THese are the wordes of the prophet Moy­ses, written in the xxxii. chap­tre of Deute. Which I haue chosen as a theme or propositi­on at this tyme to staye vpon, for so muche as you do so ma­nifestlye declare your selues to be gens abs (que) consilio, People [Page] cleane voide of all good consy­deration, knowledge or coūsell what to do: & sine prudentia, & wythout wysedō & foresighte to knowe howe thinges ought to be done. That by the decla­ration made of the said theme, you myghte be broughte into some more better cōsideration of your selues & of your owne most fraile and brickel estates: and thereby to learne nowe at the lēgth (after so oft callinges vpon, & so many vertuous and most godlye instructions) these thre notable and chiefe sessons: wherof the first is sapere, to be iij, Lessons. wise: the seconde is intelligere, to vnderstande: and the thirde is nouissima prouidere, to make prouision for the laste thinges. That by the fyrst lesson & lear­nynge of wisedome, we maye haue sure knowledge of thin­ges [Page] past. By our seconde lesson of perfite vnderstandinge, we may haue the right considera­tion of thinges present: therby the more earnestly to atteyne y ^e third lessō of good prouisiō making for y ^e thīges to come: whē Salomō saith in y ^e. xiiij. of the prouerbes: acceptus est regi mi­nister Prou. xiiij. intelligens. A wise seruaūt saith he, whiche by the know­ledge of thinges past, and wise disposition of thinges present, shall here in his lyfe time make good prouision for thinges to come: acceptus est regi, is appro­ued and accepted before God. Let vs therfore at this present learne of the prophet Moyses these thre notable lessons, that is to say, sapere, intelligere, ac nouissima prouidere, to be wyse, to vnderstand, and to prouide for [Page] the last thinges, that we maye be made wise seruauntes and prudent ministers, & be accep­ted and approued before God oure Lorde and kynge. When by the first lesson (sapere) of wis­dome, we may here in this lyfe haue intelligence of al thinges apperteyning to God: By oure seconde lesson (intelligere) of dis­crete and perfit vnderstanding howe passing and transitorye, howe vayne and slydyng these worldly thinges are: Whereby we shal the more easely atteine the thirde lesson (nouissima pro­uidere) of good prouision ma­kynge for the laste thinges and thinges to come. When by the first lesson of a wyse & circum­specte knowledge, a man shall perceyue Gods most vprighte & terrible iudgementes, which [Page] can not be deceyued: By the se­conde lesson of cleare vnderstā ding. he shall enter into the re­membraūce of him selfe, of his owne corruption and mortall nature, which can not be auoi­ded: Therby to make the bet­ter prouision for the ioyes to come, which can not be expres­sed. Be you wise therfore (dere­ly beloued) & let vs from hence furth be no lōger sicut gēs abs (que) consilio & sine prudentia, as people voyde of good counsell, and withoute wisedome and knowledge: but let vs now presently lift vp our hartes. & pre­pare oure selues to learne these thre so profitable lessons, sape­re, intelligere, ac nouissima proui­dere, to be wise, to vnderstande and to prouide for the last thin­ges: and with so much the bet­ter [Page] willes, for that it hath pleased almightie God (Qui non Ezec, xviij. vult mortem peccatoris sed, magis vt conuertatur et viuat who desi­reth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turne from his wickednes and liue) like a most bountiful and most mercyfull father to sende hys prophet Moises as an ambas­sadoure to excite & admonishe, and call vpon vs for the same with these wordes whiche I haue chosen for my theme. Gens abs (que) consilio & sine prudentia, Vtinam saperent & intelligerent ac nouissima prouiderēt. People voide of good counsell, voide of wisedome and all foresyght of thinges to come. Woulde God they wold be wise, & vnderstād & prouide for the laste thinges.

Hic fiunt preces.

Gens abs (que) consilio & sine pru­dentia Thema. i. &. ii. membrum. vtinam saperent, & intelli­gerent, ac nouissima prouiderent. People voide of good counsell voide of wisedome, and of all foresight of thinges to come, v­tinam saperent & intelligerent: Would god they wold be wise, and vnderstande, and prouide for the last thinges.

First the prophete Moyses Firste to knowe that this present lyfe is sly­dynge. Gods ambassadour, earnestly wisheth and desireth that we mortall creatures here liuinge in this worlde; as it were in a slipper passage vnto deth, shold be of suche ripe wisedome and perfite vnderstandinge, as to knowe howe that this present life is but transitory, and (as Iob saith) ꝙ quasi flos egreditur that it passeth away as it were Iob. xiiij. a floure, fugit velut vmbra, fly­eth [Page] as it were a shadowe. & re­pletur multis miseriis, and is al­bewrapped in wretchednes, subiecte to all maner of vanitie, defoiled with the filthinesse of sinne, and that it shall perishe within a shorte time. And ther­fore in the scriptures the life of man is cōpared and resembled vnto thinges of moste vanitie: As somtime to herbes or grasse growing in the feld, as the prophet Dauid saith. Homo sicut Psalm. cii. foenum dies eius, sicut flos agri sic efflorebit. The daies of man are but as grasse, he doeth flo­rishe for a litle season euen as it were a flowre in the felde. Somtime to a shadow and vanitie. Homo vanitati similis fa­ctus Psal. cxliii. est, dies eius sicut vmbra praetereunt, saith the Psalmist. Mā is made like vnto a vanitie, his [Page] daies passe awaye as it were a shadowe. Somtime to a wind. Ventus enim est vita mea, saieth Iob. My life is but a blaste of Iob. vij. winde: Somtime to a vapor, as Sainct Iames saieth. Quae est eni vita vestra? vapor est ad mo­dicum Iaco. iiii. parens, & deinceps exter­minabitur. What thing is your life, saith sainte Iames? It is, saieth he, euen a vapor appea­ring for a litle season, and then it vanisheth awaye: And some­time to nothīg. Nihil enim sūt dies mei, saith Iob. For my daies Iob. vii. are nothing: God so disposinge cleane to withdraw the inordi­nate loue of this wretched lyfe out of the hartes of men. When there is no man of any wisedō or vnderstanding that shoulde much regard or set by that life whiche is so vncertaine as the [Page] floure of the felde, so inconstāt as the winde, so vaine as a sha­dowe, so transitory as a vapor tossed and tombled in the aire, and finally so litle worth as nothing: But by this wise know­ledge and vnderstandynge, the more vile that this present life is knowen to be, the more ease­lye it maye of all men be neg­lected, despised & set at nought for the loue of y ^t life, which shal neuer vanish, but euer endure.

Besides this knowledge, how fikell, howe fraile, howe vayne [...]. To know [...]he miseries [...]herof. and howe transitory this pre­sent life is, the prophete Moy­ses wisheth vnto vs a further knowledge to be had of thys our mortall lyfe, and that we mortall creatures woulde be wise and vnderstande, how so­rowfull is the first entringe of [Page] mans lyfe into this wretched The first entry of mā into this world is ful of sorowe. worlde, maximo cum fletu, vagi tu, inertia & imbecillitate mag­na, with much wepynge & cry­ing, with muche ignorāce and feblenes: He is borne naked in­to the worlde and naked from hence he muste departe againe, made of the earth, and to the earth he must retourne agayn. How chaūgeable his life is for his time here abydinge, and as The tyme of his abyding here is ful of mutabilitie. Iob. xiiij Iob saieth. Nunquam in eodem statu permanens. Neuer con­tinuing in one state, now riche nowe poore nowe hoole nowe sicke, nowe merye nowe sorye, nowe counynge nowe igno­raunt, nowe seyng nowe blind, nowe free nowe bonde, nowe good nowe euyll, And finallye His ende departure full of fear howe terrible and fearfull shal be the passynge of the same at [Page] his departure againe.

Ouer and beside these knowledges, [...]. To know the necessi­tie of death. the prophete Moyses earnestly wisheth that we mi­serable creatures here abiding in this worlde, woulde once be wise and vnderstande and knowe the great necessitie of death that raigneth ouer vs: An acte and decree beinge al­readie past against vs, that die we must. Statutū est (saieth S. Hebre. ix. Paule) ōnibꝰ hominibus femel mori. It is decreed & appoin­ted for al men once to die. And this great straite & necessitie of death then fyrst beginneth to take place in man, when the soule is ioyned to the bodie, and continueth in man vntyll the separation of the soule frō the bodie againe. For life is no soner comme into the bodie by [Page] the presence of the soule, but but death furthwithall issueth out of his graue and sepulchre to take away the same againe: and by the very same way that life goeth, death commeth. Do not we see the order of this present life to be suche, that after infancie commeth childhod, af­ter childhod youth, after youth mans state, after mans state age, then olde age, and so at the last death? The whiche or­der and naturall course can by no law, statute or meanes that man can inuent, be infringed or broken, neither yet once stai­ed or pluckt backe. No not Minos Minos. Lycurgus. the lawe maker at Crete, nor Lycurgus at Lacedemo­ny, nor yet the wife Solon in Solon. his lawes deuised at Athenes, could make any repeale of this [Page] decree and ordinaunce of God. When from the first man Adā, vnto this most noble and gra­cious queene of Spaine late departed, none hath escaped or cā escape this sentēce of death. No not Noe for all his righte­ousnes, Noe. Loth. nor Loth for al his hospitalitie, nor yet Toby for all his diligēce in buriyng y ^e dead Toby. could escape this rigorous sen­tēce of death. Whē it was nei­ther the strong & mightie faith of Abrahā, nor the supplanting Abraham. of vices that was in Iacob, nor the great mekenes of the Iacob. prophete Moyses, nor the cha­stitie of Ioseph, nor yet the ho­lines Moyses. Ioseph. of the prophet Samuel, that coulde persuade death to be the more fauourable to thē. The great wisedome, riches, might & power, of kyng Salomon, Salomon. [Page] the great strength & force of Sampson agaynst his ene­mies, the puissaunce of the king and prophete Dauid, his fea­tes of chiualtie & great mighte in armes coulde not auaile a­gainst the assaultes of deathe: death beynge fauourable to no man, but like cruell and tiran­nous to euery man. And there­fore I do rede that death was portred & painted of the Pay­nims with the face and coūte­naunce of a tiraunt hauinge in his hande redie bente bow and arrowes to kill, slea, and shote at euerye man withoute all re­specte or acception of persons. And in daily lousing of his dar­tes at vs, albeit that sometime he ouershoteth vs, and in fay­linge of vs sleath kinges. Que­nes, Dukes, Earles, Lordes: [Page] Sometime his darte lighteth to shorte of vs, and in the stead of vs, striketh our seruauntes, oure tenauntes and our poore innocent neighbours dwelling by vs, sōtime his dart maketh a very narrow mysse of vs on the right hand, and killeth our wiues, our children, oure fren­des & kynsfolkes so derely be­loued. And albeit that his fierce dart glyde somtymes to wyde on the lefte hande, and in fay­ling of vs, kylleth oure aduer­saries and enemies, and therby bryngeth vs oftymes into a vaine comforte, foolishe mirth and reioysinge, makinge vs be­leue that he is our frende in the dispatche of those that loue vs not: Yet the tirānie of his hāde is suche that he will not faile at the length to hitte vs. And [Page] wheras death at the beginning was so vnripe and vnperfite a boweman, that he firste shoo­tinge and lousynge his dartes at oure first father Adā, it was nine hundred and thirtie yeres, Adam, 930. (whose age was no fewer yea­res in nūbre) before he coulde strik him. And wheras he bare his bow dailie bent against his sonne Seth, it was nine hun­dred Seth. 912. and twelue yeares, before he coulde hit him. And wheras he daylye laie in waite to ouer­throwe with his dart Mathu­salem, Mathusa­lem. 969. Enoches sonne, it was nine hūdred threscore and nine yeares before he coulde ouer­throw him. Yet within a certē space after, by daily custōe and exercise of his hande, he began to waxe a more perfitte bowe­manne, euerye daye shootynge [Page] more nere his marke thē other, in so muche that by the time & dayes of kynge Dauid, he got him suche a redinesse and sted­fastnesse of shotynge, that he would not haue failed (for the more part) to strike his marke within the space of. lxx. or. lxxx. yeres, like as the prophet Da­uid witnesseth saying. Dies an­norum Psal. 89. nostrorū in ipsis septua­ginta annis. Si autem in potētati­bus octoginta anni, & amplius eorum labor & dolor. The daies of our age▪ saith he, are. lxx. ye­res, and yf men be so stronge that they come to. lxxx. what so euer is more, is nothinge but labour and sorowe.

Thus you may perceiue not The tiran­nie of death only the necessitie of deth, that die we must: but also how cru­ell a tiraunte deathe is, whose [Page] tyrannye daylye increaseth a­gainste vs more and more, eue­rye day shorteninge oure liues and shootynge more nere the marke then other. Whose as­saultes and lieng in wayte for vs be wonderfull subtile and craftie. Sometime he maketh towarde vs as it were with o­pen batayle, sendynge before hym vnto vs diuerse infirmi­ties and sycknesses: and vnto, some hoare heares, blered eies, tremblinge and shakinge han­des, stouping shulders and cro­ked backes, as it were messen­gers or herauldes at armes sent before him. Somtime he commeth priuely creapinge as a thefe, and stealynge vpon vs like as he dyd vpon the riche­man, of whome we rede in the twelfeth of saincte Lukes gos­pel, [Page] sending to'vs no warnin­ges or messengers at all before him. Therfore almightie God, to cause vs to be in a redines a­gainste his sodaine comminge, and oftentimes to haue the vn­certaine houre of deathe in re­membraunce (whiche our fraile and deadlie sicknes maketh vs so ofte to forget) hath sent vn­to vs his Prophete Moyses: which prophete Mo [...]ses much lamentyng and sorowynge our great blindnes, saieth vnto vs these wordes of my Theme.

Gens abs (que) consilio, & sine prudentia: Vtinam saperent et intelli­gerent, ac nouissima. &c.

But why doeth the Prophet Moyses so vehementlye wishe and desire vnto vs this cleare wisedome, and perfite vnder­standinge of the vanitie of this [Page] presente lyfe, of the myserye of the same, of the filthines of our owne corruption, and the ne­cessitie of deathe? Doubtlesse forbycause the perfite know­ledge and throughe vnderstan­dinge of these thynges are in vs, the destruction of pride, the quenchinge of enuie, the verye medicine of malice, the driuing awaye of lecherye, and the ex­tirpation of all worldly boast & vanitie, and finallye the reco­ueringe of euerlastynge lyfe. For what thinge (I praye you) lyeth in the compasse of mans wit, that sooner moueth a man to mekenes, & to the perfection of al holines, then doth the con­sideratiō of his own corruptiō: and the diligent vnderstādinge how that he liueth here in this wretched world as an outlaw [Page] a pilgrime, a geste full poore in all vertues, full vnstable in li­uinge, peraduenture not aby­dinge here till to morowe? For this maner of consideration & diligent vnderstāding, doubt­les shall cause a man to despise al the boaste of this life, the bu­sines of worldly vanities, and all vncleane lustes and delectations of the fleshe. And in this maner of thinkinge, the soule receiueth knowledge of sinne, the knowledge of synne bryn­geth repentaunce, repentaunce causeth amendemente and sa­tisfaction makynge for synne, and all these together do en­gender in a man a verye hope, sure truste, and firme strength in our Lorde God. The which thinge the Prophete Moyses throughlye consideringe, wis­sheth [Page] by feruent desire, sayinge vnto you the wordes of my Theme. Vtinam saperent & in­telligerent ac nouissima prouide­sent. Would God men woulde be wise and vnderstande, and prouide for the last thinges.

But alas howe longe shall we be sicut gens abs (que) consilio & sine prudentia, as it were peo­ple voide of good counsell and without foresight and wisedō? All to fewe beynge amonge vs that haue the cōsideration, the wysedome and cleare vnder­standynge of these thynges in perfit remembraunce▪ Ful few there be that sette before their eyes y ^e knowledge of their own infirmitie, their bodely corrup­tion, the minde of their sinnes, the day of their deth, or yet the paynes of hell: but muche like [Page] vnto brute beastes do prōcede liuinge here in this world, nei­ther regardynge God, nor yet verye muche fearing the deuil. Woulde God therfore, in fo­lowyngs thys exhortation of the prophet Moyses, we would once begin to waxe wise, to vn­derstande, and to make proui­sion for the laste thinges: And The glasse of our own corruption. that by the contemplation and beholdinge of our selues in this so profytable a myrroure and glasse of our owne corruption, and frayle nature, and of the greate certitude of death that abydeth therin. At whose first entrye and breakynge into our houses, beholde howe the con­science begynneth to dreade, howe the hearte quaketh, the heade stoupeth, the witte wa­steth, [Page] the strengthe faileth, the visage waxeth pale, the tonge fombleth, the breath goeth a­waye, the speche very rare and thynne, all the beautie of the body cleane tourned into a gri­selye and fylthye corruption: and after that the bodye is bu­ried, it falleth into a carionlyke stenche, the fleshe cleane tour­ned into grubbes meate. Be you wyse therefore, O ye mor­tall creatures, and vnderstand howe that thys is an horryble syghte, but it is full profitable.

O howe blessed and happye is he, that circumspectlye be­holdeth hym selfe in this mir­rour or glasse, when there is no crafte, no medicine, none instruction or teachynge that sooner destroyeth all [Page] vices, and planteth al vertues, then doeth the inwarde behol­dinge of a mans owne corrup­tion and laste ende.

To this glasse therefore re­paire Yonge men ye first, O ye lustie yonge men, (whiche by the deceitfull wantōnes of your youth do go so vpright, stretching out your selues, bearing vp your heades aloft with lustie courage) and learne of stronge Sampson, of mightie Golias, and of the hardie captaine Holofernes, and o­ther which perished in y ^e boaste of their owne strength, what great folie it is to glorie in the strength of the bodye, whiche shall so sene decay and be ouer­throwen.

To this glasse come ye al, O Olde men. ye olde fathers, vnto whome deathe beyng very fauourable [Page] hath sent before him vnto you so many messengers, as youre hoare hears, bleared eies, droppinge noses, sagginge chekes, your lippes hanging, stowping neckes and shulders: come you hither and beholde your selues and learne at the least wayes nowe in youre olde age to be wise & vnderstāde what vaine hope you be in, whiche do loke and make your most vayne ac­comptes, to liue one yeare lon­ger: be ye neuer of so greate an age, euer crepynge awaie and fore fearinge to die. O ye olde fathers and hoare heares, why feare ye to die at. lxx. or lxxx. ye­res of age, when all the tyme that ye shal liue after is in he­uines, in greuous aches, in con­tinual decaiyng, and neuer vp­right, but rolinge, relinge and [Page] redye to fall in to the graue, whiche you do so lothe? Why therfore feare ye so sore to dye, when by deathe God doethe chaunge vs from an olde filthy house into a newe? For certain­lie death is but a playe, wher­in the player (if he be wise) ad­uentureth but a litle to winne muche. Whiche thynge is ve­rye easlie perceyued of all those men which are of perfit know­ledge, howe muche blessednes God is of, vnto whome we hope to go by death, and of how muche euyll these worldly men are, wyth whome we are con­uersant here by life.

O ye gentlemen and men of Gentlemen nobilitie, come you hyther also to beholde your selues in thys glasse. And here you shal learne to be wise & vnderstande, whe­ther [Page] the filthie grubbe worme or maggotte dare not aswell breede in youre, fleshe of your bloode whereof you bragge so muche, & wast & consume your carcasses, of your partes alwa­yes so deintely made of & so de licately nourished & fed, aswell as other inferior & porer mens.

O ye gentlewomen & faire Gentle women. ladies greatlie deliting in pure glasses, forgette not I praye you to beholde youre selues in this glasse of al other most pro­fitable, which are so fōdely ge­uen here in this worlde to set forth youre selues, wyth youre browdred heare (whiche is a greate abuse) youre fyngers be set with ringes, bearing purses full of swete sauoures & smel­les, and bandes aboute youre neckes fynely wroughte wyth [Page] silke, and beset with pearles, with bracelets ful of gaudies, and suche other like maner of disguisinges. O ye folishe wo­men whiche do bestowe and spende a greate parte of youre liues in the deuise of suche va­nities. Vtinam saperetis & intelligeretis. Would God you would once lerne to be wise, perceiue & vnderstād with what good­lye trinkettes you shall be ap­parailled in y ^e straitnes of your graues and sepulchers, where ye shall with Iob say. Putredi­ni dixi, pater meus es tu mater mea Iob. xvij. & soror mea vermibus. I saide vnto corruption, thou arte my father: and vnto the wormes you are my mother and my si­ster. Why do ye therfore make so much of so filthie a carkas, and wast so much time in wa­shinge, [Page] kemming and pranking of the same, vnto no smale prid and ostētation: when ye do but loose youre laboures, and in so doynge you do nothing els, but floure a fylthye donghyll, and garnish a smokie miskin, which you shall neuer make sauerie, washe him neuer so muche.

O ye great richmen, men of Riche and honourable men. authoritie, honour and estima­tion, whiche are as Gods here in this world, all thinges ther­in beinge at your commaunde­ment by reason of your autho­ritie and riches, Come you also and repaire vnto this glasse, & tell me whether you can wyth all your authoritie, might and power, with all your golde syl­uer, and worldlie treasures, either feare or corrupte death, yea so much as to make him so [Page] partial and fauourable to you, that he will let you escape: like as in al other worldly thinges els, you can do, peruertinge all good lawes by the suppression of iustice. O ye worldlynges which liue here as goddes vpō the earth: Do not you here ly­uinge perceiue, howe the time flieth without retorninge? how the life traueileth on her iorney withoute ceassynge? howe the fleshe consumeth withoute fe­lynge? and howe the glorye of this woride passeth as it neuer had bene? (The landes, posses­sions, riches, iewelles and trea­sures therof oftentimes falling into those mennes handes, who by oure willes shoulde haue the lest part therof.) Why therfore be ye so forgetfull of youre sel­ues, and so noselde in all world­lie [Page] vanityes, as thoughe they shoulde euer contynewe and neuer take ende.

O ye kynges and Princes▪ ye Kinges Princes. magistrates and rulers of thys world. O ye prelates & byshop­pes, hauynge charge of Christes Priestes, Byshippes & subiectes churche and familie. O all ye of hyghe and lowe degree, whether ye be gouernoures or subiectes, maisters or seruaun­tes, superiours or inferiours, come hither & beholde your sel­ues in this cleare mirroure and glasse of your own corruption: & by a diligent examinaciō and consideration wyth youre sel­ues Consider what we were. what you haue bene, and of howe vyle a matter borne in to thys worlde (nēpe ex men­struo mulieris:) What you are at thys presente touchynge the What we are. [Page] bodie, when as S. Bernard saith. Considera quid per oculos, quid per nares, per os, per aures, coeteros (que) corporis meatus emise­rit, et nun (quam) vidi vilius sterquili­niū. Cōsider wel, saith he, what a man sendeth furth and auoy­deth by his eies, his nosetrilles, his mouth, his eares, and other the passages and pooers of the bodie, and thou maiest well say nun (quam) vidi vilius sterquilinium. I neuer saw a viler donghil: And what we shall be, nempe terra et What we shall be. ciuis. Euen verie earth and as­shes. Quia pulnis es & in puluerē reuerteris. For duste thou arte, & Genes. iij. into dust thou shalt returne a­gaine: and you shall beginne to waxe wise, perceaue and vnderstande, howe muche more mat­ter we haue in our selues of hu­militie then of pryde, of meke­nes [Page] then of ostentation, of so­rowe then of ioye, howe muche more matter also of abhorring oure selues, then of gloriynge in oure selues, of contemnynge & setting this world at nought then of reioyse in the worlde, & of followynge the moste godlie and holsome counsel of the pro­phete Moyses, then of neglec­tyng the same. Which prophete as an embassador sente of God to plucke vs into a more perfite remembraunce and knowledge of our selues with most earnest and heartie desire wisheth the same, saying vnto vs the wor­des of my theme. vtinam sape­rent et intelligerent. &c.

And this wisedome and vn­derstanding beyng first obtey­ned and got by the considerati­on and diligent beholdynge of [Page] our selues in this mirrour and glasse of our own corruption & mortal nature: let vs now pro­cede to y ^e last part of this theme, & expresse in a worde or. ij. what To prouide for the laste thynges. prouisiō muste be made of oure partes for the last thynges, & so I shall shortly cōmit you to go. And touchig a right order to be obserued in this prouision ma­king for the last thinges: Firste I shall declare vnto you, what these last thinges are, & so after what prouision of oure partes oughte to be made for thē. And these last thīges being many in nūbre (whē al these thīges may iustly be called nouissima, y ^e laste thinges which shall serue at the last, & be of cōfort to the soule of mā, when al frendship, al helpe, confort & pleasure of this world shal faile.) But here at this pre­sent, [Page] to vse breuitie, I shall en­treate chefely of these foure last Foure las [...] thynges. thinges, that is to say, of death, of the iudgement of God, of the paynes of hell, and of the ioyes of heauen. For the which foure last thinges I would haue you in the short course of this presēt life to make prouisiō. First that First. we may here finish our life, and die wel. Secōde, that we ma re­ceiue Seconde. at the hādes of God a cō ­fortable & a merciful iudgemēt. Thirdly, we must here prouide Thyrde. to auoide the horrible paines of hel. Fourth & last we must pro­prouide Fourthe. so here to liue y ^t we may be partakers of the life euerla­sting & ioyes of heauen. And to auoide cōfusiō herin, y ^e maner of this our prouison making must be sundry & diuerse, like as the vocations degrees, and estates [Page] of men be sundry and diuerse. As the Bishoppes, Priestes & prelates of christes churche ha­uing the flocke of Christ com­mytted to their great cure and charge. They must make their prouision for these foure laste thinges by a circūspect fedinge of Christes flock with good and holsome doctrine, by a diligent serche of their partes to be made for the loste shepe whiche haue perished in y ^e late plague of errours and Heresies: by a wise bringing of them backe a­gaine into the folde and vnitie of Christes church, by a merci­ful binding and knitting of the woundes of the soore cut and mangled shepe: by a charitable nourishinge and confortinge of the weake, sicke & feble among them, hauynge in their brestes [Page] towarde their flockes the very zeale of a good pastour and she­perde: whose zeale is suche (as Christ witnesseth) ꝙ anima suā det pro ouibus suis, that he will Iohn. x. not sticke to giue his life for his shepe, like as our sauiour christ hath geuen vs example alrea­die, and as Moyses desired de­leri de libro vitae, to be blotted Exod. 32. out of the boke of life: and saint Paule Anathema esse a Christo Roma. ix. pro fratribus, to be accursed frō Christe for his brethren. And their prouision for these foure last thinges being on this wise layd for, & circumspectly made, God shall graunt them all, and sende vnto them a quiet & bles­sed death, and a most conforta­ble and mercyfull iudgement, deliuering them frō the horri­ble paynes of hel, and restoring [Page] them to the eternall blisse and ioyes of heauen. All the rest of Shepe of the flocke of Christe. Christes familie or housholde, whiche are not shepardes but shepe of his folde and pasture: You must here begin and make your prouision for these iiij. last thynges. First by a diligent gy­uing eare, and harkening to the voices of your sheperdes, & by a circumspecte and wyse refusall of all counterfeit and straunge voyces. When the true shepe of Christe non sequuntur alienum, Ioan. x. sed fugiunt ab illo, quia non noue runt voces alienorū, do not folow a straunge shepard, but flee frō him, for they know not the voy­ces of straungers. Neither will they be deceyued by the straunge voyces of the Ary­ans Aryans. in deniyng the deitie of our Sauioure Christe: nor by the [Page] straunge voices of the Nestori­ans Nestorius Eutices. and Eutichianes in denei­ynge of Christes humanitie: nor by the straunge voyces of the Manichees in their deniall of Manes. the fre choise of man: nor yet by the straunge voices of the Pe­lagianes Pelagius. attributing to muche to the free will of man. When the trewe shepe of Christe will not be deceyued by the bar­reyn voyce of Eunomius the Eunomius Solifidiane, nor by the mon­struous voyce of Beringarius, Beringari­us. in hys denyall of Christes ve­rye Reall and bodelye presence in the mooste blessed Sacra­mente of the altare, nor yet by the euill skreakinge and moste straunge voyces of Martyn Luther. Bucer. Peter Martyr. Luther, Martyn Bucer, Pe­ter Martyr, Corolastadius, [Page] Zwynglius, Oecolāpadius & Zwinglius. Oecolampadius. other, the very palebreakers of the vnitie of christes church, the breders of al scismes & cōtenti­ons in the same, y ^e blasphemers of christes sacramētes, the sub­uerters of all good orders and constitutions, the reuiuers of olde cankered and rustie here­sies, and now by thē newe fur­bished and set forth to the shew and therfore their bokes iustly condemned here in this realme by a late proclamatiō set forth by the kinge and Quenes ma­iesties. Wherunto I do exhorte you to be obedient, & to bringe in your bokes of heresies, according to the purport therof: for­asmuche as the trewe shepe of Christe will geue no eare vnto their mooste monstrous and straunge voyces: when these [Page] & al other like voices which do diswade from the antiquitie, v­nitie and vniuersalitie of Chri­stes church must nedes be most monstrous and straunge voy­ces. Therfore O ye Londoners and inhabitauntes of this cy­tie, Londoners Ceasse youre greate foly I besech you, & be you no longer sicut gens abs (que) consilio & sine prudentia, as people withoute good counsell, and all foresight what wil ensue & folowe here­after: Vtinam saperetis & intelli­geretis, ac nouissima prouideretis Woulde God you woulde be wise, perceiue and vnderstāde, & make prouision for these. iiij. laste thinges, by eschewyng of all straunge voices, and herke­ninge vnto the voyces of your sheperdes, & by a dyligente cal­linge of youre selues into some [Page] better remembraunce, conside­ryng how longe time they haue spent in calling vpon you, with how much patiēce your slouth­full retourne from your wicked errours and herisies hathe bene borne withall at the handes of God, at the handes of our most noble king and oure moste mer­cifull lady and Quene, and also at the handes of your Bishop­pes and preachers among you. Wheras you beynge persons se­duced with many straunge voi­ces of these deceitfull Mayre­maides do dailie recōpence this their most mercifull tolleration and gentilenes, with most cur­sed and wycked speakynges, blasphemyng God, and reysing vp false lyes and rumors a­gaynste oure mooste gratious kynge and Quene. In so much [Page] that I for my part at this time occupiynge this place (of verye greate zeale and loue whyche I haue euer borne vnto you,) am forsed thus muche to saye vnto you: that excepte you geue better eare to the voyces of youre shepardes: excepte ye shortlye retourne frome youre wycked heresyes into the vni­tie of Christes churche agayne: and excepte you become wyse and vnderstande, and shortlye amende thys youre smale re­garde and mooste euill prouisi­on makynge for these foure last thinges: Doutles your euill be­leuynge and corrupte lyuynge shall brynge you vnto a misera­ble and lamentable deathe and endynge: and to receaue there­fore at the handes of God, a strayte and mooste vpryghte [Page] iudgement, to your great losse of eternall ioye and blisse euer­lastynge: and to the wynninge of the perpetuall tormentes & paynes of hell.

Ye gentlemē and noble men whiche in lyuynge here in thys Gentlemen and noble men. worlde be very politike and ful of all maner of worldlie proui­sions, Vtinam saperetis & intel­ligeretis ac nouissima prouidere­tis: Woulde God you woulde be wise, and vnderstande, & make prouision for these foure laste thynges, that you maye finishe the race & course of this shorte life with a quiet death, and fy­nallye to receaue at the handes of God a mercifull iudgement. into ioye and blysse, and not to susteyne the tormentes of hell. The maner of this your proui­sion makinge muste be, by the [Page] maintenaunce of Goddes glorie and honoure, by youre vprighte ministration of Iustice, & by the authoritie committed vnto you of God, to defende the catholike fayth and religion of God, hys churche and moste blessed sacra­mentes, and all the ministers of the same, seruinge God in theyr byshopriches, Cathedral chur­ches, houses of religion, vniuer­sities, colleges or elles where. When otherwise doubtles your prouision made for these foure last thinges shall be all to shorte and after a wronge sorte. O ye therfore that are sicut gens abs (que) consilio et fine prudentia, as people voide of counsell, wisedō and all forsight: vtinam saperetis Would God you would be wise and vnderstande whether this your prouision by you and your [Page] aduyse and counsell made here (as for an example) in this Ca­thedral church of Paules, where of the nūbre of. lviij. or. lx. prie­stes, be nowe left by your proui­sion, but onely twelue priestes, called Peticanones, here daylie to serue God in the Queere: whether this your pretēced se­kyng of Goddes glorie and ho­noure in all your doyng, may be called a prouysion, or rather a subtraction or plaine diminuti­on of the same. O ye that are wandrynge here in thys worlde sicut gens abs (que) consilio et siue prudentia, as people without counsell and voyde of wisedom and all forsyghte: Is this a pro­uisiō for the vpholding of Chri­stes catholike faith and religion here in this reaulme by nighte and daye prayer, by readynge, [Page] preachinge and teachyng, by li­berall almes geuinge and relei­uynge of the poore membres of Christe, to ouerthrowe mona­steries, colleges & hospitalles, to spoile bishopriches and their Cathedral churches, so craftely to crāpe & fleese y ^e vniuersities by a couetous exchaungynge of theyr landes? Is this your pro­uision? O gens abs (que) consilio & si­ne prudentia. O ye people voyde of coūsel, vnderstādyng & fore­sight: Vtinā saperetis. O woulde God you wold once becōe wise, to perceyue & vnderstande that excepte ye shortlie repent and do penaūce here in season for your greate wyckednes, here to con­fesse and acknowledge y ^e same, here to make satisfactiō & to re­store againe, doubtles your pro­uision for these. iiij. last thinges [Page] will be verye slender and ryght noughte worthe. When other­wise you shall be sure here to fi­nishe your liues with a lamen­table and most miserable death, and finally receiue at the han­des of God a fearfull and terri­ble iudgemēt: to the losse of per­petuall ioye and blysse: and to the winninge of the euerlasting paynes and tormentes of hell. And here a litle further, & som­what more generally to speake touching the prouision making for these foure laste thinges af­ter suche sorte, and as the Apo­stle Paule hath already prescri­bed vnto vs in his Epistle to the Ephesians the .v. and .vi. chap­tres, as first: Suche among vs as be maryed and haue wiues, Maried mē let them prouide by a godly loue vnto their wyues: like as Saint [Page] Paule teacheth, saying: Viri di­ligite Ephes. v▪ vxores vestras, sicut christus dilexit sponsam suam ecclesiam, et semetipsum tradidit pro ea. Ye husbandes, saieth sainct Paule loue your wyues like as Christe loued his spouse the church, and gaue him selfe for her. Ye mar­ried Maried women. women and wyues, you muste make youre prouision by your due obeysaunce vnto your husbandes. The Apostle Paule willing the same, saieth. Mulie­res Ephes. v. viris suis subditae sint, sicut do­mino, quoniam vircaput est muli­eris, sicut christus caput est ecclesiae Sicut igitur ecclesia subiecta est christo, ita & mulieres virissuis in omnibus. Ye women, fayeth he, be you subiecte vnto youre hus­bandes as vnto the Lorde. For the husbande is the head of the woman, as Christe is the head [Page] of the churche. Therfore like as the church is subiect vnto christ, so let women be to their husbā ­des in all thinges. Suche as be fathers and haue children, you Fathers. must prouide by a godlie & ver­tuous education of your childrē. Et vos patres, saith sainct Paule, Ephesi. vi. nolite ad iracūdiam prouocare fili­os vestros: Sed educate illos in dis­ciplina et correctione domini. And ye O fathers, saith he, pro­uoke not your childrē to anger, but bringe them vp in the disci­pline and correctiō of our lord. And ye children, ye must make Children. your prouision by rēdryng your dewe obedience vnto youre pa­rentes, and by honourynge and reuerencing of them. For so S. Paule teacheth you sayinge. Fi­lij Ephes. vi. obedite parētibus vestris in do­mino: Hoc enim iustū est. Honora [Page] patrē tuum, et matrem tuā, vt bene sit tibi et sis longaeuus super terrā. O ye children, saith the apostle, obey your parentes in our lord: for y ^t is right. Honour thy father & thy mother, that y ^u maiest prosper, & lyue long vpon the earth. And al ye y ^t be maisters & haue Maisters. seruaūtes you must prouide by a dyscrete gouernaūce of youre seruaūtes, remittētes minas, not by ouermuche threatenyng thē: scientes ꝙ et illorū et vester domi­nus est in coelis, et ꝙ personarū ac­ceptio nō est apud deū. Knowing that both their maister & yours is in heuē, & that there is no re­spect of persons w ^t god. And ser­uaūtes Seruaūtes must make their proui­sion by doyng their faithful ser­uice & obedience vnto their lor­des & maisters. Serui obedite do­minis vestris cū timore et tremore [Page] in simplicitate cordis vestri, sicut christo, non ad oculum seruientes quasi hominibꝰ placētes, sed vt serui christi facientes voluntatē dei exanimo. O ye seruauntes, saieth Paule, obey your maisters with feare & trembling in the single­nes of your hart, as it were vn­to Christ, not doyng seruice vn­to the eye, as they do whiche go about to please men, but as the seruauntes of Christ, doyng the wyll of God, euen from the ve­rye harte. So that all kynde of men for the time of their abode here in this worlde, muste here make their prouision for these foure last thinges, whether they be maried or vnmaried, wife or syngle woman, parentes or chil­dren, maisters or seruauntes, superiours or inferiours, magi­strates [Page] bearīg rule, or subiectes being ruled, whether they be of the clergy or of the laitie: Euery man must here prouide, by a cir­cumspecte and diligēt walke in their vocations for the loue, fa­uoure and frendship of God, by obseruation of his commaunde­mentes, Christ himselfe witnes­synge the same, and sayinge: Si praecepta mea seruauerits, manebi­tis Iohn. xv. in dilectione mea. If you wyll kepe my preceptes, you shall a­bide in my loue, and haue my fa­uoure and frendshippe. Whose loue and frendshippe at the last houre of deathe, shall stande vs in better stede then all the riches and lordshyppes of the worlde: When at that houre, thoughe all thy frendes, kinnes­folkes & acquaintaunce shoulde [Page] come with millions of golde, or yet by force of armes, they maye not at that dreadful grisely and last houre, do thee anye helpe or comforte: When other helpe, re­fuge or succoure at that tyme thou shalt haue none, but onely at the handes of God. Let vs therfore in all the meane space of this present life so dread and feare God, so imbrace and loue him, and so honoure and wor­shippe hym, that we at the laste houre maye haue his fauoure & frēdship. Et si deus pro nobis quis Roma. viij. contra nos? And yf god be on our side, who cā be against vs? And then we shall be sure to haue at the finishing and knitting vp of this life a verie quiet and a ioy­ful death: to receaue at the han­des of God a very merciful and moste confortable iudgemente, [Page] therby to auoyde and escape the tormentes of Hell: and to in­herite the ioyes of heauen. To the whiche he bring vs all that hath so derelie bought it for vs, by the effusion of hys most precious blood. To whō with God the fa­ther & the holy ghoste be al praise▪ honor, & glory for now and euermore.

Amen.