w t loue cxciiii d The Wiues by their faith and good conuersation may conuert the husbande folio cccvii d Wyfe must be first taken and afterward proued otherwise then any other marchaundise fol cc b Wicliffes heresies when they troubled this realme xix a Vix saluabitur iustus is expounded fol. cclxxviii a Women when they woulde be sene to care leaste for their heare or lockes then they care moost fol. ccxviii d Womens heare is many times disgised fol. cxcix a Women whose honesty is light chepe be moste curiouse in disgisinge them selues Eodem c Woman is the weaker vessel is declared fol. ccvi b. Women of Rome in olde time knew not the vse of wine folio ccxxxiiii b. Worme of riches is pryde fo cccv b Women be no meet hearers of moral philosophy xxxiii a Women how they shuld lerne for their soul helth xxxiiii a Woman was last made and first in faute Eodem b. Women haue taught men witte fo xxxv b Worme and not a man why Christ was so called lxxviii b Worldly inheritaunce hath .iii. noughtye properties cxx c Wronges when we ought to remitte them and when we may redresse them fol. xcvi a Wronge there is none when the thinge commeth of mere grace fol. lxxv d Wyues deseruinge to be beaten reneige their wiues state and tourne to the seruauntes state againe fo cciiii b X. XAntippa Socrates wyfe cast a chamber vessell on his heade and what he sayd then fol. cciiii c. d Y. YOnge men be no mete hearers of morall philosophye folio xxxiii a. b. Yonge in age and yonge in maners Eodem clviii b Yonge men must gentilly do after their elders fo ▪ clvii d Finis ¶ The first sermon containing an introduction to the whole matter of the vii giftes of the holy goste And treatyng of the two first giftes called the spirite of sapience and the spirite of intelligence THe blessed euangelist sanct Iohn in the first chapiter of hys gospel after he had somewhat touched the ineffable coeternitie of the second person in trinitie the sonne of God with God the father cōsequently he descendeth to his temporall generacion in fewe woordes comprising the same verbum caro factum est et habitauit in nobis That worde of God the second person in trinitie was cōtent to come alowe and to take our mortal nature vpon him and to dwel among vs not with any diminutiō or decay of the godhead for the infinite glorye of God suffereth neither augmentacion or increase neither decreasyng or decay It is euer one after one maner though it pleased him to hyde the glory of his godhead for a season as condescending to the infirmitie of them that he should be conuersaunt withall and to teache vs the waye of humilitie and that is it that saint Paule sayth semetipsum exinaniuit formam seruiaccipiens He withdrewe his mightie power frō his operacion for if he had shewed it in his owne lykenes all the worlde had not been able to haue receiued him He kept a lower port euer vsing humilitie and lowlynes sufferyng the paynes of our mortalitie with all the despites that the Iewes did to him tyll in conclusion he came to his paynes on the crosse in his painefull passion And that he withdrewe his power from his operacion in the tyme of his bodily presence heare on yerth appeareth euidently by this that if it had pleased him he might aswel haue indued his disciples with the cōforte of the holy ghost whyle he bodily taried among them as to haue differred it tyll the commyng of the holy ghost by sensible signes at this holy tyme of whytsontide In a long sermon that he made to his disciples afore his passion among other holesome lessons he sayd thus vnto thē Expedit vobis vt ego vadā c. It is for your profite that I go from you for if I go not from you the holy ghost wyll not come to cōfort you I haue yet many thynges to teache you but as yet ye can not bear them away but when the spirit of truth the holy ghost cōmeth he shall teache you all truthes necessarye for you to knowe But good lorde what sayst thou Nowe we can not vnderstande suche thinges as we be to be taught than we shal vnderstand How may this be Is he greater of power then thou art Can he do more in teching vs then thou canst do thy selfe good maister Christ to auoyde this scruple doubt āswereth saying No syrs I do not say this for any impotencie in me or for any inequalitie betwixt the holy ghost and me for the thinges that he shall teache you shewe you he shall not speake them of him selfe but of me The cause why I say so is this Omnia quae habet pater mea sunt propterea dixi de meo accipiet annunciabit vobis All thinges that my father hath be myne all power all knowledge all connyng be equally and aswel in the sonne as in the father and in the sonne frō the father like as he hath his generacion production beyng of the father therfore sayth Christ the holy gost shall take of myne and shall shewe it you teach it you for when he shal sensibly come among you he shall shewe you my fathers pleasure which is all one with my pleasure All that he shal teache you he shall take and learne of my father and of me Like as he hath his beyng of my father and of me and as he is the infinite and ineffable loue of my father and of me Thus sayd Christ vnto his disciples for in very deede all the workes of the whole trinitie be al one vndiuidid outfurth among creatures Loke what one person doth the same thyng doth all thre persones likewise Therfore there was nothing that the holy gost taught y e Apostles but Christ could haue taught it them if it had pleased him But he reserued left this power of instructing and cōfortyng the Apostles and others by them vnto the holy gost the third person in trinitie lest if Christ had done all himselfe they would peraduenture haue thought there had be no holy ghost at all or els that the holy spirit had not been of equal power with Christ and with the father of heauen In very dede afterward there risse a pernicious sect of heretikes as Arrius and his faction whiche merueilously troubled al the world in their time saiyng that the seconde person in trinitie was but a creature and lesse of nature power then the father And that the holy ghost was also a creature and a minister and messager of the father and of the sonne and lesse of power then either of them both Because Christ would not haue his disciples to erre in this point he reserued the best porcion of learnyng of godly comfort from them that the holy spirit might teache it them for their comforte that so they might knowe the dignitie of the
holy ghost and might haue cause to glorifie and honoure him likewise as they honoured the sonne and the father by the doctrine of Christ whiche euer attributed and imputed all his lore instruction preaching miracles doyng vnto the father as it is plaine in many places in the gospels Therfore in as muche as they had heard muche of the power of the father and had heard many holesome exhortacions of their maister Christ had seen many merueilous woorkes miracles done by Christ the very soÌ„ne of God the father and knewe very litle manifestly plainely of the holy spirit third person in trinitie therfore as at this tyme by the high wisedome and counsell of the godhead the holye ghost shewed himselfe lighting vpon the Apostles in firie tongues geuing them suche instruction and knowledge suche comfort boldnes as they neuer had before And againe because they should not thinke the holy ghost greater of power then the father or the sonne he warned them afore saiyng Quaecun ê™ audiet â—â—quetur All that he shall heare he shall speake to you As who should say tho the giftes that he shal inspire you withall shall be wonderous yet like as he hath his beyng of my father and of me so al cunning knowledge and other giftes he hath of vs and equally with vs like as he is equal and one in substaunce with vs. And in signe and token of his godhead and godly power it foloweth there Et quae veÌ„tura sunt annunciabit vobis In this he shall specially shewe his godhead because it accordeth most cheifly to God â–ª to knowe secretes to come after and of his godhead it coÌ„meth that men haue suche knowledge reueled vnto them therfore Esaie sayth .xli. Annunciate quae ventura sunt in futuruÌ„ sciemus quia dij estis vos Tell vs what thinges shall come after and so wee shall surely knowe that you bee goddes This quickned their spirites that our sauiour Christ tolde them that the holy ghost should instruct them of thynges to come after for there is nothing that mans mynde desireth more then to knowe what world shalbe hereafter and what shall fall after our daies And the Apostles were verye inquisitiue in suche thinges therfore many tymes they asked of Christ whether he went and which was the way and when he would come to the iudgement and when Ierusalem should be destroyed and not one stone left on another And when he would come to take his kyngdome vpon him and what signe therof they shuld haue with many suche other questions concernyng thinges to come Of this thought carke of mynde our sauiour Christ dispatched them when he tolde theÌ„ that the holy ghost should teache them instruct them of all thynges to come that were mete and conuenient for them to knowe Nowe this presupposed of the godly power of our sauior Christ by whiche he might haue made his disciples as parfite in all giftes of grace as y e holy ghost did and the cause why he did not so descending to my principal purpose I will speake according to this holy tyme and solemne feast of the aboundance plentie of grace with whiche his manhode was indued aboue al other men and wemen that euer had grace And which he deriueth distributeth to all his faythfull people that receiueth grace Of him the Prophet sayth Psalmo .xliiii. Vnxit te deus deus tuus oleo letitiae prae consortibus tuis Kynges and preistes whiche bore the figure of Christe were annoynted with material and corruptible oyle but Christ was annoynted of god the father w t the oyle of gladnes that is to say with the holy ghost which was figured and signified by the sayd material oyle With this oyle of gladnes he was enbrued aboue al his felowes more excellently then any man whiche he is content to take and vse as his felowes coinheritors and copartners of the ioyes of heaueÌ„ They haue graces distributed to them seuerally by partes and the graces that one man hath another man lacketh and men hath them after a remisse and slacke maner not fully nor perfitely And they that haue graces of one kynde yet some hath theÌ„ more fully and perfitely then some other hath But Christes manhode had all graces after the highest maner that could bee geuen to any creature He was full of grace not by measure but aboue measure Saint Stephan was full of grace Stephanus plenus gratia Act. vi But howe He had as much grace as was sufficient for him to preache Christ and to suffre persecution and martyrdome paciently for Christes sake And so is euery good maÌ„ and woman full of grace after a certaine sufficiencie according to their nede and as it is profitable for them The blessed virgin Marye was called in Gabriels salutation plena gratia full of grace by a special prerogatiue or afore others in asmuche as it pleased him of whoÌ„ commeth all grace and goodnes to take her in so gracious fauoure as to take his fleshe and bloud of her most pure virginal body But the maÌ„hode of Christ had all the giftes of grace after a certaine excellencie and superaboundance by which he might deriue and distribute grace to all faithfull people euen like as the head in vs geueth influence to al partes of the body in the vse and exercise of all sensible mouinges as appeareth for when the head is a slepe or mortified with Palseies or suche diseases all other partes of the body be astonied and can do litle or nothing And contrary when the head is of good temperature and well at ease al the body is the better more apt in euery membre to do his office by reason of suche influence as is deriued from the head vnto them Suche influence of grace doth our sauior Christ geue to all christen people for he is oure head and we his lymmes or membres and that godly liuelynes of grace that we haue we haue it of his store and plentie of grace Of this store and plentie of Christes grace the blessed prophet Esay maketh mencion speaking of the misterie of Christes incarnation saiyng capi .xi. There shal a slyppe or rodde spryng out of the rote of Iesse and a floure shall ascende out of his rote and on him shall rest the spirit of God the spirite of sapience and of vnderstanding the spirite of counsell and of fortitude the spirite of science and of pietie and the spirite of the drede of God shall replenishe him By this slyppe or rodde is vnderstaÌ„d the humble virgin Mary very flexible and plyant by humilitie The floure ascending out of that rote signifieth the swete floure of our redemption our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche rose and sprong out of the stocke and roote of Iesse otherwise called Isai kyng Dauids father by the sayd slyppe or rodde Mary disceÌ„ding lyneally of Iesse by Dauid and by other holy patriarkes And on this floure shal the holy ghost rest with
doers you shold haue no thanke of god for you haue euen as you haue deserued Take exāple of our master Christ which once died for our sins the iust for the vniust a good man for shrewes and noughly liuers That so he might offer vs vp to god the father not being noughty as we were before for so we shoulde be no pleasaunt offerynge to almighty God but we must be by example of him Mortified in flesh and quickened in spirit Like as he died for our sinnes and roose againe for oure iustification so muste we be mortified and muste dye to all carnalitie and sinne so that there be none left aliue in vs. And we must be viuificate and made aliue in spirite so that our liuyng be all spirituall good and godly pliant to the inclination of the holy spirit This example of our maister Christ saint Peter brought in to teach vs that thei that being good and vertuous yet suffreth vexatiō and trouble they folow Christ whiche in like maner suffered iniuries paines and passion that he neuer deserued Some there be that by their vexation and trouble that they suffre amēdeth their liues leaueth their vices knoweth god cōmeth to goodnes And they maie be cōpared to y e blessed theife that was condēned to death for his former giltes faults yet in his paines hangyng on the crosse he came to the knowledge of Christe called for mercy had mercye came to paradice to saluation Others there be that for all the paynes and punishementes vexation and trouble that they suffer be neuer the better but bee rather worsse and worsse fretynge chafynge cursynge and blaspheming against God These be like the thiefe on the left hand which for his faults was hanged on the crosse and there hanginge rayled against Christe as others did and descended into hell to paynes euerlastynge The newe translation readeth this place Mortificatus quidē carne viuificatus autem spiritu speaking of Christ which was mortified in the fleshe bodely diyng for vs and was viuificate and euer aliue in the spirite for his soule neuer dyed in signe and token that by his example we shoulde likewise do gostly diynge to all carnalitie and euer liuinge spiritually as I saide afore In quo his qui in carcere erant spiritibus veniens predicauit This text is diuerslye expounded one way thus In which spirite bi which he was euer aliue Christ came and preached to the spirites that were in prison whiche once were harde of beleue when they loked for Goddes pacience and longe sufferance in the dayes of Noe while the Arche or greate shippe was a makinge in whiche shippe a fewe that is to saie viii liues were saued bi the water lifting vp the shippe a flote from the daunger of drowning Christ came in spirite and preached to the spirites that were in pryson The workes of the whole Trinitie be al one outwarde amonge the creatures as I haue manye times tolde you therfore in that that almighty God inspired the blessed patriarch Noe to preach vnto the people of his time penaunce and amendement of lyfe it maye be saide that the father in spirite preached to the people then beinge in pryson and that the sonne in spirite preached to the same prysoners and that the holy goste in spirite preached to the same people For the whole trinitie inspired Noe to preache therfore it is true that euery persone in trinitie did it And so it mai be said that Christ preached to theim for that is true of the seconde person in trinitie is true of Christe Per communicationem idiomatū As we say the sonne of god is a man and a man is the sonne of God And so we say that the sonne of god suffred death on the crosse that a man made the starres in the skye Because of the perfit vnion and knot of the godhead to the manhode in one person and the same person that now is incarnate and made man did it And he preached to the Prysoners that were dull in beleuyng Noe tellyng theim Gods commination and threatenyng to destroy the world wyth water except they would amende And yet they were hard of beleue and loked for more fauour at Gods hand and for longer pacience and forbearynge theim and so trifled tyll the floude came vpon thē and drowned them They were in pryson sayth s Peter whiche after this exposition must be vnderstande morally in as much as they were bounde as prysoners by the bondes of sinne as the prophet speaketh Funes peccatorum circumplexi sūt me The ropes of sins haue wrapt me in rounde aboute and likewise speaketh the wiseman Pro. v. Iniquitates sue capiunt impiū funibus peccatorum suorum constringetur His owne iniquities taketh the wicked persone and wyth the ropes of his owne sinnes he shalbe strayned knit And in that case were the people of Noes tyme for all mankinde had corrupt his way and the maner of his liuing Omnis caro corruperat viam suam Gen. vi All flesh all men left vertue and liued insolently viciously This is one exposition of this text of s Peter But this exposition though it be good catholike yet it semeth more moral then litteral because it taketh the name of the prison of them that were in pryson morally for the custome vse of sinne not for a place where a prisoner is kept in paine sorow to his displesure it taketh the prisoner for him that is intangled poluted defaced with the deformity of customable sinne This prisoner though he be in extreme peril daunger of soule yet not knowyng the case that he standeth in maketh merye fealeth no harme nor paine but counteth hym self most at liberty at hartes ease Therfore I thinke s Peter speaketh of the spirits or soules of thē that woulde not regard the exhortation of Noe made vnto thē for amendmēt of their liues tyll the very floude came vpon thē And then seing the water rise higher higher men and women and other liuynge creatures perishe in the same floude and that there was no place able to saue them from drownynge they toke remorse of conscience and repentaunce as well for their hardnesse of harte contemnynge Noes exhortion as for their owne naughty liuynge so callyng for mercy were receyued to mercy saued their soules Yet in asmuch as the gate to heauen was not opened bi Christ thei were staied in the skirt of hel a place prouided by GOD to receiue their soules that died in the state of grace and in Gods fauour in whiche if they hadde any thinge to be purged as for venial sinnes or for lacke of sufficient satisfaction for mortall offences done by their life tyme hadde first greuous paines for their purgation and then consequently were receiued into Abrahams bosome a place of tranquilitie rest and quietnes where they had no sensible payne They hadde none other paine but onlye the paine of
a. Church of christ builded on y e xii apostles equally clxiiii b Christ suffred his paines with ioy and gladnes in the higher part of his soule but by the lower portion he was in greatest payne fol clxxxxiiii a. Christes faith was first set forth by homly rude fishers and was reproued and pursued by the mightiest people of the world and yet it preuailed fol. ccxx b Christ preached in spirit to the spirites that were harde of beleif in Noes time is vnderstand .ii wayes fo ccxxiiii d Circuit or compasse about the deuill vseth fol. clxii d. Cleanes of life is necessary for receiuing of grace fo cxxx a Codrus king of Athenis died for his couÌ„treis sake fo xlix a Couetous men be like molles fol. vi c Counsel or policie worldly many times lacketh the spirite of counsell fol xv d Counsell of Gamaliel fol. xviii c the gifte of Counsell was in Iethro whiche Moises lacked fol. xxiiii c d Christen man winneth when he is thought to lose falshead loseth when he is glad of his winninge fol. cxxxiii b Consubstantiall that word is not founde in scripture yet it must nedes be vsed fol. xx d Conception of Christe in the virgins bodye is somewhat like the generation of a worme of the moist earth by the heate of the sonne fol. lxxviii a. and .ccxxi. c Communion much mutabilitie in ministring the communion amongest the heretikes fol cccxii d CommunioÌ„ of saintes is conformite to the coÌ„pany of holy men women as wel quicke as dead fol. lxxxv c â— Commaundementes of God be moral lawes oughte to be red in churches on sondaies holydaies lxxxx a Coueringe of sinnes is of two maners fol cclii a Correction beginneth at the churche fol. cclxxvi c Colchis where it is sayd the golden flece was is in Ponto fol. cx b. Counsell Nicene was kept in Bithinia Eodem d. Comming to Christ is by fayth fol. cliiii c Corner stone the Hebrues tale of that stone fo clv c. d new Conuerses to Christ suffreth much wo and persisteth in goodnes fol. ccxxxviii d. the Companie in Bristowe brought the common gaines into the handes of a fewe fol. ccxi b CoÌ„messatioÌ„s be al extraordinary banketings fo ccxxxiiii c Crime is described fol. cclxxxv c in Croked thinges the midle swarneth from the extremities fol. cccviii d Creation what maner a thinge it is fol. lxxv a. Crosses by the high wayes deuoutlye erecte maliciouselye cast downe fo lxxxxv a. Cure we haue euery one of his neighbour fol. cclxv d. Curiositie about new knackes and new learning is reproued with remedy against the same fol. clxxv b. c Cuthbert Sainte Cuthberte receiued an anngell for his gest fol. cclxi b. c D. DArke sayinges of Christe made manye to erre euen in Christes time fol. xxxvii d Dampned bodies how they shal euer endure fol. lxxxvii a the Deuils sinne is irremissible why fol. lx a Desire of the holy fathers to se Christ. fol. cxxvii a b Death of a faire death and of a foule death fo ccxli b Diuine productions fol. ix c Difference betwixt the minde of a fole and of a wise man about the affections fol. lvii c. Diuision of tongues was the greatest stroke that euer man was striken withall after the losse of originall iustice lx d Differ not to beleue why by example fol. lxxi c Die to sinne fol. lxxxii b. Discretion of spirites is necessary for him that shall studye scriptures fol. xcix b. c. Dowries or giftes of a glorified body fo lxxxvi c Dowries or giftes of a glorious body declared fo cclxxxi a Detraction and a remedy against detractours fol. cxlvii b Desier to haue is couetousnes and so is desire to saue folio cclxviii b. c Dukes Captaines and officers dueties vnder the kinge folio clxxxi b the Deuill killinge the latter Adam lost the first Adam and all his posteritie fol. ccxxvii a the Deuil medleth not with some walketh through some and compasseth about some fol. cccix d E. EArth is diuersly vnderstand folio lxv d Election of two maners fol. cxii c Elia the newe citie of Ierusalem fol. cxxviii b Embringe dayes fasted with prayers for orderinge of preistes fol. cclxxxiiii b Enuy is described is mete for no place but for hel cxlvii d Enuy commeth of vayne glory fol. cc. lxiiii d. Enuy how it may be put away by sufferinge in the fleshe folio ccxxxiii a. d Enuied and disdained is al new conuersion as wheÌ„ Saul prophecied fol. ccxxxvi c d Epicures felicitie fol. xlv c Epictetus determination of the affections fo lvii d Ephesus is a citie in the countrey of Asia the lesse fo cxi a Eue the first woman was made for two vses and in both she was excedingely punished fol. xcvi c Extremities of fortitude fol. xxvii a Examples of the gospels to forsake our parentes for to folow Christ in religion fo lii d Exhortation to seruauntes to their maisters fol xliii v Example of Christes paines in his most tender body shuld be our armour and defence fo ccxxx c Example of concord betwixt man and wife the lampraye with the veuemous viper geueth fo ccv c. Examples declareth and easeth our faith fo ccxxi b. F. FAbles pleasauntly couereth truthes fol. lxi d Faith is diffined and that it is necessarye for mans saluation fol. lxxi a b Faith hope and charitie be presupposed to the .vii. giftes of the holy goost fol v b Faith helpeth intelligence and contrary wise fol x. d Faith at rest and vnexercised anone decayeth fo lxxii c Faith is the instrumente by whiche God preserueth vs in goodnes fol. cxxii a Faith ouercommeth all worldlines and sinne is declared generally Eodem b Fear is necessary fol. lviii d Fear is deuided into sixe members after Damascen lxiiii d Fear is deuided into mundane seruile filial or chast EodeÌ„ Feare presupposeth a loue fol lxiiii d Feare seruile of god though it be not sufficient yet it doth good fol lxvi c Feare seruile and chast feare be like the feare of an adulteres wife and of a chast wife fol. lxvii c d Fear seruile is like the heare or bristel that leadeth bringeth in the threde fol lxix b Feare that is one of the seuen gifte of the holy goost is humilitie fol lxx b the rule of oure Faith is the whole booke of holye scripture fol. lxxiii a the Father in trinitie is neither elder nor more of power then the sonne or the holy Goste fol. lxxiiii d Flatterers of their lordes beleue not on one God properlye Eodem c Flateringe proueth a man fol. cxâ—iiii â— c Flattering hostes and tapsters that wil let vs in our iourney to heauen fol. clxxiiii b Fleshe desireth ease new inuentions and swetenes of tasting and touchinge Eodem c Flesh desireth against the spirite and the spirite against the flesh is vnproperly spoken fol. clxxvii a Feblenes of our wittes to vnderstande the holye scriptures fol. lxxxxix a Felowes to Christ. fol. ciiii c.
proude in their own conceiptes neither to trust in the vncertaintie of their riches but to be riche in good woorkes and good deedes to geue gentlely without frowardnes c. The other wisedome called beastly wisedome they haue that be ouer muche geuen to the pleasure of their bellies and consequently to the pleasure of the flesh and lechery For of glotony foloweth lecherye and this is the wisedome of them that studieth nothinge so muche as howe they may please their bellies as where to get a delicate cup of wine and good chere These S. Iude in his epistle calleth spottes for they spotteth and defouleth thē selues by ebrietie and surfets and spotteth other mē by their yll examples and euill occasions geuing Hi sunt inquit in epulis macule conuiuantes sine timore seipsos pascētes Against al these speaketh our sauiour Christ. Luc. vi Ve qui saturati estis quia esurietis Wo be to you that be farced stuffed and full fed for you shall be a hungred at your iudgement when ye shall beg refreshing and none shalbe giuen you and this paine with which Christ doth threaten voluptuous persones is inflict and laid on mens neckes somtimes here in this world as we haue seen by many men which hath mispende all that their fathers left them goodes and landes and all and haue be ready to begge or steale for very nede and for very lack of their accustomed fare Much like vnto Esau whyche for a messe of potage sold his first frutes Gene. xxv et Contempsit quod vendidisset And he litle estemed yea rather despised that he had so sold them So these yong ruflers be not sory but rather doth maligne and freate and chafe and be readye to fighte when a man would vmbrayde them for so mispendynge all their substance worse then the prodigall and wastefull sonne that is spoke of in the gospel which after that he had scattered and wasted by his lose liuing all the goodes that his father left hym yet at the last he tooke remorse and repentaunce and returned home to his father againe The third euill wisdome is called diuellishe wisdome which they haue that be wise and wittye inough to do mischief but good they cā do none They be wylye to circumuent men and to deceiue them in all busynes exchaunges bargayning bying and selling and such other exercyse And such be they also that by oppression leapeth vpon mens shoulders like Apes as muche as in them is keeping them downe that they shall neuer come vppe a lofte to anye thrifte or ryches and that wyll be gladde to wayte men a shreud turne so that no man shall espye them or knowe that they do it and many times when they haue done a man a shreude turne will make a man beleue that they be their best frendes All these be carnall wysedomes and worldlye wysedomes that bringeth a man to death euerlasting Rom. viii prudentia carnis mors est And it is counted very folyshenes afore God Of suche wisedome speaketh Christe Luc. xvi The chyldren of thys wicked worlde all sette in malignitie and myschiefe be wyser then the chyldren of light the children of grace the children of God And he geueth laude and prayse to the father because he hath hid the misteries and secretes of the trewe faith of Christ from them that be worldly wyse and farre casting and hath reueled vttred and declared them to suche as be chyldren that is to saye small and little in malice humble and lowlye in harte and spirite For on suche the holye goste wyll spredde hys gyftes and on none of theym that thyncke theym selues so worldlye wyse whyche be verye fooles afore God The apostle Saynte Iames capit iii. declareth what is this godlye sapience or wisedome commynge from almightye GOD aboue by the effectes and properties of it Firste saithe he it is chaste in deedes and in exteriour behauiour for where the filthynesse of lecherye is there is no vertue that can please God and thys is contrarye to beastlye wysedome Then it maketh peace as wel wythin a mannes selfe or in a mannes owne conscience as outwarde to others dyrectlye agaynst dyuellysh wysdome that is euer quarelyng and waytyng shrewd tournes It keepeth a measure and good manner in worde and deedes And so doth nother beastly wisedome nor diuellish wisedome Easye to be counselled or intreated where earthly wisedome according to the properties of the earth is hard to be perswaded agaynste his lucre or aduauntage Agreing with good men as none of the other three wisedomes doth And full of mercy in hart and dede And full of good fruites that is to say good workes wheras of the other wisedomes cōmeth no goodnesse but it be colourable vainglorious or for some sinistre purpose Iudging without simulacion or faining Not shewing iustice and indifferencye outward bearing indignacion and parciality in hart inward Such an humble hart had Salomon when he made his supplicacion and peticion to God in Gabaon .iii. Regum .iii. where he offered to God a thousand hostes or beastes to be all burned in Gods honour as the maner was then sayinge I am but yonge and knowe not how to beginne nor how to procede or make an ende of my matters Therfore giue vnto me thy seruaunt O good Lorde a disciplinable hart ready and apt to learne what and howe I ought to doe that I maye iudge thy people and dyscerne or put difference betwyxte good and yll wythoute whyche no man can be able to iudge these people they be so many in nomber Thys desyre and prayer of thys yonge kynge Salomon pleased GOD wonderouselye well And because he asked not long life nother riches nother the death of his enemies but onely wisdome to geue discrete iudgement Almighty god said to him I haue done as thou hast said Dedi tibi cor sapiens intelligēs in tantū vt nullus ante te similis tui fuerit nec post te futurus sit I haue geuē thee a heart indued with Sapience and intelligence in so muche that among all the kinges of Israell that haue bene afore thee or that shall come after thee there was neuer none like thee Here ye haue expresse mencion of the two firste giftes of the holy gost Sapience and Intelligence wittines or fine and cleare vnderstandyng Of the which Sapience properly serueth for iudgement in speculatiue causes chiefely concernyng almighty God and celestiall creatures and verities or truthes about the same iudgyng and determining that to them a mā shold surely adhere leyne to refuse the contraries as false repugnant to the truth And I must nowe speake vnitely or ioyntly of the gift of sapiēce of y e gift of intelligence or vnderstandyng as the prophet Esay rehearseth them coupled and linked together because one of them adourneth and helpeth another For Sapience is much the lesse if it lack Intelligence or wittines And wittinesse without discrete iudgement of Sapience is very vnprofitable
profound matters Reuela oculos meos cōsiderabo mirabilia de lege tua sayth the Prophet Reuele or vncouer mine eyes drawe the curtayne from afore the eyes of my soule by this gift of intelligence and I shal consider marueylous thinges of thy law The spirite of Sapience sayth Chrisostome is geuen to the teachers and the spirite of Intelligence and vnderstandyng is geuen to the hearers I preache thou vnderstandest and takest the minde of my saiynges hauynge the gifte of Intelligence although thou canst not teach As the Preacher by the spirite of Sapience iudged what was best to be vttred and expressed for thy erudicion so thou by the grace of Intelligence takest his words as they be meant and learnest that is for thy soule health Almighty God willynge to shewe that as he sendeth the spirite of Sapience to the teacher so he sendeth to the learner the gifte of Intelligence that he maye perceiue suche thynges as be Godlye Geueth to the mouth of the Preacher the grace of Sapience and to the hearte of the Learner the grace of Intelligence Sapience is the armour of the mouth and Intelligence is the harneys of the hert Therfore sayeth the Prophete Os meum loquetur sapientiam meditatio cordis mei prudentiā Psal. xlviii My mouth shall speake Sapience or wisdome and the recordyng of my hert shall shew prudence intelligence or vnderstandyng perceiuyng the thyng y t I am taught Yet here you must diligentlye note that perfite Sapience is not so much to knowe Goddes eloquence as for to liue accordynglye to Gods eloquence and to his holy worde And Intelligence is little worth where a man worketh not accordyng to that he hath learned But what shall I say of them that hearyng Gods eloquence dayly declared vnto them yet hauyng their mindes occupied aboute other businesse regardeth not to beare away that they heare and will not learne and vnderstande to do well accordynge to that they learne And what shall I saye of them that may get vnderstandyng and wil not come wher as they maye haue it but when they heare of a sermon toward will get them selues out of the church fainyng some busines to excuse their absence or els will get them to the Alehouses or tauernes or els wil sit talkynge on the crosse in the churchyard or on the churchyard walls makynge other as lewde as they be them selues by their yll examples so that for all the preachinge that is in their townes where they dwel they be neuer the better but much the worse whose iust dānation by gods iuste iudgment must nedes folow as I could declare abūdantly if y e time wold permit Yet one thing I wold faine discusse by y e way without any great digressiō frō my principal matter it is this in this case now touched that is to say when the person vicare curate or preacher perceiueth that few men or none be the better for his preachynge whether then and in that case the preacher ought or may ceasse from preachyng as thinkyng his sapience his iudgement and his learnynge in Gods scriptures yll bestowed amonge them because they regarde it not and be neuer the better for it hauyng none intelligence or godly wittinesse gendred or conceiued in their mindes neither any reformation or amendement in their liuings nor in their maners by al the labours of the curate or the preacher For this ye shall vnderstande that though the negligence of the audience discōforteth and discourageth the preacher greatly yet he cā not so geue ouer and ceasse bicause of Gods commination and threatening by his prophet Ezech. iii. saiyng that if the watch of Israel the curate or preacher se his flocke do noughtielye and will not tell them of their fault nor rebuke them that they may amend he will require and aske their bloud of him He shall aunswere for them at the day of dome Naturall examples we haue to encourage and comfort the preachers in this behalfe that he be not dismayed but take pacience For we se by experience that the veynes of waters floweth and runneth although no manne come to water his cattell at them and welles although no manne draw vp water at them yet they sprinkleth boileth and welleth vp And brookes although neither man nor beast drinke of them yet neuer the lesse they kepe their course and floweth So he that preacheth must lette hys veyne of sapience flow and runne among his audience althoughe no man drinck of it take hede vnto it or receiue it In this case was Hieremy the prophet when he saw no profitte or encrease of vertue come by hys prophecienge and preachynge but rather persecution and trouble mockinge laughinge and scornynge by whyche he was once mynded to surceasse and leaue of preaching Yet he saith that sermo domini factus est in corde meo quasi ignis exestuās claususque in ossibus meis et defeciferre non sustinens cap. xx The woorde of God was like flaming fyre in my hart saith this prophet and it was closed wythin my bones so that I left my former purpose and coulde not forbeare to speake in Gods name Then if he were thus vexed in kepyng silence what shall become of vs if we ceasse specially where none such persecution is as he suffered but rather where manye taketh good heede and would fayn learne Many profites cōmeth by declaryng the woorde of God which shoulde comfort and encourage the preacher to be doing not wythstanding that the audience be negligent One is that noughty persones remembring a sermon wil be abashed and ashamed of them selfe and will not be so shamelesse to do as they were wont to doe As when the preacher speaketh against riatours and tauerne hunters the vnthrifte remembringe the holy word will be more ashamed when he goeth into the tauern thē he was wont to be This is a certeine kinde of feare called verecundia bashfulnes or shamefastnes it is timor ex expectatione connicij a feare of reproche or rebuke least anye man would chide or checke him or say yl by him This is a very good affection therfore if by our preaching yet at the least wise such an affection may be strikē into the hart of any one of our audience we may be glad of it An other vtilitie profit is although by my preaching I make not all men better yet some men be the better therefore and they that be good be more modest and vertuous by my sayings And although I haue not set vp them that be sycke yet them that be whole I haue made stronger to stande in theyr goodnes and more stedfast The third profit although I haue not perswaded men to daye yet to morowe I maye peraduenture and if not to morow I may the next day after or the fourth day or in tyme to come Example we maye take of a Fisher and the fish that longe nibleth at his bayte yet at the last he is taken and cast on lond ▪ Likewise
and to talke that with their mouth that they haue not thoughte with theyr heartes This carnall and worldly feare yf it be with deliberation aduisement is very nought and dampnable where as yf it come of the infirmitie and weakenes of the fleshe whiche naturallye abhorreth death and abhorreth tortures imprisonmentes seruitude bondage and lacke of libertie and of accustomed pleasures then yf this feare be but sodayne though it trouble thy affection wyll or appetite verye sore there is no peryll in it it is natural it can not be well auoyded specially the fyrst motions of this feare And for the comfort of infirme and weake persones least any man or woman susteyninge suche feare shoulde dispayre of saluation oure Sauioure Christ to declare that he was a very man that this carnall feare of the flesh is not euer dampnable but naturally ensuing and folowinge the infirmitie of the fleshe did vouchesafe to susteine suche feare in his owne affection or wyll when afore his passion he begonne to be afrayde and to be wery Marc. xiiii he begonne to be afrayd of the death that he should to and to be wery of the trouble that the Iewes put him to and that he knewe they woulde put him to more greuouslye afterward and this feare vexed him so sore that for very agony and payne his swete of his body was like bloude trikeling downe to the ground A merueilous parturbation of minde that he was in for that space but it dyd not longe continue And therefore the Euangelist Marke sayd Cepit pauere tedere He begonne to be afrayde and to be werye It begon with hym but it dyd not continue for anone reason checked this sensualitie and ruled it directing all his wyll to the pleasure of his father and so he proceded forth to his paynefull passion with a verye good wyll ruled by reason to consummate perfourme and ende the thinge for whiche he came into oure nature by his blessed incarnation In like maner there is no mundane carnall or naturall feare coÌ„minge sodenly vpon a man that can dampne a man if it continue not to longe and if it do not ouercome reason But if it so ouercharge the mynde that for any suche feare a man do forsake iustice or do the thinge that shalbe contrarye to Goddes pleasure then such worldly and carnall feare is vâ—tuperable and dampnable Seruyle feare hath the next place whiche some wryters doth vtterly dampne and say it is very noughte but it can not be so for ye knowe by experience that a mayster hadde leuer haue a prentyce or a seruaunte that woulde do his worke for feare of strokes or for feare of beatynge then to haue suche a prentyce that wyll nother do his worke for beatynge nor for feare of displeasinge of his mayster nether yet for loue Of the fyrste maye come some good at length but the other is desperate and of him commeth noughte but angre and vexation of minde to his maister he must be put oute of seruyce and caste of Seruyle feare hath his name of a seruaunte a slaue or bondeman it is suche feare as is in the seruaunte prentyce or bondeman or in a shrewde scholer whiche wyll do no good but onelye for feare of betynge So sayth S. Augustine seruyle feare of God is when a man withdraweth and kepeth him selfe frome sinne for feare of the paines of hel and for feare least he shalbe damned with the deuyls in hell for euermore Although this feare be insufficient for mans saluation yet it is verye good and profitable for by this groweth a vse and a custome of iustice or of well doynge for he that oft tymes doth wel although it be for feare shall fynde ease thereby and at length shal haue a pleasure in well doynge and a loue to iustice or well doynge thoughe it were hard and paynfull for hym at the beginninge and so the seruilitie the bondage of the feare beginneth a litell and a litell to swage and to be excluded and it waxeth and beginneth to be amicable louing feare by whiche a man doth well partlye for loue and partely for feare And this the doctours call timor initialis and it is the meane and next way to the filial feare the chast and holye feare that beginneth here and shall remayne and continue in heauen for euermore as the prophete sayth Timor domini sanctus permanet in seculum seculi Psalm xviii The holy feare of God abydeth for euermore it commeth of charitie whiche neuer fayleth The foresayde seruyle feare of Goddes iustice and of his punyshment of synners prepareth a waye to the filial and charitable feare but when charitie and louinge feare is once gotten the former feare of punyshment vanysheth and goeth awaye for the more that the loue is the lesse is the feare of punyshment The good that a man doth for loue hath no spyce of the bondage or of seruyle feare therefore sayth Saint Iohn i. Ioh. iiii Timor non est in charitate sed perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem quoniam timor penam habeâ— qui autem timet non est perfectus in charitate In charitie there is no feare but perfyt charitie dryueth out feare for feare hath payne annexte and he that feareth is not perfyt in charitie Nowe these wordes of S. Iohn semeth contrary to the wordes of the Prophete Timor domini sanctus c. The holye feare of God abydeth for euer To this I aunswere fyrst bringing in this example that lyke as one blaste of winde of the belowes bloweth and fylleth two organ pipes or moo so may one breath or inspiration of the holy spyryte fyl two heartes and styrre two tongues the two organ pipes so blowen by one breath concordeth and agreeth full well so maye two heartes inspired with one holye spirite concorde and agre as ye shall perceaue so that ye wil geue diligent audience The Prophete in his sayinge addeth this worde Sanctus or castus he calleth it holye feare or chast feare the Euangelist Saynt Iohn doth not adde these wordes therefore let vs put difference betwixt two feares and so shal we vnderstand the consonaunce and concorde of these two organ pipes the holye Prophete and the blessed Euangeliste There be men that feareth hell paynes least they burne there with the deuils this feare bringeth in charitie but when he hath broughte in charitie this feare auoydeth and charitie remaineth If a man feare onely for punyshment then a man loueth not him that he so feareth he desireth not that is good but exchueth that that is yll Notwithstandinge in as muche as a man is ware and feareth that that is yll he correcteth and amendeth him self and beginneth to desire that is good that so there may be in him holy loue and chast loue holy feare and chast feare A man can not better declare make playne these two feares then if a man put example of two wiues one aduoutresse and disposed to take others beside her
malicious Iewes Erratis nesciētes scripturas neque virtutē dei You er you go out of the way for ignorance of the scriptures because you know not the vertue power of god S. Paule calleth our sauiour Christ the vertue and power and the wisdome of God Christū dei virtutē et dei sapientiā i. Cor i. Thē cōsidering that Christ is the vertue power of god who so euer knoweth not the scriptures knoweth not y e power vertue of God it foloweth that he that knoweth not y e scriptures knoweth not Christ the more knowledge that you haue of the scriptures the better you know Christe the lesse knowledge that you haue of the Scriptures the lesse you know Christ to be ignorant or not to know the scriptures is to be ignorant not to know Christ. An other occasion I haue to labour in the scriptures to expound them to you which is cōmen to me with master Deane of this churche and to all my brothers Canōs here Not speakynge of my Lorde oure byshoppe whyche I doubte not but he full well consydereth hys dutye to GOD and to hys flocke The occasion is this although I be neither parson nor vicare nor curate of this good and worshipfull flocke yet there is an other yoke layd as well vpon my necke as vpō other of my brothers here by which I feare least there wyll come wo to vs afore God except we preach the scriptures vnto you performing the thing that we haue taken vpon vs byndyng our selues to the statutes that the Kynges moste gratious Maiestye hath deuised for the ordering of all vs the ministers of this his church in which it is prouided that maister Deane and euerye Canon shall preache or cause to be preached certayne Sermons yearely at this church Therefore I wyl forget my owne imbecilitie weakenes and vnhablenes and according to the porciō and measure of that talent and litle knowledge that God hath giuen me I wyll auenture vpon the exposition and declaration of this first epistle of the blessed Apostle S. Peter after my best power helping and settynge fourth the veritie repelling and reprouing falsity Trusting to Gods helpe which neuer fayleth thē that trust vpon him that my sayd labour shall be as wel profetable to me as fruteful to them that shall heare me The matter is harde as all scripture is but it is full of good learning and of fatherly counsell very mete for a Christen soule to learne and to folowe therefore my labour shall not lacke hoping and trustyng in Christes helpe and in hys holye spirite whych I shall muche the rather obtayne if you wil vouchsafe to buttresse me helpe me and comfort me with your praiers Petrus Apostolus Iesu Christi electis aduenis dispersionis Ponti Galatiae Cappadociae Asiae Bithiniae ▪ secundum prescientiam Deipatris c. Petre Apostle of Iesu Christe vnto the straungers dispersed in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia electe accordinge to the foresyghte of God the father to haue your spirit sanctified to haue obedience and to haue the bloude of Christe sprinkeled vpon you Grace and peace to you be multiplied This is the salutation that this blessed Apostle Saynt Peter begynneth his letter with all As the maner is when one frende wryteth to an other fyrst he beginneth with recommendatiōs that be salutations consequentlye procedeth to his purpose Accordinge to the same maner I wyll fyrste declare these recommendations vnto you whiche done when I shall come to his processe I shall tell you his principal purpose in his epistle and prosecute the same perticuletlye and in percels as it lyeth in the letter Fyrst we must considre who wrote this letter Seconde to whome he wrote it Thyrde frome whence he wrote it Fourth for what purpose and intente he wrote it For the fyrst it appereth that Saint Peter Christes Apostle writte it whiche was fyrst called Simon Christ turned his name and where afore he was called Simon Christ called him Peter Ioh. i. Blessed S. Andrew one of S. Iohn Baptists disciples after he had diuers times heard his maister geue excellent testimonye and commendations of Christ and on a time S. Iohn and two of his disciples of which S. Andrew was one stode together and sawe Christe go by and then sayd S. Iohn Lo the lambe of God the sayde disciples made no more tarienge but lefte theyr olde maister supposinge he was content they should do so and folowed Christe and taried with him where he abode al that day vndoubted with most heauenly lessons and godly learning although the scriptures expresse not what they were In this appeareth the excellent prerogatiue of this blessed Apostle S. Andrew in as much as he was the fyrst taken to acquaintaunce with Christe of all the disciples and also his aboundaunt charitie in as muche as he dyd not kepe to him selfe the treasure that he hadde founde but would not rest tyll he had made his brother Peter partaker of the same As sone as he found his brother then called Simon he said to him we haue foūd Messias whiche is as much to say in English as anointed We cal him Christ after the greke word for Messias in the Hebrew ▪ Christus in the greke vnctus in the latin anointed in the englysh is all one Saynt Andrewe as I sayde broughte him to Christe whiche looked vpon hym and sayde Tu es Simon filius Iona tu vocaberis Cephas Thou arte Symon the sonne of Iona thou shalte be called Cephas in the Hebrewe whiche is as muche to saye in the Greke and in the latyn as Petra Hieronimus super epistolam ad Galath capit ii Non quo aliud significet Petrus aliud Cephas sed quod quam nos Latinae Grecae Petram nominemus hanc Hebraei syri propter lingue inter se viciniam Cepham nuncupent And by this nowe by the waye is confounded the ignoraunce and erroure of certayne summalistes takynge for one of theyr strongest reasons for the supremitie of the pope of Rome this text spoken to Peter Tu es Simon tu vocaberis Cephas whiche they interpretate caput a heade as thoughe Christe sayde thou shalte be called the head concludynge of that hym to be the heade of the Apostles and consequently his successors the popes of Rome to be heade of all the churche of all countreys whiche thoughe it be very true yet this texte proueth not so muche for in the texte it is sayde expresselye Cephas quod interpretatur Petrus Cephas by interpretation is as muche to saye as a stone or of stone yf it be an adiectiue Here such summalistes would plainlye destroye the texte of S. Iohns Gospell to make for theyr purpose which nede not for ther be as well holye Scriptures as aunciente wryters whiche proueth abundauntly the sayd primacye of the pope Therefore lette vs take the texte as it is meaned for the chaungynge of Simons name into Peter whiche soundeth
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
the mynde here he calleth it the spirite Wee vse not to call the minde anye thinge els but the reasonable porcion and parte of the soule And sometime the Apostle ioyneth them bothe together Ephesians iiii Renoua mini spiritu mentis vestre be you renewed in the spirite of your mynde whiche is noughte els but your minde as in an other place hee vseth lyke manner of speakinge Collossians ii In expoliatione â—dip oris carnis The bodye of oure fleshe that is to say the fleshe and suche maner of speakinge we vse in the Englysh tounge the citye of Brystowe whiche is no more to saye but Bristowe The Citye of London is but London The towne of Wells is no more but Wells And nowe to my purpose I thinke that Sainte Peter in this present salutacion taketh the spirite for the whole soule of man comprisynge reason and the sensible powers wyll and sensualitie whiche all together is sanctified by the holye Goste infusinge and powring faith and charitie into our soules when we came to the grace of Christendome and by thys as I sayde wee be made obedient to Christes faythe and readye to fulfill his commaundementes Et aspersionem â—anguinis Iesu Châ—isti And you be electe accordinge to Goddes knowledge to haue the bloode of Iesu. Christe sprinckeled and cast vppon you The bloode of Abell the fyrst Martyr was shedde and sprinckeled on the grounde wheÌ„ Cain his brother kylled him but this blood sprinckelinge cried for vengeaunce Genesis iiii Vox sanguinis fratris tui clamat ad me de terra saieth almighty GOD the voyce of thy brothers bloude cryeth vnto me from the grounde as thoughe GOD sayde Thy deede is so manyfest that it neede none accuser the verye bloude shedde on the grounde declareth thy manslaughter cryeth for vengeance Nunc igitur maledictus eris super terram que aperuit os suum suscepit sanguinem fratris tui de manu tua Therefore saythe almyghtye GOD thou shalte be cursed vppon the grounde whyche hath opened her mouthe and hathe receyued the bloode of thy Brother from thy hande The bloude of Christ cryed for mercie and forgyuenes yea for theym that crucified hym Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt Father forgyue theym saythe Christe for they knowe not what they do Therfore Saynte Paule comparynge these twoo aspersions together saythe Accessistis ad sanguinis aspersionem melius loquenteÌ„ quaÌ„ Abel Heb. xii ye become to the sprinckling of blood that speaketh better then Abels bloud spake To this aspersion we come by baptisme in which the efficacitie and strengthe of Christes passion commeth vpon vs putteth away â—ynne blame takinge his strength 〈◊〉 to do at the bloode of Christ shed for our redemption that they that be sprynckled with the bloode of Christ might auoyde and escape from the power of the diuel as the people of Israel by the bloude of the Lambe escaped and went out of the bondage of Egipt We see also in Moyses lawe that euery thing that should be â—anctified were wont to be sprinckeled wyth the bloud of the sacrifices killed for that purpose signifying the clensing and halowing of our soules by the bloude of Christ. Gratia vobis pax multiplicetur This is the conclusion of Saint Peters salutacion or recommendacion in whiche he gyueth them his blessing of grace peace Origene vpon a like blessing saith I think that this blessing of peace grace which is giueÌ„ to Gods welbeloued seruaÌ„ts to whoÌ„ the Apostels writeth is no lesse of strength theÌ„ the blessyng that the holy Patriarch Noe gaue vnto his sonnes Sem and Iaphet which was fulfylled by the holye Goste vpon them that were so blessed And lykewyse no lesse strength then the blessing that Abraham had of Melchisedeche or then the blessynge that Iacob had of his father Isaac or then the blessing that the twelue Patriarches hadde of theyr father Israell Then I saye that thys blessynge that Saynt Peter gaue theym that he wrytte vnto was no lesse then the sayde blessinges for he had in hym selfe the holye spirite and in the holye spirite he wryt hys letter and in the same spirite he gaue his blessing Then by the same holye spirite they shall take theyr blessynges that be blessed of the Apostles or of theym that haue the holye spirite wythin them speciallye if they be founde worthye and in whom the blessynge maye fall or els the sayinge of Christe shall bee brought to passe that he saythe in the Gospell Si fuerit ibi filius pacis pax vestraÌ„ veniet super eum sin autem pax vestra ad vos reuertetur If there be the chylde of peace your peace shall fall vpon hym and if no your peace shall retourne to you agayne And that is wrytte of peace is lykewyse to be vnderstande of grace for Saynte Peter ioyneth together grace and peace for peace is neuer withoute a speciall grace of GOD nor grace without peace Therefore where is lacke of grace there canne be no peace and where wee haue no peace wee maye be sorye that wee lacke grace This grace and peace the Apostle prayeth that it maye be multiplyed vppon them that he wrytte vnto that is to saye that it maye growe and encrease euer more and more from daye to daye And because hys meanynge was not onelye by theym that he had seen wyth hys bodelye eyes in the countries where he hadde laboured but also to all other nations that shoulde heare or see thys hys blessed Epistle It is not to be doubted but thys blessyng of grace and peace he wysheth also to vs speciallye if we may saye wyth the Prophet Aduena egosum apud te peregrinus sicut omnes patres mei Psalm â–ª xxxviii I am as a straunger with thee good Lorde and a Pilgrame or wayfaring man as all my forefathers haue beene he wrytte his letter to suche straungers therefore if we counte oure selfe as such straungers not setlyng our mindes to much in the worlde but countynge oure selues not to haue anye citie or stedfast abiding here but stretching and settinge fourthe our selues to the euer lastinge citye of heauen and to the glory to come Then let vs take heede to his blessed doctrine in this Epistle take it said vnto vs aswell as vnto them that al we may by his instruction come to such grace as may bring vs to glory euerlasting through the help of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ The seconde sermon BEnedictus deus et pater dnÌ„i nostri Iesu Christi c. After his salutacion here the apostle proceedeth to hys matter and processe in this Epistle or letter remembring hys pastorall office and dutie aswell to them that he writ vnto as to vs and all Christen people that shall come after vs specially if we take our selues as straungers and wayfaring people in this world He entended by his writing to confirme theym and vs by theym in the faithe that they
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
chylde the father and if at the fyrst he haue not suche louinge feare of his mayster yet beware of his angre feare correctiō as the bondman or prentise doth by vsing thy self to do wel for suche seruile feare thou shalte find ease in wel doing shal begin to do well for loue so of a good seruaunt thou shalt be made a good sonne faithfull and louing to thy maister and by that thy maister shall loue the better thē any child he hath Prou. Si sit tibi seruus fidelis sit tibi tanquam anima tua Euen as him self you must do your seruice with simplicitie of hearte sayth S. Paule withoute doublenes so that as you shew your self outward to be diligent and true so you must be in hearte inwardlye euen as you should serue Christ that bought vs with whom it boteth no man to dissēble you muste not serue to the eye while your maister loketh vpon you as it were to please men but as the seruauntes of Christ doing the wil of God with good mind and with a good will as seruing our Lord God that hath geuen your maisters power ouer you and hath made you subiecte to them not as doinge seruice vnto men for the power that they haue ouer you cometh of God therefore if ye be false to theim you be false to God that wylleth you to be true to your maisters And S. Paule wylleth Titus his disciple byshop of Candy to commaund al seruantes to please their maisters in al thinges that is not contrary to Gods pleasure non contradicentes nō fraudātes alia littera nō responsatores non suffurantes no choplogikes that wil countersay their maisters geuing them thre wordes for one be it well be it yll be it true be it false that your maisters sayth you should be contēt geue thē no answer but let them say what it please thē you muste be no lurchers or priuey pykers or stealers but in al thing shewing good fidelitie that so you may adourne do worshyp to the doctrine of Christ in al thinges for y e good liuing of the scholer is the ornament worshyp of the maister But now I pray you yf the maister bidde his seruaūt to entre into religiō is the seruaunt bounde to obey his maister in that If his master bidde him take ordres and be a preist is the seruaunt bound to obey his mayster if his maister bidde him take a wife and be maried is the seruaunt bound to obey him in these cases or in suche other No verelye for where S. Paule or S. Peter biddeth the seruauntes obey theyr maisters in all thinges you muste vnderstande this in all thinges parteininge to bodelye workes and not spiritual workes in workes parteining to the administration guiding and orderinge of theyr maisters housholde and of his tēporall busines and not parteining to such a perpetuall yoke as is matrimonye Haec est enim gratia si propter Dei conscientiam sustinet quis tristitias patiens iniuste Because he had bydde seruauntes obey their maisters althoughe they were crabbed and out of the schole of Christes doctrine yf they were infideles or oute of the schole of discrete iudgement in correction In these wordes he geueth them spirituall and goostly counsayle and comforte saying This is a speciall gyfte of grace of the holy gooste if anye of you suffer sorowe and payne wrongfully propter conscientiam Dei hauing in his conscience a respect to the pleasure of God which would not the seruaunt to grudge against his maister and also remembring the reward that God will geue to al them that for his sake suffreth more then els thei were bound to suffre S. Paule sayth Phil. i. Vobis donatum est pro Christo non solum vt in eum credatis sed ut etiam pro illo paciamini It is geuen you for a speciall gifte of grace not onely to beleue vpon him i. Cor. xii Alij datur fidesin eodem spiritu by the holy spirite of God the holy gooste to one is geuen faith by whiche we beleue on Christ on his holy worde but also for Christ it is geuē you sayth Paule as a speciall grace to suffre for Christes sake as many holy Apostles and martyrs did for when the heat of the loue of God is inspired into the soule of man by the spirite of God the holy goost it geueth a certaine gladnes and a certain swetenes to a man which suffreth him not to be deiecte with anye aduersitie but maketh him bold and constant against all vexation Example we haue of the Apostles whiche after they had receiued the holy goost at this holy time of Whitsontide Ibant gaudentes a conspectu consilii quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomine Iesu contumeliam pari Actu v. when they were reuiled threatned and well beaten for their settinge forth and preachinge Christes faith and were commaunded they shoulde do so no more they went with mery hartes from the counsayle of the Scribes and Phariseis that they were conuented and called afore because it had pleased God to thinke them worthye to suffre suche despites for Christes sake We se also by experience that heate causeth and maketh boldnes in man and beaste therefore the beastes that haue hootest hartes be moost bold and for this cause the lion is bolder then is the horse or an oxe because his harte hath in it a more feruente heate then the other haue in theyr hartes So when the holy goost inspireth the feruencie and heate of his loue into the hart of any man or woman it maketh that person wonderous bolde to suffer persecution and all maner of payne yea martyrdome propter conscientiam dei as S. Peter speaketh knowinge in his conscience that it is Gods pleasure he shoulde not reneige God but rather constantly suffre all aduersitie for Gods sake This feruent heate made S. Paule to say Rom. viii Certus sum quia neque mors neque vita c I am sure that nether death nor life nor the aūgels nother thinges presēt nor thinges to come nether any other creature maye disseuer or put vs a parte frome the charitie and loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lorde So the seruauntes that be tormented and beaten and vexed with bitter and feruent wordes must take it as a kynde of martirdome this they must suffre euer hauinge a timerouse conscience towardes God and surely theyr rewarde shall not be forgotten at length though they suffer for a tyme. Quae est enim gratia si peccantes collaphisati suffertis What thanke shall you haue yf you do noughtelye and play the sluggardes or the false bribers in youre maisters busynes and then for your noughtye doynge be well boxed beaten and canueste and so suffer as you deserue What thanke shal you haue for your suffering none at all Sed si benefacientes patienter sustinetis haec est gratia but if you do well and then suffer
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
domini prophetabis cum eis muâ—aberisin virum alium The spirit of our lord shall fall vpon thee sodainly thou shalt prophecy as thei do and thou shalt be chaunged into another maner of maÌ„ And as Samuel y e prophet saied so it chaunced in dede And Saul prophecied with them singing lauding god also speking by y e way of prophecy of things to come Of this came the murmure and admiration and wonder of theim that knewe hym and were acquaynted with hym afore euen as Saynte Peter speaketh here they saide Quenam res accidit filio Cis â–ª Num Saul inter Prophetas Cis was father vnto Saule what is become vnto the sonne of Cis What is Saule amonge the Prophetes or one of the Prophetes These menne did not thanke GOD for the gifte that God hadde geuen to Saule but rather disdayned and fell to mockynge of hym Other there were that manifestlye despised hym Filii autem Belial dixerunt Num saluare nos poterit iste despexerunt cum The Deuylles chyldren malicious persones sayde Can this man saue vs from our enemies They dispised hym and set hym at naught and woulde not take hym as their Kynge nor brought anye presente vnto hym as others did Euen accordynge to suche common practice of the worlde speaketh Saynte Peter here They that yet styll persisteth and continueth in their old accustomed vyce and misliuynge filii Beliall the deuylles birdes marueyleth at you That you forsake theim and that you fall not to suche coÌ„fusion of all Lecherye and voluptuous liuynge as they dooe and as you were wonte to dooe blaspheminge and missaiynge you because you abstaine from their noughtie conuersation they despise you and sette not a strawe by you but sayeth Wyll you see thys Pope holye horeson Num Saull inter Prophetas Wee shall haue a Prophete or a Preacher of hym with suche other blasphemynge and raylynge woordes Qui reddent rationem ei qui paratus est iudicare viuos mortuos Whiche shall make a reakening and accompte for their raylinge vnto hym that is readye to Iudge the quicke and the deade our Sauiour Iesus Christe vnto whome the father hath geuen auctoritie to Iudge all them that shall be iudged for if you holde your tonge and speake nothinge that iuste Iudge will not kepe silence nor holde his tongue but will paye theim home for their blasphemye and raylynge and shall geue you large rewarde for your Pacience accordynge to that Sainte Paule sayeth that pacience tryeth a manne a tryall worketh hoope of saluation And that hope shall not bee confounded but shall be saciate with ioyes euerlastinge in heauen accordinge to our expectation Amen The fiftenth treatice or Sermon â—Iuant autem secundum Deum in spiritu In these wordes that I haue nowe reade vnto you the blessed Apostle Sainte Peter sheweth vs the commoditie that came to theÌ„ that beyng infidels hadde the Gospell and good tidings of Christes doctrine preached vnto them And the same coÌ„moditie commeth also to all theÌ„ that beinge in deadly sinne and so dead spiritually heareth the Gospell and the worde of God preached vnto them which is amendment of life Thus he sayeth Propter hoc c. For this cause the Gospell and holye doctryne of Christes faith was preached to you and to theÌ„ while they were afore dead by infidelitie and for lacke of the lyfe of grace that they might be likewise iudged or condemned by carnal vicious persons as you be and might be likewise hadde in dispite as you be for Christes sake and for your good vertuous liuing And notwithstanding sinister iudgemente of naughty men yet they should liue Godly and according to Goddes pleasure in spirite for commonly those two thinges foloweth of the receyuynge of Christes fayth and for liuynge accordinge to the same firste that accidentallie and by occasion of good and christian liuynge menne suffereth muche woe and vexation and many dispitefull wordes Second euen of purpose of theÌ„ that preacheth or conuerteth men to good they that be so conuerted maye liue vertuouslye accordynge to Goddes pleasure Omnium autem finis appropinquabit Because he sayd euen now that Christe is readye to come to iudge the quick and the beade as though he woulde not be long nor tarie Nowe he saieth accordyng to the same that the ende of all menne is at hande for as Christe saieth in the Gospell of that daye of iudgement no man knoweth howe nighe it is or howe farre of it is And therefore we muste euer thinke vppon it as thinkinge euerye mornynge it woulde be come afore night And euen so we muste thinke of our owne particuler iudgement at our departinge euerie man and woman for oure owne parte as well for the aucthoritye of Goddes woorde that in manye places geueth vs warnynge to bee euer readye as for the manifolde Pronostications and messagers of death that wee haue euerye daye Of whiche one is Age whiche daielye creapeth vppon vs aduertisynge vs of oure ende to whiche he daielye driueth vs as by lacke of naturall heate and by colde folowynge of the same And this commeth to manye menne by longe continuynge in thys lyfe and by multitude of yeres To others it commeth afore their tyme accedentallye and in a manner vyolentelye as by syckenesse paynes and aches and to others by vnmeasurable solicitude and care of minde Eccle. xxx Cogitatus ante tempus senectam adducit And to others by ouermuche Studye and watchynge for to get learnyng and knowledge Vigilia honestatis tabefaciet carnes cogitatus illius auferet somnum Eccle. xxxi â—â—â—chyng about matters of honestye and goodnes shall consume the fleshe and the thinkyng on such thinges will take awaye a mans slepe for of muche thought and of profounde study about weighty matters and likewise of musinge on terrible and troublous causes there commeth into the sensuall appetite of manne manye passions and troubles to vexe hym and vnquiet him as feare and sorow and heauinesse or suche other whiche manye tymes altereth the bodye soore and vnmeasurablye so that a mannes naturall complexion is distempered by the same and a mannes naturall moysture is consumed and natural strength weakened and decayed and so the fleshe widdereth and dryeth the skyne wrinkeleth and quaketh And therefore saide the wiseman Pro. xxv Sicut tinea vestimento vermis ligno ita tristicia viri nocet cordi As a moght hurteth a garment and a worme consumeth a Tree so dothe sorowe and heauinesse hurte a mannes harte and consequentlye all the bodye after And therfore holye Iob in his greate calamitie and vexacion sayde Cutis mea aruit contracta est Iob. vii My skinne is withered and shronke together This saide holye Iob considerynge that hys naturall moysture was coÌ„sumed by age for his manifold diseases and sores An other proâ—ostication messager of our end is sickenes soores maleÌ„ders as weaknes of coÌ„plexion disposion to many feuers to be now then vexed w t
the seuen giftes of grace whiche be there called seuen spirites because thei be the giftes of the holy spirite by appropriation thoughe they come of the whole trinitie as is afore sayd Of these vii giftes of grace that were so excellently in oure sauiour Christ and by him were distributed and diuided to all them that be apt to receiue them I purpose God helping to intreate partly this day differring vntil another tyme or tymes when it shall please God them that I shall not haue leysure or oportunitie to speake of nowe And here is to be noted for them that be learned that the scholastical doctours be of diuers opinions in conferryng and comparing these seuen gyftes of the holye gost to the seuen principal vertues thre theological Fayth Hope and Charitie foure cardinall Prudence Iustice Fortitude and Temperaunce And also to the viii beatitudes that Christe speaketh of Matth. v. And to the fruites of the spirite spoken of Gala. v. So that by many diuisions and subdiuisions they reduce al these seuen giftes of the holy gost vnto the seuen principal vertues aforesayd also to the sayd beatitudes and fruites And contrarywise they reduce all the sayd seuen principal vertues beatitudes and fruites vnto these seuen gifts of the holy gost cōsidering the scriptures expressing all one thing in substance expresseth it in diuers places by diuers wordes And now with more words now w t fewer And in some place omitting that they expresse in other places Other sayth ful reasonably that Fayth Hope and Charitie be presupposed to all these seuen giftes as the rote in a tree or in a plant is presupposed if the tree shall bryng furth leaues blossons or fruites And as we see that the Carpenters axe or tole can do no worke except it be handled of the workeman and ioyned to him by such handeling or touchyng euen so our soules be not moued to the exercise of any of these seuen gifts except they be after some maner ioyned to the holy gost which must be by faith hope charitye These be the very meanes to ioyne man to god to al godly exercise therfore wher these be not there the holy goste doth not inspire anye of his seuen giftes Example we haue of S. Paule which though he were a vessel chosen to be replenished with grace yet he had not hys gyftes of grace furthwith after his stroke that he had as he was commyng vnto Damascus but he was three dayes starke blinde and sore astonyed and afrayd by this feare with praier fasting he was prepared to faith hope and charitie consequently to aboundance and plenty of grace superadded to the graces of faith hope charitye Then seing that these three most necessary vertues be presupposed to the other gifts of the holy gost if I should do quēadmodum sapiens architectus like a wise maister of the works I should first intreate of them as to lay the foundation a fore I begin to garnish the ouer and hier part of our spirituall building But because I dout not but ye haue oft and many tymes heard of them at large omitting them as presupposing the foūdacion to be alredy sufficiently layd I will descend to my principal purpose aduertising you that who so euer lacketh the said graces of faith hope and charitie and will not dispose hym selfe by prayer to obtaine them he shall vnprofitably heare any preaching of the foresaid seuen giftes of the holy goste Then supposing the best that euery one of vs hath them let vs prosecute procede to intreate of these seuen giftes and first of the first gift that is the spirite of sapience or the gift of sapiēce And because that after the minde of the Logicions where is anye equiuocation first we must make a distinctiō afore we giue definitions therfore it is to be noted that sapience or wisdome is takē foure maner of waies as appeareth Iacob .iii. where the apostle asketh this question Is there anye one amonge you wise or wellearned If ye will say yea then sayth the apostle let him shew that by his workes In mansuetudine sapientiae curteisly tractably or gentlely ordering his wysedome Where contrarye if ye haue bitter zeale and enuye in your hartes with striuing and brawling you nede not to be proud deceiue not your selues for thoughe you thincke your selfe neuer so wise and iolye fellowes and thou scolding woman neuer so iolye a dame yet this is not the wisedome that commeth from aboue from God almighty the giuer of all goodnes But this is earthly wisedome beastly wisedome and diuelish wisedome where ye haue expressed foure maner of wisdomes wisedome that commeth from heauen of Gods gift and three other wisdomes that commeth of our gostly enemies Let vs exclude these three and we shal the soner perceyue vnderstande and beare awaye what the godly wisedome is One of these three noughtie wisdomes S. Iames calleth earthlye wisedome and that is it that couetous men be combred with all whych be euer like wantes or Moles moiling in the grounde and when they shuld ascēd aboue such worldlines to godly meditacions as to here sermons or diuine seruice they be as blinde as the Molle Either they cannot perceiue any thing of godly or heauenly coūsail or if they perceiue it yet they haue no swetenes in it but down they would headlong to their lucre and aduauntages againe like as a Molle if a man would feede her with wine and wastel she will none thereof but downe againe to the ground she will and there she is more strong thē a Lion and after her maner wiser then anye other beast Example of this earthlye wisedome we haue in the gospel Luc. xvi when Christ said No man can serue two masters and ye cannot serue God and your riches it foloweth the Phariseis that were riche heard al these thinges laughed Christ to scorne So if a man do preach or exhort the couetous men not to put to muche affiaunce and confidence in the vncerteinty of their riches a mā shall haue a mocke or a shrewd word But let thē beware of the comminacion that is writ Luk. vi Ve vobis diuitibus qui habetis hic cōsolationem vestram Wo be to you riche men whiche haue your consolation and comfort here in this world Ve is a comminacion of payne euerlasting whyche shall fall vpon theym beside the temporall woe and pain that they haue in keping their goodes ▪ for they be rather possessed and holden of theyr goodes then possedeth and holdeth them And they haue their goodes as we say a man hath a paire of fetters or shackels vpon his legges more to his paine then to his pleasure This considered S. Paule writing to Timothe .i. Timo. vi diuitibus huius saeculi precipe nō sublime sapere neque sperare in incerto diuitiarum sed diuites fieri operibus bonis facile tribuere c. Commaund the rich men of this world not to be