that is done thoroughe all the worlde and he that is excommunicate and caste oute of this vnitie looseth his parte of all the sayde good workes THen foloweth the eleuenth article expressed by Iude otherwise called Thadeus the brother of Iames the lesse aforesaid The forgiuenes of synnes It concerneth the amotion and puttinge awaye the thinge that is yll and moost noysome to man that is synne whiche by the auctoritie that Christe gaue to the Apostles and by them to theyr successours ministers of the Churche and by the vertue of the Sacramentes is losed and taken awaye For while we be in this worlde howe greate so euer oure sinnes shall chaunce to be they may be all wasshed awaye by the strength that Christ left in his Sacramentes THen foloweth the twelfth and laste article of the Crede layde to this shot or gatheringe by S. Mathy that was chosen to make vp the perfite number of the .xii. Apostles after that Iudas the traiter was gone frō them had hanged him selfe it is this The resurrection of the bodye and life euerlastinge that is to saye glorye rialtie and ioye euerlastinge of bodye and soule It is verye necessarye for vs stedfastly to beleue this article to take from vs the feare of death for if we thoughte there were no lyfe hereafter we might well feare death as a thinge most horrible whiche nowe we take as a necessary meane and highe waye to eternitie and life euerlastinge Therefore we shoulde not vndiscretely mourne or cry for feare of our owne death neither for the death of our frende consyderinge that it maketh for the profyt of oure bodies and of our soules for euer stil from the time of mannes conception in his mothers body tyll he be buried he maye take hurt and may be corrupt but he shall rise agayne vncorruptible by the dowrye or gyfte of impassibilitie neither fyre weapon syckenes neyther anye other thinge can hurte him Lykewise in this life mannes body is dymme and darke and geueth no lyghte but it shall rise in glorye clearenes and brightnes by the gyft of clearnes Mannes body is nowe dull and heauy and longe a mouinge and not able to styrre it selfe withoute laboure but it shall ryse nymble and quicke able to moue from place to place how farre distant soeuer they be in a twinkelinge of an eye by the will and commaundement of the soule and this shall be by the dowry or gifte of Agilitie Our body is now grosse and no more able to be present with an other bodye then the body of a brute beaste but it shall rise so spirituall fine and pearsing that it may goo thorough an other body and be present in one place with an other body by the gifte of Subtilitie euen like as I said afore that the body of oure Sauiour Christ came from the wombe of the vyrgyn Marye and as he came amonge his disciples when the doores were shutte so that his fleshe bones and bloude were present with the ooken boordes and yren twistes of the doore or with the walles withoute any diuision of his body or of the dore or of the yren workes or of the walles These wōderous indumentes dowries and gyftes of a body glorified were shewed in oure Sauiour Christes body at his transfiguration for our comforte declaringe that like as he shewed them in him selfe then so we shoulde assure our selfe to haue them in vs when we shall rise to life euerlastinge Where contrary they that shall be dampned shall haue theyr bodies vncorruptible for they shall euer endure passible and subiecte to all paynes of extreme heate extreme colde without any meane besyde the worme and grudge of minde frettinge and gnawinge theyr owne consciences whiche shal neuer cease Their bodies shall be dimme darke heuy and shal supplye the rowmes of cheynes fetters and stockes to kepe them downe in that detestable pryson of hell Then fynally to speake of life euerlastinge of body and soule in heauen what tonge is able to tell or what wytte can compasse how greate the ioyes of that high citie be to be amonge the companies of blessed spirites and holy aungels and to beholde the countenaunce of the Godheade euer presente with them and not to be dismayde with feare of death and to reioyce of the gyfte of euerlastinge incorruption withoute disease or sickenes for there shall be no paine sorowe nor mourninge There shalbe no feare of pouertie no feablenes of sickenes there no man shall be hurte no man shall be angry no man shall enuy or disdaine an other there shall be no couetousnes no hunger no gaping for promotion or honoure no feare of the deuill there shal no diuels lie in waite for to tempt vs no feare of hel there shalbe no death of body or soule but a life full of pleasure indued with immortalitie there the blessed folke shal shine like sterres and they that teacheth other to liue wel shalbe like the brightnes of the firmament Wherfore there shalbe no night no darkenes no cloudes no sharpenes of colde or heate but there shalbe such temperature and measure of all thinges as no eye hath sene no eare hath hearde neither any mans hert hath comprehended or attained to but onely of them as haue be worthie or shalbe founde worthy to haue the same pleasures whose names be written in the boke of life euerlastinge In whiche boke that we maye be registred he graunte vs for his infinite mercy that for vs died Amen An homilie or sermon intreatinge of Ceremonies and mannes lawes GOod Christen people forasmuch as now of late manye mē hath so litle fauored the Ceremonyes of Christes churche also mannes traditions or lawes made by man reputing them inualide and of no strength to bynde Christen people to obserue and kepe them that they haue runne into so greate peruersitie as to despise as wel such laudable vsages as hath ben vsed among christen people continually sith the time of the Apostles vnto our dayes as also to reiecte the very Sacramentes of God the principal Ceremonies of oure faith to the extreme daunger of their owne damnation and of all thē that haue geuen faith to theyr doctrine because you shal not erre in like opinions but rather shal know how necessary Ceremonies be that so you may haue a loue to thē ye shal first hear the aūcientie of Ceremonies then the necessitie of Ceremonies And consequentlye somewhat I shall speake of mannes traditions and lawes and of the strength that they haue to bind men that be subiect to the same lawes to kepe them For the first ye shall vnderstande that this vocable or latyn worde Ceremonie as Valerius Maximus wryteth in the fyrst booke of his stories hath his name of a towne in Italy called Cerete into which towne whē the citie of Rome was taken by the frenchmen the preist of Quirinus and the professed maidens called Vestales virgines with theyr Idolles and other sacred thinges after their maner that they could
cupierunt videre quae vos videtis et non viderunt et audire quae auditis et non audierunt Esay lxiiii prayed and wysshed Vtinam dirumperes coelos et descenderes Woulde God thou wouldest break the heauens and wouldest come downe to be incarnate And the Prophet Dauid Psal. lxxix Excita potentiam tuam et veni vt saluos facias nos Wake rayse and stirre vppe thy olde power whiche thou were wonte to shewe by wonderous myracles shewed in olde tyme in Noes time in Moyses time This power of thine semeth nowe a siepe vntill thou renewe it againe declaringe the veritie and signification of the saide myracles by thy blessed comminge into oure nature by thy incarnation And he coūteth almightie God angrie with him because he came not Quousque irasceris super orationem serui tui in whiche he declareth the vehemencye of his earnest loue and desyre to see Chryst and sayde Shewe thy face and we shalbe safe And yet not doubting but that he would come he sayth in an other Psalme Inclinauit coelos descendit caligo sub pedibus eius Where for the certentie and surenes of his Prophecie he vseth the pretertēce for the future tense speaking of the time to come as thoughe it were past in dede because he was as sure of it as though it had be past as we vse to saye in common speach of one that is past remedye or sure to dye he is but a deade man He hath inclined the heauēs and came downe and trode darkenes that is to say sinne downe vnder his feete Damasc. li. iii. Cap. i. Hoc est inhumiliabilem eius altitudinem in humilitate humiliauit descendit ad seruos suos The highnes of his Godhead whiche can not be made lowe by nature he broughte a lowe by his humilitie and gentlenes whiche is the newest the straungest and most wonderous worke that euer was wroughte Of whiche sayth Ieremie Cap. xxxi Creauit Dominus nouum super terram foemina circundabit virum Oure Lorde hath wrought a newe thinge or a straūge thinge vpon the earth a woman shall enuyron or compasse aboute a man that is to saye the blessed Uyrgyn Marye for she compassed about and closed within her vyrgynall bellye oure Sauyoure Christe a perfecte man in connyng knoweledge and vertue euen frome the fyrst instante of his incarnation And Daniel that holye Prophete Vir desideriorum a man ful of desires because he was so desirous to knowe of the retourne of his people of Israell from the captiuitie of the Medes and Persies and of the comminge of Messias and what shoulde betide his people at the later ende he was asserteyned by an aungell sent from GOD not onelye of the retourne of the people from captiuitie but also of the mistery of Christes incarnation and of his passion and at the last of the final desolation and abhominable destruction of the newe citie of Ierusalem by the Emperours Uespasian and his sonne Titus and at the last by Elius Hadrianus whiche of the ruynes of the olde citie destroyed by Titus made a towne there and called it Elia after his owne name Of these blessed prophetes that laboured and searched so diligently for to knowe of the time of grace that the spirite of Christe proceading from the sonne and from the father and therefore he is called the spyryte of Chryste as he is called the spirite of the father that inspyred the sayde holye Prophetes and spoke in theym woulde tell them when it shoulde be within howe manye yeares after them in quale tempus into what manner of time it should be differred as whether tyll time of peace or of warre Iacob the blessed patriarch said it should come when there should be no kinges and rulers as of the linage of the Iewes so it proued for our sauiour Christ come whē He rode an alien and straunger was made kinge by the aucthoritie of Augustus then Emperoure of Rome And Esay sayde of that time Et conslabūt gladios suos in vomeres et lanceas suas in falces ca. ij It should be in time of peace when all the world liued in rest and peace and had no warre but lyued quietlye vnder the rule of the Romaines so that all men mighte blowe their swordes into plowe yrons and their speare heades and moris pikes into sithes hokes and sickles to cut their hay or corne Then Christ should come saith S. Peter suffer paines and passions prenuncians eas quae in Christo sunt passiones speakinge in the plurell number for he suffred in soule and in his body and also in his limmes or members as he doth now daylie in his elect people and true seruauntes and should haue for the same futuras glorias two speciall glories he had after his passion that is to say the glory of his resurrection the glory of his assention All they sayth S. Peter had knowledge by reuelation that they labored not for them selfe but for vs not to haue thē perfourmed in their time nor vpon them selues but vpon vs according as they be nowe taught you by the ministers of the word of God y t haue preached to you continually sith the holy gooste was sente from heauen vpon the Apostles in sensible signes as fierye tongues wyth diuersitie of languages geuen by the holy Goste On whom the blessed Angels in heauen desire to beholde and loke on Not that they lacke that glorious sighte at anye tyme but Saint Peter vseth this maner of speakynge because the ioyfull contemplation and sight of the Godheade euer beinge presente with them dothe saciate them and perfectly content them and yet so that they be neuer wearye of it but euer desire to continue in that contemplation For Christe sayth Math. xviii Angeli eorum in celis semper vident faciem patris mei qui in coelis est The angels see and desire to see desiereth to see and seeth For lest there shoulde be anye doubt in their desire they be saciate and content and assured whyle they desireth And leste there should bee anye lothinge or fulsomenes or wearines in their sacietie or fulnes while they be full yet they desire Therefore they desireth to see and that without laboure or payne for contentation foloweth their desire and they be content without lothsomenesse for their fulnesse is inflamed by their desire And euē so wee shal be when we shal come to that well of life there shal be printed in vs a delectable thirste or desire and fulnesse of contentation withall but there shall be in the thirste no necessitie nother in the fulnes anye lothesomenesse for while that we be desierous to see that glory of GOD we shall be full of that sight and whyle we be full yet we shall desire to se it styll after such a maner as we can not now perfectly perceiue tyll we come to that state in which we shalbe like the angels and then wee shall knowe it by experience as
lacke of glorye which doubtlesse was a greuous payne for theim that daylie and hourely loked for it as the wisemanne saithe Pro. xiii Spes que differtur affligit animam The hoope that is prolonged and put of vexeth and punisheth the minde Amonge these were manye of them that were swalowed vp in the water at Noes floude Yet diynge penitent as I sayd of which saint Peter here maketh special mencion vnderstandynge by them all the rest of the holye fathers that were in the same pryson and in the paine of lacke of glory To these spirites or souls of theim thus beinge in that painefull Prison where they were payned with the hōger thirst of eiger and gredy desire to see the glorie of God Christe came in spirite in his soule while his bodye laye stil in the sepulchre and preached declared and reueiled vnto them that the high misterie of his painful passion was exhibited and perfourmed and mans raunsome payed by the price of his precious bloude and there he was conuersaunt with them to their greate consolation and comfort and to the confusion of all the deuyls in hell tyll the time when it pleased him to vnite and ioyne his soule to his body againe agaynst the time of his glorious resurrection and then toke away with him suche as were to his pleasure as he sayde afore that he woulde do Ego si exaltatus fuero à terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be lyft vp from the grounde I shall drawe all thinges to me as well in hell as in earth for of both he drewe a great part to him According to this speaketh the increate wysedome of God the seconde person in Trinite Eccle. xxiiii Penetrabo omnes inferiores partes terre inspiciam omnes dormientes illuminabo omnes sperantes in domino I shall pearce and entre into all the lower partes of the earth and I wyll loke on all theim that be a slepe whose bodies rest in their graues in the slepe of peace and I wyll geue light to all them that hope in theyr Lord God And Saint Augustine in the .cxxvii. sermon sayth Omnia ab stulit vtique electa electi quamuis in tranquillitatis sinu tamē apud inferni claustra tenebantur Non enim infideles quosque pro suis criminibus aeternis suppliciis dedicos ad veniam dominus resurgendo reparauit sed illos ex inferni claustris rapuit quos suos fide actibus recognouit Christ toke awaye with him all that were electe and chosen for suche althoughe they were in the bay or bosome of tranquillitie ease and reste yet they were kepte and holden within the clausures of hell For our lord Christ when he rose did not repaire or restore to pardon and forgiuenes all infideles and such as for theyr crimes or mortall sinnes were deputed to euerlastinge paynes and punishmentes but them he plucked out of the cloysters and clausures of hell whiche he knew for his owne by their fayth and by their dedes For the soule of Christe ioyned to the Godhead from whiche it was neuer separate descended into the said darke place gaue light to thē that were ther kept in prison By occasion of that he spoke of Noes shyppe in whiche a fewe lyues were saued by the water that is to saye the liues of Noe and of his wife and the liues of theyr three sonnes and of theyr thre wiues .viii. personnes in all the blessed apostle Sainte Peter declareth the allegorye of the same fygure sayinge that like as the sayde .viii. personnes or liues were saued from drowninge beynge lifte vppe in the shippe a flote aboue the grounde euen so sayth he In like fourme and maner you be saued by baptisme from dampnation euerlastinge Non carnis depositio sordium sed conscientiae bone interrogatio in Deum The water alone is not the thinge that doth it althoughe his propertie be to washe away the filth and vncleanes of the body but it is the examination and discussion of a good cōscience toward God saith S. Peter because that in the water the worde doth make cleane the soule as S. Augustin speaketh tract .lxxx. in euangel Iohan. Uppon these wordes Iam vos mundi estis propter verbum quod locutus sum vobis Ioh. vx Take away the holy sacramentall wordes from the water and what is the water but bare water Accedit verbum ad elementum fit sacramentum The worde ioyned to the element of water maketh the sacramente For the water can nor of it selfe haue suche strengthe as to touche the body and withall to clense the soule but onely by the worde And by the worde not because it is soūded or said by him or her that doth christe but because it is beleued According to that S. Peter had said Act. xv Fide purificans corda eorum God clensith theyr hartes by fayth the water and the worde concurringe with the same fayth Then this clensing of the soule must not be attribute to the water excepte we put to the worde and then ioyne theim both together and they shall be of suche strength that they may purge and make cleane the least chylde that euer was borne whiche as I haue sayde in tymes past beleueth in the fayth of the churche lyke as he or she that is of discretiō beleueth by his own faith Al these circumstances S. Peter speaketh in few wordes Conscientie bone interrogatio in deum the examination or discussion of a good wel beleuing conscience toward God comprehending as wel the cathechisation or instruction going afore the baptisme where y e party may haue such oportunitie as the Sacramentall wordes with the water with faith and all together According to this saith S. Paul Eph. v. Christus dilexit ecclesiam et seipsū tradidit pro ea vt illā sancti ficaret mūdans eā lauachro aque in verbo vite Christ loued his churche deliuered him self to sinfull mennes handes that he mighte make her holye clensynge her with the lauer of water in the worde of lyfe This blessed Sacramente of baptisme by whiche we be regenerate and gotten agayne to God was signified by the water that drowned the earth and earthly carnall people and saued the eyght liues that then were saued And that the water of the sayde flud saued none that were out of the shippe signifieth that all heretikes that be out of the common receaued fayth of the churche althoughe they were in the water although they be christened and glorieth to be called christen men yet by the same water they shall be drouned into hell by which the ship the catholike churche was lifte and borne vp into heauen and saued as the materiall shippe of Noe was lifte vp into the ayre aboue grounde and saued by water And lyke as they that were drowned in Noes floude had theyr corpsis wasshed from exterior fylth of theyr bodies whiche preuayled them not against drowninge so there was
geueth good comforte sayinge if you be vmbrayded and missaied for vsynge vertue and iustice that is for Christes sake you be blessed for euerlastinge blessing is promised you And that perteineth to honoure to glorye and to the vertue of GOD and also his holye spirite resteth vpon you In this present lyfe you shall be worthye to haue honoure in youre good workes and for well doynge and vertuous lyuinge Nam honor est praemium virtutis Honor is the rewarde for vertue and in time to come you shall be partakers of Christes honour And nowe you shall haue the glorye of a pure cleare conscience whiche is the glory of a Christen man and the very waye to come to glorye of body and soule Gloria nostra haec est testimonium conscientie nostrae ii Cor. i. This is my glory saith S. Paul the witnes of mine owne conscience without remorse or grudge for my conuersation hath be in simplicitie amonge you without carnall or crafty subteltie or deceipt saith S. Paule Euen like glorye of your owne consciences shall reste vpon you whiche shall comfort you agaynst the insulties and sclauderous raylinge of all your aduersaries Let them say what they wyll you can not let them you know your selues cleare and fautles and the vertue and strength of God ouer the deuyll and all his membres shall also reste vpon you and no marueyle for his holy spirite the holy goost the causer of these benefites and of all other goodnes resteth vpon you and therefore as muche as in them is almightie God that resteth in you is missaid and rayled at in you but as in you and for your part and as you muste take it he is glorified and that is said redoundeth to his glorye by you Nemo autem vestrum patiatur vt homicida aut fur aut maledicus aut alienorum appetitor When you take paine and be rayled on for iustices sake you maye be gladde But I woulde not sayth S. Peter here that any of you shoulde suffer for manslaughter as a murtherer or as a thefe or as a sclaunderer or backbiter or blasphemer or as one that goeth about to take awaye other mens goodes to spoile and robbe them The theues suffer imprisonmēt and death for theyr offences this paine they suffer for theyr iniquitie Heretikes be likewise put to shame and many times to death for theyr misbeleife and heresies and for blaspheminge and missayinge Gods holy scriptures to the yl example and peruerting of many a christen soule bringing them also to like damnation There be none such to be reputed blessed for theyr paines sufferyng because it is not for Christe nor for iustice sake but for theyr owne faultes yll doinges and ill sayinges but yet some suche men and women that haue so suffred for theyr faultes be so obstinate in theyr malice and so glory in theyr errors and iniquitie that they be not ashamed to saye they beare theyr crosse with Christe when they beare theyr fagottes in open penaunce to escape theyr burninge They beare theyr crosse in dede as the thefe dydde that was hanged on Christes lefte syde not to theyr saluation but to theyr cōdempnation which they here beginne and in hell shall consummate perfourme and continue the same for euer Si autem vt Christianus non erubescat sayth S. Peter If you suffer as a Christen man or woman eyther displeasures in body and goodes or by wordes for that thou arte a good Christen man or liueste like a good christen man or woman be not ashamed what so euer be sayd or done against the but rather glorify God giue laude and prayse and thankes to God that hath geuen the grace to be thought worthye to suffer contumely or despites for Christes name Glorificet autem deum in isto nomine quoniam tempus est vt incipiat iudicium a domo dei For nowe is the time for the iudgement of God to beginne at the house of God The iudgement beginneth in our lyfe time for whiche you muste note that the iudgement of God is of two maners one is priuie and secrete the other shall be manifest and openly knowen to all men and women The fyrste is in this life the other shalbe at the day of dome and the generall iudgement For almighty God will leaue no ill vnpunished therfore in as much as he sharpely wyll punishe sinfull persons with the intollerable paynes of hell with the deuylles after this lyfe he suffreth them to take their pleasure while they be here a while and to leade a mery life in welth in prosperitie but at a trise sodenly they be plucked awaye and descendeth downe into hell to that vntollerable and eternall iudgement And when God sendeth to such malefactours any paynes or trouble they fret and chafe rayle and grudge agaynste GOD and in theyr rage dyeth and beginneth theyr hell with paynes and sorowe here that hereafter in hell shall continue for euermore no tounge can expresse the sorowe and paynes that there shall be But others that by suche strokes and correction as God sendeth them be exercised for theyr purgation and be made better and better taketh them for a warning to conuert and amend their liues such correction doth thē much good Therfore it is written Iob. v. Beatus homo qui corripitur a domino Blessed is the man or woman that is correct and punished of our lord God And the reason is this for if mannes correction maye be good and holesome then Gods correction muste nedes be much more holesome for man knoweth not parfitly the maner and measure of holsome correction neither is omnipotent to take awaye the punishment when it is ynoughe or when he lyste ▪ nor to do good and to ease a man in tyme conuenient but God by his omnipotency by that he is almightie and knoweth all thinges he knoweth how much or how litle he maye punishe his childe and seruaunt and he euer punisheth hym to do him good either to trie him and to proue his constauncy or to make him amende his lyfe For there is no man liuinge that can say he is all cleare but that he hath sinned or done amisse and many things that in our iudgement semeth to be iust and well done yet in the iudgemente of God they may be nought For man seith and iudgeth after the exterior apparaunce but God seith the secretes of the heart and al other circūstaunces And in as much as all mankinde was at the beginning iustly condempned for the offences of Adam God will not easely deliuer vs from that malandre neither from so greate a disease which also maketh that sinnes be euer ready and we euer running headlong to them but iustice good liuing is full of labour and payne and is hard to come to but that loue and charitie maketh that easy to them that loueth God whiche to other is very painefull And this is the occasiō of this priuie iudgement of God by which he sendeth
commotion or rebellion agaynst the emperoure Of all this processe Peter was oculatus testis a wytnesse that sawe it with his eye to his greate discomforte payne and heauines and specially after that the cocke had crowen thrise when Christ loked backe vpon him and so pearced his hearte with his looke that he remembred what he had done deniynge his maister that then furth he went and wept bytterly and afterwarde by his preaching and teaching he testified the same processe of his passion and of his glorious resurrection and ascention and stickt neither for threateninge beating nor imprisonment This should make all them that woulde beleue on Christe to credite him and to do as he bad them Another perswasion he expresseth Qui et eius quae in futuro reuelanda est gloriae communicator I am a Preist as you be I am a witnes of Christes paines and passion which I saw with mine eyes and thirde I was partaker of his glory which shalbe reueled and openly shewed in time to come meaninge the marueilous and glorious sight that he sawe at Christes transfiguration of whiche S. Mathewe writeth in the .xvii. cha At which time he saw the glory of Christes glorified bodye for the tyme for the which it is to be vnderstanded that there be .iiii. dowres as they be called dotes corporis gloriosi of a glorious bodye for whiche you must coÌ„sider that the soule of our sauiour Christ from the fyrst momeÌ„t of his conceptioÌ„ was glorious had the giftes of glory by reason of y e perfit vnioÌ„ of it to his Godhed albeit by Gods pleasure ordinaunce it was y t the glorye of Christes Soule did not redounde and shew it selfe in his bodye that so hys bodie might be mortal and passible to performe the pryce of oure redemption And by like prouision of God it was that for the tyme of his transfiguration the like glorye shoulde redounde and shewe it selfe in his bodye althoughe it were not permanent and continuynge as it is nowe in hys blessed bodye and shall be in our bodyes when we shall ryse to saluation and lyfe euerlastyng at the general iudgmente It was for the tyme in hym as Passio transiens a qualitie passynge and therefore for that tyme not properlye the dowrye of a glorified bodye Quia dos de sua ratione importat qualitatem permanentem And this that I saye of these giftes or dowryes of a glorious body is not onlye a fraske or a knack of the scolastical lernyng but it is the true doctrine of saint Paule .i. Co. â—v where he declareth the maner howe deade mens bodyes shall rise at the generall iudgement sayinge Seminatur in corruptione surget in incorruptione Where he expresseth the gift or dowrye of Impassibilitie Nowe our bodyes be subiect to all paynes of sickenesse strokes and lyke harmes then we shall ryse impassible so that neither fire nor water sworde nor anye other weapon shall hurt vs by the dowry or gyfte of impassibilitie Seminarur in ignobilitate surget in gloria Our bodies shall be buried in ignobilitie that is to saye dymme darke colourlesse but it shal ryse in glorye by the gyfte of clearenesse and brightnesse that is to saye in suche clearenes and bryghtnes that no mortall eye shall be able to beholde it Seminatur in infirmitate surget in virtute Our bodyes shall be sowed or buried in Infirmitie that is to saie dull weake not able to stirre hither or thither but they shall arise in might strength and subtiltie so penetratiue percynge so subtill and fine that it shal be able to pearce through the stonewals without any diuision or breaking either of oure bodyes or of the wall euen lyke as Christ came among his disciples w tout breaking of y e dores or wals or any diuisioÌ„ of his own body Seminatur corpus animale resurget corpus spirituale Our bodies be buried as of the kinde of the flesh suche as beastes haue but it shall ryse a spirituall bodye by the gyfte or indument of Agilitye so quycke so nymble so quyuer that a man shall be where he lyste in a moment or tyme vnperceptible And so we haue of saynte Paule these foure giftes that I spake of and of which saint Peter meaned wheÌ„ he said that he was coÌ„municator or partaker of Christes glory which though it wer marueilous at that time of his transfiguration yet it shal be reueled shewed much more manifestly more gloriously wheÌ„ he shal come iÌ„ glory to iudge the quick the dead Part of this glory s Peter saw at the time of Christes traÌ„figuration as I said when he could not wel tel what he said or did But he was so well pleased wyth the fight that he saw y t he wold haue ben glad to haue taried there stil al his company with him as wel Moses Helias as Iohn Iames. BonuÌ„ est nos hic esse Here is good abiding for vs he wished lodgynges to be made for Christe also for Moses and Hely and wold haue placed him selfe I thinke with Christ and his two coÌ„panions with Moyses Hely But anone his corage was delayed when he saw a bright shining cloud couering theÌ„ by the which was signified the presence of the holy gost And out of the said cloude came the voice of the father saiynge Hic est filiuâ— meus dilectus in quo mihi bene coÌ„placituÌ„ est ipsuÌ„ audite This is my welbeloued son in whoÌ„ I delite heare him When Peter Iohn Iames hearde this voice they fell flat on their faces and were sore afraied Christ came to theÌ„ and touched theÌ„ bad theÌ„ arise fear not wheÌ„ they loked vp thei saw no maÌ„ but Christ their master alone These iii. allectiues which s Peter toucheth to alure theÌ„ to geue credit to his writing and to his doctrine thus declared let vs further procede to the letter S. Peter calleth such priests seigniours or elders ancients specially for their ancieÌ„tnes grauitie sadnes in maners conditions In very dede presbiter in the greke is by interpretation senior in the latin in Englishe an auncient or an elderman Albeit euery olde man or auncient man is not a Prieste but onely suche as by prophecye or election and imposition of a prelates hande is piked out chosen among the moe to be addict and appoynted to God and to be a minister of God in the Churche or congregation in thynges belongynge to God and to his seruice somewhat like as in this example In cities and townes we call theim Aldermen not euer that be the eldest men within their warde but such as partely for their substaunce and more for their honestye and sadnesse and wisdome be thought worthy to rule the stretes and the people within their wardes and so they be called eldermen or aldermen by election although they be yonge men by yeares But these seigniours or elders that we call priestes be made and euer haue ben
true by reason of the bodie The seconde is true by reason of the soule The soule is departed from the body the body lacketh his life therfore we saye the manne is deade The soule is immortall and cannot dye therefore by that reason Christe sayde Abraham is aliue So now because the bodies be out of pain we say the men rest or slepe in the slepe of peace And because the soules be departed in the state of grace and in the way of saluation which they haue not yet perfitly obtained we pray that thei may come to the place of refreshing to the place of light and to the place of peace euerlasting in heauen And thus we must take the woordes of the masse aboue rehersed as they were meaned and we shall gyue no handfast to the contrarye errour And I would they should not so rashely precipitate their sentence in such weighty matters except they had some better ground Thys precipitatio headlong shofyng out mens sentence without iudgement is contrarie to thys gift of the holy gost that we now entreate of the gyft of counsaile as I touched afore This was the faut of Iepthe Iud. xi which when he should procede to battell against the Ammonites he made his vow to God precipitāter headlong and rashly without counsel or aduisemēt y t what so euer came first against him to meete him at his dore after his cōming home he would kill it offer it vp to be burned in sacrifice to almyghtye God So it chaunced that when he came home after his victory his own doughter which he had and no mo children met him with timbers and such instrumentes of melodie as she had to welcome him home When he saw her he tore his clothes and cryed alas my doughter thou hast deceiued me and art deceiued thy selfe This precipitation hurt king Dauid notwithstanding his great wisedome and manyfolde vertues when he fled from the persecution and commotion that hys own sonne Absolon raysed against him one Seba that was seruant to Miphiboseth Ionathas sonne neuew to Saul the kyng came to kynge Dauid and brought him presents of such dainties as myght do hym pleasure and to hys seruantes in that distres and trouble As Asses for them to ride on breade and wine and fruites to refresh them in their iourny fleyng from the host of Absolon King Dauid asked him where is thy master Miphiboseth He made a lye on hys maister saying he tarieth behinde in Ierusalem trusting now to be restored to y e kingdome of Saul his graundfather King Dauid by and by rashly without iudgement or further aduisement the partie neither called nor heard precipitate thys sentence Tua sint omnia que fuerunt Miphiboseth ii Reg. xvi Take thee al that Miphiboseth had And so he gaue awaye to a lying knaue all that good gentlemans goodes whiche he was sorye for afterward when he knew the truth He shuld not a neded to haue be sory if he had auoided this precipitacion by the gift of counsell whiche the holy gost for then withdrew from him he had it not For such causes saith Ecclesiasticus Sine consilio nihil facias et post factum non penitebis xxxii Without counsell and aduisement do nothing after thy deede thou shalt not repent or be sorye ▪ These giftes of the holy ghost be not so coherent or linked together that who so euer hath one of them must neades haue all the other The Prophete Esay sayth that our sauiour Christe had them all and so he had superabundantly Et de plenitudine eius uos omnes accepimus Iohn i. and of his plentye all we take our giftes Of others we reade not that had them all continually but we finde that some that were excellent in sapience or iudgement in Godly causes and heauenly matters and coulde instruct and teach noblely well lacked the gyft of counsayle to direct and order hym selfe and others accordyngly and had nede of other mennes counsayle And contrarye he that is excellent in geuyng counsayle maye be weake in the speculation or iudgement of heauenly or Godly matters Exo. xviii It is writ of Moyses which had receiued of God the spirite of sapience by which he was able to geue vnto the people the lawes of God and to teache them the same yet he vsed to sit from mornynge to night hearynge causes and geuyng sentences and iudgementes betwixte parties amonge the people and so fatigated and weried him self and the people also Iethro his father in law consideryng how that labour was to great for any one manne to sustaine and also how the people were combred tariynge so longe for decision of their causes while they might haue bene soner sped that so they myght haue departed euery man to his owne and haue bene better occupied at home sayde playnelye to hym Stulto labore consumeris c. Both thou and thys people spende and waste your selues in a foolyshe laboure for thys busynesse is aboue thy power and myghte thou art not able alone to sustaine all this busie labour but heare my wordes and my counsayl and our Lord shalbe with thee Let this people haue the in suche thynges as pertayne to God that thou mayst shew vnto him what they saye and mayst shewe vnto the people againe the ceremonies and the rites and maner of worshipping God and the waye that they shall go and the workes that they shall doe And prouide among al this people men of power and that feareth God and that haue truth in them and that hate auarice or couetousnes and make of them officers some ouer a thousande of thys people some ouer a hundred some ouer fiftie some ouer ten which may iudge the people at al times and what so euer great matter ryseth among them let them referre it to thee and let them iudge the smaller matters and none other so thou shalt be more lightned and eased when thy burden is deuyded amonge other If thou doe thys thou shalt be able to fulfill Gods empery and authoritie and shalt be able to sustaine that God byddeth thee doe and all thys people shall returne with peace to their houses or lodgynge at tyme conuenient When Moyses had heard Iethroes counsail he did all thinges as he counseld hym Nowe to my purpose because no man shall be proude of the giftes that God hath gyuen hym we maye see here that Moyses hauyng so excellently the gift of sapience to iudge and discerne and also to teache and instruct in Godly causes yet as then he lacked the gift of counsail which this straūger Iethro an alien and not of the people of Israell tho as then he was conuerted to the faythe of one God had as appeareth by the holesome counsaile that he gaue vnto Moyses by which as well Moyses selfe as all his whole host were noblye releued of almightye God by the mouthe of Iethro his father in lawe geuyng hym that good counsail Therefore I shall most intierly desire you to
you maye iudge of the cause the effecte is nought therfore there must neades be some faulte in the cause But what saiest thou Is not the studye of Scripture good Is not the knowledge of the Gospels and of the newe Testamente godlye good and profitable for a christian manne or woman I shall tell you what I thinke in this matter I haue euer bene of this minde that I haue thought it no harme but rather good and profitable that holie Scripture shoulde be hadde in the mother tong and with holden from no manne that were apte and mete to take it in hande specially if we coulde get it well and truely translated whyche wyll be verye harde to be hadde But who be meete and able to take it in hande there is the doubte I shall declare this doubte by an other like The Philosopher i. Ethi Declareth who be mete and conuenient hearers of the science of morall philosophie And there he excludeth from the studie of that learnyng all yonge menne and women whether they be yonge in age or yonge in maners and condicions they that be yonge in yeares be no conueniente hearers of Morall philosophye because they lacke experience of thinges that be taughte in that facultye which be Actes of vertue and vertuousse lyuynge principallye intended in Morall Philosophye of such maner of liuynge youth hath no experience or very little and therfore they can not discerne theim from their contraries when they heare them spokē of neither discerne the meanes whiche be vertues from the extremities that be vyces no more then a blinde man can iudge colours frō their contraries or can perceiue y t how muche the nigher that any meane colour draweth to white so muche the more it scattereth and disperseth the sight and hurteth it or on the cōtrarie parte howe muche the nyer in degrees it approcheth to the blacke coloure so muche the more it gathereth the syghte closse together and helpeth the sight and comforteth it To tel thys tale to a blinde manne is all laboure loste for he can not tell what you meane after Aristotle because a childe knoweth not the actes of vertue of whiche Morall philosophye treateth for the ende of that philophye is well doynge and good liuynge Therfore to teache a childe the rules of that facultie is a vaine laboure And also because youth is much geuen to folowe their affections and their lustes they be no kindly scholers of morall philosophye for the vehement inclinations that they haue to do their luste maketh them that morall lessons teachynge the exercise of vertue canne not printe in them And for the same cause they that be yong in maners though they be olde in yeres as the counsaylers of Roboam Salomons sonne were And such as be a great meyny of our lustye yonkers now adayes olde inoughe to be wise and yet as lewde they be as they were at twelue yeare olde and muche worse They be so headstrong and so obstinately set to satisfie their concupiscence and to take their pleasure that they will not learne any lessons for the contrarye And so they can not attaine to the ende of morall philosophie which is vertuous workes Women also a frayle kinde verye obedient to their fansies and to earnestly and eagerly folowynge their lustes be verye vnmete scholers of morall philosophye Nowe to my purpose the ende of Diuinitie is good doinge as appeareth plainelye by Moyses and the Prophetes in the olde Testament by our sauiour Christe in the Gospels and by the Apostles in their Epistles in manye places And therfore diuinitie is not called a speculatiue science but a science of practise or doinge Then as the Philosopher reasoneth of the hearers of philosophye I maie saie likewise that children whether they be children in yeres or childrē in cōdicions vicious maners for their wilful pronitie headines to satisfie their lustes pleasures whether they be menne or women can not perceiue the differences and diuersitie of such good works as be taught in diuinitye nother y e things that be spoken of in diuinitie their passiōs doth so sequester and alienate their wittes from consideracion of them that they shall be little or nothing the better for hearing of theim if they come where they maye heare of them as at sermons lessons and exhortacions to which they come verie seldome they loue nothinge worse and thinke no tyme worse spent thē y e time while thei be hearing the word of god ful like thē that our sauiour Christ speaketh of Mat. xiii reciting y e propheci of Esai Auribus grauiter audierunt It greued thē to heare the woorde of God et oculos suos clauserunt they shut fast their eyes Nequādo oculis videant Lest they might se with their eyes y e works of Christ the right way to heauen And least they should heare with their eares with good will vnderstād the liueli word of god that might saue their soules might be conuerted frō their misliuing that so I might heale them saith Christe from the sores of their soules that be their synnes For in al such maner of sayinges you muste vnderstād y t the impossibilitie yea rather the difficulty to do wel is of our self onely not of god Therfore s. Austine saith they could not beleue by which it is to be vnderstand that they wolde not beleue they wold not molifie their hartes to receiue holy instruction How maye a mā teache thē whether charitie or loue be y e vertue or work of the body or the soule or of both or whether it be the worke of reason or of the wil. Likewise of fruition in whiche shall stand our beatitude glory in heauen whether it be the operation of the wit or of the wil or of both And also of Angels what maner thinges they be howe God speaketh to thē one of thē to another thoughe thei haue no tōges And how thei mai moue frō place to place considering that they fill no place for thei be no bodies A hūdred such things must be considered in the scriptures whiche it is but vain labour to teach children neither to thē that be childish leud in cōdicions I meane thē that of election of very purpose doth nought hath a pleasure in noughtye liuyng in which neyther such high cōsideracions as I now touched neither any moral rules or lessons of good liuing cā print or haue place they be so blinded by yll custome roted in the contrarie vices in vicious liuing Neither to the most part of women being very sensual parsons and much addict giuē to folow their lusts affections which here amōg you in this town not onely studieth y e scriptures but also teacheth it and disputeth it S. Paule i. Corinth xiiii woulde that a woman if she wold learne anye thing for her soule health she should aske of her husbande at home that he may teach her if he be so well learned
euer beare with vs rocks stones or swerds to defend vs from the diuell but the signe of the crosse is soone made with a little mouing of our hand to saue vs from his falsehed This is the signe by which with his mighty woorde is consecrate the bodye of Christ the Fount is halowed priestes and other degrees of the churche take their orders and all thinges that be halowed by this signe of Christes crosse with inuocation of hys name be sanctified The crosse layd down on the grounde extendeth his partes towarde the foure partes of the worlde East West Northe and Southe and so did the body of Christ when he was nayled on the crosse lying on the grounde in signe and token that hys loue extended to all partes of the worlde and that for theyr sakes he suffered so great paines as he did whych doubtlesse very farre passed the paynes that any other man myght suffer by reason of the complexion of his body whych was excellently pure quick for it was made of the purest substaÌ„ce of a cleane mayde vndefowled not mixt of such vile matter as our bodies be and it was neuer mystempered by ingurgitacion or vncleane diet Therefore it must nedes be very pure and cleane And according to the proportion rate or maner of the disposition of the bodye is the dysposition of the sences of the body and specially of the touchyng or feling then it must nedes folow that hys touching or feling was exerceding pure quicke and liuely by which ye may be sure that the stroke or wounde that would litle agreued another man was great griefe to him Then consider howe his head was bobbed and beaten and pricked wyth sharpe thornes his handes feete â–ª bored through and torne with great nayles And after that the crosse he hanging on it hoysed vp let downe into the mortesse made for it and to be shogged and shaken hauyng no stay but his own sinowes fleshe and skynne rent and torne in his handes and feete Thys was a payne of all paines specially in that pure complexioned and tender body â–ª After this he suffered his soule to departe out of his body and so dyed bodely that he might delyuer vs from the death of the soule which coÌ„meth by synne for like as the soule giueth life vnto the bodye so God giueth life vnto the soule therfore like as when the soule is gone from the body the body is dead so wheÌ„ God is gone from the soule the soule is dead and that is euer wheÌ„ we synne for God and synne dwell not together no more then light and darkenesse â–ª Roma v. From thys danger we were reconsiled to God by the bloude of his sonne for he washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloude and so deliuered vs oute of the diuels danger which had none other holde vpon vs but by the ropes and bondes of synne He was burled that so he might blesse the buriall and graâ—es of al good men for the consolacion of al them that shall be buried in the earth Of his graue Esay prophecied longe afore saying that hys graue shall be glorious Esay xi as in dede it was hewed out of a new stone intended for a worshipfull maÌ„ that prouided it for hymselfe but he was verye glad to bestow it on a better man He was wrapt in fyne â—lothes and powdred with costlye spyces The graue was honoured wyth the presence of Angels visited of holye women and of the disciples and afterward deuoutely soughte of noble Emperours and of other great men we Christen people in the remembraunce of the same vse a laudable ceremonie garnishynge after the best maner that we can in our churches euerye good fryday a goodly sepulture in whyche we repose the blessed body of Christ. COnsequentlye foloweth the fifth article added by saynt Phillip He descended into hell not hys bodye for it remayned in the sepulchre tyll hys resurrection but in hys soule wyth the Godhead for the pryncipall partes of Christes mannehoode whyche the Godheade once tooke to hym hee neuer lefte His Godhead was with the bodye in the graue with the soule in hell for the consolation of our first parentes and of all Patriarchs and Prophetes and of all good men and women that afore his comming remayned there without anye sensible paine but onely in the greuous payne of lacke of glory from which they were stopped as by a payne for originall synne because the raunsome was no rather payed Thyther it pleased him of his goodnes to descende for to confounde his enemies the diuels that lyke as he had ouercome them on earth by hys blood so he might at home amoÌ„g them selfes in hel triumphe ouer theÌ„ taking theyr prayes and prisoners out of theyr holdes agaynst theyr wylles The Prophet zachary sayd that Christ woulde thus doe by these wordes zacha ix Thou in the bloud of thy testament hast let fourth out of the lake or dongeon in which ther was no water or refreshing theym that were bounde there And the blessed Apostle saynt Peter confirmeth the same in hys first epistle thirde chapter saying that Christ came in spirite and preached to them that were in prison whiche some time were hard of beliefe when they loked for Gods patience in the daies of Noe while the shippe was a making in which a fewe that is to saye eighte lyues were saued by the water He came in spirite in his soule for his body remayned in the graue as I sayd and preached declaryng that the misterie of his incarnation and passion was performed by whyche hell shoulde be spoyled and the way to heauen should be opened to all good men and women whose soules were in captiuitie amonge whiche were manye of them that were alyue in that space of C. xx yeares that God gaue to the people to amende theyr lyues and to Noe for a warninge to prepare and make his shyppe readye of whiche some woulde not beleue Noe manye times and busely exhortynge them to amende theyr lyues yet at the last when they saw the waters ryse styll and encrease withoute any ebbyng they repented and were sorye for theyr synnes and so died penitente and descended to the skyrte of hell where were the soules of many Patriarches and Prophetes and of other holy men and women whiche by Christes presence had consolation inestimable as well as they that S. Peter speaketh of in this place for if they of whiche it semeth lesse had comforte by Christes descendinge to them then muche more they that were of higher perfection had such consolation comfort by his presence and by their delyuerauÌ„ce out of that pryson S. Basyl sayth on these wordes of the Psalme Dirupisti vincula mea Thou hast broken my bondes because thou hast set vs at libertie from the bondage of sinne and descendinge into hell hast losed from death mankinde there beinge captiue and holden in the vneuitable custodye of hel So it was verified that
was sayd in his name to synne and to hell Osee. xiii â–ª O death I will be thy death O hell I wyll bite the. He that eateth occupieth all that he eateth he that byteth taketh part and leaueth part so dyd the soule of Christ take that part of the prisoners in hell whiche dyed in charitie lefte behind him in tormentes and paynes with the deuylles â–ª all them that besyde oryginall synne hadde committed mortall synne and dyed without satisfaction for the same SAynt Thomas put the syxt article of our fayth sayinge The thyrde daye he rose agayne from death For on Sondaye earlye in the breakynge of the daye while it was somewhat darke he ioyned his soule vnto hys body and rose from death to lyfe and came forth of his chest or graue and oute of the monument or caue in the whiche the graue was beynge fast shutte with a greate stone rouled to it for a dore â–ª and surelye sealed And forthwith came the Aungell from heauen and remoued the stone that was rouled to the doore of the sayde caue and satte vpon it to declare that Chryste was rysen and gonne and anone came the thre Maries and they sawe and hearde the Aungels appearynge to theim lyke men whiche tolde theim that Chryste was rysen but they scarselye beleued the Aungelles rather thinkynge that his precyouse bodye was stolen and caryed awaye oute of the graue Notwithstandynge as they were bydde they wente to geue knoweledge to the Disciples whiche then kepte them selues together in greate pensifenes for the losse of theyr mayster and as close as they coulde for feare of shrewes Marye Magdalene made beste spede and tolde Peter and Iohn what she hadde sene and hearde and consequentlye the same day and other dayes folowinge as well the sayde holye women as the Apostles and other Disciples were by euidente and sensible signes well assured that he was bodelye rysen in dede and not fantasticallye nor faynedlye He was the fyrste that euer ryse to lyfe immortall neuer to die againe Other there were that were reised frome death to lyfe by the power of God but after certaine yeares they died againe Christe rose by his owne power and neuer died againe therefore the Apostles called him the beginninge and fyrste begotten amonge dead men Col. i. The beginner and cause of his owne resurrection whiche was by his owne power and also of oure resurrection that lyke as he died for oure sinnes and rose againe to iustifie vs so we shoulde mortifie oure selfe to sinne that we may rise againe with him and liue to God walkinge in a newe life whyle we be here that finallye we maye rise with oure bodies and soules glorified to immortall lyfe Oure olde manne was crucyfied with Christe that the bodye of synne myghte be destroyed that we shoulde no more doe seruice to sinne Oure olde man signifieth oure olde lyuinge in synne lyke Adam the fyrste manne that synned of whose offence descended to all his posteritie the nourishinge and feadinge of sinne the darte and pricke of death whiche the Apostle manye times calleth by the name of sinne this we must mortifie and kyll that so the bodye of synne maye be destroyed We lyue to synne when we lyue after the inclination of the sayde nurse and breder of synne so that synne reigne in our mortall bodies to obeye the desires of sinne And contrary we die to sinne when we do not the desires of sinne neither folowe the inclinations of sinne that so the body of sinne may be destroyed in vs the bodye of sinne is the whole rable and multitude of sinnes together like limmes of one body as fornication vncleanes auarice contention wrath gyle brauling dissension heresies enuye ryot or surfet and suche other when these be mortified in vs then we dye with Christ. And this mortification we must buselye and continually beare vpon vs and then we shal be sure to liue with him by renewinge of our liuinge contrarie to vice vsing iustice and vertue that so we may giue light of good example to all others that they may glorifie and laude God in vs that finally we and they with vs may ryse to immortall glorye THen foloweth the seuenth article whiche S. Barthelomew put to this gathering and it is this He ascended into heauen and sitâ—eth on the righte hande of GOD the father almightie That is to saye the condition of our nature whiche he toke of the virgin his mother he toke vp with him and set it on the ryght hand of his father aboue the skye and aboue all the orders of aungels and aboue al thinge that is named not only in this world but also in the world to come Therefore let vs ascende vp in deuoute heart with Christ while we be in this presente lyfe that when the daye of the generall resurrection shall come we may folowe him ascendyng in body thither as he is gone afore vs bodelye openinge the waye for vs. Mich. ii For lyke as he rose from death to life to make vs lykewise to ryse so he ascended to make vs to ascende For whiche purpose we must well knowe and remeÌ„ber that with Christ ascendeth not pryde nether couetousenes lechery or any other synne he was our phisition he cured vs and made vs once hole but he toke with him none of our malaÌ„ders therfore yf we come after him we must leaue all these and cast them of least they presse vs downe that we may not ascend to that glorious place wher Christ sitteth on the ryght hande of his father that is to saye equal with the father by his godhead and in the inheritaunce and highest wealth and glory of God by his humanitie to entreate for vs as our attourney towarde the father To sitte belongeth to a iudge because oure sauioure nowe beinge in heauen considereth and iudgeth all mens actes and at the laste shall manifestlye and openly come to iudge them and to geue sentence therefore it is sayd that he sytteth Saynt Steuen sawe him standing on the fathers right hande as one redy to fyght for hym and to helpe him constantlye to suffer the persecution of the Iewes where ye must not ymagine any materiall body or ryght hand or lyfte hande in the godhead or any material stoles to sit on in heauen it is a maner of speakinge of the scripture by a similitude rather then that there be any such partes there in dede And likewise to sitte or stande in heauen signifieth no more but there to be at his pleasure and to shewe hym selfe as it please his maiestie THe eyght article saint Mathew the Apostle and Euangelist sayd From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade In the same body he wyl come to the iudgemeÌ„t in whiche he ascended into heauen to iudge all christen and hethen for all we that be hath be shall be shall stande afore Christes seat of iudgement that euery man maye receaue the duetie of his bodye as he hath
faythfull people as well Iewes as Gentyles dispersed as straungers here and there in the saide countreis S. Peter wrytte his epistle and he calleth them electe and chosen by the knowledge of God the father not excludynge the sonne or the holye Gooste for the prescience foreknowledge and knowledge is all one in all three personnes in trinitie Whom the father doth predestinate or choose to grace or to saluation the same doth the sonne and also the holye Gooste predestinate and chuse to be saued Theyr workes amonge creatures be all one but in as muche as Saynte Peter calleth theym that he writeth vnto electe and chosen by the knoweledge of GOD the father We muste not thynke that all they that were conuerted to CHRISTES fayth in the sayde countreis to whiche Sainte Peter wrote were electe by suche election as Christe speaketh of in the parable Math. xxii Multi sunt vocati pauci vero electi Manye be called and but fewe chosen for here it is meaned that fewe be chosen fynallye to be saued and to be sure of lyfe euerlastynge It is not to be thoughte that Saynte Peter would make to all them that he wrote vnto anye suche assuraunce but he taketh election more largelye as Christe speaketh of it Nonne ego vos duodecim elegi vnus ex vobis Diabolus est Ioh. vi Dydde not I chose you twelue and one of you is the Deuylles birde And also Ioh. xv Non vos me elegistis sed ego elegi vos You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you Where we muste vnderstande by this election the vocation and callinge to the faith and to beleue on Christe for neyther they that this was spoken to nor any other were chosen because they beleued on CHRISTE but because CHRISTE chose theym therefore they beleued on hym so that GODDES eternall election was the cause of oure vocation to fayth And therefore Sainte Paule sayth Ephes. i. Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem GOD the father chose vs in CHRISTE afore the worlde was made he chose vs to be saued by the fayth of CHRISTE whiche is the onelye and verye necessarye waye to saluation Nowe to my purpose all these people of these countreis to whiche Saynt Peter wrytte were electe and chosen by the prescience and foreknowledge of GOD to be called and to come to Christes fayth and to continue in the same as GOD knew GOD knewe who were his that woulde finallye continue in CHRISTES fayth and be saued and who woulde fall frome the same to infidelitie agayne or by sinne and misliuinge deface and defoule theyr fayth and be dampned But here yet riseth a doubte for Saynte Paule sayth Roman vii Quos presciuit predestinauit hos vocauit c. Theim that he afore knewe and dydde predestinate he called and them that he called he iustified and them that he iustified he magnified and glorified and appointed finallye to glorie euerlasting Therefore it shuld seme that if they were called they were iustified and if they were iustified then muste it nedes folowe that they were gloryfyed Here you muste vnderstande that there is two maners of calling or chosinge one is secundum presentem iustitiam accordinge to a certayne iust maner of liuinge that men be of for the tyme of theyr callinge and as they appeare in the face of the worlde as the scripture speaketh of Saule i. Reg. ix Erat Saul electus bonus non erat viâ— de filiis Israel melior illo Saul was chosen and good and of all the issue of Israell there was not one better then he Then he was good after he was noughte So Iudas when he was chosen was good ynough although he afterwarde betrayed his mayster and ours For this kinde of callinge doth not so confirme men in goodnes but that they may fall and be noughte so was Saul and so was Iudas and so were manye of them that S. Peter writte vnto although thei were called and chosen to Christes faith by the ministery and labour of S. Peter S. Paule or of others of the Apostles There is another election chosinge or callinge whiche is secundum dei propositum accordinge to Goddes determinate purpose Of this S. Paule speaketh Rom. viii Scimus autem quoniam diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonum his qui secundum proposituÌ„ vocati sunt sancti To them that by Goddes determinate purpose be called all thinges worketh for the best yea sinnes that they do maketh theÌ„ to repent theyr doyng and to arise by penaunce and to be better ware of suche sinnes thereafter and to do no more so Therefore I say to the letter of S. Peters epistle they were elect and chosen as God knewe that all shoulde come to the faith of Christe In sanctificationem spiritus to be saÌ„ctified in spirite by baptisme and to haue their soules in the way of saluation in sanctificationem spiritus saith the vulgate and comon text per sanctificationem spiritus in obedientiam c. saythe the newe translation and they come all to one purpose For by that that we haue our spirit sanctified and made holy by Gods holy spirite the holy gost we come to obedience and be made obedient to the faith of Christe and be redy to fulfyll perfourme and do the workes of the spirite and to bring furth the fruites of the spirite which be charitas gaudium pax patientia c. Gala. v. And S. Paule prayed almighty GOD for his disciples and by them for vs all .i. Thessa. v. Ipse autem deus pacis sanctificet vos per omnia vt integer spiritus vester et anima corpus fine querela in aduentu domini nostri Ieâ—u Christi conseruetur The God of peace make you all holy in euery point that your spirite your soule and your bodye maye be kepte without complaint in the comming of our Lord Iesu Christ. In which wordes he diuideth man into three partes the spirite the soule and the body where you shall note that the spirite sometyme signifieth the whole soule of man and so it is taken in the prophetes words in the psalme In manus tuas commendo spiritum meum which Christ spoke vpon the crosse And it foloweth there Inclinato capite tradidit spiritum he bowed his head and yelded bp his spirite that is hys soule But when we finde in the scriptures such a distinctioÌ„ of the partes of man as the Apostle putteth in the place aboue rehersed then we muste take the spirite more preseisely for that parte of the soule by whiche we vnderstande and reason a matter And that same parte Saynte Paule calleth in an other place the minde Mente seruio legi dei carne autem legi peccati Roman vii Wyth my mynde I serue the lawe of GOD but by my fleshe I serue and incline to sinne And lykewyse Galathians v. Caro concupiscit aduersus spiritum spiritus autem aduersus carnem so that he called afore
dwelleth dawes and crowes the vawtes and rouffes be so ruinous that no man dare well come vnder them Where is Troye where be the olde Emperies and monarchies of the Assirians of the Caldeis Medes Persies and of Rome whose Emperours had vnder them in maner all the worlde for theyr tyme Where is the deuotion that noble men and ryche marchauntes hath had to magnifie and encrease Goddes seruice to his honoure If God had not preserued our mooste gratious Soueraigne Kinge Henry the eyght whiche by his princelie zele loue and deuotion to God hath erecte this Cathedrall Churche of Bristowe and manye other suche within this Realme God knoweth what case diuine seruice should haue bene in All thinge waxeth olde and decayeth in processe of time so that corruption and decayeth in processe of time so that corruption and deathe is the ende Seconde how frequēt and many infirmities raigneth we see dayly infections of pestilence pockes great and small these new burninge agues and innumerable others more then the Phisicions haue written of in their bookes These contaminate and defowleth mens bodies by infections aches and paines euen to death And what corruption and infection of maners commeth to the soule by euill examples ill wordes and suche other occasions it were to long to be spoken of nowe Thirde the comon sterilitie and barennes of the grounde the great scarsitie of all maner of vitall and of fruites of the earth we feele it so many times to our great paine and discomfort that it nede not to be declared But the inheritance that as saint Peter saith here is kept for vs in heauen hath thre proprieties cōtrarie to these thre rehersed ther is no rotting ruine corruptiō or decay but immortalitie cōtrarie to all feare of death There is no feablenes of sicknes ther is none infection of body by corrupt ayre nor of soule by temptacion or by euill example for into that glorious citie and dwelling place can no vncleane thynge enter or come Thirde there shall nothing welow or wyther away but shall euer be kept freshe and floorishing by that well of life almighty God Ther shall be no lothesomnes or werynes by long vse and continuaunce as there is in all worldly plea pleasures there shall all good men and women shine like the sonne Math. xiii Oh good Lorde what beutie and brightnes shal our soules haue when our bodies shall be as bright as the sunne There shal be no heauines no labour no payne no sorowe no feare no death but euer still shall continue health of bodye and minde There shall neuer rise discentiō or debate betwixt neighbour and neighbour no miserie no nede or necessitye no hunger no thurst no cold to hurt the ne heate to enflame thee no faintnes for fasting no sluggardie for much eating no temptacion of oure gostly enemies The fleshe shal not resist against the spirite ther shal be no wil to sinne nor possibilitie to offēd But our sauiour Christ wil giue vs suche pleasure with the companye and felowship of the glorious angels as no hart can think nor any tonge expresse This ioyfull inheritaunce is conserued and kept in store in heauen saith sainte Peter for you that by vertue and power of god be kept by faith vnto saluation whiche is readye to be shewed in the last time at the generall iudgement Here he saithe that this inheritaunce is kepte in store not for all men that be regenerate by baptisme but onely for suche as perseuer and continue in goodnes to the ende by Gods speciall preseruation For perseuerance commeth principallye of God and of our selfe but secundarelye and is necessary for all them that will be saued Nam in cassum bonum agitur si ante terminum vite deseratur saith saint Gregory Good workes be done but all in vayne if they be left and giuen ouer afore the ende of a mans life For he that gyueth ouer and ceasseth to do wel afore he haue proued the vttermost of it or be come to the ende is lyke an Ape whose condition is when he tasteth the vtter hull or huske of an nutte and perceiueth it sowre and bitter casteth awaye the nutte afore he hathe tasted the swetenes of the curnell And cur Sauiour Christ saith in the parable of hym that woulde borowe breade of hys neyghbour Luke xi Si perseuerauerit pulsans c. If he continue still knockyng if hys frende wyll not giue it hym because he is his frende yet for hys importunitie continuall crauynge he wyll ryse and gyue him as manye as he hath neede of And he telleth vs what is the instrument or meane by which God dothe preserue vs and make vs to perseuer and continue in grace and good liuynge It is faithe and suche lyke faithe as I spoke of hope euen nowe sayinge that God hath regenerate vs by hys greate mercye into a lyuelye hope and so the faythe by whyche GOD keepeth vs is a lyuelye faithe adorned with Charitie and with good woorkes accordinglye By faithe Christe abydeth in oure hartes by whose presence wee ouercome all assaultes of oure gostlye enemyes Fayth maketh vs to vnderstande the fylthe and vncleanenesse of synne that so wee maye abhorre synne and flee from it Hec est victoria que vincit mundum fides nostra i. Iohn v. Thys is the victorye that ouercommeth the worlde oure faythe saythe Saynte Iohn it ouercommeth the pleasures of the fleshe tellynge vs that the fleshe is lyke a fellon giltye and most worthly condempned to mortalitie and death and euer still resisting and feighting against y e spirite wherfore it deserueth rather tortures paine and punishment then delicates or plesures Faith also maketh vs to know that the Apostle saith Si secundum carnem vixeritis moriemini if ye liue after the pleasures of the fleshe ye shall die wherefore if ye haue folowed your carnall pleasures eating and drinking reuealing and rioting in this holye time of Christmas lately past which ye should haue spent in deuotion and holynes ye muste repent your faulte and do penaunce therefore Faith maketh vs to contemne and dispise worldly wealth and riches as the dyuels mowse snatch and snare that maketh a man to catche hold others mens goodes so long till the diuell hath caught them and hold them in his danger Saint Paule saith i. Tim. vi Qui volunt diuites fieri incidunt in tentationes et in laqueum diaboli c. They that wil be made riche falleth into temptacions and snare of the dyuell and into many desires vnprofitable and noysom which drowneth men into death and destructiō therefore he biddeth the sayde Timothe to commaunde the riche men of the worlde not to be to highe in their own conceite nor to trust in the vncerteintie of their riches but in the liuinge God which giueth vs all thinges abundantly aswell to bring vs to the eternall fruition of the glorious Godhed as to liue by in this worlde Fayth contempneth despiseth honours
they dooe through the helpe of our sauiour Iesus Christe who with the father and the holye Goste liueth and raigneth for euer Amen The fourth treatise or Sermon PRopter quod succincti luÌ„bos mentis vâ—e c. VVherfore tucke vp the Loynes of youre minde and be sober and perfect and trust on the grace that is offered you by the reuelation of Iesu Christe as obedient children not made like to the former desires of your ignoraunce but like that holye one that called you that so you maye be holie in all conuersation because it is written You shall be holye for I am holie Now in contemplation that all that the Prophetes laboured and desiered to heare and to see they were instructed by the holye Gost that they should be perfourmed not for their tymes but on vs in our times that haue hearde the preachers of the Gospell euer sith the sensible commynge of the holye Gooste in fierye tongues from heauen Therfore the blessed apostle Saint Peter exhorteth vs so to dispose our selues that we maye be able and apte to receiue this grace so that by our owne faulte wee be not frustrate and disapointed of it And to that purpose is first required cleannes of life whiche the apostle meaneth biddyng vs Tucke vp the loines of your minde and be sober and perfect He vseth a maner of speakinge often vsed in the scriptures whiche speakyng of the soule of man applieth to it bodelye membres or limmes and the operations and workes of the bodye As the eyes of the soule Ad te leuaui oculos meos â–ª and Leuaui oculos meos in montes I haue lifte vp mine eies to the mouÌ„taines not the bodely eyes which some men lacke but the sight of the minde whiche serueth as well by nighte as by daie And the Apostle â–ª Ephe. i. Det vobis illuminatos oculos cordis vestri vt sciatis que sit spes vocationis eius He praieth that God woulde geue them the eyes of their harte that is to say of their minde lightened to know what they might trust for by his callynge And ii Cor. ii He calleth the preachinge of the Gospel a smell or sauoure because that like as the thing that is not sene is perceiued by the sauour so the inuisible GOD is smelled out and perceiued amonge the people by the preachers And then as you know they that be vsed to stinking sauours can not liue in Bucklersbury or in the poticaries shoppe So to some the true preaching is a smel or sauour that infecteth and killeth theim as to them that maligneth grudgeth and abhorreth true doctrine which be worse and more sicke for the worde where to other it is a sauour of lyfe and bringeth them to lyfe euerlastynge And the scripture speaketh as thoughe the soule hadde a mouthe and lymmes of tastynge it appereth by the prophet Gustate videte quoniaÌ„ suauis est dominus Taste and see that our Lorde is swete And Esay speaketh as though the soul hadde wombe or bealy to conceiue child Esa. xxvi A faciae tua domine concepimus quasi parturiuimus peperimus spiritum salutis He speaketh to almighty God as one longing to se the glorious and moste delectable face of God which is so delectable that the aungels of heauen desiereth to beholde it and hathe inestimable pleasure in the contemplacion of it as I said a little rather and as saint Peter saieth here in this Chapter By the beauty of thy face saieth the Prophete we haue conceiued and haue in maner traueilled And also be deliuered and haue brought foorthe the spirite of health that is to saye Securam fiduciam sure truste to come to the thinge that wee desire to see He vseth this metaphore and similitude of conceiuinge and labouring of childe because that like as the mother hathe paine in traueilynge and ioye when the childe is borne so that the former paine is anone forgotten for ioy of the childe Ioh. xvi so the desire to see the face of God to see the Godhead hath now payne annexed for the dilation differringe of it we can not haue it when we will and as the wise man saieth pro. xiii Spes que differtur affligit animam â–ª The hope that is deferred proloÌ„ged and put of vexeth the minde But yet the sure trust to come to that glorious sight dothe somewhat comfort vs for the time but when we haue perfectly obteyned and gotten it then the paine will be clerely past and cleane forgotten Saint Paule vseth like maner of speakinge to the Gala. iiii callinge them his little children because they were so childishely turned by pseudapostles and false Preachers from the sinceritie of the true doctrine of the Gospell that he had instructed theim in My babes saieth he of whiche I trauaile nowe againe vntyll Christe be newe fourmed in you I traueled once to bringe you from Infidelitie to the true faith of Christ as earnestly in minde as the mother dothe bodelye for her childe And now that you be thus inuegled I muste labour and trauaile for you againe to bringe you to the right trade againe Euen such maner of speache vseth Sainte Peter in these wordes rehearsed bidding vs. Tucke vp the loynes of your mindes The bodely loines be the breaders of carnal lust and therefore Christe biddeth Sint lumbi vestri precincti That your loynes be girde vp with the girdle of chastitie that they flie not abrode to vnlawfull lustes of the fleshe and because the exteriour actes of the bodie riseth of the inward concupiscence of the minde Sainte Peter woulde haue the loynes of our minde girde vp that they vage not rouing abroade by the lewde thoughts and vncleane meditations The loynes of the minde be the witte and will when the witte is gird in and kept close and exercised in honest studie and the wil desiereth nothing but that is coÌ„formable to honestie theÌ„ the loins of your minde be tucked vp as Saint Peter would haue them and so you shall be cleane of body from vnlawfull actes of the fleshe And this is a great parte of cleannes of life Sobernes perteineth to cleannes of life and is also necessarye to that we shall be able to hope and looke for that perfecte grace and glory that is offered vs against the reuelation and glorious commynge of our sauiour Iesu Christe at the generall iudgement at which tyme hee shall appeare in his glorious maiestye to confounde theim that contemned hym in hys infirmitie Sobernes is the vertue by whiche a manne measureth him selfe againste the intisementes and occasions of surfete and against the floude or streames of dronkennesse This vertue is so necessarye for man thath without it all goeth to hauocke for it is the defence and sauegarde of the minde and of the â—immes of the bodye It defendeth honestye and chastitie as a stronge warde or castell so that when sobernes is broken and gone chastitie is sone defowled Loth when he was dronken defowled his
thy goodes to healpe and to saue thy neadye brother and do it not of pride or boastynge but of thy mooste entier and inwarde swetenesse of mercye towarde hym Peraduenture thou wilt saye why shoulde I geue my money to saue him from harme He is none of mine let him perishe in his owne iniquitie noughtines I haue nothing to do with him If thou answer or think after this maner the loue of our father of heaueÌ„ abideth not in thee And if the loue of our father abideth not in thee thou art not borne or gotten of God then how canst thou glorye or be gladde that thou art a christeÌ„ man Thou hast the name but thou hast not the dede of a christian man Renati noÌ„ exsemine corruptibili sed incorruptibili c Borne again not by any corruptible sede but by an iÌ„corruptible sede bi the word of the liuing god that abideth for euer Here y e blessed apostle s. Peter reasoneth swadeth vs to cleannes of life to chastice our soules in obedient charitie in fraternal loue by reason of our spiritual birthe There is no naturall gentleman of birthe but if it soo chaunce that for the tyme hee be moued to dooe a myscheuous deede if a discrete man woulde moue hym to the contrarye recitynge hys Progenye and Auncestoures saiynge beware what ye do remeÌ„ber your blood distayn not your kinred shewe your self a gentleman not as a furious beast or a bawdy villaine or as a churle or a thefe least al your kinred and louers will be ashamed of you If there be anye gentlenes in the person such vmbrayding and rehersall shall make him to leaue hys naughtye purpose and to take a good way with him and not to defoule his kinred with any vilany Accordynge to that saith saint Peter much more you should dispose your selfe to goodnes considering your regeneration and second natiuitie which was not by corruptible seede of man and woman but by the vncorruptible sede that is to say by the word of God that abideth for euer It is but a pore glory to be proude of the filthie substaunce that man is gotten by nor of the bodies or bloode of theyr carnal fathers and mothers which fadeth and continually runneth to corruption As Esay the prophet saith Esa. xl Omnis caro vt fenum omnis gloria eius tanquam flos agri exaruit fenum et flos eius decidit verbum autem domini manet ineternum All fleshe is lyke grasse of the medowe and hys glori that is to sai carnal lust or pleasure is like the floure of the medow that maketh a pleasant shewe for the time and so doth carnall delectacion content and please for a while but euen as the floure within awhile withereth and falleth a way so doth carnall ioye fade and fall it abideth not but many times turneth to repentance but the worde of God that is the seede by which you were gotten and made the children of God by regeneration by your seconde getting abideth for euer giueth life euerlasting to theÌ„ that be gotten bi it And this is the holi word that hath â—en preached among you saith saint Peter by me by other Apostles By this holye woorde of God you were first instruct and taughte to leaue your old vaine errours and vices and to renounce the deuyll wyth all his pompe and all his naughtye workes And by the word of God concurrent and ioyned with the element of water you wer baptised goten to Christ made his children wher afore you were the children of Gods yre of dyspleasure as all they be that after that waye be not new borne to God by baptisme The former carnall generation or birthe saueth no man nor woman the seconde doth and therefore it is necessarie for all them that shal be saued what sexe kynde or age so euer they be of contrarye to the secte and heresy of the Anabaptists that woulde haue no man baptised till they were of yeares of discretion in so much that they baptise again al them that in childhoode were christened leauing all youth in dispeyre of saluation withoute anye way or helpe to be saued and in worse case then the infantes of the Iewes were which by Moises law should be circumcised on the eyght daye after they were borne and by that circumcision should not perish but be saued For as saint Paul saith Roma v. Si vnius delicto multi mortui sunt multo magis gratia dei donum vnius hominis Iesu Christi in plures homines abundauit Wher the Apostle compareth the offence of Adam to the grace of Christ for the grace of Christe is muche stronger and may extende and sprede it selfe further then the offence of one pure and frayle man might do therefore in asmuche as death crept in among men by one Adam then muche more by our sauiour Christ one man and God in one parson of power infinite the gift of grace is dilated and spred vpon all men that be made apte to receiue it which is onely by baptisme actuallye receiued or els in vowe or purpose And therefore in asmuche as the synne of Adam killed all infantes it must needes be that Christes grace in the sacrament of baptisme shal quicken the same infantes and make theym spirituallye alyue againe in Christe or els as I sayde it shoulde be weaker then Adams synne also because Christ saith Iohn iii. Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu sancto non potest introire in regnum dei Except a manne be borne againe by water and the holye spirite he cannot entre into the kyngdome of heauen And euen lyke as they that were circumcised in theyr infansye knewe not what it meaned that they suffered with great paine neither perceyued anye thinge of the promysse that God made to them that suffred it In like maner baptysme saueth oure chyldren infauntes althoughe they perceyue nothynge what is done vnto them neyther the reason thereof But Christ that saide Sinite paruulos venire ad me Mathewe xix Let babes or children come to me hathe prouyded armes to beare theym to hym which be the armes of our mother holy church by whose eares also they be cathechised or instruct and by her mouthe they confesse their faithe and in her faith they be saued And this is very reasonable that other mens faith may helpe in thys sacrament of soule health as wel as other mens faith hath helped them that haue be bodely diseased in sicknes and sores of theyr bodie speciallye because God estemeth and regardeth more the health of the soule then of the bodye We haue in the gospell of the Canaan womans doughter that by the importune sute and prayer of her mother she was delyuered from the dyuell that she was obsessed with all O mulier magna est fides tua fiat tibi sicut vis Math. xv fides tua inquit non fides filie And also
Centurio a captain in Capharnaum came to Christ praying him to helpe his seruant that was yll vexed with a paulsy Christ offered to come him selfe to the mans house to heale his seruaunt No saith he I am not worthye to receiue you into my house but once say the word and my seruant shall be whole and according to his beliefe so he sped for his seruant was whole by and by after the maister had confessed his beliefe An other that was impotent by a pawlsye and his frendes coulde finde no waye to bringe him to Christe for preasse of people that were about him in the house At the last they were fame to vntile the house and let him in by the roofe of the house Quorum fidem vt vidit dixit homo remittuntur tibi peccata tua et ait paralitico tibi dico surge tolle lectum tuum vade in domum tuam Luke v. Mark ii He saw the faith of them that so conueyed the syckeman in at the roofe of the house and forgaue the man his sinnes and cured him of his pawlsy at the contemplation of theyr faith that brought him to Christe And this texte maketh plainly for our purpose for here it appeareth that by the faith of other men this sickman had aswell soule health as bodely healthe for he had his sinnes forgiuen him for his soule health and was rid of his pawsy for his bodely healthe And euen so it was generallye of Christes cures that he did which were euer full and perfite for he healed the whole man soule and bodye for he vsed not to heale the bodye but he woulde fyrste heale the soule because that the infirmities of the body commeth comonly of the sinnes and syckenes of the soule either originall or actuall The Gospels hath many suche examples in whiche it is plaine that the belief and praiers of others helpeth against bodely sickenes then muche more it helpeth against this daungerous sickenes of the soule that is originall synne the common malander and mischiefe of all the issue of Adam which if it be not cured and healed wyll surely let hym that is diseased with it from the sight of the glorie of God for euer For as I saide God regardeth more the health of the soule then of the body And consideringe that the infantes haue the said originall sinne by an other mans preuarication and transgression reasonable it is that they be releued and discharged of the same by the meane of other mens faith as by the vniuersall faith of the church and by the faith of the godfathers and godmothers and of other assistents at the christening of the childe so that we muste not exclude or denie the mercye grace of God from any man or woman borne into this worlde but that after their bodelye birthe to death they be new borne to life by Gods holye worde and by water with the inspiration of grace of the holye spirite the holye Gost. And by this that I haue said you maye answer to the chiefe reason of the Anabaptistes that they vse against the said veritie alledging that Christ sayth Math xviii Qui crederit baptisatus fuerit saluus erit He that beleueth and is baptised shall be saued and he that beleueth not shal be dampned Of this they take that it is necessary for him that shall be baptised that he beleue Now say they infantes lackynge the vse of reason cannot beleue therefore they be vnmete to be baptised I tolde you that they be saued by the beliefe of the church and beleueth in the beliefe of the church and in the belief of theyr Godfathers and godmothers other assistents representing the church as I declared by diuers examples of the gospell as wel of soule health as of bodely health procured of Christ by the belief of others or els as the scholasticall doctours sa◠very well in receyuing of the sacrament of baptisme the grace of faith is infused and powred in to the soule of him or her that is baptised and so they haue the habyte or theologicall vertue of fayth or the thing by which afterwarde as they increase in the vse of reason they may beleue actually and in dede Example a Phisicion though he be fast a sleepe he hath the science of phisicke but yet if you put an vrinall in his hand he cannot iudge the disease of the sickman as longe as he is a slepe albeit he hath the sciēce in his soule by which whē he waketh he can iudge according to his learning And I trust you haue now herd sufficiently of the new birthe that saynte Peter speaketh of which is more to be pondred then the carnall byrth by corrubtible matter for the sede cause of this generation is vncorruptible it is the worde of God that abideth for euer therfore consideringe whereof we came and be gotten to life and to God we ought to haue special cleanenes in our life and to chastice oure soules vnder obedient charitie and in fraternall loue attentius more earnestly then we haue don and more diligently cōsidering the nobilitie of thys our second byrthe by the vncorruptible seede of Gods holye worde that abideth for euer and hath bene preached among vs as saint Peter sayth in the ende of hys first chapter And now you haue heard the first chapiter of this first epistle of saint Peter declared as my poore wyt and learning wold serue me I pray God it may be to hys pleasure and to the edifying and profyte of oure soules Amen ¶ The fift treatise or sermon The second chapiter DEponentes igitur omnem malitiam et omnem dolū simulationes et inuidias et omnes detractiones sicut modo geniti infantes rationabiles sine dolo lac concupiscite In the fyrst chapiter of this epistle which I haue passed ouer and expounded as God put into my minde the blessed Apostle saint Peter chiefelye magnifyeth our regeneration and seconde byrth by which we be borne to life euerlasting where throughe oure carnall parentes we were borne to dye Fyrst he giueth thankes to God that hath done so moche for vs as so to get vs againe to the inheritance of heauen that wil neuer be corrupt that neuer wil be defowled nor fade or wither away and in the meane season will bring vs to the soule healthe by Christes faith that al the old prophets labored to see and to obteine but thei were answered that it would not be for theyr time but all the labours that they tooke in prayers contemplacion and study should serue for them that shuld come after which be wee that haue sene and heard the trouthe by theym that haue preached Christes gospel continually sithe the holye Gost was sent from heauen in sensible signes of fyrye tounges sone after Christes gloryous ascention And for this consideration sainte Peter exhorteth vs to be cleane of lyuinge and while we be here to liue in feare considering the indifferencye of our iudge in
of the hearer geueth occasion aucthoritie and courage to this detraction backbiting for if there were no hearers there would be no tale bearers therfore we shoulde make an hedge of thornes before oure eares lest we should here any wicked tongues Eccle. xxviii Let the terrible sentence of damnation at the general iudgement pricke our eares as it were thornes and then we shalbe afraid to heare shreud tales And the prophet rehearsyng the vertues that maketh a man mete to dwell in the tabernacle of our lord reckneth this for one opprobrium non accepit aduersus proximos that hath not taken or beleued ill saying agaynst his neighbours such a one is mete to dwel in heauē then he that is of contrarie appetite must dwell in hell Peraduenture you wyll say I should do a man wrong if I should not herken to his tale I may litle do and I maye not lende him myne eares and geue him the hearing what wrōge can I do when other men telleth me the tale it is not my sayinge it is theyrs let them beware that telleth the tales Not so my frende for thy part is therein for if thou wouldeste not lende thine eares and geue audience with a good wyl but were loth to heare the backbiter he woulde be as loth to beare tales to the they should none fasten nor printe in the no more then an arowe when it is shotte against a stone fasteneth in the stone it fasteneth not in the stone but sometime reboundeth and flyeth backe vpon him that shot it let the detractour learne to leaue his backbitinge by that he seeth the loth to here him for so thou shalt dryue shame into his face Remember the counsayle of Salomon Prouerb xxiiii Cum detractoribus non commiscearis quoniam repente consurget perditio eorum ruinam vtriusque quis nouit Medle not with backbiters for theyr destruction shal rise sodenly and who knoweth the ruine of thē both of the backbiter of him that geueth him the hearing as who should saye no man but God alone All these vices rehersed and suche others must be layd away purged out of the stomackes of your soules whiche done you shall euen like reasonable infantes lately borne couet desire to be fed with that milke that is without gile or deceit the milke of the soul and not of the body by which you may grow waxe bigge toward saluation specially if you haue tasted sayth S. Peter that God is swete good curtise Here be diuersities of translations one sayth infantes rationabiles an other sayth rationa bile sine dolo lac the thyrde redeth it Lac illud non corporis sed animi this laste agreeth with the second meaning that the milke that we must desire to be nursed with all is not the milke of the body as nether cowe milke nor the mylke of womans brestes that fedeth the bodye but it is the milke of reason by which the reasonable soul is noursed and fed and that is holy doctrine as I shall say anone The fyrst translation sayinge infantes rationabiles saith so not without a cause for infantes and babes haue some properties not laudable as ignoraunce obliuion insolencie and wantones which S. Paul taxeth i. cor xiiii Nolite pueri effici sensibus sed malitia paruuli estote c. Be you not children lacking discretiō but as a child beareth no malice so must we beware that we bear no malice this is a good propertie in which we must folow the child withall we must vse reason to discerne the good from the il that no persuasion or reasoning peruerte vs frō the true and holesome doctrine to any errour or heresie for the true milke the true doctrine that shall make vs to grow to health and saluation is without gile without deceite it begileth no man Blessed S. Peter calleth by the name of milke the first principles of our faith and necessary rules that euery man and woman must beleue if they shal come to God be saued as the mistery of Christes incarnatiō of his passion resurrection and such like as be comenly preached and taught in the churche these must be vttred and shewed to al men and women after a plaine maner by such homely and familiar examples as they may sucke take and vnderstande Saynte Paule Heb. vi geueth to the Hebrewes plentye of such mylke as fyrst for them that commeth to Christ repentaunce abrenunciation and forsaking the deuyll with all his pompe and of theyr old maner of sinful liuing either by them selues or by the churche in their names because of infantes that I spoke of heretofore Another is faith on God the thirde is baptisme and the effecte therof the .iiii. is Confirmation by imposition or setting the bishops handes on him or her that is confyrmed the fyft is the resurrection of our bodies the syxt is the eternall iudgemente and rewarde that God shal geue vs accordinge to our workes These be the beginnings of christian doctrine with which they that newly commeth to Christ must be fedde plainly and without any exquisite or high pointes of diuine learninge concerninge the same for suche high learning is it that S. Paule calleth Heb. v. Solidus cibus sad meat or faste meate that shall rather hurt a beginner then fede him or do him good it may turne his stomack and make him to geue vp all as thinges vnpossible for him to digest to attayne or learne to exercise and to performe in dede And this meate agreeth well with them that be perfect perfectorū autem est solidus cibus eorum qui pro cōfuetudine excercitatos habēt sensus ad discretionem boni et mali that by vse haue their wittes exercised to discerne the good doctrine from the bad and corrupt doctrine the truth frō the falseheade as they be not able to do that be but beginners like children or babes for as yonge infantes many tymes wyll sitte moyling in the axen put earth or coles into their mouthes and other thinges that may do them hurt as sone as that shall do thē good so he that hath not his wittes exercised by often hearing the scriptures taught and declared that can not wey and iudge the thinges that he heareth whether they be true or erronious he shall as sone gape and eate into the belye of his minde earth or coles as kyndelye feadinge as sone errours and heresies to poyson him as true doctrine to edifie him and to strength him But he that remēbreth what he hath heard and when any new maner of teachinge ariseth will conferre it to the true preaching or teaching that he hath hearde afore of catholike clerkes and that by suche collation can spye whether this newe waye be safe sure or no such a one is stronge and paste chyldhode and may be fedde with fast meate The preacher may be bolde afore suche men to speake of hyer matters then he maye afore
chyldren that be beginners Saynt Paule perceauinge that the Corinthians were verye carnall and worldelye not hauinge theyr mindes eleuate to hygh learninge fed them with milke like chyldren as he sayth i. Cor. iii. yet afterward hearing of theyr dissentions and debate aboute their baptistes Cum quis dicat ego sum Pauli alius auteÌ„ ego Apollo where as one sayd I am Pawles Christen maÌ„ because I was christened of Paule an other sayth I am Apollo his Christen man because I was christened of Apollo He spied that theyr carnalitie was not all gone therfore yet he said they were not able to take sadde meate nor to be taught as spirituall men but as carnall folkes callinge them carnall folkes that he calleth there animalis homo whose sences and appetites be depressed and kepte downe to sensuall pleasures not submittinge them selues to the rule of reason directed by the holy gooste and these be carnall fleshely or beastly in liuinge Carnall fleshly or beastlye in knowledge be they that of almighty God and heauenlye thinges imageneth and iudgeth by corporall phantasies as of God that he is a fayre olde man with a white beard as the paynters make him and that the ioyes of heauen stondeth in eatinge and drinkinge pypinge and daunsinge these be grosse imaginations of carnall wittes And euen so they be spirituall in liuinge that be ordered in theyr liuinge in theyr thoughtes wordes and workes by the instincte and inclination of the holy goost ruling and guiding them to goodnes and such persons wil be as well ware and afrayd to come in that place where they may be hurte in soule as they wyll be ware to come where they maye be hurte in theyr bodies and wyll be as glad to cure and heale the soule if anye thinge be amisse as they would be to heale the bodye if it were diseased in them the feruencie and heate of the spirite waxeth not faint by multiplying of iniquitie neither by the coldnes of charitie and in theim the spirite is not quenched vnderstandinge by the spirite that spyryte whiche is conserued kepte whole and sounde with the soule and the bodye as S. Paule speaketh and not the substaunce of the holy ghoste whiche can not perishe or be hurte But we vnderstande by the spirit the graces and giftes of the holy gooste whiche by oure vertue or by our vyce be kindeled or quenched as S. Hierome writeth in his epistle ad HedibiaÌ„ And they be spirituall in knowledge that considereth of almightie God aboue all thinges that his excellencie and glory passeth all thinges that may be sene or imagined by mannes wittes and that he is not prescribed or determined to anye place but that he is infinite and vnmeasurable and all one and whole in euery place and that of the aungels and of celestial ioyes iudgeth aboue all corporall and bodelye creatures and that consydereth that after the generall resurrection men and women shall nother marye nor be wedded but shall be as Goddes Aungelles in heauen They that by exercyse in hearynge the holye Scriptures haue theyr wyttes eleuate aboue the commonne sorte of people becomme to yeares of dyscretion and loke for faster feadynge and hygher learnynge then the younger sorte dooth whiche muste be fedde with mylke or suppynges that wyll be easelye digested They that Saynt Peter wrytte vnto were but newly conuerted to Christes faith by his preachinge amonge them in his progresse in Pontus Galatia Capadotia c. Therfore specially he aduertiseth them euer to desyre that mylke of playne doctrine concerninge the fyrst principles and necessary articles of our fayth in whiche he had instructed them This is milke without gile or deceipt there is no falsehead admiâ—te or mingled with it saith Saint Peter meaninge that there is an other mylke that is mixt with gile or falsehead as the mylke that is spoken of Prou. i. Fili misi te lactauerint peccatores ne acquiescas eis My child if synners and noughtye lyuers geue the suck of mylke consent not to them as if they say come let vs take a standinge for a purse we shall get good ynough to make mery withall or els let vs be auenged on this man or that man he is euer contrary to our workes let vs rydde him out of the worlde and so we shal enioye our robberies quietly no man shall speake agaynste vs. Thus all they that intendeth mischief wyll geue sucke of this flateringe milke to make others as badde as they be them selues Therefore he sayth Prouerb xvi Vir iniquus lactat amicum suum ducit eum per viam non bonam A wycked man geueth milke to his companion and bringeth him in a shreude trade and into an yll waye As he that is a baudy felowe geuen to horehuntinge wyll make many more suche and bringe them to yll companye and to noughte wyth hym so wyll dycers so wyll carders and so wyll all vnthriftes fyrste to pleasures and consequently afterwarde to the very botome of all yll and finally to perdition and destruction This milke of temptation is not withoute gile but hath euer falseheade and gyle annexed and ioyned with it therefore we had greate nede to beware of it And yf wee shall set mylke of doctrine agaynste mylke of doctrine then considre howe the flatteringe mylke of heresie feadinge men with fayre flattering wordes and settynge afore men a counterfeit libertie to eate drynke withoute any delect choyse or difference of meat of time or place settinge litle by diuine seruyce and prayers and lesse by fastynge or abstinence This mylke is crudded and sowre and so are theyr hartes that geueth it and theyrs that fedeth vpon it or sucketh it Coagulatum est sicut lac cor eorum theyr hart is crudded lyke Milke Ambrose vpon the same Vt enim lac natura sua purum speciosum ac syncerum est sed corruptione coacescit sic cordis humani natura pura ac perspicua est priusquam viciorum admixtione coacescat Euen lyke as milke by his owne kinde is pure fayre and cleare but it waxeth soure by corruption so mannes hart is pure cleare and indifferente to all doctryne but whan the teacher is soure and corrupte it is no maruayle yf he do sone corrupt his scholer speciallye yf the scholer haue not his wytte well exercised to put difference betwyxte good and yll And howe many haue we knowen so fedde with this soure crudded milke that they haue bene made stronge and sturdie felowes paste correction or reformation growinge towarde destruction euerlasting This is the ende of the noughty noursinge with the badde milke where the iust and gratious mylke of true doctrine maketh a man to growe to saluation as S. Peter sayth here specially if you haue tasted saith he that oure Lorde God is swete and good As who shoulde saye some there be that for all the teachinge and preachinge that they haue yet they be neuer the better neither haue any swetenes in God nor
their soules Here I shuld more largely demore and tarie on this sacrameÌ„t of penance but that I remember that here afore declaring those wordes of S. Peter in the fyrste chapter secundum misericordiam suam magnam regenerauit nos in spem viuaÌ„ I touched that matter sufficiently ¶ The .viii. treatise or sermon CHarissimi obsecro vos ranquam aduenas et peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desiderijs que militant aduersus anâ—mam c. These wordes which immediately foloweth the processe that I preached of in my last sermon on Sainte Peters epistle be red in the church this present Sunday for the epistle in the Masse where in contemplation of that he had sayde immediately afore that they were sometyme not the people of God but rather Idolaters and the people of the dyuell and that nowe they were the people of God conuerted to the beliefe on one God and on our Sauiour Christ by hearyng the preachinge of Christes gospell and that sometyme they were without Gods mercye and that now they had obtayned his mercy By reason of this he calleth them very welbeloued and as his welbeloued children and friendes he entreateth theym to vse vertue and to giue to all them among whom they shuld be conuersant example of holy conuersation and liuing And afterwarde he exhorteth them to due subiection towarde theyr heades and rulers I beseche you sayth he as Straungers and Pylgrimes to kepe your selues from carnall desyres which fight against the soule This obsecration or beseching signifieth a certayne vehemencie in desiring as it wer for Gods sake or for the loue of our Lady or of al the sayntes of heauen or for their faithes sake by which thei trusted to be saued of which he had spoken much afore So he praieth them and not after the imperious commaunding of Bishops theyr officers which yet haue not al layd away the lowrynge browes of the phariseis Not that I deny but that bishops and theyr discrete officers may commaund them that be of theyr iurisdiction to do the thing that is conformable to Gods commaundement and if the contumacie sturdines of the partie proceede so far that they will not be reformed by reason by fayremeanes then to compel them by the sensures of the church to amend theyr liues as saynt Paule did by the notorious adulterer that kepte his own mother in law to paramour in Corinth And he bid Titus .ii. Hec loquere exhortare et argue cum omni imperio that he shuld rebuke them that be sturdy and fauty with al authority to coÌ„maund albeit when desiring or besechinge maye serue it doth best beseme a prelate or a curate therefore S. Paule writing to his scoler and louing friend Philemon saith Multam fiduciam habens imperandi tibi quod ad rem pertinet propter charitateÌ„ magis obsecro I may be bold to coÌ„manÌ„d the to do the thing that shalbe for the profit of thâ— soule but yet for the loue that I haue to thee I had leauer pray thee to be good to Onesimus thy seruant And euen so S. Peter might haue bene bold to coÌ„maund them that he wrot vnto but he had leauer desyre theÌ„ as straungers pylgrimes We call them straungers that dwell not in theyr owne countrey but in a straunge place So saint Peter wylleth vs to count our selues as not at home in our owne countrey because that by the faute of our fyrst parentes we be banished from Paradise which God gaue vs to dwel in and be come into this vale of misery and sorowe not to liue delicatelye and to take oure pleasure but to take paine and sorow and to do penance and not to settle our selues on worldly wealth and pleasures here but to go furth like pilgrimes or wai faring men considering that we haue no steddye and permanent citie here but that we seke for an other the citie of heauen aboue Like as Saynt Paule speaketh of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and others Heb. xi which abiding in the lande of CanaaÌ„ and had not receiued the promyses made vnto them confessinge that they wer Pilgrimes and straungers vpon earthe signifieth that they seke for a better habitacion and dwellinge place that is to say the countrey of heauen aboue An old vse hath peruerted the name of a Pilgryme because folke were woÌ„t to go from place to place to honour saintes in places dedicate for theyr honour and to kysse theyr images and they onelye in times past were callled Pilgrimes therefore nowe men thinke the proper signification of this worde Pilgrime to be none other but such as goeth about such deuocions but his significacion is more generall it signifieth a wayfaringe man or woman that abideth not still in one place but remoueth from place to place tyll at the laste he may come to his iourneys ende where he woulde be and in suche case we be neuer at rest but euer laboring through the troublous stormes of thys world to come to our inheritance and dwelling place that God hath made for vs and that our sauiour Christe by his blessed bloud is entred in afore vs to make vs roume And therfore let vs do as wise pilgrimes dooe when they intende to take a great iourney vppon theim They dispose such goodes as they haue and set theim in safe custodye and prouideth for their family or housholde We knowe not when we shal be called to take this farre iourney out of thys worlde into an other worlde as longe as we be here wee be euer onward and entred on this iourney Therfore it is necessary that we bestow our goodes on charitable workes so settyng them in safe custodye and that we order our family that is to say all the powers of our bodyes and of our soules prouidyng for them accordingly as the man did that toke his iourney into a farre couÌ„trey Mat. v. He called his seruauntes and deliuered theÌ„ his goods So muste we geue to some of our familye .v. talentes to be well occupied against our lordes returne when he shall come to the iudgemente to sitte on oure audite our bodye muste be charged with .v. senses which we cal our fiue bodely wits They must be well employed well spent well ordered So that we close theim vp agaynst all thinges that shall be contrary to Gods pleasure That our eare heare no yll wordes that our eye se no vnhonest thing â–ª that our mouth delight not in thinges that be to swete delicate nor speake any filthines neithâ—r any lyes And that we open the same our senses to all thinges perteynynge to Goddes pleasure that our eare do gladly hear the worde of God and diuine seruice and all coÌ„munication of honestye And that we conforme our eyes and our mouth likewise to such honesty â–ª To the seconde Seruaunt that is Reason wee muste geue science and knowledge in whiche he maye exercise it selfe and haue delection in that is good and maye detest and eschewe that is
that can fullye saciate the appetite of manne But by the sighte and by the hearing manne is rather sturred and moued to desire yet more and more Therefore Optimum est gratia stabilire cor Hebre. xiii Beste it is euerye manne to praye for grace and by grace to staye his harte as a shippe is stayed by the Ancre for feare of crasshinge For commonlye these curious and busy medlyng wittes after they haue longe roued they fall vppon some noyfull fantasie that pleaseth theim for the tyme there they settle their hartes to their owne confusion and worldely shame with daunger of damnation euerlastynge Thirde the flesh that is to say carnall people desireth the swetenes of tastinge and touchinge Of tastynge as of delicate and pleasaunte meates and drinkes and the swetenes of touchinge as bracyng and kissynge and consequently of the workes of lecherye Of all these saieth Sainte Paule Si secundum carnem vixeritis moriemini If ye lyue after these desires of the fleshe you shall dye for euer For they fight like cruell Souldiours againste the saluation of our Soules And saint Paule Gala. v. Caro concupiscit aduersus spiritū spiritus autem aduersus carnem Hec enim sibi inuicem aduersantur vt non quecunque vultis illa faciatis The flesshe coueteth and woulde fayne haue agaynste the Spirite and the spirite agaynst the flesshe for these bee ennemyes one to another so that you maye not dooe the thinges that you woulde dooe As he saieth also Rom. vii The good thinge that I woulde dooe I do not but the ill that I hate that I do I delite in the law of God by my inner mā but I perceiue a law or an inclination in my limmes of my body y t haleth me like a bond man into the law of sinne And in the same chapiter he saieth I my selfe by my minde serue the law of God but by my flesh I serue the lawe of synne A wonderous thinge it is that there should be suche a continuall battail and deadly conflict in man betwixt the soule and the bodie in which commonly the body that is the worst part of man hath the ouer hand and the better side And the soule very folishly taketh pleasure in the bodye whiche is his mortall enemye and woulde brynge hym to naughte Myghte not he be counted a foole that would make merye in hys mortall Enemyes house and woulde there spende hym selfe his money and his tyme as his fooe his hoste woulde haue him do And yet it is a marueile how this maye be that the bodye and the soule shoulde bee enemies or that betwixt them shoulde be any conflict or strife for as saint Ciprian saith In prolo ▪ li. de operibus christi The soule vseth the limmes and membres of the bodye as a smith vseth hys hammer or an veld as his tooles to worke with then what emnitie can be betwixte theim more then is betwixt the workeman and his toole And also considering that the body is as it were the shoppe in whiche the soule worketh all thing that he wil. There he formeth and fashioneth the similitudes and images of all filthines and of al malicious driftes The bodye is not the doer or causer of the synne but the soule for to him is geuen free libertie of will by which he may haue delectation and consent to prosecute the synne or to skippe backe from it and to auoide it The bodye you knowe when the soule is gone is wythout any sence is mete for no vse but is a verye stinkynge lumpe of earth and carren Therfore saieth S. Cypriane when we say that the flesh or the body fighteth against the soule the soule agaynste the bodye it is vnproperlye spoken Quia solius anime lis ista est que secum rixatur cū proprio arbitrio litigat This cōtencion is onely of the soule which striueth w t it self with his own libertye wythin it selfe The maner foloweth there Desiderii sui veneno mens ebria corpus contumeliis applicat iunctis complexibus ambo in mortiferas suauitates elapsi obdormiunt The mind as it were beinge dronke with the poyson of his owne desire applieth and setteth the body to dispiteful and noughtye workes and so the bodye and the soule embracyng them selfes slippeth into mortall pleasures both together and slepeth in them But when they awake and the dede is past they remēbreth thē selues most cōmonly y e horror of their sinne maketh thē confused ashamed And euer such a vēgeance or correctiō foloweth the sinner that whē he hath taken to much and surfeted in his owne lustes he vometeth and braketh it out vpō him self as it were one angry and wery of him self and of his naughty doyng God hath so prouided for the sinner that he shall be his owne scourge And thys is commen in all synnes excepte Auaryce sayeth Saynte Cypriane in whyche it dothe not so well appeare for the couetous persone is neuer wearye of gatherynge and heapynge goodes together that he maye sacrifice to his Idole mammon the God of Auarice and ambicion he is neuer ashamed whether it bee hys owne or other mennes so that he maye by catchinge and scrapinge gette it to hym And therefore it is a very true saiynge Omnibus viciis senescentibus sola auaritia inuenescit When all vices waxe olde couetise onely waxeth yonge againe Conuersationem vestram inter gentes habentes bonam c. Where Sainte Peter exhorteth them that he writte to and vs by them that they should be of good conuersation among them that thei dwelled among that where they rayle and backebite you saiyng euill of you callynge you foles because you leaue their superstitions and Idolatrye callinge you malefactours and naughtye liuers reputynge the sorowe and paynes that you suffer to be inflicte and layed vppon you for your sinnes and ill liuing Yet when thei do consider you and wey your condicions by the good woorkes that they see you vse they maye glorifye and laude God at the daye of their visitation when God shall visite their Soules by his grace to take example of your good liuynge and to followe the same and by example of you to conuerte theim selues to the faieth that you be of Here you may note howe the blessed Apostle estemeth good example geuynge it is the thinge that is necessarye for all menne that wil be saued for their owne part And it is the occasion and cause of the saluation of all others with whom they be conuersaunte And the glorye in heauen shall be exceadyngly encreased by the confluence and comminge thither of them that haue bene conuerted to vertue by occasion of thy good example where contrarye euill example geuinge shall damne him that geueth it Ve homini per quem scandalum venit Woe that is dampnation euerlasting shal come to him that geueth occasion of ruyne or of sinne and shall damne all them that by this euil example take occasion of sinne
vniuste vexation and strokes this is a matter of thankes worthye to be rewarded Take example of Ioseph that I spoke of afore he was true to his maister he runne away and fled fornication he was falselye accused and vniustlye condempned and cast in pryson and layde faste in yrons all this he toke pacientlye and suffered very soberly and humblye and therefore his rewarde was very greate and notable Fyrst God sente him a grace in his fashion and behauioure by whiche he pleased the iayler and keper of the pryson in so muche that he stroke of his yrons and made him ouersear and ruler ouer all the prysoners there and to geue them theyr meate that they were allowed at tymes conueniente Then almighty god superadded an other grace illuminatinge Iosephs wytte with vnderstandynge of secretes that shoulde come after signifyed to him by dreames by which gyft he redde and expounded the dreames of the sergeaunt of the seller and of the sergeaūt of the bakehouse that were in the iayle with hym and by that occasion two yeares after he was called oute of pryson to interpretate the kinges dreame and so he did for whiche he was exalted and made ruler of all the realme of Egypte By this blessed patriarch Ioseph almyghtye God geueth to all them that be in bondage or in any paynefull seruyce a greate solace and comforte that they maye learne by him that in the lowest state of men whiche is the state of seruauntes yet mē may be highest in maners in good conditions Ioseph was in bondage in miserable seruice and Pharao the kinge reigned ouer all his subiectes but the seruice of Ioseph was more blessed and more profitable to the realme of Egipt then the raygne of Pharao For all Egipte ▪ had be vndone and lost for hungre yf Pharao hadde not set al his realme vnder Ioseph and subdued it to his rule You may also learne by him as S. Ambrose noteth that althoughe youre bodies be subiecte to bondage and seruice yet youre mindes be at libertie your maisters be maisters of your bodies but not of your soules Therfore what paine soeuer your bodies suffer your wittes may be at liberty and may ascende towarde God hauynge a conscience and respecte to his pleasure and for his sake do your seruice faith fullye and what so euer paynes you suffer wrongfullye yet take them paciently and you shall not lose youre rewarde of almighty God To whom be all honour and glory for euer Amen The tenth treatise or sermon THe blessed Apostle Saynt Peter in this matter that I haue to be declared vnto you prosecuteth further the thinge that I partelye touched in my laste sermon whiche is of the pacient sufferaunce that the seruaunte or subiecte ought to vse towarde his maister or superiour sayinge In hoc enim vocati estis Considre your callinge GOD hath called you to serue sayth S. Peter and not to controll to suffer and not to remurmer brable or chyde agaynste your maisters and in youre well doynge and patient sufferinge of vexation and vniuste punishment you be the true folowers of Christes passion as S. Peter sayth here in whiche he glorifieth much the state of bondemen or seruauntes comparinge theyr pacience to Christes pacience in his passion That man that wyl not learne pacience of Christ can neuer be saued by Christ Remembre the highnes of his estate by whiche he was equal with his father of heauen and then the abiection and vylenes of his passion and his paynes that he suffered without any cause geuen thereto on his behalfe and this remembraunce wyll make a stony hearte to mollifye and waxe tendre And nowe my matter of Saynt Peters epistle leadeth me somewhat to speake of Christes paynfull passion whiche is most necessary for all christen folkes to heare of not onely in the passion weke in time of lent but aswell in all times of the yeare it shoulde be euer in minde and in remembraunce to make vs to considre the benefit of our redemption the punishment of the contemners of the same and specially now in the hote time of the yeare when all sinnes most feruently doth assault vs and tempt vs we had most nede of shadow to saue vs from the heat of temptation now folke be most prone to the fylthines of the fleshe now men be prone to angre to warre and discention the heate of the time disposeth men therto now men be ready to proule and go about by auarice to encreace theyr ryches by deceiuinge or supplanting theyr neighbours the tyme is fayre to laboure in All these worketh towarde destruction of mannes soule by a deuelysh heate of worldlynes contrary to the heat of godly loue inspyred by the holye goost that I spoke of euen nowe Therefore against this heat we must take a tre to shadowe vs to kepe our beautie that the deuelish heate of temptation do not marre our colour Prou. iii. Lignū vite est omnibus qui apprehendūt eā sayeth the wyse man speaking of the increat wisedome the second person in trinitie our sauiour Christe in whom the manhed is ioyned to the same wisedome in one person he is the tre of life to al mē women that cā catche or take him And y e spouse sayth Can. ii Sub vmbra illius quē desiderabā sedi I reposed my self and sate downe in the shadow of him that I desired loued We muste repose our selfe and louinglye reste in the shadowe of Christes passion that we may saue our self from synne and gather our strength agayne by whiche we maye be able to ouercome the deuyll and to resist all his assaultes Christus passus est pro nobis Christ fuffered for vs generally for vs all what state or degree so euer we be of for vs he saythe to moue vs to compassion and in our minde to suffer with him in asmuche as he suffered not for his owne faulte nor for any aduauntage for him self but for to redeme vs to make amendes for oure faultes and for to auaunce vs into the fauour of God againe Therfore he that hathe a noble and a gentle harte wyll count the paine that Christ suffered to be his own paynes because they were taken for his sake So dydde king Dauid .ii. Reg. vltimo when he saw the angell of God striking the people and kill them because he had proudly caused the people to be nūbred He cryed to God sayd I am he that hath synned and done amisse these be poore lambes or shepe what hurt haue they done in this matter◠as who should saye none I besech the turn thine anger against me and spare them Esay ▪ liii Vulne ratus est propter iniquitates nostras attritus est propter scellera nostra He was wounded for our iniquities and al to torne for our yll deedes Therefore Christes passion is or shoulde be our passion as well because of the occasion of hys passyon which was our sinnes as by the
because Christ in his parable saith that the shepherd cast the sheepe vpon hys shoulders gaudens being glad and mery but seyng all this concerneth his paineful passion on the crosse in which he suffred paines vntollerable how can it be that he with ioye and gladnes cast his straied shepe vpon his shoulders ▪ it was to his payne and not to his pleasure as it semeth In verye dede although he bore our sinnes that is to say the paines for our sinnes to his paines ache and smarting yet knowing what shoulde come of it he was gladde to take the paine and to saue hys shepe For in this you must vnderstande that the reasonable soule of Christe comprehending both wytte and wyll eleuate to the contemplation and fruition of almighty God is called the superioure hyghest parte of the soule The same soule applyed to inferiour and lower thinges is called the lower porcion or lower part of the soul As when the witte or will is applyed or inclined to the fiue wittes or to theyr sensuall appetites or to other lower worldly busines paines or pleasures all beit when the witte or will is exercysed aboute anye suche lower matters in an order to Gods pleasure they belong to the higher porcion and may be called the higher porcion of the soule largely or comonly speaking of the higher porcion To our purpose although the lower part of y e soule of Christ had sorowe paine wyth the sensible powers of the bodye that smarted and aked right sore with the flesh which was most tender in Christ because he was of most pure tender complexion In the higher part of his soule both wayes had euer ioy and gladnes As for the first way in the contēplacion and fruition of the godhead there is no doubt for it gaue Christes soule beatitude euen such ioy and gladnes as he hathe in heauen now After the second maner also whē Christe consydered hys paynefull passion as the meane appointed by the father to redeme mans soule to bring home the sheepe that was lost strayed away by sinne he toke the paines with a good will and very gladly We haue a like example of Saint Paule which by the higher part of his soule and by his deliberate and well aduised will desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ all beit the wyll vnite in amitie and loue to the sensuall appetite desyred to abyde styll in the fleshe and to lyue In lyke maner were the blessed Martyrs whyche in theyr bodyes suffered vnmeasurable tormentes and greuous paynes yet remembring Gods pleasure the rewardes that they should haue for the same they toke thē gladly with good chere And so it standeth together that Christ bearing y e paine for our sins vpō his backe on the crosse yet bore thē gaudens with ioy and gladnes in the higher porcion of his soul knowing that by his paines and bi his death mā shoulde be restored to fauoure agayne that afore was attainted out of Gods fauour And that where we were afore like straied shepe out of the blessed flocke of Gods faithfull people nowe we be conuerted and turned agayn to the pastor and bishop of our soules as S. Peter said to thē that he wrote vnto To the pastor the shepherde the feder of our soules our sauiour Christ whom afterward in his epistle .v. chap. He calleth the prynce of pastors maister of the craft the chief shepherd of the shepherds the chiefe feeder of the feeders the chiefe bishop of the bishops the chiefe curate of all curates and not onely of the flocke Him al pastors and curates aswel spiritual as temporal must folow Here I should speake more largelye of pastors and bishops but I shall deferre it vnto the .v. chapter of this epistle where God helping that matter shalbe more largely entreated Now I shal exhort you as well maisters as seruantes men and womē to consider that we haue a shepherd and an ouerseer in heauen our sauiour Christ therfore you maisters order your seruāts as you would Christ should order you with mercy and fauour And you seruantes so order your selfe to youre maysters as thoughe you serued Christ with simplicitie of harte without doublenes serue not onely to the eye whyle your maysters loketh vpō you playing the wantons while they be absent for if you doe so you are double harted which is cōtrary to simplicitie and plainnes serue as though you serued God and not mā and so being in bonde seruice you shal make your hartes free and at libertie and shall tourne bondage into libertie of hart and shal serue god and seruinge hym you raygne you bee lyke kynges ruling and cōmaunding and kepinge vnder your affections and wayward appetites of the body and so you maye come to suche fortune that you may be maisters ouer them that be free men yea and maye peraduenture be maisters ouer your maisters children Seruo sensato liberi seruiēt Eccle. x. And we haue hearde sometimes of seruauntes which in processe of time haue bought theyr maisters childrens inheritaunce or theyr goodes but these be no dastardes but wytty seruantes that come to such exaltacion And so you see that God euer requiteth rewardeth the true seruant eyther bodely and temporally is in this example rehersed or gostlye giuing him quietnes of minde by which he shall serue his maister truely and so doing he serueth Christe and shall come to hym for so is hys wyll that who soeuer serueth hym should finally be there as he is And that we all may so serue him in our calling in the seruice that god hath appointed vs to that we mai at the last com to him he graūt vs for his infinite mercye that for vs died Amen ¶ The .xi. treatise or sermon The third chapiter SImiliter et mulieres subdite sint viris suis vt si qui non credunt verbo per mulierum conuersationem sine verbo lucrifiant c. Here in the fyrste parte of this thirde chapiter the blessed Apostle ascendeth from the informacion that he gaue to them that be in seruile state of whiche I entreated in my laste sermon vnto them that be ioyned together in the yoke of mariage First speaking to the wiues and ordering them toward theyr husbandes also in theyr exteriour behauiour And consequently he teacheth the husbands theyr duties toward theyr wiues S. Peter saith Similiter et mulieres c. likewise womē must be subiect to theyr owne husbandes Likewise saith s. Peter as I haue spoken of the subiectiō of the seruantes to their maisters so I must aduertise counsel the wiues to obedience subiectiō according to their calling that thei do reuerence vnto theyr husbandes wyth feare as Saint Paule saith Ephe. v. Vxor autem rimet virum suum Let the wife feare her husbande wyth such louing fear as I haue spoken of afore more for loue fearing to displease him then for strokes or punishment And in the same
vs as it were marueilynge whye wee shoulde thinke so saiynge who is he that will hurte you if you be the folowers of good dedes as Saynte Paule speaketh Tit. ii Sectatores bonorum â—peruÌ„â— Ensuers and folowers of good workes but rather wil fauour you cherish you And so wil all good men do Yea good s. Peter why askest thou that questioÌ„ Doest thou maruel of this I praye the why was Ieremye the Prophete stoned to death Why was Esay sawed to deathe Was it not for their good liuinge and for their Preaching And why wer thou thi self thy felowes y e apostles so bitterly thretened coÌ„mauÌ„ded y t you shold no more preach in christes name Was it not because you folowed the thing y t was good Why wer you cast into the coÌ„mon geyle at y t time when y e angel of god in the night time opened the prysoÌ„ dore bade you go and staÌ„d in the teÌ„ple and speak al the words of this christeÌ„ life Act. v. And afterward when Gamaliel had by his counsel somwhat stated the malice of y e officers yet you were wel beateÌ„ coÌ„mauÌ„ded to speake no more in Christes mane And also when Herode agrippa would haue slain thee as he hadde done Iames brother to saynte Iohn to gratifie the Iewes And finallye when Nero caused thee to be killed in dede was not all this because thou were Emulator boni et sectator bonorum operum A good doer Why was saynte Stephan martyred and likewise a great multitude in the Primitiue churche was it not for well doinge And in the Gospell of this present third sonday of Lent when Christ had cast out a deuil out of a man that was both dombe deafe blinde The people marueiled praised the miracle where others as the Scribes and Phariseis said he wrought that myracle by the power of Belzebub chiefe of the deuils So that where they durste not hurte hym wyth their handes they did the worst they coulde to hurt him wyth their malicicious tongues And you good neighbours here in Bristowe I trowe you learned of them that I haue spoke of If a man abstaine from whitemeate this holye time of Lente you will call him hypocrite and dawe fole and so rap at him and strike him with youre venemous tongues and vse him as an â—biecte excludynge him out of your companie where he ought rather to be afrayed of your company to abhorre it because of your carnal lust to please the mouth and the bealy and for your euill example geuing to others you be such as Iude speaketh of in his epistle In epulis suis macule conuiuantes When you be on your Ale benche or in your bankets at the whot and strong wine you spot your own soules and spotteth others by your euill tonges and yll examples teachinge youthe to be as euill as you bee Then haue at the preachers then they hurte men with their rayling tongues and more hurt they woulde do with their handes if it were not for feare of the kinges lawes You hadde nede to amend this maner you must be content to heare your fauts tolde you that you maie so ameÌ„d theÌ„ for feare lest the deuill leade you still in your affectate and blinde ignoraunce till he haue brought you to the blinde exteriour darkenes in hell where he woulde haue you Cherishe your Preachers as besemeth good men to do or at the lestwise if you will do them no good do theÌ„ no hurt lest God take their parte and execute his vengeance against you And then to the preachers and to al good liuers I saie that if the worst fal that you be troubled with euill persons that haue no respect to your good liuing but that will rather inuent matters againste you and pike quarels by whiche they maye vnquiete you and trouble you let your trouble gender patience and so you shall conuert necessitie vnto vertue makinge a matter of vertue of it Count your selues blessed in that you suffer for Iustice sake This lesson Sainte Peter learned of our maister Christe Math. v. Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum Blessed be they saith Christe that suffer persecution for Iustice and good liuynges sake for their paine and sorow shall be recompenced with ioyes euerlastinge in Heauen the paine shall be but shorte but the pleasure shall neuer haue end Therefore feare you not any thing that semeth to them terrible and fearefull that woulde peruert and ouerthrowe a carnall worldly person and that you be not turned froÌ„ your vertue nor from any good purpose by their thunder boltes comminations threatenynges prisonmente or other punishement let none such trouble you Dominum autem Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris But that you sanctifie our Lord and master Christes in your heartes Sanctus significat firmum sanctificare firmare Make Christe sure in your heartes so that he go not from your remembraunce nother out of your loue for fear of any trouble or payne Parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti vos rationem de ea que in vobis est spe fide Euer being ready to satisfie euerye maÌ„ that asketh you the reason of the hope faith that is in you For they that be better learned more exercised in christen religion muste instruct them that be ignare not learned as charitably and soberly teaching theÌ„ by sensible plaine examples perswasions as they can And if they y t wold inquire of our faith be infidels or els peraduenture heretikes that haue swarued froÌ„ the coÌ„mon receiued faith of Christes churche If such wold be inquisitiue busy questioning rather to take vs in faut by our answers to put vs to rebuke theÌ„ for zeale or loue to learning as though our hope wer of things neuer like to be obteined or gotteÌ„ our faith wer w tout reasoÌ„ â–ª or of things vnpossible or vnlikely not worthy to be accept or receued of any wise maÌ„ yet thei may be answered reasonably That if the thinges y t we hope beleue wer not so obscure remoued froÌ„ our carnal senses as thei be our merit shold be but smal therfore because god wold reward vs abundaÌ„tly for our faith for our hope he wold vs to take more pain theÌ„ for to adheir stick to such things only as we se afore our face Many there be that be so addict wedded to their bodely senses that they will not beleue muche more then experience sheweth theÌ„ or then that they may attaine to by their owne grosse reasons by that shewing them selues not much better theÌ„ brute beastes And of such sturdy hardnes of hert coÌ„meth this diffideÌ„ce wauering about the veritie of Christes body bloud in the most reuereÌ„d sacrameÌ„t of the altar And about the state of souls after this preseÌ„t life w t many such other matters of our faith whiche be now adayes
alyue but kyll theim all for els as longe as one remaineth in vs we can not be counted iuste and good men afore God SaÌ„ctificate belluÌ„ et pugnate pugnaÌ„ domini Ioel. iii. Then we sanctifie a batayle and make an holye batayle when we kyll all the enemies of the soule that is to saye all sinnes and when we mortifie oure fleshe and cutte away al ill concupiscence of the same that we may be holye in bodye and spyrite and thus playinge the victours and conquerours we maye saye wyth the Apostle Gala. vi Mihi absit gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi per quem mihi mundus crucifixus est ego mundo Where the pseud apostles agaynste whiche Saynt Paule speaketh there reputed trouble and payne suffred for Christes sake to be nothinge profytable as many pseudapostles and false gospellars sayeth nowe a dayes or yf they saye if not with theyr tounges yet they shewe it in theyr workes Saynte Paule contrary gloryed in nothyng â—o muche knowynge the greate rewarde that he shoulde obteyne for the same euen lyke as other of the apostles when they were conuented afore the counsell of the Iewes and there rebuked and sore beaten for speakynge in Christes name Ibant Apostoli gaudentes a conspectu consilii quo niaÌ„ digni habiti sunt pro nomine Iesu coÌ„tumeliaÌ„ pati Actu v. they wente awaye with myrthe and gladnes that God hadde estemed them and taken them as worthye to suffer for Christes sake paynes and despytes So dydde Saynt Paule glorye communicatynge and takinge parte of Chrystes paynes on the Crosse knowynge as Saynte Ambrose sayeth that the loue of the Crosse causeth lyfe and the loue of the worlde bryngeth death and destruction Inuicem sibi mortui sunt dum nihil concupiscit Apostolus mundi dum nihil habet mundus suum quod agnoscat in Apostolo sicut Dominus â—it ecce venit princeps mundi huius in me inuenit nihil Ioh. xiiii The Apostle and the worlde were one crucified to another sayeth Saynte Ambrose whyle the Apostle hadde no concupiscence or desyre of worldelye pleasures and whyle the worlde hadde nothynge that he coulde knowe for his owne in that blessed Apostle Euen as oure Sauioure Christe speaketh loo the Prynce of the worlde commeth and findeth nothinge in me that he maye claime for his owne And who so euer hathe soo doone by remembraunce of Christes paines and passion so maceratinge his fleshe so punysshing subduyng quenchinge his carnall concupiscence he shall so doynge conforme him selfe to Christes paynes and shall be mortified and made deade to synne and shall lyue to Chryste Nam qui passus est in carne desiit a peccatis In whyche wordes Saynte Peter geueth vs an excellente lesson and a general rule that he that suffreth and taketh paynes in the fleshe ceaseth from synne and leaueth synne as it maye be declared discurrynge generally thoroughe all synnes When a manne or woman is tempted to lechery by ouermuche farcinge or fyllinge the bellye with meates and whote wines lette him take paine to punysshe the bellye with abstinence and anone the pange wyll swage And if it be by wantonne company or communication then sequestre thy selfe from that occasion thoughe it be paynefull to the soo to do and with all occupie thy minde aboute thy occupation or in some honest and vertuous meditation and soo thou shalte not be ouercome with temptation but shall scape it and leaue it and conuerte thy selfe to vertue Likewise in anger whiche is a certaine kindelinge or inflamynge of the bloude aboute thy harte suffer in thy bodye take paine in thy bodie lette not the occasion of that heate comme to thy harte stoppe thy mouth geue faire words thoughe it greue thee and anone thy anger wyll swage and so thou shalt make a frende of hym that thou were moued agaynste afore and shalt make a matter of vertue of that whyche if thou had folowed woulde haue turned to murther or mischiefe and to thy dampnation Likewyse of enuy of which it least semeth when thou seest an other man prospere and go forwarde in honestie in substaunce in reputation and estimation amonge the people If peraduenture thy carnall mynde woulde thinke thy sayde neighbours preferment and thrift to be derogatioÌ„ and hinderaunce to thy state and to thy estimation and woldest be sorye to se hym so to prospere but wouldest rather be glad to saye or do that might pull hym backe This is playne enuy cleane contrary to charitie and most odious to God What remedye Paâ—iaris in carne desines etiam ab hoc peccato Suffer in thy fleshe and in thy carnall fancye striue with thy passion be not so folishe as to thinke that his thrifte hyndereth thee but rather take thou payne in thy bodye to thriue and to go forwarde in honestye and in riches as well as he compell thy minde to consider that thou shouldest loue thy neighbour and consequentlye that thou shouldest be glad of hys auancemente and reioyce in it as one louer should do in an other And so thou shalte cease from that synne of enuye And euen so you shall leaue all other vyces if you wyll by imitation and example of Christe take payne in youre bodyes punysshe your bodyes and stryue wyth your carnall affection accordynge to Sainte Peters saiynge Qui passus est in carne defiit a peccatis He that hath suffered in hys bodye hath done wyth carnall vyces and synnes that so for the reste of hys life tyme while he shall lyue in the flesshe in his bodye here in this worlde hee maye liue not after the flesshe of carnall manne whyche hathe pleasure communely in voluptuous pleasures of the flesh but accordynge to the wyll of GOD in sinceritie and cleannesse of lyfe Sufficit enim preteritum tempus ad voluptatem gentium consummandam his qui ambulauerunt in luxuriis For the tyme paste is inoughe for to fulfill the wyll of Paynyms and Gentyles that haue walked that is to saye haue ledde their liues in all maner of Lecherye and pleasures of the fleshe You knowe that as I haue ofte saide Saint Peter writte to the newe christened people newely conuerted some from the Gentility and some frome the Iewes ceremonyes also nowe he speaketh speciallye to theim that afore were Gentyles whiche were moste blinde and lest knewe GOD. To theim he sayeth be you contente nowe no more you haue inoughe and to muche of that voluptuousnesse that you haue vsed like Paynyms that knewe not God And liued in all kynde of Lecherye outwarde by exteriour filthye exercise of your bodyes Desideriis and in vncleanly and wanton appetites in minde inwardlye and as it were runnynge in Reprobumsensum as Sainte Paule speaketh Rom. i. desierynge nothyng that is good for their soules in dede but rather contrarye desierynge that thinge for good whiche is naught in dede Euen as it were one that in a feruente Feauer hadde his mouthe infecte wyth
nocyue humours whiche iudgeth that thinge to bee bitter that is swete or pleasaunte in taiste in dede So euyll and vycious excercysâ— corrupteth the appetyte that it shall runne on the thing that is nought rather then to desire the thinge that is good And these desiers that Sainte Peter speaketh of here extendeth not onelye to the vnlawfull lustes of the flesshe but also to vnnaturall desires and lustes whiche Saynte Paule greuouslye taxeth Rom. i. Vinolentiis commessationibus And because it is necessarye to amoue the cause if the effecte shall be amoued therefore the blessed Apostle reproueth Glotonye of whiche commonlye ensueth lecherye And speciallye of ouermuche drinkynge of wine as sainte Paule saieth Nolite inebriari vino in quo est luxuria Be not dronke with Wyne for in wine is lecherye as the effecte in the cause And therfore as Valerius Maximus writeth Lib. ii Vini vsus Romanis foeminis ignotus fuit ne scilicet in aliquod dedecus pro laberentur quia proximus a libero patre intemperantie gradus ad inconcessam venerem esse consueuit The women of Rome in the olde tyme when Rome florished in highest auctoritie dominion knew not the vse of wyne for feare lest they should fall to anye shame or villany for the next stept of intemperancye from the God of wyne was wont to be to vnlawful lechery And Terence saieth â–ª Sine cerere baccho friget venus Without meate and drinke Uenus is colde the fleshely luste shall not trouble thee In signe and token that one of them foloweth of the other the bealy is next aboue the priuitie to geue vs to vnderstande that if we restrayne the bealy from superfluitie of meate and drynke the incontinency of lecherye shall be colde and little shall trouble vs. Where contrary he that is geuen to the pleasure of the bealy shall not auoyd the fylthines of lecherye Commessationibus in extraordinarye refections banketynges breakefastes after nonemeates reresuppers and such other lewde and vnseasonable wanton bealyglee All these feadeth lechery and so dothe all other potations and bibbinge and bollynge and reuellinge and so doth dronkennes folowynge of the same And in the olde tyme afore the fayth of Christe was receiued of these folkes that Saynt Peter writ to of such excesse in meates and drinkes folowed not onelye the vncleannes of the fleshe in lecherye but also the vnlawefull and detestable Synnes of Idolatrye and worshyppe of false Goddes worshippyng that for a God that was no God as sometyme the Sunne and Mone and suche other creatures and manye tymes dead men and women whose bodyes wer rotten in the grounde or in the Sea and their souls dampned in hell as Iupiter Mars Uenus or suche other as had exceaded in one notable work or other whyle they were alyue And that thys cryme moste odious to GOD and mooste derogatynge hys honoure and glorye foloweth of reuelynge and ryatyng appeareth by the people of Israell whiche whyle Moyses was in the mounte wyth almyghty GOD receiuyng the lawes they sate downe to eate and drynke Sedit populus comedere bibere surrexerunt ludere Exod. xxii And then they rose vp to daunce and synge and playe on such instrumentes as they hadde in worshyppe and honoure of their Calfe that was newe made whiche was plaine Idolatrye And Lactancius firmianus diuinarum institutionum Lib. primo capi xxi sayeth of suche sacrifices of the Gentilitie Epulisque saciati noctem lusibus ducerent And so you shall reade of moste parte of their solemne feastes I haue declared to you here afore what is an idole and what is Idolatrye An Idole and an Image is not all one Euerye Idole is an Image but not contrarywyse For when Christe asked them for the coyne of their money and they brought hym a Denere he asked not whose is thys idol but whose is thys ymage An Image properly representeth a naturall thinge or a thinge that is or hathe bene or maye bee as the Image of the Crucifixe An Idole representeth and signifieth that y t neuer was nor can be as when a man maketh a picture to represent the God Iupiter or the Goddesse Uenus whiche nother be nor can be for there is no god Iupiter nor goddesse Uenus neither can be anye suche Therfore what soeuer representeth them for Goddes muste neades be an Idole You make an Image an Idole geuynge diuine honoure vnto it or lokynge for helpe of it or thinkynge that one Image of our Ladie can helpe thee better then an other for there is in the Image no suche diuine power The wyse Poet sayeth verye fetelye Qui fingit sacros â—igno vel marmore vultus non facit ille deos qui colit ille facit He that maketh holye faces in Timber or in stone maketh not Gods he that worshippeth them he maketh them gods And so thou makest an Idole of thy wife or of thy childe by ouermuche louynge theim or cherishynge theim and doinge more for theim then thou wouldest do for GOD. And slackynge or leauinge thy duetye to God to please theim after the maner of Saynte Paules speakynge when he calleth Auarice IdoloruÌ„ seruitus Couetousnesse is Idolatry because the couetous man maketh his money his Idole and his GOD doinge more for to gette richesse then he woulde do to get God And takinge more minde on riches then on God And doing that for his goods sake that he woulde not do for Gods sake And after this manner you maie make an Idole of the newest Image that is if you wyll geue it suche honoure as is not kindelye for it Make no more of an Image but onelye take it as a representer to signifye and to put you in remembraunce of the thinge that it is made after and passe no more vppon it In quo admirantur non concurrentibus vobis in eandem luxurie confusioneÌ„ Here s Peter toucheth a coÌ„mon experieÌ„ce which chauÌ„ceth to theÌ„ y t froÌ„ vyce be coÌ„uerted to vertue or froÌ„ a coÌ„men maner of liuyng to more worship or to more honestie or from pouertie to greate riches Suche as were their equals afore suche as were their companions or as leude as they were afore wyll mocke theim gest at them yea and some will bitterlye rayle and dispitefullye backebite theim Example we haue i. Reg. x. of Saule whiche was but a rude persone and sekynge hys fathers Asses that were strayed awaye he met with Samuell the Prophet who by Goddes commaundement anointed him king of the realme and tolde hym afore hande certain thinges that shoulde be fortune hym that when he sawe them come to passe and come to effecte as they were told hym he myght by them assure hym selfe that Samuell was a true Prophete and that he declared to hym Goddes minde sincerelye and truelye â–ª Amonge other this was one signe when thou shalt come to a certayne town in thy waye saide Samuell vnto Saule there thou shalt mete a company of Prophets Et insiliet in te spiritus
one feuer or 〈◊〉 other hed ache colick y e stone gowts runninge legges dropsye and palsye All these biddeth vs beware and geueth vs warninge afore But manye there bee that wyll take no warninge by these infirmities but be as maliciouselye disposed in blasphemy couetousnesse euen whyle they be subiecte to such diseases as thei were in healthe They neuer remembreth death till they be so taken that they can nother stirre hande nor foote and can scarsely speake or heare As we haue knowen of these hel houndes ruffrans and riatours that by their life time had neuer deuotioÌ„ toward god nether regarding masse nor other diuine seruice not her the sacrament of Christes churche which when they haue bene taken w t feruent sicknes y t they could not by the helpe of phisitions recouer haue fallen to raginge blasphemyng swearyng and so died desperatly After whych soden death foloweth and preuenteth the disposynge of a mannes Soule to GOD or of hys goodes to the worlde all the sayde messagers infirmities and diseases they bringe shrowde ridinges to the bodye and bee nothinge pleasaunte for the sensuall appetite in as muche as they putte menne to paine And healpe to drawe menne to the graue but to the reason they shoulde bee welcome for they be medicynable and holesome for the soul in as muche as they letteth menne and kepeth menne from synne and maketh theim more feruent to please GOD and to liue vertuouslye When mens infirmities be multiplyed and commeth one vpon an other men will make haste to know God and to come to God amending their lyues And s Paule consideringe that virtus in infirmitate perficitur .ii. Cori. xii vertue is made parfite in infirmitie in as much as sickenes and weakenes of body is the matter and occasion to exercise Pacience to exercise Temperaunce and Chastitye and also by syckensse knowynge a mannes owne infyrmitie he shall be made more lowlye and meeke and so stronge to exercise him selfe in vertue And also because that vertue is neuer so parfite as when it hath some infirmitie contrarye that it maye striue agaynste as Chastitie when it is not tempted by carnall concupiscence is not so parfite as when it is tempted and so pacience is moste excellent that is proued and tempted by vexacion of Shrowes and by displeasures and therefore Saynte Paule saith LibeÌ„ter gloriabor in infirmitatibus meis vt inhabitet in me virtus Christi I shall gladlye and wyth a good wyll reioyce and be proude in myne infyrmities that so I may be conformable to Christ hauing vertues in me more eminent and more excellent then els they woulde haue bene Propter quod placeo mihi in infirmitatibus meis in contumelijs in necessitatibus in persecutionibus in angustijs pro Christo. I please my selfe as a proud manne dothe when I am weake and sicke or diseased in bodye and when I am dispitefullye vexed and when I am in greate and extreame neade in persecution in distresse or in streictes Cum enim infirmor tunc potens sum When I am sicke and weake then I am strong and mightye Ambrosius Verum est quia tunc vincit christianus cum perdere putatur tunc perdit perfidia cum se vicisse gratulatur plaudit â—gitur cum illi insultatur surgit cum premitur It is true that the apostle saith for then a christen maÌ„ ouercoÌ„meth and hath the ouerhande when he is thought to lose and to haue the worse And then falshode loseth when he is glad of his winnyng or that he hathe ouercome and gotten the vpper hand And therfore saint Paule was most glad and proude in God when men kicked and wrought displesures against him and he rose vpward when men thought they pressed hym downe An other common messager of deathe is example of others that we see plucked away from vs euery daye of all ages of all states and degrees As well vnthrifts and noughty liuers as blessed meÌ„ of the best sort There is no daie but we heare of the death of one or other bi which we may assure our selues that we shall go after And almightie God many times suffreth blessed men and good liuers to dye sodainely and sometimes more miserably in the reputation of the worlde then tyrantes extorcioners and bribers and such other of the worst sort Temporall wealth and temporall penurye and pouertye is common as well to good folke as to the bad folke and so is that we call miserable death a faire deathe For the first S. Aug. i. ci dei ca. viii Temporalia bona mala vtrisque voluit esse coÌ„munia vt nec bona cupidius appetantur quo mali quoque habere cernuntur nec mala â—â—piter euiteÌ„tur quibus boni plerumque afficiuÌ„tur God woulde that good thinges and ill chaunces should be coÌ„men to good men and to bad because good things shold not be to gredely desired whiche we se noughty persoÌ„s to haue and enioy nor yll things should not be shamefully eschued and abhorred whiche moste commonlye good people hath and be combred with all The most diuersity is in the vse and occupiynge of prosperitie and of aduersitie For a good man is neuer the prouder for prosperitie nother ouercast broken or marde by aduersitie where contrary a noughty person in felicitie is corrupt by pride and arrogancy and with infelicitie with yll chaunces aduersite is sore vexed and punished many tymes brought to desperation yet besyde thys almyghty God showeth his meruelous worke in the distribucion or deuidinge of prosperite and aduersite as well as of a good death and a foule death in that that if GOD shoulde by and by correcte euerye synne wyth some manifest paine he should leaue nothinge to bee punished at the generall iudgemente â–ª and agayne if GOD did punyshe no no faulte nor synne nowe in this presente life menne woulde thynke there were no Godlye prouidence at all or that GOD cared not for the worlde or what that menne did in the worlde And lykewyse when menne praye for prosperitye or for sufficiencye herein thys world if God would not of his liberall goodnes graunt men somwhat of their peticioÌ„s somtimes among meÌ„ wold think that he had nothing to do with them or that worldly wealth pertained not to him and were none of his to bestow when he wolde and again if he should graunt theÌ„ to eueri man that wold aske for them meÌ„ wold serue god for none other thing but for them and the seruice of God should not make vs godly and deuout toward him but rather gredy and couetouse to the world Therefore although there be no dissimilitude betwixt the thinges that good meÌ„ naughtye men in differently suffereth yet there is great diuersitie and differeÌ„ce betwixt the sufferers As if a man chafe in his hand or els against the fyre talow or greace it giueth an horrible stinckynge smell where as if you likewise chafe by the same fyre a pleasant
sinne or to the increase of his damnation Another maner of couerynge oure synnes is when they be so couered that God seeth them not and that is to saye that he imputeth them not to vs nor leyeth them to our charge for after the maner of speakinge of scripture then he seith sinnes and loketh vpon them when he punisheth them and then he seith them not when he doth not punisshe them And therefore the prophet sayde in another place Auerte faciem tuam a peccatis meis Tourne awaye thy face from my sinnes As who shoulde saye with the eyes of thy mercy loke vppon me and se me but see not my synnes but as it were one that had forgotte theim punysshe theim not knowe theim not but forgeue them and impute theim not to me nor laye them to my charge And in this case be they that wythoute gyle or dissimulation vttereth theyr synnes Of suche it is sayde Nec est in spiritu eius dolus In suche a mans spyryte there is no gyle where contrarywyse they that vseth gyle and clookynge theyr faultes howe muche the moore they laboure in defence of theyr synnes boastynge their owne merites and their owne well doinges and seith not their owne iniquities nother speaketh of theim so muche their goostlie fortitude and might decaieth and waxeth weaker And therefore againste proude men that trusted muche in their owne good dedes and would not be a knowen of their faultes Christe putteth a parable of the proude Pharisei and the humble publicane The Pharisei praised him selfe of his vertues but he spoke nothinge of his faultes The publicane cloked not dissembled not vsed no gyle but toke vpon him as he was and therefore the one was iustified and iudged for a good man where the other was condempned Christe defended the Publicane and gaue sentence acquitinge him as not giltie and couered his sinnes not any more to impute them to him or to laye them to his charge where the proud Pharisei euen in the temple in the Surgions shoppe and vnder the Surgions hande shewed forth his whole limmes where he was not sicke nor soore declaringe his vertues but his sinnes he couered and hidde from the Surgion and therfore he was not cured he might haue sayd Quoniam tacui inueterauerunt ossa mea dum clamarem tota die Because I helde me styll my bones wexed olde and decayde to noughte while I cryed al day longe The bones of the soule be vertues for as the bones of the bodye maketh the bodye stronge so doth vertues make the soule stronge These bones these vertues decayeth and draweth to nought whyle we be styl and cry al day longe A straunge maner of speakinge of the scripture It is euē of the same maner that I spake of nowe The Pharisei was styll and helde his tounge and yet cried to loude he was styll clokinge and hidinge his faultes with scilence and yet he was loude ynough bosting and praysing him selfe of his vertues and of his well doinges of whiche he shoulde haue spoken not a worde and therfore his vertues auailed him not to saluation of his soule but decaied to nought as his soule did So good neighbours there be inough and to many of vs that crye loude inough boastynge and praysinge our well doinges yf anye be but to speake and confesse our faultes we be styll ynough and holde our tonges As manye men of their glottenye of drinkinge men vnder the borde of ryottinge and surfettinge and of wastfull bankettinge and of theyr pryde malicious taunting of pore men of sclaunderinge and backebiting they take no remorse or grudge of conscience but rather reioyce in mind make much boasting outwarde of the same They vse not to reuele vtter such faultes to theyr goostly father and to almighty God with contrition and sorow for them but rather glorieth in their ill doinges to the increase of theyr owne dampnation If they woulde with a lowly heart vncouer them to the surgion he woulde make them whole where as if they be hidde they wil rankel and fester to euerlastinge corruption Pryde maketh a man to hide his faultes to his dampnation Charitie putteth awaye Pryde Charitas enim non inflatur Charitie is not proude and therfore it disposeth a man to humilitie making him contente to shewe him selfe as he is to the surgion and so he shall be cured and well at ease before God Beatus enim cui non imputauit dominus peccatum He is blessed to whose charge oure lorde God hath not layde any sinnes but geuing him charitie couereth his synnes S. Peter cōsideringe this exhorteth vs aboue all thinges to haue charitie for it couereth the multitude of sinnes And therfore it may be called a holesome and healthfull garment for the soule for diuers necessarye properties of a garment Fyrste like as a garment conserueth and kepeth a mannes lyuelye and naturall heate within him so doeth charitie conserue the lyfe of the soule so that he that lacketh it lacketh lyfe and is dead i. Ioh. iii. Qui non diligit manet in morte He that hath not loue or charitie abideth in death he is all colde and stiffed This liuely heate of the soule is conserued and saued by kepinge the commaundementes of god which be al comprehēded in loue or charitie accordinge to Christes aunswer to a certayne learned man that apposed him saying maister what shall I do to haue euerlastinge life Christ apposed him again in his owne learning what is written in the lawe howe reade you He aunswered Thou shalte loue God aboue all thinges with thy whole hearte with thy whole soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde And thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou sayest wel sayeth Christ Hoc fac uiues do that and thou shalt liue And all this is done by kepinge the ten commaundementes of God In the thre fyrste commaundementes we be taught howe to order our loue towarde God and in the seuen last howe we shall extende our loue to our neyghbours And yf we perfourme and fulfyll these for loue we shall please God and deserue heauen by them where as yf we kepe them onely for feare we would do the contrary if we might and be no thanke worthye Albeit better it is to fulfyll the commaundementes for feare then not to fulfyll theim at al for by oft doyng wel for feare we may gendre a loue to wel doing so at last we shal do wel for loue and shall haue a swetenes in wel doinge Second charitie is compared to a garment for like as a garmēt defēdeth a man in external heat in colde in wet drie wether so doeth charitie award defend the soule in prosperitie in aduersitie For as s. Paule saith Diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonū To them that loueth God al thinges worketh to good for both prosperitie aduersitie God is to be lauded thanked when al thinges that man liueth by cōmeth plētifully whē the
be here as strauÌ„gers pilgremes and wayfaringe men in a straunge countrey For in verye dede we were caste into this payneful and troubelous worlde by occasion of the sinne of our old Adam out of the quiet and pleasauÌ„t seat of paradise and sent away into exile banishment And so here we haue not our owne countrey Dum enim domi sumus in corpore peregrinamur a domino .ii. Cor. v. Whyle we be at home in our mortall bodies we be pilgremes and straungers from our Lord God Therfore let vs not loke for that thinge in the way in our banishment that is kepte for vs at home in our countrey For rest and ease of oure soules in grace and vertue we should trauaile and labour lyke straungers and wayfaringe men euery one doing good one to another while we haue tyme here and specially by liberall comonication and distribution of that we haue one to another for of suche helpe and releife pylgrems haue mooste nede And though among moral vertues Iustice is moste excellent yet as the Philosopher sayth liberales maxime amantur they that be liberall be moste beloued because they helpe many others many others fareth the better for theÌ„ One kinde of liberalitie is hospitalitie that S. Peter speaketh of here It is the bouÌ„teousnes largenes in geuing meat drinke lodginge one to another euery one releuing an others nede accordinge to the power that God hath lent them this shall releue the nede of pore wayfaring meÌ„ very greatly There be .ii. maners of hospitalitie one is bodely hospitalitie y e other is spiritual hospitalitie the first is lauded in the Gospel by the wordes y t Christ shall say to them y t shall be set on the right hand of the Iudge at y e daie of iudgement Venite benedicti pâ—is mei c. Come to me you the blessed of my father take the kyngdome that is prepared for you from the beginning of the world For I was an hongred and you gaue me meate I was a thriste and you gaue me drinke I was a straunger and lacked harborow or lodgyng and you toke me in and gaue me lodgynge And saint Paule counseleth the Hebrewes that he wrot to among other thinges saiyng Hospitalitatem nolite obliuâ—sci per hanc enim placueruut quidam angelis hospicio receptis Heb. xiii Forget not hospitalitie for by hospitalitie some men haue pleased angels that they receiued into their houses whiche they thought first to haue bene men but afterwarde they perceiued that they were angels appearyng to theim in the likenes of men Such were they that appered to Abraham in Mambre when they tolde him that Sara his wife shoulde beare him a childe to be his heyre And such were they that appered to Loth in Sodom and bade him auoide out of that towne for it should forthwith be destroyed Uppon which saith Origene Loth dwelled in Sodome we reade not manye good dedes of his hospitalitie onely is praysed in him he scapeth the flames he scapeth the fires for that onely that he opened his house to gestes and straungers The angels entred the house where hospitalitie was kept The fire entred into the houses that were shut vp againste gestes But all men be not like disposed to hospitalitie for some men Hospitem velut hostem vitant excludunt They shun shut out a gest as thei wold an enemy Let them beware of the fire with the Sodomites Some other be liberall and kepeth good houses but it is for some corrupt intente either because thei can not be mery without companions and good companye and so they do it to please them selues which commeth of carnalitie Some other doth it of pride and vaine glorye or for some temporall profite or aduauntage As Tully the noble oratour commeÌ„deth hospitality but his motiue and consideration is nought it is to worldly He saith .ii. offi Est enim valde decoruÌ„ patere domos hominum illustrium illustribus hospitibus It is verye semely for noble mens houses to be open for noble gestes but his cause why he saith so is carnal For it foloweth there Reipublice est ornamento homines externos hoc liberalitatis genere in vrbe nostra non egere c. It adourneth and doth honour to our common wealthe that menne of straunge countreys lack not thys kinde of libertye in oure Citye speakynge of Rome where he dwelled Est etiam vehementer vtile c. It is also wonderous profitable for them that woulde be able to do muche or manye great thinges amonge straungers to be in good credence of riches of loue and fauoure amonge people of straunge countreys by the meanes of their geastes whiche they haue receyued in hospitalitie So that Tullies minde was to get coÌ„moditie by his hospitalite either to him self or to his citie and countrey men This is a worldly policy coÌ„ming of the worldly prudence that I spoke of afore And as S. Ambrose saith super Luk. xiiii Hospitalem remuneraturis esse est affectus auariciae To be a great housholder or viander lokinge for acquitall or for to be recompenced with as good or better againe is the affect or desire of auarice rather then of liberalitie And therfore our Sauiour Christe declaryng to vs the verye true liberall hospitalitie of the Gospel in the said .xiiii. chapter of Luke Cum facis prandium aut coenam noli vocare amicos tuos neque fratres neque cognatos neque vicinos diuites nequando ipsi te vicissim inuitentac c. When thou makest a dyner or a supper do not call thy frendes nor thy brethren nor thy kinsfolkes nor thy riche neighbours lest an other tyme they bidde thee againe as thou hast done them and so thy benefite be redobbed or quit thee home But rather when thou makest a feast call pore people weake folkes halte and lame and blinde and thou shalbe blessed because they can not quitte thee with as good agayne For thou shalt be quit at the resurrectioÌ„ of good men Marke that he saieth Lest they bidde thee againe and so thy benefite be redobbed or quitte As who shoulde saye If thou wylte doe this meritoriouslye to be rewarded of GOD therfore thou muste be well ware that thou doe it so that thou looke for no temporall rewarde to come thereof but as willynge fullye to eschue auoyde all expectation of rewarde or recoÌ„pensation in this world that thou maiest be rewarded in the resurrection of the iuste For though of hospitalitie come great rewarde temporall and increase yet that is not the thing that we muste loke for nor intende to haue least when we haue that we lose all the other Of the reward for hospitalitie there be in scriptures many gaye examples whiche seming temporall yet signifieth the spirituall impinguation and feading and profite of the soule I read .iii. Reg. xvii â–ª of the blessed prophet Helye that on a time as he came towarde a towne called Sarepta sidoniorum
God But when he that hathe receiued all suche benefites at Gods hande lyueth not well but viciouslye hee payeth not that hee ought he giueth no thanke to the gyuer nor bestoweth these giftes to Gods honour nor to the profite of Gods poore people nor to the wealthe of hys owne poore neyghbours no more then other gyftes of grace that God hath gyuen hym The giftes of nature as bodelye strengthe must be bestowed not as an instrument of mischief to fighting quareling brawling or to theft or murder or such like but must be bestowed in good exercise auoyding of idlenes As the wisemaÌ„ saith Quicquid potest manus tua instanter operare nihil est enim apud inferos quo tu properas Whatsoeuer thy hand can worke do it buselye for there is no worke to do in hel whither thou makest haste by thy idlenes Likewise beutie of face in whyche most part of women excedingly glorieth shoulde not be vsed as an instrument of mischiefe to allure any person to concupiscence by curious and wanton trimming thy self like a staale to take y e diuell And so the gifts of grace as cunning learning perspicuitie clerenes of wyt shoulde euer do good to thy neighbour and not onely to please thy selfe And riches that God sendeth muste be so bestowed that in any wise we beware of couetousnes and of nigardnes as Christ biddeth vs. Luke xij Videte cauete ab omni auaritia quia non in abundantia cuiusquam vita eius est Take heede beware of all couetousnes for a mans life standeth not in the aboundaunce of hys possession Where our Sauiour Christe forbiddeth not onely desyre to haue but also desyre to saue Desyre to haue dampneth many a one as it is playne of robbers theues and brybers and of suche as deceyue men in byinge and sellynge and they that gyueth false euidence or beareth false witnes to wynne and gette a lyuing or to gette the greate mans fauour or els peraduenture to saue theyr owne liues For after Saint Austine this auarice and couetousnes to saue a mans owne life is an horrible auarice greatly to be feared that a man for hys mortall lifes sake wyll loose him which where he was imortal was made mortal to make the immortal and to giue the life euerlasting It were better to dye for truth and to saue the life of the soule by which thou mayst come to euerlastinge life then to loose that life and to be brought to death euerlasting we shoulde be content rather to contempne thys wretched lyfe then to commit any sinne we should be content to say with him Nudus egressus sum de vtero matris mee nudus reuertar illuc Iob grudged not in al hys calamitie but tooke it thankfullye and said I came out of my mothers belye al naked bare and so I wil returne thither agayne Naked he was without bodely aparel but he hadde plenty of rayment that would neuer rotte So better it were for vs to be brought to such myserye as Iob was yea and that oure enemye or a tormentour that thursteth mannes blood should slaye vs oute of hande then that wee shoulde by oure owne tounge for anye desyre of lyfe or of lucre or aduauntage slaye oure owne soules And where Christe sayde Cauete ab omni auaritia c. he speaketh specially agaynst thys couetuousnesse and desyre to saue as appeareth by the parable there of a ryche manne whose landes hadde broughte fourthe a ryche croppe of grayne In so muche that he studyed by hym selfe and sayde what shall I dooe nowo â–ª This will I doe I will take downe and breake mine old barnes and I will make them larger and there I wyll bestowe and laye vp myne encrease and all my goodes and then I wyl say to my self O my soul thou hast goodes inough laid vp for mani yeres now take thy rest eate drink make feastes and bankets at thy pleasure But God sayd to hym Oh thou foole this night thei wyll take thy soule from thy body and then the goods that thou hast gotten who shal haue theÌ„ And euen so and in like case is he saith Christ that hourdeth and storeth for himselfe and is not ryche to godwarde Generally all suche as doe not vse the giftes that God hath giueÌ„ them but drowne them and hide them all to theym selues and nothing to the wealthe of theyr neighbours theyr houshold felowes Gods folkes all such be slothfull stuardes and be like him that Christe spoke of Math. xxv in the parable of a greate man that went from home into a straunge countrey and left his goodes among his seruauntes to be employed and occupied for his profit in his absence To one he gaue fiue talentes to an other two to the third he gaue one talent and this man that had but one talent in stocke knitte hys maisters money in a cloute and hyd it in the earth and did no good vpon it When the mayster came home and shoulde syt in hys audite where euerye man had labored vpon theyr maysters stock and had gotten good encrease thys last man brought the mony whole again excused hym self laying the fault on hys maister saying I know that you be a rough man a sore cruell man a hard man you wil loke to gather wher you nothing cast abrod and you will reape wher you nothing sowed therfore I thought good to be sure without any los thus I haue hid it lo here it is you haue your owne good againe But for his slothe his talent was taken from him and he was cast into exteriour darkenes where shalbe weping gnashinge of teeth This was for his slothe and negligence in which he offended fearing vndiscretly his maisters sharpenes But other stuardes ther be that I spoke of afore that without feare of God payeth shrewd paymente abusyng Goddes gyftes to theyr owne lust and likinge and to hurt theyr felowes Gods seruantes Of such stuardes take example Math. xxiiij Si autem dixerit malus seruus in corde suo moram facit dominus meus venire ceperit percutere conseruos suos manducet autem et bibat cuÌ„ ebriosis veniet dominus seruiâ—llius in die qua non sperat hora qua ignorat et diuidet eum partemque eius ponet cum hipochritis illic erit fletus stridor dentium If the shrewd seruaunt say in his minde my mayster is long a comming vpoÌ„ that beginneth to strike and hurt his felowes to eate and drinke with drunkerdes his Lorde and mayster will come when he thincketh not â–ª will diuide his soule from his bodie and wil laye his part with hipocrites his soule with false christen people with such as beginneth well and end noughtely that semed good Christen men yet dissemblers they were and inwardly noughty liuers and dampnable into hell Luc xij readeth it Et cepit percutere pueros et ancillas and beginneth to strike the children
call hym their Emperoure or as if the Deacones shoulde chose one amonge theim selues whome they knew to be circumspect wise and diligente and woulde call hym an Archedeacon or chiefedeacon for what thinge is it that the Bishoppe but a prieste dothe the same excepte it be geuyng of orders confirming of children and some other consecrations and blessinges which by common consent of the churche were geuen to the bishops office Saint Augustine in an epistle that he writeth to saint Ierom agreeth to the same saiyng Quanquam secundum honorum vocabula que iam ecclesie vsus obtinuit Episcopatus presbiterio maior sit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Iheronimo minor est Although bi the termes of honour which now the vse of the church hath goten a bishop is greater then a priest yet notwithstandyng in many thinges Augustine is lesse of reputation then Ierome albeit Augustine were a bishop and Ierome but a priest Wel then we must take it indifferently as well of a bishop as of a priest yea and also of a deacoÌ„ .i. Ti. iii. y t they must be w tout crime euen as it besemeth gods stuard of his spirituall treasure which requireth a more trusty minister theÌ„ any worldly treasure doth A priest also must not be proud for a proud man thinking that his prefermeÌ„t to y e dignite of a priest is more because of his excellencye and deseruynge and because he thynketh hym selfe so necessary for the churche that the congregation hathe neade of hym and can not be wythout hym and so falleth to contempne and despyse others that be as good and better then hee and by that falleth into the snares of the Deuyll As Saynte Paule sayeth De neophitis i. Timo. iii. Where he woulde not haue hym promoted to be a Bishoppe or a Prieste that is a newe conuerse As who should saye yesterdaye at the Carte or in the barne among his corne and his threshers or in the common market and to daye at the altare to entrete the sacrament yesterday at the open sises sessioÌ„s lawe dayes or the courtes to day to minister in the church yesterdaye at dice and cardes and all vnthriftye games and to daye to turne and reade the holy bokes of the scriptures or the holy masse boke yesterdaye to dauncyng and daliing and to daie to consecrate priestes wydowes or virgyns Such sodayn chauÌ„ges s. Paul liketh not for fear lest they that be so newly promoted wold sone forget theÌ„ selues their callinge Non Iracundum a prieste muste not be a fumishe or passionate maÌ„ anone in a rage for euery turning of a straw or for a triful for he that is as a iudge amonge the people as priestes be muste weighe all â–ª matters afore they take theim to harte leste in their anger they shal not see the ryght but rather saye or do otherwise then reason woulde Iratus is he that for some cause is kindled or moued and prouoked to anger Iracundus is hee that for lyghte occasion or small cause is moued to auger Saincte Paule woulde not haue a Prieste to be sone on fire or angrye but rather wyth Patience longaâ—imitye and longe sufferaunce to beare with his neighboure Non vinolentum no greate drinkers of wyne they must bee that be promoted to holye orders speciallye aboue all menne because that wee be sette in the steade and place of the Apostles therefore wee muste obserue not onely their wordes preachyng but also there abstinence Nolite inebriari vino in quo est luxuriâ— sayeth Sainte Paule The filthinesse of Lechcrye and carnall luste commeth principallye of takynge to much wyne and hoate or stronge drinkes and with ouermuch feadynge for it is true that Terence sayde Sine Cere Baccho friget Venus â–ª Esay sayeth Capi. v. Ve quiÌ„ potentes estis ad bibendum vinum fortes ad miscendam ebrietatem Woe be vnto you eternall payne shall come to you that bee stronge to drinke Wine and to mengle dronkennesse not onelye to be dronke youre selues but also to make others dronken Lette vs therefore aboue all other menne remember the wyse mannes decree and sentence Cogitaui a vino carnem meam abstinere vt animam meam transferam ad Sapientiam Ecclesiastes ii I haue thoughte decreed and determyned my selfe too abstayne my Bodye frome Wyne that soo I myghte tourne my Soule and wytte to Wisedome And wee reade of Dauyell and his fellowes Dany ii That they refused the meates of the Kynges reward and from hys boarde and toke pulse and hearbes of the Gardeyn to eate and water to drynke and so they became wyser then all their companions excellently learned in all bokes in al sciences For in very dede abstineÌ„ce wyth study breadeth science and learning which is most besemyng and necessarye for all prelates and priestes Non percussorem they muste not be lyght fingered or readye to stryke or to hurte anie manne As they be commonly that wyll not refrayn their passion or anger and also they that be dronken wyth wyne whiche the Apostle excludeth here immediately afore And some men deuoutlye vnderstande that Non percussorem that he muste not by wordes in preachyng rappe at anye man strikynge his conscience wyth peruerse and false doctrine and with sedicious opinions And Sainte Peter sayeth here Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei prouidentes non coacte sed spontanee secundum deum neque turpis lucrigratiased voluntarie Prelates and Priestes muste not be to desierous or gredye of vnhonest lucre gaynes or wynnynge You muste vnderstande that the occupiyng that well besemeth som man is vnsitting and euil besemyng some other man And that is honeste to one man is filthye vnhonest and euyll besemynge to an other manne A Draper a Mercer a Shomaker and a hardwareman maye stande in the open Market and sel hys ware to the most aduauntage and gaine thereby sufficientlye to sustayne hym selfe and hys familye or housholde A Knyght a squyre or a well landed manne maye not so do wyth hys honestye It were filthye shame and dishonestye for hym so to dooe and hys winnyng shoulde not bee but fylthye wynnynge horrye shyfte and shamefull gaynes So a priest that hath refused worldly trouble toyling and giuen him selfe onelye to the seruice of God may not with his honesty yea but with his shame giue him selfe to worldly cheuesance marchandise chopping and chaÌ„ging byeng good chepe selling deare That occupying or gaynes that is tollerable and somwhat honest in other is turpe lucrum shameful gaines in him But yet there is a more filthy gaines that some prelates and priestes laboreth for to the great infamie of the churche and that is the gredie appetite that they haue to get winning at dise and cardes and suche vnlawfull games and myspendinge theyr good houres at the same This is vere turpe lucruÌ„ filthy or vnhonest gaines The Philosopher .iiij. Ethi saithe that turpe lucrum est quuÌ„ aliquis parui lucri gratia
the flesh but these men these priests be the aucthors and doers of that byrth which we haue of God and of that blessed regeneration and trew liberty by which we be made the children of God by adoption and speciall grace The Iewes priestes of Moyses law had power not to pourge clense the bodie from leprie of them that were infecte with the same disease but rather to discerne iudge whether men were purged or not purged from that disease and yet was their priesthod in hie estimacion and ambitiously desired as appered bi Chore Dathan and Abyron which for their obstinate and greedie desyre sanke into Hell the earth opened and swalowed them vp with all theyr confederacie Then coÌ„sider how the priesthod of the new Testament is amplified made of more sanctimonie by reason of the most holie misteries and sacramentes with whiche it is exercised then euer was the priesthod of Moyses law For Christes priestes doth not only declare and iudge whether men be purged fro the lepres of the soule or not but rather doeth purge them in deede by the power that Christ hath geuen to them Therfore after Chrisostom looke howe great difference there is betwixt vehement loue and desire of a thing and the contempt or despising of a thing so greatly thei that despiseth the holy priesthod of Christes ministers be more detestable to be reproued then euer were Chore and Dathan and their confederacy which with so ardent and feruente desyre aspired to the priesthod of Moyses time The one sanke downe into the gapinge earth which swalowed theÌ„ downe into Hell then let not the other thinke to escape without more shame and vengeauÌ„ce Moreouer yet further to compare the priestes to our naturall parentes Almighty God hath geueÌ„ to priestes more power vpon vs then to our naturall parentes For our parentes begetteth vs into this present temporall lyfe but the priestes getteth vs into euerlasting life Our carnall parentes can nother saue vs from temporall sickenes nor froÌ„ temporal death but the priestes not only when they regenerate vs by water and with the holy spirite or when by their holy doctrine they recouer vs from vice to vertu but also when we be bodyly sicke also sicke in our soule they cure and heale vs obtayning by the succour and help of their prayers bothe health of body and soule witnesseth S. Iames Iaco. vlt. Infirmatur inter vos aliquis accersat presbiteros ecclesie orent super euÌ„ vngeÌ„tes euÌ„ oleo in nomine dnÌ„i oratio fidei saluabit infirmuÌ„ et alleuiabit euÌ„ dominus et si in peccatis sic remittentur ei WheÌ„ any maÌ„ amoÌ„ge you is sicke let him sende for the priests of the church let them pray ouer him anoynt him with oyle in y e name of our Lord the praiers of faythfull persoÌ„s shal saue y e sick our lord shal set him vp agayn And if he be in sinnes they shalbe forgiueÌ„ him Natural pareÌ„ts cannot help theyr children if they offende against princes or kinges in anye poynt of treason or greuous offence where priestes many times obteineth grace mercy and fauour for theyr spirituall children not of mortall princes but of almighty God wheÌ„ he is offended with them Well thys excellencie of priesthod coÌ„sidered which I haue now at large declared euer presupposing their excellency power and auctority to be principallye vpon the soule of man in such things and doinges as be toward God to whom be all honour glory for euer Amen ¶ The .xix. treatise or sermon WOrshipful frendes I truste you remember that in my laste sermon that I made in this place I entred on the fift chapter of Saynt Peters first epistle In which I declared vnto you how Saynte Peter like as he had giuen good and godly lessons to all kynde maners of men and women maryed and single masters and seruauntes bondmen and freemen so because the ministers of the church shuld not lak learning he instructeth prelates and priests and informeth theÌ„ of theyr dutie alluring al priestes to giue credence to his doctrine by that he professeth him selfe to be a priest and one of such experience of the affayres of our Sauiour Christe that had sene as well the glory of Christes glorified body at his transfiguration as also the vexacion that he suffred in the whole processe of his painful passion and that he was partaker of the same And then consequentlye I descended to speake of the order of priesthode and of the dignity of the same which I declared at large bi the scriptures and by the auncient writers holye fathers And I had litle thanks for my labour specially of them that beinge priestes be ashamed of that name and of likelyhood would faine de discharged of theyr order if they could tell howe most agreued they were with me because I said nothing in the defence of theyr shameful and incestious bawdry which they would couer wyth the name of matrimony so by them sclaundring that holy sacrament Then I declared many properties of a good priest which to exchew prolixitie I will now not rehearse againe for I trust you haue not al forgotten them These properties of a good priest or prelate thus declared let vs see what Saint Peter now here in the letter willeth them to do Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei Feede the flocke of God that is vnder your hand Because that now lateli this matter of the diuersitie of shepeheards and pastours was very well and aboundantly handled and declared I wil passe ouer it presupposing these good properties afore rehersed of him that shal be a good shepheard or pastour We must take heede to our charge Act. xx Atten dite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spuÌ„s sâ—tuÌ„s posuit episcopos regere ecclesiaÌ„ dei quaÌ„ acquisiuit sanguine suo Take hede to your selfe sayth S. Paule to the priestes prelates of Ephesus and to all the whole flocke in whiche the holy goost hath set you bysshops Lo here he calleth them byshops they were not then all in such preminence or so set in aucthoritie or superioritie aboue others as bishops were then sone after and be now but he meaneth priestes afore he called them maiores natu ecclesie the elders of the church or congregation Now he calleth the same byshops these S. Paule biddeth take hede to their flocke Saynt Peter byddeth them feede their flocke as Christe had commaunded Peter to feede his lammes and to feede his sheepe his people whiche should be lyke laÌ„mes full of simplicitie tractablenes and geÌ„tlenes which Christ willeth all them that wilbe saued by him to vse So Saynt Peter descendeth as by an ordinate Iherarchie and giueth like charge to such as he had constitute and ordeyned to be curates after him willing them to feede the flocke prouidentes non coacte prouiding for theÌ„ without coaction They must wyth discrete solicitude and studie prouide such
pasture and feedinge for them as shall be good and holsome not driuing them to ranke feeding that wil bane them to corrupte ground as to a certayne spire white grasse that growith in some grounde or to groundes that be morish maresh or otherwise vnholsome like to coothe the flocke for suche the flocke moste desyreth And yf they be let runne at their owne libertie to suche feeding they wyll draw rather then to holsome pasture Beware that you pasture not nor feede the people with sedicious lernynge or opynions of Heresy for suche semyth at the fyrste shew white fayre ond plesaunte yet baninge it is and shall vtterly destroye the flocke You must not also let them runne to muche to the ranke feedinge of carnall lyberty for that shall puffe them vp and make them swell vp to Pride and disobedience and consequently to take their pleasure by all carnall lustes and so shall rotte them and destroy them for euer Feede Christes flocke with holie doctrine of Gods word making them to obey their rulers that be set in aucthorite ouer them And here in this realme to haue in greate reuerence the kinges Maiestie and in all our doynges to be obedient vnto his lawes As well the Prelates and preachers in their sermons and exhortations as the subiectes in performinge and doinge the same For it is our parte to captiuate our wittes and to credite our superiors not thinking our selues ▪ better learned then any others be but rather thinking y t thing that is set forthe by his grace with the assent of his clergy of his honorable counsell to procede of higher knowledge thē our wits can attain to Nō coact◠their feeding prouision for gods folcke must be frāk and free without coaction For al the workes of our religion must come of a good wyl folowing the example that we haue of the old Testament In the makinge of the tabernacle and the ornamentes to the same belonginge all the people of Israel with deuout minde and with a free harte and wil offred theyr fyrst frutes and such iewels as they had to the furniture of the same and the workemen also offered them selues freely to doe theyr woorkes as a figure and signe and token that in the spiritual edifying of the spiritual temple of God which we be the doers and builders priestes and curates preachers teachers shuld do theyr labours of theyr owne accord withoute any gredy eye to gather riches by the same or to despise any others by theyr doings And yet thei shall not dye for defaut but according to Saynt Paules doctrine theyr audience that hath spiritual foode of them must be diligent and leberall to helpe them in al necessarie temporalites and to see that they lacke not Neque vt dominantes in cleris Beware of the lowring browes and proud lookes and hartes of the old Pharisies thei loke for dominion they wil be like lordes maisters they wil be had in reuerence they wil haue cappe and knee and not onely that but also wyll looke for presentes giftes and bribes and doe litle or nothing therefore Saint Peter would not that anye priestes shoulde so vse theym selues but rather to be in manner felowlyke humblye and lowelye behauynge theym selues amonge theyr brothers so giuyng to them as wel as to the lay see example of humilitie and lowlynes affabiliti and gentlenes Remember our sauiour Christes saying in the parable of the yl seruant Mat. xxiiij If the yll seruaunt saye or thinke in his hart my master tarieth very longe he commeth not home now all is in my hande all is in my gouernance then he beginneth to play the lorde then he beginneth to strike vex his felows as one that had forgettē him selfe also his lord or master geueth him self to eatyng drinking with dronkerds riatours thē wil come home his master at the time when he was not loked for And shal deuide him the soule from the bodie shall caste parte of him his soule firste and after the whole bodie and soule together with hypocrites that is to saie with false christen people reprobate damned there as shall be weping and gnashinge of teeth By this seruaunt spoken of in this parable be all euyll rulers vnderstanded which as thei folow the Lordly maners of this cruell seruaunt here mencioned so they shall haue like punishement and shal be likewise tormented in hell for euermore Beware therefore of plaiynge the Lordes amonge your brethren but be as one of them Examino with hart and all that they may likewise shewe thē selues to the people that they muste teach And thus doinge saieth saint Peter whē the prince of pastors our sauiour Christ shall come in his glory at the generall iudgment you shall receiue the crowne or garlande of euerlastyng glory and ioyes of heauen that shall neuer fade welowe or widder awaye but shall be euer fresshe and pleasaunte aboue that anye minde of mortall man can apprehende perceiue or vnderstand to our endlesse solace and comfort whiche c. It foloweth in the texte Similiter adolescentes subditi estore senioribus When he hathe fatherlye instruct and taughte the Presidentes the Prelates and Priestes that they should take paine and solicitude or care to feade their flockes and to prouide suche pastures for theim as shoulde bee most holesome and not infectuous coothinge or rottynge groundes too feade vppon for to bane theim And that thys they shoulde dooe with a good will and not by coaction or compulsion against their willes And that they shoulde not playe the Lordes and tyrantes among their cleargie but that they shold shewe theim selues as the fourme that patrone or fashion of their flocke and to be familiar with theim as one of theim that by their behauioure their neighbours maye learne to conforme and fashion theim selues to the maner that they see them vse promisinge theim that for their so doinge they shall receiue a rewarde inestimable that is to saye the freshe and vnfadinge crowne and garlande of eternall and euerlasting glorye when the prince of pastours our sauiour Christe shall appeare in his maiestie at the general iudgmēt to reward euery man after his deseruings Nowe consequently the blessed apostle teacheth yongelynges yongemen and women howe they shoulde behaue theim selues towarde their elders as to their betters and that they shoulde be subiecte and submit theim selues vnto theim and to obey theim similiter Likewise as youre Elders muste care and prouide for your Soule health without coaction euen from the bottome of their hartes so muste you euen from the hart with a good will without coaccion obeye them that so youre rulers maie doe their duties gladlye and comfortablie and not with sorowe or to their paine for that shall not profite you as Sainte Paule saieth Hebr. xiii Obedite prepositis vestris subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri vt cum gaudio hoc
dicitur Nabuchodonosor rex Regnum tuū transibita te ab hominibus eiicient te cū bestiis atque feris erit habitatio tua fenū quasibos comedes septē tēpora mutabūtur super te donec scias quod dominetur excelsus in regno hominū cuicūque voluerit det illud Eadē hora. Is not this Babilō the great city that I haue builded for a palaice of mi kingdom in the might of my manlines and in the glory of my beauty And euen while this saiynge was in the kings mouth a voice came al in hast frō heuē This is said to thee Nabuchodonosor king Thi kingdome shal go frō thee and thei shal cast thee out from mans cōpany and thy abiding shall be with wilde beastes Thou shalt eate hey like an oxe And seuen yeares shall chaunge and go ouer thee vntill thou knowe that there is a highe one y t is lord in the kingedome of men that he may geue it to whō soeuer he wil Eadē hora. The same time this worde and saiynge was performed he was striken with such amencye and madnes that he ranne abrode out of mens cōpanye he eat hay grasse like a best he lay forth out of any house The dewe raine haile and snow fel on his body his nails growed out like an eagle or a kites cleis the heere of his head clotted together as longe as an eagles winges Then after that seuē yeres were spent vpon him after this maner almighty god that toke away the vse of his wit restored it vnto him again thē he lift vp the eyes of his body of his soule vnto almighty god he lauded praised god whose power is euerlasting al that it peaseth him he doth as well in heuen aboue as among thē that dwelleth on erth there is none that can resist his hand power or that can saye to him why hast thou done so Therfore nowe saith he I Nabuchodonosor laude and magnify and glorify the king of heuen for all his workes are true al his waies be iudgemente Et gradientes in superbia potest humiliare Dan. iiii And thē that goeth in pride he can humiliate pul down as it proued in effect by him self in dede When he exceaded in pride God resisted him pulled him downe And when he knew him selfe and became lowly god sent him grace euen as ▪ s. Peter sayt◠here In the new testamēt we haue examples of the proude Pharisey and the lowlye Publicane one was repelled for hys pryde the other was Iustified and alowed for hys lowlinesse And generallye all the Scribes and Phariseis whyche did all their workes that they dyd that they might be sene and praysed for their doyngs whiche euer proued nought at lengthe and preuayled not where contrarywise the humilitye of the blessed virgin Marye mother of Christe the meke lowlines of al Christes disciples which they learned of him obteined grace here and glory euerlasting at their end Humiliamini igitur sub potenti manu dei vt vos exaltet in tēpore visitationis Considering therfore these examples how pride hath a fal preuaileth not wher humilite lowlines is exalted set aloft Therfore concludeth s. Peter that you and all we must be made lowe in our harts vnder the mighty hand of god that it maye please him to exalt vs at the time of hys visitation as well euery man for him self when euery man shall depart out of this worlde as at his great and general visitation at the generall iudgement when he shal call to accōpt all that euer died sithe the beginning of the world till that time And thē according to the philosophers rule Sicut simpliciter ad simpliciter sic magis ad magis maxime ad maxime As they that be humiliat and made lowly in hart now in this time of battel against our gostly enemies shalbe exalted and set aloft in glorye so he that is more lowlye shall be more exalted in glorye and he that is is moste lowly shalbe most exalted amōg thē that for their humilitie shalbe exalted contrary he that here is exalted by pride shall be made mooste lowe in paines euerlastinge Yet furthermore to declare the nature of this vertue of Humilitie you shall vnderstande that Humilitye in vs and in Christe of whome and by whom wee muste learne to be lowelye is not in all poyntes after one maner in hym and in vs. For in vs humilitye is a vertue that by hys offyce restrayneth and kepeth downe the appetite of manne frome inordinate desire of excellencys that a man hath not yet obteined but as it were beynge content with the state that a man hath alreadye An other office is to incline a mās wil or appetite not to vse or shew to y e vttermost such power might honour or auctorite as a mā hath Now because there could be in Christ no such inordinate desire neither any excellency able to be desired aboue y t which he had cōtinually from the moment of his conception yea and by his Godhead euer afore y e worlde was made therfore humilitie in Christe was not after the first maner but was in hym onelye after the other office of humilitie by whiche he kept close his mighty power euer shewed him selfe curteous gentle patient and as an vnderlinge to euery man And all for to geue vs example to kepe a low saile not to haue any hy opinion of our selues thinkynge our feete there as our head wil neuer come As they haue which when they cā read the english Bible thinke thei haue as perfite vnderstandyng of the Scripture as though they hadde studied in it forty yeares Wee muste vse lowlinesse bothe wayes that is to saie by Humilitye to keepe downe our hartes from desire of exaltation aboue our callyng And also not to bragge or boaste of that little that wee haue thynkynge our selues a great deale better then other bee but rather thinking euerie man better than we be as hauinge some gift of God that we haue not In humilitie Superiores sibi inuicē arbitrantes Sayth S. Paule Phil. ii By humilitie you euery one must thinke an order better then you Therfore it is not with out cause that the apostle s. Peter so ernestly exhorteth vs to humilitie as to the vertu contrary to pride which the world doth hoyst vs vp vnto not for any profite vnto vs but rather cōtrary for our ouerthrowe and downe fall euen as the menne of Nazareth ledde Christe to the toppe of of the hill on whiche their Citie was builded onlie bycause they would haue pitched him downe haue broke his necke but he so inuisiblie conueyd him self away amōge thē that they had not theyr purpose And the deuill caried our sauiour Christ set him on a galerie of the tēple bycause be would haue had him pitch him self downe to the grounde therfore humiliation is necessarie for him that wilbe saued And
womans sacrifices that wyll shewe them selues to be of Christes faith and beliefe and these be made acceptable to God by the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe on whom we beleue By this you may iudge how far wide from this generall laye presthoode and from the sinceritie of theyr Christendome they be that wil neither sacrifice to God iustice or rightuous dealing but vseth al oppression extorcion theft and bribery neither will giue to God the sacrifice of laude praise and thankes but rather blasphemy to Gods reproche and to his dispite and wil not vse prayers in the church nor in other places but rather with their babling in the church and mocking of diuine seruice letteth and hindreth other men from theyr praiers and from attending and hearing gods seruice They giue not theyr bodies as a holy sacrifice to God but rather as a stincking sacrifice to the fleshe to the diuel not liuely but sinfull and deadly not pleasant but as an instrument of mischiefe displeasant to God and man There is an other priesthode whiche is one of the seuen sacrameÌ„tes called the order of presthode farre aboue the foresayd lay priesthoode in dignitie and in authoritie This order and dignitie of priesthode our sauiour Christe gaue to hys disciples after his last supper wheÌ„ he toke breade in his handes and conuerted it into his bodye by these words saying This is my body And taking the cuppe with wine in his handes he sayd This is my blood And consequently he sayd to his disciples Hoc facite in meam comme morationem do you this that I haue done and so doing remember me where he gaue theim authoritie to consecrate bread and wine into his blessed bodye and bloode as he had done And in this he gaue them power on him selfe and on his owne verye bodye and bloode in which consisteth the chief office of a prieste and giuing theym power to consecrate that most reuerend sacrameÌ„t of the alter he made them priestes and wyth all in so doinge he instâ—tuted and ordeyned the sacrament of order And after hys gloryous resurrection 〈◊〉 gaue vnto the sayde Apostles power and iurisdiction vpon hys misticall body that is the churche or multitude of Christen people When he came in amonge the Apostles the doores of the chaumber beyng fast shutâ—â— and sayde vnto them Pax vobiâ— peace be amonge you and then he breathed vpon them and sayde Take you the holye Gost whose synnes you forgiue shall bee forgiuen and whose synnes you retayne and not forgiue shall be retayned and not forgyuen And as the Apostles tooke theyr order of priesthoode at Christes handes giuing them the holy gost by which they had authoritie on his own body and also on his misticall body which is the church and the multitude of Christen people so the Apostles by imposicion and layinge their handes on suche as they chose for to be priestes or bishops made theym priests geuing theÌ„ authoritie to consecrate Christes bodye and bloode and to minister the sacrament of penaunce forgiuyng sinnes and retayâ—ing sinnes as they see it necessary and likewise to minister all other duties of a priest The holye Goste spoke to the ministers of the churche that were in Antiochia Segregate mihi Saulum et Barâ—â—â—am in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Act. xiii And it foloweth tunt ieiunantes orantes imponentes â–ª que eis manus dimiserunt eos With fasting praying and leyng theyr holy hands on Saule afterward called Paule and on Barnabas they ordred theym priestes and sent them furthe to execute priestes offices Saint Paule writeth vnto his scoler Timothe Noli negligere gratiam que in te est que data est tibi per propheciam cum impositione manuum presbiterij i Timo. iiii Be not neglygent in the grace that is gyuen thee by prophecye wyth leynge the Priestes handes vpon thee Prophecye he called here after Saynt Ambrose the election by whyche he was chosen as one that shoulde bee a meete Minister and teacher in Christes Churche And suche prophecye is vsed or shoulde bee vsed to thys daye in makynge of Pryestes where the Byshoppe or his sufficient depute sitteth vpon opposicions of them that shall be made priests wher he ought to haue mature and discrete examinacion aswell of his maners and conuersation as of his leaâ—ning oportet autem illum testimonium habere bonum ab hijs qui foris sunt i. Timo. iii. He ought to haue good report of the infidels saythe Saynte Paule then much more he ought to haue good reporte of the layfe that be neither priestes nor ministers of the church vpon which examinaâ—ion if the bishop and his officeâ—s thinke him meete to be a priest they set him furth to the bishops handes to take orders This allowing of his lyuing and of his learning with hope that he will so continue and increace in goodnes is it that S. Paul in this place calleth prophecie Imposition of the bishops handes hath with it concurring certeine holy wordes by which wordes he as I sayde afore is confirmed made strong and able to exercise that he was chosen to takinge authoritie by which he may be bolde to offer sacrifices to God in Christes steede And because of the perill that is in making vnworthy priestes S. Paule warneth Timothe .i. Tim. v. Manus cito nemini imposueris neque coÌ„municaueris peccatis alienis Wher s. Paule with a contestacion as Timothe shuld answer afore God and our sauiour Christ and hys elect Angels of heauen coÌ„maundeth him that he be not to easy and light to set his holy handes on any man to promote him to that ecclesiastical dignitie of priesthode because he will nothing to be done in giuing orders without a foresight and a fore iudgement lest peraduenture if he be found reproueable and vicious the bishop that promoted him may repent his dede and also least he be contaminate partaker of the vices of hym that he hath ordered because he hath suffered hym so lightly to passe his handes without sufficieÌ„t trial of his liuing Manye other authorities of scripture and specially of S. Paule I could reherse in which it doth euidently appeare howe prescise he is in the sayd order of priesthoode and howe it doth surmount the other common anointing by which all they be anoynted that be christened as I sayde for thoughe all they that be anoynted at theyr baptisme be enbrued with the holye goste yet by imposition of the bishops handes on hym that is ordered with the holy wordes concurrent with the same the holy goste is giuen to a prieste for to giue him authoritie an higher office that euery maÌ„ may not attain to As for to consecrate the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe in the most reuerend sacrament of the aulter to minister other sacramentes and specially the sacrament of penance which in this holy time all well disposed good christen people run to as to the necessary remedy to saue