thing shalbe to y e best vnto those that loue the lorde Ionas also in thys hys peruerse froward opinion to w tdraw the mercy of god froÌ„ the Niniuits expresseth y e noughty opinion that saieth that sinners can neuer be receaued into grace after they fal once froÌ„ the Lorde They would abrogate y e greatest work of god to say hys mercye that it shoulde not woorke where it pleaseth hym but where as it pleaseth mans fancies to appoynte it The Lord doth not onelye fauour and bear with Ionas infirmityes but also couereth him from the burnyng heate of the sunne and also teacheth him by the tree that he is offeÌ„ded w tout cause what tree this was it is not agreed vpon yet among writers but it maketh no matter therof it is ynough we knowe it was a tree wyth brode leaues wherby the lord would succour both the bodye and knowledge of the infirme Ionas That it grewe vp sodenly and wythered away sodenly it beareth therein the ymage and propertie of suche honours riches and treasures as be in thys world whych sodenly ryse and sodenly fall agayne Noman therfore shuld hasard or daunger hys sowle for so britle and fraile things And by the withering away of this lytle tree God woulde shew Ionas howe vncharitable he was angry that y â— great Citie of Niniue was saued as though he had sayd if it greue the somuch for the losse of this lytle tre shuld it not be a greater grefe vnto the to se the destruccion of so greate a Citye For the tree sprang vp in one nyght and the Citie had stand many hundred yeares Againe for the tree Ionas laboured neuer a dele but God buylded Niniue The tree is but one thynge the Citie had greate nombre both of men and catel And least Ionas myght haue sayd yea but al men of the citie be euyl therfore worthy to perysh but God addeth to the mater and sayth there were in the citie aboue a hundred and twentye thousande persones that knewe not betwene the ryghte hande and the lefte that is to saye chyldren and foules Of thys dialoge betwene God and Ionas we maye gather thys generall and vniuersal doctrine that god wyl saue al penitente synners .i. Timo. ii for seyng he gaue hys onely soÌ„ne for vs whiles we wer yet his enemies how shuld it be he wold not in him giue vs al thiÌ„ges Romaynes .viii. Mathe. xi But here of commeth oure losse and perdicion that we repente not from oure euyll as the Proclamacion of the king of Niniue commaunded the people and subiectes thereof that woulde not onelye men to amend theyr yuel liues but also they shuld restore agayne all false goten goodes and make restitucioÌ„ therof as well to god as to man Restitucion towardes God is when al honoure and glory is geuen vnto hym as saynte Paule sayeth .i. Timotheus .i. But thys glorye is and hathe bene taken froÌ„ God by men of euery sorte as well by those of the Ecclesiasticall polycye as those of the Ciuile policie Those of the Ecclesiastical Policye take awaye thys honoure and prayse from God two waies One by neglecting the true doctrine the other by defeâ—dynge of false doctryne By negligence offend such as know God and hys ministerie bi the holi word of god yet for priuate respectes ether for lucre or for feare of them selues suffer many tokens monumeÌ„tes and ceremonyes of supersticion as is the dyuersitie of meates for religions sake yet I aproue the commaundemeÌ„t of the Magistrates that for a Ciuile Policie cause certayne dayes apoynted to eat fish in ymages forbyddyng of mariage in the lent the vse of suche vestimentes or apparel as obscure the mynysterie of Christes churche and representeth the forme and fasshyon of the Aaronicall ministerie of the old law abrogated and ended in Christ eyther els seldom or neuer teach the people neither procure them to be taught Al those I exhort to restitucioÌ„ or els doubtles theyr thefte wyll bryng them to damnacioÌ„ Let them preach truly the woorde of God and minister his Sacramentes after the institucioÌ„ of Christ and theÌ„ theyr harme done in time past shall not be thought vpon Ther be an other sorte that refuse not only to mocke thys satisfaccion but also obstinatly maintaine and defend false doctrine and study to oppresse the true doctryne Of thys sort is no smalle numbre But those I exhorte also to leaue theyr yuel sayinges and to make restitucion As many as be of the laytie as thei be called that is to sai not of the publicke ministerie of the church robbeth also god of hys glory honoure They seke remedy for synne by another meanes then through the death of Christ as by the marchaundies of Masses Indulgences InuocacioÌ„ of saintes the peines of Purgatorie but I aduyse them to geue God that for it appertayneth onlye vnto hym Harken vnto the woord of God and call vpon hys name as he teacheth thorowe Christ in spirit and veritie And thancke hym for all hys gyftes he geueth bothe to your body and soule At your death commende your soules to hym for Christ that dyed vnder Pontius Pilate as Saynte Steauen did Act .vii. And do not dout of y â— dead for they be at rest al redy eyther in heauen eyther in hell Io. iii. v.i Cor. xv.i. Tess. iiii Apoca. iiii Wherefore rather gyue thankes to God for theÌ„ then praye from them ¶ Of restitucion to be made to man IN external goodes maye a man offend thre maner of wayes In yuel getting of theÌ„ An euyl kepyng of theÌ„ And in euyll spendyng of theÌ„ They be yuel gotten manye wayes Fyrste when they be taken from an other by murder Rape Uyolencie Crafte or Thefte Thus offeÌ„did quen Iesabel in takyng away Nabothes vineyard .iii. Reg. xxi at length she was torne wyth dogges for her labour Then be they iueâ— gotten by subtylties fraudes corrupcion of lawes by lying flattery and such other Let euery man make restitucion of goodes thus gotten or els he shal sure perish Let the sedicious hurtful and daungerous traytoure that contrarye vnto Gods lawes taketh weapon agaynst hys leage Lorde and kynge restore both hys hearte and hys goodes agayne to the Kynges pleasure and commaundement Let al men cease from gettyng of theyr goodes by thys vnlawfull meanes and the goodes so gotten lette them restore againe As zacheus dyd Luc. xix And that they may be y e better fensed against thys vnlawful vngodly gettiÌ„g to gether of goods I prai theÌ„ to read the Canon of saint Paul .i. Tim. vi Such as wil be ryche et cetera Goodes be yuel kept Fyrste if thei exalt theÌ„ vnto arrogancie and pryde whych bringeth the contempt of other and theÌ„ if in the aboundauÌ„ce of goods thou forget God Thyrdly yf hauynge goodes thou cease from labour and put thy selfe to ease so that thou make thy selfe profitable neither to god neyther to y â— commune wealth thou dwellest in Here offende verye
thys ye may see the dyuersitie betwene the ministerye of God of y ◠deuil of Christ and of Antechrist Christs mynistery is ful of labors paines sclounders and calamytyes Antichrist is ful of care pleasures cōmodities honoures as ye maye see through all the kingdom of the Pope for ther is not a byshoppricke nor benefice cā fal but ten ar reddy to take it or it come to the groūd Yea and healpe awaye the incumbēt wyth an Italion figge before tyme as ye may rede of Uictor the thyrd The seconde doctryne is that who so euer leaueth vndone the office commaunded vnto him by god flieth from the fauour and good wyl of God as it is to be sene i. Regu xv Here be al bishops and priestes admonished to beware how they leaue their deuties and cures They flie from y ◠face of god as many as beare that name and preache not the word of God and instruct not the people after the mouthe of god Myserable and cursed is our tyme of gods owne mouth that ther be such dom bishops vnpreaching prelats and such asseheadded Mynysters in the church of God Christ institutid nether singers nor massers but preachers and testimonies of his true doctrine Mar. xvi Mat. xxviii Luk. xxiiii Act. i. He that leaueth thys doctryne vntaught in the church or teacheth a contrary doctrin flieth from the face of god and do incurre the daunger and dampnacion that is wrytten Ezechi xxxiii iii. I wyll requyre theyr losse sayeth God to the preacher at thy hand Let nomā therfore be offended if the cryer speake agaynst the faultes of al degres wythout excepcion seing he is commaunded so to do vpō the paine eternal of his soule and Paule sayth wo be vnto me if I preache not i. Cor. ix Let all men take heede to do the thing that apparteyneth to theyr offyce least they depart from the face of the Lord as kyngs do if they make any laws contrary to the lawe of God and the lawe of nature or suffer theyr subiectes to be tawght in anye doctryne for the saluacion of theyr soules beside and contrary to the expresse word of god The iustyce departeth from the face of God when y t he for fauor preposterous peti or for bribes iudgeth not iustly The gentle men when bysyde charity seke themselues wyth the hurt of their neighbours The commons of euery realme departeth frō the fauour of god when sediciously inobedientlye they make tumults and sedicion lyftynge vp weapon agaynst theyr kyng and rulers whych leadeth to eternal dāpnacion Rom. xiii Num. xvi But a man might say toush it is not so great a matter if a man walke not in hys vocacion neyther yet is god so much offended with dysobediēce but thys fleshly and peruerse opinion may soone be corrected if mē wold cōsider the daungers that thys poore man Ionas fell into for hys dysobedyence They be in number syxe The fyrste is the perylous wyndes that troubleth the shippe The seconde hys synne and dysobedience is detected and made open by lottes The thyrd he is examyned what he is The fourthe he is constrayned to geue sentence of death agaynst hym selfe The fyfth the shipmen cannot saue him The sixt he is cast into the sea The fyrst daunger hath two partes The one sheweth the daunger of the shyppe The other shewith how the mariners behaueth thē selues in the time of theyr daunger Of the fyrst thus sayth the Prophet The Lorde hurled a greate wynde into the sea and there arose a myghtie tempest in the sea so that the shyppe was in Ieoperdie of goynge in pieces Well we maye thyncke to escape the daunger of GOD though we neglect oure dewty and vocacion but truely it can not be so Whither sayeth Dauyd shoulde I go from thy spirite and whither shoulde I fle frō thy face Psal. cxxxix Ther is no corner of the world wher in man maye hyde hym selfe from the knowlege and punishment of God if we neglect the worckes of oure vocacion He hath all thynges in hys hand heauen earth the wyndes and the waters with the whiche he vseth to punyshe the wyckednes of transgressours wythall at his pleasure when he wil as it is to be seen Samu. i. Of thys place of the text we learne that whosoeuer contrarye to Goddes commaundemente studieth to auoyde one yuell falleth into manye The byshop or the preacher that for the loue or feare of the world letteth to speke the trueth falleth into the burnyng and damnacion of hys owne conscience The people that agaynst goddes lawe woulde defende the pouertye of theyr bodies loste body soule wyfe chyldren and all together The corrupte Iudge in serchynge to serue hyz owne tourne or hys frenfrends in corrupting of iustice bryngeth bothe hym selfe and hys frende into the daunger of eternal dampnacion The text procedeth y t sheweth howe the mariners behaued them selues in this daūger y t whych thyng is dylygently to be noted For in them is expressed averi liuelye ymage of all men that lackyth fayth howe they feare aboue measure in the tyme of trouble Theyr doinges is expressed foure waies First their fayth Second eche of thē calleth vpō his own god Third thei exonerate the ship Fourth they wake Ionas oute of hys sleepe The fear declareth y e greatnes of the daunger they were in theyr ignoraunce of God who onelye comforteth in the dayes and houre of trouble That euery man calleth vpon his own god it appeareth ther were people of sondry and dyuers nacions and also what is common to all men vnder the sunne that haue not lost the vse of reason when we be left destitute of humane healpe we call vpon god not for loue but for feare as it is sayd metus primus in orbe Deos fecit That is to say feare was the fyrste that made Gods in the world These mariners are of some part to be folowed of some part not that in the daye of trouble they praye we ought to folowe them that they praye not to the one and sole God but euerye man to a sondrye God they maye not be folowed For there is but one patron and helper for all men and he is neuer nor no where knowen but by his word Mānes reason knoweth ryght wel in the tyme of trouble that ther is a god but who he is reason cannot tell Therefore worshippeth reasō an idole of hys own heade vnder the name of God and then foloweth man eyther hys owne opinion eyther the tradicion of hys elders And thys is the fountayne of Idolatrye when that euery manne thyncketh hym to be hys God that he hym selfe hys elders or custome hath taken to be god From hence came suche diuersitye of gods among the Gētiles so many patrons among y e supersticious sort of Christians These goddes all together be forbyd Exodi xx Deutrono vi They lyghten the shyp when they felt that prayers auayled nothynge they tourne to laboure whyche also eased them
nothynge Whereby we learne that al gods and goddesses be but vanitye sauynge oure god the father of Iesus Christe And no laboure nor trauayl avayleth wyth out the fauoure of God Luke ix The woman had spente all she had on Physicions yet nothyng the better so doeth the Papistes in Masses and yet theyr conscience nothynge more deliuered from synne and those that praye to Saynctes attayneth nothyng If theyr requeste be sometyme graunted theym it is none other then a punishmēt of their Idololatry .ii. Thessa. ii The fourth thing thei do they wake Ionas But Ionas gate him vnder y ◠hatches wher he laied him down and slombred The text noteth two things one that Ionas slept the other how the mariners awoke hym to call vpon hys God Ionas slepe sygnifyeth two thynges Fyrst that when we thynk our selues most at reast then be we moste in daunger as it is to be sene by Baltheser in y ◠prophet Daniell and Math. xxiiii ii Thess. ii Luke xii The second is to declare the nature of syn whyles it is a committyng the prycke and daunger thereof is not felte but it delyteth rather man So without feare eat Adam and Eue the apple Peter denyed Christe And because God out of hande punyshethe not out synne the deuyl bewitcheth our myndes and wyttes and beareth vs in hande that he wyl neuer punysh and that God seythe not oure synne nor is not so greuouselye offended w t oure sinnes So yet slepeth the synne at thys daye of them that persecute God and his holy word The synnes of false or negligent Byshops and priestes the synne of the corrupte iudges and sedycious people but it wyll awake one daye as ye may read Gen. iiii and here by our Ionas At the houre of oure death synne wyll awake and wyth oure owne synne the deuyl wyl kyl vs eternally excepte we awake betime That they desier Ionas to praye vnto hys God it declareth that al Idololatrye and supersticious persons thyncke one god to be stronger then the other As it is to be seen in papistrie at this presente day where as it is disputed which ladye is best oure Ladye of Bullayne or our Ladye of Rome Sayncte Iames in Italye or Sayent Iames at Compostella Father this text declareth that Idololaters alwayes seeke newe goddes where as theyr olde god dedeiueth theym so is it amonge Christians when the matter is playne desperat they lot y ◠matter betwene three or foure Idololatrycal Pilgrimages which one of them shalbe the Patron of his health Wher as y e word of God is knowen there is no sute but vnto one god by y e mediacion of Christe Beside whō there is no health Thys God I cōmend vnto you vnto thys god make youre prayers for sake that heretical doctrin that deuideth your hartes in prayer part to god and part to saynts departed For god is sufficient to helpe and wyl healpe alone Esa. lxiii to hym be all honour and glorye now and for euer The end of the fyrst Sermon ¶ The second Sermō vpon Ionas made by Ihon Hoper .xxvi. of Februarye ¶ The Preface VNto euerye man is apoynted hys vocatiō to one this to an other that One to a priuate an other to a publyke vocacion and eche of thē eyther is lawful or vnlawfull That is vnlawfull that fyghteth and repugneth wyth the word of God as the vocacion of baudes Idololatres masse mongers common receauers and mainteiners of disers and dysse houses wyth suche lyke In these or any lyke who soeuer continually styll wythoute repentaunce is subiect to eternal dampnaciō The other vocacion is lawfull and standeth wyth the word of God Of the whiche S. Paule speaketh In what vocacion any man is called in the same let hym abyde But thys lawfull vocacion we transgresse two maner of wayes Ether when we bear the title or name of the vocacion and do nothyng appertayning thereunto whyche is condempned by God in that he commaunded in Adam al men to auoyde ydlenes Gene. iii. in the sweate of thy browes thou shalt eat thy bread and Paule i. Thess. ii Thess. Either whē we do in the vocacion that we should not do As for example a bishop to teach false doctrine for a true A iudge that should iudge truely corrupteth iudgemente for fauoure or monye A Merchaunte to waxe richer by false contractes or corrupte wares Into what daunger ech manne falleth that anye waye transgresseth hys vocacion it is to be sene by thys oure Ionas who in voidyng of one dāger falleth into sixe as ye haue hearde before of the whych six we haue spokē but of one And in the one noted manye profitable doctrines as well declaringe mannes infirmitie that cannot healpe it selfe not from the daungers of the body as of the power and good wil of god that can wil saue boeth from the daungers of bodye soule Al mē confesse hym to be y e true God that can and wil helpe al dyseases the Iewes the Turkes the Gentiles the good the bad But therein standeth the daunger lest for the true God we cal and inuocat a false god and vnder the name of god we honoure and worshyp the dyuel as these mariners dyd whē eche of them called to a sondry god And as the Gentiles doth that Dauid speketh of Psal. cvi that they sacrificed their children to the deuyl and not to God Dauyd sayeth they offered to the deuyll that they thoughte was offered to God And Paule i. Corinthians x. calleth the religion of the heathen the table of the deuyll So dyd the Iewes before vs so do they in these dayes now that for eueri disease they haue a sōdry god and patrone For the pestilence S Roch for the war S. Barbara In thys daunger of Idololatrye be all they that call vpon God and pray vnto hym otherwyse then he hath appointid by his word And here we be admonished of two things The fyrst that we offer none other obsequie and relygion vnto god thē he hymselfe by hys word requireth If we do we offer an ydol of oure own heade and honore the dyuel vnder the parsō and name of god As those doth that erect and buylde vp Images and aulters to saye masse vpon in the honor of god whyche God neuer commaunded Exod. xxii Deutrono v. The nexte we be here admonished of is that we call vpon God onelye in the name of Christe for he is the dore the waye and the trueth Iohn x. And he alone sheweth vs the father Iohn i.vi Heare be condemned not onely the Iewes and Gentiles but also as manye as woulde knowe and come to the father by inuocacion of the saynctes departed by Bulles Pardons Peregrinacions Masse and other Let thys erroure be corrected And let vs leue calling euerye man to hys owne God and call onely vpon the onelye God that can and wil in Christ heare vs as he hearde the Patriarches Prophetes and the Apostles And y ◠thys be doone it is
serue not cruelly wythout discression to reuēge but cheritabli with pacience to beare with the weke vntyll suche tyme as the lawe requyreth execucion of the euyll Nowe foloweth the aunswere of Ionas wherwyth al he condēneth him selfe as it is plaine in the texte and is the fourth daunger he fel into Take me and cast me into the sea so shal it let you be in rest for I wote it is for my sake that this great tempest is come vpon you In thys answere we learne and knowe what is the nature and condicyon of euerye penitente manne to Iudge hym selfe worthy payne and punyshemente And that is so trewe in case wee Iudge not so of oure selues and saye heretofore I was accompted and toke my selfe for a christian man but in deade I was the contrarye wherefore I am worthy of punyshmente we be but Hipocrites and desēblers Thus shoulde the Nobleman saye the Lawer the priest and the commune sorte of men as Dauid techeth .ii. Sam. xxiiii When he sawe the commune wealth punyshed and in daunger of dystruccion for his offence he sayde vnto the Lorde as Ionas dyd I haue synned I haue done yuel what hath these shepe offended let thyne ire dyspleasure be agaynste me and my fathers house But O my gracious Lorde and Kynge suche penitent and sorowful Ionasses be farre out of youre realme for none wyll confesse theyr faultes They wyl rather saye let the Bible in Englishe and the preacher of gods word be cast into the sea and so shall folowe quietnes for it was neuer wel sithe preaching begā But these be most gracious kyng and honorable coūselloures Caiphas felowes that sayde ye vnderstande not Io. xiii Chap. But what folowed It happened vnto the wicked as he feared They lost theyr communewealth as their fathers did before and came in to bondage bothe of body and soule Now foloweth the fift daūger that Ionas fel into The mariners can not saue hym as the texte sayeth Neuerthelesse the mē assaide with rowing to bringe the ship to lād but it wolde not be because the sea wrought so was so troblus against thē In these Mariners y ◠holye gost teacheth vs two thynges the one howe they would haue saued the troubler of the shyp the other that they coulde not saue him In the first is noted the nature condicion of euery godly Magistrate y t would if god wold the lawe al men to be saued as Moses did prai for the people y t rebelled for Aron Marye hys brother sister Iosua called disobediente Ahab sonne Here is the percial and corrupte iudgement of Kynges Magistrates iudges and such as beare offyce in the commune wealth horriblie cōdemned that serue not the law but mayster the lawe and for lucre or affecciō damneth hym the lawe quytteth and saueth him the lawe condemneth contrary to the doctrine of Salomon Prouerb .xvii. Deut. xix Luke xxii Rom. xiii Iac. iiii That they could not saue Ionas we learne that no cōmune wealth cā be quieted except the trāsgressors be punished Ios. vii God giueth no victory to y ◠children of Israel till Ahab be punished The plage cessed not frō y ◠Israelits til Phinees had slaine the adulterous Nu. xxv And the Lord sayth in Ezechiell xxxiii ye lifte vp youre eyes to your Idoles shede bloud and thyncke ye ye shall posses thys land Ye pollute eche anothers wyfe and should ye inhabit thys lande Nether vnto alludeth sayncte Paule Ephesians v. Let no mā seduce you wyth prophane woordes for these thyngs cōmeth the yre of God vpon the chyldren of distruste Generallye we learne that there is no more pestiferous hurt cā come vnto a commune wealth then ouer muche lenity and preposterous petye to suffer the lawes of a realme to be broken and neglected wythout punyshement of the transgressoure as it shall be more declared here after Nowe to the text whyche containeth the prayer of the shypmen in thys wyse Wherfore thei cried vnto the lord and sayd O Lorde let vs not perishe for thys mannes death neither lay thou innocent bloud to our charge for thou oh lord hast done euen as thy pleasure was Of thys oracion fyrste wee learne that the Mariners were conuerted vnto God by y ◠preachynge of one Ionas Before eche man called vpon a sūdrye god now al cal vp on one god They excuse not theyr olde Idololatrie for their olde customes sake nor yet for the aucthoritie of their forefathers but symplie they imbrace the trueth The same shoulde we followe and for oure doctryne it is written as sayth Saynte Paule in the fyftenth chapter of hys Epystle to the Romay Whatsoeuer thyngs are wrytten are wrytten for oure learnyng that we through paciēce and comforte of the scriptures shoulde haue hope Casting away al Idololatrye false honorynges of God we shoulde in Chryst imbrase and receyue the euerlastynge God and hys infalliable worde seynge wee be not moued there vnto by one Ionas but by manye by Kynge by counsell and manye other menne of God The seconde thynge we learne oute of thys prayer is howe they desyre GOD not to Impute vnto theym the deathe of Ionas whyche had not hurte theym but hymselfe in dysobeyinge the Lordes commaundemente wherein we maye see howe the Gentiles and Ethnyckes abhorred murder land Manslaughter and accompted it horrible and a thynge damned by the lawe of nature ▪ They were in the sea and no manne coulde haue accused them of murther yet perceyued they well that the eyes of God coulde marcke theym where so euer they were and woulde punyshe the facte And wisely they iudged for so teacheth vs all the Scripture of God as it shall nowe apere for I wyll somewhat touch thys horrible crime of murder more at large Murder is cōmitte two maner of wayes by chaunce and ignorauntelye or of malice and wetingelye Ignoraunt when agaynste hys wyll doynge and meanynge nothynge lesse then murder agaynst hys wyll killeth Suche a murderer by the lawe shuld not die for God absolueth and quitteth hym and prepared in the commune wealthe of the Israelites sanctuaries and refuges for them whyther as they might flee for their sauegarde Exod. xxi Nu. xxxv Ios. xx lest theyr bloude shulde be shed againe He that of malice and willingly killeth a mā shuld no waies be saued for vnto such the lord commaundeth deathe agayne Exo. xxi Leui. xxiiii And also in the tyme of the lawe of nature this was the commaundement of God for murder Gen. ix he that sheddeth a mannes bloude shall haue his bloude shed againe and so saith Christ Math. xxvi he that striketh w t the swearde shall peryshe with the sweard This sin is so horrible that no indulgēce or pardō shulde pitie the offence nor pardon the fault but the murderer incase he fled to the highe aulter he shoulde be fet fourthe as ye maye see the experyence in Ioab at the cōmaundement of Salomon iii. Regum ii and reade Nume
Ezechiel iii. xxxiii they wolde serue the Lorde and vse more diligence in their vocatyon then they do If the Noble men wolde thynke vpon thys texte the Lorde resysteth the proude and thys texte Esay v woo be vnto you that ioine house to house and felde to feld c. and the lawers and iudges that is wrytten Prouerb xvii and Math. xxiii they wolde not slepe in greate rest nor vse the place they be in with such parcialitie and false head as they do incase the commune people wold thynke vpon the .iii. of Gene. where as laboure is commaunded and also .i. Thess. iiii ii Tess. iii. they wolde not forsake laboure and seke weapon and strengthe to tourne and aulter the state and ordre that God hathe appointed vpon the earthe But thys I saye to euerye man of eache of those degrees mencionated of the lesse they fele the dauÌ„ger of eternall damnatioÌ„ the nerer they be vnto eternal pain and haue alreadye one fote in hell whych shal neuer come agayn but the hole bodi and soul shal folowe excepte they repente for no man is farther from heauen then he that feareth not hell Nor no man farther from grace theÌ„ he that feleth not y e daunger of synne as wee se no man in more daungerous disease then he that knoweth not hym selfe to be lycke as those men be that are fallen into freÌ„sie and madnes Let vs lerne with Ionas to knowe in what daunger we be Yet is there an other thyng to be noted in Ionas wordes where as he sayeth thou haste caste me downe Of these wordes shulde those that be damned by the Magistrates acknoweledge that it is not the Magistrat that putteth them to execucion but God whose ministers they be and ought to saue suche as goddes worde saueth and dampne those that gods wordes dampneth It is God that sendeth to hell that hangeth for transgressyon vpon the Gallowes As Ionas knewe in thys hys prayer He accused not the mariners that caste hym into the sea but confessed the execution of the euell to be from God Let therefore from henceforth the Bishop and person that is depryued of theire vocatyons for theyr misbehaueour false or neglygente preachynge in them saye the Lord hath cast me doune So lette the Noble menne and the lawers say wheÌ„n theire Rauyne couetuousnes fraude and deceyte cryeth vengeaunce before God tyll they be dysplaced the Lorde hath caste me downe And the same lette the trayterousse subiecte the thyeffe the murderer and idle maÌ„ say the Lord brought me to the galowes The Lord wolde I shulde trouble the coÌ„mon wealth no longer And I do here appele burden euery subiectes conscience of thys realme of Englande Firste those that haue the doynges receiuinges occupyinges and custody ouersyght rule and offyce of the kynges maiesties goods or laÌ„des TheÌ„ their conscience to whome the kynge and hys counsell hathe commended the teaching and instructioÌ„ of hys people in the knowledge and feare bothe of God and man fynally I apele all the conscyences of the subiectes of this realme whiche me riteth some for deceite falshed and deceyuynge of the kynge losse both of body and goodes some for preaching erronious seditious and false doctrine or for neclectinge the preachyng of the true doctryne deserue most cruel punishmeÌ„t Some for false iudgemente merite the losse of theyr lyues The rest for rebellion sedicion and treason deserue the swerde and the galowes whether in sufferynge the payne appoynted for suche transgression they caÌ„ from their hartes say thys suffer I worthely wyll the vengeauÌ„ce of God because I haue synned agaynst hym the law of my coÌ„munwealth No no y â— Lorde knoweth euery man extenuateth yea excuseth al thinges donne agaynst God hys order But I wyll sayne the y â— thiefe and robber of the kynge and of the commune wealthe to be kynge and the kynge thy offycer receiuer woldest thou thy offycer shulde deceiue the Or y u traiterous false subiect if thou were kynge the king thy subiect woldest y u be coÌ„tented that thy subiecte shoulde conspyre and imagine howe to plucke the out of thy realme What if mi Lord Bishop and master persone were kynges trowye their Maiesties wold be contented that theire Byshoppes and priestes shoulde whyster a tale of treason and sedycyon in auryculâ—r confession or other pryueye conuentycles to theire subiectes Speake all ye that be fayned kynges and speake of youre conscyences I dare saye ye wold not be thus haÌ„dled Wht then do ye handell an other soâ— remember ye not in thys lawe of nature Quod tibi non vis fieri alieni ne facias That is to saye do not to an other that thou woldest not an other shulde do vnto the. Amende therfore euerye man and be true and faythful vnto the realm to the king and lawes of him his realm And for y e loue of God ye noble men Gentelmen iustices and lawers the holsome lawes of the realme that statutâ—s and coÌ„missioÌ„s that hath bene made by the king and the counsel for the preseruacion of the commune wealth and the helpe of the poore whyche be boothe afflicted wyth your insaciable and neuer contented couetousnes Let them be faythfully executed and vpryghtly interpretated according to y â— minde and meanynge of those that made them For the euyll construing and sinister takynge of good lawes and godly meanynge of godlye maiestrates doth not only afflicte the pore of this realme but wyl sure at length caste the whole realme vnder the water It commeth nowe into my mynd a practise of euyl takyng the gouerners worde coÌ„maundement how perilous daungerous thing it is I was once in the rase of Britaine wyth a fore wynde and contrarye fludde the seas in that place goynge both holowe and that by reason of a multitude of Rockes in the same place The master of the shyppe to conduite her the better sate vpon the mayne yerde to see the seas aforehande and cryed to hym that styrred the sterne alwayes vpon whyche syde he shuld styrre the shippe to breake best the daunger of the sea The wynde blowynge hygh where as the master cryed a larde borde he that styrred mystoke it and styrred a stare borde and the once mistakyng of the masters lawe had almoste cast vs vnder the water Then thought I it is not wythoute cause that wysemen compare a common wealthe to a shyppe for one thynge loseth and saueth them bothe For incase the masters officer in the shyp obey not hys lawe the shyp wyll of force drowne So shal thys coÌ„men wealth euery other that wheÌ„ the kyng and hys councell shall make lawes to help saue the pore such as styrre the hynder part of the shyp behind the kynges backe folow not that he is bid to do but that that he lysteth himselfe and his owne priuat coÌ„moditie to do And thus putteth both the shyp the master and all the mariners in daunger of drowning Amend
therfore euery man betyme If ye do not the Lorde at lengthe wyll caste ye oure from all ye haue to the destruccion of you and youres But of one thynge I praye you all that be true and faythfull subiectes and friendes vnto the kyngdome and the kynges maiestye that ye wyll not imâ—pute nor burden the kynges maiestye nor hys councell wyth the oppression extorcion thefte iniuryes deceites falseheades defraudes cautelles violences and other wronges that those thieues and destroiers vse towardes you and the commen wealth if their vsyng myghte come to their knoweledge I doubte not but that your wronges shuld be redressed by theÌ„ And this I knowe my selfe vi experience in weighty matters the kynges maiestyes councell hathe not onlye hearde but geuen accordynglye sentence wyth the trueth and vsed me rather lyke fathers then lyke iudges in such matters if they hadde taken thynges spoken by me honestlye euyll construed by myne accusers there coulde haue folowed no lesse then my greate vndoynge and hynderaunce to all my labours and paines in the vineyarde of the Lorde Therefore praye to hym that all good lawes maye be iustly executed and all other amended whych God graunte There is one worde more in the texte whyche muste not be neglected where Ionas sayeth he shall se againe the holy temple of the Lorde In the whiche wordes note two thinges The one howe that in the mooste obscure and darke troubles of aduersity God suffereth some sparke of consolacion to shyne The other to what ende a manne beyng in trouble shuld desyre to bee deliuered to extolle and prayse for euer the name of the Lorde Esay thirtye and eyght But how thys ende of deliueraunce is practised in oure dayes the Lorde knoweth We vse not to desire the Lord to be deliuered to gloryfye and laude his holye name as thys Ionas dyd and Dauyd Psal. fyftye and one an hundred .xviii. But from sickenesse and aduersytye we tourne oure selfe to al vngodlynes and lyberty of lyfe And wher we wer euel before trouble and sicknes we be worse after Therfore when God hath wasted one rod vpon vs in punyshemente he begynneth to make another more sharper then the fyrste And euen as the fall agayne into a disease before the fyrste be quite paste and ouercome bryngeth the more daunger vnto the paciente euen so the relapse and fall agayne into the displeasure and iudgemente of God not onlye doubleth the griefe and payne of the punishment but also endaungereth the afflicted person wyth the horror and damnacion of hel fyre for euerye relapse agrauateth the paine for sin After this foloweth the thyrde parte of Ionas praier in the which is coÌ„teined a coÌ„mendacioÌ„ of gods mercy But thou O Lord my God hast brought my lyfe agayne out or corrupcion when my soul faynted wythin me I thought vpoÌ„ the Lord mi praier came in vnto the euen into thy holye temple In these verses is declared bothe the power of God and the truthe of God Hys power that saued hys lyfe where was no likelihode but of death yea death it self For he it is alone that bringeth to hell saueth froÌ„ theÌ„ce i. Sam. i. His trueth is declared y t wher as he saith call vpon me in the dayes of thy trouble and I wyll heare the. Psalme nienty and nyne here he performeth it in this afflycted Ionas of whome we shoulde learne bothe to feare hys threatnynge iustice and to truste vnto hys promysed mercye for he can do boothe Punyshe the euell that wyl not repente and saue the afflycted that fleeth vnto hys mercye They that hold of vain vanities wyll forsake hys mercye The people of God haue a custome in theire prayers as they beholde the true and sauinge healthe of the lyuynge God so of the contrarye parte to consyder the false and deceit full helpe of the false gods as Dauid dothe many times and here also our Ionas So doe the true ChristiaÌ„s at this day in beholdynge the mercye of God in Christ thei behold and wounder at the fond and false hope helpe and truste that meÌ„ put in vanitie erroure and for bodden helpe of the Masse water breade salte bowe candell pardones and suche lyke And thys note chrystian Reader that the Prophete calleth false and vayne relygyon vanitie so iudge thou of euery relygyon that is not conteyned within the worde of God to be nothynge else then vanitie from wheÌ„ce soeuer it coÌ„meth though the world wold bear the in haÌ„d it were as true as the Gospell But aske y â— true iudge y e word of God and it wyl shewethe it is supersticion beggerye and treacherie vnto the soule And those do lose y â— beneuoleÌ„ce and mercye that God hath promised in Chryste to as manye as seke him in truthe and in veritie Oute of thys text ye se the doctrine of Chryste true that is written Mat. vi no man caÌ„seruâ— two masters the true relygion of God the supersticion of maÌ„ Nor he caÌ„ be saued that trusteth in Chryste hanged vpoÌ„ the Crosse and Christ offered in the Masse for the one is contrarye playne vnto the other Therfore Ionas confesseth what he wyl do folowe the one forsake the other as the text of hys oration sayeth But I wil do the sacrifice with the voyce of thankes geuing wyll pai that I haue voued Here Ionas efâ—â—ones telleth what he wyl do beinge delyuered frome hys trouble He wyl extolle magnifie and sette forthe the goodnes of God Then he wyll performe hys vowe made that is to saie liue obedyentlye vnto the commauÌ„dement of god The same must we do and not vse healthe and quyetnes as an occasyon to syn libertie filthines of lyfe Ionas also amendeth the folish opinion of the Iewes that trusted to haue obtayned remissioÌ„ of their siÌ„nes by the offring vp of the calues other brute beastes But Ionas declareth that y e Lord deliteth in no sacrifice y â— man caÌ„ do fauinge in y e sacrifice of thaÌ„kesgeuing For onlye Chryste is the sacrifyce propycyatorye and he that alone meriteth before god the remission of synne If then in the tyme of the shadowe Ionas knewe the Lord to accept the sacrifyce of the harte and mouth that was indewed with faythe aboue the sacryfyce of the blouddy calues how much more nowe of vs wyll he doo the same aboue the Idololatricall sacrifice of the Masse Ionas well trustynge of goddes mercye and promyses sheweth a reason wherefore he wyl laud and prayse the Lorde when he commeth oute of trouble and sayeth For saluacyon commeth of the Lord. As thoughe he hadde sayd man can geue health of bodye or soule except God as Dauid sayth almost in euery Psalme Esa. xliii xliiii If thys doctrine wer wel prynted into our heades we woulde not god astraye to euerye straunge God and supersticion of man as the world doth nowe adayes more like Heathens then ChristiaÌ„s Farther we woulde the better sustayne and endure aduersitie seynge it canne neyther gode
Farther saynt Paule sayth he shal Phil. iii. that Christ shall make oure bodyes lyke vnto hys glorious body Therfore they do destroy y e true and very humanitie of Christs body that say hys body is in manye places at one time which robbeth hys body of al the qualyties quātities and properties of a true body For y ◠scripture of god confesseth that Christs body is but in one place And many of the Popes Canones confyrme the same Thus it is written De cōsecrat Distinct .ij. prima quidem Donec seculum finiatur sursum dominus est Sed tame hic nobiscum est viritas domini Corpus enim in quo resurrexit in vno loco esse oportet veritas autē eius vbique diffusa est That is to say Tyl y ◠world be ended the lord is aboue but notwythstandynge hys truth is here wyth vs. The body in whych he rysse muste be in one place hys veritie is dyspersed euery where The second reason THis is taken out of y e nature condicion of a sacrament whyche is thys that the thyng that is remembred by the sacramente be it selfe absent and yet the signes or sacramētes take the name nominacion of y ◠thing represented signifyed by the sygnes for a declaraciō of the thynge that is done wyth the sygnes So is it in al the sacraments of the old testament the new therfore also in this sacramēt The thyng it selfe in thys sacramēt y ◠is to wyt y e precious body of Christe broken hys innocent bloud shedde be absēt yet be the bread the wine called the body brokē and the blud shedding according to y ◠nature of a sacramente to setforth the better the thing done and signified by the sacramēt Ther is done in the sacrament the memorie and remēbraunce of Christes death whych was done on the Crosse when hys precious body and bloud was rēt and torne shed and poured out for our synnes Wyth this agreeth y ◠minde of S. Augustine Ad Bonifacium Epist. xxiii Sienum sacramenta quandam similitudinem earum rerum quarum sacramenta sunt non haberent ommno sacramenta nō essēt ▪ That is to say if Sacramentes had not some proporcion and lykenes of the thynges whereof they be sacramentes they were no sacramentes at al. And thus rather of the symilitude and sygnification of the thyng they represent signifye they take the name and not that in deede they be as they be named So after thys maner is the sacrament of Christes body called Christes bodye and the sacramentes of Christes bloud called Christes bloud and the sacramente of fayeth is called fayeth As Saynt Augustine learnedly and godly sayeth in the same argumente Accedat verbum ad elementum vt fit sacramentū non ait tollat elementum vt fit sacramentum That is to saye let the worde come vnto the Element and then is made the Sacramente He sayeth not lette the word channge or transubstanciate the Elemente that is to say the substaunce and matter of the sacramente and then is made the sacrament The thyrde reason IF he were here in y e sacramente bodelye and corporally he shoulde euery day suffer and shed hys precious bloud For the scripture sayth thys is my bodye y ◠is brokē for you and my blud that is shedde for you Luke xxii i. Cor. xi but thys is not true that he daylye suffreth payne and passiō Rom. vi no more is it true that he is in the sacrament bodelye for heauen kepeth hym tyll the laste daye Act. iii. Neither yet is y e bread after consecration hys verye bodye i. Cor. xi nor the wyne his blud Math. xxvi But the bread remayneth styl breade the wyne styll wyne after the word spoken as they were before cōcerning their substaūce but the vse of thē be chaūged The fourth reason THe scripture maketh no mēcion but of one ascension and of two commynges one paste and the other we looke for in the ende of the world at the latter iudgemente Yf theyr doctrine were true ther shuld be infinite ascēsiōs and infinite descencions Farther they cannot tel thē selues what is become of the bodye thei faine to haue in the sacrament when the accidentes and qualities corrupt and be consumed Theyr glose vpon the Canone Tribus gradibus ait auolare in Celum that is to say it flyeth into heauen but we saye he was there before They darre not say it corrupteth nor y t it is turned into the substaunce of our bodyes and sowles what is there then become of thys bodie The fyfth reason GOd hadde made by this mean his churche in daunger and subiecte vnto Idololatrie For there be manye chaunces and cases happen that maye let the Prieste to consecrate and then shoulde the people worshyppe an Idole for lacke of the presence of Christes bodye These daungers maye chaunce three maner of waies in the prieste in the woordes and in the matter The priest if he be not lawfully consecrated if he be an herityke one excommunicated or a simoniache he consecrateth not Magister sententiarum Lib. iiii dist xiii Se the glose De consecra dist ii cap. Quid sit sanguis In the woordes of consecracion there is no lesse daunger and dout Fyrst many of theyr writers be ignoraunte wyth what wordes Christ cōsecrated Iohānes Duns and Pope Innocēt the third libro de officio Misse part .iii. cap. vi xiiii Doo say the consecracion to be cōprehended in thys worde Benedixt Comesta douteth the glose vpon thys Canon Vtrum sub figura where as the glossator interpreteth these wordes in y ◠Canone of the Masse Iube hec perferri that is to sai Cōmaūde these thynges to be caried As though they were the wordes of consecracion The which opinion the Master of the sentence semeth to fauoure in the place afore named If an heritike saith he would take vpon hym to vsurpe thys misterye would God send an angell frō heauen to consecrate his oblacion But how so euer they agre vpon the wordes of consecraciō ther is yet an other rule in theyr masse bokes that the wordes must be perfectly pronoūced or els thei do nothing How shoulde thys be knowen when they speake them in sylēce Wel graunt they would crye or synge them oute yet so myghte they els be vayne for ther is also required the intencion of him that wil cōsecrate The mater must be such bread such wyne as the glose speaketh of de conse dist ii Sicut dē sanctificando the whych properties if they be absent nothyng is consecrated The syxt reason IF Christ be present corporallye then shall theyr sacrifyces cease as saynte Paule sayeth .i. Corin. xi Ye shall shewe the Lordes deathe tyll he come He commeth after theyr belyue and learning then shoulde they cease from sacrifisynge The seuenth reason IN case they could dyssolue and aunswere to euery one of these reasons yet could not Christs bodye be in the Masse
say is the accidentes of bread But in the Cup they be constrayned to vse w t vs a signe Thys Cup is the new Testament in my blud for they saye y â— wyne in the Cup and not the Cuppe They know them selues howe foÌ„dly they interpretate these wordes rather maliciously obstinately and falsly then truely we therefore thus take them Thys is my body that is to say the Sacrament of my body broken and geuen for you Either thys is y â— newe testamente that is to saye the sygne of the new testament or the remission of syn obtayned in the bodye of Christe broken and torne for vs. S. August lib. xx contra FaustuÌ„ cap. xxi hath these wordes Huius sacrifiâ—â— caro et sarguis ante aduentuÌ„ Christi per victimas similitudinum promittebatur In passione Christi per ipsam veritatem reddebatur Post asceÌ„sum Christi per sacrameÌ„tum memorie celebratur That is to saye the flesh and blud of thys sacrifice before the coÌ„mynge of Christ was promised bi the sacrifices of similitude In the passion of Christ thei wer geuen in dede after the ascencion of Christe thei be celebrated bi a sacrameÌ„t of memorie And the glose dist ii Tribus gradibus sayth Certum est quod species quam cito dentibus teruntur tam cito in celum rapitur corpus Christi that is to saye It is certayne that as sone as the accidens and qualities of bread be broken with y â— teeth straightway y e body of Christ is taken into heaueÌ„ so y â— theyr own doctours do not belyue y t y e very bodi of Christ is receaued in the sacrameÌ„t If a man shuld theÌ„ aske what fayth and opinioÌ„ shuld y â— christiane haue coÌ„cernyng y e presence or absâ—ce of Christs bodi in y â— sacrameÌ„tâ— Answer The body of Christ shulde be coÌ„sidred .ii. maner of waies fyrst as it was borne of y t blessed virgin beyng in dede oure very natural brother Thâ— as it was offered vpon the crosse for the redeÌ„pcion of the world And thus offered put to hys passioÌ„ vpoÌ„ y â— crosse we coÌ„syder hym in the sacrament for the bread there vsed is called the body of Christ brokeÌ„ y â— wine the bloud sheding But the presence of christes natural body or y â— opinioÌ„ of his preseÌ„ce they so litle profit y t in very dede it doeth rather hurt and harme as Christ sayed The flesh profiteth nothynge Io. vi and agayne it is expedieÌ„t that I go awai We must therfore lyfte vp oure myndes into heauen when we fele oure selues oppressed with the burden of sinne and ther by fayth apprehend and receaue the bodye of Christe slayne and kylled hys precious blud shed for our offeÌ„ces and so by faith apply the vertue efficacie and streÌ„gth of y e merites of Christ to our soules and by that meanes quit oure selues from the daunger damnacioÌ„ and curse of God And thus to be partaker of the worthynes and deseruyngs of Christes passion is to eate the body to drynke y e blud Therfore doth Christ in the .v. of Iohn take eat for beleue beleue for eate so many tymes And S. Augustine sayth vt quid paras deÌ„tem et ventreÌ„ crede et manducasti why preparest thou the teeth and bely beleue and thou hast eateÌ„ And whoso euer eateth after thys sorte the body of Christ and drynke his blud hath euerlasting life Then obiecte they if we maye thus eat the body and blud of Christ without the sacrameÌ„t what auayleth it to haue anye Sacrament Answer AGaynst these temptacions of the deuil the vse of the sacramentes were instituted in the churche The fyrst temptacion of the deuil is he would bear the Christian in hand the promises of Gods mercy to be false Therfore doth God confyrme theÌ„ vnto vs by his sacrameÌ„ts The second teÌ„ptacion when y e deuil perceaueth we belyue the promises â—f god to be true vniuersally yet wold he make vs doubt of them perticularli as thoughe they appertayned not vnto the priuate or singuler conscience afflycted That dout wold God remoue in vs by hys sacramentes and saith they appertaine to the priuate and perticuler conscience afflycted euen as euerye priuate man receaueth the sacraments of the promyses The thyrde temptacion The deuyl laboureth to take from vs the knowledge of the meanes of oure saluacion and howe the promyses of God be made oures by y e free grace of God or by our merytes The Sacramentes therfore whyche beholde and represent onely Christe do teach vs that the meanes of our saluacion is only in Christ. And to put vs out of doubt wherewythall Christe hath meryted for vs the promyses of God and thys grace of our saluacion the sacramente sheweth vs it was wyth and by his death and blud sheddyng and therfore hath he geuen the name of hys bodye and bloude to the sygnes and elementes of the sacramente So the breade is called the bodye broken and the wyne the bloude shedden Admonyshyng the that in the receauing of y e sacrameÌ„t thou shuldest not tarye â–ª nor occupye thy meditacions and contemplacions in the bread wyne but in the merits of the bodye broken and the blud shedde Who so euer marke and vnderstand these thynges eateth Christ if he be ignoraunt here of he is in daunger of eternall damnacion An other obiection THey saye God can do all thynges therefore it is not impossyble for hym to make his body present in the Sacrament We be not so addicte and geuen vnto humane ration that we wyll beleue nothinge more then reason is able to accompte and geue answer for But we beleue many thynges that directly reason saythe we shuld not beliue As the incarnacion of Christ our resurreccion the making of the world thre persons in one godheade and one essence and these thinges we belyue because the expresse word of God commauÌ„deth to beleue it But the traÌ„selementacion and alteracioÌ„ of the breade no place of y â— scripture commaundeth vs to beleue but many places forbyd we shuld beleue it Nether doo the Papists agree among theÌ„ selues what shuld be the wordes of consecracion and yf we had but that auantage of theÌ„ only it were inough to declare theyr transubstanciacion to be no parte of Gods worde It is a folye to obiecte the omnipotencye of God wythout Gods woorde God nor doeth nor can not do more theÌ„ he wyl do and as foolyshly do they makynge mencion of a miraculous presence of Christes body and do declare them selues to be of Antichriste by the same meanes For he shall deceaue the worlde ye the verye electes if it were possyble wyth newe myracles Math. xxii i. ii thes ii The myracle of Christes visible ascencion and other expressed in the scryptures of God are sufficient for the Catholycke churche And the myracle of y e inuisyble and miraculous presence we leaue to them that be deceaued wyth the spirite of erroure For they woulde haue
nothing but the sacrament to his euerlastyng damnaciō I make no mencion here of auriculer cōfession as though that were a thyng necessary to be done before or after the receauynge of the Sacrament For thys confession is not of God as theyr lawe doeth record The glose vpō the decre of penaunce Distinct .v. in penitencia In the receauynge of thys sacrament ther be thynges requyred both in the inward mā and also in the outward man The inwarde preparacion is when the man receauynge the bread and the wine being subiectes and maters vnder the iudgement and censure of the senses the mynde is eleuated and lyfte vp into heauen perswadyng hym selfe by faythe that as truly appertaineth vnto hym y ◠promyses and grace of God throughe the merites and death of Christ as he sensibly and outwardly receiueth the sacramente and wytnes of gods promyses And doubt no more of an inward frendshyp familiaritie cōcord peace loue atonement and fatherly petye and compassyon throughe Christ by the meanes of faith then he douteth y t hys mouthe outwardly doth receaue y ◠signes sacramēts of gods mercies To excitat in vs this faith and beleue in the merytes of Christ the bread is called the body and the wyne hys blud after y e maner and frase of the scripture The vtward behauour and gesture of the receauer should want al kind of suspiciō shew or inclinacion of Idololatrye Wherfore seyng knelyng is a shew and external signe of honoryng and worshipping and heretofore hath greuous and damnable Idololatry ben cōmitted by the honoryng of the sacrament I woulde wyshe it wer commaunded by the Magistrates that y ◠communicatours and receauers shuld do it standyng or syttynge But syttyng in myne opinion were best for many consideracions The Paschal lambe was eatē standynge whyche sygnifyed Christ yet not to be come that shuld geue rest peace quietnes Christ wyth his Apostles vsed thys Sacramente at the fyrst syttyng Declaring that he was come that should quiet and put at rest both body and soule and that the fygure of the Passeouer frō thenceforth shuld be nomore necessary nor that men shuld trauel nomore to Ierusalem once in the year to seke and vse a sacramente of the Lambe to come that shuld take awaye the synnes of the worlde After the receauinge of it there shoulde be thankes geuynge of all the churche for y ◠benefites of Christes death Ther shoulde be prayer made vnto god that thei might perseuer and cōtinue in the grace of God receaued They shuld helpe the poore wyth theyr almes This forme me thinketh is most lyke vnto the fourme of Christe and the Apostles Howe farre the masse differeth from thys al men know I praye God the best may be taken and the wurste lefte throughe oute all the worlde And al such as be yet infyrme by reason of longe custome and lacke of knowledge lette them praye God and searche the scriptures wythoute affeccion Suche as be peruerse and obstinate and wyll admyt no reason for them the ire and dyspleasure of God is readye and prest to punish them whē he seeth tyme. As it is to be sene by the Corinthes .i. Cor. xi that for the abuse of y e supper manye of them fell sycke and into dyseases So wyl he do wyth vs if we neglecte hys moste perfecte and Godlye institucion Let vs repente therefore wyth the Niniuites from our foremer synnes and beleue the remyssyon of theym for Goddes mercye in the deseruynges of Christe Farther lette vs submytte oure selues all oure wysedome and learnynge vnto hys woorde and thynke that Christe and hys Apostles haue instituted and vsed it canne in no wayes be bettered by vs. And you my gracious Lord king restore the right vse of the supper of the Lord as Iosias dyd the ryghte vse of the Paschal Lambe .iiii. Reg. xxiii ii Para. xxxv after the worde of God The text now foloweth of the fast of the Niniuites Of fastynge There was a fastyng proclaymed and weryng of sackecloth from the greatest to the smallest Here be twoo thynges to be noted in the frutes and signes of penitence Fyrst concerning the fast and vilenes of the apparell The seconde howe they fasted from the greatest to the smallest ¶ Of fastynge and sacke cloth THe hypocrites of the world when they hear of this fasting puttyng on of sackecloth damne strayghtwayes the doctryne of faythe and teache that God saueth not onelye for Christes sake whych only fayth apprehēdeth as though faith could not only apprehend the mercy of god and yet haue fastynge anexed with her But this present text confoundeth thys errour for it sayeth the Niniuites fyrst beleued the Lord and then fasted But lest we shuld here erre I wyl speake a lytle of fastinge that we maye loue rather to faste well then obstinately to defend a false fast ¶ What is fasting FAstynge is a moderat vse and takynge of meate and drynke lest the fleshe shoulde by aboundaunce and to muche of it rebel and ouercome the spirite And thys fast eyther it is continually or at certayne tymes vsed Continuallye when as a Christiane man moderatelye fedeth hys bodye wyth thankes geuyng for necessary nutriment and not for to aboūde or surfet Thys fastynge and abstinēce the scripture calleth sobrietie .i. Petri. v. The faste done at certayne tymes is also eyther pryuate or publycke Priuate when any man consideryng and waiynge hys owne infyrmyties bindeth hym selfe frō meates and drynkes to tame and ouercome the vehemente and lasciuious inclinacions thereof to the obedyence and rule of the spirite .i. Corin. vii A publycke fast is when for a publycke and commune calamitie trouble or aduersytie the Magistrates commaunde a solemne and publycke abstynence and fast But in bothe these fastes there muste be vsed a circumspecte and godlye dylygence least in the abuse of fastynge we offende and prouoke the Ire and dyspleasure of God the more agaynste vs we may offende fyrste yf wee faste for anye other purpose then to kepe the bodye in subiection to the spirite Therefore it is to be taken hede of we faste not for merite or for custome The seconde is we offende if we faste in the honour of any creature The thyrde if for one fastynge daye we make thre gloto◠festes as the fashion is for the moost parte I woulde wyshe therefore that the true fast abstinence wet brought in agayne and then the lorde would be pleased I dout not That they amende from the greatest to y e smallest we learne two thynges Fyrste of what greate effycacye the sermon of Ionas was that pleased all people both greate and smalle The lyke hath not bene seene For it is easier for a Cooke to please an hundreth mouthes wyth one mete then a preacher to order one sermon or oracion to please ten heades It were well in our tyme if at euery sermon were one of the magistrates and of the people conuerted and at ten Sermones one Byshop and one prieste
theyr exces vpoÌ„ the towardly youth of theyr dyoceses So might y â— Nobilitie and our worshipful men of the shyre dooe yea so might euery person and curat do either with his goods help forth the truth and old catholycke faythe of Christe eyther wyth their goodwyls animate them to learne the doctryne of y â— Patriarkes Prophets and the apostles and such as haue the talent of teachyng myght rather teache then play helpe then hyndre buylde then pull downe helpe forth then draw-backe promote God rather then the deuyl fauour Christ then Antichrist agre wyth the kynge then conspire wyth the Pope As concernyng the policâ—e and reformacion therof I haue sayd my mind before the whych God geue grace it may be accepted folowed If it be not yet I haue delyuered my soule God shal requyre your bluddes at your owne hande And incase any man be offended wyth me for my true sayinge I had rather haue dyspleasure of al the worlde then of God that is able to damne â—ath my bodye and my sowle In y â— thyrd place Ionas putteth an excellent discripcion of God the whych we should wel kepe in mynde that he is a pitiful and mercyful God longe suffering and of much clemencie Thys descripcion of God agreeth with Gods own wordes spokeÌ„ to Moses cx.xxxiiii the whych encoraged Iustes shulde do the same to vs if we were of god Great doubtles was the synne of Ionas that toke an occasioÌ„ to be angry by gods fauour and goodnes towardes thys sorowful Citye Euen thus dyd the Pharises that were angry at Christ because he kept companye wyth synners Ionas was then as many meÌ„ be now adayes that thyncke wretched Synners shoulde neuer fynde pardon for theyr synnes before God Now foloweth a farther discripcion of Ionas faute and impaciencye And nowe O Lord take my lyfe from me I beseeche thee for I had rather dy theÌ„ liue Of thys text we learne two thynges fyrste howe sore and haynously thys Ionas offended that rather desyred to dy theÌ„ god should haue pitye vpon thâ—se penytente people by whose preseruacioÌ„ he thought some shame and rebuke shuld happen vnto hym because he did afore speake and threaten theyr perdicion and losse Muche better and more Godly dyd Moses and Paul that wyshed rather their owne harme theÌ„ y e losse of y t people Also thys texte declareth the werynes and impaciencye of the fleshe that wyll not suffer the troubles annexed vnto the vocacioÌ„ but rather wisheth to dye then to lyue So did Elias desyre death .iii. Reg. xix so that the text experience â–ª dayly sheweth the best day that euer a true preacher shal see is the day of hys deathe But as the deuyll hath vsed the vocacion of Bishops and Priestes in this present tyme ther is no day so terrible nor fearefull to them as the dai of death The cause therof me thynketh S. Augustine Episto cxlviii ad Ualerium sheweth right well Ante omnia inquam peto ut cogitet religiose prudentia tua nihil esse in hac vita et maxime hoc tempore facâ—â—iâ—s et letius et hominibus acceptabilius Episcopi aut Presbiteri aut Diaconi officio si perfunctorie atque adâ—â—â—atorie res agatur sed nihil apud deum miserius et tristius et damnabilius That is to say Before al thynges I desyre that your Godlye prudence would thynke nothynge to be more lyght facile or ioyfull in thys lyfe chiefely nowe thys tyme then the offyce of a Byshop Priest or Deacon yf the thynge be done lyghtlye or hypocriticallye but before God there is nothynge more miserable sorowful and damnable Nowe foloweth the answer of god to this angry maÌ„ ¶ God maketh answer to angry Ionas Then sayd the lord art thou so angry Of thys demaund question of the Lord we learne how he in a fume or hastye passion if a maÌ„ may speake so of god wil not cast away this infirme and weake Ionas but wyth sufferaunce trayned hym to a better and more aduised iudgemente So doeth Esaye reporte of Gods nature chap. xlii He wil not put out the towe kindled He dyd not onely consyder the weakenes of the man but also the daungers and trouble of hys pastoral vocacion Pytyâ—ully therfore doth god bear wyth hym and scholeth him to a farther better knowledge Of this maÌ„ we mai learn how to be ware of hasty rash passions of Ire â–ª for if there be not in all oure actes a moderacion thereof we shal neuer doo nor iudge thinges vp ryghtly accordyng to knowledge If meÌ„ would remember this demauÌ„d of God towardes Ionas they woulde not be so angrye when they be rebuked for their faultes but rather thanke y â— admonitoure for hys good admonicion and warning of gods displeasure Now foloweth the secoÌ„d part of the chapter And Ionas gat him oute of the Citye and sat downe on the East syde thereof and there made hym a Boothe and satte vnder it in the shadowe tyll he myght see what shuld Chaunce vnto the cytye WheÌ„ Ionas had no excuse to make why he was angrye nor woulde not confesse hys faulte for he answereth nowe nothyng to the questyon God demaundeth of hym he goeth hym selfe out of the Citâ—e to se the ende whether y e Niniuiâ—es wold perseuer in their penauÌ„ce begone or not Of thys we learne yf we be wrongfully angrye and admonyshed if we wyl not confesse the faulte yet shuld we consyder and way it the more deepelye In that he made hym selfe a boothe we see wyth what symplycitie the good man was contented wyth al and likewyse howe he hym selfe was contente to labour to make hys own couch Our Byshops and Priestes haue all thynges prepared to theyr handes God geue them grace better to deserue it The texte sayeth The Lorde God prepared a wilde vine whych sprang vp ouer Ionas that he myght haue shadowe aboue hys heade to delyuer hym out of hys paine The Lorde here purposeth to helpe the infirmities of Ionas and remoue the sinistre and false iudgement he had of Gods mercye by the ymage of a yong tree He bringeth forth a yong tree that may geue shadow to Ionas wherof Ionas reioyceth very much But the Lorde queeleth it a agayne strayght way and that maketh Ionas eftsones angri In the myddest of hys fumes commeth the Lord and by a collacion and similitude betwene symple tree and the woorthye Cytye of Niniue he sheweth Ionas his fault that was angry for the mercy shewed wnto the Citie But in these thinges be thynges to be marked Fyrst in Ionas then in God thyrdly in the 〈◊〉 In Ionas maye be sene the ymage of aâ—â—an that laboreth and is oppressed with many affeccions and neuer contented with y â— doings of god We shoulde not folowe thys fault but submyt oure iudgementes to his wyl Saing alwaies in al gods works thy wylbe done whether thou send vs myrth or sorow ioy or pain for euery