot choose but saye Not to vs O Lord not to vs but to thy name geue all the thanke for thy louyng mercy and for thy truethes sake If we shoulde aske agayne from whence came their glorious workes and deedes which they wrought in their lyues wherewith God was so hyghly pleased and worshipped by them Let some other witnesse be brought in to testifie this matter that in the mouth of two or three may the truth be knowen Ueryly that holy prophete Esai beareth recorde and sayeth O Lord it is thou of thy goodnesse that hast wrought all our workes in vs not we our selues And to vpholde the truth of this matter agaynst all iusticiaries and hipocrites which rob almyghty God of his honour and ascribe it to them selues saynt Paule bringeth in his beleefe We be not sayeth he sufficient of our selues as of our selues once to thinke any thing but all our ablenes is of Gods goodnes For he it is in whom we haue all our beyng our lyuing and mouing If ye wil know furthermore where they had their gyftes and sacrifices which they offred continually in their liues to almighty god they cannot but agree with Dauid where he sayth Of thy liberal hand O Lord we haue receaued that we gaue vnto thee If this holy company therfore confesseth so constantly that al the goodes and graces wherewith they were indued in soule came of the goodnes of God only what more can be sayde to proue that all that is good commeth from almightie God Is it meete to thynke that all spiritual goodnes commeth from God aboue onely and that other good thinges eyther of nature or of fortune as we call them commeth of any other cause Doeth God of his goodnes adourne the soule with all the powers thereof as it is and commeth the giftes of the body wherwith it is indued from any other If he doth the more can not he do the lesse To iustifie a synner to newe create hym from a wicked person to a ryghteous man is a greater act sayeth S. Augustine then to make such a new heauen
euery where to whom be all honour and glory for euermore ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee for rogation weeke IN the former part of this Homilee good Christian people I haue declared to your contemplation the great goodnes of almightie God in the creation of this world with all the furniture thereof for the vse and comfort of man whereby we might the rather be moued to acknowledge our duetie againe to his maiestie And I trust it hath wrought not onelye credit in you but also it hath moued you to render your thankes secretly in your heartes to almightie God for his louing kyndnes But yet peraduenture some will say that they can agree to this that all that is good parteyning to the soule or what soeuer is created with vs in body should come from God as from the aucthour of all goodnesse and from none other But of suche thinges as be without them both I meane such good things which we call goodes of fortune as riches aucthoritie promotion and honour some men may thynke that they should come of our industrie diligeÌ„ce of our labour and trauayle rather then supernaturally Now then consyder good people if any aucthour there be of suche thinges concurraunt with mans labour and indeuour were it meete to ascribe them to any other then to God as the Panim Philosophers and Poets did erre which toke Fortune and made her a Goddesse to be honoured for such thynges God forbid good Christian people that this imagination shoulde earnestlye be receaued of vs that be worshippers of the true God whose workes and proceedings be expressed manifestly in his worde These be the opinions sayinges of Infidels not of true christians For they indeede as Iob maketh mention beleue and say that God hath his residence resting place in the cloudes consyder nothyng of our matters Epicures they be that imagine that he walketh about the coastes of the heauens and haue no respect to these inferiour thinges but that all these thinges shoulde proceede either by chaunce or at aduenture or els by disposition of fortune and God to haue no stroke in them What other thing is this to say then as the foole supposeth in his heart there is no God Whom we shall none otherwise reproue then with Gods owne words by the mouth of Dauid Heare my people sayeth he for I am thy God thy verye god All the beastes of the wood are myne Sheepe and Oxen that wandreth in the mountaynes I haue the knowledge of all the 〈…〉 les of the ayre the beawty of the feelde is my handy worke myne is the whole circuite of the worlde all the plentie that is in it And againe by the Prophete Hieremie Thinkest thou that I am a God of the place nye me sayeth the Lorde and not a God farre of Can a man hide him selfe in so secrete a corner that I shall not see him Do not I fulfill and replenishe both heauen earth sayth the Lorde whiche of these two shoulde be most beleued Fortune whom they paynte to be blynde of both eyes euer vnstable vnconstant in her wheele in whose handes they saye these thyngs be Or God in whose hand and power these thynges be in deede who for his truth and constance was yet neuer reproued For his sight loketh thorowe heauen and earth and seeth all thinges presently with his eyes Nothing is to darke or hidden from his knowledge not the priuie thoughtes of mennes myndes Trueth it is that of God is all ryches all power all aucthoritie all health wealth prosperitie of the which we shoulde haue no part without his liberal distribution and except it came from hym aboue Dauid first testifieth of rychesse and possesiions If thou geuest good lucke they shall gather and if thou openest thy hand they shal be full of goodnesse but yf thou turnest thy face they shal be troubled And Salomon sayth It is the blessyng of the Lord that maketh riche men To this agreeth that holy woman Anne where she saith in her song It is the Lord that maketh the poore and maketh the riche it is he that promoteth pulleth downe he can rayse a needye man from his miserie from the dounghill he can lyfte vp a poore personage to sit with princes and haue the seate of glory for all the coastes of the earth be his Nowe yf any man wyll aske What shal it auayle vs to knowe that euery good gyft as of nature and fortune so called and euery perfecte gyft as of grace concernyng the soule to be of God and that it is his gyft onlye Forsoothe for many causes is it conuenient for vs to knowe it For so shall we knowe if we confesse the trueth who ought iustly to be thanked for them Our pride shal be thereby abated perceauing naught to come of our selues but sinne and vice yf anye goodnes be in vs to referre all laude prayse for the same to almyghtie god It shal make vs not to aduaunce our selues before our neyghbour to despise him for that he hath fewer giftes seeyng God geueth his giftes where he wyll It shall make vs by the consyderation of our giftes not to extoll our selues before our neyghbours â—t shal make the wyse man not to glory in his wysdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the riche to glory in his riches but in the liuing god which is aucthour of all these lest yf we should do so we myght be rebuked with the wordes of saint Paul What hast thou that thou hast not receaued and if thou hast receaued it why gloriest in thy selfe as though thou haddest not receaued it To confesse that all good thinges commeth from almightie God is a great poynt of wysdome my freendes For so coÌ„fessing we know whyther to resort for to haue them yf we want as saint James bid vs saying If any man wanteth the gyft of wysdome let hym aske it of God that geues it it shal be geuen hym As the wyse man in the want of such a lyke gyft made his recourse to God for it as he testifieth in his booke After I knew sayth he that otherwyse I coulde not be chast except God graunted it and this was as he there wryteth hye wysdome to know whose gyft it was I made haste to the Lorde earnestly besought hym euen from the rootes of my heart to haue it I woulde to God my frendes that in our wantes and necessities we would go to God as saint James biddeth as the wyse man teacheth vs that he dyd I woulde we beleued stedfastly that God only geues them If we did we would not seeke our want and necessitie of the deuil and his ministers so oft as we do as dayly experience declareth it For yf we stand in necessitie of corporal health whyther go the coÌ„mon people but to charmes witchcraftes and other delusions of the deuill If we knewe that god
can not be retourned agayne repentaunce maye folowe but remedie is none Why shoulde not they then that be spiritually wyse in their generation waite their time to encrease as fast in their state to win gaine euerlastinglye They reason what a bruite forgetfulnes it were in man indued with reason to he ignoraunt of their times and tides when they see the Turtle doue the Storke the Swallowe to wayte their times as Jeremie saith The Storke in the ayre knoweth her appoynted tymes the Turtle the Crane and the Swallowe obserue the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the iudgement of the Lorde Saint Paul wylleth vs to redeeme the tyme because the dayes are euill It is not the counsell of Saint Paul onlye but of all other that euer gaue preceptes of wysedome There is no precept more seriously geuen and commaunded then to knowe the time Yea christian men for that they heare how greuously God complaineth and threatneth in the scriptures them whiche wyll not knowe the tyme of his visitations are learned thereby the rather earnestly to apply them selues thereunto After our sauiour Christ had prophesied with weeping teares of the destruction of Hierusalem at the last he putteth the cause For that thou hast not knowen the time of thy visitation O England ponder the tyme of Gods mercifull visitation which is shewed thee from day to day yet wylt not regarde it neyther wylt thou with his punishment be dryuen to thy duetie nor with his benefites be prouoked to thankes If thou knewest what may fal vpon thee for thine vnthankfulnesse thou wouldest prouide for thy peace Brethren howsoeuer the world in generalitie is forgetfull of God let vs particulerly attende to our time win the time with diligence applie our selues to that light grace that is offered vs let vs if gods fauour and iudgementes which he worketh in our tyme can not stirre vs to call home to our selfe to do that belong to our saluation At the least way let the malice of the deuil the naughtines of the worlde which we see exercised in these perilous and last times wherin we see our dayes so daungerously set prouoke vs to watche diligently to our vocation to walke and go forwarde therein Let the miserie and short transitorie ioyes spyed in the casualtie of our dayes moue vs while we haue them in our handes seriously stirre vs to be wise and to expend the gratious good wyl of God to vs ward which all the day long stretcheth out his handes as the prophete sayth vnto vs for the moste part his mercyfull handes sometyme his heauy handes that we beyng learned thereby may escape the daunger that must needes fal on the vniust who leade their dayes in felicitie pleasure without the knowyng of Gods wyll towarde them but sodenly they go downe into hell Let vs be found watchers founde in the peace of the Lorde that at the last day we may be founde without spot blameles yea let vs endeuour our selues good Christian people diligently to kepe the presence of his holy spirite Let vs renounce all vncleannes for he is the spirite of puritie Let vs auoyde all hypocrisie for this holy spirite wyll flee from that which is faigned Cast we of all malice all euill will for this spirite will neuer enter into an euill willing soule Let vs cast awaye all the whole lumpe of sinne that standeth about vs for he will neuer dwell in that body that is subdued to sinne We can not be seene thankefull to almightie God and worke suche dispite to the spirite of grace by whom we be sanctified If we do our endeuour we shall not neede to feare we shall be able to ouercome all our enemies that lyght agaynst vs Onely let vs apply our selfe to accept that grace that is offred vs Of almightie God we haue comfort by his goodnes of our sauiour Christes mediation we may be sure And this holy spirite will suggest vnto vs that shal be holsome and confirme vs in all thinges Therefore it cannot be but true that saynt Paule affirmeth Of him by him and in him be al things and in him after this transitorie lyfe wel passed shal we haue all thinges For saint Paule sayth When the sonne of God shall subdue all thinges vnto him then shall God be all in all If ye will knowe howe God shall be all in all veryly after this sense may ye vnderstand it In this worlde ye see that we be fayne to borowe many thinges to our necessitie of manye creatures there is no one thing that suffiseth all our necessities If we be an hungred we lust for breade If we be a thirst we seeke to be refreshed with ale or wyne If we be colde we seeke for cloth If we be sicke we seeke to the phisition If we be in heauines we seeke for comfort of our frendes or of company so that there is no one creature by it selfe that can content al our wantes desyres But in the worlde to come in that euerlasting felicitie we shall no more begge and seeke our particuler comfortes and commodities of dyuers creatures but we shall possesse al that we can aske desyre in god And God shall be to vs all thinges He shall be to vs both father and mother he shall be breade and drinke cloth phisitions comfort he shall be all thinges to vs and that of much more blessed fassion and more sufficient contentation then euer these creatures were vnto vs with much more declaration then euer mans reason is able to conceaue The eie of man is not able to behold nor his eare can heare nor it can be compassed in the heart of man what ioye it is that God hath prepared for them that loue him Let vs all conclude then with one voyce with the wordes of saint Paul To him which is able to do aboundauntlye beyonde our desyres and thoughtes accordyng to the power workyng in vs be glory and prayse in his Church by Christ Jesus for euer world without ende Amen ⧠An exhortation to be spoken to such parisshes where they vse their perambulation in rogation weeke for the ouersight of the bondes and limits of their Towne ALthough we be nowe assembled together good Christian people moste pryncipallye to laude and thanke almyghty GOD for his great benefytes by beholdyng the feeldes replenished with all maner fruite to the maynteynaunce of our corporall necessities for our foode and sustenaunce and partelye also to make our humble suytes in prayers to his Fatherlye prouidence to conserue the same fruites in sending vs seasonable weather whereby we maye gather in the sayde fruites to that ende for which his fatherly goodnesse hath prouided thē Yet haue we occasion secondarilye geuen vs in our walkes on these dayes to consyder the olde auncient bondes and limittes belongyng to our owne Towneship and to other our neyghbours bordering about vs to the
The second Tome of Homilees of such matters as were promised and intituled in the former part of Homilees Set out by the aucthoritie of the Queenes Maiestie And to be read in euery parishe Church agreeably 1571. The Table of homilees ensuyng 1 OF the ryght vse of the Churche 2 Against peril of Idolatrie iii. partes 3 For repayryng and kepyng cleane the Churche 4 Of good workes And first of fastyng ii partes 5 Agaynst gluttonie and dronkennesse 6 Agaynst excesse of apparrell 7 An Homilee of prayer iii. partes 8 Of the place and time of prayer ii partes 9 Of common prayer and sacramentes 10 An information for them which take offence at certayne places of holye scripture ii partes 11 Of almes deedes iii. partes 12 Of the Natiuitie 13 Of the passion for good Friday ii Homilees 14 Of the Resurrection for Easter day 15 Of the worthy receauing of the sacrament ii partes 16 An Homilee concerning the cōming downe of the holye Ghost for Whitsunday ii partes 17 An Homilee for rogation weeke iiii partes 18 Of the state of matrimonie 19 Agaynst idlenesse 20 Of repentaunce and true reconciliation vnto god iii. partes 21 An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion vi partes ¶ An admonition to all Ministers ecclesiasticall FOR that the Lorde doth require of his seruaunt whom he hath set ouer his householde to shewe both faythfulnesse and prudence in his office it shal be necessarye that ye aboue al other do behaue your selfe moste faythfully and diligently in your so hygh a function that is aptly playnely and distinctly to reade the sacred scriptures diligently to instruct the youth in their Catechisme grauely and reuerently to minister his most holy Sacramentes prudently also to choose out such Homilees as be most meete for the time for the more agreeable instruction of the people committed to your charge with such discretion that where the Homilee may appeare to long for one readyng to diuide the same to be read part in the fore noone and part in the after noone And where it may so chaunce some one or other chapter of the olde Testament to fal in order to be read vppon the Sundayes or holye dayes whiche were better to be chaunged with some other of the newe Testament of more edification it shal be wel done to spende your tyme to consyder wel of such chapters before hand wherby your prudence and diligence in your office may appeare so that your people may haue cause to glorifie God for you and be the redyer to imbrace your labours to your better commendatiō to the discharge of your cōsciences their owne An Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche or temple of God and of the reuerence due vnto the same ¶ The first part WHERE there appeareth at these dayes great slacknesse negligence of a great sorte of people in resorting to the Church there to serue God their heauenly father accordyng to their most bounden duetie as also muche vncomely and vnreuerent behauiour of many persons in the same when they be there assembled and thereby maye iust feare aryse of the wrath of GOD and his dreadfull plagues hanging ouer our heades for our greeuous offences in this behalfe amongst other many great sinnes which we dayly and hourely commit before the Lorde Therefore for the discharge of al our consciences and the auoydyng of the common peryl plague hangyng ouer vs let vs consyder what may be sayde out of Gods holy booke concernyng this matter whereunto I pray you geue good audience for that it is of great wayght and concerneth you all Although the eternall and incomprehensible maiestie of God the Lorde of heauen and earth whose seate is heauen the earth his footestole can not be inclosed in temples or houses made with mans hande as in dwelling places able to receaue or conteyne his maiestie accordyng as is euidently declared by the prophete Esaias and by the doctrine of saint Steuen and saint Paul in the Actes of the Apostles And where kyng Salomon who builded vnto the Lorde the most glorious temple that euer was made sayth Who shal be able to buylde a meete or worthye house for hym if heauen and the heauen aboue all heauens can not contayne hym howe muche lesse can that whiche I haue builded And further confesseth What am I that I shoulde be able to buylde thee an house O Lord But yet for this purpose only it is made that thou mayest regarde the prayer of thy seruaunt and his humble supplication Muche lesse then be our Churches meete dwellyng places to receaue the incomprehensible maiestie of god And in deede the cheefe and speciall temples of God wherein he hath greatest pleasure and moste delyghteth to dwell and continue in are the bodyes and myndes of true Christians and the chosen people of GOD accordyng to the doctrine of the holye scripture declared in the firste Epistle to the Corinthians Knowe ye not sayth Saint Paul that ye be the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you If any man defyle the temple of God hym wyll God destroye For the temple of God is holy which ye are And agayne in the same Epistle Knowe ye not that your body is the temple of the holye ghost dwellyng in you whom ye haue geuen you of God and that ye be not your owne for ye are dearely bought Glorifie ye nowe therefore God in your body and in your spirite whiche are Gods. And therefore as our sauiour Christe teacheth in the Gospell of saint John they that worshyp God the father in spirite and trueth in what place so euer they do it worshyp hym a ryght for suche worshyppers doth God the father looke for For God is a spirite those that worshyp hym must worship him in spirit and trueth sayth our sauiour Christe Yet all this notwithstandyng the material Church or temple is a place appoynted aswell by the vsage and continuall examples expressed in the olde Testament as in the newe for the people of God to resort together vnto there to heare Gods holy worde to call vpon his holy name to geue hym thankes for his innumerable and vnspeakeable benefites bestowed vppon vs and duely and truely to celebrate his holy sacramentes In the vnfayned doyng and accomplyshyng of the whiche standeth that true and right worshipping of God afore mentioned and the same Churche or temple is by the scriptures both of the olde Testament and the newe called the house and temple of the Lorde for the peculier seruice there done to his maiestie by his people for the effectuous presence of his heauenlye grace where with he by his sayde holye word endueth his people so there assembled And to the sayde house or temple of God at all tymes by common order appoynted are all people that be godly in deede bounde with all diligence to resorte vnlesse by sicknesse or other moste vrgente causes they be letted therefro And
first of Luke that when Zacharie the holy priest and father to John baptist dyd sacrifice within the temple al the people stoode without a long tyme praying suche was theyr zeale and feruencie at that tyme And in the seconde of Luke appeareth what great iourneyes men women yea and chyldren tooke to come to the temple on the feast day there to serue the Lorde and specially the example of Joseph the blessed virgin Marie mother to our Sauiour Jesus Christe and of our sauiour Christe hym selfe beyng yet but a child whose examples are worthy for vs to folowe So that yf we woulde compare our negligence in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue hym to the diligence of the Jewes in commyng dayly verye early sometyme great iourneyes to theyr temple and when the multitude coulde not be receaued within the temple the feruent zeale that they had declared in standyng long without and praying We may iustly in this comparison condemne our slouthfulnesse and negligence yea playne contempt in comming to the Lordes house standyng so nere vnto vs so seldome and scarcely at none time So farre is it from a great many of vs to come early in the morning or geue attendaunce without who disdayne to come into the temple and yet we abhorre the verye name of the Jewes when we heare it as of a moste wycked and vngodly people But it is to be feared that in this poynt we be farre worse then the Jewes and that they shall ryse at the day of iudgement to our condemnation who in comparison to them shewe suche slackenesse and contempt in resortyng to the house of the Lorde there to serue him according as we are of duetie most bounde And besides this moste horrible dread of Gods iust iudgement in the great day we shall not in this lyfe escape his heauie hande and vengeaunce for this contempt of the house of the Lord and his due seruice in the same accordyng as the Lorde him selfe threatneth in the firste Chapter of his prophete Aggeus after this sort Because you haue left my house desert and without compayne sayth the Lorde and ye haue made haste euery man to his owne house for this cause are the heauens stayed ouer you that they shoulde geue no deaw and the earth is forbidden that it shall bryng foorth his fruite and I haue called drought vpon the earth and vppon the mountaynes and vpon corne and vpon wyne and vppon oyle and vpon al things that the earth bringeth foorth and vpon men and vppon beastes and vpon all thynges that mens handes labour for Beholde yf we be such worldlinges that we care not for the eternall iudgementes of GOD whiche yet of all other are moste dreadfull and horrible we shall not escape the punishment of God in this worlde by drought and famine and the takyng away of all worldlye commodities whiche we as worldlinges seeme only to regard and care for Whereas on the contrary part yf we woulde amende this faulte or negligence slouthfulnesse and contempt of the house of the Lorde and his due seruice there and with diligence resort thither together to serue the Lorde with one accorde and consent in all holines and ryghteousnesse before hym we haue promises of benefites both heauenly and worldly Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered in my name saieth our sauiour Christ there am I in the middest of them And what can be more blessed thē to haue our sauiour Christe amongst vs Or what againe can be more vnhappy or mischeuous then to driue our sauiour Christe from amongst vs and to leaue a place for his and our most auncient and mortall enemie the olde dragon and serpent Satan the deuyll in the middest of vs In the second of Luke it is written how that the mother of Christ and Joseph when they had long sought Christ whom they had lost coulde finde hym no where that at the last they founde hym in the temple sittyng in the middest of the doctours So if we lacke Jesus Christe that is to say the sauiour of our soules and bodyes we shall not finde hym in the market place or in the guylde hal much lesse in the alehouse or tauerne amongst good felowes as they call them so soone as we shall fynde hym in the temple the Lordes house amongst the teachers and preachers of his worde where in deede he is to be founde And as concerning worldly cōmodities we haue a sure promise of our sauiour Christe Seke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse therof and al these thinges shal withall be geuen vnto you And thus we haue in the first part of this Homilee declared by gods word that the Temple or Churche is the house of the Lorde for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching and hearing of his holy worde calling vppon his holye name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of his sacraments is there vsed And it is lyke wyse declared alredy by the scriptures howe all godly and Christian men and women ought at tymes appoynted with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lord there to serue hym and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounde to whom be all glory and honor world without ende Amen ¶ The seconde part of the Homilee of the ryght vse of the Churche IT was declared in the firste part of this Homilee by gods word that the temple or Churche is the house of the lord for that the seruice of the Lorde as teaching hearyng of his holy worde calling vpō his holy name geuyng thankes to hym for his great and innumerable benefites and due ministring of the sacramentes is there vsed And it is lyke wyse alredy declared by the scriptures how all godly and christian men women ought at times appointed with diligence to resort vnto the house of the Lorde there to serue him and to glorifie hym as he is most worthy and we most bounden Nowe it remayneth in this second parte of the Homilee concernyng the ryght vse of the temple of God to be likewyse declared by Gods worde with what quietnesse scilence and reuerence those that resort to the house of the Lord ought there to vse and behaue them selues It may teache vs sufficiently how well it doth become vs christian men reuerently to vse the Churche and holy house of our prayers by considering in how greate reuerence and veneration the Jewes in the olde lawe had their Temple whiche appeareth by sundrye places whereof I wyll note vnto you certayne In the xxvi of Matthewe it was laide to our sauiour Christes charge before a temporall iudge as a matter worthy death by the two false witnesses that he had sayde he could destroy the temple of GOD and in three dayes buylde it agayne not doubting but yf they might make men to beleue that he had sayde any thyng agaynst the honour and maiestie of
shall be shewed briefely what tyme is meete for fasting for all times serue not for all thinges But as the wyse man sayth All thinges haue their times There is a time to weepe and a time agayne to laugh a time to mourne and a time to reioyce c. Our Sauiour Christe excused his disciples reproued the Pharisees because they neyther regarded the vse of fasting nor consydered what tyme was meete for the same Which both he teacheth in his aunswere saying The chyldren of the maryage can not mourne whyle the bridegrome is with them Their question was of fasting his aunswere is of mournyng signifying vnto them plainely that the outwarde fast of the body is no fast before God except it be accompanyed with the inwarde fast whiche is a mournyng and a lamentation in the heart as is before declared Concernyng the time of fasting he sayth The dayes wyll come when the bridegrome shal be taken from them in those dayes they shall fast By this it is manifest that it is no time of fastyng whyle the mariage lasteth and the bridegrome is there present But when the mariage is ended and the bridegrome gone then is it a meete time to faste Now to make plaine vnto you what is the sence and meanyng of these wordes VVe are at the mariage and agayne The bridegrome is taken from vs. Ye shall note that so long as GOD reuealeth his mercie vnto vs and geueth vs of his benefites eyther spirituall or corporall we are saide to be with the bridegrome at the mariage So was that good olde father Jacob at the mariage when he vnderstood that his sonne Joseph was aliue and ruled all Egypt vnder king Pharao So was Dauid in the mariage with the bridegrome when he had gotten the victorie of great Goliah and had smitten of his head Judith and all the people of Bethulia were the children of the wedding and had the bridegrome with them when God had by the hande of a woman slayne Holofernes the graund captaine of the Assyrians hoaste and discomfited al theyr enemies Thus were the Apostles the children of the mariage while Christe was corporally present with them defended them from all daungers both spirituall and corporall But the mariage is saide then to be ended and the brydegrome to be gone when almightie God smiteth vs with affliction and semeth to leaue vs in the middest of a number of aduersities So GOD sometime striketh priuate men priuatelye with sundry aduersities as trouble of minde losse of frendes losse of goodes long and daungerous sicknesses c. Then is it a fitte time for that man to humble him selfe to almightie God by fasting and to mourne and bewayle his sinnes with a sorowfull heart and to pray vnfaignedly saying with the prophete Dauid Turne away thy face O Lorde from my sinnes and blot out of thy remembraunce all myne offences Agayne when God shal afflict a whole region or countrey with warres with famine with pestilence with straunge diseases and vnknowen sicknesses and other such lyke calamities then is it tyme for all states and sortes of people hygh and lowe men women and chyldren to humble them selues by fasting and bewayle their sinfull liuing before God and pray with one common voyce saying thus or some other suche like prayer Be fauourable O Lord be fauourable vnto thy people whiche turneth vnto thee in weepyng fasting and praying spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy pretious blood and suffer not thine inheritaunce to be destroyed and brought to confusion Fastyng thus vsed with prayer is of great efficacie and wayeth much with god So the angell Raphel tolde Tobias It also appeareth by that which our sauiour Christe aunswered to his disciples demaunding of him why they coulde not cast foorth the euyll spirite out of him that was brought vnto them This hynde sayth he is not cast out but by fastyng and prayer How auayleable fasting is how muche it wayeth with God and what it is able to obteyne at his hande can not better be set foorth then by openyng vnto you and laying before you some of those notable thynges that hath ben brought to passe by it Fastyng was one of the meanes whereby almyghtie God was occasioned to alter the thyng whiche he had purposed concernyng Ahab for murdering the innocent man Naboth to possesse his vineyarde God spake vnto Elia saying Go thy way and say vnto Ahab Hast thou killed and also gotten possession Thus sayth the Lord It the place where dogges licked the blood of Naboth shall dogges euen licke thy blood also Beholde I wyll bryng euill vpon thee and wyll take away thy posteritie Yea the dogges shall eate him of Ahabs stocke that dyeth in the Citie and hym that dieth in the feelde shall the foules of the ayre eate This punishment had almightie God determined for Ahab in this worlde and to destroy all the male kynde that was begotten of Ahabs body besides that punishment whiche shoulde haue happened vnto hym in the worlde to come When Ahab heard this he rent his clothes and put sackcloth vppon hym and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went bare footed Then the word of the Lord came to Elia saying Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me Because he submitteth hym selfe before me I wyll not bryng that euyll in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes wyll I bryng it vpon his house Although Ahab through the wicked counsell of Iesabel his wyfe had committed shamefull murder and agaynst all ryght disherited and dispossessed for euer Nabothes stocke of that vineyarde yet vppon his humble submission in heart vnto God whiche he declared outwardly by putting on sackcloth and fasting God changed his sentence so that the punishmente whiche he had determined fell not vpon Ahabs house in his tyme but was deferred vnto the dayes of Ioram his sonne Here we may see of what force our outwarde fast is when it is accompanyed with the inward fast of the mynd which is as is sayde a sorowfulnesse of heart detesting and bewayling our sinfull doinges The lyke is to be seene in the Niniuites For when God had determined to destroy the whole Citie of Niniue and the time which he had appoynted was euen no we at hande he sent the prophet Ionas to say vnto them yet fourtie dayes and Niniue shal be ouerthrowne The people by and by beleued God and gaue them selues to fasting yea the kyng by thaduise of his counsell caused to be proclamed saying Let neyther man nor beast bullock nor sheepe tast any thing neither feede nor drinke water But let man and beast put on sackcloth and cry mightilie vnto God yea let euery man turne from his euil way and from the wickednes that is in their handes Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath that we perish not And vppon this their heartie repentaunce thus declared outwardly with fastyng renting of their clothes putting on
sackcloth and sprinkling them selues with dust and ashes the scripture sayth God saw their workes that they turned from their euill wayes and God repented of the euill that he had sayde that he woulde do vnto them and he dyd it not Nowe beloued ye haue hearde firste what fasting is aswell that whiche is outwarde in the body as that whiche is inward in the heart Ye haue hearde also that there are three endes or purposes whereunto if our outwarde fast be directed it is a good worke that God is pleased with Thirdely hath ben declared what tyme is moste meete for to fast either priuately or publiquely Last of al what thynges fastyng hath obteyned of God by the examples of Ahab and the Niniuites Let vs therefore dearely beloued seeing there are many more causes of fastyng and mournyng in these our dayes then hath ben of manye yeres heretofore in anye one age endeuour our selues both inwardly in our heartes and also outwardly with our bodies diligently to exercise this godly exercise of fastyng in suche sorte and maner as the holy prophetes the Apostles and diuers other deuoute personnes for their tyme vsed the same God is now the same God that was then God that loueth ryghteousnesse and that hateth iniquitie God whiche wylleth not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his wyckednesse and lyue God that hath promised to turne to vs if we refuse not to turne to hym yea if we turne our euyll workes from before his eyes ceasse to do euyll learne to do well seeke to do ryght releeue the oppressed be a ryght iudge to the fatherlesse defende the wydowe breake our bread to the hungry bryng the poore that wander into our house clothe the naked and despise not our brother which is our owne fleshe then shalt thou call sayth the Prophete and the Lorde shall aunswere thou shalt cry and he shal saye here am I Yea God whiche heard Ahab and the Niniuites and spared them will also heare our prayers and spare vs so that we after their example will vnfaignedly turne vnto him yea he wyll blesse vs with his heauenly benedictions the tyme that we haue to tary in this worlde after the rase of this mortal life he will bring vs to his heauenly kingdome where we shall raigne in euerlasting blessednesse with our sauiour Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ An Homilee agaynst gluttony and and drunkennesse YE haue heard in the former Sermon welbeloued the description and the vertue of fastyng with the true vse of the same No we ye shall heare howe foule a thing gluttony and drunkennesse is before God the rather to moue you to vse fasting the more diligently Understande ye therefore that almightie God to to th end that we might keepe our selues vndefiled and serue him in holinesse ryghteousnesse according to his word hath charged in his scriptures so many as looke for the glorious appearing of our sauiour Christe to leade their liues in al sobrietie modestie temperancie Wherby we may learne how necessarie it is for euery Christian that wyll not be founde vnready at the commyng of our sauiour Christe to liue sober minded in this present worlde forasmuche as otherwise being vnready he can not enter with Christ into glorie And being vnarmed in this behalfe he muste needes be in continuall daunger of that cruel aduersarie the roring Lion agaynst whom the Apostle Peter warneth vs to prepare our selues in continuall sobrietie that we may resist being stedfast in fayth To the intent therefore that this sobernesse may be vsed in all our behauiour it shal be expedient for vs to declare vnto you how muche all kynde of excesse offendeth the maiestie of almightie God and how greeuouslye he punisheth the immoderate abuse of those his creatures whiche he ordeyneth to the mayntenaunce of this our needy lyfe as meates drynkes and apparell And agayne to shewe the noysome diseases and great mischeefes that commonly do folow them that inordinately geue vp them selues to be caryed headlong with suche pleasures as are ioyned eyther with daintie and ouerlarge fare or els with costly and sumptuous apparell And firste that ye may perceaue how detestable and hatefull all excesse in eatyng and drynking is before the face of almyghtie God ye shall call to mynde what is wrytten by saint Paul to the Galathians where he numbreth gluttonie and drunkennesse among those horrible crimes with the whiche as he sayth no man shall inherite the kyngdome of heauen He reckeneth them among the deedes of the flesh and coupleth them with idolatrie whoredome and murder whiche are the greatest offences that can be named among men For the first spoyleth God of his honour the seconde defileth his holy Temple that is to wit our owne bodyes the third maketh vs companions of Cayne in the slaughter of our brethren and who so committeth them as saint Paul sayth can not inherite the kyngdome of god Certaynly that sinne is very odious and lothsome before the face of God whiche causeth hym to turne his fauourable countenaunce so farre from vs that he shoulde cleane barre vs out of the dores and disherite vs of his heauenly kyngdome But he so much abhorreth all beastly banquetting that by his sonne our Sauiour Christe in the Gospell he declareth his terrible indignation agaynst all belly Gods in that he pronounceth them accursed saying Wo be to you that are full for ye shall hunger And by the prophet Esaias he crieth out Wo be to you that rise vp early to geue your selues to drunkennesse and set al your myndes so on drinkyng that ye sit swearing therat vntil it be nyght The harpe the lute the shaume and plentie of wyne are at your feastes but the workes of the Lord ye do not behold neither consider the workes of his hands Wo be vnto you that are strong to drinke wyne and are mightie to aduaunce drunkennesse Here the prophet playnely teacheth that feastyng and banquetting maketh men forgetfull of their duetie towardes God when they geue themselues to all kyndes of pleasures not considering nor regarding the workes of the Lorde who hath created meates and drinkes as S. Paul sayth to be receaued thankfully of them that beleue know the trueth So that the very beholdyng of these creatures beyng the handy worke of almyghtie God might teache vs to vse them thankfully as God hath ordeined Therefore they are without excuse before god which either filthily feed themselues not respecting the sanctification which is by the word of god praier or els vnthankfully abuse the good creatures of God by surfetting and drunkennes forasmuch as Gods ordinaunces in his creatures playnely forbiddeth it They that geue them selues therefore to bibbing and banquetting being altogether without consideration of Gods iudgementes are sodenly oppressed in the day of vengeaunce And therfore our sauiour Christe warneth his disciples
made without faith in hym on whom they call but that we must first beleeue in hym before we can make our prayers vnto hym whereuppon we must only and solely pray vnto god For to say that we shoulde beleeue eyther in angell or saint or in any other liuing creature were more horrible blasphemie against God and his holy worde neither ought this fancie to enter into the heart of any Christian man because we are expressly taught in the worde of the Lorde only to repose our fayth in the blessed trinitie in whose only name we are also baptized according to the expresse commaundement of our sauiour Jesus Christe in the last of Matthewe But that the trueth hereof may the better appeare euen to them that be moste simple and vnlearned let vs consider what prayer is Saint Augustine calleth it a liftyng vp of the mynde to God that is to say an humble and lowly powring out of the heart to god Isidorus sayth that it is an affection of the heart and not alabour of the lippes So that by these places true prayer doth consist not so muche in the outward sounde and voyce of wordes as in the inwarde gronyng and crying of the heart to God. Nowe then is there any angell any virgin any patriarche or prophete among the dead that can vnderstand or knowe the meanyng of the heart The scriptures sayth it is God that searcheth the heart and raynes and that he only knoweth the heartes of the chyldren of men As for the saintes they haue so litle knowledge of the secretes of the heart that many of the auncient fathers greatly doubt whether they knowe any thing at al that is commonly done on earth And albeit some thynke they do yet saint Augustine a Doctour of great aucthoritie and also antiquitie hath this opinion of them that they knowe no more what we do on earth then we know what they do in heauen For proofe wherof he alleageth the wordes of Esai the prophete where it is sayde Abraham is ignoraunt of vs and Israel knoweth vs not His mynde therefore is this not that we shoulde put any religion in worshyppyng them or praying vnto them but that we shoulde honour them by folowyng their vertuous and godly lyfe For as he witnesseth in an other place the martyrs and holy men in tymes past were wont after their death to be remembred and named of the prieste at diuine seruice but neuer to be inuocated or called vpon And why so because the prieste sayth he is Gods priest and not theirs Whereby he is bounde to call vpon God and not vpon them Thus you see that the aucthoritie both of scripture and also of Augustine doth not permit that we should pray vnto them O that al men would studiously reade and searche the scriptures then shoulde they not be drowned in ignoraunce but shoulde easily perceaue the trueth aswell of this poynt of doctrine as of all the rest For there doth the holy ghost playnely teache vs that Christe is our only mediatour and intercessour with God and that we muste seeke and runne to no other If any man sinneth saith saint John we haue an aduocate with the father Jesus Christe the ryghteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Saint Paul also sayth There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe Whereunto agreeth the testimonie of our sauiour hym selfe witnessing that no man commeth to the father but onely by hym who is the way the trueth the life yea and the only dore whereby we muste enter into the kingdome of heauen because GOD is pleased in no other but in hym For whiche cause also he cryeth and calleth vnto vs that we shoulde come vnto hym saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and be heauie laden and I shall refreshe you Woulde Christe haue vs so necessarily come vnto hym and shall we moste vnthankfully leaue hym and runne vnto other This is euen that whiche God so greatly complayneth of by his prophet Ieremie saying My people haue committed two great offences they haue forsaken me the fountaine of the waters of lyfe and haue digged to them selues broken pits that can holde no water Is not that man thinke you vnwyse that wyll runne for water to a litle brooke when he may aswell go to the head spryng Euen so may his wisedome be iustly susspected that wyll flee vnto saintes in tyme of necessitie when he may boldly and without feare declare his greefe and direct his prayer vnto the Lorde himselfe If God were straunge or daungerous to be talked withall then myght we iustly drawe backe and seeke to some other But the Lorde is nygh vnto them that call vppon hym in fayth and trueth and the prayer of the humble and meeke hath alwayes pleased hym What if we be sinners shall we not therefore pray vnto God or shall we dispayre to obteyne any thyng at his handes Why dyd Christe then teache vs to aske forgeuenesse of our sinnes saying And forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespasse agaynst vs Shall we thynke that the saintes are more mercifull in hearing sinners then God Dauid sayth that the Lorde is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kyndnesse Saint Paul sayth that he is riche in mercy towardes all them that call vppon hym And he hymselfe by the mouth of his prophet Esai sayth For a litle while haue I forsaken thee but with great compassion wyll I gather thee For a moment in myne anger I haue hid my face from thee but with euerlastyng mercy haue I had compassion vpon thee Therefore the sinnes of any man ought not to withholde hym from praying vnto the Lorde his god But if he be truely penitent and stedfast in fayth let him assure him selfe that the Lorde wylbe mercifull vnto hym and heare his prayers O but I dare not wyll some man say trouble God at all times with my prayers We see that in kinges houses courtes of princes men can not be admitted vnlesse they fyrst vse the helpe and meane of some speciall noble man to come vnto the speache of the kyng and to obtayne the thing that they woulde haue To this reason doth saint Ambrose aunswere verye well writing vppon the first Chapter to the Romanes Therefore sayth he we vse to go vnto the king by officers and noble men because the kyng is a mortall man and knoweth not to whom he maye commit the gouernment of the common wealth But to haue God our frende from whom nothing is hid we nede not any helper that should further vs with his good worde but only a deuoute and godlye minde And yf it be so that we neede one to entreate for vs why maye we not content our selues with that one mediatour whiche is at the ryght hande of God the father and there
the Prince and people ioyned them selues together in publique prayer and fasting and were preserued In the prophete Ioel God commaunded a fasting to be proclaymed and the people to be gathered together young and olde man and woman and are taught to say with one voyce Spare vs O Lorde spare thy people and let not thine inheritaunce be brought to confusion When the Jewes shoulde haue ben destroyed all in one day thorowe the malice of Haman at the commaundement of Hester they fasted and prayed and were preserued When Holophernes besieged Bethulia by the aduice of Iudith they fasted and prayed and were deliuered When Peter was in prison the congregation ioyned them selues together in prayer and Peter was wonderfully deliuered By these histories it appeareth that common or publique prayer is of great force to obtayne mercie deliueraunce at our heauenlye fathers hand Therfore brethren I beseche you euen for the tender mercies of GOD let vs no longer be negligent in this behalfe but as the people wylling to receaue at Gods hand such good thinges as in the common prayer of the Church are craued let vs ioyne our selues together in the place of common prayer and with one voyce and one heart begge at our heauenlye father all those thinges which he knoweth to be necessarie for vs I forbid you not priuate prayer but I exhort you to esteeme common prayer as it is worthye And before all thinges be sure that in all these three sortes of prayer your mindes be deuoutlye lifted vp to God els are your prayers to no purpose this saying shal be verified in you This people honoureth me with their lips but theyr heart is farre from me Thus much for the three sortes of prayer wherof we reade in the scriptures Nowe with lyke or rather more breuitie you shall heare howe manye sacramentes there be that were instituted by our Sauiour Christe and are to be continued and receaued of euerye Christian in due time and order and for suche purpose as our sauiour Christe wylled them to be receaued And as for the number of them yf they shoulde be consydered according to the exact signification of a sacrament namely for the visible signes expreslye commaunded in the newe Testament whereunto is anexed the promise of free forgeuenesse of our sinne and of our holynesse and ioynyng in Christe there be but two namely Baptisme and the supper of the Lorde For although absolution hath the promise of forgeuenesse of sinne yet by the expresse worde of the newe Testament it hath not this promyse annexed and tyed to the visible signe whiche is imposition of handes For this visible signe I meane laying on of handes is not expresly commaunded in the newe Testament to be vsed in absolution as the visible signes in baptisme and the Lordes supper are and therefore absolution is no suche sacrament as baptisme and the Communion are And though the orderyng of ministers hath his visible signe and promise yet it lackes the promise of remission of sinue as all other sacramentes besides do Therefore neither it nor any other sacrament els be suche sacramentes as Baptisme and the Communion are But in a generall acception the name of a Sacrament maye be attributed to anye thing whereby an holye thing is signified In whiche vnderstandyng of the worde the auncient writers haue geuē this name not only to the other fiue commonly of late yeres taken and vsed for supplying the number of the seuen sacramentes but also to diuers and sundry other ceremonies as to oyle wasshing of feete and suche lyke not meaning thereby to repute them as sacraments in the same signification that the two forenamed sacramentes are And therefore saint Augustine weyghyng the true signification and exact meanyng of the worde wryting to Ianuarius also in the thirde booke of christian doctrine affirmeth that the sacramentes of the Christians as they are most excellent in signification so are they most few in number and in both places maketh mention expressedlye of two the sacrament of baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde And although there are reteined by thorder of the church of England besides these two certayne other Rites and Ceremonies about the institution of ministers in the Churche Matrimonie Confirmation of children by examining them of theyr knowledge in the articles of the faith ioynyng there to the prayers of the Church for them and like wise for the visitation of the sicke yet no man ought to take these for sacramentes in suche signification meaning as the sacrament of Baptisme and the Lordes Supper are but eyther for godly states of life necessarie in Christes church and therfore worthy to be set foorth by publique action and solempnitie by the ministerie of the Church or els iudged to be such ordinaunces as may make for the instruction comfort and edification of Christes Churche Now vnderstandyng sufficiently what prayer is and what a sacrament is also and how many sortes of prayers there be and howe many sacramentes of our sauiour Christes institution let vs see whether the scriptures and the examples of the primatiue Churche wyl alowe any vocall prayer that is when the mouth vttereth the petitions with voyce or any maner of sacrament or other publique common rite or action parteyning to the profite and edifying of the poore congregation to be ministred in a tongue vnknowen or not vnderstande of the Minister or people yea and whether anye person maye priuately vse any vocall prayer in a language that he him selfe vnderstandeth not To this question we must aunswere no. And fyrst of Common prayer and administration of Sacramentes Although reason yf it myght rule woulde soone perswade vs to haue our cōmon prayer administration of sacramentes in a knowen tongue both for that to pray cōmonly is for a multitude to aske one the selfe thing with one voyce and one consent of minde and to administer a sacrament is by the out warde worde and element to preache to the receauer the inwarde inuisible grace of God also for that both these exercises were first instituted and are still continued to the ende that the congregation of Christe might from tyme to tyme be put in remembraunce of their vnitie in Christe and that as members all of one bodye they ought both in prayers otherwyse to seeke and desire one anothers cōmoditie and not their owne without others Yet shall we not neede to flee to reasons profes in this matter syth we haue both the plaine manifest wordes of the scripture and also the consent of the most learned auncient writers to cōmende the prayers of the congregation in a knowen tongue First Paul to the Corinthians sayth Let all thinges be done to edifying Whiche can not be vnlesse commonpraiers administration of sacramentes be in a tongue knowen to the people For where the prayers spoken by the minister and the wordes in the administration of the sacramentes
also we may be assured to get his fauour that is both able wyllyng to do vs all pleasures that are for our commoditie and wealth Christe doth declare by this how much he accepteth our charitable affection toward the poore in that he promiseth a rewarde vnto them that geue but a cup of cold water in his name to them that haue neede thereof and that rewarde is the kingdome of heauen No doubt is it therfore that god regardeth highly that which he rewardeth so liberallye For he that promiseth a princely recompence for a beggerly beneuolence declareth that he is more delighted with the geuyng then with the gyfte and that he as muche esteemeth the doyng of the thyng as the fruite and commoditie that commeth of it Who so therefore hath hytherto neglected to geue almes let hym know that God now requireth it of him he that hath ben liberal to the poore let him knowe that his godly doings are accepted thankfully takē at gods handes which he wyll requite with double treble For so sayth the wyse man He whiche sheweth mercie to the poore doth lay his money in banke to the Lorde for a large interest and gayne The gayne beyng cheefely the possession of the lyfe euerlastyng through the merites of our sauiour Jesus Christe to whom with the father the holy ghost be al honour and glory for euer Amen The seonde part of the sermon of almes deedes YE haue hearde before dearely beloued that to geue almes vnto the poore and to helpe them in tyme of necessitie is so acceptable vnto our sauiour Christe that he counteth that to be done to him selfe that we do for his sake vnto them Ye haue heard also howe earnestly both the apostles prophetes holy fathers doctours do exhort vs vnto the same And ye see how welbeloued and deare vnto God they were whom the scriptures reporte vnto vs to haue ben good almes men Wherefore if either their good examples or the holesome counsell of godly fathers or the loue of Christ whose especial fauour we may be assured by this meanes to obteyne may moue vs or do any thyng at all with vs let vs prouide that from hencefoorth we she we vnto Godward this thankful seruice to be myndfull and redy to helpe them that be poore and in miserie Nowe wyll I this second tyme that I entreate of aimes deedes shewe vnto you how profitable it is for vs to exercise them and what fruite therby shall aryse vnto vs if we do them faythfully Our sauiour Christe in the Gospell teacheth vs that it profiteth a man nothyng to haue in possession al the ryches of the whole worlde and the wealth or glory thereof if in the meane season he lose his soule or do that thing whereby it should become captiue vnto death sinne hell fire By the which saying he not only instructeth vs how muche the soule health is to be preferred before worldly commodities but also serueth to stirre vp our myndes and to pricke vs forwardes to seeke diligently and learne by what meanes we may preserue and kepe our soules euer in safety that is howe we may recouer our health if it be lost or impayred and how it may be defended and maynteyned if we once haue it Yea he teacheth vs also thereby to esteeme that as a precious medicine and an inestimable iewel that hath suche strength and vertue in it that can either procure or preserue so incomparable a treasure For if we greatly regard that medicine or salue that is able to heale sundrye and greeuous diseases of the body muche more wyll we esteeme that whiche hath lyke power ouer the soule And because we might be better assured both to knowe and haue in redynesse that so profitable a remedye he as a most faythfull and louyng teacher sheweth hym selfe both what it is and where we may fynde it and how we may vse and applye it For when both he and his disciples were greuously accused of the Pharisees to haue defyled their soules in breakyng the constitutions of the elders because they went to meate and washed not their handes before accordyng to the custome of the Jewes Christe aunswering their superstitious complaynte teacheth them an especiall remedye howe to keepe cleane their soules notwithstandyng the breache of suche superstitious orders Geue almes sayth he and beholde all thynges are cleane vnto you He teacheth them that to be mercyful and charitable in helping the poore is the meanes to keepe the soule pure and cleane in the syght of god We are taught therefore by this that mercyfull almes dealyng is profitable to purge the soule from the infection and filthie spottes of sinne The same lesson doth the holy ghost also teache in sundrye places of the scripture saying Mercyfulnesse and almes geuing purgeth from all synnes and delyuereth from death and suffereth not the soule to come into darknes A great confidence may they haue before the hygh God that shewe mercie and compassion to them that are afflicted The wyse preacher the sonne of Sirach confirmeth the same when he sayth That as water quencheth burning fyre euen so mercie and almes resisteth and reconcileth synnes And sure it is that mercifulnesse quayleth the heate of synne so muche that they shall not take holde vpon man to hurt him or if ye haue by any infirmitie and weaknes ben touched and annoyed with them straightwayes shall mercyfulnesse wipe and washe them away as salues and remedies to heale their sores and greeuous diseases And therupon that holy father Ciprian taketh good occasion to exhort earnestly to the mercyfull worke of geuyng almes and helpyng the poore and there he admonisheth to consider how holesome and profitable it is to releeue the needy and help the afflicted by the which we may purge our synnes and heale our wounded soules But here some wyll say vnto me If almes geuyng and our charitable workes towardes the poore be able to washe away synnes to reconcile vs to God to delyuer vs from the peryll of damnation and make vs the sonnes heires of Gods kingdome then is Christes merites defaced and his blood shed in vayne then are we iustified by workes and by our deedes may we merite heauen then do we in vayne beleue that Christ dyed for to put away our synnes and that he rose for our iustification as saint Paule teacheth But ye shall vnderstande dearely beloued that neither those places of scripture before alleaged neither the doctrine of the blessed martyr Ciprian neither any other godly and learned man when they in extolling the dignitie profite fruit and effect of vertuous and liberall almes do say that it washeth away synnes and bryngeth vs to the fauour of God do meane that our worke and charitable deede is the originall cause of our acception before God or that for the dignitie or worthynesse thereof our sinnes may be washed away and we purged cleansed of al the spottes of our iniquitie for
the expresse and liuelye image of God he woulde notwithstanding humble him selfe and take vppon him the fourme of a seruant and that onely to saue and redeeme vs O how much are we bounde to the goodnesse of God in this behalfe Howe manye thankes and prayses do we owe vnto him for this our saluatiō wrought by his deare and onely sonne Christe who became a pilgrime in earth to make vs citizens in heauen who became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God who became obedient to the lawe to deliuer vs from the cursse of the lawe who became poore to make vs rich vyle to make vs precious subiect to death to make vs liue for euer What greater loue coulde we seelye creatures desire or wishe to haue at Gods handes Therefore dearelye beloued let vs not forget this exceeding loue of our Lorde and sauiour let vs not shew our selues vnmyndful or vnthankefull towardes him but let vs loue him feare him obey him and serue him Let vs confesse him with our mouthes praise him with our tongues beleue on him with our heartes and glorifie him with our good workes Christe is the light let vs receaue the light Christe is the trueth let vs beleue the trueth Christ is the way let vs folowe the way And because he is our onely maister our onely teacher our onely shepheard and cheefe captayne therfore let vs become his seruantes his schollers his sheepe and his souldiers As for sinne the flesh the worlde and the deuill whose seruantes and bondslaues we were before Christes comming let vs vtterly cast them of and defie them as the cheefe onely enemies of our soule And seing we are once deliuered from their cruel tyrannie by Christ let vs neuer fal into their hands againe lest we chance to be in a worse case then euer we were before Happy are they saith the scripture that continue to the ende Be faythful sayth God vntil death and I wil geue thee a crowne of lyfe Agayne he sayth in another place He that putteth his hand vnto the plough and looketh backe is not meete for the kyngdome of god Therefore let vs be strong stedfast and vnmoueable abounding alwayes in the workes of the lord Let vs receaue Christ not for a tyme but for euer let vs beleue his worde not for a tyme but for euer let vs become his seruaunts not for a tyme but for euer in consyderation that he hath redeemed saued vs not for a time but for euer and will receaue vs into his heauenly kingdome there to raygne with him not for a tyme but foreuer To him therfore with the father and the holy ghost be all honour prayse glory foreuer and euer Amen ¶ An homilee for good Friday concerning the death and passion of our sauiour Iesu Christ. IT shuld not become vs welbeloued in christ being that people whiche he redeemed frō the deuil from sinne and death and from euerlasting damnation by Christ to suffer this time to passe foorth without any meditation and remembraunce of that excellent worke of our redemption wrought as about this time through the great mercy and charitie of our sauiour Jesus Christ for vs wretched sinners and his mortall enemies For if a mortal mans deede done to the behofe of the common wealth be had in remembrance of vs with thankes for the benefite and profite whiche we receaue thereby How much more redily shoulde we haue in memorie this excellent act and benefite of Christes death whereby he hath purchased for vs the vndoubted pardon and forgeuenes of our sinnes whereby he made at one the father of heauen with vs in suche wyse that he taketh vs now for his louing children and for the true inheritours with Christe his naturall sonne of the kyngdome of heauen And verily so muche more doth Christes kindnes appeare vnto vs in that it pleased him to deliuer him selfe of all his godly honour which he was equally in with his father in heauen and to come downe into this vale of miserye to be made mortall man and to be in the state of a most lowe seruaunt seruing vs for our wealth and profite vs I saye whiche were his sworne enemies whiche had renounced his holy law and commaundements and folowed the lustes and sinfull pleasures of our corrupt nature And yet I say did Christe put him selfe betwene Gods deserued wrath our sinne and rente that obligation wherein we were in daunger to God and payde our dette Our dette was a great deale to great for vs to haue payde And without payment God the father coulde neuer be at one with vs Neyther was it possible to be losed from this dette by our owne habilitie It pleased him therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge vs quite Who can now consyder the greuous det of sinne whiche coulde none otherwyse be payde but by the death of an innocent and will not hate sinne in his heart If God hateth sinne so much that he would allowe neither man nor Angell for the redemption thereof but onely the death of his onelye and welbeloued sonne who will not stande in feare thereof If we my freendes consyder this that for our sinnes this most innocent lambe was driuen to death we shall haue much more cause to bewayle our selues that we were the cause of his death then to crye out of the mallice and crueltie of the Jewes whiche pursued him to his death We did the deedes wherefore he was thus stricken and wounded they were onely the ministers of our wickednes It is meete then we shoulde step lowe downe into our heartes and bewayle our owne wretchednes and sinful liuing Let vs know for a certainetie that if the most dearly beloued sonne of God was thus punished and stricken for the sinne which he had not done him self how muche more ought we sore to be stricken for our dayly and manifolde sinnes whiche we commit agaynst God if we earnestlye repent vs not and be not sorye for them No man can loue sinne which God hateth so much and be in his fauour No man can saye that he loueth Christe truely and haue his great enemie sinne I meane the aucthour of his death familiar and in frendship with him So much do we loue God and Christe as we hate sinne We ought therefore to take great heede that we be not fauourers thereof least we be founde ennemies to God and traytours to Christe For not onelye they whiche nayled Christe vppon the crosse are his tormentours and crucifiers but all they sayth saint Paule crucifie agayne the sonne of God as muche as is in them whiche do commit vice and sinne which brought him to his death If the wages of sinne be death and death euerlasting Surely it is no small daunger to be in seruice thereof If we liue after the fleshe and after the sinfull lustes thereof saint Paule threatneth yea almightie God in saint Paule threatneth that we shal surely dye
kepe our feaste the whole tearme of our lyfe with eatyng the bread of purenes of godly life and trueth of Christes doctrine Thus shal we declare that Christes giftes and graces haue their effect in vs and that we haue the ryght beleefe and knowledge of his holy resurrection where truely if we apply our fayth to the vertue thereof and in our lyfe confourme vs to the example signification meant thereby we shal be sure to ryse hereafter to euerlastyng glory by the goodnesse and mercie of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all glory thankes geuyng and prayse in infinita seculorum secula Amen ¶ An homilee of the worthy receauyng and reuerent esteeming of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe THE great loue of our Sauiour Christ towardes mankynd good Christian people doth not onlye appeare in that deare bought benefite of our redemption saluation by his death passiō but also in that he so kindlye prouided that the same most mercyful worke myght be had in continual remembraunce to take some place in vs and not be frustrate of his ende and purpose For as tender parentes are not content to procure for their chyldren costly possessions and liuelode but take order that the same may be conserued and come to their vse So our Lorde and sauiour thought it not sufficient to purchase for vs his fathers fauour agayne whiche is that deepe fountayne of all goodnesse and eternall lyfe but also inuented the wayes most wysely whereby they myght redound to our commoditie profite Amongst the which meanes is the publique celebration of the memorie of his pretious death at the Lordes table Whiche although it seeme of small vertue to some yet beyng ryghtly done by the faythfull it doth not onlye helpe their weaknesse who be by their poysoned nature redyer to remember iniuries then benefites but strengthneth comforteth their in ward man with peace gladnesse and maketh them thankfull to their redeemer with diligent care and godly conuersation And as of olde tyme God decreed his wonderous benefites of the delyueraunce of his people to be kepte in memorie by the eatyng of the passeouer with his rites and ceremonies So our louyng Sauiour hath ordeyned and establyshed the remembraunce of his great mercie expressed in his passion in the institution of his heauenly supper where euery one of vs must be ghestes and not gasers eaters and not lookers seedyng our selues and not hiryng other to feede for vs that we may lyue by our owne meate and not perishe for hunger whiles other deuour all To this his commaundement forceth vs saying Do ye thus drinke ye all of this To this his promise enticeth This is my body whiche is geuen for you this is my blood whiche is shed for you So then as of necessitie we muste be our selues partakers of this table and not beholders of other So we must addresse our selues to frequent the same in reuerent and due maner least as phisike prouided for the body beyng misused more hurteth then profiteth so this comfortable medicine of the soule vndecently receaued tendeth to our greater harme and sorow And saint Paul sayth He that eateth and drynketh vnworthyly eateth and drynketh his owne dampnation Wherefore that it be not saide to vs as it was to the ghest of that great supper Freende howe camest thou in not hauing the mariage garment And that we maye fruitfully vse Saint Paules counsell Let a man proue hym selfe and so eate of that bread and drynke of that cuppe We muste certaynelye knowe that three thynges be requisite in hym which woulde seemely as becommeth suche hygh mysteries resorte to the Lordes table That is Fyrste a ryght and a worthye estimation and vnderstandyng of this mysterie Secondely to come in a sure fayth And thirdely to haue newenesse or purenesse of lyfe to succeede the receauing the same But before all other thynges this we must be sure of especially that this Supper be in suche wyse done and ministred as our Lorde and sauiour did and commaunded to be done as his holy Apostles vsed it and the good fathers in the primatiue Churche frequented it For as that worthy man saint Ambrose sayth he is vnworthy of the Lord that otherwise doth celebrate that mysterie then it was delyuered by him Neither can he be deuout that other waies doth presume thē it was geuen by the aucthor We must then take heede leaste of the memorie it be made a sacrifice least of a cōmunion it be made a priuate eatyng least of two partes we haue but one least applying it for the dead we lose the fruit that be aliue Let vs rather in these matters folowe the aduice of Ciprian in the lyke cases that is cleaue fast to the firste beginnyng holde fast the Lordes tradition do that in the Lordes cōmemoration which he him selfe did he him selfe commaunded his apostles confirmed This caution or foresight yf we vse then may we see to those thynges that be requisit in the worthy receauer wherof this was the fyrste that we haue a ryght vnderstandyng of the thyng it selfe As concerning which thing this we maye assuredlye perswade our selues that the ignoraunt man can neyther worthyly esteeme nor effectually vse those marueilous graces and benefites offered and exhibited in that Supper but eyther wyll lightly regarde them to no small offence or vtterly condempne them to his vtter destruction So that by his negligence he deserueth the plagues of God to fall vppon hym and by contempt he deserueth euerlastyng perdition To auoyde then these harmes vse the aduice of the wyse man who wylleth thee when thou sittest at an earthlye kynges table to take diligent heede what thinges are set before thee So nowe much more at the kyng of kynges table thou must carefully searche and knowe what dainties are prouided for thy soule whyther thou art come not to feede thy senses and belly to corruption but thy in warde man to immortalitie and lyfe nor to consyder the earthlye creatures whiche thou seest but the heauenlye graces which thy fayth beholdeth For this table is not sayth Chrisostome for chattering Jayes but for Egles who flee thither where the dead bodye lyeth And yf this aduertisement of man can not perswade vs to resorte to the lordes table with vnderstandyng see the counsell of GOD in the lyke matter who charged his people to teache their posteritie not onlye the rites and ceremonies of the Passouer but the cause and ende thereof Whence we may learne that both more perfect knowledge is required at this tyme at our handes and that the ignoraunt can not with fruite and profite exercise hym selfe in the Lordes Sacramentes But to come nygher to the matter Saint Paul blaming the Corinthians for the prophaning of the Lordes supper concludeth that ignoraunce both of the thing it selfe and the signification thereof was the cause of their abuse for they came thither
yea towardes the image of GOD the excellent creature thyne owne soule If thou haue offended nowe be reconciled If thou hast caused anye to stumble in the waye of God nowe set them vp agayne If thou haue disquieted thy brother nowe pacitie hym If thou haue wronged hym nowe reliefe hym If thou haue defrauded hym nowe restore to hym If thou haue nourished spite nowe embrace frendshippe If thou haue fostred hatred and malice nowe openly shewe thy loue and charitie yea be â—â—este and redye to procure thy neyghbours health of soule wealth commoditie and pleasure as thyne owne Deserue not the heauie and dreadfull burden of Gods displeasure for thyne euyll wyll towardes thy neyghbour so vnreuerentlye to approche to this table of the Lorde Last of all as there is here the mysterie of peace and the Sacrament of Christian societie wherby we vnderstand what sincere loue ought to be betwixt the true communicantes So here be the tokens of purenesse and innocencie of lyfe whereby we maye perceaue that we ought to purge our owne soule from all vncleannesse iniquitie and wickednesse lest when we receaue the mysticall bread as Origen saith we eate it in an vncleane place that is in a soule defiled and polluted with sinne In Moyses lawe the man that dyd eate of the sacrifice of thankesgenyng with his vncleannesse vppon him shoulde be destroyed from his people And shal we thinke that the wicked and sinfull person shal be excurable at the table of the Lord â—e both â—eade in S. Paul that the Churche at Corinth was scourged of the Lorde for misusing the Lordes supper and we maye plainelye see Christes Churche these many yeres miserably vexed and oppressed for the horrible prophanation of the same Wherefore let vs al vniuersall and singuler behold our owne maners and liues to amende them Yea nowe at the least let vs call our selues to an accompt that it may greeue vs of our former euyll conuersation that we may hate sinne that we may sorowe and mourne for our offences that we may with teares powre them out before god that we may with sure trust desire and craue the salue of his mercie bought and purchased with the blood of his dearelye beloued sonne Jesus Christe to heale our deadly woundes withall For surely yf we do not with earnest repentance clense the filthy stomacke of our soule it must needes come to passe that as wholsome meate receaued into a rawe stomacke corrupteth and marreth all and is the cause of further sicknesse so shal we eate this healthsome bread and drinke this cup to our eternall destruction This we and not other must throughly examine and not lyghtly loke ouer our selues not other men our owne conscience not other mens liues whiche we ought to do vpryghtly truely and with iust correction O sayth Chrisostome let no Judas resort to this table let no couetous personne approche If any be a disciple let hym be present For Christe sayth With my disciples I make my Passouer Why cryed the Deacon in the primatiue Church If any be holy let him draw neare Why dyd they celebrate these mysteries the quier doore beyng shut Why were the publique penitentes and learners in religion commaunded at this tyme to auoyde Was it not because this table receaued no vnholye vncleane or sinfull ghestes Wherefore yf seruauntes dare not presume to an earthly maisters table whom they haue offended Let vs take heede we come not with our sinnes vnexamined into this presence of our Lorde iudge If they be worthy blame which kisse the Princes hand with a filthy vncleane mouth shalt thou be blamelesse whiche with a filthy stinking soule ful of couetousnesse fornication drunkennesse pride full of wretched cogitations thoughts doest breath out iniquitie and vncleannesse on the bread and cup of the Lorde Thus haue you heard howe you shoulde come reuerently and decentlye to the table of the Lord hauing the knowledge out of his word of the thing it selfe the fruites thereof bringing a true constant faith the roote and welspring of all newnes of life aswell in praysing God louyng our neighbour as purging our owne conscience from filthines So that neither the ignoraunce of the thing shall cause vs to contempne it nor vnfaithfulnes make vs voyde of fruite nor sinne and iniquitie procure vs Gods plagues but shal by fayth in knowledge and amendement of lyfe in fayth be here so vnited to Christe our head in his mysteries to our comfort that after we shall haue full fruition of him indeede to our euerlasting ioy and eternall lyfe to the which he bryng vs that dyed for vs and redeemed vs Jesus Christe the righteous to whom with the father and the holy ghost one true and eternall God be al prayse honour and dominion for euer Amen An Homilee concerning the comming downe of the holy ghost and the manifolde giftes of the same For Whitsunday BEfore we come to the declaration of the great and manifolde gyftes of the holye ghost wherwith the church of God hath ben euermore replenished it shall first be nedefull briefly to expound vnto you wherof this feaste of Pentecoste or Whitsuntide had his first beginnyng You shall therefore vnderstande that the feast of Pentecoste was alwayes kept the fiftie day after Easter a great solempne feast among the Jewes wherein they dyd celebrate the memoriall of their deliueraunce out of Egypt and also the memoriall of the publishing of the lawe whiche was geuen vnto them in the mount Sinai vpon that day It was fyrst ordeyned and commaunded to be kept holye not by anye mortall man but by the mouth of the Lorde him selfe as we reade in Leuit. 23. Deut. 16. The place appoynted for the obseruation thereof was Hierusalem where was great recourse of people from all partes of the worlde as may well appeare in the second Chapter of the Actes wherein mention is made of Parthians Medes Elamites inhabitours of Mesopotamia inhabitours of Iurie Capadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphylia diuers other such places whereby we may also partly gather what great and royal solempnitie was commonly vsed in that feast Nowe as this was geuen in coÌ„maundement to the Jewes in the olde lawe so dyd our Sauiour Christe as it were confirme the same in the tyme of the Gospell ordeyning after a sort a newe Pentecost for his disciples namely when he sent downe the holy ghost visiblye in fourme of clouen tongues lyke fyre and gaue them power to speake in such sort that euery one myght heare them and also vnderstand them in his owne language Which miracle that it myght be had in perpetuall remembraunce the Church hath thought good to solemnize and kepe holy this day commonly called Whitsunday And here is to be noted that as the lawe was geuen to the Jewes in the mount Sinai the fiftie day after Easter so was the preaching of the Gospell through the myghtie power of the holy ghost geuen
is within vs For it is the holy ghost and no other thyng that doth quicken the mindes of men stirring vp good and godly motions in their heartes which are agreeable to the wil commaundement of God suche as otherwyse of their owne crooked and peruerse nature they shoulde neuer haue That whiche is borne of the fleshe sayth Christe is fleshe and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite As who shoulde saye Man of his owne nature is fleshly and carnal corrupt and nought synnefull and disobedient to God without any sparke of goodnes in hym without any vertuous or godly motion onely geuen to euyl thoughtes and wicked deedes As for the workes of the spirite the fruites of fayth charitable and godly motions if he haue anye at all in hym they proceede only of the holy ghost who is the onlye worker of our sanctification maketh vs newe men in Christ Jesu Dyd not Gods holy spirite miraculously worke in the childe Dauid when of a poore shephearde he became a princelike prophet Dyd not Gods holy spirite miraculously worke in Matthewe sitting at the receipte of custome when of a proude Publicane he became an humble and lowly Euangelist And who can choose but maruayle to consyder that Peter shoulde become of a simple fisher a cheefe and mightie Apostle Paul of a cruell and bloody persecutour a faythful disciple of Christe to teache the Gentiles Suche is the power of the holy ghost to regenerate men and as it were to bryng them foorth a newe so that they shal be nothyng lyke the men that they were before Neyther doth he thynke it sufficient inwardlye to worke the spirituall and newe byrth of man vnlesse he do also dwell and abide in hym Knowe ye not sayth saint Paule that ye are the temple of God and that his spirite dwelleth in you Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost which is within you Agayne he sayth You are not in the fleshe but in the spirite For why The spirite of God dwelleth in you To this agreeth the doctrine of saint John wrytyng on this wyse The annoyntyng whiche ye haue receaued he meaneth the holy ghost dwelleth in you And the doctrine of Peter sayth the same who hath these wordes The spirite of glory and of God resteth vppon you O what comfort is this to the hearte of a true Christian to thynke that the holy ghost dwelleth within hym If God be with vs as the Apostle sayth who can be agaynst vs O but howe shall I knowe that the holy ghost is within me some man perchaunce wyll say Forsoth as the tree is knowne by his fruite so is also the holy ghost The fruites of the holy ghost accordyng to the mynde of saint Paule are these Loue ioy peace long sufferyng gentlenes goodnesse faythfulnesse meekenes temperaunce c. Contrarywyse the deedes of the fleshe are these Adultrie fornication vncleannesse wantonnes idolatrie witchcrafte hatred debate emulation wrath contention sedition heresie enuie murther drunkennesse gluttonie and such lyke Here is nowe that glasse wherein thou muste behold thy selfe and discerne whether thou haue the holy ghost within thee or the spirite of the fleshe If thou see that thy workes be vertuous and good consonant to the prescript rule of gods worde sauouring and tastyng not of the fleshe but of the spirite then assure thy selfe that thou art endued with the holy ghoste Otherwyse in thynkyng wel of thy selfe thou doest nothyng els but deceaue thy selfe The holy ghost doth alwayes declare hym selfe by his fruitefull and gratious gyftes namely by the worde of wysedome by the worde of knowledge whiche is the vnderstandyng of the scriptures by fayth in doyng of miracles by healyng them that are diseased by prophesie whiche is the declaration of Gods mysteries by discerning of spirites diuersities of tonges interpretation of tonges and so foorth All whiche gyftes as they proceede from one spirite and are seuerally geuen to man accordyng to the measurable distribution of the holy ghost Euen so do they bryng men and not without good cause into a wonderfull admiration of Gods diuine power Who wyll not marueyle at that whiche is wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles to heare their bolde confession before the counsell at Jerusalem And to consyder that they went away with ioy and gladnesse reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebukes and checkes for the name and fayth of Christe Jesus This was the myghtie worke of the holy ghost who because he geueth patience and ioyfulnesse of heart in temptation and affliction hath therefore worthyly obtayned this name in holye scripture to be called a comforter Who wyl not also marueyle to reade the learned and heauenly sermons of Peter and the disciples consyderyng that they were neuer brought vp in schole of learnyng but called euen from their nettes to supply roomes of Apostles This was lykewyse the mightie worke of the holy ghost who because he doth instruct the hearts of the simple in the true knowledge of God and his holy worde is moste iustly tearmed by this name and title to be the spirite of trueth Eusebius in his ecclesiasticall historie telleth a straunge storie of a certayne learned and subtill Philosopher who beyng an extreame aduersarie to Christ and his doctrine could by no kynd of learnyng be conuerted to the fayth but was able to withstande all the argumentes that coulde be brought agaynst hym with litle or no labour At length there started vp a poore simple man of small wit and lesse knowledge one that was reputed among the learned as an ideote And he on Gods name woulde needes take in hande to dispute with this proude Philosopher The Byshoppes and other learned men standyng by were marueylously abashed at the matter thinking that by his doynges they shoulde be all confounded and put to open shame He notwithstandyng goeth on and begynnyng in the name of the Lorde Jesus brought the Philosopher to suche poynte in the ende contrary to all mens expectation that he coulde not choose but acknowledge the power of God in his wordes and to geue place to the trueth Was not this a miraculous worke that one seely soule of no learnyng shoulde do that whiche many byshops of great knowledge and vnderstanding were neuer able to bryng to passe So true is the saying of Bede Where the holy ghost doth instruct and teache there is no delay at al in learnyng Much more myght here be spoken of the manyfolde gyftes and graces of the holy ghost moste excellent and wonderfull in our eyes But to make a long discourse through all the shortnes of tyme wil not serue And seing ye haue heard the cheefest ye may easily conceaue and iudge of the rest Nowe were it expedient to discusse this question Whether all they whiche boaste and bragge that they haue the holy ghost do truely chalenge this vnto them selues or no Which doubt
them to whom soeuer he will. Furthermore what is the cause of penurie and scarcenesse of dearth and famine any other thing but a token of Gods yre reuengyng our wronges and iniuries one done to another Ye haue sowen muche obraydeth God by his prophete Aggei and yet bryng in little ye eate but ye be not satisfyed ye drynke but ye be not filled ye cloth your selues but ye be not warme and he that earneth his wages putteth it in a bottomlesse purse ye looke for muche encrease but loe it came to little and when ye brought it home into your barnes I did blow it away sayth the Lorde O consyder therefore the yre of God agaynst gleaners gatherers and incrochers vppon other mennes landes and possessions It is lamentable to see in some places howe greedy men vse to plowe and grate vppon their neighbours lande that lyeth next them howe couetous men nowe a dayes plowe vp so nyghe the common balkes and walkes whiche good men before tyme made the greater and broder partlye for the commodious walke of his neyghbour partlye for the better shacke in haruest tyme to the more comfort of his poore neighbours cattell It is a shame to behold the insaciablenes of some couetous personnes in their doynges that where their auncetours left of their lande a broade and sufficient beere balke to cary the corps to the Christian sepulture how men pinche at suche beere balkes which by long vse and custome ought to be inuiolablye kept for that purpose And nowe they eyther quite ere them vp and turne the dead bodye to be borne farther about in the hye streates or els if they leaue anye such meere it is to strayte for two to walke on These straunge encrochementes good neighbours should be loked vpon These should be consydered in these dayes of our perambulations And afterwarde the parties admonished charitablye refourmed who be the doers of such priuate gainyng to the staunder of the towneship and to the hinderaunce of the poore Your hye wayes should be consydered in your walkes to vnderstād where to bestow your daies works accordyng to the good Statutes prouided for the same It is a good deede of mercy to amend the daungerous and noysome wayes whereby thy poore neyghbour sitting on his seely weake beast foundereth not in the deepe thereof and so the market the worse serued for discouraging of poore vittailers to resorte thyther for the same cause If now therfore ye wyl haue your prayers hearde before almyghtie God for the increase of your corne and cattel and for the defence therof from vnseasonable mistes and blastes from haile and other such tempestes loue equity and ryghteousnes ensue mercy and charitie whiche God most requyreth at our handes Which almighty God respected cheefly in making his ciuile lawes for his people the Israelites in chargyng the owners not to gather vp their corne to nye at haruest season nor the Grapes and Oliues in gatheryng tyme but to leaue behynd some eares of corne for the poore gleaners By this he ment to induce them to pitie the poore to releeue the needye to shew mercye and kyndnes It can not be lost whiche for his sake is distributed to the poore For he which ministreth seed to the sower and bread to the hungrye which sendeth down the earely and latter rayne vpon your feeldes so to fill vppe the barnes with corne and the wyne presses with wyne and oyle he I say who recompenseth all kynde of benefites in the resurrection of the iust he will assuredly recompence all mercifull deedes shewed to the needy howsoeuer vnable the poore is vpon whom it is bestowed O sayth Salomon let not mercye and trueth forsake thee Bynde them about thy necke sayth he and write them on the table of thy hart so shalt thou fynde fauour at Gods hand Thus honour thou the Lorde with thy rytches and with the firste fruites of thyne encrease So shall thy barnes be filled with aboundaunce and thy presses shall brust with newe wyne Nay God hath promysed to open the windowes of heauen vppon the liberall ryghteous man that he shall want nothyng He wyll represse the deuouryng Caterpiller which should deuour your fruites He wyll geue you peace and quyete to gather in your prouision that ye may sit euery man vnder his owne vyne quyetly without feare of the forrayne enemyes to inuade you He wyll geue you not onelye foode to feede on but stomackes and good appetites to take comforte of your fruites whereby in all thinges ye may haue sufficiencie Finally he will blesse you with all maner aboundaunce in this transitorye lyfe and endue you with all maner benediction in the nexte worlde in the kyngdome of heauen through the merites of our Lorde and Sauiour to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour euerlastyngly Amen ⧠An Homilee of the state of Matrimonie THe worde of almyghtie god doth testify declare whēce the originall beginning of matrimonie commeth and why it is ordeyned It is instituted of God to the intent that man woman should liue lawfully in a perpetuall frendly felowship to bring forth fruit and to auoyde fornication By whiche meanes a good conscience might be preserued on both parties in brideling the corrupt inclinations of the fleshe within the limits of honestie For God hath straitly forbidden all whoredome and vncleannesse hath from tyme to tyme taken greuous punishments of this inordinate lust as al stories ages hath declared Furthermore it is also ordeyned that the church of God his kingdom might by this kinde of lyfe be conserued and enlarged not only in that God geueth children by his blessing but also in that they be brought vp by the parents godly in the knowledge of Gods word that thus the knowledge of God and true religion myght be deliuered by succession from one to another that finally many might enioye that euerlasting immortalitie Wherefore forasmuch as Matrimonie serueth as well to auoyde sinne offence as to encrease the kingdom of God you as al other which enter that state must acknowledge this benefite of God with pure thankeful mindes for that he hath so ruled our heartes that ye folowe not the example of the wicked worlde who set their delyght in filthynesse of sinne where both of you stande in the feare of God and abhorre all filthynesse For that is surelye the singuler gyft of God where the common example of the worlde declareth how the deuill hath their heartes bound and entangled in dyuers snares so that they in their wyuelesse state runne into open abhominations without anye grudge of their conscience Whiche sorte of men that liueth so desperately and filthylye what dampnation taryeth for them saynt Paule descrybeth it to them saying Neither whoremongers neyther adulterers shall inherite the kingdome of God. This horrible iudgement of God ye be escaped through his mercy if so be that ye lyue inseparately accordyng to Gods ordinaunce
which be more meete for brute beastes then for reasonable creatures Saint Peter doth not alowe these thynges but the deuil desyreth them gladly Wherefore take the more heede And yet a man may be a man although he doth not vse such extremitie yea though he should dissemble some thynges in his wyues maners And this is the part of a Christian man which both pleaseth God and serueth also in good vse to the comfort of their mariage state Nowe as concernyng the wyues duetie What shall become her shall she abuse the gentlenes and humanitie of her husbande and at her pleasure turne all thynges vpsyde downe No surely For that is farre repugnaunt agaynst gods commaundement For thus doth Saint Peter preache to them Ye wyues be ye in subiection to obey your owne husband To obey is another thyng then to comptrole or commaund Which yet they may do to their chyldren and to their familie But as for their husbandes them must they obey and ceasse from commaundyng and perfourme subiection For this surelye doth norish concorde very muche when the wyfe is redy at hand at her husbandes commaundement when she wyll apply her selfe to his wyll when she endeuoureth her selfe to seeke his contentation and to do him pleasure when she wyll esche we all thynges that myght offend hym For thus wyll moste truely be verified the saying of the Poet A good wyfe by obeying her husbande shall beare the rule so that he shal haue a delyght and a gladnesse the sooner at al tymes to returne home to her But on the contrary part when the wyues be stubborne froward and malapert their husbandes are compelled therby to abhorre and flee from their owne houses euen as they shoulde haue battayle with their enemies Howbeit it can scantly be but that some offences shal sometyme chaunce betwixt them For no man doth liue without fault specially for that the woman is the more frayle partie Therfore let them beware that they stande not in their faultes and wylfulnesse but rather let them acknowledge their follies and say My husband so it is that by my anger I was compelled to do this or that forgeue it me and hereafter I wyll take better heed Thus ought the women the more redily to do the more they be redy to offende And they shall not do this only to auoyde strife and debate but rather in the respect of the commaundement of God as Saint Paule expresseth it in this fourme of wordes Let women be subiecte to their husbandes as to the Lorde For the husbande is the head of the woman as Christ is the head of the Churche Here you vnderstand that God hath commaunded that ye shoulde acknowledge the aucthoritie of the husbande and referre to hym the honour of obedience And Saint Peter sayth in that place before rehearsed that holy matrones dyd sometyme decke themselues not with gold and syluer but in putting their whole hope in God and in obeying their husbandes as Sara obeyed Abraham calling hym lord whose daughters ye be saith he if ye folowe her example This sentence is very meete for woman to print in their remembraunce Trueth it is that they must specially feele the greefe and paynes of their matrimonie in that they relinquish the libertie of their owne rule in the payne of their traueling in the bryngyng vp of their chyldren In whiche offices they be in great perils and be greued with great afflictions which they might be without if they lyued out of matrimonie But saint Peter sayth that this is the cheefe ornament of holy matrones in that they set their hope and trust in God that is to say in that they refused not from mariage for the busynes therof for the greefes and perils thereof but committed al suche aduentures to God in most sure trust of helpe after that they haue called vppon his ayde O woman do thou the lyke and so shalt thou be most excellently beautified before God and al his angels and saintes and thou needest not to seeke further for doyng any better workes For obey thy husbande take regarde of his requestes and geue heede vnto hym to perceaue what he requireth of thee and so shalt thou honour God and lyue peaceably in thy house And beyond all this God shall folowe thee with his benediction that all thynges shal well prosper both to thee and to thy husband as the Psalme sayth Blessed is the man whiche feareth God and walketh in his wayes thou shalt haue the fruite of thyne owne handes happie shalt thou be and well it shall go with thee Thy wyfe shal be as a vine plentifully spreadyng about thy house Thy chyldren shal be as the young sprynges of the Oliues about thy table â—othus shall that man be blessed sayth Dauid that feareth the Lorde This let the wyfe haue euer in minde the rather admonyshed therto by the apparell of her head whereby is signified that she is vnder couert and obedience of her husbande And as that apparell is of nature so appoynted to declare her subiection So biddeth saint Paul that all other of her rayment shoulde expresse both shame fastnes and sobrietie For if it be not lawful for the woman to haue her head bare but to beare thereon the signe of her power wheresoeuer she goeth more is it required that she declare the thyng that is meant thereby And therefore these auncient women of the old world called their husbandes lordes and shewed them reuerence in obeying them But peraduenture she wyl say that those men loued their wyues in deede I know that wel enough and beare it wel in minde But when I do admonishe you of your dueties then cal not to consideration what their dueties be For when we our selues do teache our chyldren to obey vs as their parentes or when we refourme our seruauntes and tell them that they shoulde obey their maisters not only at the eye but as to the Lorde If they shoulde tell vs agayne our dueties we would not thynke it wel done For when we be admonished al our dueties and faultes we ought not then to seeke what other mens dueties be For though a man had a companion in his fault yet should not he therby he without his fault But this must be onlye loked on by what meanes thou mayst make thy selfe without blame For Adam did lay the blame vpon the woman she turned it vnto the serpeÌ„t but yet neyther of them was thus excused And therefore bryng not suche excuses to me at this tyme but applye al thy diligence to heare thyne obedience to thy husbande For when I take in hande to admonyshe thy husbande to loue thee and to cherishe thee yet wyll I not ceasse to set out the lawe that is appoynted for the woman as well as I woulde requyre of the man what is wrytten for his lawe Go thou therefore about such thynges as becommeth thee only and shew thy selfe tractable to thy husbande Or rather if thou wylt obey
to towne from place to place without punishment which neyther serue God nor their prince but deuoure the sweete fruites of other mens labour being common liers drunkardes swearers theeues whoremaisters and murtherers refusing all honest labour and geue them selues to nothyng els but to inuent and do mischeefe whereof they are more desyrous and greedy then is any Lion of his pray To remedy this inconueniencie let al parentes others whiche haue the care and gouernance of youth so bring them vp eyther in good learnyng labour or some honest occupation or trade whereby they may be able in time to come not only to sustaine them selues competently but also to relieue and supplie the necessitie and want of others And saint Paul sayth Let hym that hath stolen steale no more and he that hath deceaued others or vsed vnlawful wayes to get his liuing leaue of the same labour rather workyng with his handes that thing whiche is good that he may haue that which is necessarie for hym selfe and also be able to geue vnto others that stande in neede of his helpe The prophet Dauid thinketh him happy that liueth vpon his labour saying When thou eatest the labours of thyne handes happy art thou and wel is thee This happines or blessing consisteth in these such like pointes First it is the gyft of God as Salomon sayth when one eateth and drinketh and receaueth good of his labour Secondaryly when one liueth of his owne labour so it be honest good he liueth of it with a good conscience And an vpryght conscience is a treasure inestimable Thirdly he eateth his bread not with brawling and chiding but with peace and quietnes when he quietly laboureth for the same accordyng to saint Paules admonition Fourthly he is no mans bondman for his meate sake nor needeth not for that to hang vpon the good wyll of other men but so liueth of his owne that he is able to geue part to others And to conclude the labouryng man and his familie whyles they are busilie occupied in their labour be free from many temptations and occasions of sinne which they that liue in idlenesse are subiect vnto And here ought Artificers and Labouring men who be at wages for their worke and labour to consyder theyr conscience to God and theyr duetie to their neighbour least they abuse their tyme in idlenesse so defraudyng them whiche be at charge both with great wages and deare commons They be worse then idle men in deede for that they seeke to haue wages for their loytring It is lesse daunger to God to be idle for no gayne then by idlenes to win out of theyr neyghbours purses wages for that which is not deserued It is true that almyghtie God is angry with suche as do defraude the hyred man of his wages The crie of that iniurie ascendeth vp to Gods eare for vengeaunce And as true it is that the hyred man who vseth deceipt in his labour is a theefe before god Let no man sayth saint Paul to the Thessalonians subtilly beguile his brother let him not defraud him in his busines For the lord is reuenger of suche deceiptes Wherevppon he that wyll haue a good conscience to God that labouring man I say which dependeth wholye vpon Gods benediction ministring all thynges sufficient for his liuing let hym vse his tyme in faythful labour and when his labour by sicknes or other misfortune doth ceasse yet let him think for that in his health he serued GOD and his neyghbour truely he shall not want in tyme of necessitie God vppon respect of his fidelitie in health wyll recompence his indigence to moue the heartes of good men to relieue suche decayed men in sicknesse Where otherwyse whatsoeuer is gotten by idlenesse shall haue no foyson to helpe in tyme of neede Let the labouryng man therfore eschew for his part this vice of idlenesse and deceipt remembring that saint Paul exhorteth euery man to lay away al deceipt dissimulation and lying and to vse trueth plainenesse to his neyghbour because sayth he we be members together in one body vnder one head Christ our sauiour And here myght be charged the seruing men of this Realme who spend their tyme in much idlenesse of life nothyng regardyng the oportunitie of their time forgetting how seruice is no heritage howe age will creepe vpon them where wysdome were they should expende theyr idle time in some good businesse whereby they myght increase in knowledge so the more worthy to be readye for euery mans seruice It is a great rebuke to them that they studie not eyther to write fayre to kepe a booke of accompt to studie the tongues and so to get wysdome knowledge in suche bookes and workes as be nowe plentifully set out in print of all maner languages Let young men consyder the pretious value of their time and wast it not in idlenesse in iolitie in gaming in banqueting in ruffians company Youth is but vanitie and must be accompted for before god Howe mery and glad soeuer thou be in thy youth O young man sayth the preacher how glad soeuer thy heartbe in thy young dayes how fast and freely soeuer thou folowe the waies of thine owne heart and the lust of thyne owne eyes yet be thou sure that God shal bring thee into iudgement for al these thinges God of his mercie put it into the heartes mindes of all them that haue the sworde of punishment in their hands or haue families vnder their gouernance to labour to redres this great enormitie of al such as liue idelly and vnprofitably in the cōmon weale to the great dishonour of God the greeuous plague of his seely people To leaue sinne vnpunished and to neglect the good bryngyng vp of youth is nothyng els but to kindle the Lordes wrath agaynst vs and to heape plagues vpon our owne heades As long as the adulterous people were suffered to liue licenciously without reformation so long dyd the plague continue and increase in Israel as ye may see in the booke of Numbers But when due correction was done vpon them the Lordes anger was straightway pacified and the plague ceassed Let al officers therefore loke straightly to their charge Let all maisters of housholdes refourme this abuse in their families Let them vse the aucthoritie that God hath geuen them Let them not mainteyne vagaboundes and idle persons but deliuer the Realme and their householdes from suche noysome loyterers that idlenesse the mother of al mischeefe being cleane taken away almyghtie God may turne his dreadful anger away from vs cōfirme the couenant of peace vpon vs for euer through the merites of Jesus Christ our only Lord sauiour to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen An Homilee of repentaunce and of true reconciliation vnto God. THere is nothing that the holy ghost doth so much labour in all the scriptures to beate into
mens heads as repentaunce amendement of life and speedye returnyng vnto the lord God of hoastes And no maruayle why For we do daily and hourely by our wickednes and stubburne disobedience horriblye fall awaye from God thereby purchasing vnto our selues yf he shoulde deale with vs accordyng to his iustice eternall dampnation So that no doctrine is so necessarie in the Churche of God as is the doctrine of repentaunce amendement of lyfe And veryly the true preachers of the Gospell of the kingdome of heauen and of the glad and ioyfull tidinges of saluation haue alwayes in their godly sermons and preachinges vnto the people ioyned these two together I meane repentance and forgeuenes of sinnes euen as our Sauiour Jesus Christe did appoynt him selfe saying So it behoued Christe to suffer to ryse agayne the thirde day and that repentance and forgeuenes of sinnes should be preached in his name among all nations And therefore the holy Apostle doth in the actes speake after this maner I haue witnessed both to the Jewes to the Gentiles that repentaunce towardes God and fayth towards our Lord Jesu Christe Dyd not John Baptist Zacharias sonne begin his ministerie with the doctrine of repentaunce saying Repent for the kingdome of God is at hande The like doctrine did our sauiour Jesus Christe preache hym selfe and cōmaunded his Apostles to preache the same I myght here alleage very many places out of the prophetes in the whiche this most holsome doctrine of repentaunce is very earnestly vrged as most nedefull for all degrees and orders of men but one shal be sufficient at this present tyme These are the words of Joel the prophete Therfore also nowe the Lorde sayth Returne vnto me with al your heart with fastyng weepyng and mournyng rent your heartes and not your clothes and returne vnto the Lorde your God for he is gratious and merciful slow to anger and of great compassion and redy to pardon wickednes Wherby it is geuen vs to vnderstād that we haue here a perpetuall rule appoynted vnto vs which ought to be obserued and kept at all times that there is none other way whereby the wrath of god may be pacified and his anger asswaged that the fiercenes of his furie and the plagues or destruction which by his ryghteous iudgement he had determined to bring vpō vs maye depart be remoued and taken away Where he sayth But nowe therefore sayth the Lord returne vnto me It is not without great importaunce that the prophete speaketh so For he had afore set foorth at large vnto them the horrible vengeaunce of god which no man was able to abide and therfore he doth moue them to repentaunce to obtayne mercie as yf he shoulde say I wyl not haue these thinges to be so taken as though there were no hope of grace left For although ye do by your sinnes deserue to be vtterly destroyed and God by his righteous iudgemēts hath determined to bryng no smal destruction vppon you yet nowe that ye are in a maner on the very edge of the sworde yf ye wyll spedyly returne vnto hym he wyll most gently and most mercifully receaue you into fauour again Wherby we are admonished that repentaunce is neuer to late so that it be true and earnest For sith that God in the scriptures wylbe called our father doubtlesse he doth followe the nature and propertie of gentle and mercifull fathers which seeke nothing so much as the returning againe and amendement of their chyldren as Christe doth aboundauntly teache in the parable of the prodigall sonne Doth not the Lorde hym selfe say by the prophete I wyll not the death of the wicked but that he turne from his wicked waies and liue And in another place If we confesse our sinne God is faythfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to make vs cleane from all wickednesse Whiche moste comfortable promises are confyrmed by manye examples of the scriptures When the Jewes dyd wyllingly receaue and embrace the wholesome counsel of the prophete Esai God by and by dyd reache his helping hande vnto them and by his angell dyd in one nyght slea the moste worthye and valiaunt souldiers of Sennacheribs campe Whereunto may kyng Manasses be added who after al maner of dampnable wickednes returned vnto the Lorde and therefore was hearde of hym and restored againe into his kingdome The same grace and fauour dyd the sinfull woman Magdalene Zacheus the poore theefe and many other feele All whiche thynges ought to serue for our comfort agaynst the temptations of our consciences whereby the deuill goeth about to shake or rather to ouerthrowe our faith For euery one of vs ought to applye the same vnto hym selfe and say yet nowe returne vnto the Lorde neyther let the remembraunce of thy former lyfe discourage thee yea the more wicked that it hath ben the more feruent and earnest let thy repentaunce or returnyng be and foorth with thou shalt feele the eares of the Lorde wide open vnto thy prayers But let vs more narowly loke vpon the cōmaundement of the Lorde touchyng this matter Turne vnto me sayth he by his prophete Joel with al your heartes with fasting weping and mourning Rent your heartes and not your garments c. In which wordes he comprehendeth al maner of things that can be spoken of repentaunce whiche is a returning agayne of the whole man vnto God from whom we be fallen away by sinne But that the whole discourse thereof may the better be borne away we shall fyrst consyder in order foure principall poyntes that is from what we must returne to whom we must returne by whom we may be able to conuert and the maner howe to turne to GOD. First from whence or from what thynges we must returne Truely we muste returne from those things whereby we haue ben withdrawē pluckt and led away from god And these generally are our sinnes which as the holy prophete Esai doth testifie do separate God and vs and hide his face that he wyll not heare vs But vnder the name of sinne not only those grosse wordes and deedes which by the common iudgement of men are counted to be filthy and vnlawfull and so consequently abominable sinnes but also the filthy lustes and inwarde concupiscences of the fleshe whiche as saint Paul testifieth do resist the wyll and spirite of God and therefore ought earnestly to be brydled and kept vnder We must repent of the false and erronious opinions that we haue had of god and the wicked superstition that doth breede of the same the vnlawfull worshipping and seruice of God and other lyke All these thinges must they forsake that will truely turne vnto the Lorde and repent aryght For sith that for suche things the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience no ende of punishment ought to be looked for as long as we continue in such thinges Therfore they be here condempned
were able to heale all my diseases A curious sorte of men to knowe another mans lyfe and slouthfull to correct and amende their owne Why do they seeke to heare of me what I am whiche wyll not heare of thee what they are And howe can they tell when they heare by me of my selfe whether I tell the trueth or not syth that no mortall man knoweth what is in man but the spirite of man which is in him Augustine woulde not haue written thus if auriculer confession had ben vsed in his tyme Beyng therfore not led with the conscience therof let vs with feare and tremblyng and with a true contrite heart vse that kynde of confession that God doth commaunde in his worde and then doubtlesse as he is faythfull and ryghteous he wyll forgeue vs our synnes and make vs cleane from all wyckednesse I do not saye but that if anye do fynde them selues troubled in conscience they may repayre to their learned Curate or Pastour or to some other godly learned man and shewe the trouble doubt of their conscience to them that they may receaue at their hand the comfortable salue of Gods worde but it is agaynst the true Christian libertie that any man shoulde be bound to the numbryng of his synnes as it hath ben vsed heretofore in the tyme of blindnesse and ignoraunce The third part of repentaunce is fayth wherby we do apprehende and take holde vppon the promises of God touchyng the free pardon and forgeuenes of our synnes Whiche promises are sealed vp vnto vs with the death and bloodsheddyng of his sonne Jesu Christe For what should auayle and profite vs to be sorye for our sinnes to lament and bewayle that we haue offended our moste bounteous and mercyfull father or to confesse and acknowledge our offences and trespasses though it be done neuer so earnestly vnlesse we do stedfastly beleue and be fully perswaded that God for his sonne Jesu Christes sake wyl forgeue vs al our synnes and put them out of remembraunce and from his syght Therfore they that teach repentaunce without a liuelye fayth in our sauiour Jesu Christe do teache none other but Judas repentaunce as all the Schole men do whiche do onlye alowe these three partes of repentaunce the contrition of the heart the confession of the mouth and the satisfaction of the worke But all these thynges we fynde in Judas repentaunce whiche in outwarde appearaunce dyd farre exceede and passe the repentaunce of Peter For fyrst and foremost we reade in the gospel that Judas was so sorowfull and heauie yea that he was fylled with such anguishe and vexation of mynde for that which he had done that he coulde not abide to lyue any longer Dyd not he also afore he hanged hym selfe make an open confession of his faulte when he sayde I haue synned betraying the innocent blood And veryly this was a very bolde confession whiche might haue brought hym to greate trouble For by it he did lay to the hygh priestes elders charge the sheddyng of innocent blood and that they were moste abhominable murtherers He dyd also make a certayne kynde of satisfaction when he dyd cast their money vnto them agayne No suche thyng do we reade of Peter although he had committed a very heynous synne and most greeuous offence in denying of his master We fynde that he went out and wept bytterlye whereof Ambrose speaketh on this maner Peter was sory and wept because he erred as a man I do not fynde what he sayed I know that he wept I reade of his teares but not of his satisfaction But howe chaunce that the one was receaued into fauour agayne with God and the other cast away but because that the one dyd by a lyuely fayth in hym whom he had denyed take hold vpon the mercie of God and the other wanted fayth whereby he dyd dispayre of the goodnesse and mercie of God It is euident and playn then that although we be neuer so earnestly sorye for our synnes acknowledge and confesse them yet all these thynges shal be but meanes to bryng vs to vtter desperation except we do stedfastly beleue that God our heauenly father wyll for his sonne Jesu Christes sake pardon and forgeue vs our offences and trespasses and vtterly put them out of remembraunce in his syght Therefore as we sayde before they that teache repentaunce without Christe and a lyuely fayth in the mercie of God do onely teache Cains or Judas repentaunce The fourth is an amendement of lyfe or a newe lyfe in bryngyng foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce For they that do truely repent must be cleane altered and chaunged they muste become newe creatures they must be no more the same that they were before And therefore thus sayde John Baptist vnto the Pharisees and Saduces that came vnto his baptisme O generation of vypers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come bryng foorth therefore fruites worthy of repentaunce Whereby we do learne that if we wyll haue the wrath of God to be pacified we muste in no wyse dissemble but turne vnto hym agayne with a true and sounde repentaunce whiche may be knowne and declared by good fruites as by moste sure and infallible signes thereof They that do from the bottome of their heartes acknowledge their synnes and are vnfaignedly sory for their offences wyll cast of al hypocrisie and put on true humilitie and lowlynesse of heart They wyll not onlye receaue the Phisition of the soule but also with a moste feruent desyre long for hym They wyll not only abstaine from the sinnes of their former lyfe and from all other filthy vices but also flee exchew and abhorre all the occasions of them And as they dyd before geue them selues to vncleannesse of lyfe so wyll they from henceforwardes with all diligence geue them selues to innocencie purenesse of lyfe and true godlynesse We haue the Niniuites for an example whiche at the preachyng of Jonas dyd not onlye proclayme a generall fast and that they shoulde euery one put on sackloth but they all dyd turne from their euill wayes and from the wyckednesse that was in their handes But aboue all other the historie of Zacheus is moste notable For beyng come vnto our sauiour Jesu Christe he dyd say Beholde Lorde the halfe of my goodes I geue to the poore and if I haue defrauded any man or taken ought away by extortion or fraude I do restore hym foure folde Here we see that after his repentaunce he was no more the man that he was before but was cleane chaunged and altered It was so farre of that he woulde continue and byde styll in his vnsatiable couetousnesse or take ought awaye fraudulentlye from any man tâ—at rather he was most wylling and redye to geue away his owne and to make satisfaction vnto all them that he had done iniurie and wrong vnto Heare may we ryght well adde the synfull woman whiche when she came
the bottome of our heartes detest and abhorre with all earnestnesse flee from it syth that it dyd cost the deare heart blood of the onlye begotten sonne of God our sauiour redeemer to purge vs from it Plato doth in a certayne place wryte that if vertue coulde be seene with bodily eyes all men woulde wonderfully be enflamed and kyndeled with the loue of it Euen so on the contrary if we myght with our bodily eyes beholde the filthynesse of synne and the vncleannes therof we coulde in no wyse abyde it but as most present and deadly poyson hate and eschewe it We haue a common experience of the same in them which when they haue committed any heynous offence or some filthy and abhominable synne if it once come to lyght or if they chaunce to haue a through feelyng of it they be so ashamed their owne conscience puttyng before their eyes the filthynes of their acte that they dare looke no man in the face muche lesse that they shoulde be able to stande in the syght of God. Fourthly the vncertayntie and brittlenesse of our owne lyues whiche is such that we can not assure our selues that we shall lyue one houre or one halfe quarter of it Whiche by experience we do fynde daily to be true in them that beyng nowe mery and lustye and sometymes feastyng and banquettyng with their freendes do fall sodenly dead in the streetes and otherwhyles vnder the boarde when they are yet at meate These daily examples as they are moste terrible and dreadfull so ought they to moue vs to seeke for to be at one with our heauenlye iudge that we may with a good conscience appeare before hym whensoeuer it shal please him for to cal vs whether it be sodaynly or otherwyse for we haue no more charter of our lyfe then they haue But as we are moste certayne that we shall dye so are we most vncertayne when we shal dye For our lyfe doth lye in the hande of God who wyll take it away when it pleaseth hym And veryly when the hyghest somner of all which is death shall come he wyll not be sayde nay but we must foorth with be packyng to be present before the iudgement seate of God as he doth fynde vs accordyng as it is wrytten Wheras the tree falleth whether it be towarde the South or towarde the North there it shall lye Whereunto agreeth the saying of the holy martyr of God S. Ciprian saying As God doth fynde thee when he doth call so doth he iudge thee Let vs therefore folowe the counsayle of the wyse man where he sayth Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lorde and put not of from day to day For sodenly shall the wrath of the Lorde breake foorth and in thy securitie shalt thou be destroyed and shalt perishe in tyme of vengeaunce Whiche wordes I desyre you to marke diligently because they do most lyuely put before our eyes the fondnesse of manye men whiche abusyng the long sufferyng and goodnes of God do neuer thynke on repentaunce or amendement of lyfe Folowe not sayth he thyne owne mynde and thy strength to walke in the wayes of thy heart neyther say thou who wyll bryng me vnder for my workes For God the reuenger wyll reuenge the wrong done by thee And saye not I haue synned and what euyll hath come vnto me For the almyghtie is a patient rewarder but he wyll not leaue thee vnpunished Because thy synnes are forgeuen thee be not without feare to heape sin vpon synne Say not neyther The mercie of god is great he wil forgeue my manifold sinnes For mercy and wrath come from him and his indignation commeth vpon vnrepentant synners As if he should say Art thou strong and myghtie Art thou lustye and young Haste thou the wealth and ryches of the worlde Or when thou hast synned hast thou receaued no punishment for it Let none of all these thynges make thee to be the slower to repent and to returne with speede vnto the Lorde For in the day of punishment and of his sodayne vengeaunce they shall not be able to helpe thee And speciallye when thou art eyther by the preaching of Gods worde or by some inwarde motion of his holy spirite or els by some other meanes called vnto repentaunce neglect not the good occasion that is ministred vnto thee least when thou wouldest repent thou hast not the grace for to do it For to repent is a good gyft of God which he wyll neuer graunt vnto them whiche lyuyng in carnal securitie do make a mocke of his threatnynges or seeke to rule his spirites as they list as though his workyng gyftes were tyed vnto their wyll Fifthly the auoydyng of the plagues of God and the vtter destructiō that by his ryghteous iudgement doth hang ouer the heades of them all that will in no wyse returne vnto the Lorde I wyll saith the Lorde geue them for a terrible plague to all the kyngdomes of the earth and for a reproche and for aprouerbe and for a curse in all places where I shall cast them and wyll send the sworde of famine the pestilence among them tyll they be consumed out of the land And wherfore is this Because they hardned their heartes and woulde in no wyse returne from their euyll wayes nor yet forsake the wyckednesse that was in their owne handes that the fiercenesse of the Lordes furie myght departe from them But yet this is nothing in comparison of the intollerable and endlesse tormentes of hell fyre whiche they shal be fayne to suffer who after their hardnesse of heart that can not repent do heape vnto them selues wrath against the day of anger and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God Wheras if we wyll repent and be earnestly sory for our synnes and with a full purpose of amendement of lyfe flee vnto the mercie of our god and taking sure holde thereuppon through fayth in our sauiour Jesus Christe do bring foorth fruites worthy of repentaunce he wyll not onlye powre his manifold blessynges vpon vs here in this world but also at the last after the paynefull trauayles of this lyfe rewarde vs with the inheritaunce of his chyldren whiche is the kyngdome of heauen purchased vnto vs with the death of his sonne Jesu Christe our Lorde to whom with the father and the holy ghoste be all prayse glory and honour worlde without ende Amen ⧠An Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylful rebellion The fyrst parte AS GOD the creatour and Lord of al thynges appoynted his angels and heauenly creatures in all obedience to serue and to honour his maiestie so was it his wyl that man his cheefe creature vpon the earth shoulde lyue vnder the obedience of his creator and Lord and for that cause God assoone as he had created man gaue vnto him a certayne precept and law whiche he beyng yet in the state of innocencie remaynyng in paradise shoulde obserue as a pledge and
rebels shoulde heare the aduise of wyse men and geue place vnto theyr iudgement and folowe the example of obedient subiectes as reason is that they whose vnderstandyng is blinded with so euyll an affection shoulde geue place to them that be of sound iudgement and that the worse shoulde geue place to the better and so myght Realmes continue in long obedience peace and quietnesse But what yf the prince be vndiscrete and euil in deede and it also euident to all mens eyes that he so is I aske agayne what yf it be long of the wickednesse of the subiectes that the prince is vndiscrete and euyll Shal the subiectes both by their wickednesse prouoke God for their deserued punishment to geue them an vndiscrete or euyll prince and also rebell agaynst hym and withall agaynst God who for the punishment of their sinnes dyd geue them suche a prince Wyll you heare the scriptures concernyng this poynt God say the holy scriptures maketh a wicked man to raigne for the sinnes of the people Agayne God geueth a prince in his anger meanyng an euyll one and taketh away a prince in his displeasure meanyng speciallye when he taketh away a good prince for the sinnes of the people as in our memorie he toke away our good Josias kyng Edwarde in his young and good yeres for our wickednesse And contrarilye the scriptures do teache that God geueth wysdome vnto princes and maketh a wyse and good kyng to raigne ouer that people whom he loueth and who loueth hym Agayne yf the people obey God both they and theyr kyng shall prosper and be safe els both shal perishe sayth God by the mouth of Samuel Here you see that GOD placeth aswell euyll princes as good and for what cause he doth both If we therefore wyll haue a good prince eyther to be geuen vs or to continue nowe we haue suche a one let vs by our obedience to God and to our prince moue God thereunto If we wyll haue an euyll prince when God shall sende such a one taken away and a good in his place let vs take away our wickednesse whiche prouoketh God to place such a one ouer vs God wyll eyther displace hym or of an euyll prince make hym a good prince so that we first wyll chaunge our euyll into good For wyll you heare the scriptures The heart of the prince is in Gods hande which way soeuer it shall please hym he turneth it Thus say the scriptures wherfore let vs turne from our synnes vnto the Lorde with all our heartes and he wyl turne the heart of the prince vnto our quiet and wealth Els for subiectes to deserue through theyr synnes to haue an euyll prince then to rebel against hym were double and treble euyll by prouokyng GOD more to plague them Nay let vs eyther deserue to haue a good prince or let vs patiently suffer and obey suche as we deserue And whether the prince be good or euill let vs accordyng to the counsel of the holy scriptures pray for the prince for his continuaunce and increase in goodnesse yf he be good and for his amendement yf he be euyll Wyll you heare the scriptures concerning this most necessarie poynt I exhort therefore sayth saint Paul that aboue all thinges prayers supplications intercessions and geuing of thankes be had for all men for kynges and all that are in aucthoritie that we maye liue a quiet and peaceable lyfe with all godlinesse for that is good and acceptable in the syght of GOD our sauiour c. This is Saint Paules councel And who I pray you was prince ouer the moste part of Christians when Gods holye spirite by saint Paules pen gaue them this lesson Forsoothe Caligula Clodius or Nero who were not onlye no Christians but Pagans and also eyther foolishe rulers or most cruel tyrauntes Wyl you yet heare the worde of God to the Jewes when they were prisoners vnder Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon after he had slaine their king nobles parentes chyldren and kynsfolkes burned theyr countrey cities yea Hierusalem it selfe and the holy temple and had caryed the residue remayning aliue captiues with hym vnto Babylon Wyll you heare yet what the prophete Baruch sayth vnto Gods people being in this captiuitie Pray you sayth the prophete for the lyfe of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon and for the lyfe of Balthaser his sonne that theyr dayes may be as the dayes of heauen vpon the earth that God also may geue vs strength and lighten our eyes that we may liue vnder the defence of Nabuchodonozor kyng of Babylon and vnder the protection of Balthaser his sonne that we may long do them seruice and finde fauour in their syght Praye for vs also vnto the Lorde our God for we haue sinned agaynst the Lorde our god Thus farre the prophete Baruch his wordes whiche are spoken by hym vnto the people of God of that kyng who was an heathen a tyraunt and cruell oppressour of them and had ben a murtherer of many thousandes of theyr nation and a destroyer of their countrey with a confession that theyr sinnes had deserued suche a prince to raigne ouer them And shall the olde Christians by saint Paules exhortation pray for Caligula Clodius or Nero Shall the Jewes pray for Nabuchodonozor these Emperours and kynges beyng straungers vnto them beyng Pagans and Infidels beyng murtherers tyrauntes and cruell oppressours of them and the destroyers of their countrey countreymen and kinsmen the burners of theyr villages townes cities and temples And shall not we pray for the long prosperous and godly raigne of our naturall prince No straunger whiche is obserued as a great blessing in the scriptures of our Christian our most gratious Soueraigne no heathen nor Pagan prince Shall we not praye for the health of our moste mercifull moste louyng Soueraigne the preseruer of vs and our countrey in so long peace quietnesse and securitie no cruell person no tyraunt no spoyler of our goodes no shedder of our blooddes no burner and destroyer of our Townes Cities and Countrey as were those for whom yet as ye haue hearde Christians beyng theyr subiectes ought to praye Let vs not commit so great ingratitude agaynst GOD and our Soueraigne as not continually to thanke GOD for this gouernment and for his great and continuall benefites and blessinges powred vpon vs by suche gouernment Let vs not commit so great a sinne agaynst God agaynst our selues and our countrey as not to praye continuallye vnto GOD for the long continuaunce of so gratious a ruler vnto vs and our countrey Els shall we be vnworthie any longer to enioy those benefites and blessinges of God whiche hytherto we haue had by her and shal be most worthy to fall into all those mischeefes and miseries which we and our countrey haue by Gods grace through her gouernment hytherto escaped What shall we say of those subiectes may we call them by the name of subiectes Who neyther be thankful nor make any
dominions and kyngdomes sometime possessed by Christians in Asia Africa and Europa the miserable fall of the Empyre and Church of Grece sometime the moste florishyng part of Christendome into the handes of Turkes the lamentable diminishing decay and ruine of Christian religion the dreadfull encrease of Paganitie and power of the Infidelles and miscreantes and al by the practise and procurement of the Byshop of Rome cheefely is in the histories and chronicles written by the Byshop of Romes owne fauourers and frendes to be seene and is well knowen vnto all suche as are acquainted with the saide histories The ambitious intent and most subtill driftes of the Byshops of Rome in these their practises appeared euidently by their bolde attempt in spoyling and robbing the Emperours of their Townes Cities Dominions kingdomes in Italie Lumbardie Cicilie of auncient right belonging vnto the Empyre by the ioyning of them vnto their Byshoprike of Rome or els geuing them vnto straungers to holde them of the Churche Byshops of Rome as in capite and as of the cheefe lordes thereof in whiche tenure they holde the most part therof euen at this day By these ambitious in deede trayterous meanes and spoylyng of their soueraigne lordes the Byshops of Rome of Priestes and none other by right then the Bishops of one citie and diocesse are by false vsurpation become great lordes of many dominions myghtie Princes yea or Emperours rather as claymyng to haue diuers princes and kinges to their vassals liege men and subiectes as in the same histories written by their owne familiers and courtiers is to be seene And in deede since the tyme that the Byshops of Rome by ambition treason vsurpation atcheued and atteined to this height and greatnesse they behaued them selues more lyke princes kinges Emperours in al things then remained like priestes bishops and ecclesiastical or as they would be called spirituall persons in any one thing at al. For after this rate they haue handled other kings princes of other Realmes throughout Christendome as well as theyr Soueraigne lordes the Emperours vsually dischargyng their subiectes of their othe of fidelitie and so stirring them vp to rebellion against their naturall princes whereof some examples shall in the last part hereof be notified vnto you Wherefore let al good subiectes knowing these the speciall instrumentes and ministers of the deuil to the stirring vp of al rebellions auoyde and flee them the pestilent suggestions of such forraigne vsurpers and their adherentes and embrace al obedience to God and their naturall princes and Soueraignes that they may enioy gods blessinges and their princes fauour in all peace quietnes securitie in this worlde and finally attaine through Christ our sauiour lyfe euerlasting in the world to come which God the father for the same our sauiour Jesus Christ his sake graunt vnto vs al to whō with the holy ghost be al honour glory world without ende Amen Thus haue you heard the sixt part of this Homilee now good people let vs pray The prayer as before The sixt and last part of the Homilee agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion NOw whereas the iniuries oppressions rauenie and tyrannie of the bishop of Rome vsurping aswell agaynst their natural lords the Emperours as against al other Christian kinges and kingdomes and their continual stirring of subiectes vnto rebellions agaynst theyr soueraigne lordes whereof I haue partlye admonished you before were intollerable and it may seeme more then maruell that any subiectes woulde after suche sorte holde with vnnaturall forraigne vsurpers agaynst theyr owne soueraigne lordes and naturall countrey It remayneth that I do declare the meane whereby they compassed these matters and so to conclude this whole treatie of due obedience and agaynst disobedience and wylfull rebellion You shall vnderstande that by ignoraunce of Gods worde wherein they kept all men speciallye the common people they wrought brought to passe all these thinges makyng them beleue that all they sayde was true all that they dyd was good and godlye and that to holde with them in all thinges agaynst father mother prince countrey and all men was most meritorious And in deede what mischeefe wyll not blinde ignoraunce leade simple men vnto By ignoraunce the Juishe Cleargie induced the common people to aske the deliuerie of Barabbas the seditious murtherer to sue for the cruell crucifiyng of our sauiour Christe for that he rebuked the ambition suberstion and other vices of the hie priestes and cleargie For as our sauiour Christe testifieth that those who crucified hym wyst not what they dyd so doth the holy apostle saint Paul say If they had knowen yf they had not ben ignoraunt they woulde neuer haue crucified the Lorde of glory but they knew not what they dyd Our sauiour Christ him selfe also foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe by ignoraunce that those who should persecute and murther his true apostles and disciples shoulde thinke they dyd God acceptable sacrifice good seruice as it also is verified euen at this day And in this ignoraunce haue the Byshoppes of Rome kept the people of God specially the common sorte by no meanes so muche as by withdrawyng of the word of God from them and by keping it vnder the vale of an vnknowen straunge tongue For as it serued the ambitious humour of the Byshops of Rome to compell all nations to vse the natural language of the citie of Rome where they were Byshops whiche shewed a certayne acknowledging of subiection vnto them so yet serued it muche more their craftie purpose thereby to keepe all people so blinde that they not knowyng what they prayed what they beleued what they were commaunded by God myght take all their commaundementes for Gods. For as they woulde not suffer the holy scriptures or Churche seruice to be vsed or had in any other language then the latine so were verye fewe euen of the moste simple people taught the Lordes prayer the articles of the fayth and the ten commaundementes otherwyse then in latine whiche they vnsterstoode not by whiche vniuersal ignorance al men were redy to beleue whatsoeuer they sayd to do whatsoeuer they commaunded For to imitate the apostles phrase If the Emperours subiectes had knowen out of Gods worde their duetie to their prince they would not haue suffered the Byshop of Rome to perswade them to forsake their Soueraigne lord the Emperour against their othe of fidelitie and to rebel against him only for that he cast images vnto the which idolatrie was committed out of the Churches which the Byshop of Rome bare them in hande to be heresie If they had knowen of Gods word but asmuch as the ten commaundementes they should haue founde that the Byshop of Rome was not onlye a traytour to the Emperour his liege Lorde but to God also and an horrible blasphemer of his maiestie in calling his holy worde and commaundement heresye and that which the Byshop of
Rome toke for a iust cause to rebell agaynst his lawfull prince they myght haue knowen to be a doubling and tripling of his most heynous wickednes heaped with horrible impietie and blasphemie But lest the poore people shoulde knowe to muche he woulde not let them haue as muche of Gods worde as the ten commaundementes wholye and perfectly withdrawyng from them the commaundement that bewrayeth his impietie by a subtill sacrilege Had the Emperours subiectes likewyse knowen and ben of anye vnderstandyng in Gods worde woulde they at other times haue rebelled agaynst their Soueraigne Lorde and by their rebellion haue holpen to depose hym onlye for that the byshop of Rome dyd beare them in hande that it was symonie and heresye to for the Emperour to geue any ecclesiasticall dignities or promotions to his learned Chaplaines or other of his learned cleargie which all Christian Emperours before hym had done without controulement woulde they I say for that the Byshop of Rome bare them so in hande haue rebelled by the space of more then fourtie yeres together agaynst hym with so much shedding of Christian blood and murther of so many thousandes of Christians and finallie haue deposed their Soueraigne Lorde had they knowen and had in Gods worde anye vnderstandyng at all Specially had they knowen that they dyd al this to plucke from their Soueraigne Lorde and his successours for euer theyr auncient right of the Empyre to geue it vnto the Romishe Cleargie and to the Byshop of Rome that he myght for the confirmation of one Archbyshop and for a Romishe ragge whiche he calleth a Paul scarse worth twelue pence receaue many thousande crownes of golde and of other Byshoppes likewyse great summes of money for their bulles whiche is symonie in deede would I say Christian men and subiectes by rebellion haue spent so muche Christian blood and haue deposed their natural most noble and most valiaunt prince to bring the matter finally to this passe had they knowen what they dyd or had any vnderstandyng in Gods word at all And as these ambitious vsurpers the byshops of Rome haue ouerflowed all Italie and Germanie with streames of Christian blood shed by the rebellions of ignoraunt subiectes agayng their naturall lordes the Emperous whom they haue stirred there vnto by such false pretences so is there no countrey in Christendome whiche by theyr lyke meanes and false pretences hath not ben oursprinkled with the blood of subiectes by rebellion agaynst their naturall Soueraignes styrred vp by the same Byshops of Rome And to vse one example of our owne countrey The Byshop of Rome dyd pike a quarell to kyng John of Englande about the election of Steuen Langton to the Byshoprike of Canterburie wherein the kyng had auncient ryght being vsed by his progenitours all Christian Kynges of Englande before hym the Byshops of Rome hauing no ryght but had begun then to vsurpe vpon the kinges of Englande and al other Christian kynges as they had before done agaynst theyr Soueraigne Lordes the Emperours proceeding euen by the same wayes meanes and lyke wyse cursing kyng John discharging his subiectes of their oth of fidelitie vnto theyr soueraigne lord Now had Englishmen at that time knowen their duetie to their prince set foorth in gods word woulde a great many of the nobles other Englishmen naturall subiectes for this forraigne vnnaturall vsurper his vaine curse of the kyng for his fained discharging of them of their othe of fidelitie to their naturall Lorde vpon so sclender or no grounde at all haue rebelled agaynst their soueraigne lord the king Woulde Englishe subiectes haue taken part agaynst the king of Englande against Englishmen with the Frenche king and Frenchmen beyng incensed against this Realme by the Bishop of Rome Would they haue sent for and receaued the Dolphin of Fraunce with a great armie of Frenchmen into the Realme of Englande Would they haue sworne fidelitie to the Dolphin of Fraunce breaking their othe of fidelitie to their naturall Lord the king of Englande and haue stande vnder the Dolphins banner displaied agaynst the kyng of Englande woulde they haue expelled their soueraigne lord the king of England out of London the cheefe citie of Englande and out of the greatest part of England vppon the South-side of Trent euen vnto Lincolne and out of Lincolne it selfe also and haue deliuered the possession thereof vnto the Dolphin of Fraunce whereof he kept the possession a great whyle Would they being Englishmen haue procured so great shedding of English blood other infinite mischeefes miseries vnto England their naturall countrey as dyd folow those cruell warres trayterous rebellion the fruites of the Byshop of Romes blessings would they haue driuen their natural soueraigne lorde the kyng of Englande to suche extremitie that he was inforced to submit hym selfe vnto that forraigne false vsurper the Byshoppe of Rome who compelled hym to surrender vp the crowne of Englande into the handes of his Legate who in token of possession kept it in his handes diuers dayes and then deliuered it agayne to king John vpon that condition that the kyng and his successours kinges of Englande shoulde holde the crowne and kyngdome of Englande of the Byshop of Rome and his successours as the vassalles of the sayde Byshops of Rome for euer in token whereof the kynges of Englande shoulde also paye an yerely tribute to the sayde Byshop of Rome as his vassals and liege men woulde Englishemen haue brought their Soueraigne lorde and naturall countrey into this thraldome and subiection to a false forraigne vsurper had they knowen and had any vnderstandyng in Gods worde at all Out of the which most lamentable case moste miserable tyrannye rauenye and spoyle of the most greedy Romishe wolues ensuing here vppon the kinges and realme of Englande coulde not rid them selues by the space of many yeares after the Bishop of Rome by his ministers continually not only spoling the realme and kyngs of England of infinite treasure but also with the same monye hyring and maynteyning forraigne enemies agaynst the realme and kinges of England to kepe them in such his subiection that they should not refuse to paye whatsoeuer those vnsaciable wolues did greedely gape for and suffer whatsoeuer those moste cruell tyrants would lay vpon them Would Englishmen haue suffered this would they by rebellion haue caused this trowe you and all for the Byshop of Romes causelesse curse had they in those dayes knowen and vnderstanded that God doth curse the blessings and blesse the cursinges of suche wicked vsurping bishops and tyrantes as it appeared afterward in kyng Henrye the eyght his dayes and kyng Edwarde the sixt in our gratious Soueraignes dayes that nowe is where neyther the Popes curses nor Gods manifolde blessinges are wanting But in kyng Johns tyme the Byshop of Rome vnderstandyng the brute blyndnes ignorance of Gods worde and superstition of Englishmen how much they were enclined to worship the
not also heare sinners yf with a true penitent heart and a stedfast faith they pray vnto him Yes yf we acknowledge our sinnes God is faythfull iust to forgeue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse as we are plainely taught by the examples of Dauid Peter Marie Magdalene the Publicane and diuers other And where as we must nedes vse the helpe of some mediatour intercessour let vs content our selues with him that is the true and only mediatour of the new Testament namely the Lorde and Sauiour Jesus Christe For as saint John sayth If anye man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes And saint Paul in his first Epistle to Timothie sayth There is one God and one mediatour betweene God and man euen the man Jesus Christe who gaue him selfe a raunsome for all men to be a testimonie in due time Nowe after this doctrine established you shal be instructed for what kinde of thinges and what kinde of persons ye ought to make your prayers vnto god It greatly behoueth all men when they pray to consyder well and diligently with them selues what they aske and require at Gods handes lest if they desyre the thing which they ought not their petitions be made voyde and of none effect There came on a time vnto Agesilaus the king a certaine importunatesuter who requested him in a matter earnestly saying Sir and it please your grace you dyd once promise me Trueth quoth the king if it be iust that thou requirest then I promised thee otherwyse I did onlye speake it and not promise it The man woulde not so be aunswered at the kynges hande but still vrging him more and more said It becommeth a kyng to perfourme the leaste word he hath spoken yea yf he should only becke with his head No more sayth the kyng then it behoueth one that commeth to a king to speake and aske those thinges whiche are rightfull and honest Thus the kyng cast of this vnreasonable and importunate suter Nowe if so great consyderation be to be had when we kneele before an earthly kyng howe much more ought to be had when we kneele before the heauenly kyng who is onlye delighted with iustice and equitie neyther wyll admit any vayne foolishe or vniust petition Therefore it shal be good and profitable throughly to consyder and determine with our selues what thinges we may lawfully aske of God without feare of repulse and also what kinde of persons we are bound to cōmend vnto god in our dayly prayers Two thinges are chiesely to be respected in euerye good and godly mans prayer His owne necessitie the glory of almightie god Necessitie belongeth eyther outwardly to the body or els inwardly to the soule Whiche part of man because it is muche more pretious excellent then the other therefore we ought first of all to craue such thinges as properly belong to the saluation thereof as the gift of repentaunce the gyfte of fayth the gifte of charitie and good workes remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes patience in aduersitie lowlinesse in prosperitie and suche other like fruites of the spirite as hope loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes meekenesse and temperauncie which thinges God requireth of all them that professe them selues to be his children saying vnto them in this wyse Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father whiche is in heauen And in another place he also sayth Seeke first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then al other things shal be geuen vnto you Wherin he putteth vs in mind that our cheefe and greatest care ought to be for those things which parteine to the health and safegarde of the soule because we haue here as the apostle sayth no continuing citie but do seeke after another in the worlde to come Nowe when we haue sufficiently prayed for thinges belonging to the soule then may we lawfully and with safe conscience pray also for our bodily necessities as meate drinke clothing health of body deliueraunce out of prison good lucke in our dayly affayres and so foorth accordyng as we shall haue neede Wherof what better example can we desire to haue then of Christ him selfe who taught his disciples and all other Christian men first to pray for heauenly things and afterwarde for earthly thinges as is to be seene in that prayer whiche he lefte vnto his Churche commonly called the Lordes prayer In the thirde booke of kinges and thirde Chapter it is written that God appeared by night in a dreame vnto Salomon the king saying Aske of me whatsoeuer thou wylt and I wyll geue thee Salomon made his humble prayer and asked a wise prudent hearte that might iudge and vnderstande what were good what were ill what were godlye and what were vngodly what were righteous and what were vnrighteous in the sight of the Lorde It pleased God wonderously that he had asked this thing And God sayd vnto him Because thou hast requested this worde and hast not desyred manye dayes and long yeres vpon the earth neither aboundaunce of ryches and goodes nor yet the lyfe of thyne enemies which hate thee but hast desyred wisdome to sit in iudgement Beholde I haue done vnto thee accordyng to thy wordes I haue geuen thee a wyse heart full of knowledge and vnderstāding so that there was neuer none like thee before time neither shal be in time to come Moreouer I haue besides this geuen thee that whiche thou hast not required namelye worldlye wealth and richesse princely honour and glorie so that thou shalt therein also passe all kynges that euer were Note this example howe Salomon beyng put to his choyse to aske of God whatsoeuer he woulde requested not vaine and transitorie thinges but the high and heauenly treasures of wysdome and that in so doyng he obtayneth as it were in recompence both riches and honour Wherein is geuen vs to vnderstande that in our dayly prayers we should chiefely and principally aske those things which concerne the kingdome of God and the saluation of our owne soules nothyng doubting but all other thinges shall accordyng to the promise of Christe be geuen vnto vs But here we must take heede that we forget not that other ende whereof mention was made before namely the glorye of god Whiche vnlesse we minde and set before our eyes in makyng our prayers we may not looke to be harde or to receaue any thing of the Lorde In the. xx Chapter of Matthewe the mother of the two sonnes of Zebedee came vnto Jesus worshipping him and saying Graunt that my two sonnes may sit in thy kingdome the one at thy ryght hand and the other at thy left hande In this petition she dyd not respect the glory of GOD but plainely declared the ambition and vaine glory of her owne minde for which cause she was also
moste worthyly repelled and rebuked at the Lordes hande In lyke maner we reade in the Actes of one Simon Magus a Sorcerer howe that he perceauyng that through laying on of the Apostles handes the holy ghost was geuen offered them money saying Geue me also this power that on whom soeuer I lay my handes he may receaue the holy ghost In makyng this request he sought not the honour and glorye of GOD but his owne priuate gayne and lucre thinking to get great store of money by this feate and therefore it was iustly sayde vnto him Thy money perishe with thee because thou thinkest that the gifte of God maye be obtayned with money By these and suche other examples we are taught whensoeuer we make our prayers vnto God chiefely to respect the honour and glorye of his name Whereof we haue this generall precept in the Apostle Paul Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer you do looke that you do it to the glory of god Which thing we shal best of all do if we folowe the example of our sauiour Christe who praying that the bitter cuppe of death myght passe from him woulde not therein haue his owne wyll fulfilled but referred the whole matter to the good wyll and pleasure of his father And hytherto concernyng those thinges that we may lawfully and boldly aske of God. Nowe it foloweth that we declare what kinde of persons we are bounde in conscience to praye for Saint Paul wryting to Timothie exhorteth him to make prayers and supplications for all men exempting none of what degree or state soeuer they be In which place he maketh mention by name of Kynges and Rulers whiche are in aucthoritie putting vs thereby to knowledge howe greatlye it concerneth the profite of the common wealth to praye diligentlye for the higher powers Neyther is it without good cause that he doth so often in all his Epistles craue the prayers of Gods people for hym selfe For in so doyng he declareth to the worlde howe expedient and needefull it is dayly to call vppon GOD for the ministers of his holy worde and sacramentes that they may haue the doore of vtteraunce opened vnto them that they may truely vnderstand the scriptures that they may effectually preache the same vnto the people and bring foorth the true fruites thereof to the example of all other After this sorte dyd the congregation continually pray for Peter at Hierusalem and for Paul among the Gentiles to the great encrease and furtherance of Christes Gospell And if we folowyng theyr good example herein wyll studie to do the lyke doubtlesse it can not be expressed howe greatly we shall both helpe our selues and also please God. To discourse and runne through all degrees of persons it were to long Therefore ye shall briefely take this one conclusion for all Whomsoeuer we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue for those also are we bound in conscience to pray But we are bounde by expresse commaundement to loue all men as our selues therefore we are also bound to pray for all men euen as well as if it were for our selues notwithstandyng we knowe them to be our extreme and deadly enemies For so doth our sauiour Christe plainely teache vs in his Gospell saying Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you praye for them that persecute you that ye may be the children of your father whiche is in heauen And as he taught his disciples so dyd he practise him selfe in his life time praying for his enemies vpon the crosse and desyring his father to forgeue them because they knewe not what they dyd As did also that holy and blessed martyr Stephen when he was cruelly stoned to death of the stubberne and stifnecked Jewes to the example of all them that wyll truely and vnfaignedly folowe their Lorde maister Christe in this miserable mortal life Nowe to entreate of that question whether we ought to pray for them that are departed out of this world or no. Wherein yf we wyll cleaue only vnto the word of God then must we nedes graunt that we haue no commaundement so to do For the scripture doth acknowledge but two places after this life The one proper to the elect and blessed of god the other to the reprobate and dampned soules as may be well gathered by the parable of Lazarus and the riche man whiche place saint Augustine expoundyng sayth in this wyse That which Abraham speaketh vnto the riche man in Lukes Gospel namely that the iust can not go into those places where the wicked are tormented What other thinges doth it signifie but only this that the iust by reason of gods iudgement which may not be reuoked can shewe no deede of mercie in helping them which after this lyfe are cast into prison vntill they pay the vttermost farthyng These wordes as they confounde the opinion of helping the dead by prayer so they do cleane confute and take away the vaine errour of purgatorie which is grounded vpon this saying of the gospell Thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payde the vttermoste farthing Nowe doth saint Augustine say that those men which are cast into prison after this life on that condition may in no wyse be holpen though we woulde helpe them neuer so much And why Because the sentence of God is vnchaungeable can not be reuoked agayne Therfore let vs not deceaue our selues thinking that eyther we maye helpe other or other maye helpe vs by their good and charitable prayers in time to come For as the preacher saith When the tree falleth whether it be toward the South or towarde the North in what place soeuer the tree falleth there it lyeth meanyng thereby that euery mortall man dyeth eyther in the state of saluation or dampnation accordyng as the words of the Euangelist John do also plainely impart saying He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath eternall lyfe But he that beleueth not on the sonne shall neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abideth vpon him Where is then the thirde place whiche they call purgatorie or where shall our prayers helpe and profite the dead Saint Augustine doth onlye acknowledge two places after this life heauen and hell As for the thirde place he doth plainely denie that there is anye suche to be founde in all scripture Chrisostome likewyse is of this minde that vnlesse we washe away our sinnes in this present worlde we shall finde no comfort afterwarde And saint Ciprian sayth that after death repentaunce and sorowe of paine shal be without fruite weping also shal be in vayne and prayer shal be to no purpose Therefore he counselleth all men to make prouision for them selues whyle they maye because when they are once departed out of this lyfe there is no place for repentaunce nor yet for satisfaction Let these and such other places be sufficient to take away the grosse