of Malachie other some say y u art Hierimie bycause he bare the figure of Christ and bycause vpon him it was said Lo I haue coÌ„stituted the this day ouer peoples kynges that thou shuldest plucke vp disseuer build and plante which thingê in very dede were to be accoÌ„plished in Christ. Iesus hearing this to thintent he wold wrynge out yet a more certaine and hygher coÌ„fession of his disci ples who ought best to haue knowne him asked theÌ„ saynge But who saye you that I am Then saynte Peter made answere for him his felowes for of al them was the question asked and sayd Thou arte Christ the son of the lyuinge god Iesus answered Blessed art thou Simon the son of Iona for flesh bloud hath not opened this vnto the but my heueÌ„ly father And I saye agayne to the thou art Peter or Cephas in the Hebrue that is to say a rocke vpon this rocke shall I buyld my churche that is to saye vpon this rocke of thy confession I shall buylde my church For this coÌ„fession conteineth the suÌ„me of the christeÌ„ feith accordyng to the Apostle Paule sayng If thou confesse wyth thy mouth our lorde Iesus with thy hart beleue that god raysed hâ—â— froÌ„ death to life thou shalt be saued So the christeÌ„ church is buylt not vpoÌ„ the person of Peter but vpoÌ„ the feith as Chrysostome sayth And this is the confession of feith Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuyng god Wherfore Peter as saint Augustine affirmeth doth here represeÌ„t the hole church to whoÌ„ the keyes were deliuered For yf we wold say the church were buylt vpoÌ„ the person of Peter we shuld put an other fouÌ„dation of the church then Christ whiche is agaynst Paul For he sayth none may put any other fundation but that which is put alredy Christe Iesu. For men wylling to be buylt vpon men sayde I hold of Paule I holde of Apollo another sayde I holde of Cephas which is Peter But other which wold not be built vpoÌ„ Peter but vpoÌ„ the rocke said I hold of Christ. Wherfore sayth Erasmus I do muche meruaile of some which do wrest this text to the byshop of Rome sith it is ment not vpon hym but vpon all Christen persons which thynge Origen the auncient Doctour doth excellently declare saing If therfore we in lyke wyse by the reuelynge of the father which is in heuen for in heuen is our conuersation woll coÌ„fesse that Iesus Christ is the sonne of the lyuyng god it shal be also said vnto vs. Thou art Pe ter c. For euery one that is a folower of Christ is a Peter that is to say a rocke But there be some men which can be contented with nothing onles it be vn measurable Christe therfore did cal him Peter that is to saye a sure stone or rocke whiche wauereth not hither thither wyth â—ondry opinions vpon thys rock of thy coÌ„fession saith Christ woll I buylde my church y t is to wit my house palace whiche I wyl so establishe vpoÌ„ a sure immouable fundatioÌ„ y e no force nor power of the Helly kingdoÌ„ shal be hable to coÌ„quere it The deuyl layth sege to vs w t many engyns he laboureth to brynge agaynste vs the hole rowte of wycked spirites but by Christes helpe his church shall stand let vs only take hede this coÌ„fession remayne wyth vs. The heuenly kingdom is the church the kingdom of the deuil is the world which noman nedeth to be aferde of so he be a Peter And for this thy confession saith Christ I wyl giue the the keyes of the kingdom of heueÌ„ Behold saith Origen how great power the rocke hath vpoÌ„ which Christes churche is buylt that also her iugementes shall remayne sure euen as God him selfe iugynge by the same Let him therfore be faultles which shal bynde or lose an other that he maye be founde worthy to bynde and to louse in heuen And that Christ gaue this authoritie aswel to other as to the person of Peter it is very playne by other places of scripture and namely in the. xx chapter of Ihon where the euening after his resurrection he sayd to all his disciples As my father hath sent me so I send you And after he had so said he breathed vpoÌ„ theÌ„ sayng Whose synnes so euer ye shall forgiue be forgiuen and whose synnes ye shal retayne be reteyned And in like maner before his death he sayde to them all What so euer ye shal bynd vpon erth shal be bound in heauen and what so euer ye shal louse vpon erth shal be loosed in heueÌ„ Let vs not thaÌ„ attribute that to one which was spokeÌ„ to many Let vs not buyld Christes church vpon the person of any mortall maÌ„ which is to buyld it vpoÌ„ the sande but let vs build it vpon the sure rocke that is to witte vpon the coÌ„fession of feith that these holy Apostles saynt Peter and Paule made preached whose memorie we solemnize this day Let vs confesse with our mouth beleue with our harte that God raised Christe from death to life y â— he is the true Messias Sauiour And no doubt we shall enioy the heueÌ„ly enheritauÌ„ce prepared for vs before the making of the worlde by Christ our lord to whoÌ„ be praise euerlastingly AmeÌ„ ¶ On Mary Magdalens day The Gospell Luc. vij ONe of the pharisees desired Iesus that he wold eate w t hym And being entred into y e pharisees house he sate downe And beholde a womaÌ„ in the citie which was a synner knowing that Iesus sate in y â— pharisees house brought an Alabaster box of ointment standing at his feete behinde weping began to water hys feete w t the teares wyth the heare of her hed she wiped kyssed his feete with the oyntmeÌ„t anoynted them The pharisee seyng this which had called him spake w tin himselfe saynge If thys were a prophete he shulde haue known who what maner person is thys woman which towcheth him for she is a synner Iesus answered said vnto him Simon I haue sumwhat to tel the. He said maister say on A certayne lender had two dettours the one ought fyue huÌ„dreth pens the other fyfty They not hauyng wherw t to make payment he forgaue them both Which of them now tel me wil loue him more Simon answered said I suppose y t he whoÌ„ he forgaue the more suÌ„me He sayd vnto hym Thou haste rightly iuged and turning himself to the womaÌ„ he said to Simon Seest y u thys womaÌ„ I entred into thy house water to my feete y u gaueste me none but this womaÌ„ hath watered my feete w t teares wyth the heares of her hed she hath wiped theÌ„ Kysse y u gauest me none but this womaÌ„ froÌ„ the tyme I entred hath not lefte kyssing of my feete Thou anoyntedst not my hed
made ready seing her suster vnoccupied sitting at Iesus fete she thought it lost labour to chide her suster whoÌ„ she knew could not be plucked awey but she suÌ„what blamed our sauiour whych held her wyth hys wordê from the necessarie busynes as she thought Lord sayth she hast no regard y e my sustre suffreth me to do al alone CoÌ„maund her therfore y e she rise help me Our lorde being moch delyted in the zeale affection of either of these women discoÌ„mendeth not the diligent sturring about the house of Martha neyther doth he chyde her for murmuring at her suster but he gently excuseth Mary saieng Martha Martha veryly thou arte troubled vexed about many thinges But there is one thyng most nedeful which is alweys to be done if it may be as who shuld say Do thou thy fuÌ„ction office what soeuer the purueiance be But Mary hath chosen a farre bettre parte whych forgettinge the thinges of the body is holly vusied in the thinges of the mind It is not mete that she shuld be called awey froÌ„ the bettre thinges whiche she hath chosen be thurst to lower vyler seruices Thy loue zeale is thaÌ„kfull vnto me in that thou preparest a repast for the time for me mine but I am more swetely repasted of theÌ„ whyche conuey my wordes into the bowels of theyr sowles that they may be saued For this is y â— meate whyche doth singularly fede me thys is the drynke which doth singularly refresh me He that regardeth the thinges of y e body is distracted into suÌ„dry cares and of these officies there shal be then an ende when immortalitie appearing y â— necessities of mortal persons shal cease wher w t the weaknes of humane nature is now accombred But he goeth the nerest wey to worke which casting awey al such cares is altogither rauished vnto heuenly thinges setling himself to one only thing but which one is bettre thaÌ„ al the other thinges the felicitie wherof shal not be taken awey but augmented when that thing shal be abolished which is imperfect that opened which is perfecte Neither ought we to murmure againste them as though they were ydle personnes which haue sequestred themselfes from corporal ministeries do for the same purpose attend and giue themselues to heuenly doctrine folowing and ensuing the steppes of Christ lerning the thing that they may teache others throughly transposing into the intrailes of the mynde the thinges that they may instructe their euen christen to thintent they may profette the moo to the winning of euerlasting saluation And yet in the meane season they shall not lacke their rewarde which with a godly zeale do releue according to the exemple of this Martha the bodily necessities of the preachers of gods word whyche feade the hungry clooth the naked viset the sicke and prisoners harbrough receiue the nedy for in that they do this to their euenchristâ— they do it to Christ himself And he that geueth but a drawght of colde water to a prophet y â— is to say to a precher in y â— name of a prophet shal haue the same reward that the prophete hath Wherfor as â—aint Austine saith our lord rebuketh not the worke corporal seruice of Martha but â—e distinctâ—th y â— office sayng Mary hath choseÌ„ the best ê‘te which shal not be taken from her as if he shuld say Thou Martha hast not chosen an euil ê‘te but she hath choseÌ„ a better why a bettre bicause it shal not be taken from her but from the shal be ones taken the burthen of necessitie For when thou coÌ„mest to the heueÌ„ly countrey thou shalt fynd there no gest ne straunger to receyue by hospitalitie but for thy â—pfette it shal be taken from the to thintent the thing that is better might be giuen vnto the labour shal be taken from the that rest might be giuen vnto the in the stede Thou sailest in y â— midde sees she resteth in the hauen or port For the swetnes of y â— trouth is euerlastig yet in this life it is augmeÌ„ted but in that life to com it shal be accoÌ„plished shal neuer be takeÌ„ awey Now surely there was neuerwomaÌ„ no noryet man that euer atteined here in this world to y â— high perfection heuenly kind of liuing as did the most blessed virgine Mary y â— mother of Christ who was replenished with al graces most plentuously as also testified Gabriel gods angel Mary which was this Marthas suster in dede was moch to be coÌ„mended but nothing to be coÌ„pared w t the perpetual virgine Mary Christes mother Wherfore as she was here in erth replenished with al vertues so is she now in heuen replenished with al ioyes Let vs then folow the diuine contemplatioÌ„ godly meditatioÌ„ of these Maries that we maye also enioye that blesse that shall neuer be taken from vs through Christe oure lord To whom be al praise and honoure Amen ¶ On saynt Bartilmews day The Gospel Luc. xxij THere was a contention amonges the disciples of Iesus whiche of them was thoughte to be greater But Iesus said vnto them The kynges of the Gentilles do reigne ouer them they that haue power vpon them be called graciouse Be not ye so but let the greater amoÌ„gê you be made as the yonger the chief as the seruitour For whiche is greater he that sytteth down at the bourd or he that serueth Is not he that sytteth downe Uerily I am in middes of you as he that serueth ye are they which haue abode with me in my temptations And I dispose vnto you as my father hathe disposed vnto me a kyngdome that ye may eate and drinke at my bourde in my kyngdon and sitte on seates iudging the. xij tribes of Israell The sermon vpon this Gospel FOrasmuch as our Sauiour Christ at his mauÌ„dy or supper before his passion had made mention of the kingdom of God his disciples which were at that tyme sumwhat weake not throughly spiritual but smellyng yet a lytle of the fleshe fel at contention and variaunce amonges themselfes which of them shuld after his departure haue the primacie or hed rule in the kyngdoÌ„ of god For in the hole busynes of the blessed sacrameÌ„t mystery of hys mauÌ„dy he semed to take them al as egal not preferryng one aboue an other sayng vnto theÌ„ Take deuide amonges you But Iesus albeit at diuerse other tymes he had chalenged them for thys affection yet at hys departure vpon thys occasion he specially reth to plucke it cleane from them coÌ„mauÌ„ding them that they shulde not ymagen any such thinge in the kyngdom of heauen as they sawe in worldly kyngdoms For this is a farre other maner thing it standeth in benefites and not in force it is obteyned and also mainteyned w e ghostly garrisons and not with violence and is enlarged by persuasion and not by compulsion
entre into the kingdom of heauen Wherfore my frendes by Christes owne wordes here we may be right wel assured that onles we cease froÌ„ all malice and rancour towardes our ChristeÌ„ brothern and susters and become Christen meÌ„ not in name only but also in dede worke beyng made as it were new men and newly regenerate not fleshly but spiritually vtterly casting awey as muche as maye be al carnal and worldly affections and be traÌ„sformed into the hauour and simplicitie of yong chyldern we shall neuer be receyued in to the kyngdom of heauen Let vs huÌ„ble and abase our selues make vs like to these litle babes whom we se cleane voide of malice and of ambitioÌ„ For he that thus woll humble and lowly hym selfe shal be doubtles auauÌ„ced shal be called great in the kingdome of heauen Who so euer verily is by modestie and buksomnes the lest the same person is through vertue the greatest Trouth it is that worldly Emperours kyngê and princes do for most partes loue such as be lyke to theÌ„selfes and amoÌ„ges them such be in most price and reputation which can shyft out other and set forth themselfes Christe in semblable wyse delyteth in such persons as resemble him who what tyme he was here conuersant amonges vs in earth humbled hymselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Whan he was reuiled he reuiled not agayn he suffred to be bouÌ„de to be bobbed to be spitted at to be strikeÌ„ to be scourged finally to be crucâ—fied being himselfe without spotte of sinne to thinteÌ„t to purge vs of our synnes Wherfore for his humilitie he hath receiued auaunment and most high exaltation for his obedience he hath receiued most highe honour to haue a name aboue al names for his pacience sufferinge he hath receyued power ouer all for hys infinite charitie he hath receiued praise glorie and thaÌ„kes of al. Let vs lerne therfore of Christ to be meke humble in hart Let vs remeÌ„bre what y â— prophete Dauid sayth The lorde is nere to theÌ„ y â— be of coÌ„trite hart he wol saue such as be huÌ„ble in spirite which fear his wordes Truly good people those that be lowly meke in spirite be most highly auauÌ„ced protected tendred of almighty god He throweth down the mighty froÌ„ their prowd seates exalteth the huÌ„ble he filleth the hungry w t good thinges letteth the rych departe emptye He resisteth the prowd giueth his graces to the lowly persons Let vs then be huÌ„bled vnder the mighty hand of the lord For as saynte Iames sayth hath not god chosen the pore Certaynly the pore in spirite lowly persons be they whom God hath in his special fauour grace For like as in the great mens courtes of this worlde y â— prince or great man taketh the vyllanye or displeasure as done to himselfe when one doth a displeasure to one of hys great lordes or special seruauÌ„tes againe taketh a good turne benefite as done to himself when it is bestowed vpon them euen so the great king of kinges lord of lordes god almyghty doth so tendre loue his huÌ„ble and meke seruauntes though in the face of the world they seme as persons despised and not regarded that who so euer receyueth one of theÌ„ in Christes name he couÌ„teth the thing done to himself as though the partie had receiued Christ himself And on the other side he that offendeth any one of these simple and base persons which truste vpon the lord which depend hole vpon him shal be more greuously punished then if a mylstone were hanged about his necke he cast into the depe see For what a more shameful wicked parte can be shewed than to greue and hurt them which wil noman no hurte which enuye noman which preferre themselfes before noman whiche loue al persones indifferently Wo be to the worlde therfore for greuynge of suche ones Howbeit the malice of men is so greate that these greues must nedes be Wherfore who soeuer coueteth to come to heauen let him beware howe he hurte them yea let hym take hede he hurte not hym selfe Let no affection be so deare to vs but let it be forthwyth karued and cut awey yf it shulde hindre vs in our iourney to heauenwarde Our hande our fote our eye be necessarye membres yet rather then they shulde hindre vs Christe byddeth vs cast them awey For were it not better sayth he to go to heuen maymed or lame or wyth one eye thaÌ„ with hole meÌ„bres to be cast into hel fyer But sayng this he ment not that any membre of the body shuld be cut awey but he wolde haue the affections cut of whiche calle vs awey from the studie of eternal saluation For a frende which a maÌ„ can skant want is as it were hys one hande Thy father whom thou dost truste on is thy fote Thy wyfe or sonne whom thou tenderly louest is thyne eye And as there is nothynge so preciouse that ought to plucke vs from heauen so nomaÌ„ be he neuer so lowe pore ought to be despised but rather holpen Let vs then offend none of those litle ones namely sith there angelles which haue charge ouer theÌ„ do coÌ„tinually beholde the face of almighty god in heuen so y t by this we may know in what reputatioÌ„ they be w t god seing he hath giuen theÌ„ such kepers coÌ„ductours Let vs thaÌ„ endeuour our selfâ— to be suche lowly huÌ„ble persons as our Sauiour Christ here speaketh of y t we may haue such auÌ„gels to coÌ„ducte leade defend kepe vs in al our weyes by Christ our lord who be praised glorified AmeÌ„ â–ª ¶ On saint Lukes day the Euangeliste The Gospell Luke .x. THe Lord appoynted also other seueÌ„tye and he sent them two two before hys face in to euerie citie and place whether he hymself wolde come and he sayd vnto them Uerely the haruest is moch but the laborers are fewe Pray therfor the lorde of the haruest that he wol thurst out laborers into his haruest Go your weyes Lo I send you as lambes amonges wolues Beare ye no wallet nor scrippe nor shoes and salute noman by the wey In what house ye enter fyrst say peace be to this house And verely if the son of peace be there youre peace shall reste vppon hym â–ª if not it shall returne to you But se ye abyde in the same house eating and drinkinge suche as they haue For worthy is the laborer of his rewarde The sermon vpon this Gospell SAint Luke god people whose memory y â— church doth this day solemnize though he was none of the .xii. Aposteles of Christ nor of the couÌ„trey of the Iues but a Grecian borne at Antioche and at the beginninge of Christes preaching in Iurye not beinge with Christ as he himself witnesseth in the preface of hys Gospell yet
Babylon Ieconias begat Salathiel Salathiel begat Zorobabel Zorobabel begat Abiud Abiud begat Eliachun Eliachim begat Azor. Azor begatte Sadoc Sadoc begat Achin Achin begatte Eliud Eliud begatte Eleazar Eleazar begatte Matthan Matthan begat Iacob Iacob begatte Ioseph the husbande of Mary of whoÌ„ was borne Iesus which is called Christe The sermon vpon this Gospel IN this gospel good people many thinges are to be considered First how that our sauiour Christ the sonne of god wold for the greate loue he bare to mankinde be borne the soÌ„ne of Dauid that is wold take maÌ„s nature vpon hym to succour and help vs which were in flesh condeÌ„ned to pourge our spotted and synful byrth And verily this is the final intent of Christê incarnatioÌ„ as it is wel declared in the epistle to the Hebrues where it is writen that forasmoch as the sonne of god vouchsaued to call godly persones his brethren sayng by the prophet Dauid I will declare thy name to my brethren and otherwhiles also he calleth them the children as in Esay Lo here am I the children whom god hath giuen me and bicause these children and these his brethreÌ„ be men made of fleshe and bloude it pleased hym to be parttaker of the same wyth theÌ„ that by his death he might wipe out him whiche had lordshippe ouer death that is to say the deuyl and deliuer theÌ„ which through feare of death were al their life time subdued vnto bondage For he toke not vpon him angels but the sede of Abraham Wherfore in al thinges it becam hym to be made like to hys brethren that he might be merciful a feithful high prest in thinges towchinge God to thintent to pourge the synnes of the people Now wheras Christ is called here the soÌ„ne of Dauid ye must vnderstand it that he desceÌ„deth lineally from Dauid according to the flesh as saint Paul declareth in the beginning of his epistle to the Romaines lest we ruÌ„ne into y â— errours of certaine heretikê which say that Christe was nothynge elles but a maÌ„ not the son of God but merely the soÌ„ne of Dauid Which errour Christ himself discussed where he propowned this question to the pharisees What thynke ye of Christe whose sonne is he â–ª And when they answered the soÌ„ne of Dauid he asked them why thaÌ„ did Dauid in spirite cal him lord sayng the lord said to my lord syt on my right haÌ„de Meaning hereby that Christe was aboue Dauid not only a man but also god So that ye muste vnderstand him to be the soÌ„ne or issue of Dauid according to the flesh and not accordinge to his godhed And ye shal also marke that he is called the soÌ„ne of Dauid after the maner of speaking of the Hebrues bycause he cam of the ryght line of Dauyd For the Hebrues do calle al lineal nephues nieces be they neuer so long of sonnes and daughters Uerely the hole petigrue of Christe is here so drawen and conueyed from his auncestours that they only be put which were ê‘ttakers of y â— promise which was made of Christ. Ye must therfore marke two maner lines of men whiche beinge well marked doth discerne of whom Christ wold be borne and was borne For albeit the promise of Chryste was made to Adam yet from Cain his soÌ„ne the petigrue of Christ is not coÌ„ueyed So that one line there is whyche deriueth Christê petigree from the meÌ„bres of the true church that is to wite froÌ„ the holy fathers which were parttakers of y e ê“mise And an other line there is which coÌ„teyneth the childreÌ„ that grew out of kinde not folowing their fathers steppes therfor no ê‘ttakers of the ê“mise which two lines if ye diligently marke through out the old testament ye shal se that Christ proceded of the feithful stocke not of that whiche grew out of kinde as Cain Esau and their ofspring were And verily it becam Christ the hed of y e church to come of the membres of the true churche Seconde ye shall vnderstande that oure Sauiour Christ wolde be borne accordinge to the fleshe of the royal bloude of kinges to declare that he shuld be a kynge no worldly kynge but a spirituall kynge for the rulyng and guyding of mens consciencies And forasmuch as kinges were also annointed after the maner of prestes therfore Christ also wold be borne of kinges to shew himselfe an annoynted king that is to say both a king and a prest a king to rule and defende a prest to make intercession and prayer for vs accordyng as saynt Paule sayth of him Which also maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs. And the prophet â—ieremie sayth He shall do the office of a kinge and capitayne But for the eschuing of errours ye muste know that Dauid whose sonne Christ is according to the fleshe administred here hys kyngdome in the erth and therfore it is not to be thought that after that Christ is nowe ascended vp to heuen he exerciseth nomore hys kyngly officies but that he sytteth ydelly in heuen leauyng behind him hys deputie or vicare in erth the bishop of Rome Uerily Christes kingdom is perpetuall and so is his presthode according to the sayng of the prophet Tu es sacerdoâ— inaeternum secuÌ„dum ordinem Melchisedec Thou art an euerlastinge prest accordynge to the order of Melchisedec Thirdly ye shall vnderstande that albeit Christe and also our Ladye hys mother whose memory we solemnize this day Ioseph her husband cam of the right blessed line or stocke and not of the croked cursed lyne as I haue aforedeclared yet many of the persons aswel men as womâ— of this blessed stocke were synners and therfore here in their genealogie is mencion made also of synfull personnes For who were so wicked as kynge Manasses and his sonne Amon whiche be here rekened in Christes petigree Iudas also coÌ„mitted fornication with Thamar Salmon maryed Raab an harlot What shall I speake of Bethsabea wyth whom king Dauid coÌ„mitted greuouse aduowtrie And yet of this Bethsabea whiche was the wyfe of Urie dyd king Dauid begette SalomoÌ„ So that if a maÌ„ wol throughly consider the thinge he shall fynde almost more euell men then good amoÌ„ges the auncestours of Christ and all the women whiche be here named be none of the holy women as saynt Hierom sayth but suche as the scripture disproueth What other thinge meaneth thys but that the holy ghost wolde signifie that like as Christ cam of synners so he also cam into this world for sinners He wold be borne sayeth thys noble clerc saynt Hierom of synners y t he myght wipe awey the synnes of all Yea Christ hymselfe sayeth that he cam not to calle the rightuouse but synners to repentauÌ„ce If then he cam for synners why shuldest thou o maÌ„ despaire for cause of thy synnes Nay rather take harte vnto the and repent For then shal the grace and fauour of Christ be powred more
babes after the iugement of the worlde euen to rude vnformed and rusticall persones And here sayth Chrysostomus we be taught vtterly to pluck down our high stomakê to folow humilitie And truly sayth he these wordes whiche our Lorde spake to his disciples occasioned them to be moche more diligent and lowly in hert For bycause it was likely that they stode moch in their owne conceytes for that they did cast out deuiles therfore with these wordes he abateth their courage represseth them For the thing that was done vnto them was a reue lation that is to say a disclosing and opening from god and not their owne propre studie and laboure And therefore the scribes and pharisees estemynge themselfes to be wise prudent fell from the knowlege of godes mysteries bycause of theire pryde and swelling myndes Wherfore if the secrete mysteries of god were hyd from them bycause of thys se then that we be vnder feare and awe let vs continewe as babes for this surely made the apostles of christ to enioy this secrete knowledge For lyke as whaâ— Paule saith tradidit illos deus in reprobuÌ„ sensuÌ„ that is god gaue them vp into a disalowed mynde he speaketh not this inducing god as doyng thys but them whiche gaue the cause so we must vnderstande in like wise this text where Christ sayth that hys father hath hyd this knowlegde from the wyse scribes and pharisees And why were they hid from them Herken what Paule sayth bycause goyng about to stably she theire owne iustice they were not subiecte to the iustice of god Al be deliuered vnto me sayth Christe from my father This he spake les any thing shuld be thought to be les in hym than that whiche is in god For as saynt Austin sayth if our sauiour Iesus Christ the sonne of god hath any thing les in poure then hath god the father then surely all be not his that the father hath for by begettinge did the father gyue the power to hys sonne lyke as all that he hath in hys substance did he by begettynge â–ª gyue to him whom he begatte of his substance Furthermore in the interchaungeable or mutuall knowledge of the father and sonne it is done vs to wyte that none other thinge was in god the sonne then was in God the father For it foloweth in the text and no man knoweth the sonne but the father nor noman knoweth the father but the sonne For surely by this that he onely knoweth the father he doth vs to vnderstande that he is of the selfe same substance that the father is of As if he shulde saye vnto vs. What meruayle â–ª I praye you is it if I be very Lord of all sith there is yet a greater thing in me euen the knowlege of the father of heuen that I am of y â— same substance y â— he is of Thus by these wordê Christ our sauiour declareth himself to be not man only but also god egal in powre w t his father And where he sayeth that none knoweth the father but the son he meaneth not y â— al men be vtterly ignorant of him but this he meaneth that by that knowledge that he knoweth his heauenly father noman ells knoweth him In so moche that that knowlege that men haue either of the father or of the son they haue it by y â— sons disclosing So y e the son discloseth not only his father but also himself vnto vs. For as the holy doctour saint Austin saith The word doth not only open y â— thing that is declared by the word but also it declareth it self But how doth y â— son disclose his fathers wil pleasure vnto vs Surely by his most coÌ„fortable word which is called his gospel Come therfore sayth Christ vnto me al ye that trauayle and I shall set you at rest He sayth not come he and he but come to me all ye that be in cares in heuynes and in synnes not that I myght take punishement of you but that I myght losen your sinnes Come not that I nede to be glorified of you but that I desyre your helth and saluation Come he sayth not wyth fete but wyth maners not wyth body but wyth feyth For this is the spirituall comming wherby one approcheth to god And if ye thus come I shal set you at rest he sayth not I shal saue you but that more is I shal set you in al quyet and reste Take my yoke vpon you What is Christes yoke Surely his Gospel which as Theophilactus saith sheweth vs glad newes forgiuenes of sinnes iustification commynge to heauen and that we be made the children of god O how swete how pleasaÌ„t and easy is this yoke Only let vs put froÌ„ vs pryde of hert and the care of worldely vanities learne of Christe to be meke lowly lyke as the holy Apostle Mathias folowynge hys maisters steppes whose memory we celebrate this day left vs exemple So shall we inioye that heauenly rest voyde of all greuance and replenyshed wyth all solace whyche here is promysed vnto vs. By Christ our lorde To whoÌ„ be all glorie Amen ¶ The Annunciacion of oure Lady commonly called our Ladies daye in Lente The gospell Luc. i. IN the sixt moneth was sent the angel Gabriel of God into a citie of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgine spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of Dauids house and the virgines name was Mary And the angel being entred vnto her said Hayle full of grace the Lorde is with the blessed arte thou amoÌ„ges women WheÌ„ she sawe hym she was troubled vpon hys worde and deuised what maner greting this shulde be And the angel said to her Feare not Mary â–ª For thou haste founde grace with God Lo thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe and brynge forth a son and thou shalt call his name Iesus He shal be greate shal be called the son of the hyghest and the Lorde God shall gyue hym the seate of hys father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his reigne shal be no ende Mary said vnto the aungell Howe shal this be for I knowe not man And the aungell answered and said vnto her The holy goost shall come vpon the and the vertue of the highest shall ouershadow the and therfore the thing that shal be born holy shal be called the sonne of God And lo Elizabeth thy cousin she also hath conceiued a sonne in her olde age and this is the sixt moneth to her which was called baren â–ª for no word shal be impossible with God Ma ry said Beholde the handmayde of the Lorde be it doon to me accordynge to thy worde The sermon vpon this gospell IF a Gospell deare people signifieth a gladde tydynges what Gospel can be compared with this gospell which sheweth to the blessed virgine Mary yea vnto vs all the gladdest tydinges that coulde come
this gospell Bicause our lord had sayde before to Peter that whether he went he could not folowe now but he shuld folow afterward lest y â— other disciples shuld thinke that this promisse was giuen only to Peter our sauiour now to coÌ„fort them sayth Be not troubled but beleue stedfastly In my fathers house be many mansions that is the selfe same Region shal receiue you that shal receiue Peter For there is greate plentie there of mansions and ye shall not nede to say that it is necessary that they were made redy for you albeit if I go prepare you a place yet wil I com againe take you with me Here my frendes ye wol aske how can Christ go prepare vs a place sith there be alredy many maÌ„sions in heuen Saint Austin answereth to this doubt in this wise Trouth it is that there be many maÌ„sions but they be not yet as they are to be prepared For the self same mansions which Christ prepared before in predestinating he prepareth now in working In predestinatioÌ„ therfore they be alredy Els he wold haue said I wil go and prepare that is I wil predestinate but bicause they be not yet in operation he said If I go prepare you a place And surely he now prepareth maÌ„sions by preparing tenantes for the mansions For where he saith in my fathers house be many mansions what thinke we is the house of God but the teÌ„ple of god of which the apostle saith The temple of god is holy which temple be you This house of god therfore is yet in building is yet in preparinge But what is that whiche to prepare he goeth away if he prepare our selfes whiche how can he do if he leaue vs Surely sayeth this holy Doctour he meaneth this that to the preparinge of these mansions the rightuouse man ought to lyue by feythe But if he shuld see it were no feith Christ therfore goeth awey that he may not be seen he withdraweth himself froÌ„ vs that he may be beleued For then is a place prepared for vs if we liue by feith This is the wey that our sauiour Christe here speaketh of Yea Christ himselfe if we beleue in him is the very wey for vs to heuen he is y â— trouth he is the life Let vs not then be troubled good people in our hartes For he that is the way wil not surely leade vs a wilsom wey if we stik vnto him neither will he deceiue vs and put vs in foles paradise sith he is the selfe trouth neither yet wol he leaue vs in the erroure of death sith he is the self life And therfore Christ sayeth further that no man can come to the father but by him he sayth that he that knoweth him knoweth also the father forasmoche as the father and he be one Yea sayth Christ ye that be my disciples do also know my father and ye haue seen him Undoutedly my freendes the disciples of Christe sawe god the father after a certayne maner in Christe commaundynge the wyndes and the sees commauÌ„ding deuilles driuinge out diseases wyth a worde were they neuer so incurable raisinge wyth a worde the deade to life agayn Howbeit y â— noueltie of Christes wordes dyd sumwhat trouble the Apostle Philip whose memory togyther wyth hys felowe saynte Iacob the churche doth thys daye solemnize as it troubled also the reste of the Apostles Wherfore saynt Philip more gready than the other to learne desyreth Christ to shew to them the father and they shuld be satisfied But what saith Christ to them agayn Haue I been so long with you do ye not yet know me Philip he y â— seeth me seeth also the father Surely if the father of heauen shulde haue spoken vnto his Apostles he shuld haue spoken none other thing thaÌ„ that Christ spake if the father shuld haue wrought he shuld haue wrought the same y â— Christe did worke The same mind is in them both the same wyll â–ª the same power and nature If we beleue this though the corporall presence of Christe as he was here coÌ„uersant amongê his disciples be taken from vs yet we shal se him absent moch better w t the eyen of feith then y â— misbeleuing Iues saw him presently with their fleshly eyen Thus dyd these two holy Apostles Philip Iacob see him after he was ascended vp to his father therfore the thingê that they saw y â— father worke by him the same by him did they bicause they cleaued fast vnto hym by feith charitie Yea Christ vttred also more clearely the power of his godhed after he w tdrew his corporal presence from them Insomoch whosoeuer ioyneth himselfe to Christ by y â— EuaÌ„gelical feith shal by Christ worke also as great thinges yea or greater thaÌ„ Christe him self did worke whaÌ„ so euer the glorie of god shal require a miracle The Apostles therfore healed disea ses euen with their shadowes they conuerted to the feith not a fewe persons as Christ did when he was here in earth but hole nations but yet they did this by Chryste or rather Chryste dyd these thinges in them Lette vs then haue in vs this stronge feith and this brenning charitie and than wythout fayle what so euer we shal desyre in Christes name he woll perfourme it To whom with the father and holy ghoste be rendred thankes and praysynges for euer and euer Amen ¶ On saint Ihon Baptistes day Gospell Luc. j. ELizabethes time was fulfilled that she shuld be deliuered and she brought forth a son And her neighbours cousins herd how the lord had shewed his great mercie vpon her they reioysed with her And it fortuned the eight daye they cam to circuÌ„cise the childe called him Zacharie by the name of his father And his mother answered sayd not so but he shal be called IhoÌ„ And they said vnto her There is none in thy kinred that is named by this name And they made signes to his father how he wolde haue him called And he asked for writing tables wrote sayng Ihon is his name And they al merueled and forth w t his mouth was opened his tong and he spake blessing god And feare can vpon all theire neighbours And in all the hylly countrey of Iewry were al these wordes spred abrode al they that herd them did put them in theyr harte sayeng What maner child shal this be And the lordes haÌ„d was with him And Zachary his father was fylled with the holy ghost prophecied sayeng Blessed be the lord god of Israel for he hath visited and made redemption to his people A sermon vpon this Gospell GOod people the church this day doth soleÌ„nize the birth of saint Ihon Baptist whoÌ„ god had ordeyned to be a messanger to make ready the waye against the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ. This holy prophetes mother named Elizabeth was thought to haue bene baren But it
pleased god so to worke with her to set forth his owne glorie and power He sent to her therfore nowe in her old age this blessed child to take the reproche of barennes from her He prolonged for this intent her child bearing that the ioy herof might be the greater and she be made the more renowined and notoriouse For all her neighbours kynsfolke which before had knowne her ba rennes were nowe made witnesses of the heauenly grace wherw t God had endowed her For none that saw the child departed w t silence but blessed praysed god which vnloked for had seÌ„t this blessed child vnto her being of this age The eight day therfore they went to circumcise the child according to Moses lawe And bicause Zacharie his father was by gods prouision made duÌ„me and spechles they supposing that the father wold so haue bene best ctÌ„en â–ª ted named him Zacharie by his fathers name But Elizabeth his mother said he shuld not be so called but Ihon shulde be his name whiche name she had lerned not of her husbande whiche at this time was become spechles but by inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost signifieng that he that was born shuld be the bedel or messanger of the new law which shuld abrogate the old traditions turne the carnall worshyp into a spiritual grace For Zacharias betokeneth in Hebrue a remeÌ„brer of god Ihon is named the grace of God The iustice of the lawe stode in appoynted workes the iustice of the gospell standeth by faythe through grace fauour Howbeit the kinsfolk wold not be ruled by the mother to giue him this strauÌ„ge name bicause there was none in al their kindred so called but they wolde in any wyfe haue hym called Zacharie by his fathers name And yet at this day there be some better pleased w t the name of Zacharie then w t the name of Ihon these be they that can not yet suffre that the ceremonies of y â— old law shuld be abolished so that in effect they crye we wil none of this new name of Ihon but we wil haue stil the old Zacharie wherfore for asmoch as the childwife the cousins could not agree in the name it was necessarie that the authoritie of the father shuld come betwene to breake the strife But he had not as yet the vse of his tong where now neded speche Wyth signes therfore they signified vnto him what name wold pleace him that his child shulde haue He vnderstanding y â— mater required writing tables to declare that thinge by dombe letters whiche by liuely voice he could not bring forth The tables brought he wrote in this wise Ihon is his name Now cam the time that Moses law shuld speake which before had after a fashioÌ„ described w t figures the grace of the gospel The time now was com that the mouth which vnfeithfulnes had locked shuld now through feyth be opened He had not therfore so sone writen but y â— bond of his tong was loused Neyther did he beginne hys speach with any other thing than with the praysinge of God by whose goodnes so greate ioyes were heped vpon hym Let vs in like maner good people beleue as saynte Ambrose exhorteth vs to thintent our tonge which is bounde wyth the bandes of vnfeithfulnes may be loused And surely onles the Iuishe tonge be putte to silence whyche preacheth carnal obseruations the tong of the gospell can not speake whyche preacheth grace feythe and charitie Al these thingê of y â— olde childwife of the noueltie of the name of the son born by y â— promise of the angel of the father made first of a speaker dombe again of dombe a speaker were blown abrode not only in the neighbours cousins mouthê but also through out al the hylly countrey of Iewry so that they did not only wonder but also were astonyed agast at the strangnes of the thing sayeng w tin themselfes What maner of ê‘son shal this childe be None of al y â— prophetes was so woÌ„derfully born which thinges declare that this is done by gods power which is w t the child beiÌ„g ordeined for high purposes And they thought not thus w tout cause For in dede gods haÌ„d had vttred his heuenly vertue in the childe And to thintent al thinges might be ful of miracles reple nished w t ioy Zacharie also Ihons father being inspired w t the holy ghost brasted forth into this song Blessed be y â— lord god of Israell for he hath visitted redemed his people of Israell Doubtles god visited his people of Israel both wayes whether we vnderstande the material Israelites for he cam to the lost shepe of the house of Israel or the spiritual Israelites that is the feithful persons which were worthy of this visitation He visited theÌ„ which were now by long sicknes coÌ„sumed he redemed them being sold vnder sinne w t the bloud of his only begotten son He called them his people not bicause at his coÌ„ming he found them his but bicause by visitting he made them his Let vs then praise almighty god that he vouchsaued to make of vs whiche were not his people his people Let vs imbrace y â— iustice not of y â— Iuish law but of y â— gospel of Christ. Who be c. ¶ On saynt Peters and saynt Paules day The Gospell Mat. xxi IEsus came into the partes of Cesarea Philippi asked his disciples sayng WhoÌ„ saye men that I the sonne of maÌ„ am They sayd Some say thou art ThoÌ„ the baptist some Helias some Hieremye or one of the prophetes He sayth vnto them But whoÌ„ say you that I am Simon Peter answered and saide Thou arte Christe the son of the lyuinge God And Iesus answered sayd vnto him Happy arte thou Simon the son of Iona for fleshe and bloude haue not disclosed this vnto the but my father whiche is in heuen And I say vnto the that thou art Peter vppon thys rocke I wyll buylde my churche the gates of helle shall not preuayle agynste it And I will giue to the the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ and what soeuer thou byndest in erth shal be bound in heuen and what soeuer thou losest in erth shal be losed in heauen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell my frendes declareth how oure Sauiour Christ after he was com into y e parties of Cesarea Philippi wolde proue how moche his disciples had profeted by so many hys sermons and miracles whyche they had now herde and seen and whether they thought any higher thing of him then the comon people did He demaundeth therfore of them sayeng Whom say men that I am They answered Some saye thou arte Iohn the baptiste for so thoughte the Herodians other say thou arte the prophete Helias bicause he was rauished vp therfore they thought now that he appeared accordynge to the prophecie
sayeth Câ—rysostom For not only her sonnes had left theyr father but she also dyd leaue her husband to folow Christ. For he w tout her might liue but she without Christ could not be saued oules perchauÌ„ce a man wil say that betwene the time of the calling of these two Apostles the passion of Christ Zebedee her husband dyed so she beinge a lone woman aged folowed the steppê of Christ which is also moch to her praise and coÌ„mendation For feith neuer waxeth olde and deuotion feleth no werines She coÌ„meth therfore to Christ w t her two soÌ„nes They had herd Christe say a litle before that they which wold folow him in the new byrth whaÌ„ he shuld sit in y e seate of his maiestie shuld also sitte vpon xij seates iuging the xij tribes of Israel And that al they which had left house or brethren susters father or mother wife or children or their landes for his name sake shulde receyue an hundred times as moch shulde enioy euerlasting life They therfore being as yet imê‘fect hauinge litle vnderstandinge of the spirituall kingdom but thinking rather that Christes kingdom shulde be a worldly temporal reigne cam w t their mother beseching him that the one of them might sitte on the right hand of him in his kingdom and the other on the left meaning that they might be in some highe authoritie w t him For sith in a worldely kingdome they do seme to be in honour which sit w t the king it was no meruayle though a woman being led w t a womans simplicitie or ignoraunce thought that such thinges ought to be demauÌ„ded and her soÌ„nes also thinkinge yet nothinge highly vpon Christes kingdom ymagined such thinges of theÌ„ that shuld sitte with Christ. Then oure lord the knower of hyd thinges answered not to the wordes of the woman which was made peticioner but to the counsailes of her soÌ„ues which had set her to do this Surely our lord Iesus Christ oftentimes suffred hys disciples both to do speake thinke many thinges vnrightly to thintent that by their ouersight and blame he might finde occasion to expowne the rule of godlines knowing ful wel that theire errour hurted not so long as he was present with theÌ„ but the doctrine and instruction of the same was profitable both for that time present also for time comming He saith therfore vnto them ye wot not what ye aske as who shuld say I haue called you from the left side vnto the right ye by your counsayle wil ruÌ„ne to the left side againe And happily y â— thing was therfore done by a woman For the deuil gatt him to his wont armours of women that as Adam was spoyled by a woman so he might also separate destroy these by their mother But now destruction coulde not entre by a woman into saintes sithens froÌ„ a woman proceded the saluation of al men The auauncement of honour delited them but first it behoued them to exercise the way of labour And therfore he sayth vnto them Can ye drinke of y â— cuppe that I must drinke of As who shulde say if ye wil deserue the swete ye must also tast of y â— sowre If ye wil haue pleasure w t me in my kingdom ye must take ê‘te of my payne passion The crowne of rightuousnes is giuen not to al but to them that ruÌ„ne in the course and whiche do vse themselfes in such sort that they may obteine the maistrye If then he that proueth maistryes in worldly games kepeth himselfe sobre absteyneth froÌ„ al thinges â–ª to thinteÌ„t to get a crown y e perisheth what ought they be y â— seke for an euerlasting crowne Truly as sayth Chrysostom our Lorde knew â–ª that they coulde folowe his passion but he asketh them this to thintent all we might heare and know that none can reygne wyth Christe onles he folowe hys passioÌ„ For a preciouse thing is not gotten but with a preciouse price We call the passion of the Lorde not only the persecuting of the Hethen but also all violence whyche we suffre stryuyng agaynst synne This passion and crosse we be all bounde to abyde if we wyll be counted to be of Christes flocke Yea and when the glorie of Christ requireth we must also not refuse to suffre corporall deathe for hys sake Thus dyd the hooly Apostle saynte Iames whose memorie we do thys daye celebrate folowe hym for he was beheded of Herode for preaching and executynge of hys maisters commission And therfore it is no doubt of him but according to Christes owne promisse he hath receyued an hundered tymes as moch and doth now enioye the euerlasting life and that he is one of them that the kyngdom of heauen is prepared for Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle and as he dyd so let vs leue the loue of all worldly vanities and folow our Sauiour Christe to thintent we maye be heyres of god and ioynt heyres wyth Christe For if we suffre with him saith Paule we shal also be glorified with hym and reygne togither with hym If we dye with him we shal also liue with him and enioy the crown of euerlastinge blysse by him to whom wyth the father and holy ghoste be glorie and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ On the Natiuitie of our Lady The Gospell Mat. i. THe boke of the generation of Iesu Christe c. Ye shal finde this Gospell and the sermon vpon it before on the conception day of our Lady fol. v. ¶ On saynt Mathews daye The Gospell Math. ix AS Iesus passed by he sawe a man sittynge at the receite of custome Matheu by name and sayeth to him Folowe me And he rose and folowed him And it chauÌ„ced as he satte at meate in the house â—o many publicanes and synners cam satte downe with Iesus and hys disciples The pharisees seyng this sayd to his disciples Why eateth your maister with publicanes and synners When Iesus herde that he said to them The strong haue no nede of a phisician but they that be sicke Go and lerne what this meaneth Mercye wyll I and not sacrifice For I am not come to cal rightuous ê‘sons but sinners The sermon vpon this Gospel THe Gospell red thys daye in the churche good people sheweth vnto vs how the blessed Apostle saynte Matheu was called of oure Sauioure Christe from a customer to be his disciple Apostle and how ready he was at his callyng to folow him whiche readynes of mynde as it is hyghlye for hys prayse and coÌ„mendation so it is also set forth as an exemple for vs to folow Let vs then brefely coÌ„sider the maner of this thynge As our Sauiour Christe passed by the custome house he sawe thys Matheu whiche was otherwise called Leui the sonne of Alpheus sitte there for he was at that tyme one of the custome house whiche
persones be called in latine publicani And surely this kind of meÌ„ bycause they did exercise an occupation or office of fylthy gaines and of violent rapacitie were many ways infamed noted and euyl spokeÌ„ of and specially amonges the Iewes But our Sauiour Iesus Christ which had called a lytle before vnto him SimoÌ„ and Andrewe IhoÌ„ Iames froÌ„ a base though yet not vnlawful kynde of lyuyng to thintent he wold openly declare vnto the worlde that he abhorred no sorte of men at al so they wold conuert themselfes to better he calleth this Mattheu vnto hym and coÌ„maunded hym to folowe hym Mattheu castynge no perilles or at lest wey despising al perilles whiche myght happen of Rulers forthwyth without delay leauing his accomptes vnperfite and leauing his gaynfull office beganne to folowe Iesus beinge sodenly made of a publicane a disciple And bycause he forsoke earthly gaynes he was ryghtly made a stuard of the Lordê talentes Truly the very brightnes and maiestie of the hidde godhed of our Sauiour Christ which also glystered in his humane face had power to pluck vnto him with the first syght those that beheld him For yf the Magnes stone hathe as they saye suche vertue efficacie in it that it caÌ„ draw vp yron vnto it howe much more could he that is the Lorde of al creatures drawe vnto hym whom he wolde And it happened afterward that this Matheu being now called to be Christê disciple desired him that he wold vouchesaue to take a repast wyth him at his house Our Lorde neyther disdayned to do thys thynge at hys new disciples request to thintent he wold gyue vs instruction that the company and felawshyp of wicked ê‘sons ought not to be eschued of preachers and holy men yf there be any hope that by their coÌ„pany they woll amende there nawghty lyfe Mattheu therfore beyng honored by Christes commyng into hys house made vnto hys maister a great and sumptuouse feast wherunto he also had byddeÌ„ many men of his ordre and facultie that is to wit euen a bourde full of customers publicans and synners whom by hys exemple and wordes he had allured and drawen into admiration loue of Iesus The pharisees therfore whiche were euer huntynge and seking occasions how to sklaunder trappe Christ espyeng hym nowe wyth hys disciples syttyng and eatyng wyth these synful sorte of men durst not yet rebuke Christe to hys face lest he shulde peraduenture taunt them againe as he had oftentymes doon before but went about to drawe and trayne his disciples from him Wherfore they come to them say Why doth your maister eate wyth these publicans and synful persons Trouth it is good people that the euil talkes of euyl men do corrupt the good maners of good meÌ„ But Christes coÌ„munication wyth these euil men was not to catche the euil maÌ„ners of them but by his heueÌ„ly medicine to plucke the euyl maÌ„ners froÌ„ theÌ„ He cam to cal the shepe y t were lost strayed out of the right pathe of godlines being seduced led out therof by suche hypocrites pharisees as these were which were here offeÌ„ded w t Christ These be they that Paule speaketh of which glorieng in the lawe do disworship god by the traÌ„gressioÌ„ of the lawe vaynly reputynge themselfes to be the guydes of y â— blind the light of theÌ„ y e be in darknes Our Sauiour therfore hearing the pharisees thus disputing wyth his disciples which as yet were but weake he defeÌ„deth them in this wise The hole nede no phisician but the sicke Christe calleth him selfe a phisician whiche by a wonderfull kynde of surgery was wouÌ„ded for our iniquities that he myght heale the woundes of oure synnes He calleth them hole which wyllyng to stablyshe there owne iustice were not subiect to the true iustice of God And he calleth them sicke and diseased whiche beynge ouercome in their coÌ„science do acknowlege their frailtie and espi yng howe by the lawe they be not iustifyed do submitte themselfes by penaunce to the grace of God But go your weys sayeth Christe and learne what thys sentence of the prophete Osee meaneth where God sayeth I require mercye and not sacrifice as who shulde saye Why accuse ye me when I releue and correcte synners Why do ye not rather accuse God the father of heauen which speaketh thys sentence by his prophet He admonisheth vs than that by workes of mercie we shulde gette vs the reward of the heuenly mercy and not that despising the necessities of the pore nedye we shuld trust to please God by the oblation of sacrifices Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle saynte Matheu let vs leaue al fylthy gaynes and come to Christ when he calleth vs by the preachynge of hys word Let vs be charitable do the workes of mercie as Christe teacheth vs that we maye be of the nombre of those which shall inheritie the kingdome of heuen prepared froÌ„ the beginnyng of the worlde by the father of heuen to whom be al prayse Amen ¶ On the Assumption of our Lady Gospell Luc. x. IEsus entred into a certaine towne And a certain woman named Martha receyued hym into her house And this woman had a sustre named Mary which also sitting at Iesus fete herd his word But Martha was combred about moch seruing stode and sayd Lord hast thou no regarde that my sustre hath left me alone to serue Byd her therfor that she helpe me Iesus answered said vnto her Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many thinges but one is necessarie Mary hath chosen the best parte which shal not be taken from her The sermon vpon this Gospell What time our sauiour Christ walked here vpon erth w t his disciples which leauing the cares of earthly thinges gaue themselues only and holly to the gospel it chauÌ„ced so that he entred into a certain village In this village there dwelled two women the name of the one was Martha the others name was Mary whiche women ioyfully receyued Christ and his disciples into their house The loue and zeale of either of them towardes the lorde was egal but their fourme maner of lyfe was diuerse like as in one body be sundry vses of the partes and membres of the same as also in the bodie of Iesus which is the church be diuerse sundry giftes of the spirite For Mary making as it were holyday from al busynes of the house now at Christes comming sat her downe at his fete hearing his wordes wherwith she was so rauished that forgettinge all other thinges she coulde not be plucked thens Contrary wise Martha being carefull for the purueaunce of the feast ranne about hither thether al busye that nothing at al shuld lacke that perteined to the welcoÌ„ming feasting of such a gest Wherfor not being sufficient of her selfe alone to do al y e she wold haue done
saynt Austine Christe here meaneth that they woll hate hym in hys disciples and true folowers they woll persecute him in them and wol not folowe nor kepe their worde bicause it is his worde Wherfore sayth thys holy doctoure so moche the more wretched be they whiche do these thinges forbicause of this name as they be the more blessed whyche suffre these thinges for this names sake Howbeit the euil do these thinges to the euyl but both be wretched aswell the doers as the suffrers And why wol they do these thinges in spite of Christes name Ueryly saith Christ bicause they haue not knowne god the father of heuen whyche sente me For if they had knowne God thâ— father which sent Christ they shuld haue known Christ to haue preached by the coÌ„maundement and authoritie of hys father a farre other iustice then was preached or practysed of the world If Chryste had not comme and spoken to the worlde it shulde haue had no synne It is the preachinge of the gospell veryly that discloseth all vngodlynes and the vnrightuousnes of the worlde and whiche also setteth open the iustice of god Lette vs not then my freendes be ashamed of the gospell of Chryste For as the Apostle sayeth it is the power of God to the helth and saluatioÌ„ of al that beleueth For the rightuousnes of God is by it opened out of feyth into feyth Now therfore sith the gospel is preached vnto vs whyche discloseth synne we haue no excuse no clooke to hyde our synne wyth We know god and yet we do not glorifie ne worship him as god we be not thankfull vnto hym for the great inestimable benefites which from time to time we haue receiued at his handes We be called by the ministres of his holy word but we wol giue no eare We be tawght and we wil not attende Wherfore it is moche to be feared that like as we haue not regarded to knowe god so god wil giue vs vp into a disalowed minde If a maÌ„ wold hate him that he knew not he might peraduenture seme worthy of pardon and forgiuenes bycause he can not finde in his harte to fauour him whom he neuer sawe But we haue sene Christ and haue harde him thoughe not personally as the Iues sawe him and hard him yet by the preachyng of the gospell we knowe his power and ryghtuousnes and we espye our infirmitie and vnrightuousnes I say in his worde we se him and heare him as wel and as perfectly as the Iues did We haue seen his great benefites we haue hard of his wonderful dedes yet I feare lest there be many worldly persons amonges vs which do hate Christ hys word in very dede thoughe they pretende neuer so muche to loue hym and they hate hym and his worde euen for the same thinges for whiche they ought to loue him and the preachers of his word For in that they hate the preachers of his worde they hate his word and in that they hate his worde they hate hym And verily who so euer hateth Christ and hys preachers or his word doth hate also in very dede god the father by whose authoritie and speciall coÌ„maundemeÌ„t al is doon Wherfore thys very thynge doth heape damnation vpoÌ„ such worldly persons bycause they abuse so lewdly and so stubbernly the offred open goodnes of God If Christ by the preachyng of his mooste holy worde had not vttered amonges them suche miracles and wonders as none of all the prophetes euer vttered whether we woll consider the greatnes or the multitude of them they shulde not haue been in daunger of so heynouse a synne But nowe haue they both herde and seen the trouth and the more they haue herde seen the more they haue hated both it and the preachers therof So that the saynge of God by his prophete is in them fulfylled where it is written they haue hated me wythout cause It might be borne yf one did hate one beinge sturred and prouoked by displeasure and vnkyndnes shewed vnto him to hate him It myght be perdoned yf a maÌ„ wold hate one he knewe not but how can it be borne that one shulde hate hym whom he knoweth and which studyeth to do him all the good he can for hys sauegarde and soule health In thys sort did our sauiour Christ eoÌ„forte his Apostles and by them vs all to suffre tribulation and hatred for hys sake Let vs then folowe them and namely the blessed Apostles Simon and Iude whose memorye we do thys daye celebrate whiche had experience of these counfortes in their crosse whiche they bare for Christes sake neyther wolde they suffre themselfes to be plucked awey from the trouth of Gods worde for al the hatred malice and trouble that the worlde could practise against them If by their exemple we do the same we shal vndoubtedly with theÌ„ be crowned eternally by Iesus Christ our Lorde whiche togither with the father and holy ghost is world with out ende to be praysed Amen ¶ On all halowe daye The Gospell Mat. v. WHen Iesus saw the people he went vp into a montaigne and when he was sette hys disciples cam to him after he had opened his mouthe he taught them sayeng Blessed are the poore in spirite for theirs is the kingdom of heauen Blessed be they that mourne for they shal be couÌ„forted Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the erthe Blessed be they that hungre and thyrst after ryghtuousnes for they shal be satisfyed Blessed be the pytifull for they shal be pytied Blessed be the pure in harte for they shall se God Blessed be the peace makers for they shal be called the chyldren of God Blessed be they that be persecuted for ryghtuousnes for theirs is the kyngdom of heauen Blessed be ye when they shal â—euile and persecute you and speake euery euil worde agaynst you makyng lyes bycause of me Be glad reioyse for much is your reward in heuen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis daye good people is called all halowe daye is instituted of the Church of Christ that there myght be some certayne tyme to celebrate the memorye of all holy persones or sayntes whiche in this life liued a godly and perfecte life and therfore do nowe enioye eternall blysse in heauen accordyng as in this Gospell is promised vnto them and vnto vs al which wol do the same by our sauiour Christ. Let vs then se what thys Gospel speaketh Ye shall therfore vnderstande that our Sauiour Christ Iesus when he was walkyng here in earthe amonges vs and espyed the people more and more to gather about him of al sortes of meÌ„ he withdrew hym selfe as it were froÌ„ a low place and goyng vp to an high hylle beganne there to sette abroche hys heauenly doctrine declarynge by the very heigth of the place that he wolde teache no low ne coÌ„mon thyng but al highe and heuenly thynges His disciples whom he had specially