Epystle to the Corinthians be spiri tual yet it 〈◊〉 then the same in substaunce that it is nowe Agayne Manna a meate which God 〈◊〉 to the children of Israel in the wyldernes is both in Scripture and of the catholyke churche also called a spiritual meat and the water lykewyse which god gaue them out of a rocke is called a spiritual drynke and yet as well Manna as the water were of a bodily substaunce In the. vi to the Galathians sainct Paule calleth mortall men liuing then on the earth spiritual Wherefore spirituall is not so to be taken alwayes as to exclude corporall but that thynge whatsoeuer it be may be called spirituall wherein is a worke wrought by god aboue nature For as god is a spirite so are his supernatural workes called spi rituall and the thinges also on and in whome such workes are wrought are named spiritual thynges and therefore Manna though it were of a bodelye substaunce yet for that it came myraculously from aboue by the onelye power of God and not of nature is and may wel be called a spiritual meate And the dryncke whyche issued oute of the rocke albeit it was in substaunce very water yet for that God by hys omnypotency made it sodenlye to issue out of a rocke it is armed a spirytuall drynke 〈◊〉 bydyes lykewyse after the resurrection shal haue in them immediatly of God aboue that power of nature immortalitie incorruptibilitie 〈◊〉 other lyke supernaturall qualities and for that cause they shall after the resurrectyon be spyrytuall bodyes Nowe then what necessity is there that because the body of our 〈◊〉 Chryst in the Sacrament of the Aultar is a spirituall meate therefore it shoulde not be also the corporall substaunce of his body When the catholyke churche dothe saye that the bodye of Chryste in the Sacramente is a spirytaull bodye it meaneth that it is there onelye thoroughe the almyghtye powere of God and not by the power or manoure of nature Lykewyse when the catholyke churche sayeth that the bodye of Chryste is to be receyued there spirituallye it meaneth not that therefore the verye body of Chryst is not there to be receaued really in very dede For this worde spiritually dothe signifye onely the maner of the receauyng and dothe not importe the substaunce of the thyng so receyued Besides this the catholyke churche beleuynge that in the Sacrament of the aultare is alwayes reallye the body and bloude of our sauiour Chryst doth yet put a difference in the maner of receauynge thereof and vseth to saye that when good men receaue the sacramente that they receaue the bodye and bloude of Chryst both sacramentally and spiritually to but when euyll men receaue that they receaue the body of Chryst sacramentally only not spiritually because they come vnto it vnworthely and therefore do they procure thereby to theim selues dampnation But nowe to open fardar the very meaning of those worses of Chryst. It is the spirit that ge ueth lyfe the fleshe profiteth nothing you shal vnderstande that these wordes are taken of the catholyke church in two most godly senses the one is to meane by the spirite the godhed and by the fleshe the nature of man as yf he had sayde it is the godhed that causeth my fleshe to be able to gyue lyfe ne ther is my fleshe the fleshe of a bare man for then it beyng eaten coulde not profyte you but my fleshe is vnited in vnitie of persone to the godhed so that it is thereby able to brynge lyfe to the worthy eater therof Thus doeth Cyryil vpon the. vi of Saynte John expounde these wordes And to lyke purpose sainct Augustyne sayethe vppon the. vi of John that as knowledge beyng seperated from charitie maketh men proude but beynge ioyned wyth charytye dothe edyfye euen so mans fleshe not vnyted to the Godhed and byng eaten dothe not profytte but the fleshe of Christ whych is in hym in vnitie of person inseperably vnited to the godhed beyng worthelye receaued muste nedes hyghly profyt The other sēse of those wordes to meane by the spirite a spirituall vnderstandyng of Christes promyse made in Caper naum when he sayde the foode that I wyl giue vnto you is my fleshe whych wordes be then vn derstanded spiritually whē they be taken to meane that thing which passeth the power of nature to doo and manes wyt by naturall reason to comprehende lykewyse by the fleshe is to be ment a fleshely vnder standynge of the sayde promysse as to vnderstande wythout faythe in Christes deitie as the Capernaites dyd whyche toke Chryst but for a bare man so conceaued no otherwyse of the eatynge of his fleshe then of commen meate bought in the shambles Thys sense that S. Chrysostome wrytynge vpon the. v. of John and S. Augustyne wrytynge vpon the same Chapter ¶ An other obiection is there by occasyon that thys truth is not expressed in the commē crede ¶ Whych obiection doth procede of an ignoraūce lacke of knowledge of the fyrst institution of that crede For in the primatyue churche when men of all ages dyd sodenly turne from gentility to the christian religion and yet then were not by and by vpon suche there turne admitted to anye sacrament but fyrste were instructed in artycles necessary for them to beleue before they were baptised thys common cread was taughte them and they were for that tyme called Catechumni that is younglynges in Chrystes religion and begynners admytted but to the fyrste principles of the chrystyan faythe durynge whyche tyme they were not suffered so muche as to be present at the masse but after the gospel were quyte excluded from the same as by the vndouted wrytynges of the auncient fathers in chrystes church maye most euidently appeare So that thys reason is fōd and to no purpose to say that because it is not in the 〈◊〉 crede expresly set fourth that in the sacrament of the aultare is the very 〈◊〉 and bloude of our sauiour christ therfore no christian man is boūd to beleue it so to be S. Chrysostome and S. Augustyne hauyng occasion many tymes in 〈◊〉 sermones made by them to speake of this Sacrament for asmuch as amōg theire audience were as wel youg lynges not yet baptysed as other fathfull alreadye christened did vse oft tosay Quod 〈◊〉 norāt that is which that faithful or they that be alredy baptised know or such lyke thing and would not then expreslye declare the trueth touchyng the sacramente of the aultare for that it was not the maner to reueyle suche misteries to those yonglinges but to them was in general as sufficient for saluation prescribed in that common crede that they should beleue the catholike churche which not onely was sufficient thā for thē beleuynge the othere artycles of there crede but is sufficient at thys present also for vs cōfirminge oure selues in all poyntes to the common belefe of the catholke church whyche is
¶ A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned thervnto set forth by the reuerend father in God Edmunde Byshop of London for the instruction and enformation of the people being within his diocesse of London of hys cure and charge Declina a malo fac bonum Presis vt profis The Preface of the Bishop of London to the reader WHere as in the time of the late outragious and pestiferous 〈◊〉 being here in thys Churche and realme of England al godlines good nes was dispised in maner banished and the catholyque trade doctrine of the church wyth a newe enuyouse and odyous terme called named papystry like also as deuout religion and honest be hauiour of men was accounted and taken for super stition and hipocrisye And therevpon by sundrye wayes and wiles pernicious and euyll doctryne was sowen planted and set forth sometimes by the procedyng preachers sermons sometymes by theyr prynted treatyse sugred all ouer with lose lybertye a thing in dede most delectable and pleasaunt vnto the fleshe and vnto al vnruly persones somtimes by readyng playing singynge and other lyke meanes and new deuises by reason wherof great insolency disordre contention and much inconuenience daily more and more did ensue to the greate dyshonor of God the lamentable hurte and destructyon of the subiectes and the notable reproch rebuke and slaunder of the hole realme The people wherof by sondri wycked persones were borne in hand that they had gotten God by the fote and that they were brought out of tiraÌ„ny darckenes and ignoraunce into liberti lyght and perfytte knowledge where in very dede they were broughte from the good to the bad And froÌ„ goddes blessyng as the prouerbe is in to a warme sonne infected with all errour noughtynes drouned in sensualytie and malyce and armed wyth vnshamfast boldnes presumption and arrogantye takyng vpon them to be guydes instructours and tea chers of other where they themselues were in very dede vtterly blind ignoraunt void of knowledge only bent to destroye al good rule and order I haue for these causes and other honeste consyderatyons thought consyderyng the cure and charge I haâ—e of all suche as are of my Dyocesse of London it to be mete conuenyent and necessary for my part earnestly to trauayle and laboure wyth my chapleines and frendes bothe that errours heresyes and noughtye opinions may cleane be weeded pourged and expelled out of my dyocese a greate helpe whervnto is geuen by dyuerse prouysions made by the Kynges and Queenes mooste excellence Maiestyes and especyallye by that godlye proclamatyon whyche of late was sente forthe by theyr graces concernynge the bryngynge in of certayne heretycall and noughtye bokes and also that a verye pure syncere and true doctryne of the fayth and relygion of Chryst in al necessarye poyntes of the same faythfullye playnelye and profytable be set furth wythin my sayd dyocesse to the good erudition and instructyon of all the people wythin the same And therefore haue at thys present for mine owne diocesse caused this present boke with homelies there vnto adioyned to be set furthe that the sayde people accordyng to the wyl and commaundement of the great king and prophet Dauid may declyne from euyl and do that thyng whych is good And the order of thys booke is thys Fyrste because wythoute fayth it is impossyble to please God there shal be in the begynning some thyng spoken of fayth to knowe what it is and how it is to be taken here in thys boke Secondly because the somme and pithe of our chrysten fayth is brefely collected and coÌ„prysed in effect in our commen Crede therefore the sayde Crede to teach vs what and howe to beleue shal be playnely and truly set forth and also declared Thyrdely because there are vii Sacramentes of Chrystes catholyque churche wherein God doeth ordynarily worke and participate vnto vs hys speciall gyftes and graces here in thys lyfe therefore in the thyrde place the sayd vii Sacramentes shal be set forthe and expounded Fourthlye because the. x. commaundementes are the hygh way ordeyned by God in whyche euery one in this life must walke yf he wyll come vnto the blysse of heauen therfore the sayd .x. commaundementes shal orderly be set furth and haue also their declaratyon Fyftely because we ourselues as of our selues are vnhable to doo good and therefore nede alwayes the assistance grace aid and helpe of almyghty God without whych we ne 〈◊〉 can continue in this life nether yet do any thing acceptable in the syght of God whereby to attayne the lyfe to come therefore in the 〈◊〉 place ther is a rowine for prayer as wherby to obtayne grace and helpe at Gods handes And that prayer is there set forth whiche Chryste hym selfe beynge here in this worlde did make and geue to his disciples that is to saye the Pater noster whiche conteyneth in it al thinges necessary for a christen man here in this life and thys Pater noster hath also his exposition Sixtelye because the Aue Maria is a prayer taken out of Scripture and conteineth in it a blessed mat ter and a ioyfull rehersall and magnifienge of God in the worke of Christes incarnation wroughte in the wombe of the blessed virgin Mary and she therby worthelye to be honoured and worshipped therfore the sayd Aue Maria with the declaration ther of is in ordre folowyng the sayd Pater noster Seuenthly because personnes vicars and curates are commaunded by the lawe to reade and declare vnto theyr paryshyoners the. vij deadely synnes the viij beatytudes and certayne other thinges therefore in the. vij and viij places there are set forth at length the sayd thynges with exposition and declaration of the same And albeit these thynges so sette forth beyng red and declared 〈◊〉 the people delyberately and playnely may seme sufficient and the people thereby bound of reason to be content therewithall as hauing all those thynges whych in 〈◊〉 wise are requisite and necessary for theyr soule helth yet to thintent they shall haue no cause to murmure or grudge for lacke of certayne bokes in the englishe tongue for theyr instruction or yet for lacke of preachynge vnto them they shall in the. ix place of thys boke thoughe they cannot rede haue certayne homelyes to be on the Sondayes aud holye dayes by theyr personnes vicars or curates redde vnto them in the Englyshe 〈◊〉 trustynge that the people thus ordered and taught wyll take thys my doyng in good parte and studye as well to profyt them selues therby as I and my chapleynes haue ben studious and carefull herein to doo them good And the Kyng of Kynges and Lord of Lordes geue vs also plentyfully of his grace that euerye one of vs in all partes maye do oure dueties and that we all maye lyue in rest and quietnes and specially in the vnytye of Christes catholique churche and his religion louynge and seruyng God with all our harte in holynes
and ryghteousnes all the dayes of this our lyfe so that finally we may attayn to the life that neuer shal fayle but continue for euer which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye gooste preseruing our good kyng and queene in all ioye and felicitie longe to continue to theyr glory and oure comfortes Amen ¶ Concernynge fayth what it is and howe it is to be considered and taken here in this boke ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface for as much as fayth is the fundation ground of all oure Christian religion I shal now intreate and speake thereof And knowe you that althoughe this worde fayth be diuersly taken both in prophane Aucthors and also in Scrypture sometymes signifying trust sometymes truth sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉 sometimes credulitie sometymes credence sometimes promys sometymes profe sometymes helpe sometymes the gyfte or grace of God and such lyke yet here in this boke or processe there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated or spoken of euery kynd of fayth as in eue ry way it maye be considered but onely of two kyndes or acceptions thereof And Fyrst do you vnderstand that fayth maye be considered by it selfe as it is a seuerall gift of god separate and distincte from hope and charitie and beinge so considered and taken it signifieth and importeth a perswasion and beleif wrought by god in mans harte whereby man assenteth graunteth and taketh for true not onely that God is which knowledge is taughte and declared by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God whych be releued and opened in the scrypture are of most certayne trueth and infallible veritie And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto but also that all thynges els which were taught by the Apostles and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste euer sythe that tyme contynually taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued accepted taken and kepte as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique This then is the fyrst acception of fayth whyche man hath of God and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge whych is by reason but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth wythout whych faith man is ignoraunte and blynde and cannot vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys vii Chapiter saying Nisi credideritis non intelligetis That is to saye onlesse ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand This faith is the beginnyng the entry and the introduction vnto all Christian relygion Godlynes For as S. Paule sayeth in his xi Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉 He that cometh to God must beleue that he is and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym And thys fayth although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye and such an introduction verye necessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes yet yf it do procede no farther adioynyng with it hope and charitie it is called in Scrypture a deade faythe be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe aud wantethe the helpe and efficacie of charitie And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception Faythe as it is considered in the seconde acception maye not be alone but muste nedes haue hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faythe so taken doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst acception and taking of fayth but also it signifyeth a sure confydence and hope to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake and it signifieth and comprehendeth also a hartye loue to GOD and an obedience to his commaundementes And faythe thus considered is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll And this is the effectual fayth whiche worketh by charitie and whyche as S. Paule testifiet vnto the Galathians is of value strēgthe in Chryst Iesu. By this fayth Abraham not knowyng whyther he shoulde go went out of his countrye and dwelte in the lande of beheste or promyse as in a straunge lande lokyng and trustyng for a cytye founded and buylded by almyghty God By this fayth also Abraham when he was tempted was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉 in whome he loked for the promyse nothynge doubting but that God who made the promise was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe And in thys sorte and wyse faythe is taken in the moost parte of the examples which be recyted of S Paule in the. xi chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes And thys faythe so consydered and taken euerye Chrysten man doth promyse professe and couenaunt to kepe when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme And here is to be noted and considered that all the promyses of god made at any tyme to man after the fall of Adam for Christes sake are not absolutely and puerly made but vnder thys condytyon that is to saye that man should beleue in God and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe and kepe the commaundementes of God so that yf man do beleue in God and wythe the sayde grace do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaundementes man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power to kepe and accomplysh the sayde commaundementes then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses or the benefyte thereof in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante made no other wyse by God vnto man but vnder condytion as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth in the. lxxx and lxxxviii Psalmes aud Chryst in the. xix of Mathe w. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mandata That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes The Churche the refore according vnto the same intendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde that is to saye that the promises of god to man be made but vpon condycion and that with out kepyng of the condytyon no man is partaker of Goddes promyses hath taughte and ordeyned that men before they do receaue baptysme shall promyse and conuenaunt to fulfyll the sayd condytion and to forsake the Deuyll and the worlde and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God man is called in Latyn infidelis that is to saye Faythful And on the other syde yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt or after that he hath made it he doth renoūce and refuse it then that man in