vnto him If it be thus as thou sayst that god wold haue wedlocke so inuiolabely kept why then dyd Moises make it lawfull to the husbande for any maner cause to put from him his wife so that he giue her a libel of diuorcement as who shuld say how durst Moses be so bold to licence that thing which god wold not haue done To this obiection our sauiour aunswered Moses dyd not permitte ne licence this thing vnto you bicause the thing of the owne nature was honest and rightfulle but forasmoch as he knew the stubbornenes hardnes of your hartes therfore he graunted vnto you the lesser lyghter inconuenience that ye shuld not committe the greuouser offence For assuredly Moses did not allow al kindê of diuorces in that he had leuer y â— the same were suffred or rather winked at then murder shuld ensue be coÌ„mitted Neither did the libel of diuorcement amoÌ„ges the croked Iues whyche Moses theire lawmaker inacted that it shuld be giuen to the womaÌ„ make the diuorce good and lawful but rather that same libel was a witnes and testimonie of the hard harte of the Iues which for euery light cause and triâ—le wold put away their wiues for this cause the law of moses gaue commaundement that such stubburne hard husbandê whyche wolde nedes for such light occasions put awey their wyues or els do worse committe further inconuenience to gyue them the sayde libelle of diuorcement for a certayne recorde witnesse that she is nowe free from his yoke and at her libertie But at the begynnyng sayth Christ to these pharisees when as yet the malice of mâ— was not growen into such an excesse nor as yet maÌ„s nature was not infected with so many vices for the hatred was not so feruent that either poysoning or murdering was feared there was no such licence of diuorces Wherfore neither now is the same licence to be suffred amonges christen men after that the doctrine of the gospell hath brought agayn the christen man to his former state and perfection of nature by regeneration or new byrth And no doubt my freendes Moses amonges the Iues wished in his hart the same perfecte loue and fast knot in wedlocke to be obserued and kept that our sauiour Christ hath tawght vs but as I haue declared the corrupt nawghty maners of the Iues whyche for euery lyght grefe were ready to coÌ„mitte murder and all mischief feared him that he durst not requyre that of them So that our sauiour Christ did not abrogate the auncient lawe of Moses but he made it more clere perfect declaring vnto the froward Iues that it was vnlawful both for them for al other and againste the minde of god and the wille of Moses their lawmaker that they shuld for euery lyght occasion put away their wiues whom they ought to loue to imbrace as their own bodies and their owne flesh For a thing that a man doth is not forthwith lawful for him to do bicause he is not punished in this worlde for the same For there be many thynges abominable and stinkyng afore the face of god which be not punished by mans lawes Hitherto haue we intreated the gospell of this day Now we woll sum what towche the officies aswell of the wife towardes her husband as of the husband towardes his wife and so make an end Ye wifes sayth saint Paule be ye subiect to your owne propre husbandes as vnto the Lorde For the man is hed of the wyfe euen as Christ is the hed of the churche and it is he whiche giueth helth to the body Wherfor like as the church is subiecte to Christe so let the wifes be subiecte to their husbandes in al thinges Likewise saint Peter in his first epistle coÌ„maundeth christen wiues to be in subiectioÌ„ to their husbandê to thintent that euen they which obey not gods worde maye without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the wyues when they behold their chaste conuersation ioyned with reuerence Whose outward apparell he wolde not shuld be gorgeouse nor moch glysteringe to the eye but rather he wold haue them inwardly garnished in the hart being there ful of al cleÌ„nes w tout corruption in such sort as they may haue a gentle quyet spirite which spirite he sayth in gods eye is a thing most gorgeouse sumptuouse For after this maner in olde tyme sayeth this holy Apostle saynte Peter did the holy women which trusted in god attyre themselues and were obedient to their husbaÌ„dê euen as Sara obeyed Abraham her husbaÌ„d calling him lorde whose daughters al ye be as longe as ye do wel Saint Paule also sayth that the woman is the glory of the man For the â—naÌ„ cam not of the woman but the woman of the man Neyther was the man created for the womans sake but the woman for the mans sake WomeÌ„ therfore ought to imploy their diligence vpon the vertuouse bringinge vp of their children to loke wel to their housholde Yea they shal be sayth saynt Paule saued by bearing of children bringing them vp in feith loue of god in holines For this is their office thys is their fuÌ„ction calling wherin they ought to pleaee god to atteine euerlasting blesse They ought to be no taÌ„glers no disputers no teachers in coÌ„mon assembles but herers but lerners kepers of silence w t al subiection These be the officies duties of christen wiues The office of the husband as Paul saith is to loue his wife euen as Christ loued the church He is bounden to loue her as his owne body He that loueth sayth he his wife loueth himselfe For noman euer yet hated hys owne fleshe but nowrisheth and cherisâ—â—eth it euen as the lorde doth the churche He must dwel saith saint Peter w t his wife according to knowlege giuing honoure vnto her as vnto the weker vessel as vnto her which is heire also of the grace of lyfe He may not be bytter to hys wyfe but gentle courteouse and louing Yea finally he must so inâ—iâ—rly loue her y t god coÌ„maundeth him to leaue al other his affectioÌ„s yea euen his owne father and mother and cleaue to hys wyfe But let man and wife take hede that god couple them togither not the deuil Let them be coupled for procreatioÌ„ of children for auoyding of fornicatioÌ„ in al teÌ„perancie holines godly shamefastnes Let theÌ„ not ioyne either for ryches for bewtye for great aliauÌ„ce or which is more fylthy only for the lust of the body lest they be greuousâ—ly punyshed for their intemperauncie as it chauÌ„â—ed to y â— seuen husbaÌ„dê of Sara before she maried w t Thobie the yonger to innumerable other Wherfore my deare frendes let euery man and woman take hede they ioyne in holy wedlocke by gods coupling with al humble reuereÌ„ce and godly feare So doinge they
with his haÌ„des For as the historie telleth Christe had appeared to the rest of hys felawes when he was awey and when they shewed him of it with one hole voice and consent yet he said he wold not beleue it tyl he had sene the prynte of the nayles in Christes handes and felte his woundes Uerely as saint Gregory saith this was not done by casualtie y e saynt Thomas the chosen disciple of Christ was not then present For the high clemencie of god wrought this thinge y e the doubtyng disciple whyle in his maister he gropeth the woundes of the fleshe might heale in vs the wouÌ„des of infidelitie For the infidelitie of saynte Thomas profyted more to the Christen feith then did the feith of the beleuing disciples For while he by gropyng is brought againe to the feith our mynde is all doubt set apart stablished in the feith Thre thynges then are here to be considered in thys historie First the hardnes of belefe in saynt Thomas whiche albeit he was one of the electe disciples of Christe and longe conuersant wyth hym and continually instructed of his risyng againe yet he doubteth Seconde the goodnes and tendre mercie of Christ which wolde not thus leaue him Thyrdly the constancie of thys blessed Apostle in the feith ouer after euen til his lifes ende It was doubtles a very grosse infidelitie and hardnes of be leue in saint Thomas that after so longe coÌ„paning with our Sauiour Christ and hearynge him oftentimes afore his passion say he shuld rise agayne yet he wolde not beleue his resurrection nâ— not wheÌ„ his felawes so coÌ„stantly had shewed hym how they saw him wyth their eyen what he said vnto them Hys felawes verily were grosse til they had receyued the holy ghost for they wold skant beleue his resurrection til they had seen him But saynt Thomas was grosser thaÌ„ they all For he said he wold not beleue y â— resurrectioÌ„ tyl he had seen the prynt of the nayles in Christes haÌ„des yet this was not ynough to make him beleue but he wolde also fele hys wouÌ„des with his owne handes And here we haue a lyuely image of the nature disposition of the fleshe For the flesh can not be brought to beleue but by sensible signes tokens Neither was thys carnalitie in Thomas only but it is in al meÌ„ for we be made of one mowld and god hath coÌ„cluded all meÌ„ vnder infidelitie that he might haue mercie of all Consider therfore the tender mercie of our lorde howe for one of his disciples sake he shewed himselfe hauing woundes he dyd it not forthwyth but after viii daies to the intent he being amoÌ„ges his felawes certified of theÌ„ might be kyndled vnto a greater desire and that he might be made the more feithfull in tyme coÌ„myng Our Sauiour Christe therfore eight daies after he had appeared to his felawes caÌ„ where as they were gathered togither Thomas with them He entred in vnto them the dores being shutte wyth hys accustomed salutation greteth them sayng Peace be amonges you And forthwyth turnyng hymselfe to Thomas whose infidelitie could not be hidde from him whiche bicause he ê‘ceiued proceded not of malice but of weaknes he vouch saued to heale He had him behold his haÌ„des and grope his side Thomas according as Christ had bidde him beheld the print of the nailes and thurst his hand into his side And forthwyth wyth an exclamation cryed my lorde my God Thus from a grosse and stubburne infidelitie was he brought to a fast and constant feith So Paule at the beginning was a very fierce persecutour of y â— church but afterward he becaÌ„ a right feithful Apostle and teacher of the people For these wonderful iugementes of god be for this cause described forth vnto vs that we shuld lerne to knowe the exceding goodnes of god which turneth euil into good My lord and my god sayth saint Thomas Uerily he y t confesseth god to be his god hath renouÌ„ ced al y e be his possessed those y e be gods The erth is the lordê al that is therin We be the lordes the lord is ours Wherfor al the goodes of god be ours through feyth in oure sauioure Iesu Christe This high confession of saint Thomas truly our sauiour commended but yet he suÌ„what towched him for his hardnes of beleue saing Thomas bicause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they y â— haue not seen and yet haue beleued Saint Thomas saw one thing beleued an other he saw maÌ„ confessed god He saw Christ in flesh he felt him after his resurrection which was a great furtheraÌ„ce to his feith But blessed be they y t neuer saw Christ in flesh yet haue beleued on him Certainly this kynd of people be we Gentils as many of vs as reteyne Christ in mynde whoÌ„ we haue not seen in flesh as writeth saint Gregorie if so be yet that we folow prosecute our feith with good workes For that ê‘sone doth truly vnfeynedly beleue which practizeth in working y e thing that he beleueth Such a true ernest beleuer was this blessed man saynt Thomas Let vs then take exemple of him that we may haue the rewarde that he hath euerlastinge ioy by Christe oure lorde who be praysed for euer Amen ¶ On candelmas day otherwise called the purification of our Lady Gospell Luc. ii WHen the dayes of purification were come according the lawe of moyses they brought Iesus to Hierusalem to present him to the lord accordinge as it is wrytten in the lordes lawe that euery male opening matrice shal be called holy to the lord to giue in sacrifice according to that is said in the lordes law a payre of turtyl doues or two yong pygions And behold there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this maÌ„ was iust deuout awayting for the comfort of Israell the holy goste was vpon him And he had receyued an answere of the holy ghoste that he shuld not se death before he saw the lordes Christ. And he cam by the holy gost into the temple And while the father mother were bringing in the childe Iesus that they shuld do accordinge to the vse of the lawe for him he also toke him in his armes blessed god and said Lord now lettest thou thy seruaÌ„t depart according to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue seen the sauiour sente from the whom thou haste prepared before the face of al peoples a light for the reuelation of y e Gentils and a glory of thy people Israel A sermon vpon this Gospell WHen the purification daye was comme good people that is to wite the. xlij daye from the birth of our sauiour Christ at which day y e old law of Moses coÌ„maunded y â— if it were a man chyld that was born it shuld be presented to the lorde
pleased god so to worke with her to set forth his owne glorie and power He sent to her therfore nowe in her old age this blessed child to take the reproche of barennes from her He prolonged for this intent her child bearing that the ioy herof might be the greater and she be made the more renowined and notoriouse For all her neighbours kynsfolke which before had knowne her ba rennes were nowe made witnesses of the heauenly grace wherw t God had endowed her For none that saw the child departed w t silence but blessed praysed god which vnloked for had seÌ„t this blessed child vnto her being of this age The eight day therfore they went to circumcise the child according to Moses lawe And bicause Zacharie his father was by gods prouision made duÌ„me and spechles they supposing that the father wold so haue bene best ctÌ„en â–ª ted named him Zacharie by his fathers name But Elizabeth his mother said he shuld not be so called but Ihon shulde be his name whiche name she had lerned not of her husbande whiche at this time was become spechles but by inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost signifieng that he that was born shuld be the bedel or messanger of the new law which shuld abrogate the old traditions turne the carnall worshyp into a spiritual grace For Zacharias betokeneth in Hebrue a remeÌ„brer of god Ihon is named the grace of God The iustice of the lawe stode in appoynted workes the iustice of the gospell standeth by faythe through grace fauour Howbeit the kinsfolk wold not be ruled by the mother to giue him this strauÌ„ge name bicause there was none in al their kindred so called but they wolde in any wyfe haue hym called Zacharie by his fathers name And yet at this day there be some better pleased w t the name of Zacharie then w t the name of Ihon these be they that can not yet suffre that the ceremonies of y â— old law shuld be abolished so that in effect they crye we wil none of this new name of Ihon but we wil haue stil the old Zacharie wherfore for asmoch as the childwife the cousins could not agree in the name it was necessarie that the authoritie of the father shuld come betwene to breake the strife But he had not as yet the vse of his tong where now neded speche Wyth signes therfore they signified vnto him what name wold pleace him that his child shulde haue He vnderstanding y â— mater required writing tables to declare that thinge by dombe letters whiche by liuely voice he could not bring forth The tables brought he wrote in this wise Ihon is his name Now cam the time that Moses law shuld speake which before had after a fashioÌ„ described w t figures the grace of the gospel The time now was com that the mouth which vnfeithfulnes had locked shuld now through feyth be opened He had not therfore so sone writen but y â— bond of his tong was loused Neyther did he beginne hys speach with any other thing than with the praysinge of God by whose goodnes so greate ioyes were heped vpon hym Let vs in like maner good people beleue as saynte Ambrose exhorteth vs to thintent our tonge which is bounde wyth the bandes of vnfeithfulnes may be loused And surely onles the Iuishe tonge be putte to silence whyche preacheth carnal obseruations the tong of the gospell can not speake whyche preacheth grace feythe and charitie Al these thingê of y â— olde childwife of the noueltie of the name of the son born by y â— promise of the angel of the father made first of a speaker dombe again of dombe a speaker were blown abrode not only in the neighbours cousins mouthê but also through out al the hylly countrey of Iewry so that they did not only wonder but also were astonyed agast at the strangnes of the thing sayeng w tin themselfes What maner of ê‘son shal this childe be None of al y â— prophetes was so woÌ„derfully born which thinges declare that this is done by gods power which is w t the child beiÌ„g ordeined for high purposes And they thought not thus w tout cause For in dede gods haÌ„d had vttred his heuenly vertue in the childe And to thintent al thinges might be ful of miracles reple nished w t ioy Zacharie also Ihons father being inspired w t the holy ghost brasted forth into this song Blessed be y â— lord god of Israell for he hath visitted redemed his people of Israell Doubtles god visited his people of Israel both wayes whether we vnderstande the material Israelites for he cam to the lost shepe of the house of Israel or the spiritual Israelites that is the feithful persons which were worthy of this visitation He visited theÌ„ which were now by long sicknes coÌ„sumed he redemed them being sold vnder sinne w t the bloud of his only begotten son He called them his people not bicause at his coÌ„ming he found them his but bicause by visitting he made them his Let vs then praise almighty god that he vouchsaued to make of vs whiche were not his people his people Let vs imbrace y â— iustice not of y â— Iuish law but of y â— gospel of Christ. Who be c. ¶ On saynt Peters and saynt Paules day The Gospell Mat. xxi IEsus came into the partes of Cesarea Philippi asked his disciples sayng WhoÌ„ saye men that I the sonne of maÌ„ am They sayd Some say thou art ThoÌ„ the baptist some Helias some Hieremye or one of the prophetes He sayth vnto them But whoÌ„ say you that I am Simon Peter answered and saide Thou arte Christe the son of the lyuinge God And Iesus answered sayd vnto him Happy arte thou Simon the son of Iona for fleshe and bloude haue not disclosed this vnto the but my father whiche is in heuen And I say vnto the that thou art Peter vppon thys rocke I wyll buylde my churche the gates of helle shall not preuayle agynste it And I will giue to the the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ and what soeuer thou byndest in erth shal be bound in heuen and what soeuer thou losest in erth shal be losed in heauen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell my frendes declareth how oure Sauiour Christ after he was com into y e parties of Cesarea Philippi wolde proue how moche his disciples had profeted by so many hys sermons and miracles whyche they had now herde and seen and whether they thought any higher thing of him then the comon people did He demaundeth therfore of them sayeng Whom say men that I am They answered Some saye thou arte Iohn the baptiste for so thoughte the Herodians other say thou arte the prophete Helias bicause he was rauished vp therfore they thought now that he appeared accordynge to the prophecie
for any earthly thynge in the worlde Secondly deare frendes ye shall vnderstande that god renewed his sayd ordinauÌ„ce of matrimony and sanctifyed it wyth hys holy worde immediatly after Noes floude At which tyme being al y â— people of the world destroyed with the said floude except Noe his childreÌ„ and their wifes god callyng them out of the arke said vnto them Crescite multiplicamini et replete terram that is th say Encrease be ye multiplied and fulfyll you the earth agayne And albeit this law and coÌ„maundement of matrimonie giuen agayne to Noe and to his chyldren was a sufficient instruction vnto them and to all their ofspring how to vse it in all clennes and puritie yet god ê‘ceiuing mans naturall inclination to synne and malice dyd afterwarde further stablish and declare the same by hys other lawes written more at large shewyng the degrees of coÌ„sanguinitie and of affinitie which nature abhorred to marie in as appeareth in the boke of Leuiticus the. xviij xx chapters Which lawes of prohibition al we christen men and womeÌ„ be vonden to obserue and kepe For who so euer marieth wythin the degrees there expressed and prohibited of God in the said boke be cursed by Gods mouth and their mariage is of no force ne strength neither afore God ne man but detestable abhominable deuelishe and damnable And on the contrary syde all mariages made betwene kynsfolke or alyes that be not wythin the degrees whiche be in that boke forbydden of God though the bishoppe of Rome hath neuer so moch forbiddeÌ„ them be without any dispeÌ„sation of man good holy godly and approued not only of God but also authorized by acte of parlimeÌ„t made in the .xxxij. yeare of the reigne of oure mooste drad Soueraigne lorde the kyng that now is Henry the eight Thyrdly ye shall vnderstand that this coniunction betwene maÌ„ and wife in matrimonie was ordeined that therby also myghte be represented vnto vs not only the perfecte indissoluble vnion of the nature of God with the nature of man whiche was fulfylled when the second person in trinâ—tie toke vpoÌ„ him the fourme and substaÌ„ce of oure nature but also the lyke coÌ„iunction in perfecte loue betwene Christ and his churche as the holy apostle Paule witnesseth in his epistle to the Ephesians where goyng about to proue that al womeÌ„ which be maried ought to loue and to be subiecte vnto their husbandes in all thynges euen as the churche is subiecte to Christ likewise that al husbaÌ„des be bound to loue their wiues euen as Christ loueth the church hys spouse he brin geth in the first ordinance of matrimonie as it was ordeyned by god in paradice and the wordes before rehersed wheruppon he inferreth sayth that thys coÌ„â—unction of man and woman in mariage wherby they are knitte and made one flesh and one bodye is the sacrament that is to saye the figure the significatioÌ„ the mysterye or the prophecieng before of that great and meruelouse coÌ„iunction which is betwene Christ and his churche For like as by the vertue of thys first ordinaunce of matrimonye the man and wife be made as one body wherof the maÌ„ is the hed euen so the excedinge loue of Christe towardes hys spouse the church knytteth and maketh Christe and hys church to be but one bodie wherof Christ is the hedde And lyke as the woman was fourmed of the rybbe of man so of Christe sprang forth the churche whiche is purified by water and bloude The rybbe is the harder part of the body the husbande is the strength of the wife euen so is Christ the strength of the churche Out of the rybbe and myddes of the bodye was the wife brought forth and eueÌ„ so Christ toke fleshe of our substaunce borne of the vndefiled virgine made like vnto vs in al thynges synne only excepted Wherfore we be called the membres of one bodie of hys flesh of hys bones meÌ„bres I say not accordyng to the nature of the euerlasting diuinitie but accordinge to that he vouchsaued to take mans nature vpon hym Howbeit thys coniuncton may not be takeÌ„ carnally but spiritually For albeit Christe toke our real fleshe yet we be hys spirituall membres For we be one bodie bicause we be partakers of one spirite And forasmuche as there is so great a coÌ„iunction betwene Christ and his churche we ought for his sake to leaue the dearest thingê we haue if they wold plucke vs awey froÌ„ Christ whose spouse we be For we muste cleaue to hym without seueraunce syth we be one bodye one fleshe wyth him And verely this is a greate sacrament mysterie and secrecie which if it be rightly poÌ„dered plucketh vp our mindes into moost highe and heauenly ioyes Hitherunto we haue brefely spokeÌ„ of the first ordinauÌ„ce of mariage now let vs come to the declaration of this present Gospell The pharisees which amoÌ„ngê y â— Iues were takeÌ„ for meÌ„ of great holynes and therfore ought best to haue magnified Christ and his doctrine were euer moost busye agaynst him inueÌ„ting al they could to trippe hym in his wordes that they myght haue some pretence to accuse hym put him downe For they had no litle enuie at him ê‘tly bicause he shadowed their estimation ê‘tly bicause he disclosed their hypocrisie They cam therfore on a time and craftely did set vpon him taking occasioÌ„ of the wordes he had spoken coÌ„cerning that a maÌ„ ought not to put awey his wife They propounde a suttil sophisme whether it were lawfull for euery cause for a man to put awey his wife For if he shulde answere it were lawful he shuld seme to be agaynst himselfe where he tawght dyuorses not be lawfull If he shulde denye it he shuld seme to be against Moses law which suffreth a man for any maner cause to gyue her a libel of diuorcement and to let her goe But Iesus so tempereth hys answere that neyther he diminisheth the authoritie of Moses neither recaÌ„teth his owne teachinge wyth the authoritie of the law he stoppeth the pharisees mouthes whyche were lawyers Haue ye not redde sayth Chryste that when God created the worlde he formed the man and women that by there coÌ„ioynyng mankynd shuld be coÌ„tynued And forthwith expressing the vnpartable couple of them added For thys loues sake shal man leaue father mother and stycke to hys wyfe And thys knotte is so straight y e of two be but one person So y e it is as moch agaynst nature that the one shuld be plucked froÌ„ the other as it is for one part of y e body to be seuered froÌ„ an othher Wherfor y e God hath thus coupled let not maÌ„ seuer Meaning herby y e it is both a gainst nature also y e law a maÌ„ to cast vp hys wife Here the pharisees thinking that they had now gotten a good quarell against oure sauiour Christ Iesus to snach him vp said