euyll lyfe bryngeth to the euyll lyuer eternal death beleue he neuer so wel As S. Paule wituesseth in the. v. chapyter of his Epi stle to the Galathians where he sayth Walk af ter the spirite and fulfyll not the lustes of that fleshe For the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirit contrary to the flesh These are cōtrary one to another so that you do not what ye would But and yf ye beled of the spirit then are ye not vnder the law The de des of the fleshe ar manifest which are these aduoutry fornicatiō vnclennes wātonnes ydolatry witchcrafte hatred variaūce 〈◊〉 wrath stryfe sedition sectes enuye murder dronkēnes glotteny and such like of which I tel you before as I haue told you in time past that they which commit suche thinges shal not inherit the kingdō of heuē Thus you perceaue that to the enioying of the death and passion of Chryst these two poyntes are requisit of our behalfe the one to beleue rightlye that other to lyue vpryghtly whych two poyntes no man is able otherwyse to know except it be by speciall reuelation from God but onely by the catholike churche which catholike church oure sauioure Chryste hath appoynted to be the onely scoole for al men to come and repayre vnto to learne such truth as is mete for them to know for the attayning of euerla styng life This catholike church and no other company hath that true vnderstanding of scripture the knowledge of all thinges necessary to saluatiō To this churche Christ maketh promis in that xvi of Thō saying Whē that spirit of truth shal come he shal teache you al truth To this church also he maketh that other promis written in the xxviii of Mathewe where he sayth Behold I am with you to the ende of the world This Catholike church thus gouerned by the holy Ghost assured alwayes of Chryst him selfe neuer yet fayled frō that time of the Apostles hitherto ne shal fail to the worl des ende nether can it be deceued in any necessary truth 〈◊〉 as Chryst promyseth in the. xvi of Mathe we saying That hel gates shal not pre uayle agaynst the churche where by hel gates he meaneth errour as yf he had sayd that the catho lyke churche shall neuer be ouercome with erroure For this cause S. Paule in the third chapter of his first epistle to Timothe calleth the catholike church the piller and ground of truth This catholike churche must in al ages nedes be an open knowen churche and such a companye as among which the trueth is openly preached ells Chryste woulde not haue sayde as it is wrytten in the. v of Mathew A citie that is seton a hyl can not be hid ne ther do men light a candle and putit vnder a bushel but on all cādelsticke and it geueth lyght vnto al that are in the house Wherfore they do great iniury to Chryst which saye that the catholyke church is an vnknowen church seinge it is that citie which our sauiour there mente that candell of which he there speaketh So manye as deuyde them selues frō this open knowen Churche of Chryst and refuse the doctrine thereof thoughe they be neuer so diligent in reading ofscripture yet shall they neuer truely vnderstande scrypture but runne continually farther and farther into errour and ignoraunce cuē as a mā that is once out of his way the farther and faster he goeth furth the more he loseth his labour Saynt Peter therefore in the fyrst Chapter of his secōd epystle geueth vs a most certayne an sure rule which if we folow we shall not fayle ryghtly to vnderstand scripture his rule is thys We haue sayth he A ryght sure word of prophecie wherevnto yf ye take 〈◊〉 as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place you doo wel vntil the day dawne and the daye starre arise in your harts So that you first knowe this that no prophecy in the scripture hath any priuate interpretation For that scrip ture came neuer by the wil of man butholy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy ghost Here you se howe S. Peter willeth euery man fyrst of all to knowe that scripture must be vnderstanded after the generall meaning of Chrystes church and not after the priuate interpretation of any seuerall man or company And in the thyrde chapyter of the same Epystle he sayeth further that in S. Paules epistles are manye thinges harde to he vnderstanded whyche they that are vnlearned vnstable do peruerte as they do also the other scriptures to theyr own destruction ye therefore beloued seing you be 〈◊〉 afore hand beware leaste ye with other men be also plucked a waye through the erroure of the wicked fal from your owne stedfastnesse Lo here S Peter telleth the 〈◊〉 cause why men my svnderstand scrypture which is lacke of knowledge and lacke of constancie when men ether thorowe ignotaunce or thoroughe inconstancie swerue from the catholyke meanyng and folowe priuate interpretation Such men he sayeth do peruerte the scryptures to theyr owne destruction Saynte Paule also wrytynge to Tymothe and willing hym to be earnest in the study of scripture geueth him withal this foresayd rule saying in the very ende of his fyrst epistle O Limothie kepe sure that whiche is committed to thy custody auoide newe fangled termes and bosting of science falsely so called which science whyle some dyd professe they haue erred from the fayth The thinge which S. Paule sayeth was committed to 〈◊〉 custodye was the truth of the catholyk fayth which he sayth some fell from by reasonne of new fangeled termes and by reson aiso that they tooke vpon them knowledg beynge in dede ignoraunte And in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde epistle to Timothie he farther sayeth Contynue thou in that thinges which thou hast learned which also were commytted vnto the. S. I reneus also a blessed martyr and very nyghe to the tyme of the Apostles a man of greate learning and no lesse vertue and such a one as by the consente of all men had the perfyt knowledge and vnderstandynge of scryptures in his third boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the arche heretyke and in the fowrth chapter of the same boke sayeth touchyng the catholyke churche in this maner We must not seke the trueth among other seing we may easely take it of the church for as much as the Apostels haue fully lefte with it as in a rich tresury all truth the who so listeth may thence take the drinkes of life for this is the entre to life All other are theues and robbers wherfore them must we auoyd that doctryne that the church teacheth we muste loue with great diligence embrace the tradition of the truth For what yf a controuersy shoulde happen to ryse vpon neuer so 〈◊〉 a questiō ought not men in that case to haue recourse to the most auncient churches in which the
from the creation of the worlde I haue ben hungry and ye haue giuen me to eate c. And vnto the wycked standyng on his lefte hand he for the omitting of the sayd workes of mercy shal say Discedite a me maledictiâ— in ignem eternum qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius Esuriui enim et non dedistis mihi inanducare c. That is to say Goe ye from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Deuell and his aungells for I was hungrye and you gaue me not to eate c. Fynallye in fewe wordes S. Paule to the Galathians the. vi Chapiter dothe tell vs what is our partes in thys behalfe to do saing Bonum autem facâ—entis non de ficiamus Tempore enim suo metemus non deficicutis ergo dum tempus habemus operemur bonum ad omnes maxime autem ad domesticos fidei That is to saye Let vs not be werye of well doinge for in the conuenyente tyme we shall reape withoute ceassynge or wearynes Therefore while we haue tyme let vs do good vnto all folkes and specyallye vnto them which are of the houshold of faith So that by all these scryptures it doth most euideÌ„lye appeare that besydes the passion of Christe there is some what also required of vs soo that we may not laye all the burden on Chrystes backe thoughe he be able to beare it but we must take parte of the burden our selues and laye it also vpon our owne neckes to as wherby we may be partakers and accepted to enioye that thing which of Chrystes parte is fullye purchased all readye The second thing most nedeful also here to be declared vnto you is that although the gylte of synne be in this sacrament of Penaunce throughe the bountifulnes of CHRIST cleane taken awaye yet by the iustyce of GOD there remaynethe a temporall payne An example whereof we haue in the. ii booke of the kinges in the. xii chapiter where not withstandinge that Nathan the messenger and prophete of GOD had declared to Dauyd that hys synnes were forgeuen hym yet for all that temporall punshemente was inflicted And so lykewyse Exodi 22. Numeri 14. Besides these we haue an other euidente example in oure owne selues for albeit all synnes originall and actuall be in our baptisme remitted vnto vs as hathe bene before in the Sacrament of Baptysme declared vnto you yet the paynes doo remayne whyche are inflicted by God hymselfe for originall synne as all the incommodities we haue therefore in our bodye and deathe also of the same as appearethe Genesis tertio And though this thyng thus playnely declared maye seme to suffyce for the full instruction of the ignorante in thys sayde Sacramente Penaunce or in the partes thereof or at all yet if anye shal be desyrous vpon promyse made before to haue further testimonyes of Scrypture and of the fathers they shall here folowe orderlye And fyrst as concernynge penaunce in gerneall we rede in the. xviii of Ezechiel thus Si autem impius egerit poenitentiam ab omnibus peccatis suis quae operatus est custodierit preâ—cepta mea et fecerit iudicium iustitiam uita uiuet non morietur That is to say If the wicked do penaunce from all his synnes whiche he hathe commytted and kepe my commaundementes and doe iudgement and iustice he shall liue wyth lyfe and shall not dye And in the. xi chapyter of Sapience is wrytten Misereris omnium quia omnia potes dissimulas peccata hominum propter poenitentiam That is to saye Thou Lorde haue mercye vpon all for thou canste doe all thynges and doest make as thoughe thou dyddest not see theyr sinnes for penauÌ„ce sake And in the viii of the actes Symon Magus goyng aboute and thynkyng that he myghte bye the holy ghost for money was by S. Peter rebuked therfore and also after that was counsayled or rather commaunded thus Penitentiam age ab haec nequitia tua rogae deum si forte remittatur tibi haec cogitatio cordis tui That is to say Do penaunce from this thy wickednes and pray to God yf peraduenture thys thoughte of thy harte maie be forgeuen thee And farther in the seconde of the Apocal. the churche of Ephesus is admonyshed and prouoked vnto penaunce after thys maner Memoristo unde exideris age poenitentiam prima opera fac sin autem uenio tibi cito mouebo candelabrum tuum de loco suo nisi poenitentiam egeris Whych is to saye Remember from whence thou hast fallen and do penaunce and doo thy firste workes but yf not I come vnto the quickelie and will remoue thy candelsticke from his place vnlesse thou do penaunce Of thys penaunce you may fyude other testymo nyes in the holy Scriptures as Ecclesia ii Mat iii Luke xiii xv xvii Rom. ii ii Pet iii Apoca ix c. And as touchynge contrition whyche is the seconde thynge here consydered what more maye be sayde therein then that whyche the holye Gost spake by Dauydes mouth Psal xxxi sayeng Dixit confitebor ad uersum me iniustitiam me aÌ„ domino tu remisisti impietatem 〈◊〉 That is to say I did purpose with my selfe and sayde I will confesse vnto God myne vnrightfulnes agaynst my selfe and thou haste forgeuen the wickednes of my sinne Accordyng to which sense the selfe same Dauyd crauynge the 〈◊〉 of God after hys synne dyd say 〈◊〉 contritum humiliatum deus non despicies That is to saye A contrite and an humble hearte thou God wilte not dispise Moreouer Achab althoughe he was neuer so euyl a man yet hauyng remorse of coÌ„science for his euyl dedes and humblyng hym selfe wyth a contrite heart he dyd heare these wordes of Goddes mouthe spoken vnto the Prophete Esaye Nonne uidisti humilitatem Achab coram me quia igitur humiliatus est coram me non inducam malum in 〈◊〉 cius sed in 〈◊〉 filij sui in feram malum domui 〈◊〉 3. Reg. 21. That is to say Hast thou not sene Achab humbled before me Therefore bycause he is thus humbled or contryte before me I wyll not bring this plage or euyll in his dayes but in the dayes of his Sonne I wyl bringe mischiefe vpon hys house or famylie Of thys contrition and sincere sorowfulnes of hart a great number of places are in the holye scryytures and amongest the rest ye may consider the ii cor vii Pal. vi xxxvii cxviii Iohel ii Math v. c. Thyrdly concernynge this Sacramentall confession to be proued by Scriptures and aucthorityes yea and to haue bene of Chryst and his Apostles lefte and commended vnto vs albeit a very grete number of places might be broughte in as the. 5. and. 16. of Leuit Numer 5. Prouerb 28. 1. Ioan. 1. c. 〈◊〉 these folowinge for thys present maye suffyce And fyrst of all consider you that the olde testamente accordynge to the teachyng of S. Paule ad Hebreos 10 is
chrysten relygyon and saramentes yet in her harte she woulde not be persuaded neuerthelesse at length dissemblyngly she fained herselfe to be by hym herein persuaded and therevpon entendyng by fraude to cloke her doynges and to perfourme more easely her purpose she made one of her maydes whome she trusted verye well pryueye of her entent and purpose he thus wryteth Mulier post 〈◊〉 persimulationem annuit ex ancillis quam 〈◊〉 sibi esse credebat uni quid factura esset credibit ut per fraudem uirum falleret 〈◊〉 sacrorum 〈◊〉 tempore accedens illa donum sicuti mors erat qui 〈◊〉 instituti sunt quid dicam intelligunt accepit at que id retinens perinde atque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mysteriumque sacro sastum occul 〈◊〉 et que 〈◊〉 ancilla pro 〈◊〉 panem communem domo allatum obtulit quem illa ori admouens in lapidis naturam induratum esse dum dentibus atterere conatur sensit c. That is to saye This wo man after that she by dissimulatiō had graū ted or agreed did vnto one of her handmaydens whome she thought to be faithfull vnto her tell or shewe what she intended to do to the intente that by fraude she myghte deceyue her husbande And she the sayde woman commyng in the tyme of the holy miste ryes dyd take the gyfte as the custome or maner was what thynge I saye or meane when I say that they that are instructed in christen religion doo vnderstande well And kepynge it as thoughe she woulde haue fallen to prayer leanynge dounewarde bowed her selfe and did hide the most holy mysterye And her handmayden which stode by her deliuered vnto her for the sayde mysterye the common breade which she had brought with her from home whiche common breade she the sayde woman puttynge it to her mouthe dyd the meane whyle she went about to haue broken it with her tethe fele or perceyue it to be hardened as turned into the nature of a stone c. By which most notable historye besydes other goodly matters there in recorded it apeareth moste euydently that euen at the same tyme the sacrament of the Aultare was ministred vnto the laye people vnder one kynde only it is to wytte vnder the forme of breade For yf ye consider well the wordes whiche do expresse the facte and there wyth do note and remember the intent of that woman to deceaue her husbād in the recepte of this sacrament there can be no dout herein Ouer and besydes all this it is euydent by ferther recorde that al the hole body of Chrystendome with longe and moste diligent deliberation examynyng this matter aboue vii score yeres ago by reasō of certayne disordered persones in the kyngedome of Boheme which sterred vp emongest the people of the sayde realme greate vnquyetnes the lyke whereof ye knowe well inough hath by other in some othere places with toth and nayle bene attēpted and sette forth touchyng thys maner of receyuing vnder one kynde dyd then find that laye men and wemen had of very aunciente tyme before those dayes vsed the same fashion of receauyng the sacrament onelye vnder the forme of breade and that vse in the churche to haue bene also in the former ages generally commēded and allowed as maye appear both in the xiii session of the generall consayle holden at Constans also in the thirtyth Sessyon of the general counsayle holden at Basyll aboute sixt score yeares ago where thus it is wrytten Laudabilis quoque consuetudo communicandi 〈◊〉 populum sub una specie ab 〈◊〉 et sanctis patribus rationabiliter introducta 〈◊〉 hastenus diutissime obseruata a doctoribus diuinae legis sacrarum scriptuarum atque canonum multam peritiam habentibus iam a longeno tempore commendare pro lege habenda est nec allicui 〈◊〉 cst eam reprobare aut sine authoritate ecclesiae ipsam immutare That is to say The law dable custome also to communicate or howsel the laye people vnder one kynde or forme beyng by the churche and holy fatheres with good reason brought in and hitherto of most longe tyme kepte or obserued and also of the docters hauynge great knowledge of the diuine lawe of the holye scryptures and of the Canons nowe of longe tyme commended must be had or taken for a lawe nor lawfull it is to any man for to reproue it or without the aucthoritye of the churche to chaunge it The thing thus beyng mete conuenient it is that the authoritie 〈◊〉 the churche which is as Saynt Paule sayeth in his first epystle and thyrd chapter to Timothe Columna firmamentum ueritatis That is to saye The Pyller and staye of truthe do contente satysiye vs well in thys behalfe Hauyng nowe spoken of the institution of thys sacrament and also of the vse therof consequently there remayneth accordynge to the promysed order to speake of the thyrde and last part whiche is of the inessimable fruite procedynge of the ryght vse of the sayde sacrament And because the vse is as we haue sufficientlye here before proued in two fortes it is to wytte in offerynge and in receyuyng thereof it shall therefore be expediente seuerally to entreate of the specyall fruite of them bothe And fyrst touchyng the fruite of the sacrifyce of the masse we must vnderstand that 〈◊〉 the sacrifice which was made vpō the crosse the sacrifyce of the masse as concernynge the substaunce of the thynge offered there is no difference for as muche as in that respecte it is one and the same though the maner of offerynge be diuerse as hath bene shewed and proued heretofore vnto you For in the sacrifyce made vppon the Crosse there was the visible sorme and shape of Christes bodye beynge man yea and the visible fleshe and 〈◊〉 of Chryst in the natiue forme of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but herein this sacrament the same fleshe and bloude of Chryst being truely in substaunce is set 〈◊〉 not in the natiue formes of fleshe and bloude but vnder the formes of breade and wyne And therefore emongest the most aunciente fathers beynge of the Greke churche also of the Latyn The one sacrifyce made vpon the crosse is called a bloudy sacryfyce because vi sibly there out of the syde of Chryst bloude was shed And the other whyche by the Preiste is offered at masse vpon the Aultare is named Incruentum sacraficium that is to saye A sacrifice vnbloudye or wythout bloudshedynge not because there is no 〈◊〉 there but because there is no visible effusion 〈◊〉 bloud beynge there neuerthelesse in substaunce as we at large before haue proued both the fleshe and bloude of Christe And because ye shall not thynke that thys distinction or diuersitie is an imagination or a newe inuention ye maye for the try all hereof read the gret and notable famouse Counsayles and other verye weyghtye aucthorities of the Catholike Church And 〈◊〉 ye maye fynde in the epistle sente to Ne storius from the
euerye one hath deliuered the fayth that they from the Apostles haue receaued and so euen from Chryste to this presente daye one fayth hath euer stande stedfaste Whiche thoughe it hath sundry tymes bene assayde and sore pynched yet euer hath it preuailed at the last and had the vp per hande accordynge to Christes promise neyther ought anye man lesse to credyt the catholike church because there are in the same dyuers euyll wicked synners For Christ him selfe doth compare the churche to a nette cast into the sea whiche taketh both good and bad fyshes but at th ende the good shal be reserued and the euyll cast awaye Was not twelue chosen by Christe yet one of them he calleth a deuyll Doth not Christe allo saye that Scribes and Phariseis doo syt in Moyses chayre neuerthelesse he wuld the people should obey theyr lessones Euen so though some members of Christes catholyke churche doo not lyue accordynge to theyr vocatyon yet ought no man therefore the lesse to regarde the fayth and doctryne of the same churche These thynges good people thoughe they are suffi cient to declare the holye Churche what it is and how it may be knowen yet I besech you most diligently to note and cary awaye one rule which shall neuer deceaue you but is a sure tryall of the ca tholyke churche and the fayth thereof This rule is not myne but taken out of a learned auncient and ryght godly father in Chrystes Churche He sayeth There are thre meanes to trye a churche or doctrine the first is antiquitie the second is vniuersalitie the third is vnitie By the fyrste we are taught that a true doctrine must be knowē by that it is not lately spronge vp or rysen but commeth from Chryst and his apostles and hath cōtynued styll in the churche By the seconde we maye vnderstande that a true faythe or doctryne of the churche is that onelye whiche vniuersallye in all countryes hath ben taught beleued By the thyrde we ought to learne that a true doctryne or faith of the church doth always agree and is alwaies one Nowe those three thinges wel noted may instruct and teach any Christian man to knowe the catholyke churche whiche euersynce the Apostles tyme and in all countryes with one consent in al things concerning our faith hath shewed her selfe the wor thy spouse of Chryst. Contrary wise false doctryne and heresye euerhath doone and shall doo to the worldes ende 〈◊〉 arise 〈◊〉 in priuate cor ners neuer agre with it selfe Which thyngs I myghte easely at large proue and open to you by playne and manifest demonstratiō But because 〈◊〉 the next homelie I intende to speake of the auctho citie of the churche and also of the commoditie and profite that we haue by the same here I wil make an ende besechyng al you good and godly people to geue your bodyes and soules an humble holy sacrifyce to almyghtye God prayinge euermore that we maye be altogether lyuely members of our sauioure Iesus Chryst and of hys catholike church here vpon earth and after this life partakers of the ioyfull kyngdome of heauen through the same our 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory world without ende Amen H Pendilton sacrae theologiae professoris ¶ An homely of the aucthoritie of the chutche declaryng what commoditie and profyt we haue thereby LYkewise as in the last homelye it was declared to you good chrysten people what the church is and how it maye be knowen soo nowe ye shall learne the aucthoritie of the same catholike church and the commoditie or profyt that ensueth to vs all beyng members of the same churche Fyrste whan our sauioure Iesus Chryst did send forth the twelue apostles to preach who were and are the cheite and principal pyllers of this catholyke church he dyd geue to them great power and aucthoritie as saynt Mathew beareth wytnes saying Iesus dyd call together the twelue disciples and gaue to them power ouer vncleane spirites that they should cast them out and shoulde heale al maner of diseases and infirmities And sundry tymes we do rede in the holy Gospell that our Sauiour Chryst doth speke to his Apostles after this maner Qui uos 〈◊〉 me audit qui uos spernit me 〈◊〉 That is to say He that heareth you hereth me and he that dispiseth you doth dispise me Meanyng and wyllyng thereby that all the worlde should knowe and confesse the aucthoritie of the catholike church which Christ him selfe dyd buyld in and vpon these hys holy Apostles And to the same purpose he sayd to thē I am non dicam uos seruus sed amicos c. That is to sai Nowe I wyll no more call you seruaunts but frendes for al thinges that I haue herd of my father I haue declared to you And agayne he sayeth As my father sente me euen so I send you By these and many such other places we maye see that our louyng 〈◊〉 did giue greate aucthoritie to his apostles But nowe it is expedient and nedefull to declare in what specyall poyntes this aucthoritie doth consist and that the same aucthoritie was not onely geuen to the Apostles of Chryst but also to theyr 〈◊〉 in the catholyke churche euer to endure Which aucthoritie though it be greate and manyfolde yet these are the chefest partes thereof that 〈◊〉 doo folowe Fyrste almyghtye God hath geuen power and aucthoritie to the catholike church to haue the true sense and vnderstandyng of the holy Scrypture yea and to approue also or reproue al writing as Scripture or no Scripture Whiche thynge good christen people you may well vnderstande to be moost true yf ye call to remembraunce who is the guyde and gouernour of the church that is to wit the holy Ghost as Chryst dyd promyse saying Ego rogabo patrem et alium paraclitum dabit vobis vt maneat 〈◊〉 ineternum that is to saye I wyll aske my father and he wyll giue to you an other comforter that he maye a byde with you for euer And after that our lorde and sauiour had rysen frō death he dyd breathe vpon hys Apostles and sayde A ccipite spiritum sanctum Take you the holy ghost and also after hys ascention into heauen accordynge to hys merciful promise he did send downe the holy Ghost vpon his Apostles as sayncte Luke writeth Nowe that the holy ghoste was not geuen to the Apostles onely but also to the catholyke churche to the worldes ende it is manifest forasmuche as Chryste dyd promyse the conforter vt maneat uobiscum ineternum That he should abyde sayeth he with you for euer Nowe we are moost 〈◊〉 that the Apostles of Chryste dyd suffer deathe for the faythe of Chryste and that within fewe yeres after they thus had receyued the holy ghoste Neuertheles Christ sending furthe hys Apostles to preache and baptyze
Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus Sioculus tuus fuerit simplex totum corpus tuum lucidum erit Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam totum corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nebrosum erit That is to saye The light of thy body is thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine eie be simple or 〈◊〉 then all thy body wil be bright or cleare but yf thine eie be euill or nought all thy bodye wil be full of darkenes Heare by the eye is vnderstanded the intente the regarde or purpose of mans hart and by the bodye is ment the wordes actes and 〈◊〉 of man procedynge from the harte and by that intente directed and ordered Therefore Saynt Paule agreing herevnto doth exhorte vs in his first Epistle to the Corynthyans and in the. x. chapiter saying thus Siue manducatis siue bibitis siue aliud quid facitis omnia in gloriam dei facite That is to saye Whether ye do eat whether ye do drink or whether ye do any other thinge ells do ye all thinges vnto the glory of GOD Nowe the thyrd way whereby we must obserue the commaundementes of GOD is with constancye and perseueraunce to contynue in the doyng of thē For as our Sauiour Chryst sayeth in the. x. of Mathewe Qui perseuer auerit usque in finem hic saluus erit That is to saye He that doth perseuer or continue vntill the very ende shall be saued And in dede so constantlye we shoulde kepe Goddes commaundementes that no temporall payne threatened or put vnto vs in this worlde shoulde moue vs to breake any of them Such a constant seruaunt to God was Susanna of whome we reade in the. xiii chapiter of Danyell that when she was prouoked to the synne of adultery by two olde iudges vnder no lesse paine then to be accused in open iudgement whiche was death by the lawe she woulde not graunte to that synnefull dede but sayde these wordes Angustie sunt mihi undique sienim hoc egero mors mihiest siautem non egero non effugiam manus 〈◊〉 Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus hominum 〈◊〉 peccare in conspectu domini That is to saye Alas I am in trouble on euery side for yf I committe this dede it is death to me and if I doo it not I cannot escape your handes Well it is better for me to fall in to the hands of mē than to synne in the syghte of GOD. We wyll passe ouer the honorable auncyent father Eleazar mencyoned of in the seconde boke and the. vi chapiter of the Machabees We wyl not stay vpon the. vii brethern and theyr mother spoken of in the. ii boke and seuenth chapiter of the Machabees of whiche one of the chyldren sayde Parati sumus magis mori quam patrias deileges preuaricari That is to saye We are redy rather to die then to breake or transgresse the lawes of God which oure fathers kepte But of late dayes in the tyme of oure pestiferous scisme the new broched brethern rather woulde tumble to hel headelonge then they would doo as the catholyke Churche from Chrystes tyme hetherto hath done concernynge the lawes of GOD and the rytes of the sayde catholyke churche And yet forsoth they wyll chaleng martyrdome but those seuen innocentes doo condempne them in this case And thys nowe haue ye heard howe ye should kepe the commaundementes of GOD to his pleasure firste in kepyng them all and euery of them and not in kepyng some and to offende in the other Secōdly in kepyng them with a ryght intention whyche is for the loue of God and eternall rewarde whych is God hymselfe And thyrdly in obseruyng the same with constancye and perseueraunce to the 〈◊〉 of our lyfe In which doinge ye kepe 〈◊〉 to the pleasure of God and to your eternall 〈◊〉 withoute kepyng of them ye neyther can please him nor haue lyfe euerlastyng accordyng to Chrystes owne sentence and iudgement when he sayd Si uis ad 〈◊〉 ingrediserua 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylte entre to lyfe kepe the commaundementes Nowe to come to speake of the thyrde parte or poynte of our diuision made in the begynnynge of thys preface it is to wytte of the greuous paynes punishmentes and afflictions that God in scrypture doth threaten and menace to be inflicted vpon such as breake hys commaundementes ye shall vnderstand first that the trangressours of Goddes law commaundementes are generally accursed of gods owne mouth as the Prophette Dauyd in the. 118. Psalme declarethe sayinge Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis That is to saye Cursed be they which doo declyne or 〈◊〉 from thy commaundementes And of the particuler sharpe and dredfull scourges punyshmentes and plages whiche do lyght vpon the trangressours of these commaundementes ye may rede in the. 〈◊〉 chapiter of Leuiticus and in the. xxvii and. xxviii chapiters of Deuteronomy And howe that to the terrible example of other almyghtye God hath from tyme to tyme executed his Justyce vpon aswell pryuate men women as also vpon myghty rulers prynces kynges and emperours besydes thē vpon Townes Cities ye hole countryes and kyngedoms in scourgyng 〈◊〉 afflyetynge and plagynge them for breaking trangressing of his lawes commaūdementes the scryptures most habundantly do testify As that some were of the earth swalowed vp quicke euen vnto hell and euerlastynge payne and that other some yea fyne hole Cities with fyre brymestone poured downe from heauen were quyte brent vp and consumed and ferther that a greate number of chyldren by beares sent by God sodenly were deuoured for theyr lewde and wycked behauioure with very many other such lyke terrible examples in the Scryptures at large sufficientlye expressed which were to longe particulerlye here to rehearse and are easye there to be founde Wherefore to conclude thys thyrd parte we aduyse all men to haue contynually before theyr eyes that dreadeful saying of S. Paule in the. vi to the Romaynes Stipendia pecca timors That is to saye The stipend or rewarde of synne is death Meanyng thereby not onelye here in thys worlde temporall death of the body but also after thys lyfe death eternal payne in hell fyre And as concernynge the fowerth and last part of our first proposed diuision it is to wytte of the great rewarde and blessynges which shall come to them that in such sorte as before we haue expounded kepe the lawes and commaundementes of allmightye God fyrst ye shall note those comfortable words of almyghty God in the twentyth chapiter of Exodus where he sayth of hymselfe thus Faciens misericordiam in millia 〈◊〉 qui diligunt me 〈◊〉 custodiunt precepta mea That is to saye Doynge mercy vnto thousands to thē that loue me kepe my commaūdements And agayne in the. xxvi of Leuiticus he sayth Si in prae ceptis meis ambulaueritis mandatamea custodieritis feceritis 〈◊〉 dabo uobis pluuias temporibus suis terragignet germen suum pomis Arbores
hauynge in hym selfe great erperience of miserable and synnefull estate of man dothe open the same to the worlde in these workes Homo natus de muliere breui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repletur multis miserijs qui quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut vmbra et 〈◊〉 in eodem statu permanet et dignū ducis super 〈◊〉 aperire oculos tuos et adducere cum 〈◊〉 in iudicium qui potest 〈◊〉 mundum de immūdo conceptum femine That is to say Man beyngeborne of a woman lyuynge a worte tyme is full of manyfolde miseries he spryngeth vp lyke aflower fadeth againe vanyshyng away as it were a shadow and neuer contine weth in one state And doest thou iudge it mete O Lord to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one and to brynge him to iudgement with thee who can make hym cleane that is cōceyued of an vncleane sede In dede all men of they re euylnes and naturall prones were so vniuersallye gyuen to synne that God as the scripture testifyeth repented the euer he made man And by sinne his indygnatyon was so muche prouoked agaynste the worlde that he drowned all the worlde wyth Noes fludde except Noe himselfe and hys lytle householde It is not without greate cause that the scripture of God doth so many times call all menne here in thys worlde earthe sayenge O thou earth thou earth thou earth heare the woorde oure Lorde Hiere xxii Thys oure ryght name vocation and tytle earthe earthe earth prouounced by the prophet sheweth what we be in dede by what soeuer other style tytle or dignitye mē doo cal vs. Thus he plainly nameth vs who knoweth best bothe what we be what we ought of ryght to be called And thus he dyscribeth vs 〈◊〉 kynge by hys faythfull Apostle S. Paule to the Romaynes the. iii. Chapiter saying All men Jewes and Gentiles are vnder synne there is none ryghteous no not one there is none that vn derstandeth there is none that seketh after God they are all goone out of the wai they are all vnprofitable there is none that dothe good no not one theyr throte is an open se crafte and deceyte the pyoson of serpentes is vnder theyr lippes their mouthe is full of cursinge and bitternes their fette 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 be fore their eyes Aud in an other place that is to wit Galathians iii. S Paule wryteth thus God hath wrapped all nations in vnbeleif that he myght haue mercy on all The scripture concludeth all vnder sinne that the promise by the fath in Jesus Christ should be geuē vnto theim that beleue S. Paule in many pla ces paynteth vs out in our callours callyng vs the chyldren of the wrathe of God when we be 〈◊〉 sayeng also that we cannot thinke a good thought of oure selues much lesse we can say wel or do wel of our selues And the wyseman sayeth in the boke of Prouerbes the iuste man falleth seuen tymes a daye The mooste tried and approued mā Job feared all hys woorkes S. John the Baptist beyng sanctified in hys mothers wombe and praised before he was borne called an aungel and great before the Lorde replenyshed euen from hys byrth with the holy ghost the preparer of the way for our sauiour Chryst to be more then a Prophet and the greatest that euer was borne of a womā yet he plai nely graunteth that he had nede to be washed of Chryst he worthely extolleth and glorifieth his lord and mayster Chryste and humbleth himselfe as vn worthy to vnboukle hys showes and geueth al honoure and glory to God So doeth sayncte Paule both oft and euydently confesse hym selfe what he was of hym selfe euer geuinge as a moste faithfull seruaunte ought to doo all prayse to hys mayster and sauioure So doeth blessed saynte Ihon the euangelyst in the name of hym selfe and of al other holy men be they neuer so iust make this open con session If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If we knowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgyue vs our synnes and to clense vs from al vnrighteousnes If we say we haue not synned we make him a lier and his worde is not in vs. Wherfore the wysemā in the booke called Ecclesiastes openly de clareth that there is not one iuste man vpon the earth that doth good and sy nneth not And sainte Dauid is ashamed of hys synue but not to confesse hys synne Howe ofte howe earnestly and how lamentable doeth he desyre Gods greate mercye for hys great offenses and that God shuld not entre 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 〈◊〉 that it is in maner vnpossyble to knowe vtter or number them Wherfore he hauinge an earnest and depe contemplation consideration of hys synnes and yet not comming to the 〈◊〉 of them maketh supplicatiō to god to forgyue hym his prinye secrete hydde synnes to the knowledge of the whych he cannot attayne He wayeth ryghtly hys synnes from the origynall roote and spryng heade 〈◊〉 inclinations prouocations 〈◊〉 stynginges budes braūches dregges infections tastes feiynges sentes of them to cōtinue in him stil. Wherefore he sayeth Marke behold I was conceiued in sines He saieth not sinne but in the plurel number sinnes for asinuche as oute of one as fountayne spryngeth all the reste And oure sauiour Christ sayth 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 Publican before the proude holye and gloryouse Pharysey He calleth hymselfe a phisition not to them that be hole but to them that be sycke and haue nede of his salue for theyrsore 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 worde or thought deserueth condempnation affyrmyng that we shall gyue an accompte for euery ydle woorde He sayeth he came not to saue but the shepe that were vtterlye lost and cast awaye Therefore fewe of the 〈◊〉 iust learned wyse perfect and holy Pharisies were saued by hym because they iustified them selues by theyr counterfeyte holynes before men Wherefore good people let vs beware of such Hypocrisie vaine glorye and iustifienge of our selues Let vs loke vpō oure feete and then downe oure Pecockes fethers downe proude harte downe vayne claye frayle and
chaire of the scribes and Phariscis of whome he sayeth They say but they do not c. Moreouer the holye Martyr saint Cipriane in the thyrd Epystle of hys fyrst booke speakynge against certayne whych dyd disobey 〈◊〉 Cornelius the byshoppe of Rome writeth in thys maner Neque enim aliunde heresis oborte sunt aut natasunt seismata q inde quod sacerdoti dei nō obtemperatur nec vnus in ceclesia ad tēpus sacerdo et ad tempus iudex vice Christi iudicatur Cui si secundum magisteria diuina obtemperaret fraternitas uniuersa nemo aduersus sacerdotū collegium qule 〈◊〉 moueret That is to say Of none other cause are heresyes spronge vp or scysines ry sen than of this that the preiste of GOD meanyng Cornelius the byshopp e of Rome is not obeyed and one is not taken in the churche to be the hyghe preist for the tyme and for the tyme in Christes stede a iudge or Christes vicar vnto whome yf the hole fraternitye were accordyng to Goddes commaundementes obedient no man woulde any thing moue or styrre against the colled ge or company of preistes Saynt Augustyne also wrytyng agaynst the Epystle of a Maniche whych Epystle is intituled or called 〈◊〉 giueth to the sea of Rome a mer uaylous prerogatyue and doth buylde hys faythe amongest other thinges vpon the succession of the Byshoppes of Rome who after saynct Peter did fo lowe orderly euen to hys time whych was 300. yeres after Chryste And he wryteth in this maner Multasum que 〈◊〉 eccle sic gremio iustissime teneni Tenet me consensio populoru atque 〈◊〉 tenct authoritas mlraculis 〈◊〉 a sperinutria charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa sede perri A postoli cui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post resurrectionē suam dominus comm endauit usque 〈◊〉 present 〈◊〉 episcop 〈◊〉 successio 〈◊〉 That is to saye ther are many thinges which of very good reason doo kepe me in the lawes of the catholyke church The consent of so manye people and nations or countries doth kepe me the authoritie of the church begon 〈◊〉 myracles nouryshed with hope encreased with charitie and confyrmed with antiqui tye doeth kepe me the succession also of bysshoppes from saint Peter the Apostles seat or tyme to whome our Lord dyd after hys tesurrection commite his shepe to be fedde vnto this presēt Bishopricke meaning Rome doeth kepe me in the catholyke church Sainet Hierome also in his Epystle to Damasius doth set fourth very notably the premacye and supremitre of the byshoppe of Rome as beyng sainet Peters successours and amongest other thyngs he sayth thus Si quis cathedrae Petri iungitur meus est That is to saye Yf any man be ioyned to Peters chaire or hold of Peters seate meaning that sea of Rome he is myne and I receyue and ioyne wyth hym Saynt Ambrose also in hys thyrd boke of the sacramētes and in the fyrst Chapter doth say thus Ecclesia Romana hane consuetudinem non habet cuius tipum in omnibus Sequimur That is to say The churche of Rome whose forme or trade we doo folow in all poyntes hath no suche custome Other lyke auctorities of the auncyent fathers for the primacy and suprymacy of the Sea of Rome there are and that infinite But what nede many autorities ether of scripture or of the fathers in this behalfe seing very experience hath this thousande yeres proued that such as dysobeied the sea of Rome did fal sone after into abhominable heresye and therevpon into deui sion amongest them selues and 〈◊〉 to de structiō or els in processe of time were gladde and sayne to retourne to ther dwe obediēce againe Yf you be desyrouse to haue exāple in this matter loke but one those countryes and those parsons that nowe be in captiuitie vnder the gret Turke who in time past agreeing wyth the sea of Rome did florishe in christen religyon all welthe looke also vpon Germany take example thereby how they prospered amonges theym selues synce they declyned from that obedience of the sea of Rome And it is a world to see howe those whome they toke for theyr greatest doctours haue abused seduced and mocked them euen in thys matter of the prymacye for where as Luther especiallye and aboue all other was theyr ryngleader in thys matter yet when he was emon gest lerned men and shoulde talke of thys matter wyth theym he was so dryuen to the wal that opē lye in wrytynge to be shewed at thys daye he dyd in a boke of hys intituled Resolutio Latheriana super propo sitione sua 〈◊〉 de potestate 〈◊〉 confesse and saye playnelye as hereafter doeth folowe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ro pontificem esse alijs omnibus quos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 se pontifices gerere superiorum est 〈◊〉 voluntas dei quā in ip so 〈◊〉 uidemus Neque enim sino voluntate dei in haenc monarchiā inquam 〈◊〉 potuisset Ro pōtifex At uolūtas dei quo quo modo nota fuerit cū reuerentia sulcidienda est ideoque non licet temere Ro pontifici suo primaturesistere Hec autem ratio 〈◊〉 est ut si etiam nulla scriptura nul la alia causa esset haec tamensatis esset ad compescendam temeritatem resistentium et 〈◊〉 sola ratione gloriosissimus martir Ciprianus permult 〈◊〉 epistolas cōfidētissime gloriatur cōtra omnes episcoporū quorū cunque ad uersorios sicut 3. Re. legimus quod decētribus Israel discesserūt a roboā silio Salomonis et tamen quia uoluntate dei sine au toritate factū est ratum apud deum fuit Nam et apud theologos omnes uoluntas signi quam 〈◊〉 operationem dei non minus quam alia signo uoluntacis dei ut prae 〈◊〉 prohibit c. metuenda est Ideo non uideo quomodo sint 〈◊〉 ascismatis reatu qui huic uoluntati contrauenienses sest a Ro pontifieis autoritate subtrahūt 〈◊〉 est una prima mihi in superabilis ratio 〈◊〉 subijcit Ro pontifici et primatū eius cōfueri cogir. that is to saye The first thing which moueth me to think or beleue the Romayue Byshoppe to be superior to all other whom at the leaste wyse we do knowe to accompte them selues for Byshoppes is the very wyll of God which we doo see euen in the very facte or matter For in dede without the wyl of God that Romayne Byshoppe coulde not at anye tyme haue commē to this monarchy or supreme rule and the wyll of God by what meane soeuer it be knowen is to be receyued or taken with reuerence and therefore it is not lawefull folyshly or hedelye to make resystence vnto the said Romayne Bysshope in his Bysshoppryke And this reason is soogreat or of suche force that althoughe noo scrypture nor no other cause were yet thys were sufficient ynoughe to brydle or kepe vnder the temeritie or madnes of them that make