SalomoÌ„ deuides their own goods they pay the king his deuty euery man his own giue almes and yet are more richer they haue enoughe and enough Other rob other men cratch and scrape all that they maye come by neuer contente neuer enough heape to heape and yet are they al waye beggars Qui benedicit impignabitur He that blesseth shall bee fatte and wealthye He that blessethe not wyth waggynge hys fingers but helpynge the poore people he shall be blessed and euer haue inough god wyll blesse hym God wyll encrease hym And in deede so oughte men to consyder theyr gyftes and goods to be geuen Vt illorum copia aliorum succurrat in opiâ— That their aboundaunce might succour the necessity pouerty and mysery of theyr pore neyghbours and not to waste it coÌ„sume it in ryot and excesse but in dedes of mercy in deds of charity and pitye vppon the poore Qui miseretur pauperis fenera tur domino He that hath mercye vpon the poore he lendeth vp vsurye vnto the Lorde Thys is a good vsurye to make god thy debter Many lendeth vpon worldly vsury whyche surelye is a very wicked thing and God forbyddeth it But thys vsury God commaundeth and promyseth to supply the lacke of it in thy cofers He wyll bee debter he wyl be pay mayster Thou shalt not fynde thy stok deminished at the yeares ende by kepyng Gods commaundement but rather blessed and encreased Gyue therefore vnto the kynge that is due vnto the king Et que sunt dei deo and giue to God that whyche is Gods What is Gods That I giue at Gods bidding The tythes oblacioÌ„s fyrst borne of beasts and sacrifice cattel whyche all God appointed vnto y e Iewes to the mayntenaunce of theyr church ministers of the clergy poore widowes fatherles children mayntenaunce of poore scolers This was the cause that god assigned the Iewes to pay theyr tythes and vntyl the comming of Christe they were due by goddes law and myghte by the lawe geuen to Moses be claymed But now that law is at an ende nether can they be claimed any more by that law NotwithstaÌ„dinge now in the tyme of the newe Testamente the Princes be bound to prouyde a sufficient liuynge for the ministers as Saynt Paul sayth Qui euangelium predicant de euangelio uiuant They that preach the gospel this is the ministery of saluation preaching of the gospel and vnto such ministers ye be bound to geue a sufficient lyuynge â–ª Comunicate Catechizanti in omnibus bonis Giue parte to him that teacheth you in all good thinges geue him part of all your goods se he haue sufficient liuing But who shall appoynt him a sufficient liuing him self nay who then you nay nother The kynge must apoynt him sufficiently to liue vppon For I thinke verelye there are a great many which yf y e ministers shuld haue no liuing but at their apointmeÌ„t he shuld not haue cloutyng lether to pece his shoes with no not clouting lether to his shoes The king therfore must apoynt y e ministers their liuiÌ„gs by his law that liuinge that the kinge appoynteth they muste clayme and you muste paye it to them trulye for it is there dutye and it is thefte to withdrawe it or holde it from them For God commaundeth you to obei your kings lawes by the same lawes the kyng geueth the minister his tithes and other duties therefore vpon perill of thy soule thou art bounde to obey thy king and to pay to thy curate that tythe that thou arte commaunded But some wyll saye our curate is naughte an Assehead a dodipoll a lacke latine and canne do nothynge Shall I paye hym my tithes that doth vs no good nor none wyl do Yea I saye thou muste paye hym his duti and if he be such a one coÌ„plaine to the Byshop We haue complayned to the ordinarye and he is as negligent as he Complayne to the councell syr so haue we done but no remedy canne be had Well I canne tel where thou shalte complayne Complain to God he wyll surelye heare the he wyll remedye it Christ sawe the people lyinge Tanquam oues non habentes pastores As shepe hauing no shepeheard They had Bishops scrybes Pharyses curates in name a greate manye yet were they Tanquam oues non habentes pastorem as sheepe hauynge no sheapheard what is that to say they hadde no true teachers they had no preachers of the law of God to them What remedye taughte Christe for it wythdrawe theyr liuynges Naye Make tumults nay but Rogate dominum messis pray the Lorde of the haruest Prai pray Praier is the remedy that neuer faileth when al other fayleth this neuer faileth Therfore praye vnto God and he wyll eyther turne hys hert and make hym better or remoue him from the and send a better in his place or els take him away all to gether So will the lord do with any other oppressour of y e pore eyther he wyll turne their hartes and make them better or els remoue them and take theÌ„ quyte away Therfore let men be pacient and suffre and prai vnto god for deliueraunce froÌ„ their troubles and not thincke to remedye it them selues but pray to god and he wyl remedye it Praye I saye and â—ake pacience and you shall see the lorde wyll in due tyme remedy it There be manye that turne this text clene coÌ„trary For thei yelde to Ceaser that whiche is goddes and to God that which is Ceasers They had mony inough to builde monystaryes chauntries Masses yere daies Trentals to gilde images c. And al thys they did say they to honor God with Thei wold worship god w t copes torches tapers candels an hundred thyngs mo y t God neuer required at thetr hands God requyreth the hertes to feare hym loue him studiously to walke before hym But thys inward seruice we wyll not gyue hym Naye wee gyue Ceasar oure hearte and God oure outewarde seruyce as all suche do as haue receiued the Interim God shoulde possesse our hole heartes and we shoulde moste studyouslye walke euery man in hys vocation according to the word of God according to his commaundementes obeyinge oure kynge and succouringe the poore and neadye as he hathe commaunded vs. And thys is true goddes seruyce and the thynge that belongeth to God If thys be true what is become of our forefathers I answer it is a vaine and vnprofitable questioÌ„ â–ª other it nedes not or it botes not What so euer they did let vs do wel Let vs kepe gods biddinge gods commaundemente and then are we safe WheÌ„ one dieth we muste haue belles ryngynge synginge and much a do But to what purpose Those that dye in the fauoure of God are wel those that dye oute of the fauoure of God this canne do them no good Vbi ceciderit lignuÌ„ ibi erit Wher y e tre falleth ther it shal remain Studi therfore to lyue in the fauor and grace of God in repentaunce in amendemente of lyfe and then dyeste thou well Further to the question of our forfathers God knoweth hys electe and diligentlye watcheth and kepeth them so that all thynges serue to theyr saluacyon The nature of fyre is to breÌ„ all that is laid in it yet God kept y e .iii. yong menne in Babilon that they burnte not And Moyses saw a bush on fyre but it burnt not So false doctrine as fyre burnethe it corrupteth But god kepte his electe that they were not corrupt with it but al ways put their trust iÌ„ one euer liuing god thorowe the death of Iesus Christ our lorde In Elias tyme Idolatry and superstition raigned so that Elias sayde domine altaria tua subuer terunt Lorde they haue destroyed thyne altares and slain thy prophetes and preachers and I am left alone But the lorde aunswered him I haue reserued to my selfe .vii. M. menne that haue not bowed the knee to Baal So god I trust reserued our forefathers in so perlouse times more graciouslye then we can think Let vs thaÌ„k god then for y e gracious lighte of his worde sent vnto vs and pray for our graciouse kyng his councel that set it furth vnto vs. And as for oure forefathers seing we haue no charge geuen vs of god leue them comend them vnto gods mercy who disposeth better for theÌ„ then we can wysshe But some wyl saye nowe what neade we preachers then God can saue his elect without preachers A goodly reason God can saue my life without meat drink nede I none therfore God caÌ„ saue me frome burninge if I were in the fire shall I runne into it therfore no no I muste kepe y e way y t god hath ordeyned vse the ordinary means that God hath assygned not seke newe waies Thys offyce of preaching is the only ordynary waies that God hath appoynted to saue vs all by Let vs maintayn thys for I know none other neither thyncke I God wyl apoint or deuise any other Pay therfore to Ceasar that whych is dewe to Ceasar And thys said Christ by an hei theÌ„ kyng a painim how much more oughte we to pay to our Câ—aser our leige Lord kyng a Christen king and so godly and vertuouse a lerned kyng And pay to God that is due to God tithes al duties loÌ„ging to the ministers and preachers of this office of saluacion geue it them withoute dissimulyng withoute wyth drawinge or abridgynge of theyr dutyes Take hede of lyinge and settinge thy self at lesse then thou art Marke the example of Ananias and zaphira hys wyfe â–ª They dyed sodenlye for they re lying and dissimulacion in the like matter wel this was Christes doctrine This was his answer giue to Ceser that which is Ceasers and to God that whych is Gods Et non potuerunt reprehendere uerbum eius coram populo And they coulde not fynde faulte in hys woorde before the people it was so iuste so consonaunte wyth scriptures and with reason Yet after ward they falsyfyed hys woord before Pylate accusing him Hunc deprehendimus euertentem gentem et uetantem tributadari
Reddite ergo que sunt Cesaris Cesari et que sunt dei deo Gyue that that is Cesars to Cesar that that is gods to god THys Doctryne is greuous heui irkesom to couetouse herts rebellyouse and sedyciouse hertes Gyue gyue they canne not awaye wyth it it caÌ„ not sticke in their mindes nor sattell in theyr stomakes they woulde rather be taking scraping and catchinge then geuinge But godlye persons wyll well accepte and take it for it is to them a greate pleasure Ioye and comforte For the better vnderstandynge of this place ye shal vnderstand Chryste came to bryng vs oute of bondage and to set vs at libertye not frome cyuyll burthen as from obaying the magistrates from paying taxe and try but but from a greater burthen and a more greuouser burthen the burthâ—◠〈◊〉 the burthen not of 〈…〉 but of the soule to make vs fre frome it and to redeme vs from the curse and malediccion of the lawe vnto the honourable state of the chyldren of God But as for the cyuyll burthens he delyuered vs not frome them but rather commaunded vs to paye them gyue gyue sayeth he to Cesar obedience tribute and al thynges dewe too Cesar. For the vnderstanding of thys text it shall be nedefull to consyder the circumstance going before whyche thynge dewlye considered geueth a greate lyghte to al places of y e scripture who spake these words to whom thei were spoken vpon what occasyon and afore whome Therefore I wyll take the whole fragmente and shred taken oute of goddes boke for the gospel of this day wrytten in the gospell of Mathewe the .xxii. Chapter Tunc abierunt Pharisei Then wente the Pharisies and toke a counsell Luke hathe Obseruantes marckinge spyinge lookynge totinge watchynge lyke suttel crafty and sleyghtie felowes they toke a councel and seÌ„t to him theyr disciples which shuld fain theÌ„ selfs iust meÌ„ godly meÌ„ glad to learn his doctrine And wyth theÌ„ Herods seruauÌ„tes to trap him in his words they sayd to him Master we knowe y t thou arte a trewe man and teachest the waye of God in ueritate truly and carest for no manne For thou regardest not the personage of man Tel vs therfore what thinckest thou Is it lawefull to geue Cesar tribute mony or no This was theyr question that they wold haue snarled him with In answeryng to this they woulde haue caught him by the fote But Iesus Cognita malicia eo rum knowing theyr malice theyr wyckednes theyr vncharitablenes he sayd to them hypocrytes whi do ye tempt me Shew me a pece of y e tribute mony And they broughte hym a penye And he sayde to them whose image is thys and the wrytynge They answered Cesars He sayde to them Gyue to Cesar that that belongeth to Cesar to god that that is goddes Thus ye maye perceyue it was our sauyoure Chryste that spake these wordes and they wer spoken vnto the Pharyseis that tempted him But they be a doctryne vnto vs that are Chrystes Dyscyples For whose wordes shulde we delite to heare learn but the wordes and doctryne of oure sauyour Chryste And that I maye at thys tyme so declare them as may be for goddes glorye your edifying and my dyscharge I praye you all to helpe me with your prayer In the whych prayer c. For y e vniuersall church of Chryst thorowe the whole worlde c. For the preseruation of oure Souerayne Lorde Kynge Edward the .vi. sole supreme head vnder God and Christ of y e churches of Inglande and of Irelande c. Secondly for the kynges most honorable councell Thirdly I commende vnto you the soules departed thys lyfe in the faythe of Chryste that ye remember to geue laudes praise and thankes to almightye God for his great goodnesse and mercye shewed vnto theym in that greate nede and conflicte ageynste the deuil and synne To gyue them at the houre of deathe faythe in hys synnes deathe and passion wher by they myght conquere and ouercome and get the vyctorye Gyue thanckes I say for thys addynge prayers and supplycations for youre selues that it may please god to gyue you the lyke faythe and grace to truste only vnto the death of his deare sonne as he gaue vnto theÌ„ For as they be gone so must we and the deuyll wyll be as readye to tempt vs as he was them our synnes wyl lyght as heuy vpon vs as theirs did vpon theÌ„ and we are as weake and vnable to resyst as were they Praye therfore that we may haue grace to dye in the same fayth of Chryste as they did at the latter daye be raysed wyth Abraham Isaac and Iacob and be partaker wyth Chryste in the kyngdome of heauen for this and grace let vs saye the Lordes prayer Tunc abcuntes Tunc then â–ª It hangeth on a text before Chryst told them a similitude that the kingdom of heauen is lyke to a king that made a bridal to his sonne he maryed hys sonne and sente hys seruauntes oute to byd hys gestes Wel they wold not come althoughe he had made greate preparing much cost for them ambycion couetousnes and crueltye would not lette them come Then he sente hys warryoures and destroyed them and agayne sente other seruauntes to bydde gestes to hys brydal hande ouer heade come who wold Thei dyd hys bydding and the house was full of gestes The kynge nowe wold vewe his gests and fyndyng there one not cladde in Mariyng garmentes he asked hym frende how cammest thou here not hauing a mariage garmente And commaunded to bynde hym hande and fote and caste him into vtter darkenesse there was wayling griÌ„ding of teeth For many be chosen few be called Nowe Chryst expoundeth this The kingdome of heauen is preaching of the Gospel This mariage is the ioyning of Chryst his church which was begun by Christ here in earth shal coÌ„tinue to y e end of y e world The bidders of his gestes are preachers but here are so many lets hinderances couetise is a let ambicioÌ„ is a let crueltie is y e greatest lette For they bett hys seruauntes brake theyr heades yea murdered them whiche bad them to thys brydal Wyth this the kynge was angrye and sent hys men of warre to destroye those vnthankful people Was he not angrye wyth couetousenes and wyth ambition Yes he is angrye wyth couetouse men with ambiciouse men But most of all wyth crueltye Thys is an angre aboue commune angre when men be not onlye vnthanckfull but also adde crueltye to persecute the preachers that commeth to call vs to thys maryage This toucheth god so nyghe that he sayeth Qui uos audit me audit Thys crueltye the kynge wolde not leaue vnpunished but sente furthe his menne of warre They are called hys men of warre his men his men for warres come at hys commaundemente Titus and Uaspasian were sente of god to punyshe those couetouse Iewes Ambiciouse Iewes cruel Iews that wold not credit Chryst
dylygence to thys offyce of saluacion then men ar wonte to bestowe vpon these worldlye pleasures and luâ—er or commodityes Naye wolde they bestowe but the halfe labour and paynes and some litell parte of the expences it were well To consider what hath bene pluckte from Abbayes colledges chantryes it is meruel no more too be bestowed vpon thys holye offyce of saluation It maye well be sayde by vs that the Lorde complayneth by hys prophet domus mea deserta uos fegtinatis unus quisque in domum suâ What is Christes house but Christen soules but who maketh anye prouision for them euerye maÌ„ scrapeth and getteth together for thys bodelye house but the soule healthe is neglected scooles are not maynteyned scolers haue not exhybicion the preachynge offyce decayeth men prouide landes and ryches for theyr chyldren but thys mooste necessarye offyce they for the moste parte neglecte Uerye fewe there be that helpeth poore scolers that setteth theyr chyldren to scole to learne the woorde of God and to make a prouisioÌ„ for the age to come This notwithstaÌ„dinge is the onlye waye to saluacion God wyll not deuyse anye newe way as farre as I perceiue but woulde haue vs to vse thys waye ordeyned all readye Thys preachyng way we oughte to vse and not too loke for anye newe waye thys offyce of saluacion we oughte to maynteine and not loke for anye other My requeste is y t he wold bestow as much to y e mayntenaunce of thys necessarie office of saluation as ye were wonte to bestow in times paste vppon Romishe trifels and thinges of mannes tradicions Nether do I now speke for my selfe and my couente as the beggynge Friers wer wonte to do I haue enough I thyncke God and I neade not to begge I wolde euerye preacher were as well prouided as my selfe thorowe thys realme as in dede I thyncke theÌ„ as wel worthy as my self I wishe I saye ye would bestowe as muche vpon this necessarye office of saluation as in times paste ye bestowed in pilgrimage in images in gildynge paynetinge in Masses Diriges Trentals chauÌ„tryes and suche vayne thynges of the Romyshe Pharises and Papistes inuentinge Ye woulde do that withoute callynge and to thys wil you not be readye when ye be called If it bee no better in tyme too come hitherto loked vnto theÌ„ Englande wyll at the laste bewayle it Christe knewe what a charge hangeth vpon thys necessary office of preaching the office of saluation therfore mooste earnestlye applyed it hym selfe And when hee chose hys twelue Apostles to sende them foorthe vnto thys office he fyrste prayed all the nyghte Hee beynge God almyghty with the father might haue geuen al giftes fitte for thys office but to teache vs he wolde fyrste praye all nyghte Here is good matter for Byshoppes and patrons to loke vpon and not to regard so lytel whome they giue theyr benefice vnto or whome they admit to cure the souls thei haue charge of A notable example Christ prayed al nyghte or hee woulde sende theym forthe or he wold put them in thys preachynge offyce thys mooste necessary office of saluacion For he sawe that they had neade of greate zeale to God and to soule health that shoulde take vppon theym to kepe soules and a bolde courage and spirite that shoulde rebuke the world of theyr sin wickednesse â–ª Many wyl chose nowe suche a curate for theyr soules as they maye cal foole rather then one that shall rebuke theyr couetyse ambytyon vnmercifulnesse vncharytablenes That shal be sober dyscrite apte to reproue resyste the agayne sayers wyth the woorde of God These be the propertyes of euery good preacher to be a true manne to teach not dreames nor inuencyons of menne but uiam dei in ueritate the waye of God trulye And not to regarde the personage of manne Not to creape into hys bosome to clawe hys backe to saye to the wycked hee doothe well for fylthye lukers sake Ah theese flatterers no greater mischife in the commune wealthe then theese flatterers But who woulde haue discerned thys but oure sauyoure Iesus Christe he spred them oute and knewe al theyr maliciouse hartes theyr vncharitable hearts theyr dissimulynge heartes and sayd Quid me tentatis hipocrita Hipocrites hipocrites hipocrites one in hearte a nother in mouthe farre in pretence but full of mischeife and malycious harted wythin Hee saw what was within Then haue at ye ye hipocrites they put forthe theyr question Licet censum dare Cesari an non A perilous question to answere to â–ª Thys was the fruite of theyr counsel and this was the snare layed for hym what shulde he do nowe holde hys peace That had bene a slauÌ„der too hys doctrine They woulde haue sayde loo howe ignoraunte hee is in the lawe that hathe no aunswer to this symple and playne questyon If hee affyrme and dyd paye the tribute hee shall incurre the hatred of the people and seme to speake in the fauor of the Romaines If he woulde haue a denied it Then hadde they that they soughte The Herodians were readye too laye hands vpon him to haue him to Bourdo to prison with him a traitoure that speaketh againste Ceaser awaye wyth this sedicious felow O Lord what perell is it to haue to do with these Hipocrites Who could haue scaped thys snare but Christ onely whych is the wysedome of the father and knewe al theyr maliciousenes and craftye sleyghtes And as he then by hys wysdome ouercame them so nowe doutles he geueth wysedome to al hys to spye oute and beware of theyr sutle craftes For such traines traps snares and sutleties as these pharises laied for Christ such haue our Pharisaical papystes layed for Christes preachers But he mercyfully euer fulfylled hys promyse dabo os sapientiam cui non possunt pesistere omnes aduersarii uestri I wyll saythe Christe geue mouthe and wysedome whych all your aduersaryes shall not be able too resyste They shall not be tounge tyed they haue theyr aunswere yea so wyse â–ª that theyr aduersaryes shall not be hable to resyste They maye well oppresse it here in thys worlde wyth power but they canne not bee hable to ouercome it with argumeÌ„tes of truthe no al the pack of aduersaryes with al their subtelties snares and gynnes They maye rayle vppon it as in manye places leude felowes doo agaynste priestes mariages That dame hys wyfe hys whore c. But they canne not denye it by anye scripture but that the mariage of priestes is as good and godly as the mariage of anye other manne For wedlocke is honourable amonge all menne And the wedded bedde vndefyled And to auoide fornicacion let euery maÌ„ haue his owne wife well let them raile lette them do what they canne agaynste truthe â–ª Respice finem marke the end Loke vpon the end The ende is all aduersaries of the truthe muste be counfounded and come to noughte neither shall they be able to resiste it And thoughe the pore Disciples be troubled