instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which are in darkenes an instructour of the folyshe a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourme of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou that prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest sacriledge thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshoner God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is euydente by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such knowledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for his sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god agayne and to haue aboundaunce of grace geuen vnto hym by which grace he should both in his knowledg be the better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For this amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal man was made in all partes like vnto one of vs sinne only excepted and he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a meruelous sort that as in vs the body being of one nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this incomprehensible vnion of the godhed manhed in Christ Iohn 1. S. Ihon speaketh in the fyrst chapiter of his gospell saying Verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God Was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue .xxxiij. yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holy prophetes whiche were to be fulfylled of hym before his passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefullye procured of the deuil against him to raunsome mankynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that this raunsome shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefull wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcing of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of his syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precious bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs therein to beholde the excedynge great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not his onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge all men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so paynefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seynge he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet his passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaute in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites thereof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wil and consent without the whiche we can not be saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne defaute were fallen into the estate of endles misery and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onely sonne our sauiour Christ Remember that synne and nought els brought vs fyrst oute of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incessantly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyll who being vanquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right fayth of Christ valiantly withstande hym whiche to doo graunt vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honour and glory worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaryng how the redemption in Christ is appliable to vs. ALthough the death and passion of our sauiour christ be in value a sufficient raunsome for the synnes of the whole world yet in effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neyther Turke Iew nor infidell wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passiō of Christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the .xvi. Mar. 16. chapter of S. Marke that Whosoeuer doth not beleue shall be dāpned Agayne euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyl lyuer eternall death beleue he neuer soo wel As S. Paule witnesseth in the .v. chapiter of his Epistle to the Galathians Gala. 3. where he sayth Walke after the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of the fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the fleshe These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye woulde But and yf ye be led of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The dedes of the fleshe are manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry wytchcrafte hatred variaūce contencion wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkennes glotony and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in tyme past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heauē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Christe these two poyntes are requisit of our behalf the one to beleue rightly the other to lyue vpryghtlye whiche two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to knowe except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche whiche catholyke churche our sauioure Christe hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for all men to come and repayre vnto to learne suche truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerlastyng life This catholike church and no other company
Beware of false prophets Math. 7 which come to you in shepes clothing but inwardly they are rauenynge wolues Our sauior calleth them wolues for that they deuoure the soules of so many as giue credite vnto thē he sayeth fardar of them that they come in lambes skins because they pretend the woord of God and therewith bleare the eyes of poore simple men and make them beleue that it is as they saye where in dede whatsoeuer is taught contrary to that that al christendome openly teacheth and from tyme to tyme hath taught is false and cannot possible be true vnlesse we wold say that christ him selfe were not true For he promyseth that hym selfe wil be for euer with the churche and that the holy ghost shal for euer gouerne the same Forasmuch than as there is no other schole on the earth for men to learne theyr duety towardes God and the world but the catholyke churche nor no other doctryne auayleable to eternall lyfe but that whiche the catholyke churche teacheth therefore all christē people are requyred to make a solempne vow at theyr baptisme to beleue the catholyke churche And he that so doeth is in an assured trade of saluation if in his conuersation he folowe the same but contrarywyse he that beleueth it not is in a mooste certayne estate of euerlastynge dampnation Wherefore that you maye knowe what the catholyke churche dothe in all poyntes beleue there shal be hereafter particularly set forth vnto you the seuerall matters requisit to be beleued and practised of all Christen people that no man maye haue iuste cause hereafter to pretende ignoraunce but all men beynge sufficiently instructed maye by folowynge suche doctryne attayne to euerlastynge lyfe whiche sende vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye Ghoste to whom be all honoure and glorye worlde without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely of Christian loue or Charitye FOrasmuch as the pithe and summe of all thinges which be conteyned eyther in the lawe or in the prophetes doth stād and cōsist in the loue of God and in the loue of oure neyghboure as our sauiour Christ dothe plainely testifye in the .xxii. Chapiter of sainct Mathewe Math. 22. sayenge One of the Pharises beynge a doctoure of the lawe tēpting did aske him and say mayster what is the great cōmaūdemēt in the law Iesus answerynge sayd vnto hym Thou shalte loue thy Lorde God wyth all thy harte wyth al thy soule and wyth all thy hole mynde this is sayeth he the greatest and fyrste commaundement And the seconde is lyke vnto it Thou shalte loue thy neyghboure as thy selfe and of these two commaundementes al the lawe dothe hange and the Prophetes And forasmuche also as we can not loue God well except we doo loue oure neyghboure in a due order ne yet loue oure neyghboure well excepte we doo loue God in that due order that we oughte to doo Sainct Ihon the Euangelist so testifyeng and declarynge Iohn 3. and 4. in the thyrde and fourthe Chapiters of his fyrst canonicall Epistle And finally forasmuche as he that loueth not after this sorte is by the testimonye of the sayde sainct Iohn in the sayde thyrd Chapiter iudged to be in death therefore it is ryghte expediente and necessarye to haue alwayes this loue whiche nowe in oure vulgare tongue and common talke is ofte named by the name of Charitie but very megerly and coldely practised and set fourthe in dede as it shoulde be And of trouthe yf we woulde iudge vpryghtly and well we ought to saye that of all thinges that be good to be taught vnto Christen people there is nothynge more necessarye to be spoken of and daylye called vpon then charitie aswell for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it as also that the decaye thereof is the ruyne of the worlde the banyshement of vertue and the cause of all vice And forasmuche as almost euery mā maketh frameth to him selfe a charity after his owne appetyte and howe detestable so euer his lyfe be bothe vnto God and man yet he perswadeth with hym selfe styll that he hathe charitye Therefore you shall heare nowe a true and playne descripcion of charitie not of mens ymagination but of the very woordes and example of oure sauioure Iesus Christe In whyche description euerye man as it were in a glasse may consyder hym selfe and see plainely without errour whether he be in the true Charitye or not charitie is to loue God with all oure harte withall our life with al our powers with all our strength With all our harte that is to say that our hartes mynde studie be set to beleue his woorde to truste in hym and to loue hym aboue all other thynges whyche we doo loue best in heauen or in earthe Wyth all oure lyfe that is to saye that our chief ioye and delyte be sette vpon hym and his honoure and oure hole lyfe gyuen vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges wyth hym to lyue and wyth hym to dye yea and to forsake all other thynges rather then hym For he that loueth hys father or mother sonne or doughter house or lād more then me saieth Christ is not worthy to haue me Wyth all oure powers that is to saye that with our handes and feete wyth our eyes and eares oure mouthes and tongues and wyth all other partes powers bothe of body and of soule we shoulde be gyuen to the kepynge and fulfyllynge of hys commaundementes This is the fyrste and the principal parte of charity but it is not the whole For charitie is also to loue euery man good and euyll frende and fooe And what soeuer cause be gyuen to the contrarye yet neuertheles to beare good will and harte vnto euerye man to vse oure selues wel vnto thē aswel in woordes and countenaūce as in all our outeward actes and dedes For so Christ hym selfe taught and so also he perfourmed in dede And of this loue that we ought to haue amongest oure selues eche to other he instructeth vs thus Mathew v. You haue harde it taught in tymes paste Thou shalte loue thy frende and hate thy fooe but I tell you loue your enemyes speake wel of them that diffame you and doe speake euil of you doo well to them that hate you praye for thē that vexe and persecute you that you may be the children of your father that is in heauen For he maketh the sunne to ryse bothe vpon the euyl and good and sendeth rayne to the iuste and to the vniust For if you loue them that loue you what rewarde shal you haue Doo not the publicans lykewyse And yf you speake well onely of them that be your brethren and derely beloued frendes what greate matter is that doo not the heathē the same also These be the very woordes of oure sauioure Christ him selfe touching the loue of our neighbour And forasmuche as the Phariseis wyth theyr moost
pestilent traditions false interpretacions and gloses had corrupted and almooste clerelye stopped vp this pure well of Gods lyuely woorde teaching that this loue and charitye pertayned onely to a mans frendes and that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them whyche doo loue hym and to hate hys fooes therefore Christe dyd open this well agayne purged it and scoured it by gyuynge vnto hys godlye lawe of Charitie a true and clere interpretation which is this that we ought to loue euery mā bothe frende and fooe addynge thereto what commodity we shal haue thereby and what in cōmodity by dooynge the contrarye What thynge can we wysshe so good for vs as the heauenlye father to repute and take vs for hys chyldren And this shall we be sure of sayeth Christ yf we loue euery man without exception And yf we doo otherwyse sayeth he we be no better thā Phariseis Publicans and heathen persons and shall haue oure rewarde with them that is to be excluded from the number of gods elect chyldren and from hys euerlastyng inheritaunce in heauen Thus of true Charitye Christ taughte that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue al thinges and to loue euery man frende and fooe And thus lykewyse he dyd vse hym selfe exhortynge hys aduersaries rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes and whan he coulde not amende them yet he prayed for theim Fyrste he loued God his father aboue al thinges so muche that he sought not hys owne glorye and wyll but the glorye and wyll of hys father Iohn 5. I seke not sayde he Iohn v. myne owne wyll but the wyll of hym that sent me Nor he refused not to dye to satysfye hys fathers wyll Math. 26. sayeng Math. xxvi Yf it may be let this cuppe of death goo from me yf not thy wyll be doone and not myne He loued also not onely hys frendes but also hys enemyes whyche in their hartes dyd beare exceding great hatred agaīst hym and in theyr tongues spake all euyll of him and in theyr actes and dedes pursued hym wyth al their myght and power euē vnto death Yet al this notwythstandynge he withdrewe not hys fauour from theim but styll loued them preached vnto them of loue rebuked theyr false doctryne theyr wycked lyuynge and dyd good vnto them pacientlye acceptynge what soeuer they spake or dyd agaynste him When they gaue hym euell woordes he gaue none euyll agayne when they dyd stryke hym he dyd not smyte agayne And when he suffred deathe he dyd not slea them nor threaten them but prayed for thē and referred all thynges to hys fathers wyll And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayne Esai 53. Act. 8. and as a lambe that is shorne of hys flese dyd make no noyse nor resistence euen so wente he vnto hys deathe wythoute any repugnaunce or openynge of hys mouthe to saye anye euyll Thus haue I described vnto you what charitye is aswell by the doctryne as by the example of Christ hym selfe Whereby also euery man may without erroure know hym selfe what state and condition he standeth in whether he be in charitye and so the chylde of the father in heauen or not For althoughe almoste euery man perswadeth him selfe to be in Charity yet let him examyne none other man but hys owne harte his life and conuersation and he shall not be deceyued but truly decerne and iudge whether he be in perfyte charitye or not For he that foloweth not hys owne appetite and wyll but gyueth hym selfe earnestly to God to doo all hys wyll and commaundementes he maye be sure that he loueth God aboue all thynges and els suerlye he loueth hym not what so euer he pretende Iohn 14. As Chryste sayd If ye loue me kepe you my cōmaundementes For he that knoweth my commaundementes dothe kepe them he it is sayeth Christ that loueth me And agayne he sayeth He that loueth me wyl kepe my woorde and my father wyll loue hym and we wyll bothe come to hym and dwel wyth hym And he that loueth me not wyll not kepe my woordes And lykewyse he that beareth good harte and mynde and vseth well hys tongue and dedes vnto euery man frende and fooe he maye knowe thereby that he hathe charity And then he is sure also that almyghty God taketh hym for hys dere beloued sonne as Saincte Ihon sayeth in the thyrde Chapiter of hys fyrste canonicall Epistle Hereby manifestlye are knowen the chyldren of God from the children of the deuyll For who so euer dothe not loue hys brother belongeth not vnto God But the peruerse nature of man corrupte wyth synne and destitute of Gods woorde and grace thinketh it against all reason that a man shoulde loue hys enemye and hathe many perswasions whyche induceth hym to the contrarye Agaynste all whyche reasons we oughte aswell to set the teachynge as the lyuynge of oure sauioure Christe who louynge vs when we were hys enemyes dothe teache vs to loue our enemyes He dyd paciently take for vs many reproches suffred beatynge and moost cruell deathe Therfore we be no members of hym yf we wyll not folowe hym For as S. Peter sayeth i. Peter 2. Christe suffered for vs leauynge vs an example that we should folowe him Furthermore we must consider that to loue oure frendes is no more but that which theues adulterers homicides and all wycked persons doo in so muche that Iewes Turkes Infidels and all brute beastes doo loue them that bee theyr frendes of whome they haue theyr lyuynge or any other benefytes But to loue our enemies is the proper cōdition onely of them that be the children of God the disciples and folowers of Christ Notwithstanding mans frowarde and corrupte nature wayeth ouer depely many times the offence and displeasure done vnto hym by enemyes and thynketh it a burden intollerable to be bounde to loue them that hate him But the burden shoulde be easye ynoughe yf on the other syde euery man woulde consyder what dyspleasure he hath done to hys enemy agayne what pleasure he hathe receyued of hys enemye And yf we fynde no egall recompence neyther in receyuing pleasures of our enemy nor in rendryng dyspleasure vnto hym agayne then let vs ponder the displeasures whyche we haue done agaynste almighty God Howe often and howe greuously we haue offended hym Whereof yf we wyll haue of God forgyuenes there is none other remedye but to forgyue the offēces done vnto vs whyche be very small in comparison of oure offences done agaynste God And yf we consyder that be whych hath offended vs deserueth not to be forgyuen of vs let vs consyder againe that we muche lesse deserue to be forgyuen of God And althoughe our enemy deserue not to be forgyuen for hys owne sake yet we oughte to forgyue hym for gods loue consyderynge howe great and manyfest benefytes we haue receyued of hym withoute oure desertes and that Christe hathe deserued of vs that for his sake we should forgyue them
we be what we oughte of right to be called And thus he describeth vs speakynge by hys faythfull Apostle S. Paule to the Romaynes the .iii. Roma 3. Chapiter saying All men Iewes and Gentiles are vnder synne there is none ryghteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seketh after God they are all goone out of the waie they are all vnprofitable there is none that dothe good no not one theyr throte is an open sepulchre with theyr tongues they haue vsed crafte and deceyte the poyson of serpentes is vnder theyr lyppes theyr mouthe is full of cursynge and bitternes theyr feete are swifte to shed bloude destruction and wretchednes are in theyr wayes the waye of peace haue they not knowen there is no feare of God before theyr eyes And in an other place that is to wit Gala. 3. Galathians .iij. S Paule wryteth thus God hathe wrapped all nations in vnbeleif Roma 11 that he myght haue mercy on all The scripture concludeth all vnder synne Gala. 3. that the promise by the faythe in Iesus Christe should be giuē vnto theim that beleue S. Paule in many places paynteth vs oute in our collours callyng vs the chyldren of the wrathe of God when we be borne sayenge also that we cannot thinke a good thought of our selues much lesse we can say wel or doo wel of our selues And the wyseman sayeth in the booke of Prouerbes Pro. 24. the iuste man falleth seuen tymes a daye The mooste tried and approued man Iob feared all his woorkes S. Iohn the Baptiste beynge sanctifyed in hys mothers wombe Luce. i. and praised before he was borne called an aungel and great before the Lord replenyshed euen from hys byrthe with the holy ghoste the preparer of the way for our sauioure Christe to be more then a Prophet and the greatest that euer was borne of a womā yet he plainely graunteth that he had nede to be wasshed of Christ he worthely extolleth and glorifieth his lord and mayster Christe and humbleth hym selfe as vnworthy to vnbuckle hys shooes and geueth all honoure and glorye to God So doeth saincte Paule both oft and euydently confesse hym selfe what he was of hym selfe euer geuynge as a moost faythfull seruaunte oughte to doo all prayse to hys mayster and sauioure Iohn .i. and .2 So doeth blessed sainct Iohn the euangelist in the name of hym selfe and of all other holy men be they neuer so iuste make this open confession If we saye that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs If we knowledge our synnes God is faithfull and iust to forgyue vs oure synnes and to clense vs from all vnryghteousnes If we saye we haue not synned we make him a lier and hys woorde is not in vs. Wherefore the wysemā Eccles 7 in the booke called Ecclesiastes openly declareth that there is not one iuste man vpon the earth Psal 2. that dothe good and synneth not And sainct Dauid is ashamed of hys synne but not to confesse hys synne Howe ofte howe earnestlye and how lamentablye doeth he desyre Gods greate mercye for hys great offences and that God should not enter in to iudgement wyth hym And agayne howe well wayeth this holy man hys synnes when he confesseth that they be so many in number and so hydde and harde to vnderstāde that it is in maner vnpossyble Psal 19 to knowe vtter or number them Wherefore he hauyng an earnest and depe contemplation and consyderation of hys synnes and yet not commyng to the bottome of them maketh supplication to God to forgyue hym hys priuye secrete hydde synnes to the knowledge of the whyche he cannot attayne He wayeth ryghtlye hys synnes from the originall roote and sprynge heade perceyuinge inclinations prouocations styrringes stinginges buddes braunches Psal 2. dregges infections tastes felinges and sentes of them to cōtinewe in him stil Wherfore he sayeth Marke behold I was conceiued in synnes He saieth not sinne but in the plurel number sinnes for asmuche as oute of one as fountayne spryngeth all the reste And oure sauiour Christ sayth Math. 9 there is none good but God and that we can doo nothing that is good without hym or no man can come to the father but by hym He commaundeth vs all to saye that we be vnprofitable seruauntes when we haue doone all that we can doo He preferreth the penitente Publicane before the proudeholye and gloryouse Pharysey He calleth hym selfe a phisition not to them that be hole but to them that be sicke and haue nede of his salue for theyr sore He teacheth vs in oure prayers to reacknowledge oure selues synners and to aske forgeuenes and deliueraunce from all euyls at oure heauenly fathers hande He declareth that the synnes of oure owne hartes doo defyle oure owne selues He teacheth that an euyll woorde or thought deserueth condempnation affyrmynge that we shal geue an accompte for euery ydle woorde He sayth he came not to saue but the shepe that were vtterlye lost and cast awaye Therefore fewe of the proude iust learned wyse perfite and holy Phariseis were saued by hym because they iustified them selues by theyr counterfeyte holynes before men Wherefore good people let vs beware of such Hypocrisie vaineglorye and iustifieng of our selues Let vs looke vpō our feete and then downe oure Pecockes fethers downe proude harte downe vayne claye frayle and brittle vessels Of our selues we be crabbe trees that can bryng furth no Aples we be of our selues of such earth as can bryng furth but weedes nettels brambles bryers cocle and darnell Our fruytes be declared in the fyfte chapiter to the Galathians We haue neither fayth Charitie hope pacience chastitie nor any thinge els that good is but of God and therefore these vertues be called there the fruytes of the holy ghost and not the fruytes of man Let vs therefore acknowledge our selues before God as we be in dede myserable and wretched synners And let vs earnestly repent and humble our selues hartelye to crye to God for mercye Lette vs all confesse with mouth and harte that we be full of imperfections Let vs knowe our owne workes of what imperfection they be and then we shall not stande folyshely and arrogantly in oure owne conceytes For truely there is imperfections in our beste woorkes we doo not loue God so muche as we are bounde to doo with all our harte mynde and power we doo not feare God so muche as we ought to doo we doo not praye to God but with great and many imperfections We geue forgeue beleue loue and hope vnperfectlye we speake thinke and doo vnperfectlye we fyght agaynst the deuyll the worlde and the flesshe vnperfectlye Luke 5. Let vs therfore not be ashamed to confesse playnely oure state of imperfection yea let vs not be ashamed to confesse imperfection euen in all our workes Let none of vs be ashamed to say with holye S. Peter I am a
synfull man Let vs all saye with the holye prophet Dauyd Psal 160. We haue sinned with our fathers we haue done amysse and dealte wyckedlye Let vs all make confession with the prodigall sonne to oure father Luce. 15. and saye with him We haue synned agaynst heauen and before thee O father we are not worthye to be called thy sonnes Lette vs all saye with holye Baruch Baruch 2. O Lord our God to vs is worthely ascribed shame and confusion and to thee ryghteousnes We haue synned we haue done wickedly we haue behaued our selues vngodlye in all thy ryghteousnes Let vs all say with the holy prophete Danyell O Lorde rightuousnes belongeth to thee vnto vs belongeth confusion We haue synned Daniel 9 we haue bene naughtie we haue offended we haue fled from the wee haue gone backe from all thy preceptes and iudgementes So we learne of all good men in holy scripture to humble oure selues and to exalte extoll prayse magnifye and glorifye God Thus ye haue hearde howe euil we be of our selues how of our selues by our selues we haue no goodnes helpe nor saluation but contrarywyse synne dampnation and deathe euerlastynge whyche yf wee depely weyghe and consyder we shall the better vnderstande the great mercy of God and howe our saluacion commeth onely by Christe for in oure selues as of our selues we fynde nothynge whereby we may be delyuered from this miserable captiuitye into the whyche we were caste throughe the enuye of the deuyll by transgression of Gods commaundement in our fyrste parent Adam We are al become vncleane but we al of our selues are not hable to clēse our selues nor to make one an other of vs cleane We are by nature the chyldren of Gods wrathe we are not hable of oure selues to make vs the children and inheritours of Gods glorye We are shepe that runne astray we cānot without goddes grace i. Peter 2. and helpe come agayne to the shepe folde so great is our imperfection and weakenes In our selues therefore maye not we glorye which of oure selues are nothynge but synnefull neyther maye we bragge of our woorkes that we doo whyche all be so vnperfecte and vnpure that they are not of them selues hable to stande before the ryghteous throne of GOD as the holye Prophete Dauid sayeth Enter not into iudgemente wyth thy seruaunte O Lorde for no man that lyueth shal be founde ryghtuous in thy syghte To God therefore muste wee flye or els shall we neuer fynde peace rest and quyetnes of conscience in oure hartes For he is the father of mercyes and God of all consolation he is the Lord wyth whome is plenteouse redemption Psal 129. He is the God whyche of his owne mercy saueth vs and setteth out hys charitie and exceadyng loue toward vs in that of his owne voluntary goodnes when we were peryshed he saued vs and prouyded an euerlastynge kyngedome for vs. And all these heauenly treasures are giuē vs of hys mere mercy freelye And for whose sake Trulye for Iesus Christes sake that pure and vndefiled Lambe of God He is that dearely beloued sonne for whose sake God is fullye pacifyed satysfyed and set at one with man He is the Lambe of God i. Peter 2 whyche taketh away the synnes of the worlde of whome it maye be truely spoken that he dyd all thynges well and in his mouthe was founde no crafte nor subteltye Lykewyse he maye saye the prynce of the world came and in me he hath nothyng He maye say also whiche of you shall reproue me of anye faulte He is that hyghe and euerlastynge priest whyche hathe offred him selfe to God when he instituted the sacrament of the Aultar and once for all in a bloudye sacrifyce doone vpon the crosse with which oblation he hath made perfecte for euermore theim that are sanctifyed He is the mediatoure 1. Iohn 3 betwene God and man which payed our raunsome to God wyth hys owne bloude and wyth that hathe clensed vs from synne He is the Phisition whiche healeth all our diseases He is that sauioure Math. 1 whiche saueth the people from al theyr sinnes To be short he is that flowing and moost plenteous fountayne of whose fulnes all we haue receyued For in him are all the treasures of the wysedome and knowledge of God hydden And in hym and by him haue we from God the father al good thinges perteyning eyther to the bodye or to the soule O how muche then are we bounde to this oure heauenlye father for these his greate mercyes whiche he hathe so plenteously declared vnto vs in Christe Iesu oure Lorde and sauioure What thankes worthy and sufficiente can we giue to him Let vs all with one accorde burste oute wyth ioyful voices euer praysynge and magnifyenge this Lorde of mercy for hys tender kyndenes shewed to vs in hys dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christ oure Lorde Let vs nowe learne to know our selues our frayltie and weakenes withoute anye ostentation or boastynge of oure owne good deedes and merites Let vs also knowledge the exceadynge mercye of God towarde vs and confesse that as of our selues commeth all euyll and dampnation so lykewyse of hym commeth all goodnes and saluation as God him selfe saieth by the Prophet Oze Oze 13 O Israel thy destruction commeth of thy selfe but in me onely is thy helpe and comforte If wee thus humbly submyt our selues in the syghte of God we maye be sure that in the tyme of hys visitaciō he wil lyfte vs vp vnto the kyngedome of hys dearely beloued sonne Christe Iesu our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy gooste be all honoure and glorye for euer Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelye of the redemption of man IT was declared vnto you good christen people in the last homelye howe oure fyrste parentes Adā and Eue were by the synguler goodnes and especiall fauoure of almyghtye God created ryghte worthye creatures and in the estate of parfytte innocencye It was also shewed howe thorough disobedience to theyr creator they broughte them selues and all mankind into the estate of euerlastynge damnation Nowe shall you consequentlye heare of the delyueraunce of man out of that dampnable estate that is of oure redemption For the vnderstandynge whereof you must perfytlye beare in mynde that the whole nature of man both in bodye and soule was thorough orygynall synne greatelye defiled For the soule which is the cheif part of man loste thereby the especiall gyftes of grace with whiche it was indued in the creation and besydes that it was also maymed in the gyftes of nature as in memorye intelligence wyll and other lyke And the body whiche is the inferior parte it also was by the meanes of orygynall synne brought to the necessarye estate of mortalitie so that it muste nedes die and was throughe that synne of our sayde fyrste parentes made weke and brought to be subiecte to sōdrye kyndes of infirmities and syckenes and nother coulde God of
their trespasses commytted agaynst vs. But here may ryse a necessary question to be dyssolued If charity requyre to thinke speake and doo well vnto euery man bothe good and euyl how can magystrates execute iustyce vpon malefactours with charitye Howe can they caste euyll men into prison take away theyr goodes and sometime their lyues accordynge to lawes yf Charitye wyll not suffer them so to doo Herevnto is a playne and brief answere that plages and punishementes be not euel of themselues yf they be well taken of innocentes and to an euyll man they are bothe good and necessarye and may be executed accordynge to charitie and with charitye should be executed For declaracion whereof you shall vnderstande that charity hath two offices the one contrarye to the other and yet bothe necessarye to be vsed vpon men of contrarye sorte and dysposition The one office of Charitye is to cheryshe good and innocent men Not to oppresse them with false accusations but to incourage them wyth rewardes to doo well perseuer in well dooynge defendynge them wyth the sworde frō theyr aduersaryes And the offyce of Byshops and pastours is to laude good men for wel doynge that they maye perseuer therein and to rebuke and correct by the woorde of God the offences and crymes of all euyll disposed persons The other office is to rebuke correcte punysh vyce without acceptation of parsons and this is to be vsed against theim onely that be euyll men and malefactours And it is aswell the offyce of charitye to rebuke punyshe and correcte them that be euyll as it is to cheryshe and rewarde them that be good and innocent Sainct Paule soo declareth writing to the Romaynes and sayenge the hyghe powers are ordeyned of GOD Roma 13. not to be dreadefull to them that doo well but vnto malefactours to drawe the swoorde to take vengeaunce of hym that commytteth the synne And saincte Paule byddeth Tymothye constantlye i. Timo. 5 and vehementlye to rebuke synne by the woorde of GOD So that bothe offyces shoulde be dylygently executed to impugne the kyngdom of the deuyl the preacher wyth the woorde and the Gouernoure wyth the swoorde Els they loue neyther God nor them whome they gouerne yf for lacke of correction they wylfully suffer God to be offended and them whom they gouerne to perishe For as euery louynge father correcteth his natural sonne when he dothe amysse or els he loueth hym not So all gouernours of Realmes Countreys Townes and houses shoulde louynglye correcte them who be offendours vnder theyr gouernaunce And cheryshe them who doo liue innocently yf they haue any respecte eyther vnto God and theyr office or loue vnto them of whome they haue gouernaūce And suche rebukes and punyshementes of them that doo offende muste be done in due tyme least by delaye the offender fall headlinges into all maner of myschiefe and not onely bee euyll theimselues but also doo hurte vnto many men drawynge other by theyr euyll example to synne outrage after them As one theef maye bothe robbe manye men and also make many theues and one sediciouse person may allure many and noye a hole towne or countre And suche euil persons that be so great offenders of god and the common wealth charitie requireth to be cut of from the body of the common weale lest they corrupte other good and honest persons like as a good surgeon cutteth away a putrifyed and festred member for the loue he hath to the hole body least it infecte other members adioynynge to it Thus it is declared vnto you what true charitie or christian loue is so plainely that no man nede to be deceyued Whyche loue whosoeuer kepeth bothe towardes God whom he is bounde to loue aboue al thinges and also towardes hys neyghboure aswell frende as fooe it shal surely kepe hym frō all offence of God and iuste offence of man Therefore beare wel away this one shorte lesson that by true christian charitye God oughte to be loued aboue all thynges and all men oughte to be loued good and euyll frende and foo and to al suche we ought as we may doo good those that be good of loue we ought to encorage and cherysh bicause they be good And those that be euil of loue we ought to procure vnto them theyr correction and dewe punyshement that they may therby either be brought to goodnes or at the lest that god and the common welthe maye be the lesse hurte and offended hating alwaies the vyce or offence but louynge the person alwayes as the creature of God and as one who by nature is ioyned in kynred vnto vs. And yf we thus directe oure lyfe by christian loue and Charitye then Chryste doothe promyse and assure vs that he loueth vs and that we be the Chyldren of our heauenlye father and reconciled to his fauor being very members of Christ and that after the shorte tyme of this presente and mortall lyfe we shall haue with him eternall lyfe in his euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Therfore to hym with the father and the holy Ghost be al honor and glorye nowe euer Amen E. B. ¶ An Homely declaryng howe daungerous a thynge the breache of Charitye is OVr Sauiour Christ in the .v. of Mathew setteth forth an vniuersal doctrine Math. 5. that is a doctrine apperteyning indifferently to al Christen mē and there he declareth how great perfection of lyfe ought to be in one of vs sayinge in this maner Nisi abundauerit iustitia uestra plus quam Scribarum Pharisaeorum non intrabitis in regnum coelorum That is to saye Except your rightuousnes excede the rightuousnes of the Scribes the Phariseis ye cannot entre into the kyngedome of heauē For the ryght vnderstandynge of whiche wordes it is to be noted that rightuousnes in this texte doth signifye all kynde of vertue and goodnes and that by the Scribes and Phariseis Christe doth here meane certayne companies whiche were amonge the Iewes and dyd lyue accordynge to the letter of Moyses lawe so vpryghtly in the face of the world that they were commenly taken for parfyt men Oecumenius Oecumenius vpon the fifte of Mathevve an auncient father of the greke churche doth so declare the foresayde wordes Wherefore when our sauioure requireth of vs that we in rightuousnes shoulde passe the Scribes and Phariseis he meaneth that we Christen folke shoulde not onely outwardely seme good in the sight of the worlde as did the Scribes the Phariseis but inwardlye also in our hartes shoulde be lykewyse good in the syght of almyghtye God whiche they were not And because no faute is more greuouse then the breache of Christen Loue and Charitie therefore immediately after the foresayde generall sentence he instructeth vs afore all other thinges in our dutye touchinge Charitie sayinge Dictum est antiquis non occides qui autem occiderit reas erit iudicii Ego autem dico nobis quia omnis qui irascitur fratrisuo reus erit
why he prouided not for that case he aunswered that he veryly thought and beleued that no one beynge broughte vp in Athens vnder hys lawes wolde at anye tyme attempte suche an heynous synne Euen so may we say of our sauiour that he speaketh but of those foresayd three degrees of vncharitablenes for that it is not lykely christen men being traded in Chrystes most parfyt religion woulde at anye tyme procede in the violatyng of charitie fardar then so But here may be moued a question whether our sauiour hath so forbydden vs to be angry to saye Racha or thou foole one to an other that in no wise any man may so doo but thereby he falleth in daunger of iudgement of councell or of hel fyre For aunswer to thys question it is to be noted that our sauiour in thys place forbiddeth vs all kynde of vncharitablenes and nothyng els Forasmuch then as in the third of Mathewe Math. 3 S. Ihon Baptist calleth the scrybes and pharisies adders brode and S. Paule calleth the Galathians fooles Gala. 2. and men without vnderstāding in the second chapiter of his epistle wrytten to them Luc 24 yea Chryst himselfe in the .xxiiii. of Luke calleth his dere beloued apostles fooles and sloo of belefe and the thyng which they dyd cannot be iudged vncharitable therefore we must saye that when such as haue aucthoritie vpon a good and Godlye zeale rebuke trespassours and offenders thereby to make them ashamed of there euyl doynges and the rather to leaue the same that thys kynd of rebuking is laweful and in no wise ment in the foresaid talke of Chryst But the onely thing that is there forbydden is the breache of charitie when one man meaneth no good at all to an other but for the onelye satisfyeng of his vncharitable harte wysheth hym hurte in his harte or vtteryng his secret vncharitable mynde doth thou hym or tushe at hym or finally speaketh contumelious wordes expresly vnto hym callyng him foole idiot or by other lyke opprobrious names Wherefore to conclude seinge you nowe know what parfytte loue and charitie our sauiour Chryst doth requyre to be in vs lette all accustomed rancor and malyce from henceforthe be vtterlye banyshed from emongest vs that we dwellyng in charitie may dwel in God and haue here in this lyfe GOD dwell in vs and in the worlde to come dwell in heauen with hym for euer which graunte vnto vs the blessed trinitie the father the sonne and the holye Ghost to whome be all honor and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelie of the church what it is and of the commoditie thereof WHosoeuer good people wyll call to hys remembraūce the inestimable goodnes of almightye God and his inestimable mercye towardes vs nothing deseruing the same yf ther be any spotte of heuenly grace in that person he shall be ashamed of hys owne vnthankefulnes and disobediens and be compelled to fal downe in body and soule before our Lorde to aske pardon for his transgression Of the which goodnes and mercy of God you haue a sufficiente and moost euident declaration in these godly and deuoute homelies that are set fourth to you of the creation and redemption of mā Neuerthelesse for your further instruction ghostlye comforte in this behalfe I haue thought good to lette you vnderstande an other hye benefyte geuen to vs by our sauioure and redemer Iesus Chryste that we hauynge perfyt knowledge of God maye euermore prayse and magnifye hym accordynge to our moost bounden duetye And this hye and heauenlye benefyte is the holye catholyke churche whiche our deare and dreadfull Sauyour both before and after his paynefull death dyd ordeyne and appoynt to be for euer to vs a moost louynge tender mother a perpetual preseruation for our soule helth and a pyllar of truth in al oure doubtfull daungers Whiche churche forsomuche as it hath bene latelye assaulted by sundry sectes and heresies and so sore shaken that many more is the pytie hath separate them selues from the same and wylfully haue runne a straye beynge ledde and caried with euery waue and wynde of newe lernynge I purpose by Gods grace to open shortely to you what this churche is ☜ what maner of churche it is and what commoditie we haue by it Fyrst the churche is a conuocation of all people throughout the whole worlde professynge one fayth of God and one vse of all the holy sacramentes whiche churche because it is purchased and sanctified by the death of oure Sauyoure Iesus Christe it is moost derely beloued to God the father and is called in holy Scripture by most hie and excellent names as Corpus Christi Sponsa Christi Regnum coelorum c. that is to saye The bodye misticall of Christe the spouse of Christe the kyngedome of heauen For S. Paule speakynge of Chryste fayth Ephes 4. That he hath appoynted sundry officers to maintayne the holy ones into the worke of ministration to the edifieng of the body of Christ And kynge Salomon taught by the holy ghost did forsee the dignitie and beutye of this holye churche and sayde in the name of GOD therebye Vna est columba mea perfecta mea That is to saye One is my dooue Cantic 4. and my perfyt one With many other such louyng wordes as my syster my spouse c. And saynt Paule byddeth husbandes to loue there wyues Ephes 5 euen as Chryst loued the churche Lykewyse in the holy Gospell our sauiour Chryste doth compare the churche to sondry thynges vnder the name of the kyngdome of heauē Math. 20 as vnto a king which made a maryage for his sonne sometymes to tenne Vyrgynes Math. 25 and many such other by al which names and callyngs we may lerne that the churche is a high and excellent thing and dearely beloued to almyghty God who for hys churche sake dyd giue hys onely sonne to most vyle death and for the which also he hath prepared the kyngdome of heauen Nowe forasmuche as we rede of an other churche in the holy scrypture which is called Ecclesia malignantium Psalm 25 The churche of the malingnant noughtye people And yet of late a great number of scismaticall persones being in verye dede members of thys malygnant churche haue vsurped to thē selues the name of the true churche I intende to gyue you sufficient instruction to dyscerne and know the true churche of Chryst from all hereticall and scysmaticall congregations Fyrst this holye and true churche of Chryst is called in our Crede as it is in dede the catholyke churche That is to saye the vniuersal church bycause it is not lurkyng in anye corner or any one country but is in all countryes dyspersed neyther is thys catholyke churche hid from vs or inuisible or vnknowen but we may easely dyscerne and know the same For christ doth call it Ciuitatem supra montem A citie vpon an hyll Math. 5.