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
they wold not so sore charge the consciences of theyr subiectes but that wheÌ„ they breake the said lawes whether it be with contempt or withoute they shoulde suffer the temporall paines determined ordained for them that offende the said lawes And so they binde the seconde way by the payne to be inflicte on the breakers of the same Thys due obedience of the subiectes to theyr heades rulers and other premisses considered al noble Princes and Prelates and all others that commonly be called to high counsels to make lawes had nede maturely to consider that in their offices they be Gods helpers and the mean betwixt God and hys people and to be well ware that they make none such humane traditions as maâ— barre or deface the law of God as they dydde to whoÌ„ Christ vmbraideth that they for their own lucratiue traditions disswaded from the law of the honour of theyr parentes Math. xv And that they doe not binde suche heauye and vnportable burdens vpon their subiects backes as they wil not set one finger to to helpe men to beare Math. xxiii as the Scribes and Pharisies did whych then had the aucthoritie both temporall and spiritual vnder the Romaines And that they haue no malicious eye towarde anye partie diuisyng lawes for theyr neyghbours destruction or excogitating lawes for the impouerishynge of other men alleuiatyng theyr owne charges and making others fal down vnder their burdens The Prophet sayth to them that be constitute and set in suche authoritie Psa. lvii O ye children of men if ye speake truelye of iustice and ryghteousnesse then se that ye iudge streightly neither declining on the right hand by affection to your selfe or to your friende neither on the leaft hand by malice or displeasure to your foes or to them that you fauour not Considering that the iust iudgement of God shall be against them that measureth the power that they haue receiued of God after their owne wickednes not according to Gods lawes Wher they that iustly and charitably haue vsed their authority shall haue suche reward prepared for them in heaueÌ„ as no â—ong can tel nor hart can think Of whiche that we may be partakers he graunt vs that for vs dyed Amen An expositioÌ„ of the first epistle of Saynt Peter the Apostle set fourth in traictises or Sermons preached in the Cathedral Churche of Bristow by maister Roger Edgeworth Doctour of diuinitie one of the canons of the same Cathedrall church THe gret wise maÌ„ king SalomoÌ„ y t by his wit searched out the natures kinds of all creatures on erth as far as any man might and dysputed reasoned of all the trees in the wood from the highe Ceder tre growing in Libanus where â—uch trees be abundant vnto the poore and lowe I sope that groweth out of the walles and that write and reasoned of beastes and birdes wormes and fishes and to whom resorted people of all nations and from all kinges of the world to heare hys wysedome yet he confesseth Ecclesiastes i. Cuncte res difficiles et non potest ea homo explicare sermone All thinges be hard to be knowen no man can perfitely expresse them by mouth For as the Logition speaketh we knowe not the substantiall and perfite dyfference and distinction betwyxte creatures of the world that we se afore our faces euery day Therfore it is no merueil though our wits be very thin feable and weake to vnderstaÌ„d the holy scriptures For the faire beuty of godlye truth comprised and contained in the scriptures lyeth so priuely hid like a heauenly treasure layd vp in them that it wyll not appeare but onely to them that seeke and searche for it wyth a whole minde and with a clere hart And in asmuche as mans reason is grosse and combred wyth many ydle thoughtes and with muche busynes of the worlde running in mans minde this maketh vs the more blinde vnmete to finde the sayd treasure specially because that in spirituall and heauenly matters as Saint Paule saith we se but as it were in a glasse obscurelye and as a thyng farre of vnperfitelye And beside this I knowe that the thinges that be spoken of in Gods holye and liuely worde be endited by the holy spirite of God Wherefore it is not for euery man to examine theÌ„ and discusse them after his own iudgement for no man may worthely medle wyth hys doyâ—ge but he that hath the holy spirite and specially that gift of the holy spirite that S. Paule speaketh of .i. Corin. xii Discretio spirituum where he sayth that to some man is giuen the spirit of sapience to iudge and reasoÌ„ of celestial matters to other the gift of scieÌ„ce in lower exercise to som is giuen faith by the same spirite To som power to discerne spirites to know when the good spirite speaketh and when the bad and noughtye spirite speaketh In catholike and true expounders of scriptures speaketh the good spirite in heretikes speaketh the bad and noughty spirite And in the holy scripture which is the worke of the holy spirite of the holy gost for he inspireth all the writers of the holye scriptures he is the chiefe author of holy scripture and they that be named the doers thereof as Mathewe Marke Luke Iohn and S. Peter whom we haue now in hand be but as the Scribes Notaries Scriueners and as it were the very quils or pennes of the holy goste Lingua mea calamus scribe saith the Prophet In the holye scriptures I saye when a texte maye haue diuers expositions and may be diuersly taken and euery way good and catholike yet to attaine to the verye prescise and true meaning of the holy gost is no small grace this is the grace of DiscretioÌ„ of spirites or of putting difference betwixte spirites And withoute this gift no maÌ„ shal be able to pas fafely through the scriptures without a foyle Nowe who shall haue this gift and who shall lacke it it standeth chiefely in Gods handes and not in our merites and deseruing For these considerations it is no merueil that it be perilous to speake of almighty God of heauenly or godly causes far aboue our reache In somuch that many wise and wel learned men haue rather chosen silence to hold their tonges then to take labours in expouÌ„dinge or preching y e scriptures But this is not inough for theÌ„ to whom the office of teaching is coÌ„mytted As to bishops to whoÌ„ is coÌ„mitted the whole cure of their dioceses To Archdeacons persons vicars al other hauing cure of soules to al such it is very hurtfull noysome to kepe silence as s. Paule full well considered saying .i. Corin. ix Ve mihi est si non euangelizauero I am sure of wo euerlasting if I do not preach Christ biddeth scruramini scripturas search labour in y e scriptures he biddeth vs also seke and we shall finde Therefore we must search seke least we heare the reproche that Christe gaue the
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
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
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
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
or that he maye aske of them that be learned and so teache his wyfe least peraduenture if women shoulde haue resorte vnto learned men to reason matters or to aske questions for their learnynge by ouermuche familyarity some further inconuenience might mischaunce to bothe parties She muste not playe the reader she must not kepe the scooles but rather Mulier in silencio discat cum omni subiectione docere autē mulieri nō permitto i. Tim. ii Let a woman learne in silence without many words without clattering with al obediēce subiection For I will not suffer a woman to be a teacher least peraduēture taking vpō her to be a maistres she may wexe proude and malaperte She must consider her creation that a woman was last made and first in faulte and in sinne Wherfore it besemeth women to knowe their cōdicion to be subiect and not to refourme and teache menne Once she taught and marred all therfore Paule woulde haue her teache no more But here you must vnderstād as wel for the philosophers minde of the hearers of moral philosophy as for s. Pauls minde of the students in holy scriptures that although nether children in age neither in cōdicions all geuen to take their pleasures and to folowe their lustes be appropriate and most conuenient hearers of philosophye because they lacke experience of vertuous workes and by childishe plaiyng the boyes and plaiynge the wantons be customed in lewdenes yet thys notwithstandyng if they be vnder awe and feare of their parentes or of maisters or of officers they maye take profite by hearynge Philosophy in as much as if they be straightly holde to such learning they may be disposed to vertue and restraint from vice by the same And muche like it is of the studie of scriptures if such voluptuous persons be compelled to haunt sermons lessons and exhortations by suche meanes the folishnes and ignorance that is knitte in the hearte of the wanton and childishe persone maye be driuen away by the rodde of discipline And I reade of many blessed women that haue bene vertuously brought vp in youth and well exercised in holye scriptures as they that saint Hierome wrote to and many others whiche we worshyp for blessed saintes in heauen to whiche God gaue grace to subdue their affections and lustes and by that they were the more mete to receiue the gifte of science and cunnyng by the scriptures But I rede not that they were readers preachers or disputers of scriptures Manye wise questions they vsed to aske and were without countresaiyng satisfied with such answers as were giuen them by them that were learned I doubt not but they vsed to teache their maydes at home such lessons as might make them chaste and deuout For women may be exercised in teaching after that maner as appeareth by Saint Paul Tit. ii saying that aged womē among other vertues must be bene docentes vt ad castitatem erudiant adolescentulas well teaching that they may enforme their yonge women to chastitie and to loue their husbands and to loue their children to be cleane in countenaunce in woordes and in bodie to be good huswiues benignas et subditas viris suis boner boughsome to their husbands So farre blessed Saint Paule giueth women libertie to teache but not to teache men All beit saint Ierome in the preamble of his expositiō of the psalme Eructauit cor meū verbū bonū noteth that Ruth Iudith and Hester haue bookes intyteled to their names and that they taught men wit and so did the wyse woman of Techua conclude king Dauid with her wyse questions that she asked hym and taughte him by the subtyle riddles that she proposed to hym and mitigate hys anger wyth the pretye example that shee brought in .ii. Reg. xiiii but in dede muche of her wysedome in her so doing came of the wytte of Ioab that sent her to the kynge to intreate for Absalon that he myghte be restored agayne into hys countrey The blessed manne Aquila and hys wyfe Pryscilla when they hadde hearde Apollo preache Christe they called him asyde and better taughte hym in the faythe of Christe in some pointes then he was taught afore Act. xviii But here the scripture expresseth not whether the man Aquila or the wyfe Priscilla taughte Apollo And it maye well be that they bothe instructed hym For the holye spirite of God breatheth and inspireth his giftes where it pleaseth hym and by theym that it pleaseth hym whether it be men or women Therefore it maye so be that it pleased GOD to illuminate the soules of women and by theym for the tyme to teache menne Sometyme for the reproch and confusion of menne to make theym ashamed of their dulnesse and sleweth As it is wrytten Iudicum iiii that Delbora the Prophetesse iudged the people of Israell and aduaunced theym to warre agaynst Sisara captayne of the warres of Iabin kyng of Canaan in so muche that Barach a noble manne amonge the people durst not go to the battayle agaynste Sisara except thys good woman Delbora woulde go wyth hym And sometyme women haue instructed men for other secrete causes such as GOD onelye knoweth But thys is not to be taken for an argument because it is rare and syldome but of a common course it becommeth women to be subiecte and to learne in sylence and if they will teache then to doe it wyth modestye and secretlye and not openlye to dyspute and teache men and that is Saynte Paules mynde as I sayde afore Scripture is in worsse case then anye other facultye for where other faculties take vppon theym no more then pertayneth to theyr owne science as the Phisicion treateth of thynges partaynynge to the healthe of mans bodye and the Carpenter or the Smith medleth with theyr owne tooles and woorkemanshyppe Sola scripturarum ars est quam sibi omnes passim vendicant hanc garrula anus hanc delirus senex hanc sophista verbosus hanc vniuersi presumunt lacerant docent antequam discant as Saynte Hierome saythe in hys epistle ad Paulinum The facultie of Scripture onely is the knowledge that all menne and womē chalengeth and claymeth to them selfe and for theyr owne here and there the chatterynge olde wyfe the dotynge olde manne the bablynge Sophister and all other presumeth vppon thys facultye and teareth it and teacheth it afore they learn it Of all suche greene Diuines as I haue spoken of it appeareth full wel what learnynge they haue by thys that when they teache anye of their Disciples and when they gyue anye of theyr bookes to other menne to reade the fyrste suggestion why he shoulde laboure suche bookes is because by this say they thou shalt be able to oppose the best priest in the parish and to tel him he lieth Lo the charitie Suppose thou haue science or cunnyng by thy studie in scriptures yet thou hast not this gift of the holy gost of whych we nowe speake for it is not without charitie Scientia
euer beare with vs rocks stones or swerds to defend vs from the diuell but the signe of the crosse is soone made with a little mouing of our hand to saue vs from his falsehed This is the signe by which with his mighty woorde is consecrate the bodye of Christ the Fount is halowed priestes and other degrees of the churche take their orders and all thinges that be halowed by this signe of Christes crosse with inuocation of hys name be sanctified The crosse layd down on the grounde extendeth his partes towarde the foure partes of the worlde East West Northe and Southe and so did the body of Christ when he was nayled on the crosse lying on the grounde in signe and token that hys loue extended to all partes of the worlde and that for theyr sakes he suffered so great paines as he did whych doubtlesse very farre passed the paynes that any other man myght suffer by reason of the complexion of his body whych was excellently pure quick for it was made of the purest substaÌ„ce of a cleane mayde vndefowled not mixt of such vile matter as our bodies be and it was neuer mystempered by ingurgitacion or vncleane diet Therefore it must nedes be very pure and cleane And according to the proportion rate or maner of the disposition of the bodye is the dysposition of the sences of the body and specially of the touchyng or feling then it must nedes folow that hys touching or feling was exerceding pure quicke and liuely by which ye may be sure that the stroke or wounde that would litle agreued another man was great griefe to him Then consider howe his head was bobbed and beaten and pricked wyth sharpe thornes his handes feete â–ª bored through and torne with great nayles And after that the crosse he hanging on it hoysed vp let downe into the mortesse made for it and to be shogged and shaken hauyng no stay but his own sinowes fleshe and skynne rent and torne in his handes and feete Thys was a payne of all paines specially in that pure complexioned and tender body â–ª After this he suffered his soule to departe out of his body and so dyed bodely that he might delyuer vs from the death of the soule which coÌ„meth by synne for like as the soule giueth life vnto the bodye so God giueth life vnto the soule therfore like as when the soule is gone from the body the body is dead so wheÌ„ God is gone from the soule the soule is dead and that is euer wheÌ„ we synne for God and synne dwell not together no more then light and darkenesse â–ª Roma v. From thys danger we were reconsiled to God by the bloude of his sonne for he washed vs from our sinnes in his owne bloude and so deliuered vs oute of the diuels danger which had none other holde vpon vs but by the ropes and bondes of synne He was burled that so he might blesse the buriall and graâ—es of al good men for the consolacion of al them that shall be buried in the earth Of his graue Esay prophecied longe afore saying that hys graue shall be glorious Esay xi as in dede it was hewed out of a new stone intended for a worshipfull maÌ„ that prouided it for hymselfe but he was verye glad to bestow it on a better man He was wrapt in fyne â—lothes and powdred with costlye spyces The graue was honoured wyth the presence of Angels visited of holye women and of the disciples and afterward deuoutely soughte of noble Emperours and of other great men we Christen people in the remembraunce of the same vse a laudable ceremonie garnishynge after the best maner that we can in our churches euerye good fryday a goodly sepulture in whyche we repose the blessed body of Christ. COnsequentlye foloweth the fifth article added by saynt Phillip He descended into hell not hys bodye for it remayned in the sepulchre tyll hys resurrection but in hys soule wyth the Godhead for the pryncipall partes of Christes mannehoode whyche the Godheade once tooke to hym hee neuer lefte His Godhead was with the bodye in the graue with the soule in hell for the consolation of our first parentes and of all Patriarchs and Prophetes and of all good men and women that afore his comming remayned there without anye sensible paine but onely in the greuous payne of lacke of glory from which they were stopped as by a payne for originall synne because the raunsome was no rather payed Thyther it pleased him of his goodnes to descende for to confounde his enemies the diuels that lyke as he had ouercome them on earth by hys blood so he might at home amoÌ„g them selfes in hel triumphe ouer theÌ„ taking theyr prayes and prisoners out of theyr holdes agaynst theyr wylles The Prophet zachary sayd that Christ woulde thus doe by these wordes zacha ix Thou in the bloud of thy testament hast let fourth out of the lake or dongeon in which ther was no water or refreshing theym that were bounde there And the blessed Apostle saynt Peter confirmeth the same in hys first epistle thirde chapter saying that Christ came in spirite and preached to them that were in prison whiche some time were hard of beliefe when they loked for Gods patience in the daies of Noe while the shippe was a making in which a fewe that is to saye eighte lyues were saued by the water He came in spirite in his soule for his body remayned in the graue as I sayd and preached declaryng that the misterie of his incarnation and passion was performed by whyche hell shoulde be spoyled and the way to heauen should be opened to all good men and women whose soules were in captiuitie amonge whiche were manye of them that were alyue in that space of C. xx yeares that God gaue to the people to amende theyr lyues and to Noe for a warninge to prepare and make his shyppe readye of whiche some woulde not beleue Noe manye times and busely exhortynge them to amende theyr lyues yet at the last when they saw the waters ryse styll and encrease withoute any ebbyng they repented and were sorye for theyr synnes and so died penitente and descended to the skyrte of hell where were the soules of many Patriarches and Prophetes and of other holy men and women whiche by Christes presence had consolation inestimable as well as they that S. Peter speaketh of in this place for if they of whiche it semeth lesse had comforte by Christes descendinge to them then muche more they that were of higher perfection had such consolation comfort by his presence and by their delyuerauÌ„ce out of that pryson S. Basyl sayth on these wordes of the Psalme Dirupisti vincula mea Thou hast broken my bondes because thou hast set vs at libertie from the bondage of sinne and descendinge into hell hast losed from death mankinde there beinge captiue and holden in the vneuitable custodye of hel So it was verified that
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
chyldren that be beginners Saynt Paule perceauinge that the Corinthians were verye carnall and worldelye not hauinge theyr mindes eleuate to hygh learninge fed them with milke like chyldren as he sayth i. Cor. iii. yet afterward hearing of theyr dissentions and debate aboute their baptistes Cum quis dicat ego sum Pauli alius auteÌ„ ego Apollo where as one sayd I am Pawles Christen maÌ„ because I was christened of Paule an other sayth I am Apollo his Christen man because I was christened of Apollo He spied that theyr carnalitie was not all gone therfore yet he said they were not able to take sadde meate nor to be taught as spirituall men but as carnall folkes callinge them carnall folkes that he calleth there animalis homo whose sences and appetites be depressed and kepte downe to sensuall pleasures not submittinge them selues to the rule of reason directed by the holy gooste and these be carnall fleshely or beastly in liuinge Carnall fleshly or beastlye in knowledge be they that of almighty God and heauenlye thinges imageneth and iudgeth by corporall phantasies as of God that he is a fayre olde man with a white beard as the paynters make him and that the ioyes of heauen stondeth in eatinge and drinkinge pypinge and daunsinge these be grosse imaginations of carnall wittes And euen so they be spirituall in liuinge that be ordered in theyr liuinge in theyr thoughtes wordes and workes by the instincte and inclination of the holy goost ruling and guiding them to goodnes and such persons wil be as well ware and afrayd to come in that place where they may be hurte in soule as they wyll be ware to come where they maye be hurte in theyr bodies and wyll be as glad to cure and heale the soule if anye thinge be amisse as they would be to heale the bodye if it were diseased in them the feruencie and heate of the spirite waxeth not faint by multiplying of iniquitie neither by the coldnes of charitie and in theim the spirite is not quenched vnderstandinge by the spirite that spyryte whiche is conserued kepte whole and sounde with the soule and the bodye as S. Paule speaketh and not the substaunce of the holy ghoste whiche can not perishe or be hurte But we vnderstande by the spirit the graces and giftes of the holy gooste whiche by oure vertue or by our vyce be kindeled or quenched as S. Hierome writeth in his epistle ad HedibiaÌ„ And they be spirituall in knowledge that considereth of almightie God aboue all thinges that his excellencie and glory passeth all thinges that may be sene or imagined by mannes wittes and that he is not prescribed or determined to anye place but that he is infinite and vnmeasurable and all one and whole in euery place and that of the aungels and of celestial ioyes iudgeth aboue all corporall and bodelye creatures and that consydereth that after the generall resurrection men and women shall nother marye nor be wedded but shall be as Goddes Aungelles in heauen They that by exercyse in hearynge the holye Scriptures haue theyr wyttes eleuate aboue the commonne sorte of people becomme to yeares of dyscretion and loke for faster feadynge and hygher learnynge then the younger sorte dooth whiche muste be fedde with mylke or suppynges that wyll be easelye digested They that Saynt Peter wrytte vnto were but newly conuerted to Christes faith by his preachinge amonge them in his progresse in Pontus Galatia Capadotia c. Therfore specially he aduertiseth them euer to desyre that mylke of playne doctrine concerninge the fyrst principles and necessary articles of our fayth in whiche he had instructed them This is milke without gile or deceipt there is no falsehead admiâ—te or mingled with it saith Saint Peter meaninge that there is an other mylke that is mixt with gile or falsehead as the mylke that is spoken of Prou. i. Fili misi te lactauerint peccatores ne acquiescas eis My child if synners and noughtye lyuers geue the suck of mylke consent not to them as if they say come let vs take a standinge for a purse we shall get good ynough to make mery withall or els let vs be auenged on this man or that man he is euer contrary to our workes let vs rydde him out of the worlde and so we shal enioye our robberies quietly no man shall speake agaynste vs. Thus all they that intendeth mischief wyll geue sucke of this flateringe milke to make others as badde as they be them selues Therefore he sayth Prouerb xvi Vir iniquus lactat amicum suum ducit eum per viam non bonam A wycked man geueth milke to his companion and bringeth him in a shreude trade and into an yll waye As he that is a baudy felowe geuen to horehuntinge wyll make many more suche and bringe them to yll companye and to noughte wyth hym so wyll dycers so wyll carders and so wyll all vnthriftes fyrste to pleasures and consequently afterwarde to the very botome of all yll and finally to perdition and destruction This milke of temptation is not withoute gile but hath euer falseheade and gyle annexed and ioyned with it therefore we had greate nede to beware of it And yf wee shall set mylke of doctrine agaynste mylke of doctrine then considre howe the flatteringe mylke of heresie feadinge men with fayre flattering wordes and settynge afore men a counterfeit libertie to eate drynke withoute any delect choyse or difference of meat of time or place settinge litle by diuine seruyce and prayers and lesse by fastynge or abstinence This mylke is crudded and sowre and so are theyr hartes that geueth it and theyrs that fedeth vpon it or sucketh it Coagulatum est sicut lac cor eorum theyr hart is crudded lyke Milke Ambrose vpon the same Vt enim lac natura sua purum speciosum ac syncerum est sed corruptione coacescit sic cordis humani natura pura ac perspicua est priusquam viciorum admixtione coacescat Euen lyke as milke by his owne kinde is pure fayre and cleare but it waxeth soure by corruption so mannes hart is pure cleare and indifferente to all doctryne but whan the teacher is soure and corrupte it is no maruayle yf he do sone corrupt his scholer speciallye yf the scholer haue not his wytte well exercised to put difference betwyxte good and yll And howe many haue we knowen so fedde with this soure crudded milke that they haue bene made stronge and sturdie felowes paste correction or reformation growinge towarde destruction euerlasting This is the ende of the noughty noursinge with the badde milke where the iust and gratious mylke of true doctrine maketh a man to growe to saluation as S. Peter sayth here specially if you haue tasted saith he that oure Lorde God is swete and good As who shoulde saye some there be that for all the teachinge and preachinge that they haue yet they be neuer the better neither haue any swetenes in God nor
sinne or to the increase of his damnation Another maner of couerynge oure synnes is when they be so couered that God seeth them not and that is to saye that he imputeth them not to vs nor leyeth them to our charge for after the maner of speakinge of scripture then he seith sinnes and loketh vpon them when he punisheth them and then he seith them not when he doth not punisshe them And therefore the prophet sayde in another place Auerte faciem tuam a peccatis meis Tourne awaye thy face from my sinnes As who shoulde saye with the eyes of thy mercy loke vppon me and se me but see not my synnes but as it were one that had forgotte theim punysshe theim not knowe theim not but forgeue them and impute theim not to me nor laye them to my charge And in this case be they that wythoute gyle or dissimulation vttereth theyr synnes Of suche it is sayde Nec est in spiritu eius dolus In suche a mans spyryte there is no gyle where contrarywyse they that vseth gyle and clookynge theyr faultes howe muche the moore they laboure in defence of theyr synnes boastynge their owne merites and their owne well doinges and seith not their owne iniquities nother speaketh of theim so muche their goostlie fortitude and might decaieth and waxeth weaker And therefore againste proude men that trusted muche in their owne good dedes and would not be a knowen of their faultes Christe putteth a parable of the proude Pharisei and the humble publicane The Pharisei praised him selfe of his vertues but he spoke nothinge of his faultes The publicane cloked not dissembled not vsed no gyle but toke vpon him as he was and therefore the one was iustified and iudged for a good man where the other was condempned Christe defended the Publicane and gaue sentence acquitinge him as not giltie and couered his sinnes not any more to impute them to him or to laye them to his charge where the proud Pharisei euen in the temple in the Surgions shoppe and vnder the Surgions hande shewed forth his whole limmes where he was not sicke nor soore declaringe his vertues but his sinnes he couered and hidde from the Surgion and therfore he was not cured he might haue sayd Quoniam tacui inueterauerunt ossa mea dum clamarem tota die Because I helde me styll my bones wexed olde and decayde to noughte while I cryed al day longe The bones of the soule be vertues for as the bones of the bodye maketh the bodye stronge so doth vertues make the soule stronge These bones these vertues decayeth and draweth to nought whyle we be styl and cry al day longe A straunge maner of speakinge of the scripture It is euē of the same maner that I spake of nowe The Pharisei was styll and helde his tounge and yet cried to loude he was styll clokinge and hidinge his faultes with scilence and yet he was loude ynough bosting and praysing him selfe of his vertues and of his well doinges of whiche he shoulde haue spoken not a worde and therfore his vertues auailed him not to saluation of his soule but decaied to nought as his soule did So good neighbours there be inough and to many of vs that crye loude inough boastynge and praysinge our well doinges yf anye be but to speake and confesse our faultes we be styll ynough and holde our tonges As manye men of their glottenye of drinkinge men vnder the borde of ryottinge and surfettinge and of wastfull bankettinge and of theyr pryde malicious taunting of pore men of sclaunderinge and backebiting they take no remorse or grudge of conscience but rather reioyce in mind make much boasting outwarde of the same They vse not to reuele vtter such faultes to theyr goostly father and to almighty God with contrition and sorow for them but rather glorieth in their ill doinges to the increase of theyr owne dampnation If they woulde with a lowly heart vncouer them to the surgion he woulde make them whole where as if they be hidde they wil rankel and fester to euerlastinge corruption Pryde maketh a man to hide his faultes to his dampnation Charitie putteth awaye Pryde Charitas enim non inflatur Charitie is not proude and therfore it disposeth a man to humilitie making him contente to shewe him selfe as he is to the surgion and so he shall be cured and well at ease before God Beatus enim cui non imputauit dominus peccatum He is blessed to whose charge oure lorde God hath not layde any sinnes but geuing him charitie couereth his synnes S. Peter cōsideringe this exhorteth vs aboue all thinges to haue charitie for it couereth the multitude of sinnes And therfore it may be called a holesome and healthfull garment for the soule for diuers necessarye properties of a garment Fyrste like as a garment conserueth and kepeth a mannes lyuelye and naturall heate within him so doeth charitie conserue the lyfe of the soule so that he that lacketh it lacketh lyfe and is dead i. Ioh. iii. Qui non diligit manet in morte He that hath not loue or charitie abideth in death he is all colde and stiffed This liuely heate of the soule is conserued and saued by kepinge the commaundementes of god which be al comprehēded in loue or charitie accordinge to Christes aunswer to a certayne learned man that apposed him saying maister what shall I do to haue euerlastinge life Christ apposed him again in his owne learning what is written in the lawe howe reade you He aunswered Thou shalte loue God aboue all thinges with thy whole hearte with thy whole soule with all thy strength and with all thy mynde And thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou sayest wel sayeth Christ Hoc fac uiues do that and thou shalt liue And all this is done by kepinge the ten commaundementes of God In the thre fyrste commaundementes we be taught howe to order our loue towarde God and in the seuen last howe we shall extende our loue to our neyghbours And yf we perfourme and fulfyll these for loue we shall please God and deserue heauen by them where as yf we kepe them onely for feare we would do the contrary if we might and be no thanke worthye Albeit better it is to fulfyll the commaundementes for feare then not to fulfyll theim at al for by oft doyng wel for feare we may gendre a loue to wel doing so at last we shal do wel for loue and shall haue a swetenes in wel doinge Second charitie is compared to a garment for like as a garmēt defēdeth a man in external heat in colde in wet drie wether so doeth charitie award defend the soule in prosperitie in aduersitie For as s. Paule saith Diligentibus deum omnia cooperantur in bonū To them that loueth God al thinges worketh to good for both prosperitie aduersitie God is to be lauded thanked when al thinges that man liueth by cōmeth plētifully whē the
geueth good comforte sayinge if you be vmbrayded and missaied for vsynge vertue and iustice that is for Christes sake you be blessed for euerlastinge blessing is promised you And that perteineth to honoure to glorye and to the vertue of GOD and also his holye spirite resteth vpon you In this present lyfe you shall be worthye to haue honoure in youre good workes and for well doynge and vertuous lyuinge Nam honor est praemium virtutis Honor is the rewarde for vertue and in time to come you shall be partakers of Christes honour And nowe you shall haue the glorye of a pure cleare conscience whiche is the glory of a Christen man and the very waye to come to glorye of body and soule Gloria nostra haec est testimonium conscientie nostrae ii Cor. i. This is my glory saith S. Paul the witnes of mine owne conscience without remorse or grudge for my conuersation hath be in simplicitie amonge you without carnall or crafty subteltie or deceipt saith S. Paule Euen like glorye of your owne consciences shall reste vpon you whiche shall comfort you agaynst the insulties and sclauderous raylinge of all your aduersaries Let them say what they wyll you can not let them you know your selues cleare and fautles and the vertue and strength of God ouer the deuyll and all his membres shall also reste vpon you and no marueyle for his holy spirite the holy goost the causer of these benefites and of all other goodnes resteth vpon you and therefore as muche as in them is almightie God that resteth in you is missaid and rayled at in you but as in you and for your part and as you muste take it he is glorified and that is said redoundeth to his glorye by you Nemo autem vestrum patiatur vt homicida aut fur aut maledicus aut alienorum appetitor When you take paine and be rayled on for iustices sake you maye be gladde But I woulde not sayth S. Peter here that any of you shoulde suffer for manslaughter as a murtherer or as a thefe or as a sclaunderer or backbiter or blasphemer or as one that goeth about to take awaye other mens goodes to spoile and robbe them The theues suffer imprisonmēt and death for theyr offences this paine they suffer for theyr iniquitie Heretikes be likewise put to shame and many times to death for theyr misbeleife and heresies and for blaspheminge and missayinge Gods holy scriptures to the yl example and peruerting of many a christen soule bringing them also to like damnation There be none such to be reputed blessed for theyr paines sufferyng because it is not for Christe nor for iustice sake but for theyr owne faultes yll doinges and ill sayinges but yet some suche men and women that haue so suffred for theyr faultes be so obstinate in theyr malice and so glory in theyr errors and iniquitie that they be not ashamed to saye they beare theyr crosse with Christe when they beare theyr fagottes in open penaunce to escape theyr burninge They beare theyr crosse in dede as the thefe dydde that was hanged on Christes lefte syde not to theyr saluation but to theyr cōdempnation which they here beginne and in hell shall consummate perfourme and continue the same for euer Si autem vt Christianus non erubescat sayth S. Peter If you suffer as a Christen man or woman eyther displeasures in body and goodes or by wordes for that thou arte a good Christen man or liueste like a good christen man or woman be not ashamed what so euer be sayd or done against the but rather glorify God giue laude and prayse and thankes to God that hath geuen the grace to be thought worthye to suffer contumely or despites for Christes name Glorificet autem deum in isto nomine quoniam tempus est vt incipiat iudicium a domo dei For nowe is the time for the iudgement of God to beginne at the house of God The iudgement beginneth in our lyfe time for whiche you muste note that the iudgement of God is of two maners one is priuie and secrete the other shall be manifest and openly knowen to all men and women The fyrste is in this life the other shalbe at the day of dome and the generall iudgement For almighty God will leaue no ill vnpunished therfore in as much as he sharpely wyll punishe sinfull persons with the intollerable paynes of hell with the deuylles after this lyfe he suffreth them to take their pleasure while they be here a while and to leade a mery life in welth in prosperitie but at a trise sodenly they be plucked awaye and descendeth downe into hell to that vntollerable and eternall iudgement And when God sendeth to such malefactours any paynes or trouble they fret and chafe rayle and grudge agaynste GOD and in theyr rage dyeth and beginneth theyr hell with paynes and sorowe here that hereafter in hell shall continue for euermore no tounge can expresse the sorowe and paynes that there shall be But others that by suche strokes and correction as God sendeth them be exercised for theyr purgation and be made better and better taketh them for a warning to conuert and amend their liues such correction doth thē much good Therfore it is written Iob. v. Beatus homo qui corripitur a domino Blessed is the man or woman that is correct and punished of our lord God And the reason is this for if mannes correction maye be good and holesome then Gods correction muste nedes be much more holesome for man knoweth not parfitly the maner and measure of holsome correction neither is omnipotent to take awaye the punishment when it is ynoughe or when he lyste ▪ nor to do good and to ease a man in tyme conuenient but God by his omnipotency by that he is almightie and knoweth all thinges he knoweth how much or how litle he maye punishe his childe and seruaunt and he euer punisheth hym to do him good either to trie him and to proue his constauncy or to make him amende his lyfe For there is no man liuinge that can say he is all cleare but that he hath sinned or done amisse and many things that in our iudgement semeth to be iust and well done yet in the iudgemente of God they may be nought For man seith and iudgeth after the exterior apparaunce but God seith the secretes of the heart and al other circūstaunces And in as much as all mankinde was at the beginning iustly condempned for the offences of Adam God will not easely deliuer vs from that malandre neither from so greate a disease which also maketh that sinnes be euer ready and we euer running headlong to them but iustice good liuing is full of labour and payne and is hard to come to but that loue and charitie maketh that easy to them that loueth God whiche to other is very painefull And this is the occasiō of this priuie iudgement of God by which he sendeth
excellencie of the ministers of the newe testament to the glory and ryaltie of the ministers of the old testament That thing that floorished and was had in glorye and riallie esteemed was not glorified in this behalfe in respecte of the excellent glorye of the thinges of the new testament of Christe As the Apostle sayth a litle before Si ministratio mortis litteris deformata in lapidibus fuit in gloria ita vt non possent intendere filij Israell in faciem Mois◠propter gloriam vultus eius que euacuatur quo modo non magis ministratio spiritus erit in gloria ii Cor. iii. If the seruice of death described and written with letters in the stones of the two tabels was had in glory and reuerence so that the people of Israell coulde not looke vpon the face of Moyses which was the minister of that lawe for the glorie and shyning bryghtnes of his face which is sone taken away for it taried not How then can it be that the seruice of the spirite by the grace of the new Testament should not be in glorie muche more He calleth the ministration and seruice of the olde leuits priestes of Moyses law the ministration and seruice of death bycause that Moyses lawe was the occasion of death of the soule not of it self but by the malice and yll will of man whiche commonly laboreth and inclineth to the thing whiche is forbidden so runneth headlonge to breake the commaundementes of God whiche be set forthe by Moyses law and consequently to run headlong to death euerlasting And also Moyses law is full of the comminations and threateninges of the death of the body for the breakinge of it He that gathered stickes on the holy daye was put to deth he that missayde his father or mother should die for it and such other Yet the ministers of the same were had in glorie great reuerence whiche the Apostle declareth by the glory shyninge brightnes of the face of Moyses when he came downe from the mount from GOD bringinge downe with him the lawes then his face had certayne bright shining beames comming from it which appered to the people like hornes ascending vpward from his face so that the peoples eyes could not abyde the sight to loke vpon him but runne backe awaye from him in so muche that he was fayne to put a veyle or a couerynge ouer his face when he spoke to them and when he went vp to talke with God he vncouered his face and when he should declare Goddes pleasure to the people he couered his face agayne that they myght more easly aproche and looke vpon him and heare him as it is playne in the story Exo. xxiiii Of this the Apostle Saynte Paule argueth If the ministration and seruice of death whiche also is euacuate abolished and gon were had in glory and reuerence as it was in deede as appereth by the storie now rehersed then muche more the ministration and seruice of the spyrite of the new law and Testament in whiche the holye spiryte of GOD is gyuen to faythfull people whyche is also the seruice of loue and of libertie of the soule must needes be had in glory and in reuerence For in comparyson of the glory of the lawe of the Gospel and of the law gyuen by Chryst the former glory and clearenes of Moyses law is not seen but vanysheth awaye euen like as the light of the Moone or of the sterres is hyd and sheweth not by the light of the son in a clere day Then saith Chrisostome conuerting his contemplacion to our misteries of the new testament of Christ and to the ministers of the same Let vs consider among other thinges how it is cōmytted to them here dwelling on earth in thys mortall bodye to dispence and bestowe the treasure and riches of heauen for it is giuen to priestes to haue suche power as almighty God would neyther giue to the angels nor to any of the archangels or to any other angels of heauē For it was neuer sayd to any of them whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be losed in heauen whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bounde in heauen This bonde toucheth the very soule of men and reacheth vp euen to heauen aboue so that whatuer the priest doth in this behalfe here beneth on earth almighty God doth ratifie and alowe the same aboue in heauen and he beyng the lord and mayster doth aproue the sentence of his seruāt Now what maye a man call this els but that in maner al the power in heauen is committed and graunted to the priest for Christ sayth whosoeuer sinnes you forgiue thei be forgiuen and who soeuer sinnes you restrayne or bynde they be restraint bound Tel me saith Chrisostom what power can be giuen greater then this one The father hath giuen to the sonne al power in heauē and earth But now I see saythe Chrisostome the same power the sonne hath giuen to the prest which the father hath giuē to him Imagyn that if a noble king had gyuen to one of hys faythfull and true seruauntes or subiectes power to caste into prison whom it pleased him and to take him out of prison againe or ani other prisoner that he thought wel to do such a man should be counted a marueilous man and in great fauour with his souerayne and worthy to be highly estemed of all the realme And it were a plaine madnes for anye man to despise such an auctoritye euen so it were a manifest madnes to despise or litle regard that authoriti without which we can not obtain our soule helth here in this world saith Chrisostom nor can obtaine the good promisses of the ioyes of heauē Here you must vnderstand Chrisostom that he speaketh of them that be of age and dyscretiō and hath time and oportunitie to vse the sacramentes which the priest ministreth For no man can come to heauen except he be regenerate by water and by the holy gost and he that eateth not the fleshe of Christ drinketh not his blood can not haue life euerlasting Al these thynges be performed and brought to passe by the priest thē how can it well be that without theyr helpe wee may escape the euerlasting fyre of hell or obtaine or wyn the reward of the eternall garlande and crowne of glorye These bee they these be they I say to whom the spiritual trauelyng and the byrthes or deliueraunce of soules to God be put to and they be put in credite and trust with thē By them we put on vs Christe for our garment when we be made Christen men by theym we be buried with Christ by baptisme as Saint Paul speaketh and be made the limmes and the members of hys blessed body For these consideratiōs we ought to feare them to do them more honour then to our carnall father for by our carnall parentes we be borne ex sanguinibus voluntate carnis of bloud the peasure of
the flesh but these men these priests be the aucthors and doers of that byrth which we haue of God and of that blessed regeneration and trew liberty by which we be made the children of God by adoption and speciall grace The Iewes priestes of Moyses law had power not to pourge clense the bodie from leprie of them that were infecte with the same disease but rather to discerne iudge whether men were purged or not purged from that disease and yet was their priesthod in hie estimacion and ambitiously desired as appered bi Chore Dathan and Abyron which for their obstinate and greedie desyre sanke into Hell the earth opened and swalowed them vp with all theyr confederacie Then coÌ„sider how the priesthod of the new Testament is amplified made of more sanctimonie by reason of the most holie misteries and sacramentes with whiche it is exercised then euer was the priesthod of Moyses law For Christes priestes doth not only declare and iudge whether men be purged fro the lepres of the soule or not but rather doeth purge them in deede by the power that Christ hath geuen to them Therfore after Chrisostom looke howe great difference there is betwixt vehement loue and desire of a thing and the contempt or despising of a thing so greatly thei that despiseth the holy priesthod of Christes ministers be more detestable to be reproued then euer were Chore and Dathan and their confederacy which with so ardent and feruente desyre aspired to the priesthod of Moyses time The one sanke downe into the gapinge earth which swalowed theÌ„ downe into Hell then let not the other thinke to escape without more shame and vengeauÌ„ce Moreouer yet further to compare the priestes to our naturall parentes Almighty God hath geueÌ„ to priestes more power vpon vs then to our naturall parentes For our parentes begetteth vs into this present temporall lyfe but the priestes getteth vs into euerlasting life Our carnall parentes can nother saue vs from temporall sickenes nor froÌ„ temporal death but the priestes not only when they regenerate vs by water and with the holy spirite or when by their holy doctrine they recouer vs from vice to vertu but also when we be bodyly sicke also sicke in our soule they cure and heale vs obtayning by the succour and help of their prayers bothe health of body and soule witnesseth S. Iames Iaco. vlt. Infirmatur inter vos aliquis accersat presbiteros ecclesie orent super euÌ„ vngeÌ„tes euÌ„ oleo in nomine dnÌ„i oratio fidei saluabit infirmuÌ„ et alleuiabit euÌ„ dominus et si in peccatis sic remittentur ei WheÌ„ any maÌ„ amoÌ„ge you is sicke let him sende for the priests of the church let them pray ouer him anoynt him with oyle in y e name of our Lord the praiers of faythfull persoÌ„s shal saue y e sick our lord shal set him vp agayn And if he be in sinnes they shalbe forgiueÌ„ him Natural pareÌ„ts cannot help theyr children if they offende against princes or kinges in anye poynt of treason or greuous offence where priestes many times obteineth grace mercy and fauour for theyr spirituall children not of mortall princes but of almighty God wheÌ„ he is offended with them Well thys excellencie of priesthod coÌ„sidered which I haue now at large declared euer presupposing their excellency power and auctority to be principallye vpon the soule of man in such things and doinges as be toward God to whom be all honour glory for euer Amen ¶ The .xix. treatise or sermon WOrshipful frendes I truste you remember that in my laste sermon that I made in this place I entred on the fift chapter of Saynt Peters first epistle In which I declared vnto you how Saynte Peter like as he had giuen good and godly lessons to all kynde maners of men and women maryed and single masters and seruauntes bondmen and freemen so because the ministers of the church shuld not lak learning he instructeth prelates and priests and informeth theÌ„ of theyr dutie alluring al priestes to giue credence to his doctrine by that he professeth him selfe to be a priest and one of such experience of the affayres of our Sauiour Christe that had sene as well the glory of Christes glorified body at his transfiguration as also the vexacion that he suffred in the whole processe of his painful passion and that he was partaker of the same And then consequentlye I descended to speake of the order of priesthode and of the dignity of the same which I declared at large bi the scriptures and by the auncient writers holye fathers And I had litle thanks for my labour specially of them that beinge priestes be ashamed of that name and of likelyhood would faine de discharged of theyr order if they could tell howe most agreued they were with me because I said nothing in the defence of theyr shameful and incestious bawdry which they would couer wyth the name of matrimony so by them sclaundring that holy sacrament Then I declared many properties of a good priest which to exchew prolixitie I will now not rehearse againe for I trust you haue not al forgotten them These properties of a good priest or prelate thus declared let vs see what Saint Peter now here in the letter willeth them to do Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei Feede the flocke of God that is vnder your hand Because that now lateli this matter of the diuersitie of shepeheards and pastours was very well and aboundantly handled and declared I wil passe ouer it presupposing these good properties afore rehersed of him that shal be a good shepheard or pastour We must take heede to our charge Act. xx Atten dite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spuÌ„s sâ—tuÌ„s posuit episcopos regere ecclesiaÌ„ dei quaÌ„ acquisiuit sanguine suo Take hede to your selfe sayth S. Paule to the priestes prelates of Ephesus and to all the whole flocke in whiche the holy goost hath set you bysshops Lo here he calleth them byshops they were not then all in such preminence or so set in aucthoritie or superioritie aboue others as bishops were then sone after and be now but he meaneth priestes afore he called them maiores natu ecclesie the elders of the church or congregation Now he calleth the same byshops these S. Paule biddeth take hede to their flocke Saynt Peter byddeth them feede their flocke as Christe had commaunded Peter to feede his lammes and to feede his sheepe his people whiche should be lyke laÌ„mes full of simplicitie tractablenes and geÌ„tlenes which Christ willeth all them that wilbe saued by him to vse So Saynt Peter descendeth as by an ordinate Iherarchie and giueth like charge to such as he had constitute and ordeyned to be curates after him willing them to feede the flocke prouidentes non coacte prouiding for theÌ„ without coaction They must wyth discrete solicitude and studie prouide such
twenty treatice or Sermon OMnem solicitudinem vestram proiicientes in eum Where Saint Peter considerynge that the worlde dothe vnquiete manye a man and dothe alâ—enate his mynde from the exercise of humilitie towarde GOD and of other Godlie vertues by ouermuche cumberaunce of minde with solicitude carke and care of the worlde exhorteth vs to caste all our solicitude thought and care vppon almightye God for he hath cure ouer vs and careth for vs. The world doth euen as Christe speaketh of the sede sowen amonge the bushes thornes or briars it can not proue for y e thornes suffocate it stiful it hinder it and marreth it Solicitude and care of the worlde is the thinge that the worlde combreth vs with To exclude this saint Peter here counseileth vs to cast vppon God all our care all our solicitude and cumberaunce of minde let him alone with it Yea sir shall I do so This is a good easie waie if it woulde serue I haue father and mother a great charge of housholde to care for shall I let God alone with theim go play and make merie Shall I loke whether he will send them meate by the birdes as he did to Helie by the crowes and rauens or to bake a cake vnder a panne c. No that were to tempt God c. But I muste do that partaineth to mannes industrye and to mans laboure and diligence and then no further to cumber my minde or to weare away my self with carke but then to cast all the rest of my care vpon him euen as the mariners cast theyr anker vnto the lande to more set fast their shyp to stay it fast for there is sure holde when we haue done our diligence let vs laye all the rest in his lap for he careth for vs as a mercyfull father for his children So that moderate sollicitude is not reproued but solicitudo obrueÌ„s confundens intellectuÌ„ suche solicitude as doeth ouer whelue and confounde a mans witte And because that Mundus par immoderantiam sauciat The worlde woundeth man by excesse and superfluite therfore Saynt Peter byddeth vs be sobre contrarie to glotenie whiche killeth more theÌ„ doth the sweard And this sobriete is y e same vertue that we call temperaunce whiche is one of the .iiii. cardinall vertues of whiche the wise man Sapi. viii speaketh amoÌ„ge the praises of sapience sayinge that the godly sapience Sapientia increata The wysdome of the father the seconde parson in Trinitie of whose wysedome euerie man and woman hath a sparke that lighteneth and inclineth him to goodnes and to eschew yl This heauenly Sapience and wisdome sayth the wyse man Sobrietatem et prudentiam docet et iustitiam virtutem quibus vtilius nihil est in vita hominibus heaueÌ„ly wisdom the increate wisdome of the father of heauen teacheth a man sobrenes that is teÌ„peraunce and prudence iustice and vertue or power that is fortitude And these be the .iiii. cardinall vertues vnto which all morall vertues be reduced et vigilate watche take hede that you fall not to sinne beware for you haue a shrewde whelp to bite you to bringe you to sinne yf he may A duersarius vester diabolus tan quam leo rugiens circuit quereÌ„s queÌ„ deuoret Where s. Peter vseth the diuels owne terme a worde of his owne coÌ„fession CuÌ„ venissent filij dei vt assisterent coram deo affuit inter eos etiaÌ„ sathan cui dixit dominus vnde venis Qui respoÌ„densait circuiui terram et peraÌ„bulaui eaÌ„ Iob. i. WheÌ„ the children of god the good angels came to staÌ„de afore god our lord the aduersarie the dyuel was also among them The good Angels be called here the children of God â–ª in as muche as they be made like vnto him by participation of his glorie for the gracious fauour and loue that he hath toward them and they towarde him The yll Angels were not yll by creation or by name but of theyr owne frowarde wyll declyninge and goynge away from the fauour of god To shew that as wel all good thinges that men do inclined by the good Angelles as also all yll vnto whiche they be moued by the yll spirites be openlie knowen to almightye GOD as also the spirites good and bad the ministers of the same workes for it is said Cum assisterent coram deo filij dei affuit inter eosetiaÌ„ Sathan Sathan the Diuel was amonge them not so takinge that sayinge of holie Iob as that Sathan was one of the good Angelles that contynuallie and styll behelde the glorye of GOD. For so onlye the good Angelles and blessed spyrytes that be associate wyth them hath that ioyful and glorious sight but it is so sayd of SathaÌ„ in as much as his actes and deedes be seen and knowen to almightye God And because the good Angels do nothing but according to Gods pleasure and to his commaundementes therfore the Scripture taketh theyr actes as wel knowen and therfore it is not said that God asked of them any questioÌ„s but of the Deuyll because his actes agre not to gods pleasure but be in maner straunge to him for he doth not aproue them nor alow theÌ„ but asketh of hys doinge as of a straunge thinge like as he asked of Cayn where is thy brother Abel and quid fecisti What hast thou done Euen so in our purpose Our lorde God spoke to Sathan that is to saie made him to vnderstande that he knoweth all thinges And euen so you muste vnderstande the other saiynge that Sathan answered God againe not that he gaue anye knowledge to almighty God that he had not afore But it is as much to saie as that Sathan coÌ„sidered and vnderstode that all his doinges were plaine and open to the sight of God Let vs consider his answere Circuiui terram perambulaui cam I haue compassed or gone aboute the earth and haue walked through it By thys circuite or goynge aboute the worlde of SathaÌ„ is vnderstand hys callidyte wylines and sutteltie to serche whome he may disceyue and brynge into his snares And this is it that saynt Peter meaneth Aduersarius vester diabolus tanque leo rugiens circuit querens queÌ„ deuoret Wily persons goeth compasse aboute the bushe Psal. in circuitu impij ambulant in a compas like as in all croked thinges Medium exit ab extremis The middel or meane goeth out from the extremities like as in thinges that be streyght the middel wrieth not nother goeth oute from the extremities as appereth playnlye in a streyght line in whiche euery part lieth streight and none swarueth aside out of course so they that be iust and streight when they entende a thing or say it in their doinges setting forward toward that ende or purpose they swarue not by wrenches and wyles bypathes but goeth as streyght as they maye to the thinge that they intende or promise and to bringe their purpose to passe and to good effecte But the wylie
And euen like the gift of counsayle without fortitude or manlinesse is of no price Nother manlines without counsell or good aduisement No more is science without pietie or pietie without the discretion of science And fear muste haue some of the saide giftes concurrent with it or els no good will come of it Then to our purpose Because that our knowlege naturally beginneth at some of our fiue exteriour or outward senses which we call the .v. wits if our knowledge shall be eleuate aboue that his common course to heauenly matters as be thinges parteyning to our fayth it hath nede of some supernaturall light by whiche it may ascende and pearce into the knowledge of such thinges as by his natural power he caÌ„ not attayne to As that there be three persons in one substaunce of the Godhead And that the father by his fecund and fruteful memory produceth and getteth his onely begotten sonne the second person in trinitie And that the father and the sonne by their fecunde and frutefull will bringeth forth the holye gost coeternall and of equall might and power with theÌ„ both And y â— that one God thus distinct in thre persons by his endles and mighty power at his pleasure and wheÌ„ he thought good made all the world of nought And that by his onelye goodnes he mainteneth and preserueth the same so that if he would once withdrawe his hande of maintenaunce but one little moment from hys creatures they should sodainely fall to nought as they came fro And that all the glorious company of aungels he made to honour him like as all other creatures after their kindes and maners doth And where as some of the aungelles swarued from the grace that they were creat in and were damned to be the horriblest creatures and in most payne of all creatures of the world the others persistyng standinge in their goodnesse were confirmed in grace so that now they can not fall but continuallye remayneth in the glorious fruition sighte and loue of God euer ready to do his commaundemeÌ„t in heauen and at his pleasure here in earth toward vs mortall men Hebr. i. These and such high misteries of heauenly matters to perceiue and as it were by the sharpenes of mans witte to pearce into theÌ„ as man may here in this grose and corruptible bodye perteyneth properly to the gifte of vnderstandynge Ad donum intellectus And the more perfectly that this gifte is inspired into man by the holy gost the more distinctly and plainely he shal perceiue such hie secrets though perceue theÌ„ as he shall do hereafter in glory we can not yet And by mature and wise iudgement to discerne these verities from their contraries perteyneth properly to the gifte of Sapience or godly wisdome Ad donum sapientiae As to discerne one God from the false Gods To know that the .iii persons in Trinitie be equall in power and not one of them minister or seruaunt to the other as Arrius saide To know that there is but one maker of all thinges no more and not to put two creatours one of good thinges an other of euyl thinges as Manicheus saide And to iudge when the angels of God doth trulye Gods message And to discerne them from the aungels of darknes which many times disguise them selues into the fashion of the angels of light These and such other hye iudgementes in heauenly causes ê‘teineth properly to the gift of sapience or godly wisdome For this supernaturall gift of Sapience the wise man prayed Sapi. ix Da mihi sedium tuarum assistricem sapientiam Geue me the wisdome from aboue that is euer assistent bi thy seat of glory and from thence is deriued and infused or send downe to menne Because that Si quis erit consummatus inter filios hominuÌ„ si ab illo fugerit sapientia tua in nihilum computabitur If a man be neuer so profound and excellent in mans wisdome if he lacke this godlye wisdome good Lord he shall not be estemed wise but rather a fole in as much as worldly wisdome is counted but folishnes afore God .i. Corin. iii. And the prophet Dauid prayed that he might obtayne thys supernaturall gift called Donum intellectus the gift of intelligence wittinesse or fine and cleare vnderstandyng saying Psal. cxviii Da mihi intellectum vt discam mandata tua Geue me intelligeÌ„ce that I may learne thy coÌ„mandementes Where it is highly to be noted that this noble king and prophet whiche so well knew Gods lawes and that saide he had kept Gods eloquent sayinges yet nowe he prayed for finer and clearer vnderstandyng by whiche he might yet better ascende and pearce into the same And we haue nede so to pray as the prophet did that this gift of Intelligence may be geuen vs to helpe our fayeth like as in many cases our faith helpeth our intelligence or vnderstandyng accordyng to the saying of Esay vii Nisi credideritis non intelligetis As saint Augustine and others redeth that letter Excepte ye beleue ye shall not vnderstande For many thinges there be whiche except ye beleue ye can not vnderstande as the articles of our fayeth with other like And many truthes there be that we can not beleue except we haue vnderstandyng either by hearyng the preacher by instruction or by study as Paule sayth Ro. x Fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi And this is acquisite fayth gotten by laboure studie or hearyng and so is vnderstandyng proporcionablye to the same whiche bothe be made more firme fast and certaine by fayth infused and by Intelligence or vnderstandynge infused and geuen from aboue of the holy gost And this gift of Intelligence is neuer withdrawen from good men specially about such thinges as be necessary for mannes saluation to be knowen although some men haue it in a higher degree theÌ„ some other haue but about other thinges not necessary to be knowen it is withdrawen to pul men downe that the matter occasion of pride and curiositie may be taken away and lest men should be to proud of gods gifts and accordyng to this speaketh saint Iohn i. Ioh. ii Vnctio eius docebit vos de omnibus The oyntment infusion or inspiration of the holy goste will teach you in all thinges necessary to be learned although very good men hauyng the grace that maketh theÌ„ acceptable and in the fauour of God may be dul and little or nought perceiue of other truthes without whose knowledge a man maye come to heauen wel inough Chrisostome in a sermon De spiritu sctoÌ„ vseth a more familier playner distinction of these two giftes Sapience and Intelligence saiyng When it besemeth a doctour or a teacher to speake plainely his gifte is called the spirite of Sapience And where nede is that the hearer do wittily perceiue that is spoken the gifte that he muste haue is named the spirite of vnderstanding which also is called the spirite of reuelation wheÌ„ nede is to learne
thē loke smoth is of the deuils inuētiō neuer of gods teaching Therfore I must exhort al womē to beware of coūterfeting adulterating or chaūginge the fashion and fourme of Goddes worke ether by yelow colour blacke or redde pouder or by any other medson corrupt or chaūg y e natural lineamētes or fauour of man or woman because they that vse that maner of doinge semeth to go about to correcte or amende the thinge that god hath made and striueth against God violentlye settynge hande vppon his worke If there were an excellent Painter or a keruer that had made a goodly image of the best fashion that he could if a busye bodye woulde take a tole and take vppon him to amende the ymage so made shoulde he not do iniurye to the sayde gaye workeman and also dispite vnto hym Yes surelye For he shoulde seme to count the workeman but a fole nothing cunnyng Then cōsider almighty God the workeman of of all workemen he made the face and body of man and woman as he thought best then I praye you what arrogancy and presūption is it for man or woman to set to the pensile or tole to make it better Thinkest thou that God will not take vengeaunce on thee for thy striuinge wyth him to amend yea rather to mar that he hath made Therfore in that y t thou thinkest thy selfe that thou arte made fayrer thou art made fowler in dede beggynge of colours made with pouder of stones with rindes of trees or wyth ioyce of herbes the thing that thou hast not of thy selfe More ouer Christe sayth Mat. v. Non potes vnum capillum album facere aut nigrū Thou canst not make one heer of thy head white or blacke And yet thou by thy pride wylte proue him a lyer and make thy selfe a better workman then he paintynge thy heere or thy face not onelye blacke or white for women set little by such colours but also yelowe or redde malo praesagio futurorum sayth S. Cipriane with a shreude ossinge or prophecying of the colour that thy head shalbe of in the redde fyre of hel when thou shalt come thither Nowe I praye the that so paintest thy selfe arte thou not afrayde least when thou shalte appeare afore the iudge at the generall iudgemente he wyll not knowe the but wil put the away from the rewarde that is prouided for all good people in heauen sayinge what haue we here The figure of her face is steyned or polluted into a straunge countenaunce Howe canst thou see God with suche eyes as he made not but as the deuyls crafte hath died and steyned lyke the fyrye glistering eyes of the serpent with whome thou shalt burne for euermore The fyrst that I reade of that thus painted her phisnomy was the noughtye quene Iesabell the common butcher and murderer of all the preachers and prophetes of almightye God She was wyfe to Achab kinge of Israell that destroied Naboth for his vineyard when Hieu sometime seruaunt to Achab and to his sonne Ioram was anoynted kinge and had slayne his Lorde and maister Ioram by Goddes commaundemente he came into Iezraell where the kinges manoure was there to do vengeaunce on Iezabell that noughty quene she trustinge to haue grace and fauoure at his handes yf she might moue him to concupiscence paynted her eyes and her heare and her face after the best fashion But this woulde not helpe they that were aboue in the chambre with her were commaunded to pitche her downe at the wyndowe and so they did and there she was all to troden vnder the horse feete so that there was no more lefte but the scull of her head and her fete and the knockels of her handes whiche serued for the dogges accordinge to the prophecie of the blessed prophete Helye In agro Iezraell commedent canes carnes Iezabel iiii Reg. ix You see what payntinge serued for But nowe maried women wyll pretende and make an excuse by theyr husbandes sayinge that they take all the labours in payntinge and trimming them selues to please theyr husbandes and so doynge they make theyr husbandes partetakers of theyr offence and consequently of theyr dampnation for company sake And I shall aduertise all maried men and all them that haue doughters to kepe that whether the tyrynge or trimminge of your wyues and doughters be for to please you as they say or to please them selues as you say that you suffer not theym to vse it because it is not godlye as I haue tolde you and also because of the peryll that may come of it For when they set them selues forth so curyouselye and goeth abroade in the streates or sytteth in theyr shoppe windows or elles peraduenture at feastes and bankettes with vicious companye it is not you alone that they woulde haue to loke vpon them it is not you alone that is pleased with the sight of theim it is not you alone that casteth theyr eyes after theim or that draweth longe sighes of carnall loue after them this is not the waye to kepe theim for youre selues Beware therefore good husbandes that you set not youre wyues or doughters so to sale for feare least harme come of it And you good wiues beware of the daunger and peryll of youre honestye and specially beware of the peryll of your soules If you nouryshe the luste of concupiscence and sette on fyre the breadynge of sinne so beynge as a sword or dagger to stryke an other man to the hearte and as a verye poysonne to destroy others you knowe the perill of it Wo be to him or her sayth Chryste that geueth occasion of ruyne woo and sorowe euerlastinge in hell Beare not your selues proude of youre husbandes riches sayinge my husbande hath landes and rentes to mainetayne all the costes that I do vpon me my husbande hath golde inoughe in his coffers his riches commeth in and encreaseth dayelye The time shall comme that you shall saye wringinge youre handes and gnasshinge youre teeth in Hell Sapient v. Quid nobis profuit superbia aut diuitiarum iactantia quid contulit nobis Talia dixerunt in inferno qui peccauerunt c. They that haue synned shall saye after this manner in Hell What dydde oure pryde auayle vs Or what profitte hadde we by boastynge of oure ryches As whoo shoulde saye none at all but rather aggrauatethe oure dampnation If thou be riche lette the pouertie feele thy ryches helpe theim wyth thy riches and bestowe it not in superfluous ornamentes Study to dresse youre soules sayth S. Peter here and trymme the inwarde man qui absconditus est cordis homo that is hyd within you your soules whiche God seeth very well and do it so that your spirite be not corrupte or defouled with sinne but be quiete not troubled with inordinate concupiscence or desyre of the fleshe nor of the minde studyinge for to do displeasures or to do hurte And also that your spirite be modest kepinge a meane and measure in all your sayinges
and doinges such a soule saith S. Peter est in conspectu dei locuples is ryche in the sight of God for the true riches is the riches of vertues they wyll stycke by vs where other be fluxe and fadinge and wyll awaye Suche is the riches that we ought to be glad of for these we ought to laboure and with suche riches S. Peter biddeth all wyues to adorne them selues to be cleane in soule and as for outwarde dressynge to kepe an honeste measure as besemeth women shewinge sadnes and honestie in huswyfery and in good dedes Sic enim aliquando et sanctae mulieres sperantes in deo ornabant se subiecte propriis viris For so sayth he holye women that hoped and trusted in God arayed theym selues here afore in olde time whiche were subiect and obedient to theyr owne husbandes Example he taketh of Sara that was wyfe to the blessed Patriarch Abraham I thinke that yf we sawe nowe in oure time the tiringe of her the dressing of her head and the whomelines of her raiment it woulde make vs laughe and yet it was good and huswyfely for that time I doubte not But the rayment that S. Peter commendeth in her was the raymente of her soule her prompte and ready subiection and obedience to her husbande she forsoke her countrey and her kinred and acquaintaunce to accompanye him and do as he woulde haue her to do And in processe when the thre aungels appeared like men to Abraham sitting at his dore and he inuited thē to his house he badde Sara his wyfe make spede to take floure and knede it to make them a cake baken vnder a panne for theyr dinner she ful obediently did as she was bid while he runne to his herde of catell and toke a fat yonge calfe and gaue it to his seruaunte to dresse it and to seeth it and so with mylke and butter and that sodde veale he made them good chere I trowe theyr drynke was water for it was in the feruent heat of the daye and in a hote countreye woulde God men coulde be content with suche hospitalitie now a dayes there should many more be fedde then be and the hospitalitie should be more acceptable to God then it is nowe with diuersitie of exquisite disshes dasshed with spices and delicate wynes and vsed for kynredde and freindes and suche as can requyte lyke agayne If poore people haue anye thinge it is those scrappes that be nexte the dogges meate And yet more when Abraham her husband badde her that she should not saye that she was his wyfe but that she was his sister and he her brother she dydde so as the time serued And more ouer Sainte Peter noteth her obedience and subiection to her husbande by that she called him her Lorde and that was whan the Aungell told Abraham that Sara his wife shoulde beare him a chylde she stode behynde the bowre doore and smiled sayinge What shall I playe the wanton nowe in mine olde age Dominus meus vetulus est and my Lorde is an olde man It was her husband that she called Lorde in that gyuinge to all wiues example of subiection and obedience to their husbandes And Saynte Peter sayeth to all wyues you be all her doughters as longe as you doo well and lyke sobre matrones as shee dydde and so doynge you shall not nede to feare any trouble or displeasure of youre husbandes but shall liue quietelye and louingely together Viri similiter cohabitantes secundum scientiam quasi infirmiori vasculo muliebri impartientes honorem Nowe you haue hearde the fatherlye and holsome counsaile that Sainte Peter hath geuen to all wiues teachynge theim howe they shoulde order theim selues to their husbandes and to the worlde because the husbandes shall not be to sore nor cruell to theyr wiues nor to hie and lordelye ouer theim he geueth also to the husbandes a holesome lesson as it were sayinge Similiter Euen like as I haue exhorted the wyues to do their dueties to their husbandes so I muste exhorte and counsayle you to do your duties to theim althoughe I haue tolde you that Sara called Abraham her Lorde by her humble and lowlye hearte yet you muste not so take youre selues as lordes ouer your wyues nor vse theim as your seruauntes nor as your drudges but as your makes and as youre felowes specially in domesticall cohabitation and dwelling in one house with theim and in youre coniugall acte to gether accordynge to science and to the iudgemente of ryghte reason and by wysedome Saynt Ambrose Epist. lxxxii sayth the wyfe muste do reuerence to the husbande as to her heade and ruler but no seruice as his seruaunt drudge or bondwoman She muste be contente to be ruled by her husbande but not to be compelled by correction no not so muche as by chydynge For indigna est coniugio quae digna est iurgio she is not worthye to be a wyfe that is worthye to be chydde Then you maye be sure she is muche moore vnworthye to be a wyfe that wyll not doo her owne woorke withoute strokes her husbandes woorke is her owne woorke Strokes be mete for youre leude seruauntes and bondewomen and not for youre makes Therefore all wyues when they wyll deserue beatinge they reneige and refuse the honestie of a wyfe retourning to seruantes state agayne They shoulde not be taken furth with the graue and sadde matrones and with honest wyues but let them come behynde with the seruauntes because they haue not lefte theyr seruyle conditions And then good men as you woulde your wyues should honoure you so must you parte honoure with theym honourynge the woman as the weaker vessell sayth S. Peter And yf she be crabbed and shrewshaken yet you must beare with her as ye woulde she should forbeare you when you be oute of the waye in your fume or in your rage Socrates that noble Philosopher had two wyues as S. Hierome wryteth primo contra Iouinianum with whiche he hadde muche sorowe and specially with Xantippe as Aulus Gelius wryteth and also Saint Hierome there On a tyme after she had bytterly scolled and rayled at hym he went from her and let her alone and as he wente forth of the dore she bestowed the purtinence of a chaumber vessell vpon his head for his fare well he dyd no more but with his handekercheife wiped his heade and sayde I knewe it woulde be thus that after thunder clappes woulde come a showre And when hys scholers and freendes woulde aske hym howe he coulde forbeare her and why he dryue her not oute of his doores No sayeth he not so I haue a iewell of her for she doeth so exercyse my patience that when I come abroade I care not what anye man sayeth or doeth to me it greueth me not I am so vsed to suffer her that none other can greue me For true it is that trouble worketh patience Manye suche examples of Gentyles hystoryes I coulde rehearse in whiche appeareth howe manye