seruile feare that serueth or dothe well onelye for feare of payne and it is true also of the feare that groweth in processe which is partlye for feare partly for loue that is called Timor inicialis this is the next meane to the chaste feare or holye feare that remaineth for euermore But nowe finallye to speake of the seuenth gift of the holie Gost whiche as the Prophete Esay sayeth rested on our sauiour Christ. It is not mundane humane nor carnal feare nother the seruile feare or the bondmannes feare His good and gracious workes that he did on earthe he did not for feare of the paynes of Hell or for feare of anye other punishmentes It was the holye feare that remayneth for euer It was louynge and reuerende feare of God suche as all the angels in heauen haue nowe And that maye begin in vs grow vp with charitie here on earth and shal shote vp and growe vp with euerlastinge charitie or loue that shall neuer fall awaye or fayle but shall euer abide more and more in euerlastynge glory This feare dothe not importe anye perturbation or trouble of minde but rather a certayne reuerence towarde almightye God Suche is the feare that the angels haue in heauen where is no trouble of minde or vnquietnesse but readye and ioyful obedience to almighty God And such reuerende feare of the father hadde our sauiour Christe as appeareth in manye places of the gospell where hee protesteth hym to dooe the commaundementes of his father and to fulfyll his pleasure with manye suche like Honorifico patrem c. Thus he did lowlye and reuerently magnifie his father by reason of his manhode by whiche he was inferiour and lower and subiect to his father And in his manhode he hadde these seuen giftes of the holye Gooste restynge on hym as Esai saide and as I haue declared in times paste And this gifte of dreade or feare of GOD after scolasticall doctours is Humilitie which was most excellently in our sauiour Christ Phili. ii Humiliauit semetipsuÌ„ dominus noster Iesus Christus c. Our Lorde Iesus Christe did humiliate him selfe kepynge obedience euen to hys death on the crosse for whiche God the father exalted him gaue him a name aboue al names that all creatures in heauen earthe or hell shall bowe the knee to this blessed name of Iesus and all tonges shall confesse that our Lorde Iesus is in the glorye of god his father there to be mediatour a meane and intreater for vs to bringe vs as his coparteners and coenheritours wyth him to his inestimable glory in heauen and that we maye all come to that enheritaunce he graunt vs for his infinite mercy that for vs dyed Amen An homilie or sermon of the articles of our christian faythe FAyth as saynt Paule sayth to the Hebrewes is y e beginnynge of heuenly ioyes that we hope to come vnto makinge our wits surely to assente agree to thinges that wee do not yet see nor knowe by experience Euerlastyng lyfe shall stande in the clere knowledge of the Godhead and of the glorified manhode of our sauiour Christ knitte in one persone to the seconde persone in Trinitie one God with the father and with the holye Gost. This knowledge and sighte wee shall haue in heauen clearelye and perfitelye whiche wee haue here but darkelye by heresaye But let vs leane fast by our fayth to this that we hearesaye by Gods scriptures and liue accordinglye and wee shall not faile to come to the cleare knowledge in heauen where we shall knowe God as he knoweth vs without corporall similitudes to conduct vs to that knoweledge and without anye impedimente Without faieth it is impossible to please GOD. For he that wyll come to God muste neades beleue as the Apostle saythe Hebre. xi Wee muste not diffarre nor refuse to beleue so longe tyll wee can declare or proue by reason the articles or poyntes that wee be bounde to beleue for if wee woulde be so daungerous it myght chaunce that by the difficilitye of the scriptures of the things that we shuld beleue we myght be withdrawen and kept backe from the merite and rewarde of our faythe for euer He that woulde so differ to beleue shoulde be like a manne almoste deade for honger whyche hauynge breade and meate offered hym woulde not open hys mouthe to eate thereof tyll hee knewe who made the breade and dressed the meate and howe and wyth what instrumentes or tooles it was made and dressed He were like to be deade for honger afore he came to that knoweledge Better it were for him firste to take hys meate and saue his lyfe and afterward if nede were at leasure to laboure for such knoweledge if he myght obtayne it So best it is for vs with an open harte to beleue as wee be taughte by Christes churche and to feede oure soules with suche Godly foode and to saue our liues by fayth afterward by exercise to attaine to more distincte and playne vnderstandynge of that wee do beleue accordynge to suche measure of fayth as shall please God to distribute to euerye one of vs. There was neuer manne saued from the beginnynge of the worlde neither shall be to the ende of the same but by his beliefe on Goddes rewarde prouided for his faithfull people by the merite of our sauiour Christe as by the mediatoure and meane to come thereto The holye menne and women that were afore Christes incarnation by the space of fiue thousande yeres and more were saued by their fayth of saluation by the mediatour that was to come and in signe thereof they vsed their sacrifices afore the lawe written and also in the tyme of the lawe writte by Moyses as figures to proteste and signifie the misterie of the mediatour which the auncientes and they that hadde higher reuelation and that were best learned among them beleued more distinctlye and plainelye then the younger and simpler sorte did or were bounde to beleue And nowe in the plentuoâ—s tyme of grace bothe yonge and olde be bounde to haue expresse faythe of Christes incarnacion alreadye exhibited and perfourmed and of suche articles and pointes as be commonlye declared and openlye set furthe in the churche concernynge our saluation by our sauioure Christe as the onelye meane to obtayne the same Al be it they that haue clearer wyttes and they that be sette in aucthoritye and offyce speciallye to haue the rule and cure of Christes flocke be bound more expreslye dystynctlye and playnelye to haue the knoweledge of subtyller and hygher consyderations consernynge the Articles of oure faythe then the rude and vnlearned folcke so that they maye by their knoweledge and learnyng declare the truthes and the possibilitie of the same to them that be ignorant and would learne i. Pet. iii. To declare I saye but not to proue by reason the veritie of them They must also bee able to replye and conuince theim that frowardely woulde repugne and countersaye anye article of
inflat charitas edificat Such science maketh a man proude but charitie edifieth dothe good If a man thinke he knoweth any thing by suche science wythout charitie he knoweth not yet how he ought to know it .i. Corin. viii he considereth not that he oughte to vse hys scyence with humilitie and wyth charitie towarde hys neyghboure and that is the science that God aloweth For lacke of this charitie vayne is thy studie thy science vanisheth away to vainglory which agreeth not with the holy gost And when the holy gost is absent then beware of studye in scripture specially aboue all faculties for without his special assistence thou shalt not scape heresie rather defoulinge the scriptures with thy expositions and yl applicacion like Swine treading pearels vnder their feete and readye to inuade and all to teare them that haue the true knowledge and vnderstanding of scriptures Of such speaketh the prophet Psa. liiii Contaminauerunt testamentum eius Where he speaketh of them that without charitie treateth the scriptures haue defouled them leauing the vnitie of charitie and taking euery one away by them selfe in their owne confederacie refusing the vnitie and concord of good and faithfull people But what hath come of them It foloweth diuisi sunt ab ira vultus eius They haue been deuided by the anger of Gods face What better marke can wee haue to marke heretikes Arrius was deuided with his confederacie Pelagius with his faction Nouatus Manicheus wycliffe such other which haue been deuided frō the congregacion of good and faithfull people by excommunication here in this world and it is to be feared least they be excommunicate from the celestiall congregacion be perished for euermore excepte peraduenture some of them did penaunce at the last caste but whether ouer late penaunce be sufficiente it is doubt What profit came by the diuision and seperacion of such heretikes It foloweth there appropinquauit cor illius the harte and mynde of him that deuided thē by his anger came nigher to mens knowledge by the scriptures For many thinges were hid and vnknowen in the scriptures but when heretikes that vexed the church and troubled it with their questions were prescised and cut awaye then the harte and will of God in the scriptures was vnderstand knowen For there was nothing so parfitely knowen nor so commonly knowen of the blessed trinitie and of the diuine productions afore that Arrius barked and rayled againste it as was knowen afterwarde The sacrament of penaunce had neuer be so well knowen as it is if Nouatus that heretike had not taughte his faction to despise the seconde table or raffe after shypwracke that is penaunce the seconde helpe and remedye to saue men soules Baptisme is the first that riddeth a man from originall synne and from actuall synne if any be afore committed After which baptisme if a man fall to synne agayne penance is the second remedy Nouatus would none therof but that if a man synned after he was baptised he was remediles and could not be saued He gloried to much in his owne sinceritie and clerenes of his lyuing And so of the syngle lyuyng of priestes of the inuocation of Saintes of theyr prayers for vs of purgatorie of ceremonies of the church of images which you without sciēce call idols In all Christendome were scarce so many that could exactly profoundly and so redely declare and reason the truthe of these matters and defend theym from barkers and from gnawers raylers afore this wicked new learning rysse in Saxony and came ouer into England among vs as you shall finde now in one vniuersitie or in one or two good towns So that generally by the excluding and putting awaye of errours heresies the will of God cōmeth nigher and is better knowē declared vnto vs by the scriptures wel labored and truly vnderstanded It foloweth in the psalme Molliti sunt sermones eius super oleum et ipsi sunt iacula The wordes of God in scripture which afore were hard by the exercise and labour of catholike clerkes be made very soft yea more softe easye and soople then oile and be made harnes and dartes or weapōs for the preachers Of the hardnes of scriptures in which our new diuines finde no hardnesse riseth al heresies And so they did euen at the beginning in Christes time When Christ said Io. vi Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis et biberitis eius sanguinem nō habebitis vitam in vobis Except you eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drink his bloud ye shal haue no life in you Many of his disciples hearing these woordes sayde This is a hard saying who can abide to heare him say thus And after that time many of his disciples gaue backe and walked not with him they kept him no company thē said our sauiour Christ vnto the .xii. y t he had chosen apostles wil you begone also Peter aunswered good mayster to whō shall we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting life I pray you take hede and learne here of S. Peter meekely to rede and take the woordes of GOD in his scriptures Dyd Peter vnderstande Christes woordes for whyche a greate manye of hys scholers gaue backe and companyed not wyth Christ Naye verelye no more then other dyd But yet he woulde not shake of hys mayster for the obscurenesse of hys woordes neyther despysed hys woorde thoughe it were obscure and darke neyther tooke vppon hym arrogantlye to deuine and arede what was hys maysters mynde and meanynge by his woorde that was so darke as manye of our yonge diuines nowe adayes wyll not stycke to doe and rather to saye boldlye and to confirme it wyth an horrible othe I am sure thys is hys meanynge and thus it muste be vnderstanded when they be farre wyde So did not Peter but taried his time and so by sufferance and good abiding at the maundye afore the passion when Christ by consecracion cōuerted bread and wine into his precious body bloud then he perceiued what Christ meaned by his saying afore rehersed Nisi manducaueritis c except you eate the flesh of a man and drink his bloud you shall haue no life in you c. and so did other of the apostles there present then first vnderstand the word And euen then Christe spoke certayne woordes that might haue giuen them light to vnderstand him saying Si ergo videritis filium hominis ascendentem vbi erat prius If you shall se the sonne of man ascend to heauen wher he was afore as who should say when you shall see him ascend with a whole body then you shal perceiue that this carnall and grosse vnderstandinge that maketh you nowe to murmure and grudge profiteth nothing at all At that blessed supper the apostles knew that Christ should ascend whole and that they shoulde not teare the body as they there saw it with their kniues nor gnaw it with their teethe that the bloud
should run about their teethe neither eate it rosted nor sod as men eate the meate that they dye in the shambles but that they should eat it in an other facion then they saw it theÌ„ that they should eate his body and drinke his bloude in a maner that shoulde not lothe nor abhorre theyr stomakes vnder the fourme and facion of bread and wyne that they were dayâ—ye vsed to Thâ—s S. Peter knewe not at the first and yet he spoke to Christ full reuerentlye and louingly as it were saying aske not whether wee will be gone and forsake you though your wordes be so obscure that wee can not perceiue them For this we knowe that verba vitae aeterne habes thou hast the woordes of life euerlasting As yet he dyd not vnderstande Christes woordes but full louinglye he beleued that the wordes that he vnderstoode not were verye good Woulde GOD you woulde when you rede y e scriptures vse such a modesty suche charity that if the sentence be hard and strange then not to determine your self to an vnderstanding after your owne fancie but abyde a tyme with longanimitie and easy sufferaunce Et iacta super dominum curam tuam ipse te enutriet Referre thy mynde to Gods pleasure caste thy care vpon GOD and he will nourishe thee he will send thee light prouiding for the some man that is wel learned substancially exercitate in the scriptures to teache thee specially if it be necessarye for thy soule health to knowe it If it be not necessarye for thy soule healthe but such as thou mayest be safe inough â–ª whether thou know it or not and mayest come to heauen wythoute the knowledge thereof as a thousande places in scripture be suche then lette it passe and say with Saynte Peter Domine verba vitae eternae habes O Lorde GOD thou hast the wordes of euerlasting life The woordes be good because they be the woordes of GOD although I doe not vnderstande them Thus orderynge your selues in the studye of holye scriptue you do like good men and lyke gods seruauntes and God wyll be good Lorde vnto you Et non dabit ineternum fluctuationem iusto And wyll not suffer you finallye for euer to fleete and wauer inconstantlye runnyng from one opinion to an other from one illusion to an other thou shalt stay thy selfe by the ancour of faythe and that shall keepe thee from the rocks that be perelous heretikes For if thou fleete and wauer tyll thou fal on one of them thou shalt haue suche a crash of false doctrine and leude vnderstandyng that thou shalt not auoyde shypwracke thou shalte not come to the porte of safe knowledge ne to the port of ease quietnes and caulmenes euerlasting in heauen if thou be made by suche false doctrine to erre in the essentiall and necessarye pointes of thy belefe Therefore in your learnynge see that you vse charitie with humilitie and lowlynesse of hart and then you shall shewe your selfe that your learnynge is the true science gyuen of the holye goste of whyche we now entreate And by the same gift you shall as well know what you shal beleue as to iudge and dyscerne the thynges that you shall beleue from the thinges that you shall not beleue And also you may ascende to so hyghe knowledge that you shall be able to declare the articles of your faythe and to induce and perswade other men to beleue and also to conuince and ouercome countersayers and such as woulde impugne the faith Althoughe it be not gyuen to all menne to ascende vnto so hyghe a degreee of science And because I spoke euen nowe of Images and Idolles I woulde you shoulde not ignoÌ„rauntlye confounde and abuse those termes takynge an Image for an Idolle and an Idolle for an Image as I haue hearde manye doe in thys citye as well of the fathers and mothers that shoulde be wyse as of theyr babies and chyldren that haue learned foolyshnesse of theyr parentes Nowe at the dissolucion of Monasteries and of Freers houses many Images haue bene caryed abrod and gyuen to children to playe wyth all And when the chyldren haue theym in theyr handes dauncynge theim after their childyshe maner commeth the father or the mother and saythe What nasse what haste thou there the childe aunsweareth as she is taught I haue here myne ydoll the father laugheth and maketh a gaye game at it So saithe the mother to an other Iugge or Thommye where haddest thou that pretye Idoll Iohn our parishe clarke gaue it me saythe the childe and for that the clarke muste haue thankes and shall lacke no good chere But if thys follye were onelye in the insolent youthe and in the fonde vnlearned fathers and mothers it myght soone be redressed But youre preachers that you so obstinatelye folow more leaninge to the vulgar noyse and common erroure of the people then to profounde learnyng they bable in the pulpittes that they heare the people reioyce in And so of the people they learne their sermons and by their sermons they indurate their audyence and make the people stubbourne and harde to be perswaded to science contrarye to theyr blinde ignoraunce aswell in this point of Images and Idolles as in manye other like They would haue that this latine worde Imago signifieth an Idole and so these new translations of the english bibles hath it in all places where the translatours would bring men to beleue that to set vp Images or to haue Images is idolatrye And therefore where the scriptures abhorreth idols they make it Images as though to haue imagerie were idolatrie that God so greatly abhorreth But you must vnderstande and knowe that an Image is a thinge kerued or painted or cast in a moulde that representeth and signyfyeth a thing that is in dede or that hath be or shal be in dede And so speaketh our Sauiour Christ of an Image when the Pharisies send their disciples wyth Herodes seruauntes to aske hym thys question whether it were lawfull for the Iewes to paye tribute to the Emperour or not He called them Hipocrites and bad them shewe him the coyne or money that was vsually payde for the tribute They brought him a denere wee call it a peny He asked them Cuius est Imago hec et superscriptio Mat. xxii Whose is this Image the scripture about They answered the emporours Note here good frendes that Christ asked not cuius est idolum hoc Whose is this idole for he knewe it was none but that it was an image as is the Image of our soueraigne Lord the king vpon his money coyned in London in Bristow or in other places whiche no man that hath witte woulde call an Idole For Saynte Paule sayth i. Cor. viii Scimus quia nihil est IdoluÌ„ in mundo quod nullus est deus nisi vnus We knowe that an ydole is nothinge in the worlde and that there is no God but one Where the blessed Apostle referreth muche vnto
sonne of God is gotten aske not the maner how for the angels cannot tel The Prophetes were ignorant thereof Esay saith his generation who can declare as who should say no creature We muste beleue it and reason no farther in it Not that the father is elder then the sonne neyther of greater power but that like as the fyre is not without heate neither the sunne in the fyrmament without brightnes so was the father neuer without the sonne neither had any power to do any thing but y t the sōne had y e same power to do the same like him and so hath the holy gost the third person in trinitie product and brought forth by the will of the father and of the sonne coeternally with the father with the sonne Almightynes of power is here applyed to the person of the father by appropriation although it agre to the almighty sonne to the almighty holy gost not three almighties but one God almyghtie And by this that we beleue him to be almightie we haue a great comfort and lighte to beleue all the articles that folowe in our creede for if he be almighty he may make heauen and earthe of nought he may make a man to be borne of a virgin he may forgiue synnes and giue life euerlasting Maker of heauen and earth maker by creation that is to say without any matter or stuffe to make it of That a man maketh he maketh of somewhat or of some stuffe therefore he can be no creatour but almighty god made heauen and earth of nothing therefore he is iustly called the creator of heauen and earth What is here to be vnderstande by thys woorde Heauen there be two opinions for which ye shall first vnderstand that heauen is called one maner of wise the empiriall heauen aboue the starrye skye and aboue all the orbes that moueth there in which is neyther place nor vacuitie neyther time but onelye thinges leading a most blessed life Thys farre Aristotle dreamed and discussed primo de celo mundo and it agreeth with holy scriptures and with holy doctours there putting the felicitye of Aungels and men that shall be saued in the fruition that is to say in the clere sighte and loue of God ther most aboundantly shewing his glory This the prophet in the psalme calleth the kyngdome of GOD saying to God of the same Thy kingdome is the kingdome of all worldes as who should say whatsoeuer nomber of yeares can be thoughte or spoken of thys kingdome passeth it for this king almighty God was neuer wythout a kingdome by which it semeth to be eternal and euerlasting for it is the very clerenes of God coeternal with him and not created with other visible creatures and to thys were admitted and receiued the holy angels after their creation for so long space and such durance as God knoweth best afore that he made heauen and earthe that Moyses spoke of And of this minde is Saynte Basile as appeareth in the first homilye of hys exameron Heauen is taken an other waye for the bodies aboue as Sunne Moone Sterres with the orbes and circles there Heauē is called also the thirde maner all that is aboue the earth and so the sayde bodies aboue with the speires of the fyre and of the ayre be compriseed vnder one name of heauen so it is taken in the psalme when we say the birdes of the heauen for the birdes of the ayre And after this opinion so taketh Moyses this word Heauen when he saythe that in the begynning God made heauē earth And by the Earth there is to be vnderstande the water and earth together whiche as then were not dysseuered and diuided tyll the thirde daye when the earth first appeared drye The seconde opinion which is more comon taketh this worde Heauen for the empiriall heauen replenished and fulfilled with the glorious companye of Angels whiche was made together with the earthe vnderstandynge by the Earthe the firste vnfacioned matter or stuffe of which almighty God made disposed and garnyshed al other kindes of creatures that may be sene or feled as wel in the firmament aboue as vnder it to his owne glorye to do seruice vnto man Therfore we haue great nede to take hede that vsing Gods creatures for our profite or pleasure we in no case dyshonoure God vsing thē contrary to his honour contrary to his pleasure intent that he made them for THe seconde article saynte Iohn Euangelist layd to this shotte or gathering which is this And in Iesu Christe his onelye sonne our Lorde euer repeting this word And I beleue so that this is the sentence And I beleue on Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lord. The second persone in trinitie the coeternall sonne of the father knowing afore the worlde beganne the syn of Adā of the miserable case that mā shuld com to was determined to saue mākinde frō the danger of the same therfore he was euer worthi to be called a sauiour Iesus is as much to sai as a sauior thē this name was his for euer it is y e name that y e father gaue him by productiō in his godhed was newly diuulged published bi the angell to our blessed Lady his mother afterward to his foster father Ioseph with y e interpretacion of y t name saying Ipse eni saluū faci po s. a pec eorū For he shall saue the people from their synnes which onely God can do and none other ▪ Gods pleasure was that the same name that he had in his Godhed should also be his name in his humanite for his humanitie was the instrument and mean by which he wrought and perfourmed our saluation and redemption Iesus and Christ signifieth one person that was borne of the virgine Mary yet there is some difference betwixte the names Iesus is his proper name as we say Hēry Thomas Roger or suche like Christ is the name of a sacrament as sainte Austine speaketh or of an office super epist. Io. tract iii. as we say a king a prophet a priest Christ is as much to saye as anoynted and he was anoynted before all other men by the chiefest oyntment which is the holye gost one God with him and with his father of which oyntment the anointyng with oyle is the sacrament and signe It foloweth his onely sonne which as saint Peter writeth was not declared by any fables But by that that he with Iohn Iames sawe and hearde on the holye hill where Christ shewed them the maiestie of his glorious body as it shuld be after hys resurrectiō because they shuld not fear nor wauer when they saw the miserable processe of his painful passiō Therfore sayth he ii Pet. i. Christ toke of God the father honour and glory by a voyce comming downe to him from the great doynge glorye after thys maner this is my welbeloued sonne in whom I haue pleasure gyue eare vnto hym And Christ in manye
was sayd in his name to synne and to hell Osee. xiii â–ª O death I will be thy death O hell I wyll bite the. He that eateth occupieth all that he eateth he that byteth taketh part and leaueth part so dyd the soule of Christ take that part of the prisoners in hell whiche dyed in charitie lefte behind him in tormentes and paynes with the deuylles â–ª all them that besyde oryginall synne hadde committed mortall synne and dyed without satisfaction for the same SAynt Thomas put the syxt article of our fayth sayinge The thyrde daye he rose agayne from death For on Sondaye earlye in the breakynge of the daye while it was somewhat darke he ioyned his soule vnto hys body and rose from death to lyfe and came forth of his chest or graue and oute of the monument or caue in the whiche the graue was beynge fast shutte with a greate stone rouled to it for a dore â–ª and surelye sealed And forthwith came the Aungell from heauen and remoued the stone that was rouled to the doore of the sayde caue and satte vpon it to declare that Chryste was rysen and gonne and anone came the thre Maries and they sawe and hearde the Aungels appearynge to theim lyke men whiche tolde theim that Chryste was rysen but they scarselye beleued the Aungelles rather thinkynge that his precyouse bodye was stolen and caryed awaye oute of the graue Notwithstandynge as they were bydde they wente to geue knoweledge to the Disciples whiche then kepte them selues together in greate pensifenes for the losse of theyr mayster and as close as they coulde for feare of shrewes Marye Magdalene made beste spede and tolde Peter and Iohn what she hadde sene and hearde and consequentlye the same day and other dayes folowinge as well the sayde holye women as the Apostles and other Disciples were by euidente and sensible signes well assured that he was bodelye rysen in dede and not fantasticallye nor faynedlye He was the fyrste that euer ryse to lyfe immortall neuer to die againe Other there were that were reised frome death to lyfe by the power of God but after certaine yeares they died againe Christe rose by his owne power and neuer died againe therefore the Apostles called him the beginninge and fyrste begotten amonge dead men Col. i. The beginner and cause of his owne resurrection whiche was by his owne power and also of oure resurrection that lyke as he died for oure sinnes and rose againe to iustifie vs so we shoulde mortifie oure selfe to sinne that we may rise againe with him and liue to God walkinge in a newe life whyle we be here that finallye we maye rise with oure bodies and soules glorified to immortall lyfe Oure olde manne was crucyfied with Christe that the bodye of synne myghte be destroyed that we shoulde no more doe seruice to sinne Oure olde man signifieth oure olde lyuinge in synne lyke Adam the fyrste manne that synned of whose offence descended to all his posteritie the nourishinge and feadinge of sinne the darte and pricke of death whiche the Apostle manye times calleth by the name of sinne this we must mortifie and kyll that so the bodye of synne maye be destroyed We lyue to synne when we lyue after the inclination of the sayde nurse and breder of synne so that synne reigne in our mortall bodies to obeye the desires of sinne And contrary we die to sinne when we do not the desires of sinne neither folowe the inclinations of sinne that so the body of sinne may be destroyed in vs the bodye of sinne is the whole rable and multitude of sinnes together like limmes of one body as fornication vncleanes auarice contention wrath gyle brauling dissension heresies enuye ryot or surfet and suche other when these be mortified in vs then we dye with Christ. And this mortification we must buselye and continually beare vpon vs and then we shal be sure to liue with him by renewinge of our liuinge contrarie to vice vsing iustice and vertue that so we may giue light of good example to all others that they may glorifie and laude God in vs that finally we and they with vs may ryse to immortall glorye THen foloweth the seuenth article whiche S. Barthelomew put to this gathering and it is this He ascended into heauen and sitâ—eth on the righte hande of GOD the father almightie That is to saye the condition of our nature whiche he toke of the virgin his mother he toke vp with him and set it on the ryght hand of his father aboue the skye and aboue all the orders of aungels and aboue al thinge that is named not only in this world but also in the world to come Therefore let vs ascende vp in deuoute heart with Christ while we be in this presente lyfe that when the daye of the generall resurrection shall come we may folowe him ascendyng in body thither as he is gone afore vs bodelye openinge the waye for vs. Mich. ii For lyke as he rose from death to life to make vs lykewise to ryse so he ascended to make vs to ascende For whiche purpose we must well knowe and remeÌ„ber that with Christ ascendeth not pryde nether couetousenes lechery or any other synne he was our phisition he cured vs and made vs once hole but he toke with him none of our malaÌ„ders therfore yf we come after him we must leaue all these and cast them of least they presse vs downe that we may not ascend to that glorious place wher Christ sitteth on the ryght hande of his father that is to saye equal with the father by his godhead and in the inheritaunce and highest wealth and glory of God by his humanitie to entreate for vs as our attourney towarde the father To sitte belongeth to a iudge because oure sauioure nowe beinge in heauen considereth and iudgeth all mens actes and at the laste shall manifestlye and openly come to iudge them and to geue sentence therefore it is sayd that he sytteth Saynt Steuen sawe him standing on the fathers right hande as one redy to fyght for hym and to helpe him constantlye to suffer the persecution of the Iewes where ye must not ymagine any materiall body or ryght hand or lyfte hande in the godhead or any material stoles to sit on in heauen it is a maner of speakinge of the scripture by a similitude rather then that there be any such partes there in dede And likewise to sitte or stande in heauen signifieth no more but there to be at his pleasure and to shewe hym selfe as it please his maiestie THe eyght article saint Mathew the Apostle and Euangelist sayd From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade In the same body he wyl come to the iudgemeÌ„t in whiche he ascended into heauen to iudge all christen and hethen for all we that be hath be shall be shall stande afore Christes seat of iudgement that euery man maye receaue the duetie of his bodye as he hath
Centurio a captain in Capharnaum came to Christ praying him to helpe his seruant that was yll vexed with a paulsy Christ offered to come him selfe to the mans house to heale his seruaunt No saith he I am not worthye to receiue you into my house but once say the word and my seruant shall be whole and according to his beliefe so he sped for his seruant was whole by and by after the maister had confessed his beliefe An other that was impotent by a pawlsye and his frendes coulde finde no waye to bringe him to Christe for preasse of people that were about him in the house At the last they were fame to vntile the house and let him in by the roofe of the house Quorum fidem vt vidit dixit homo remittuntur tibi peccata tua et ait paralitico tibi dico surge tolle lectum tuum vade in domum tuam Luke v. Mark ii He saw the faith of them that so conueyed the syckeman in at the roofe of the house and forgaue the man his sinnes and cured him of his pawlsy at the contemplation of theyr faith that brought him to Christe And this texte maketh plainly for our purpose for here it appeareth that by the faith of other men this sickman had aswell soule health as bodely healthe for he had his sinnes forgiuen him for his soule health and was rid of his pawsy for his bodely healthe And euen so it was generallye of Christes cures that he did which were euer full and perfite for he healed the whole man soule and bodye for he vsed not to heale the bodye but he woulde fyrste heale the soule because that the infirmities of the body commeth comonly of the sinnes and syckenes of the soule either originall or actuall The Gospels hath many suche examples in whiche it is plaine that the belief and praiers of others helpeth against bodely sickenes then muche more it helpeth against this daungerous sickenes of the soule that is originall synne the common malander and mischiefe of all the issue of Adam which if it be not cured and healed wyll surely let hym that is diseased with it from the sight of the glorie of God for euer For as I saide God regardeth more the health of the soule then of the body And consideringe that the infantes haue the said originall sinne by an other mans preuarication and transgression reasonable it is that they be releued and discharged of the same by the meane of other mens faith as by the vniuersall faith of the church and by the faith of the godfathers and godmothers and of other assistents at the christening of the childe so that we muste not exclude or denie the mercye grace of God from any man or woman borne into this worlde but that after their bodelye birthe to death they be new borne to life by Gods holye worde and by water with the inspiration of grace of the holye spirite the holye Gost. And by this that I haue said you maye answer to the chiefe reason of the Anabaptistes that they vse against the said veritie alledging that Christ sayth Math xviii Qui crederit baptisatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued and he that beleueth not shal be dampned Of this they take that it is necessary for him that shall be baptised that he beleue Now say they infantes lackynge the vse of reason cannot beleue therefore they be vnmete to be baptised I tolde you that they be saued by the beliefe of the church and beleueth in the beliefe of the church and in the belief of theyr Godfathers and godmothers other assistents representing the church as I declared by diuers examples of the gospell as wel of soule health as of bodely health procured of Christ by the belief of others or els as the scholasticall doctours sa◠very well in receyuing of the sacrament of baptisme the grace of faith is infused and powred in to the soule of him or her that is baptised and so they haue the habyte or theologicall vertue of fayth or the thing by which afterwarde as they increase in the vse of reason they may beleue actually and in dede Example a Phisicion though he be fast a sleepe he hath the science of phisicke but yet if you put an vrinall in his hand he cannot iudge the disease of the sickman as longe as he is a slepe albeit he hath the sciēce in his soule by which whē he waketh he can iudge according to his learning And I trust you haue now herd sufficiently of the new birthe that saynte Peter speaketh of which is more to be pondred then the carnall byrth by corrubtible matter for the sede cause of this generation is vncorruptible it is the worde of God that abideth for euer therfore consideringe whereof we came and be gotten to life and to God we ought to haue special cleanenes in our life and to chastice oure soules vnder obedient charitie and in fraternall loue attentius more earnestly then we haue don and more diligently cōsidering the nobilitie of thys our second byrthe by the vncorruptible seede of Gods holye worde that abideth for euer and hath bene preached among vs as saint Peter sayth in the ende of hys first chapter And now you haue heard the first chapiter of this first epistle of saint Peter declared as my poore wyt and learning wold serue me I pray God it may be to hys pleasure and to the edifying and profyte of oure soules Amen ¶ The fift treatise or sermon The second chapiter DEponentes igitur omnem malitiam et omnem dolū simulationes et inuidias et omnes detractiones sicut modo geniti infantes rationabiles sine dolo lac concupiscite In the fyrst chapiter of this epistle which I haue passed ouer and expounded as God put into my minde the blessed Apostle saint Peter chiefelye magnifyeth our regeneration and seconde byrth by which we be borne to life euerlasting where throughe oure carnall parentes we were borne to dye Fyrst he giueth thankes to God that hath done so moche for vs as so to get vs againe to the inheritance of heauen that wil neuer be corrupt that neuer wil be defowled nor fade or wither away and in the meane season will bring vs to the soule healthe by Christes faith that al the old prophets labored to see and to obteine but thei were answered that it would not be for theyr time but all the labours that they tooke in prayers contemplacion and study should serue for them that shuld come after which be wee that haue sene and heard the trouthe by theym that haue preached Christes gospel continually sithe the holye Gost was sent from heauen in sensible signes of fyrye tounges sone after Christes gloryous ascention And for this consideration sainte Peter exhorteth vs to be cleane of lyuinge and while we be here to liue in feare considering the indifferencye of our iudge in
then Iosue with his host returned vpon them so betwyxte the captaine and the stale they were destroyed and taken euery mothers sonne This was bonus dolus a laudable gile to vanquish and ouercome Gods enemies which had discomforted them afore You must also lay away and put from you all simulacion or faining shewing one thing for an other hauing one thing in the mouth and an other thing closed within the hart as Ioab did to Amasa ii Reg. xx suspecting that Amasa would haue put him out of fauoure with the kinge Dauid when he met wyth hym he came louingly to him and said Salue mi frater God spede you or God saue you my brother and with hys right hand he toke Amasa by the chin as though he woulde haue kissed him but with his left hād he drew his dagger and strake him in the syde so that his guts fel about his feete there he died Here was sore simulatiō and fayning this was a false flattring kisse like Iudas kisse by whych he betrayed his maister This must be left layd downe and no more vsed There is also an other simulation which may be called good and laudable and suche vsed kinge Dauid as it is wrytten i. Reg. xxi when he fled to Achis kynge of Geth when the kynges seruauntes sawe Dauid they sayd among them selues is not this Dauid king of the land of Israell Dauid was sore afrayde and when he came afore Achis the king he changed his countenance and fell down among their handes and then flapped his handes and layde his shoulders against the doores his spytle draueled downe vpon his beard Then sayde Achis to his seruants why haue you brought this mad man afore me haue we not mad men inoughe of our owne Why haue ye brought this felowe to play the mad man in my presence And vpō thys Dauid was let go like a foole and so escaped the danger of them that would haue brought him a gaine to king Saul which then was his mortall enemye And to this fact of Dauid agreeth full well thys comon prouerbe Stultitiam simulare loco prudentia summa est To fayne foolishnesse in some case is verye highe wisedome Thys is not the pernicious simulation by whiche men wyth flyring cheare woulde crepe into a mans bosome and yet kyll hym if they coulde And so muste all enuye be layde awaye that is sorowe for an others mans wealthe or welfare or gladnesse for hys hurte or hynderance For here on earthe no man enuyeth hym that hath neyther vertue morall nor intellectuall neyther theologicall but rather bemoneth hym and is sorye for hym accordyng to the old prouerbe I hadde leauer hee enuyed me then bemoned me Thys is that dyuelish vice that is not so meete for anye place as for hell In heauen it cannot be for there shall be the greatest ioye possible of one neyghbour in an other euerye man shall reioyce of an other mans glorye as muche as of hys owne In hell thys vyce shall be at rest for there he shall see nothing to disdayne at or to enuye at there shall bee no wealthe no prosperitie no exaltacion or promotion to be enuyed but all payne sorow and care And of thys shall come no ioye to the enuyous soule but all freatyng and gnawyng in his own conscience and euerye one of theym that there shall be against an other It is the sinne that is most contrarye to charitie and by that moste dyspleasaunt to almightye God and moste acceptable and pleasant to the dyuell And of thys enuy commeth and foloweth thys other vyce that Saynte Peter here woulde haue vs purged of that so we myghte be able to receyue the mylke that he woulde nourse vs and feede vs wyth all That vyce saythe Saynte Peter is detraction or backbitynge by whiche secretelye behinde a mans backe a mans fame or good name is defaced and defowled Suche backbiters that depraueth and missayeth men behinde theyr backes destroying theyr good name Sainte Paule reherseth amonge them that God hath let runne in reprobum sensum into such madnes as to think nothing good but that is nought in dede and to do as is vnconuenient for men to doe Susurrones detractores deo odibiles they be such as God hateth or as the other translation hath dei osores suche as hateth God for they hate theyr neyghbours whō God would haue them to loue so thei loue neither God nor his pleasure commandement The greatest treasure that a man hathe is hys good name and fame therefore Ecclesiast xli biddeth vs Curam habe de bono nomine hoc enim magis permanebit tibi quam mille thesauri preciosi et magni thou must care and take hede and prouide for thy good name for that will stick by the better then a thousand rich and great treasures and Salomon saith Pro. xxii Melius est bonū nomen quam diuitie multe Better is a good name then great riches Therefore he that diminisheth thy good name doth worse then if he pyked thy purse or stole all thy riches and can neuer haue his offence forgiuen till he haue made restituciō and then considering howe hard it is to pull out of mens heades that opinion that thou hast once brought into their heades by thy rayling backbiting tong By this you may consider the dāger of that vyce for the frowardnes of fraile man is such that it is more easie to bring out of his head a good opinion once conceiued by an other then an yll Thou shalt tell a good tale or a good report by one twise or thrise afore a man beleue it but a noughty report be it neuer so false is soone taken but not so soone disswaded againe And by this also appeareth the danger perill of thē that giueth eare to backbiters for they be partakers of the offence so be in like dānacion beside the sinister rashe iudgement that they haue of their neighbour by such detraction and lewd report of y e detractour or backbiter for to misiudge thy neighbour to be a theefe or to be a lecher or adulterer to be an heretik or such other mortal sinner except the fact be euidente and plaine or the signes so euident that they can not be countersaid is deadly sinne Therefore as S. Hierome saith Epistola ad Nepocianū de vita clericorū we muste beware that we haue nother itchinge tonges nor itchinge eares itching tonges busy clatering and raylinge itching eares euer open and glad to be clawed with newes and noughty tales But fewe there be that forsake this vice of detraction and a man shall seldome finde one so clere and blameles that he will not be gladde to reproue and blame other folkes liuinge And men haue so great pleasure in this vice that thei y t be not poluted or spotted with other vices yet they fall to this vice as into the extremeste and last snare of the deuill and the lightnes
wey and runne because we must folowe the foundation and leyne on the foundation The earthlye buildynge beginneth at the grounde for there lieth the foundation but the spirituall foundation on is on high in heauē Therfore thither toward him our spirituall buildynge must ascende that we maye be suche spiritual houses as saint Peter exhorteth vs to be in the wordes of his epistle which I read now vnto you And that we all may be so he graunt vs that for vs dyed Amen ¶ The seuenth treatise or sermon THe blessed Apostle Saint Peter prosecuteth this spiritual buylding that I spoke of in thend of my last sermon saying that we muste be buylded on this stone our sauiour Christ as an holy priesthoode offering spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Occasion of this saying saint Peter toke of the saying of al mighty God by Moyses to the people of Israel Exod. xix If you will heare my voice and wil kepe my commaundement you shall be my peculier and speciall people of all people all the world is myne et vos eritis mihi in rengnū sacerd otale et gens sancta ta And I wyll haue you a priestly kingdome and an holy nation Alluding to this Saint Peter wryteth here Vos autem genus electum regale sacerdo cium gens sancta populus acquisitionis You be a chosen kinred a princely or a kingly priesthod an holy nacion a people that are wonne Thys text cannot be negligentlye passed ouer but muste be earnestly loked on speciallye because that at this text manye men stumble and hurt them selues takinge occasion of heresie Of this saying of almighty God in Exodo and the rehersall of saynt Peter of the same text here in this place thei wil proue if they maye that all men and women be priestes as well as they that be ordered by a byshops hands because that saint Peter writ these wordes to all them that he had preached vnto by thē to vs and to all other that shal come after till the worldes ende as wel to women as to mē of all degres and of all ages that were baptised and had taken vpon them Christes lyuerye All such saint Peter calleth regale sacerdotium kings and priestes and to confirme theyr opinion they alledge the saying of saint Iohn in the first chapter of the Apocalips wher he speaketh of Christ saying Qui dilexit nos lauit nosa peccatis nostris in sāguine suo et fecit nos regnum et sacerdotes deo et parrisuo He loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloode and made vs a kingdome priests to God and to his father Of these authorities the Lutherians take an argument and occasion to confounde and deface all good order of diuine and humane thinges allowing the womē to serue the altar and to say masse while the men tary at home and keepe the children and washe theyr ragges and clothes and aswell they might allow the women to be captains of their warres and to leade and gide an army of men in battell while theyr husbandes tary at home to mylk the Cowe and to serue the Sow and to spynne and carde To exchewe suche horrible confusion and misordring of the worlde that would offende honest eares to heare it and to declare that if they well vnderstoode the textes alledged they should finde none occasion of such errour We must returne to the sayd texts and waigh the sayings of almighty God by Moyses to the people of Israel and the sayinges of S. Peter and saint Iohn so that we may conserue and keepe that ordinate I herarchie and good order amonge people that God would haue vs to kepe and that al the gospels and the Apostles letters be full of Saynt Ambrose in his first booke de vocatione gentium cap. iii. giueth vs a very notable rule to expounde scriptures and it is the same rule in effecte that Tichonius putteth for the thirde rule whiche he called de specie et genere as S. Austine writeth iii. de doctrina Christiana Saint Ambrose rule is this In scripture many times that thing is said and spoken vniuersally of the whole which is verified and true onely of the part He putteth ther many examples of whiche some I will reherse leauing the other for to auoyde prolixitie and tediousnes The prophet saith in the psalme Alleuat dominus omnes qui corruunt et erigit omnes eli sos Our Lord God taketh vp all them that fall and setteth vp al them that be broken or brused By this texte it seemeth that who soeuer falleth to sinne God setteth him vp agayne or if he be broken against the stone that I spoke of afore by sinne God setteth hym on his feete agayne whiche if it myght be so vnderstande and founde true then shoulde neuer manne nor woman be dampned and then it myghte seeme true that I sayde of the mockers of Gods woorde that they hadde made a leege with death and a couenaunt with hell that neyther death nor hell should hurt theym And oure Sauiour saythe in the Gospell Si exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad me ipsum As thoughe he promysed that when he was crucifyed he woulde conuert and drawe to him all men and women of the world whiche is not yet performed but many persist and continue in infidelitie And likewise in the negatiues it is written in the psalme Dominus de celo prospexit super filios hominum vt videat si est intelligēs aut requirens deum omnes declinauerunt simul inutiles facti sunt nō est qui faciat bonū non est vsque ad vnū Psa. xiii Our lord loked down frō heauē vpō the children of mē to se whither ther wer euer a wyse one or one that sought for god al be wried away they be al together vnprofitable without fruite of good workes There is none that doth any good no not so much as one Likewise saith the Apostle Phil. ii omnes que sua sunt querunt non que Iesu Christi All men seeke for theyr own profite and not those thynges that be for Christes pleasure Here be hard sayinges if they be not helped bi the rule that saint Ambrose teacheth vs to remēber when we expound scriptures The rule is this The scripture speaketh manye tymes of the whole meaninge but the part of the same as speaking of the whole world meaneth but parte of the same and speaking of al men meaneth but part of thē Or as the Logicion speaketh in such sayinges of the scriptures there maye be vnderstand distributio pro generibus singulorum nō pro singulis generum vel econuerso As when the prophet sayde that God taketh vp to him all that fall downe For of all them that falleth he taketh vp some and leaueth the other in their filth myre And when Christ said that when he should be exalted on the crosse he would drawe all the men women of the
thē loke smoth is of the deuils inuētiō neuer of gods teaching Therfore I must exhort al womē to beware of coūterfeting adulterating or chaūginge the fashion and fourme of Goddes worke ether by yelow colour blacke or redde pouder or by any other medson corrupt or chaūg y e natural lineamētes or fauour of man or woman because they that vse that maner of doinge semeth to go about to correcte or amende the thinge that god hath made and striueth against God violentlye settynge hande vppon his worke If there were an excellent Painter or a keruer that had made a goodly image of the best fashion that he could if a busye bodye woulde take a tole and take vppon him to amende the ymage so made shoulde he not do iniurye to the sayde gaye workeman and also dispite vnto hym Yes surelye For he shoulde seme to count the workeman but a fole nothing cunnyng Then cōsider almighty God the workeman of of all workemen he made the face and body of man and woman as he thought best then I praye you what arrogancy and presūption is it for man or woman to set to the pensile or tole to make it better Thinkest thou that God will not take vengeaunce on thee for thy striuinge wyth him to amend yea rather to mar that he hath made Therfore in that y t thou thinkest thy selfe that thou arte made fayrer thou art made fowler in dede beggynge of colours made with pouder of stones with rindes of trees or wyth ioyce of herbes the thing that thou hast not of thy selfe More ouer Christe sayth Mat. v. Non potes vnum capillum album facere aut nigrū Thou canst not make one heer of thy head white or blacke And yet thou by thy pride wylte proue him a lyer and make thy selfe a better workman then he paintynge thy heere or thy face not onelye blacke or white for women set little by such colours but also yelowe or redde malo praesagio futurorum sayth S. Cipriane with a shreude ossinge or prophecying of the colour that thy head shalbe of in the redde fyre of hel when thou shalt come thither Nowe I praye the that so paintest thy selfe arte thou not afrayde least when thou shalte appeare afore the iudge at the generall iudgemente he wyll not knowe the but wil put the away from the rewarde that is prouided for all good people in heauen sayinge what haue we here The figure of her face is steyned or polluted into a straunge countenaunce Howe canst thou see God with suche eyes as he made not but as the deuyls crafte hath died and steyned lyke the fyrye glistering eyes of the serpent with whome thou shalt burne for euermore The fyrst that I reade of that thus painted her phisnomy was the noughtye quene Iesabell the common butcher and murderer of all the preachers and prophetes of almightye God She was wyfe to Achab kinge of Israell that destroied Naboth for his vineyard when Hieu sometime seruaunt to Achab and to his sonne Ioram was anoynted kinge and had slayne his Lorde and maister Ioram by Goddes commaundemente he came into Iezraell where the kinges manoure was there to do vengeaunce on Iezabell that noughty quene she trustinge to haue grace and fauoure at his handes yf she might moue him to concupiscence paynted her eyes and her heare and her face after the best fashion But this woulde not helpe they that were aboue in the chambre with her were commaunded to pitche her downe at the wyndowe and so they did and there she was all to troden vnder the horse feete so that there was no more lefte but the scull of her head and her fete and the knockels of her handes whiche serued for the dogges accordinge to the prophecie of the blessed prophete Helye In agro Iezraell commedent canes carnes Iezabel iiii Reg. ix You see what payntinge serued for But nowe maried women wyll pretende and make an excuse by theyr husbandes sayinge that they take all the labours in payntinge and trimming them selues to please theyr husbandes and so doynge they make theyr husbandes partetakers of theyr offence and consequently of theyr dampnation for company sake And I shall aduertise all maried men and all them that haue doughters to kepe that whether the tyrynge or trimminge of your wyues and doughters be for to please you as they say or to please them selues as you say that you suffer not theym to vse it because it is not godlye as I haue tolde you and also because of the peryll that may come of it For when they set them selues forth so curyouselye and goeth abroade in the streates or sytteth in theyr shoppe windows or elles peraduenture at feastes and bankettes with vicious companye it is not you alone that they woulde haue to loke vpon them it is not you alone that is pleased with the sight of theim it is not you alone that casteth theyr eyes after theim or that draweth longe sighes of carnall loue after them this is not the waye to kepe theim for youre selues Beware therefore good husbandes that you set not youre wyues or doughters so to sale for feare least harme come of it And you good wiues beware of the daunger and peryll of youre honestye and specially beware of the peryll of your soules If you nouryshe the luste of concupiscence and sette on fyre the breadynge of sinne so beynge as a sword or dagger to stryke an other man to the hearte and as a verye poysonne to destroy others you knowe the perill of it Wo be to him or her sayth Chryste that geueth occasion of ruyne woo and sorowe euerlastinge in hell Beare not your selues proude of youre husbandes riches sayinge my husbande hath landes and rentes to mainetayne all the costes that I do vpon me my husbande hath golde inoughe in his coffers his riches commeth in and encreaseth dayelye The time shall comme that you shall saye wringinge youre handes and gnasshinge youre teeth in Hell Sapient v. Quid nobis profuit superbia aut diuitiarum iactantia quid contulit nobis Talia dixerunt in inferno qui peccauerunt c. They that haue synned shall saye after this manner in Hell What dydde oure pryde auayle vs Or what profitte hadde we by boastynge of oure ryches As whoo shoulde saye none at all but rather aggrauatethe oure dampnation If thou be riche lette the pouertie feele thy ryches helpe theim wyth thy riches and bestowe it not in superfluous ornamentes Study to dresse youre soules sayth S. Peter here and trymme the inwarde man qui absconditus est cordis homo that is hyd within you your soules whiche God seeth very well and do it so that your spirite be not corrupte or defouled with sinne but be quiete not troubled with inordinate concupiscence or desyre of the fleshe nor of the minde studyinge for to do displeasures or to do hurte And also that your spirite be modest kepinge a meane and measure in all your sayinges
requite il words then il dedes for meÌ„ dare not at al tunes strike wheÌ„ they be strikeÌ„ nor rob when thei be robbed yet words be sone paied home many times worst then they be giuen of which coÌ„meth much dissentioÌ„ anger breach of charity Therfore the apostle specially biddeth theÌ„ that he wrot to vs by them beware of that faut endeuour our selues to say wel when we be ill said by for cursings to pai hom blessings again for which he bringeth a vehement persâ—oasioÌ„ by that that we be called to Christes faith to haue Gods blessing by enheritaunce whiche shall be giuen vs at oure iudgment Therfore s. Peter meaneth that what soeuer we desire to haue in the world to com in y e same thing we should exercise our selues in thys world blessing our Lord maker by laud praising him blessing our brothers sisters our eueÌ„ christeÌ„ saying wel by theÌ„ wishing praying theÌ„ good in this world so preparing our selfes for the heauenly blessing that shal neuer fail vs. S. Peter alledged the prophet Dauid in the psal xxxiii whosoeuer wil loue life euerlasting in heaueÌ„ in whiche no maÌ„ dieth and will loue to se good daies that shal neuer be darkened nor discoÌ„tinued by ani night let him refraine his tong froÌ„ il saiynges not blaspheming y e name of god nor murmuring agaiÌ„st him And let him refrain his lips that they speake no gile nor deceit against his neighbour but be true in thy words in keping thi honest promises for vnlawful vnhonest ê“mises thou shuldest make none but if thou haue made any such thou shouldest repent thy foly breake thy promis Christ saith Mat. xii Ex verbis tuis iustificaberis et exveâ—bis tuis condemnaberis by thy woordes thou shalt be iustified approued as a good man afore god and by thy words thou shalt be dampned the children of Adders being noughtye theÌ„ selfe can not say wel ex abundantia enim cordis loquitur os for y e mouth speaketh of the stuffe of the hart Il wordes declareth an ill hart good words declareth a good hart And therfore when the prophet also s. Peter forbiddeth the tong from il he forbiddeth the hart from il thoughts aswel as y e tonge from il wordes S. Iames saith Iac. iii. Be a horse neuer so strong feirce yet with a good bit in his mouth with the bridle a man may turne him winde him as he list and likewise a ship though it be very great and vnweldi be set furth in his way with a right boistous strong forwinde yet with a litle sterne it may be turned wynded as the maister y t holdeth the helme list So the toÌ„ge is but a litle lim of a mans body et magna exaltat it setteth forth many great matters mors et vitam manibus lingue it bringeth life temporal and much quietnes if it be well bestowed and causeth life euerlasting to him that well vseth hys tonge in godlye doctrine and gostlye exhortation vttered in season wher contrary a wicked tonge maketh muche trouble in thys worlde and manye times death temporal and eternal foloweth of it A little fire burneth a whole groue or a greate wodde An yll tongue is a fire that marreth all and burneth vp coÌ„sumeth and wasteth al goodnes specially when the fire of hell hath set it on a flame when the deuyll hath blowen the coale It is an vnquiet mischiefe full of deadly poyson Prohibe linguam tuam a malo When the Deuyll moueth thee to saye yll then play the controller playe the commaunder bidde thy tongue kepe it selfe wythin hys bondes and saye none euyll thoughe thy courage woulde contrarye And then Declinet a malo faciat bonum Where the blessed apostle Saint Peter by the words of the Prophet biddeth vs vse Iustice in our woorkes and dedes as he hath willed vs to vse iustice in our thoughtes and in our wordes And because there be two principall partes of Iustice one to decline from euill and the other to do good hee that will see good dayes must decline from euil so perfourmynge the preceptes negatiue Thou shalt not take the name of God in vayne Thou shalt not kyll any man woman or childe Thou shalt not steale nor robbe Thou shalt do no lechery nor such other The seconde precept concerninge the other parte of Iustice is to dooe good fulfillyng the precepts affirmatiue Beleuyng on one God louyng him and fearyng him Kepyng thy holy daye holilye worshippynge thy father and mother and generallye so doynge to an other as thou wouldest an other should do to thee Inquirat pacem prosequatur eam Let him seke peace with God and man and earnestly folowe it The worlde can geue no peace but will rather driue away peace and make disseÌ„sion and debate betwixt god and man and betwixt man and man Therfore the Prophete saith not onelye thou must seke for peace but also thou muste pursue it runne after it laboure and finde all meanes possible to catche it and to holde it els it will be gone the worlde and carnalitie wil haue it awaye from thee And because he that declineth and auoydeth from euill and doth well and also laboureth and taketh paine to obtaine Iustice taketh great labour and pains in so doing The blessed apostle sainte Peter forth with comforteth vs telling what is the reward of iustice and of good men that kepe iustice Oculi domini super iustos This shall be their rewarde Firste our Lorde Gods eyes wyll fauourablie beholde them and louinglye loke vppon theim as on his frendes as a mans eyes runneth muche on the thinge that a man loueth Seconde his eares will be open mercifully inclined to heare their prayers where contrary he will make a face and loke with a terrible countenance vpon them that do yll and kepe not these partes of Iustice afore rehersed nor careth for peace nor will not labour for to obtaine it Where the prophet applieth corporal limmes or meÌ„bres to almighty god coÌ„descending to our infirmitie of our wittes whiche must be led vp bi corporal similitudes to the coÌ„sideration of heuenly thinges of the maner vsed among men by his amiable casting his eyes vpon vs his louing fauour and by his frowning terrible countenance his anger and displeasure Et quis est qui vobis noceat si boni emulatores fueritis â— Here the apostle excludeth a certaine doubt that might moue mens mindes saiyng that if we shal thus do as you saye not requite euil for euil nor checke for checke but contrary waies do good for yll blesse or saye well for yll wordes and euer to labour for peace and quietnes then euery maÌ„ would treade vs vnder fote and would hurt vs and rob vs and do vs displeasures one after another so we shold be in worse case then all other men be To this s. Peter answereth comfortyng
in the noughty sorte of christen people deposirio sordium carnis a clensinge and wasshinge away of the filth of the flesh by the water of baptisme when they were christened but it preuayled not to eternall saluation because they lacked a faythfull conscience well instructed examined and tried towarde GOD by the resurrection of Christ from the dead that like as he rose from the dead so our consciences should ryse frome deade workes of synne to liuelye workes of grace and vertue no more to dye or synne agayne whiche is in the right hande of God swalowynge vp consuminge and destroyinge death that so we might be made inheritours of euerlastinge life That a man swaloweth he consumeth so that it shall no more appeare in the fourme and fashion that it was of afore so Christe made by his death that death shuld be consumed in as much as by his death the deuyl that is the auctor causer of death was ouercome his heart was burst He begilinge and deceiuyng oure fyrste parentes kylled them â–ª and made them and all theyr posteritie subiect to death but kylling the latter man the latter Adam our Sauioure Christe he loste the fyrste man oute of his snares whiche kylled his hearte and was verye death to him He had power to bringe all them to death that descended of Adam whome he hadde kylled yf they came of hym by carnall propagation takinge of him the spotte of sinne but abusinge his libertie and procuringe the death of our moost innocent Sauioure Christe that came not of the sede of Adam by generation betwixt two parentes nor had any spotte of sinne by Adam he was worthy to lose his libertie and so he loste an infinite numbre of them that he thought him self sure of and dayly loseth his expectation and none can gette but suche as wylfully wyll runne into his daunger After this victorye ouer the deuyll Christ went vp into heauen as S. Peter sayth here and had subiect vnto him Aungels potestates and vertues where S. Peter expresseth three orders of Aungels of heauen to be subdued and subiecte vnto Christ by them vnderstandinge al the residue of the Aungels which as S. Dionise in his boke de celesti Hierarchia writeth according to that he had learned of his maister S. Paule by whome he was baptised and also taughte in the catholyke fayth be diuided into .iii. Hierarchies Euery Hierarchie conteyninge .iii. orders of Aungels and so they make nine ordres in the whole Saint Dionise that wrytte his booke of these heauenly creatures was S. Paules disciple and scoler and learned of him that could best declare the truthes of theim in as muche as he was rapte into heauen and there sawe suche secretes as a man might not speake Notwithstandinge as muche as semed to agree to mortall mans capacitie for to knowe as was mete and profitable for men to learne he declared to this blessed S. Dionise and to others of his disciples that had theyr wittes illuminate aboue others whiche the sayde S. Dionise committed to writing in his boke rehearsed that the posteritie that shoulde come after him in Christes churche mighte be instructe by the same In the sayde boke he rehearsed the names of euerye order of aungels in euery one of the saide Hierarchies The fyrste and highest Hierarchie conteyninge the .iii. orders Seraphin Cherubin and Thronos The seconde conteyneth Dominationes virtutes potestares The thirde Hierarchie and lowest hath in it these thre orders Principatus Archangelos et Angelos As appereth by s. Dionise in the sayde boke Cap vi vii.viii .ix. And by S. Gregory Homil .xxxiiii. super Euangelia All these were subiecte and subdued to Christes manhod when he came to heauen by his marueilous ascension Of all these orders Saint Peter in this place rehearseth thre orders one of the loweste Hierarchie Angelis and two of the middle Hierarchie potestates et virtutes by them vnderstandinge all the other Aungels which though they were euer sith theyr fyrst creation subiecte and subdued to Christes Godheade yet here in this place he maketh speciall mention of theyr subiection to Christ that he might shewe that the humanitie of Christ was so exalted and set alofte by his ascension whiche Saint Peter here speaketh of that it was preferred and set aboue the excellencie of all the Aungels of heauen Accordinge to the sayinge of the Prophet Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius And Saint Paul phil Dedit illi no men quod est super omne nomen vt in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur celestium terrestrium infernorum GOD the father hath geuen hym a name aboue all names that to his name all creatures in heauen in earth and of hel shall bowe the knee and be subdued and obediente vnto him To whome be all honour and glorye for euer Amen The .xiiii. treatise or sermon The fourth Chapiter CHristo igitur passo in carne vos eadem cogitatione armamini quia qui passus est in carne de siit a peccatis c. The blessed Apostle Saynt Peter in diuers places of this epistle that we haue in hande vehemently extolleth and coÌ„mendeth the most aboundant mercy of God by whiche he hath regenerate and gotten vs agayne to lyfe where we were afore by oure carnall parentes gotten to death And we see by experience that one that hath a greate affection or vehement loue to any thinge wyll be euer busie as it were one that coulde neuer haue done or that woulde be euer gladde to speake of it So Saint Peter coulde neuer geue thankes ynoughe he euer inculcateth bringeth in the remembrauÌ„ce of the benefyt of oure redemption because we shoulde euer haue it in minde And because it is not ynough to remember it but we must also in our liuinge conforme oure selues to the same holynes he geueth vs manye holesome morall lessons and fatherly exhortations teachinge vs to lyue vertuousely and holyly contrarye to vices and vicious liuinge And because our regeneration and sanctification coÌ„meth by baptisme whiche taketh his efficacitie and strength of Christes bloude shedde in his payneful passion therfore euer amonge he speaketh of the excellente mysterye of the sayde passion of Christe and of his gloryous resurrection by whiche as he sayd in the ende of the thyrde Chapiter whiche I declared in my laste sermon vpon the same he swalowed vp drowned and consumed death of the soule to make vs heyres of lyfe euerlastynge And in as muche as the worlde and the spyryte be aduersaries and euer at variaunce euen so be worldlye and carnall personnes enemyes to spirituall personnes Spirituall I call good lyuers that worketh accordynge to the inclination and styringe of the holye spyryte the holye gooste Then considerynge that the carnall people be the more sorte and the greater number and the good lyuers be fewer in number it is no maâ—ueyle that good people suffereth muche wo vexation and trouble in this worlde that were able to ouerthrowe a
um herinacijs the rocke is a refuge a place of safe garde and defence for that beast It is a little rough beast and buildeth in the rockes in Palestine in the holy lande I thinke we haue none of them here with vs. For the same our translation in the prouerbs of Salomon putteth Lepusculus an Hare or a Leueret This worde Saphan in the Hebrewe hath dyuers significations of whyche one is a Hare and so it is put in our comon translacion A Hare is a weake beast and a fraiful euer running away more trusting to her feete and to her form or resting place then to her own streÌ„gth Sometime she maketh her forme in old grofes rockes or quarryes spent lefte or forsaken and signifieth the weake good Christen people that seke not to reuenge the wrongs done vnto them and hath this pointe of prudence and wisedome not to trust in theyr owne strength but to putte theyr trust principally in our redemer sauioure Iesus Christe sygnified by the stone or rocke in whiche as it is sayde here the Hare maketh hys bed or forme And so we all shoulde be timorous and frayfull of oure owne selues or of our owne merites and muste commytte oure selues to the protection and defence of God as in a towre of strengthe to saue vs from oure ennemyes that woulde destroye vs. Regem Locusta non habet egreditur vuiuersa pro turmas suas Locusta is a certayne longe Flye bygger then the Cricket or then the Grassehopper they be verye many in Affrike and in southe parte of Asia Theyr propertie is to flye flocking together as it wer al with one accorde hauyng no kyng nor captayne to set theym forwarde The Bees haue a captayne or mayster Bee whom they folowe when they wyll swarme and so hath not these Locustes bi which is commended vnto vs the prudence and wysedome in concorde and vnitie felow like wythout coertion or compulsion â–ª For thoughe concorde and vnitie wyth obedience vnder one heade and ruler be very good and necessary and accordinge to Gods lawee and to hys pleasure yet thys brotherlye loue and concorde without coertion pleaseth him much more maketh the diuels of hell afrayde to set vpon vs. And therefore the spouse our sauiour Christ calleth his best beloued the holy church the coÌ„gregacion of faithful people Terribilis ut castorum acres ordinata Canti vi Terrible like the forwarde or the onsette of a battel wel set in order and in araye They that haue experience knoweâ—h this right well that when two armies or hostes shall meete together in battayle that hoste that auaunceth forward in a ray very close ioined together shalbe terrible to the coÌ„trari part and shal make them soone afrayde because they can not spye any place where to breake the raye but they must needes come vpon the pikes vpon the artilery vpon the whole ordinance and peryll of the battel wher contrary if they be disseuered diuided and parted abrode then the coÌ„trary multitude runneth in among them and scatereth theÌ„ as dogges doth in a flocke of sheepe and destroyeth and killeth where they list Euen so when our gostli enemies seeth vs close knit together by the linkes of charitie and of concord in goodnes thei be afrayd of vs for they loue nothing wors then loue and vnitie in goodnes they be in dispayre to do vs any hurt and flye away from vs. We be euer in warre and battell agaynste the diuels our gostly enemies and thei be euer ramping and roring and laboring to ouercome vs and to brynge vs to dampnacion euerlasting therfore we must needes make a close bulwerke of our selues by a frame of charitie agreyng fast and sure amonge our selues by concord and vnitie and so saue our selues as the wise man exhorteth vs to doe by example of the sayde Locustes that so ordinatelye keepeth theyr aray when they flye abrode Stellio manibus nititur moratur in edibus regis A Stote a Ueyry or a Wesyll clyngeth and cleaueth fast with his fete which standeth him in stede of handes and by them he scratcheth and climeth verye nimlye on the walles on the roofes and on all other places of great meÌ„s houses yea and byldeth and breedeth in the kynges palace and where he hath no winges to flie vp he getteth vp with his handes or feete as hie as he list to do by this teaching vs this point of prudence and of prouision that where we may not obteyne our intente one waye we must assaye another way As if a man be not of such naturall pregnancy and quicknes of witte as others be yet by his diligence and busye exercise in study and contemplation and in prayers he commeth sometyme to the knowlege of holye scripture and to such graces of vertues by whiche he may builde his dwellinge place in the kinges house of heauen aboue And you see many times that in the trade of marchaundise and in handy craftes men that be not most clere of wytte yet by their continuall paines takinge and by diligent appliynge their wittes that they haue vnto their worke they come to more conninge and knowledge in their faculties and to more aboundaunce of riches by their exercise then they that haue farre better wittes And as we se that manye birdes that haue fethers and winges to flie and mounte vp on hie yet they abide and builde alowe amonge the briers frisses and bushes and sometimes vpon the grounde while this stellio this stoote or wesel that hathe no winges trustinge to her nayles climeth vp to the top of the towre so they that be well witted and might mount hie by their wittes manye times geueth them selues to slouth and idlenes kepinge them selues alowe in shreude vnthriftie and noughtie workes while good simple persoÌ„s that lacketh the winges of subtill wittes trusting to theyr nailes to their busie labours commeth to greate knoweledge and to grace and goodnes and finally to the kinges house and towers in heauen aboue as I sayde And this for this fyrste kinde of prudence or wysedome whiche I called prouision The seconde kynde of prudence may be called Circumspection by which we loke well about and take good hede that we do truely kepe the meane of vertue so that while we exchew and auoyde one vice we fall not into the other extremitie and contrarye vice as that while we auoide auarice and couetousenes we fall not into prodigalitie and wastfulnes and that whyle we auoyde cowardnes we fall not into folishe hardines or to rasshe brainesicknes They be not circumspecte inough that so exchueth and auoideth from temporall trouble and payne that they runne into euerlastinge payne or that so flieth from worldly pouertie that they fall into euerlastinge nede and scarcitie when they shall begge and nothinge shall be geuen theÌ„ All such be like a skittish starting horse whiche coming ouer a bridge wil start for a shadowe or for a stone lying by him and leapeth ouer on the other side into
excellencie of the ministers of the newe testament to the glory and ryaltie of the ministers of the old testament That thing that floorished and was had in glorye and riallie esteemed was not glorified in this behalfe in respecte of the excellent glorye of the thinges of the new testament of Christe As the Apostle sayth a litle before Si ministratio mortis litteris deformata in lapidibus fuit in gloria ita vt non possent intendere filij Israell in faciem Mois◠propter gloriam vultus eius que euacuatur quo modo non magis ministratio spiritus erit in gloria ii Cor. iii. If the seruice of death described and written with letters in the stones of the two tabels was had in glory and reuerence so that the people of Israell coulde not looke vpon the face of Moyses which was the minister of that lawe for the glorie and shyning bryghtnes of his face which is sone taken away for it taried not How then can it be that the seruice of the spirite by the grace of the new Testament should not be in glorie muche more He calleth the ministration and seruice of the olde leuits priestes of Moyses law the ministration and seruice of death bycause that Moyses lawe was the occasion of death of the soule not of it self but by the malice and yll will of man whiche commonly laboreth and inclineth to the thing whiche is forbidden so runneth headlonge to breake the commaundementes of God whiche be set forthe by Moyses law and consequently to run headlong to death euerlasting And also Moyses law is full of the comminations and threateninges of the death of the body for the breakinge of it He that gathered stickes on the holy daye was put to deth he that missayde his father or mother should die for it and such other Yet the ministers of the same were had in glorie great reuerence whiche the Apostle declareth by the glory shyninge brightnes of the face of Moyses when he came downe from the mount from GOD bringinge downe with him the lawes then his face had certayne bright shining beames comming from it which appered to the people like hornes ascending vpward from his face so that the peoples eyes could not abyde the sight to loke vpon him but runne backe awaye from him in so muche that he was fayne to put a veyle or a couerynge ouer his face when he spoke to them and when he went vp to talke with God he vncouered his face and when he should declare Goddes pleasure to the people he couered his face agayne that they myght more easly aproche and looke vpon him and heare him as it is playne in the story Exo. xxiiii Of this the Apostle Saynte Paule argueth If the ministration and seruice of death whiche also is euacuate abolished and gon were had in glory and reuerence as it was in deede as appereth by the storie now rehersed then muche more the ministration and seruice of the spyrite of the new law and Testament in whiche the holye spiryte of GOD is gyuen to faythfull people whyche is also the seruice of loue and of libertie of the soule must needes be had in glory and in reuerence For in comparyson of the glory of the lawe of the Gospel and of the law gyuen by Chryst the former glory and clearenes of Moyses law is not seen but vanysheth awaye euen like as the light of the Moone or of the sterres is hyd and sheweth not by the light of the son in a clere day Then saith Chrisostome conuerting his contemplacion to our misteries of the new testament of Christ and to the ministers of the same Let vs consider among other thinges how it is cōmytted to them here dwelling on earth in thys mortall bodye to dispence and bestowe the treasure and riches of heauen for it is giuen to priestes to haue suche power as almighty God would neyther giue to the angels nor to any of the archangels or to any other angels of heauē For it was neuer sayd to any of them whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be losed in heauen whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bounde in heauen This bonde toucheth the very soule of men and reacheth vp euen to heauen aboue so that whatuer the priest doth in this behalfe here beneth on earth almighty God doth ratifie and alowe the same aboue in heauen and he beyng the lord and mayster doth aproue the sentence of his seruāt Now what maye a man call this els but that in maner al the power in heauen is committed and graunted to the priest for Christ sayth whosoeuer sinnes you forgiue thei be forgiuen and who soeuer sinnes you restrayne or bynde they be restraint bound Tel me saith Chrisostom what power can be giuen greater then this one The father hath giuen to the sonne al power in heauē and earth But now I see saythe Chrisostome the same power the sonne hath giuen to the prest which the father hath giuē to him Imagyn that if a noble king had gyuen to one of hys faythfull and true seruauntes or subiectes power to caste into prison whom it pleased him and to take him out of prison againe or ani other prisoner that he thought wel to do such a man should be counted a marueilous man and in great fauour with his souerayne and worthy to be highly estemed of all the realme And it were a plaine madnes for anye man to despise such an auctoritye euen so it were a manifest madnes to despise or litle regard that authoriti without which we can not obtain our soule helth here in this world saith Chrisostom nor can obtaine the good promisses of the ioyes of heauē Here you must vnderstand Chrisostom that he speaketh of them that be of age and dyscretiō and hath time and oportunitie to vse the sacramentes which the priest ministreth For no man can come to heauen except he be regenerate by water and by the holy gost and he that eateth not the fleshe of Christ drinketh not his blood can not haue life euerlasting Al these thynges be performed and brought to passe by the priest thē how can it well be that without theyr helpe wee may escape the euerlasting fyre of hell or obtaine or wyn the reward of the eternall garlande and crowne of glorye These bee they these be they I say to whom the spiritual trauelyng and the byrthes or deliueraunce of soules to God be put to and they be put in credite and trust with thē By them we put on vs Christe for our garment when we be made Christen men by theym we be buried with Christ by baptisme as Saint Paul speaketh and be made the limmes and the members of hys blessed body For these consideratiōs we ought to feare them to do them more honour then to our carnall father for by our carnall parentes we be borne ex sanguinibus voluntate carnis of bloud the peasure of