and ioye with GOD for euer To whome be laude honor and imperie for euer euer AMEN ¶ An Homelie of Christian Loue and Charitie OF all thynges that be good to bee taught vnto christian people there is nothynge more necessarye to bee spokē of and dayely called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decay therof is the ruyne of the worlde the banishmēt of vertue and the cause of all vice And for so muche as almoste euery mā maketh and frameth to hymself charitie after hys awne appetite howe detestable soeuer his lyfe be both vnto God man yet he perswadeth hymself stil that he hath charitie therfore you shall heare now a true playn descripcion of Charitie not of mennes imaginaciō but of the very woordes and example of our sauior Iesus Christ. In which descripcion euery mā as it were in a glasse maye considre himself se plainly without error whether he be in the true Charitie or not Charitie is to loue God with al our harte al our lyfe and all our powers and strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynd and studye be set to beleue his worde to trust in him and to loue hym aboue al other thynges that we loue best in heauen or in yearth With al your lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye delight be set vpon him his honor our whole lyfe geuē vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges with hym to lyue dye and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or daughter house or lāde more then me sayeth Christ is not worthy to haue me With all our powers that is to saye that with our handes fete with our eyes and eares our mouthes tongues and with all other partes powers both of body soule we should be geuen to the kepyng fulfillyng of his cōmaundementes This is the fyrste principall parte of charitie but it is not the whole for charitie is also to loue euery man good euil frende foo and whatsoeuer cause be geuē to the cōtrary yet neuertheles to beare good wil and harte vnto euery man to vse our selfes wel vnto them aswell in woordes countenaunce as in all our outwarde actes and deedes For so Christ himself taught so also he performed in dede Of the loue of God he taught in thys wyse vnto a doctor of the law that asked hym which was the great and chiefe commaundemente in the lawe Loue thy Lord God saied Christ with all thy hart with all thy lyfe and with al thy mynde And of the loue that we ought to haue emōg our selfes eche to other he teacheth vs thus you haue heard it taught in tymes paste thou shalt loue thy frende and hate thy foe but I tell you loue youre enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you speake euill of you do well to theim that hate you praye for them that vexe and persetute you that you maye be the chyldren of your father that is in heauē For he maketh hys sunne to ryse both vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to iuste and vniuste For yf you loue them that loue you what rewarde shall you haue Do not the Publicans likewyse And if you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derebeloued frendes what great matter is that Do not the Heathen thesame also These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself touchyng the loue of our neighbor And for asmuche as the Phariseis with their moste pestilente tradicions false interpretacions gloses had corrupted and almost clerely stopped vp this pure wel of Gods liuely worde teachyng that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them which do loue hym to hate his fooes therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn pourged it scoured it by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie a true clere interpretacion which is this that we ought to loue euery mā both frende and fooe addyng thereto what commoditie we shal haue thereby and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary What thyng can we wishe so good for vs as the eternall heauenly father to repute take vs for hys chyldren And this shal we be sure of sayeth Christe if we loue euery man withoute exception And if we doo otherwyse saieth he we be no better then the Phariseis Publicans Heathen and shal haue our rewarde with them that is to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen Thus of true Charitie Christ taught that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue all thynges and to loue euery man frend fooe And thus likewyse he did vse hymselfe exhortynge hys aduersaries rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes and when he coulde not amende them yet he prayed for them Firste he loued God hys father abouee all thinges so muche that he soughte not hys awne glory wil but the glory and wyl of hys father I seke not said he myne awne wyl but the wyl of hym that sent me Nor he refused not to dye to satisfie his fathers wil saiyng if it maye be let this cuppe of death go frō me if not thy wyll be doen and not myne He loued not onely hys frendes but also hys enemyes which in their hartes bare exceeding great hatred agaīst hym in their tongues spake all euill of hym and in their actes and dedes pursued hym with all their might and power euen vnto death Yet al this notwithstandynge he withdrewe not hys fauor from them but styll loued them preached vnto theim of loue rebuked theyr false doctryne theyr wycked liuyng and did good vnto them paciently accepting whatsoeuer they spake or did agaynst hym When they gaue hym euill woordes he gaue none euyll agayn when they did stryke hym he did not smyte agayne when he suffered death he dyd not sle them nor threaten them but prayed for them and referred all thinges to hys fathers wyl And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayn and as a lambe y t is shorne of hys fleese make no noyse nor resistēce euē so wente he vnto his death without any repugnaunce or openynge of his mouth to saye any euil Thus haue I described vnto you what charitie is aswel by y e doctryne as by the exāple of Christ himself Wherby also euery man maye without error know hymself what state and condiciō he standeth in whether he be in Charitie so the chyld of the father in heauen or not For althoughe almoste euery man perswadeth hymself to be in charitie yet let hym examine none other man but his awne hart his life conuersacion and he shal not be deceiued
but truly decerne iudge whether he be in perfecte charitie or not For he that foloweth not hys awne appetite wil but geueth hymself earnestly to God to do al his wil cōmaundementes he may be sure that he loueth God aboue all thinges els surely he loueth him not whatsoeuer he pretend as Christ said if ye loue me kepe my cōmaundemētes For he that knoweth my commaundementes kepeth thē he it is said Christ y t loueth me And again he saith he that loueth me will kepe my worde my father will loue him we will both come to him and dwel with hym And he that loueth me not will not kepe my wordes And likewise he that beareth good hart and mynde vseth wel his tōgue dedes vnto euery man frend foo he may knowe therby y t he hath charitie And then he is sure also y t almightie God taketh hym for hys dere beloued sonne as s. Ihon saith hereby manifestly are knowen the children of God from the chyldren of the deuill for whosoeuer doth not loue hys brother belongeth not vnto god But the peruerse nature of man corrupt with sin and destitute of Gods worde grace thinketh it against al reason that a man should loue his enemy and hath many perswasions whiche induce hym to the contrary Agaynst all whiche reasons we ought aswel to set the teachyng as the liuyng of our sauior Christ who louing vs whē we wer his enemies doth teache vs to loue our enemies He did pacientely take for vs many reproches suffered beatyng and most cruell death Therfore we be no membres of hym if we will not folowe hym Christe sayeth s. Peter suffered for vs leauyng an example that we should folowe hym Furthermore we muste consider that to loue our frendes is no more but that whiche thiefes adulterers homicides al wicked persons do in so much that Iewes Turkes Infidels all brute beastes do loue them that be their frendes of whō thei haue their liuyng or any other benefites But to loue enemies is the proper condicion onely of thē that be the chyldren of God the disciples and folowers of Christe Notwithstandyng mannes froward corrupt nature weigheth ouer depely many tymes the offence and displeasure doen vnto hym by enemies and thinketh it a burden intollerable to be bounde to loue them that hate hym But the burden should be easy enough if on the otherside euery mā would consider what displeasure he hath doen to hys enemye agayn what pleasure he hath receiued of his enemy And if we find no equal recōpense neither in receiuing pleasures of our enemy nor in renderyng displeasures vnto hym agayn then let vs pōdre the displeasures whiche we haue doen against almightye God how often and how greuously we haue offended hym Wherof if we will haue of God forgeuenesse there is none other remedye but to forgeue the offences doen vnto vs whiche be very small in comparison of our offences doen against God And if we considre that he whiche hath offended vs deserueth not to be forgeuen of vs let vs consider again that we muche lesse deserue to be forgeuē of God And although our enemy deserue not to be forgeuen for his awne sake yet we ought to forgeue hym for Gods loue consideryng how great many benefites we haue receiued of hym w tout our desertes that Christ hath deserued of vs ▪ y t for his sake we should forgeue thē their trespasses cōmitted against vs. But here may ryse a necessary questiō to be dissolued if charitie require to thynke speake do well vnto euery man bothe good and euill how can magistrates execute iustice vpon malefactors with charitie How can they cast euill men in prison take away their gooddes and somtyme their lifes accordyng to lawes if charitie wil not suffre thē so to do Hereunto is a plain a breif aunswere that plagues and punishmentes be not euill of them selfes if they be wel taken of innocētes And to an euil mā thei are bothe good necessary maye be executed accordyng to charitie with charitie should be executed For declaracion wherof you shal vnderstād y e charitie hath .ii. offices thone cōtrary to y e other yet both necessary to be vsed vpō mē of cōtrary sort disposiciō The one office of charitie is to cherish good innocēt mē not to oppresse thē with false accusaciōs but to encorage thē w t rewardes to do wel and to perseuer in wel doyng defendyng them with the swourd from their aduersaries And the office of Bishops Pastors is to prayse good men for well doynge that they maye perseuer therein and to rebuke and correct by the worde of God the offences and crimes of all euill disposed persones For the other office of charitie is to rebuke correct punish vice without acceptacion of persones and thys to be vsed against thē onely that be euil men and malefactors And that it is aswell the office of charitie to rebuke punysh and correct them that be euill as it is to cherishe and reward them that be good and innocent S. Paule declareth writyng to the Ro. saiyng that the hygh powers are ordeyned of God not to be dreadful to them that do wel but vnto malefactors to draw the swourd to take vengeaūce of him that committeth the sinne And S. Paule biddeth Timothe cōstantly and vehemētly to rebuke synne by the woorde of God So that bothe offices should be diligētly executed to impugne the kyngdom of the deuill the preacher with the worde and the gouernor with y e swourde Els they loue neither God nor thē whom thei gouerne if for lacke of correccion thei wilfully suffre God to be offended and thē whom thei gouerne to perishe For as euery louyng father correcteth hys naturall sonne when he doth amisse or els he loueth hym not so all gouernors of realmes coūtreis townes houses should louingly correcte theim whiche be offendors vnder their gouernaunce cherish them which liue innocently if they haue any respect either vnto God and their office or loue vnto them of whō thei haue gouernaunce And suche rebukes punishementes of them that offend must be doen in due tyme least by delay the offendors fal hedlynges into al maner of mischief and not onely be euill themselfes but also do hurt vnto many mē drawyng other by their euil example to sinne outrage after them As one thief may both robbe many men also make many thefes one sedicious person may allure many noye a whole towne or countrey And suche euil persons that be so great offendors of God the cōmō weale charitie requireth to be cut of frō the body of the cōmō weale lest thei corrupt other good honest persōs like as a good surgiō cutteth away a putrified and festered membre for loue he hath to the whoole body least it infect other membres adioyning
Neither we maye reioyse in any woorkes that we do which al be so vnperfect vnpure that thei are not able to stāde before the righteous throne of God as the holy Prophete Dauid saieth entre not into iudgemēt with thy seruaūt O Lorde for no man that liueth shalbe found righteous in thy sight To God therfore muste we flee or els shall we neuer finde peace rest and quietnesse of conscience in our hartes For he is the father of mercies and God of all consolacion He is the Lorde with whō is plenteous redempcion He is that God which of his awne mercie saueth vs and setteth out his charitie and exceding loue towardes vs in that of his awne voluntary goodnesse when we wer perished he saued vs and prouided an euerlastyng kyngdom for vs. And all these heauenly treasures are geuen vs not for our awne desertes merites or good deedes whiche of our selfes wee haue none but of his meere mercie frely And for whose sake Truely for Iesus Christes sake that pure and vndefiled lambe of GOD. He is that dearely beloued sonne for whose sake god is fully pacified satisfied and sette at one with man He is the lambe of God whiche taketh awaie the synnes of the worlde of whom onely it maie be truely spoken that he did al thynges well in his mouthe was founde no craft nor subtilitie None but he alone maie saie the Prince of the worlde came and in me he hath nothyng And he alone maie saie also whiche of you shall reproue me of any faulte He is that high and euerlastyng priest whiche hath offered hymself once for all vpon the aulter of the Crosse and with that one oblacion hath made perfect for euermore them that are sāctified He is the alone mediator betwene God and man whiche paied our raunsome to God with his awne bloud and with that hath he clensed vs all from synne He is the Phisicion whiche healeth al our diseases He is that sauior whiche saueth his people from all their synnes To be shorte he is that flowyng moste plenteous fountain of whose fulnesse ▪ all we haue receiued For in hym alone are all the treasures of the wisedom and knowledge of God hidden And in hym and by hym haue wee frō God the father all good thynges perteinyng either to the body or to the soule O howe muche are wee bounde to this our heauenly father for his greate mercies whiche he hath so plenteously declared vnto vs in Christe Iesu our Lorde and sauior What thankes worthy and sufficient can we geue to him Let vs all with one accorde burste out with ioyfull voyces euer praisyng and magnifiyng this Lorde of mercy for his tendre kyndnesse shewed to vs in his derely beloued sonne Iesus Christ our lord Hetherto haue we heard what wee are of our selfes verely synfull wretched and dampnable again we haue heard how that of oure selfes and by oure selfes wee are not hable either to thynke a good thought ▪ or worke a good deede so that we can fynd in our selfes no hope of saluacion but rather whatsoeuer maketh vnto our destrucciō Again we haue heard the tendre kyndenesse and greate mercie of God the father towardes vs and how beneficial he is to vs for Christes sake without our merites or desertes euen o◠his awne meere mercie and tendre goodnesse Now how these excedyng greate mercies of God set abrode in Christe Iesu for vs bee obteined and how we be deliuered from the captiuitie of synne deathe and helle it shall more at large with Gods helpe be declared in the next Homelie In the meane season yea and at all tymes let vs learne to knowe our selfes our frailtie and weakenesse without any ostentacion or boostyng of our awne good dedes and merites let vs also knowledge The excedyng mercie of God towardes vs and confesse that as of our selfes commeth all euill and dampnaciō so likewise of hym commeth all goodnesse and saluacion as God hymself saieth by the prophet Oze O Israell thy destruccion commeth of thy self but in me onely is thy helpe and comforte If wee thus humbly submit our selfes in the sight of God wee maie bee sure that in the tyme of his visitacion he will lifte vs vp vnto the Kyngdome of his derely beloued sonne Christe Iesu our Lorde to whō with the father and the holy Ghoste bee all honour and glory for euer AMEN ¶ An Homelie of the saluacion of mankynd by onely Christ our sauior from synne and death euerlastyng BEcause all men be synners and offendors against GOD and breakers of his law and commaundementes therfore can no manne by his awne actes woorkes and deedes seme thei neuer so good be iustified and made righteous before God but euery man of necessitie is constrayned to seke for another righteousnesse or iustificacion to be receiued at Gods awne handes that is to saie the remission pardon and forgeuenesse of his synnes and trespasses in suche thynges as he hath offended And this iustificacion or righteousnesse whiche we so receiue by Gods mercie Christes merites embraced by faithe is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full iustificacion For the more ful vnderstandyng hereof it is our partes and duetie euer to remembre the greate mercie of God how that al the worlde beyng wrapped in synne by breakyng of the lawe God sent his onely sonne our sauior Chrste into this worlde to fulfill the lawe for vs and by shedyng of his moste precious bloud to make a sacrifice and satisfaccion or as it maie bee called amendes to his father for our synnes to asswage his wrathe and indignacion conceiued against vs for thesame In so much that infantes beyng baptised and diyng in their infancie ▪ are by this sacrifice wasshed from their synnes brought to Gods fauor and made his children and inheritors of his kyngdome of heauen And thei whiche actually do synne after their baptisme whē thei conuerte and turne again to God vnfainedly thei are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their synnes in suche sorte that there remaineth not any spotte of synne that shalbe imputed to their dampnacion This is that iustificacion or righteousnes whiche sainct Paule speaketh of when he saieth no man is iustified by the workes of the law but frely by faith in Iesus Christ. And again he saieth we beleue in Christ Iesu that we be iustified frely by the faith of Christe not by the workes of the lawe because that no man shalbe iustified by the workes of the law And although this iustificaciō be fre vnto vs yet it commeth not so frely vnto vs that there is no raunsome paied therfore at all But here maie mannes reason be astonied reasonyng after this fashion if a raunsome bee paied for our redempcion then is it not geuen vs freely For a prisoner that paieth his raunsome is not let go frely for if he go frely then he goeth without
only to beleue al thinges of God whiche are conteyned in holy scripture but also is an earnest trust and cōfidence in God that he doth regarde vs and hath cure of vs as the father of the child whom he doth loue and that he will be mercifull vnto vs for his onely sonnes sake and that we haue our sauior Christ oure perpetuall aduocate priest in whose onely merites oblacion sufferyng we do trust that oure offences be continually wasshed and purged whensoeuer we repentyng truly do returne to hym with our whole harte stedfastly determinyng with our selfes through his grace to obey and serue him in kepyng his commaundemētes and neuer to turne backe again to synne Such is the true faythe that the scripture doeth somuche cōmende the whiche when it seeth and considereth what God hath doen for vs is also moued through continual assistence of the spirite of God to serue please hym to kepe hys fauor to feare hys displeasure to continue his obedient childrē shewing thākefulnes agayn by obseruyng his cōmaundementes and that frely for true loue chiefly and not for dread of punishement or loue of temporall reward cōsideryng how clerely without our deseruynges we haue receyued his mercy and pardon frely Thys true faythe will shewe furthe it selfe and cannot longe be idle For as it is written The iuste man doth liue by his fayth He neither sleapeth nor is idle when he should wake and be well occupyed And God by his prophete Hieremie sayeth that he is a happy and blessed man whiche hath fayth and confidence in God For he is lyke a tree sette by the water syde that spreedeth hys rootes abroode towarde the moysture and feareth not heate when it commeth his leafe will be grene and will not cease to brynge furth his fruite Euen so faithefull men puttyng awaye all feare of aduersitie wyll shewe furthe the fruite of their good workes as occasion is offered to do them The Wisemā saieth he that beleueth in God wil harken vnto his commaundementes For if we doo not shewe our selfes faithfull in oure conuersacion the faith which we pretend to haue is but a fayned faith because the true Christian faith is manifestly shewed by good liuyng and not by woordes onely as sainct Augustine saith good liuyng cānot be separated frō true faith which worketh by loue And S. Chrisostome saith faith of it self is full of good workes as sone as a mā doth beleue he shalbe garnished with thē How plētifull this faith is of good workes and how it maketh the woorke of one man more acceptable to God then of another S. Paule teacheth at large in the .xj. chap. to the Hebr. saiyng that faith made the oblacion of Abell better then y e oblaciō of Cain This made Noe to buyld y e arcke This made Abraham to forsake his countrey and all his frendes and to go vnto a far countrey there to dwel emong straungers So did also Isaac and Iacob dependyng onely of the helpe and trust that they had in God And when they came to the countrey which God promysed them they would buylde no cities townes nor houses but liued like straungers in tentes that might euery daye be remoued Their trust was so muche in God that they set but litle by any worldly thyng for that god had prepared for them better dwelling places in heauē of hys awne foundacion and buylding This faithe made Abraham ready at Gods commaundement to offre hys awne sonne and heire Isaac whom he loued so well by whom he was promysed to haue innumerable issue emong the whiche one shoulde be borne in whom all nacions should be blessed trustynge so muche in God that though he were slain yet y e God was able by his omnipotent power to raise him frō death perfourme his promyse He mistrusted not the promise of god although vnto hys reason euery thyng semed contrary He beleued verely that God woulde not forsake hym in dearthe and famyne y t was in the countrey And in al other daungers that he was brought vnto he trusted euer y t God would be hys God and his protector whatsoeuer he sawe to the contrary Thys faithe wrought so in the hart of Moses that he refused to be takē for Kyng Pharao hys daughters sonne and to haue great inheritaunce in Egypt thinkyng it better with the people of God to haue affliction and sorowe then with naughtie men in synne to lyue pleasauntly for a tyme By faith he cared not for the threatenynge of kyng Pharao for his trust was so in God that he passed not of the felicitie of this worlde but loked for the rewarde to come in heauen settyng hys hart vpon the inuisible God as if he had seen hym euer present before hys eyes By faith the children of Israel passed through the redde sea By fayth the walles of Hiericho fell doune without stroke and many other wonderfull miracles haue been wrought In al good men that heretofore haue been faithe hath brought furth their good woorkes and obteyned the promises of God Faith hath stopped the Lions mouthes faithe hath quenched the force of fire faith hath escaped the swordes edges faithe hath geuen weake men strength victorie in battaill ouerthrowen the armies of infidels raised y e dedde to lyfe faith hath made good men to take aduersitie in good parte some haue been mocked and whipped bounde and caste in prison some haue loste all their goodes and liued in great pouertye some haue wādered in moūtaines hilles and wildernesse some haue been racked some slayn some stoned some sawē some rent in peces some hedded some brent without mercy and would not be deliuered because they loked to rise agayne to a better state All these fathers martyrs and other holy men whom sainct Paul spake of had theyr fayth surely fired in God when all the worlde was agaynst thē They did not onely knowe God to be the Lord maker and gouernor of all men in the worlde but also they had a special confidence and trust that he was and would be their God their comfortor aider helper mainteyner and defendor This is the Christiā faythe whiche these holy men had and we also ought to haue And although thei were not named christian mē yet was it a christian faithe that they had for they looked for all benefites of God the father throughe the merites of hys sonne Iesu Christe as we now do This difference is betwene thē and vs for they looked when Christ should come and we be in the tyme when he is come Therfore saieth sainct Augustyne the tyme is altered but not the faythe For we haue both one fayth in one Christ. Thesame holy Ghost also that we haue had they saieth sainct Paule For as the holy Ghoste doeth teache vs to trust in God and to call vpon hym as our father so did he teache them to saye as it is wrytten Thou Lord arte our father and
and wretchednes of this world and the very entry into rest and a beginnyng of euerlastyng ioye a tastyng of heauenly pleasures so great that neither toungue is able to expresse neither eye to se nor eare to heare them no nor for anye earthly mans hart to conceyue them So excedinge greate benefites thei be whiche God our heauenly father by his mere mercye and for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe hathe layed vp in store and prepared for theim that humbly submitte themselfes to Gods wil and euermore vnfainedly loue him from the botome of their hartes And we oughte to beleue that death beyng slayne by Christe cannot kepe any man that stedfastly trusteth in Christ vnder his perpetuall tirāny and subiection but that he shall ryse from death agayne vnto glory at the last daye appoynted by almighty God lyke as Christ oure head did ryse agayne accordinge to Gods appoyntement the thyrde daye For sainct Augustine saieth The head goynge before the mēbres trust to folowe come after And sainct Paule saieth if Christe be rysen from the dead we shall ryse also from thesame And to comforte all Christen persons herein holye scripture calleth this bodiely death a slepe wherin mās senses be as it were takē from hym for a ceason and yet when he awaketh he is more freash then he was when he went to bed So althoughe we haue our soules seperated from our bodyes for a ceason yet at the general resurreccion we shalbe more freash beautifull and perfite then we be now For now we be mortall then we shal be immortall now infect with diuers infirmities then clerely voyde of all mortall infirmities now we be subiect to all carnall desyres then we shalbe al spirituall desiryng nothynge but Gods glory thinges eternal Thus is this bodiely death a doore or entrynge vnto lyfe and therfore not so muche dreadfull if it be rightly considered as it is comfortable not a mischief but a remedy of all mischief no enemy but a frende not a cruel tyraūt but a gētle guide leadyng vs not to mortalitie but to immortalitie not to sorow and payne but to ioye and pleasure and that to endure for euer if it be thankefully taken and accepted as Gods messenger and paciently borne of vs for Christes loue that suffered most paynfull death for oure loue to redeme vs from death eternall Accordynge hereunto saincte Paule saieth our lyfe is hidde with Christ in God but when our lyfe shall appere then shall we also appere with hym in glorye Why then shall we feare to dye consideryng the manifolde and comfortable promises of the Gospell and of holy scriptures God the father hath geuen vs euerlastynge lyfe saieth S. Ihon thys lyfe in is hys sonne he that hath the sonne hath lyfe he that hath not y e sonne hath not lyfe And this I wrote saieth S. Ihon to you that beleue in y e name of the sonne of God that you maye knowe that you haue euerlastynge lyfe and that you do beleue vpō the name of the sonne of God And our sauior Christ sayeth he that beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastynge and I wyll rayse him frō death to lyfe at the last day Sainct Paule also sayeth that Christe is ordeyned and made of God oure righteousnes our holynes and redemption to the entent that he which wyll glory should glory in the Lorde Sainct Paule did contemne and set litle by all other thynges estemynge them as dunge whiche before he had in very greate pryce that he might be found in Christ to haue euerlasting lyfe true holynes righteousnes and redēpcion Finally S. Paule maketh a playne argument in this wise If our heauenly father woulde not spare his awne naturall sonne but dyd geue hym to death for vs how can it be that with him he shoulde not geue vs all thynges Therfore if we haue Christ then haue we with him and by him all good thinges whatsoeuer we can in our hartes wish or desire as victorie ouer death sinne and hel we haue the fauor of God peace wyth hym holynes wysedome iustice power lyfe and redempcion we haue by hym perpetuall health wealth ioye and blysse euerlastynge All those therefore haue great cause to be full of ioye that be ioyned to Christ with true faythe stedfast hope and perfyt charitie and not to feare death nor euerlastynge dampnacion For deathe cānot depriue them of Iesu Christ nor any sinne can cōdempne them y t are graffed surely in him which is their onely ioy treasure and lyfe Let vs repent our synnes amend our lyfes trust in hys mercy and satisfaction and death can neyther take hym from vs nor vs from hym For then as s. Paul saieth whether we lyue or dye we be the Lordes awne And agayne he sayeth Christ did dye and rose agayne because he should be Lord both of the dead quicke Then if we be the Lordes awne when we be dead it must nedes folowe that suche temporall deathe not onely cānot harme vs but also that it shall muche be to our profit and ioyne vs vnto God more perfectly And thereof the christian hart may surely be certified by the infallible truth of holye scripture It is God sayeth sainct Paule which hath prepared vs vnto immortalitie and thesame is he which hath geuen vs an earnest of the spirite Therfore let vs be alwaies of good comforte for we knowe that so longe as we be in the body we be as it were farre from God in a straunge countrey subiect to many perils walkyng without perfite sighte and knowledge of almighty God onely seynge hym by faythe in holy scriptures But we haue a courage desire rather to be at home with God and oure sauior Christe farre from the body where we maye behold hys Godhead as he is face to face to oure euerlastyng comfort These be saincte Paules wordes in effecte wherby we may perceyue that the lyfe in this world is resembled to a pilgrimage in a straunge countrie far frome God and that death deliuerynge vs from our bodyes doth sende vs straight home into our awne countrey and maketh vs to dwell presently with God for euer in perpetuall rest and quietnesse So that to dye is no losse but profite and winnynge to all true christē people What lost the thefe that hanged on the crosse with Christ by hys bodiely death Yea how much dyd he gayne by it Did not our sauiour say vnto hym thys daye thou shalt be with me in Paradyse And Lazarus that pitifull person that lay before y e richemans gate payned with sores and pined with hungre did not death highlye profite and promote hym Which by the ministery of Aungels sent hym vnto Abrahās bosome a place of rest ioye and heauenly consolacion Let vs thinke none other good christen people but Christ hath prepared thesame ioye and felicitie for vs that he prepared for Lazarus the thefe Wherfore let vs sticke vnto his
saluacion and gracious redempcion and beleue hys worde serue hym frō our hartes loue obeye hym and whatsoeuer we haue done heretofore contrarye to hys moste holy wyll now let vs repent in tyme and hereafter study to correct our lyfe doubt not but we shall finde hym as mercifull vnto vs as he was either to Lazarus or to y e thefe whose exāples are written in holy scripture for the comfort of thē that be sinners and subiecte to sorowes miseries calamities in this worlde that thei shoulde not despayre in Gods mercy but euer truste therby to haue forgiuenesse of their synnes lyfe euerlastinge as Lazarus and the thefe had Thus I trust euery christen man perceyueth by the infallible woorde of God that bodiely death cannot harme nor hinder theim that truly beleue in Christ but contrary shal profit promote the christen soules whiche beynge truly penitēt for their offences departe hēce in perfect charitie and in sure truste that God is mercifull to thē forgiuinge theyr synnes for the merites of Iesus Christe hys onely naturall sonne The seconde cause why some do feare death is sore sickenesse and greuous paynes whiche partly come before death and partely accompayneth deathe whensoeuer it cometh This feare is the feare of the frayle fleashe and a naturall passion belonginge vnto the nature of a mortall man But true fayth in Gods promyses and regarde of the paynes and pangues whiche Christe vpon the crosse suffered for vs miserable synners with consideracion of the ioye and euerlastyng lyfe to come in heauen wil mitigate those paynes and moderate thys feare y t it shall neuer be able to ouerthrowe the hartie desire and gladnesse that the christian soule hath to be seperated from thys corrupt body that it maye come to the gracious presence of our sauiour Iesus Christ. If we beleue stedfastly the woorde of god we shal perceyue that suche bodiely sickenesse pangues of death or whatsoeuer dolorous paynes we suffre either before or with death be nothynge els in Christē mē but the rodde of our heauenly and louynge father wherwith he mercifully correcteth vs either to trie and declare the faythe of hys pacient chyldren that they maye be founde laudable glorious and honorable in hys sight when Iesus Christ shalbe openly shewed to be the Iudge of al the worlde or els to chastise and amende in them whatsoeuer offendeth hys fatherly and gracious goodnesse lest they shoulde peryshe euerlastingly And this hys correctynge rodde is common to all them that be truly hys Therfore let vs caste away the burden of synne that lyeth so heuye in our neckes and returne vnto God by true penaunce and amendemente of our lyfes Let vs with paciēce runne thys course that is appoynted sufferyng for hys sake that dyed for our saluacion al sorowes and pangues of death and death it selfe ioyfully when God sendeth it to vs hauynge our eyes fixed euer vpon the heade and capitayn of our fayth Iesus Christe Who considerynge the ioye that he shoulde come vnto cared neyther for the shame nor payne of deathe but willingly conformyng hys wyll to hys fathers wyll moste paciently suffered the moste shamefull and paynefull deathe of the crosse beyng innocent And now therfore he is exalted in heauen and euerlastingly sitteth on the rigtht hande of the throne of God the father Let vs call to our remembraunce therfore the lyfe and ioyes of heauen that are kepte for al them that paciently doo suffre here with Christe and cōsider that Christe suffered all hys paynfull passion by synners and for synners and then we shall with pacience and the more easyly suffre suche sorowes and paynes when they come Let vs not set at light the chastisinge of the Lorde nor grudge at hym nor fall from hym when of hym we be corrected for the Lorde loueth them whom he doth correcte and beateth euery one whom he taketh to be hys chylde What chylde is that saieth saincte Paule whome the father loueth and doth not chastice If ye be without Gods correctiō which al hys welbeloued and true children haue then be you but bastardes finally regarded of God not hys true chyldren Therfore seynge that whē we haue in earth our carnall fathers to be our correctors we do feare them and reuerently take their correction shall we not much more be in subieccion to God our spirituall father by whome we shall haue eternal lyfe And our carnall fathers some tyme correct vs euen as pleaseth thē without cause but this father iustely correcteth vs either for our synne to the intēt we should amende or for our commoditie wealthe to make vs therby partakers of his holynesse Furthermore all correction whiche God sendeth vs in thys present tyme semeth to haue no ioye and comforte but sorowe and payne Yet it bringeth with it a taste of Gods mercye and goodnes towardes thē that be so corrected a sure hope of Godes euerlastyng consolacion in heauē If then these sorowes diseases and sickenesses and also death it selfe be nothyng els but our heauenly fathers rod wherby he certifieth vs of hys loue gracious fauor wherby he trieth and purifieth vs wherby he geueth vnto vs holynesse certifieth vs that we be hys children and he our mercifull father shall not we then with all humilitie as obedyent louyng chyldren ioyfully kysse our heauenly fathers rod and euer saye in oure harte with oure sauior Iesus Christe Father if this āguishe and sorowe wich I fele and death which I se approche maye not passe but that thy wyll is that I muste suffre them thy wyll be done Now the thirde and speciall cause why death in deede is too be feared is the miserable state of the worldly and vngodly people after their death But this is no cause at all why the godly and faytheful people should feare death but rather contrariwise their godly conuersacion in thys lyfe and beliefe in Christ cleauing continually to hys merites should make them to longe sore after that lyfe that remayneth for them vndoubtedly after this bodely death Of this immortall state after thys transitory lyfe where we shal liue euermore in the presence of god in ioye and reste after victory ouer all sickenes sorowes sinne and death there be many bothe playn places of holy scripture which confirme the weake conscience agaynst the feare of al suche dolours sickenesses synne and death corporal to asswage such trembling and vngodly feare and to encourage vs with comforte and hope of a blessed state after thys life Sainct Paule wissheth vnto the Ephesians y t God the father of glory woulde geue vnto theim y e spirite of wisedome and reuelacion that the eyes of their hartes might haue light to knowe him and to perceyue how great thinges he had called thē vnto and how riche inheritaunce he hath prepared after this life for thē that perteyne vnto hym And sainct Paul himself declareth the desire of his hart which was
and deformitie of this most detestable vice your stomackes maye be moued to ryse agaynst it and to detest abhorre that synne which is so much to be hated and so pernicious and hurtful to al mē But emong all kyndes of contencion none is more hurtfull then is contencion in matters of religion Eschewe saieth sainct Paul foolish and vnlearned questions knowyng that they breed strife It becōmeth not the seruaunt of God to fighte or stryue but to be meke towarde all men This contencion strife was in saincte Paules tyme emonge the Corinthians and is at this time emonge vs Englishe men For to many there be which vpon the Alebenches or other places delight to propounde certayne questions not so muche perteyning to edificacion as to vainglory and ostentacion and so vnsoberly to reason and dispute that when neyther partye wil geue place to other they fall to chydynge and contēcion and somtyme from hote wordes to further inconueniēce Sainct Paul could not abyde to heare emong the Corinthians these wordes of discorde or dissencion I holde of Paule I of Cephas and I of Apollo What would he then say if he hearde these woordes of contencion whiche be now almoste in euery mās mouth he is a Pharisei he is a gospeler he is of the new sorte he is of the olde faythe he is a new broched brother he is a good catholique father he is a papist he is an heretique Oh how y e churche is diuided Oh how the cyties be cutte mangled Oh how y e coote of Christ that was without seame is all to rent torne Oh body misticall of Christe where is that holy happy vnitie out of the which whosoeuer is he is not in Christ If one membre be pulled from another where is the body If the body be drawē frō the head where is the lyfe of the body We cannot be ioynted to Christ our head except we be glued with cōcord charitie one to another For he that is not in this vnitie is not of the churche of Christ whiche is a congregaciō or vnitie together not a diuision Sainct Paul saieth that as long as emulacion contencion and factions be emonge vs we be carnal and walke according to the fleshly man And sainct Iames saieth If you haue bitter emulacion contenciō in your hartes glory not of it for where as contencion is there is incōstancy al euill deades And why do we not heare s Paule which prayeth vs where as he might cōmaund vs saiyng I beseche you in y e name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you wil speake al one thinge y t there be no dissencion emong you but that you wil be one whole body of one mynd of one opiniō in y e truth If his desire be reasonable honest why do we not graūt it if his request be for our profit why do we refuse it And if we list not to heare hys peticion of praier yet let vs heare his exhortaciō wher he saith ▪ I exhorte you that you walke as it becommeth the vocacion in the whiche you be called with all submission and mekenes with lenitie and softenes of mynde bearynge one another by charitye studiyng to kepe the vnitie of the spirit by the bond of peace For there is one body one spirit one fayth one baptisme There is he saieth but one body of y e whiche he can be no liuely membre that is at variaunce w t the other membres There is one spirit whiche ioyneth and knitteth all thynges in one And how can this one spirit reigne in vs when we emonge oure selfes be diuided There is but one fayth and howe can we then saye he is of the olde fayth and he is of the new faythe There is but one baptisme and thē shall not all they whiche be baptised be one Contencion causeth diuision wherfore it oughte not to be emong christiās whome one faith and baptisme ioyneth in an vnitie But if we contempne saincte Paules requeste and exhortaciō yet at the least let vs regarde hys obtestacion in the whithe he doeth very earnestly charge vs and as I may so speake coniure vs in thys fourme and maner If there be any consolacion in Christe if there be any comforte of loue if you haue any communion of the spirite if you haue any bowelles of pitie and compassiō fulfyll my ioye beyng all like affected hauynge one charitie beinge of one mynd of one opiniō that nothyng be done by contencion or vainglory Who is he that hath any bowelles of pitie that wyll not be moued with these wordes so pithy whose hart is so stony but that y e sworde of these wordes whiche bee more sharpe then any two edged swoorde maye not cutte and breake a sondre Wherfore let vs endeuour our selfes to fulfil s. Paules ioye here in thys place whiche shalbe at length to our greate ioye in another place Let vs so reade the scripture that by readynge therof we maye be made the better liuers rather then the more contencious disputers If any thyng is necessary to be taught reasoned or disputed let vs do it with all mekenes softnes lenitie If any thyng shall chaunce to be spoken vncomly let one beare anothers frailtie He that is faulty let hym rather amende then defend that which he hath spoken amisse lest he falle by contenciō from a foolish errour into an obstinate heresie for it is better to geue place mekely then to winne y e victory with the breach of charitie which chaūceth where euery man will defende hys opinion obstinately If we be christen men why do we not folowe Christe whiche saieth learne of me for I am meeke and lowely in hart A disciple muste learne the lesson of his scholemaster and a seruaunt must obey the commaundement of hys master He that is wise learned saieth s. Iames let hym shewe hys goodnes by hys good conuersacion and sobernes of hys wysedome For where there is enuy and contencion that wysedome commeth not from God but is worldly wysedome mans wysedome and deuilishe wysedome For the wysedome that commeth from aboue from the spirit of God is chast and pure corrupted with no euil affeccions it is quiet meke and peaceable abhorringe all desyre of contenciō it is tractable obediēt not grudgyng to learne and to geue place to them that teache better for their reformacion For there shall neuer be an ende of striuinge and contencion if we contende who in contencion shalbe master haue the ouerhande if we shall heape erroure vpon errour if we continue to defend y t obstinately which was spokē vnaduisedly For truth it is that stifnes in mainteyning an opiniō bredeth contenciō braulyng and chiding whiche is a vice emong all other most pernicious and pestilent to cōmon peace and quietnes And as it standeth betwixt two persons parties for no man commonly doth chide with him self so it comprehendeth two most detestable