CERTAYNE Sermons, or Homelies, appoynted by the kynges Maiestie, to be declared and redde, by all persones, Uicars, or Curates, euery Sondaye in their churches, where they haue Cure.
Anno. 1547.
❧ A TABLE of the Sermones or Homelies, conteined in this presente Uolume.
- j. A Fruitefull exhortacion, to the readyng of holye scripture.
- ij. Of the misery of all mā kynde.
- iij. Of the saluacion of all mankynde.
- iiij. Of the true and liuely faithe.
- v. Of good woorkes.
- vj. Of Christian loue and Charitie.
- vij. Against swearyng and periurie.
- viij. Of the declinyng from God.
- ix. An exhortacion against the feare of deathe.
- x. An exhortacion to obedience.
- xj. Against whoredom, and adultery.
- xij. Against strife and contencion.
THE PREFACE.
THE Kynges moste excellent Maiestie, by the prudente aduyse of hys moste deere beloued Uncle, Edwarde duke of Somersett, Gouernor of hys Maiesties persone, and Protector of all hys hyghnes Realmes, Dominions and Subiectes, with the reste of hys moste honorable Counsayll, moste graciously considerynge the manifolde enormities, whiche heretofore haue crept into hys graces Realme, throughe the false vsurped power of the Bishoppe of Rome, and the vngodly doctryne of hys adherentes, not onelye vnto the greate decaye of Christian religion, but also (if Gods mercy were not) vnto the vtter destruction of innumerable soules, whiche, through hypocrysy and pernicious doctrine were seduced, and brought from honoryng of the alone, true, liuynge, and eternall God, vnto the worshippyng of creatures, yea, of stockes and stones, from doyng the commaundemētes of God, vnto volūtary workes and phantasyes inuēted of men, from true religiō, vnto Popishe Supersticion: considerynge also, the earnest and feruent desire, of his derely beloued Subiectes, to bee deliuered from all errors and supersticions, and to be truely and faythefully instructed in the verye worde of God, that liuely foode of mannes soule, wherby they may learne vnfainedly, and accordyng to the mynd of the holy Ghoste, expressed in the scriptures, to honor God, and to serue [Page] their Kyng, with all humilitie and subieccion, and Godly and honestly, to behaue theim selfes toward all men: Agayn callynge to remembraunce, that the next and moste ready waie, to expell and auoide, aswell all corrupte, vicious and vngodly liuynge, as also erronious doctrine, tendyng to Supersticion, and Idolatrie, & clerely to put away all contenciō, whiche hath heretofore rysen, through diuersitie of preachyng, is the true settyng furthe, and pure declarynge of Gods woorde, whiche is the principall guyde and leader vnto all Godlinesse and vertue: Finally, that all Curates, of what learnyng soeuer they be, may haue some Godly and fruitfull lessons in a readines, to reade and declare vnto their parishioners, for their edifiyng, instruction, and cōfort: hath caused a booke of Homelies, to bee made and set furthe, wherein is conteined certain wholsome and Godly exhortacions, to moue the people to honor and worshippe almighty God, and diligently to serue hym, euery one accordynge to their degre, state, and vocacion: the whiche Homelies, his Maiestie commaundeth and streightely chargeth, all Persones, Uicares, Curates, and all other, hauyng spirituall cure, euery Sondaye in the yere, at hygh Masse, when the people be moste gathered together to reade and declare to their parishioners, playnly, and distinctely, in suche ordre, as they stande in the boke, (excepte any Sermon bee preached) and then for that cause onely, and for none other, the reading of the sayde Homelie, to be differed vnto the nexte Sondaye folowyng. And when the foresayde boke of Homelies is redde ouer, the Kynges Maiesties [Page] pleasure is, that thesame be repeted, & redde agayn, in suche lyke sorte, as was before prescribed, vnto suche tyme, as his graces pleasure shall further be knowen in thys behalfe.
Also, hys maiestie commaundeth, that the sayde Ecclesiasticall persones, vpon the firste holy daye, fallyng in the Weke tyme of euery quarter of the yere, shall reade his Iniunccions opēly and distinctely to the people, in maner and fourme in thesame expressed: And vpon euery other holy and Feuall daye through the yere, likewise fallyng in the weke tyme, they shal recite the Pater noster, the Articles of our fayth, and the tēne commaundementes in Englishe, openly before all the people, as in the sayd Iniunccions is specified: that all degrees and al ages, may learne to know God, and to serue him, accordynge to hys holy woorde. AMEN.
¶ A fruitfull exhortation, to the readyng and knowledge of holy scripture.
The prayse of holy scripture. VNto a Christian man, there can be nothynge, either more necessarie, or profitable, then the knowledge of holy scripture: forasmuche, as in it, is conteyned Gods true word, settyngefurth his glorie, and also mannes duetie. And there is no truth, The perfeccion of holy scripture. nor doctrine, necessary for our iustificacion, and euerlastyng saluacion, but that is, (or may be) drawen out of that fountain, and welle of truth. The knowledge of holy Scripture is necessary. Therfore, as many as be desirous, to entre into the right and perfect way vnto God, must applie their myndes, to knowe holy scripture, without the which, they can neyther sufficiently knowe God and his will, To whō the knowlege of holy scripture is sweete & pleasaunt. neither their office and duetie. And as drynke is pleasaunt to them, that be drie, and meat to them that be hūgery: so is the readyng, hearyng, searchyng▪ and studiyng of holy scripture, to theim that be desirous to knowe God, or them selfes, and to do his will. Who be enemies to holye scripture. And their stomackes onely, do lothe and abhorre the heauenly knowledge, and foode of Gods word, that be so drouned in worldly vanities that they neither sauor God, nor any Godlines: For that is the cause why they desire suche vanities, rather then the true knowledge of God. An apte similitude, declaryng of whō the scripture is abhorred As they that are sicke of an ague, whatsoeuer they eate or drinke (though it bee neuer so pleasaunt) yet it is as bitter to theim, as wormewoode, not for the bitternesse of the meat, but for the corrupt and bitter humor, that is in their awne toungue and mouth: euen so is the [Page] swetenesse of Gods woorde, bitter, not of it self, but onely vnto them that haue their myndes corrupted with long custome of synne, and loue of this world. Therfore, An e [...]hortacion vnto the diligent readynge, hearynge, & searchinge of the holy scriptures. Matth. iiii. forsakyng the corrupt iudgement of carnall men, whiche care not, but for their carcasse, let vs reuerētly heare & reade holy scriptures, whiche is the foode of the soule. Let vs diligently searche for the welle of life, in the bokes of the new and old Testament, and not ronne to the stinkyng podelles of mennes tradicions, deuised by mānes imaginacion, for our iustificacion and saluacion. The holy scripture is a sufficiēt doctrine for our saluacion. What thynges we maye learne in the holy scripture For in holy scripture, is fully cōteined, what we ought to do, and what to eschewe, what to beleue, what to loue, and what to loke for at Gods handes at length. In those bokes we shall finde the father, from whome, the sonne, by whome, & the holy Ghoste, in whome, all thynges haue their beyng and cōseruacion, and these thre persones, to be but one God, and one substaūce. In these bokes, we may learne to know our selfes, how vile and miserable we be, & also to know God, how good he is of hymself; and how he cōmunicateth his goodnes vnto vs, and to al creatures. We may learne also in these bokes, to know Gods wil and pleasure, asmuche as (for this present tyme) is conuenient for vs to knowe. And (as the greate clerke, and godly preacher sainct Ihō Chrisostome saieth) whatsoeur is required to saluacion of man, is fully conteyned in the scripture of God. He that is ignoraunte, maye there learne and haue knoweledge: he that is harde harted▪ and an obstinate synner, shall there finde eternall tormentes, (prepared of Gods iustice) to make him afraied, & to mollifye [Page] him. He that is oppressed with misery in this world shal there find relief in the promises of eternal life, to his great consolacion & cōfort. He that is wounded (by the deuil) vnto death, shall find there, medecine, wherby he may be restored agayn vnto health. If it shal require to teach any truth, or reproue false doctrine, to rebuke any vice, to cōmend any vertue, to geue good counsail, to comfort, or to exhort, or to do any other thyng, requisite for our saluacion, all those thinges (saieth s. Chrisostome.) we maye learne plentifully of the scripture. There is, (saith Fulgē tius) abundantly enough, Holy scripture ministreth sufficient doctrine, for all degrees and ages. both for men to eate, and children to sucke, There is, whatsoeuer is conuenient for all ages, and for all degrees, & sortes of men. These bokes therfore, ought to be much in our hā des, in our eyes, in our eares, in oure mouthes, but moste of all, in our hartes. For the scripture of God is the heauēly meate of our soules, Matth. iiii. Luke. xi. Ihon. xvii. Psalm. xix. the hearing and kepyng of it, maketh vs blessed, sanctifieth vs, and maketh vs holy: it cōuerteth our soules: it is a light lanterne to oure fete: What commodities and profytes, the knowledge of holy scripture bringeth. it is a sure, a constant, & a perpetuall instrument of saluacion: it geueth wisedom to the humble & lowly hartes: it cōforteth, maketh glad, chereth and cherisheth our consciences: it is a more excellent iewell or treasure, then any golde or precious stone: it is more sweter then hony, or hony combe: Luke. x. it is called the best parte, whiche Marie did chose, Ihon. vi. for it hath in it, euerlastynge comforte. The wordes of holy scripture, be called wordes of euerlastyng life: Collos. i. for they be Gods instrument, ordeyned for thesame purpose. They haue power to conuerte through Gods promise, & thei be effectual, through [Page] Gods assistence: and, Hebre. iiii. (beyng receiued in a faithfull harte) thei haue euer an heauenly spirituall-woorkyng in them, thei are liuely, quicke and mightie in operacion, and sharper then any two edged sworde, and entereth through, euē vnto the diuidyng a sonder of the soule, and the spirit, of the ioyntes, and the mary. Christ calleth hym a wise buylder, Matth. vii. Ihon. xii. that buyldeth vpon his worde, vpon his sure and substanciall foundacion. By this woorde of God, Ihon. xiiii. we shalbee iudged: for the worde that I speake, (saieth Christ) is it, that shall iudge in the last daie. He that kepeth the worde of Christ, is promised the loue and fauor of God, and that he shalbe the mansion place or tē ple of the blessed Trinitie. This woorde, whosoeuer is diligent to reade, and in his harte to printe that he readeth, the great affecciō to the transitory thynges of this worlde, shalbe minished in hym, and the greate desire of heauenly thynges, (that bee therein promised of God) shall increase in hym. And there is nothyng, that so muche establisheth our faithe, and trust in God, that so much conserueth innocencie, and purenesse of the harte, and also of outwarde Godly life and conuersacion, as continual readyng and meditacion of Gods woorde. For that thyng, whiche (by perpetuall vse of readyng of holy scripture, and diligent searchyng of thesame) is depely printed, and grauen in the harte, at length turneth almoste into nature. And moreouer, the effecte and vertue of Gods worde, is to illuminate y e ignorant, and to geue more light vnto theim, that faithefully and diligently reade it, to comfort their hartes, and to incorage theim to performe that, whiche of God [Page] is commaunded. It teacheth pacience in all aduersitie, in prosperitie, humblenes: what honour is due vnto God, what mercie and charitie to our neighbor. i. Regum. xiiii ii. Para xx. i. Corin. xv. i Ihon. v. Who profite moste in readyng Godes worde. It geueth good counsaill in al doubtfull thynges. It sheweth, of whom we shall loke for aide and helpe in all perils, and that God is the onely geuer of victory, in all battailes, and temptacions of our enemies, bodily and Ghostely. And in readyng of Gods woorde, he moste proffiteth not alwaies, that that is most ready in turnyng of the boke, or in saiyng of it without the boke, but he that is moste turned into it, that is most inspired with the holy ghost moste in his harte and life, altered and transformed into that thyng, whiche he readeth: he that is daily lesse and lesse proude, lesse irefull, lesse couetous, and lesse desirous of worldely and vayne pleasures: he that daily (forsakyng his olde vicious life) increaseth in vertue, more and more. And to be short, there is nothyng, that more mainteineth Godlines of the mynd, and expelleth vngodlines, then doth the continuall readyng, or hearyng of Gods worde, if it be ioyned with a Godly mynde, and a good affeccion, to knowe and folowe Gods wil. For without a single iye, pure intent and good mynde, nothyng is allowed for good before God. Esaie. v. Matth. xxii. i Corin. xiiii. What incommodities, the ignoraūce of Gods worde. bringeth. And on the otherside, nothyng more obscureth Chrste, & the glory of God nor induceth more blindnesse, and all kyndes of vices, then doth the ignoraunce of Gods word. If we professe Christe, why be we not ashamed to be ignoraunt in his doctryne? Seyng that euery man is ashamed to be ignoraunt in that learning, whiche he professeth. That mā is ashamed, to be called a Philosophier, [Page] whiche readeth not the bookes of Philosophie, and to be called a lawyer, and Astronomier, or a phisiciō, that is ignoraunt in the bokes of law, Astronomie, and Phisicke. Howe can any man then saie, that he professeth Christ, and his religion, if he will not applye hymself, (as farfurthe as he can or maie conueniently) to reade and hear, & so to knowe the bokes of Christes Gospell & doctrine. Gods woorde excelleth all sciences. Although other sciences be good, and to be learned, yet no mā can deny, but this is the chiefe, and passeth all other incomparably. What excuse shal we therfore make, (at the last daie before Christ) that delight to reade, or heare mennes phantasies and inuencions, more then his moste holy Gospell, and will fynd no tyme to doo that, whiche chiefly (aboue all thynges) wee should do, and wil rather reade other thynges, then that, for the whiche, wee ought rather to leaue readyng of all other thynges. Lette vs therefore apply our selfes, as farfuth as we can haue tyme and leasure, to knowe Gods worde, by diligēt hearyng and readyng therof, as many as professe God, and haue faithe and trust in hym. But thei that haue no good affeccion to Gods word, Uain excuses dysswadynge frō the knowledge of gods woorde. The firste. (to colour this their faulte) alledge commonly, twoo vaine and fained excuses. Some go about to excuse them, by their awne frailnesse, and fearfulnes, saiyng: that thei dare not read holy scripture, leaste, through their ignoraunce, thei should fall into any error. Other pretende, The second [...] ▪ that the difficultie to vnderstande it, and the hardnes thereof is so greate, that it is meete to bee reade, onely of Clearkes and learned men. As touchyng the firste: ignoraunce of Gods worde, is the cause of al error, [Page] as Christ hymself affirmed to y e Sadduces, saiyng: that thei erred, Matth. xxii. because thei knewe not the scripture. How should thei then escheue error, that will be still ignoraunt? And how should thei come out of ignoraunce, that wil not read nor heare that thyng, whiche should geue them knowledge? He that now hath moste knowledge, was at the first ignoraunt, yet he forbare not to reade, for feare he should fall into error: but he diligently redde, lest he▪ should remain in ignoraunce, and through ignoraunce, in error.
AND if you will not knowe the truthe of God, (a thyng moste necessary for you) least you fall into error: by thesame reason you maie then lye still, and neuer go, leaste (if you goo) you fall in the mire, nor eate any good meate, least you take a surfet, nor sow your Corne, nor labour in your occupacion, nor vse your marchaūdise, for feare you lose your sede, your labor, your stocke, and so by that reason, it should be beste for you to liue idlely, and neuer to take in hande, to do any maner of good thyng, least peraduenture some euill thyng maie chaunce therof. And if you be afraied to fal into error, by readyng of holy scripture: How mooste commodiously and without all perill, the holy scripture is to be redde. I shall shewe you, how you maie reade it, without daunger of error. Reade it humbly, with a meke and a lowly harte, to thintent, you maie glorifie God, and not your self, with the knowledge of it: and reade it not without daily praiyng to God, that he would directe your readyng to good effecte, and take vpon you, to expounde it no further, then you can plainly vnderstande it. For (as sainct Augustine saieth) the knowledge of holy scripture is a great, large, and a high palace, but the doore is verie [Page] lowe: so that the high and arrogant man, cannot runne in, but he must stoupe lowe, and humble hym self, that shall entre into it. Presumpcion and arrogancie, is the mother of all error, and humilitie, nedeth to feare no error. For humilitie will onely searche, to knowe the truthe, it will searche, and will conferre one place with another: and where it cannot fynde the sense, it will praie, it will inquire of other that knowe, and will not presumpteously and rasshely define any thyng, whiche it knoweth not. Therfore, the humble man maie searche any truthe boldely in the scripture, without any daunger of error. And if he bee ignoraunt, he ought the more to read and to search holy scripture, to bryng hym out of ignoraunce. I saie not naie, but a man maie prospere, with onely hearyng, but he maie muche more prospere, with bothe hearyng and readyng. This haue I said, as touchyng the feare to read, through ignoraunce of the person. Scripture in some places is easie, and in some places harde to be vnderstād. And concernyng the difficultie of scripture, he that is so weake, that he is not hable to brooke strong meate: yet he maie sucke the swete and tender milke, and differre the rest, vntill he waxe strōger, and come to more knowledge. For God receiueth the learned and vnlearned, and casteth awaie none, but is indifferent vnto al. And the scripture is full, aswel of lowe valleis, plain waies, and easie for euery man to vse, and to walke in: as also of high hilles and mountaines, which few men can ascende vnto. God leaueth no man vntaught, that hath a good wil to knowe his woorde▪ And whosoeuer geueth his mynd to holy scriptures, with diligent studie and feruent desire, it cannot be, (saieth sainct Ihon Chrisostom) that he should be destitute of helpe. For either God [Page] almightie will sende hym some Godly doctor, to instruct hym, as he did to instruct Ennuchus, a noble man of Ethiope, and threasorer vnto Quene Candace, who hauyng a great affeccion to read the scripture (although he vnderstode it not) yet for the desire, that he had vnto Gods worde, God sent his Apostle Phillip, to declare vnto hym the true sense of the scripture, that he redde: or els, if we lacke a learned man, to instruct and teache vs, yet God hymself from aboue, will geue light vnto our myndes, and teach vs those thynges whiche are necessary for vs, and wherin we be ignoraunt. Howe the knowledge of scripture may bee atteined vnto. And in another place, Chrisostom saith: that mannes humain and worldly wisedom, or science, nedeth not to the vnderstandyng of Scripture, but the reuelacion of the holy ghoste, who inspireth the true sense vnto theim, that with humilitie and diligence do search therfore. He that asketh, Matth. vii. shall haue, and he that seketh, shal find, and he that knocketh, shall haue the doore open. If we reade once, twise, or thrise, and vnderstande not, let vs not cease so, but still continue readyng, praiyng, askyng of other, and so by still knockyng (at the laste) the doore shalbe opened (as sainct Augustyne saieth). A good rule for the vnderstandynge of the scripture. Although many thynges in the scripture, bee spoken in obscure misteries, yet there is no thyng spoken vnder darke misteries, in one place, but the selfe same thyng in other places, is spoken more familiarly and plainly, No mā is excepted frō the knowledge of Gods will. to the capacitie, bothe of learned and vnlearned. And those thynges in the scripture that be plain to vnderstande, and necessarie for saluacion, euery mannes duetie is to learne theim, to print theim in memorye, and effectually to [Page] exercise theim. And as for the obscure misteries, to be contented to bee ignoraunt in theim, vntill suche tyme as it shall please God, to open those thynges vnto hym. In the meane ceason, if he lacke either aptnesse or opportunitie, God will not impute it to his foly: but yet it behoueth not, that suche as bee apt, should set aside readyng, because some other be vnapte to reade: neuerthelesse, for the difficultie of suche places, the readyng of the whole, ought not to be set a part. And briefly to conclude, What persones would haue ignoraūce to continue. (as sainct Augustine saieth) by the scripture, all men be amended: weake men be strengthned, and strong men be comforted. So that surely, none bee enemies to the readyng of Gods worde, but such, as either be so ignoraunt, that thei knowe not how wholsome a thyng it is, or els be so sicke, that thei hate the moste comfortable medicine, that should heale them: or so vngodly, that thei would wishe the poeple, still to continue in blindnesse, and ignoraunce of God.
THVS we haue briefly touched some part of the commodities of Gods holy worde, The holy scripture is one of gods chief benefites. whiche is one of Gods chief and principall benefites, geuen and declared to mankynde, here in yearth. Let vs thanke God hartely, for this his greate and speciall gyfte, beneficiall fauor, and fatherly prouidence. Lette vs be glad to reuiue this precious gyft, of our heauenly father. Let vs heare, reade, and knowe, The ryght [...] readyng, vse, and fruictful studiyng ī holy scripture▪ Psalme. l. these holy rules, iniunccions, and statutes of our christian religion, & vpon that we haue made profession to God at our baptisme. Lette vs with feare, and reuerence laie vp (in the cheste of our hartes) these necessarie and fruitfull lessons. Lette vs night and daie muse, [Page] and haue meditacion, and contemplacion in theim. Lette vs ruminate, and (as it wer) chewe the cudde, that we maie haue the swete ieuse, spirituall effecte, mary, hony, kirnell, tast, comfort, and consolacion of theim. Let vs staie, quiet, and certifie our consciences, with the moste infallible certaintie, truthe, and perpetual assuraunce of them. Let vs praie to God, (the onely aucthor of these heauenly meditacions) that we maie speake, thynke, beleue, liue, and depart hence, accordyng to the wholesome doctrine, and verities of theim. And by that meanes, in this worlde wee shall haue Gods proteccion, fauor, and grace, with the vnspeakeable solace of peace, and quietnes of conscience: and after this miserable life, we shall enioy the endlesse blisse, and glorie of heauen, whiche, he graunt vs all, that died for vs all, Iesus Christ: to whom, with the father, & holy ghost bee all honor and glorie, both now & euerlastyngly. AMEN.
¶An Homelie of the miserie of al mankynd, and of hys condempnacion to death euerlastyng, by hys awne synne.
THe holy Ghost, in writing the holy scripture, is in nothinge more diligent, then to pulle doune mannes vainglory, and pride, whiche, of all vices, is most vniuersally grafted in al mankynd, euen from the first infection of our first father Adam. And therfore, we reade in many places of scripture, many notable lessons against this old rooted vice, to teache vs the moste commendable vertue of humilitie, how to knowe our selfes, and to remembre, what we be of our selfes. In the boke of Genesis, Gene. iii. almighty God geueth vs al, a title & name in our great graūd father Adā, which ought to admonish vs al, to considre what we be, wherof we be, frō whence we came, & whether we shal, saiyng thus: in y e sweat of thy face, shalt thou eate thy bread, til thou be turned again into the groūd: for out of it wast thou taken, in asmuch as y u art dust, & into dust shalte thou be turned again. Here (as it wer in a glasse) we may learne to know our selfes, to be but groūde, earth, & asshes, & that to earth and asshes, we shall returne.
Also, the holy patriarche Abraham, did well remembre this name and title, dust, earth, and asshes, appoynted and assigned by God, to all mankynde: and therfore he calleth hymself by that name, when he maketh his earnest praier for Sodome and Gomore. And we read, that Iudith, Hester, Iudith. iiii. and .ix. Iob xlii. Hier. vi. &▪ xxv Iob▪ Hieremie, with other holy men and womē, in the old Testament, [Page] did vse sacke cloth, and to cast dust and asshes, vpon their heddes, when they bewailed their synfull liuyng. They called & cried to God for help and mercye, with suche a ceremonie of sacke clothe, duste and asshes, that thereby thei might declare to the whole worlde, what an hūble and lowly estimacion thei had of themselfes, & how well thei remembred their name & title aforesayd, their vile, corrupt fraile nature, dust, earth, and asshes. The boke of wisedom also, [...]ap [...]en. vi [...]. willing to pul doune our proude stomackes, moueth vs diligently to remēbre our mortall and earthly generacion, whiche we haue all of hym, that was firste made: and that all men, aswell kynges as subiectes, come into this worlde, and go out of thesame in lyke sorte, that is, as of our selfes full miserable, as we may dayly see. And almightye God cōmaunded hys prophet Esaie, to make a proclamacion, Esai. [...] and crie to the whole worlde: and Esaie askinge, what shall I crie? The Lorde aunswered, crie, that all fleshe is grasse, and that al the glory of man therof, is but as the floure of the felde: whē the grasse is withered, the floure falleth away, when the wynd of the Lord bloweth vpon it. The people surely is grasse, the which drieth vp, and the floure fadeth awaye. And the holy prophete Iob, hauyng in himself great experience of the miserable and sinful estate of man, doth open thesame to y e world, in these wordes. Man (saith he) that is borne of a woman, liuyng but a short tyme, Iob. xiiii. is ful of manifold miseries: he spryngeth vp like a floure, & fadeth again, vanishyng awaye, as it wer a shadowe▪ and neuer continueth in one state. And doest thou iudge it mete, (o [Page] Lorde) to open thyne eyes vpon suche a one, and to bring hym to iudgement with the? Who can make hym cleane, that is conceiued of an vncleane seede? And all men of their euilnesse and natural pronesse, wer so vniuersally geuen to synne, that (as the scripture saith) God repēted that euer he made mā. Ge. v. [...].vi. And by synne, hys indignacion was so muche prouoked against the worlde, that he drouned all the worlde with Noes floud (except Noe hymself, and hys litle housholde.) It is not without greate cause, that the scripture of God, doeth so many tymes call all men here in this worlde, by this woorde: yearth. O thou yearth, yearth, yearth, sayth Ieremie: Hiere. xxi [...]. heare y e worde of the Lord. This our right name, vocacion, & title, yearth, yearth, yearth, pronoūced by the Prophete, sheweth what wee bee in deede, by whatsoeuer other stile, title, or dignitie, men do call vs. Thus he plainly named vs, who knoweth best, both what we be and what we ought of right to be called. And thus he describeth vs, speakyng by hys faithfull Apostle S. Paule: all men, Iewes, and Gentiles, Roma. iii. are vnder syn: ther is none righteous, no, not one: ther is none that vnderstandeth, there is none that seketh after God, thei are al gone out of the way, thei are all vnprofitable: ther is none that doth good, no, not one: their throte is an open sepulchre, with their tōgues they haue vsed craft & deceipt, the poyson of serpentes is vnder their lippes, their mouth is full of cursing and bitternes, their fete are swift to shed bloud destrucciō and wretchednes are in their waies, and the way of peace, haue thei not knowen: there is no feare of God before their eyes. Roma. xi. And in another place [Page] S. Paule writeth thus: Galat. iii. God hath wrapped all nacions in vnbelefe, that he might haue mercy on all. The scripture concludeth all vnder synne, Ephe ii. that the promyse by y e faith of Iesus Christ, should be geuē vnto theim that beleue. S. Paule in many places, painteth vs out in our colours, callyng vs the children of the wrath of God, when we be borne: saiyng also, that we cānot thinke a good thought of our selfes, muche lesse we can saye wel, or do wel of our selfes. And the wiseman saieth in the boke of Prouerbes: Pro. xxiiii. the iust man falleth seuē times a day. The most tried & approued man Iob, feared all hys workes. S. Ihon the Baptist, Luke. i beynge sanctified in his mothers wōbe, and praised before he was borne, called an Aungell, & great before the lord, replenished euē from his birthe with the holy Ghost, the preparer of the way for our sauior Christ, and commēded of our sauior Christ, to be more then a prophet, & the greatest that euer was borne of a woman: yet he plainly graūteth, that he had nede to be wasshed of Christ: he worthely extolleth and glorifieth his Lorde and master Christ, Matth. iii. and humbleth hymself, as vnworthy to vnbuckle his showes, and geueth all honor and glory to God. So doth s. Paule, bothe oft and euidently confesse himself, what he was of himself, euer geuyng (as a moste faithfull seruaunt) all praise to his master and sauior. So doth blessed s. Ihon the Euangelist, i. Ihon. [...]. &. [...]. in the name of hymself, and of all other holy men (be they neuer so iust) make this open confession: if we saye, we haue no synne, we deceyue oure selfes, and the truthe is not in vs: if we knowledge our synnes, God is faithful and iust, to forgeue vs [Page] our synnes, and to clense vs frō al vnrighteousnes: if we saye, we haue not sinned, we make hym a liar, and hys worde is not in vs. Wherfore the Wisemā in the boke called Ecclesiastes, Eccle. vii. maketh this true & generall confession: there is not one iust man vpon the earth, that doeth good, and synneth not. And s. Dauid is ashamed of hys synne, but not to confesse his synne. How oft, how earnestly, Psalm li. & lamētably doth he desire gods great mercy, for his great offences, & that God should not entre into iudgemēt with him. Psal. xxlii. And agayn, how well weigheth thys holy man his synnes, when he confesseth, that they bee so many in numbre, and so hid, and hard to vnderstande, that it is in maner vnpossible, to knowe, vtter, Psal. xix. or numbre them. Wherfore, he hauing, a true, earnest, and depe contemplacion and consideracion of his sinnes, and yet not commyng to the botome of them, he maketh supplicaciō to God, to forgeue him, his priuy, secret his sinnes: to the knowledge of the which, he cā not attein vnto. He weigheth rightly his sinnes, frō the original roote, & spring hed, perceiuing inclinaciōs prouocaciōs, stirrynges, stingynges, buddes, braū ches, dregges, infecciōs, tastes, felinges, and sentes of them, to continue in hym still. Wherfore he saith: marke & behold, I was cōceiued in synnes: Psalm. li. he saith not, sinne, but in the plural nūbre, sinnes, forasmuch as out of one (as fountayn) spryngeth all the reste.
And our sauior Christ saieth: Marke. x. Luke. xviii Ihon. xv. Luke. xvi [...] ▪ there is none good but God: and that we can do nothyng that is good, without hym: nor no mā can come to the father, but by hym. He commaundeth vs all to saye, that we be vnprofitable seruaūtes, when we haue done al that [Page] we can do. Luke. xviii. He preferreth the penitēt Publicane, before the proude, Matth. ix. holy, & glorious Pharisey. He calleth hymself a phisicion, but not to them y t be whole, but to them that be sicke, and haue nede of his salue for their sore. He teacheth vs in oure prayers, to reknowledge our selfes sinners, & to aske forgeuenes and deliueraunce from all euilles, at our heauenly fathers hande. He declareth that the synnes of oure awne hartes, Matth. xii. do defile our awne selfes. He teacheth that an euill worde or thought, deserueth condempnacion, Matth. xv. affirmyng, that we shall geue an accompte, for euery idle worde. He saieth, he came not to saue, but the shepe that were vtterly lost, and cast away. Therfore fewe of the proude, iust, learned, wise, perfect, and holy Phariseis, were saued by him, because thei iustified themselfes, by their coūterfeit holynes before men. Wherefore (good people) let vs beware of suche hypocrisy, vainglory, and iustifiyng of our selfe. Let vs loke vpō our fete, and then, doune pecockes fethers, doune proude harte, doune vile clay frayle and britle vessels. Of our selfes, we be crabbe trees, that can bryng furth no apples. We be of our selfes, of suche yearth, as can brynge furthe but wedes, netles, brābles, briers, cocle and darnell. Oure fruites be declared in the ▪v. Chap. to the Gala. Galat. v. We haue neither faith, charitie, hope, pacience, chastitie, nor any thyng els that good is, but of God: & therfore, these vertues be called there, the fruites of the holy Ghost, and not the fruites of man. Let vs therfore, acknowledge our selfes before God, (as we be in dede) miserable and wretched synners. And let vs earnestly repent, and humble our selfes hartely, and [Page] crie to God for mercye. Let vs all confesse with mouthe and harte, that we be full of imperfeccions. Let vs know our awn workes, of what imperfecciō they be, & then we shall not stande foolishly, and arrogantly, in our awne conceiptes, nor chalenge any part of iustificacion, by our merites or workes. For truly, there be imperfecciōs in our best workes: we do not loue God so much as we are bounde to do, with all our hart, mynd, and power: we do not feare God, so muche as we ought to do: we do not praye to God, but with greate and many imperfeccions: we geue, forgeue, beleue, liue, and hope vnperfectly: we speke, thinke, & do vnperfectly: we fight agaynst the deuill, the worlde, and the fleashe, vnperfectly. Let vs therfore, not be ashamed to confesse plainly, our state of imperfeccion: yea, let vs not be ashamed to confesse imperfeccion, euen in all our awne beste workes. Let none of vs be ashamed, to say with holy s. Peter. I am a sinfull man. Luke. v. Psalm. [...]vi. Let vs al saye with the holy prophet Dauid: we haue synned with our fathers, we haue doen amisse, & dealt wickedly. Let vs all make open cōfession, with the prodigal sonne to our father, and saye with hym: we haue synned agaynst heauen, and before the, Luke. xv. (O father) we are not worthy to be called thy sonnes. Let vs al saye, Baruch. [...]i. with holy Baruch: O Lorde our God, to vs is worthily ascribed shame and confusion, & to the, righteousnes: We haue synned, we haue doen wickedly, we haue behaued our selfes vngodly, in all thy righteousnes. Daniel. [...]i. Let vs al saie with the holy prophet Daniell: O Lorde, righteousnes belongeth to the, vnto vs belongeth confusion. We haue synned, we haue [Page] bene naughtie, we haue offended, we haue fled from the, we haue gone backe from al thy preceptes, and iudgementes. So we learne of all good men in holy scripture, to humble our selfes: and to exalt, extoll prayse, magnifie, and glorifie God.
Thus we haue heard, how euill we be of our selfes: how, of our selfes, and by our selfes, we haue no goodnes, helpe, nor saluaciō: but cōtrariwise, synne, dampnacion, and death euerlastynge: whiche, if we depely weigh & consider, we shall the better vnderstande the great mercy of God, and how our saluacion cōmeth onely by Christ. [...]. Cor. iii. For in our selfes (as of our selfes) we find nothing, wherby we may be deliuered from this miserable captiuitie, into the which we were caste, throughe the enuie of the deuill, by transgressing of Gods commaundemēt, in our first parent Adam. Psal [...]. We are all become vncleane, but we all are not able to clense our selfes, nor to make one another of vs cleane. Ephe. ii. We are by nature, the childrē of Gods wrathe, but we are not able to make oure selfes the children, and inheritors of Gods glorye. We are sheepe that ronne astraie, but we cannot of our awn power, [...]. Pet. ii. come agayn to y e shepefold, so great is our imperfecciō & weakenes. In our selfes therfore maye not we glorie, which (of our selfes) are nothyng but synfull: Neither we maye reioyse, in any woorkes that we do, which al be so vnperfect & vnpure, that thei are not able to stāde, before the righteous throne of God, as the holy Prophete Dauid saieth: Psal. [...]xliii. entre not into iudgemēt with thy seruaūt, O Lorde, for no man that liueth shalbe found righteous in thy sight. To God therfore, muste we flee, or [Page] els shall we neuer finde peace, rest and quietnesse of conscience in our hartes. ii. Corin. i. For he is the father of mercies, and God of all consolacion. He is the Lorde, with whō is plenteous redempcion. He is that God which of his awne mercie saueth vs, Psalm. cxxx. and setteth out his charitie, and exceding loue towardes vs, in that of his awne voluntary goodnesse, when we wer perished, he saued vs, and prouided an euerlastyng kyngdom for vs. And all these heauenly treasures, are geuen vs, not for our awne desertes, merites, or good deedes (whiche, of our selfes wee haue none) but of his meere mercie, frely. And for whose sake? Truely, for Iesus Christes sake, that pure and vndefiled lambe of GOD. He is that dearely beloued sonne, for whose sake, god is fully pacified, satisfied and sette at one with man. He is the lambe of God, Ihon. i. whiche taketh awaie the synnes of the worlde: of whom onely, it maie be truely spoken, i. Peter. ii. that he did al thynges well, & in his mouthe was founde no craft nor subtilitie. None but he alone, maie saie, Ihon. xiiii the Prince of the worlde came: and in me he hath nothyng. And he alone maie saie also: Ihon. viii. whiche of you shall reproue me of any faulte? Hebre. vii. He is that high and euerlastyng priest, whiche hath offered hymself once for all, vpon the aulter of the Crosse, and with that one oblacion, hath made perfect for euermore, them that are sāctified. He is the alone mediator, i. Ihon. ii. betwene God and man, whiche paied our raunsome to God, with his awne bloud, and with that hath he clensed vs all from synne. He is the Phisicion, whiche healeth al our diseases. He is that sauior, Matthew i. whiche saueth his people from all their synnes. To be shorte, he is [Page] that flowyng, Ihon [...]. & moste plenteous fountain, of whose fulnesse▪ all we haue receiued. For in hym alone, are all the treasures of the wisedom, and knowledge of God hidden. And in hym, and by hym, haue wee frō God the father, all good thynges, perteinyng either to the body, or to the soule. O howe muche are wee bounde, to this our heauenly father, for his greate mercies, whiche he hath so plenteously declared vnto vs, in Christe Iesu our Lorde and sauior? What thankes worthy and sufficient can we geue to him? Let vs all with one accorde, burste out with ioyfull voyces, euer praisyng and magnifiyng this Lorde of mercy, for his tendre kyndnesse shewed to vs in his derely beloued sonne, Iesus Christ our lord.
Hetherto haue we heard, what wee are of our selfes: verely, synfull, wretched, and dampnable: again we haue heard, how that of oure selfes, and by oure selfes, wee are not hable, either to thynke a good thought▪ or worke a good deede, so that we can fynd in our selfes, no hope of saluacion, but rather whatsoeuer maketh vnto our destrucciō. Again we haue heard, the tendre kyndenesse and greate mercie of God the father towardes vs, and how beneficial he is to vs, for Christes sake, without our merites or desertes, euen o [...] his awne meere mercie and tendre goodnesse. Now, how these excedyng greate mercies of God, set abrode in Christe Iesu for vs, bee obteined: and how we be deliuered, from the captiuitie of synne, deathe, and helle, it shall more at large (with Gods helpe) be declared in the next Homelie. In the meane season, yea, and at all tymes, let vs learne to knowe our selfes, our frailtie and weakenesse, without [Page] any ostentacion, or boostyng of our awne good dedes and merites: let vs also knowledge. The excedyng mercie of God towardes vs, and confesse, that as of our selfes, commeth all euill and dampnaciō, so likewise of hym, commeth all goodnesse and saluacion, as God hymself saieth, by the prophet Oze: O Israell, thy destruccion commeth of thy self, Oze. xiii. but in me onely, is thy helpe and comforte. If wee thus humbly submit our selfes in the sight of God, wee maie bee sure, that in the tyme of his visitacion, he will lifte vs vp vnto the Kyngdome of his derely beloued sonne Christe Iesu our Lorde: to whō with the father and the holy Ghoste, bee all honour, and glory for euer. AMEN.
¶An Homelie of the saluacion of mankynd, by onely Christ our sauior, from synne and death euerlastyng.
BEcause all men be synners, and offendors against GOD, and breakers of his law and commaundementes, therfore can no manne by his awne actes, woorkes, and deedes, (seme thei neuer so good) be iustified, and made righteous before God: but euery man of necessitie, is constrayned to seke for another righteousnesse, or iustificacion, to be receiued at Gods awne handes, that is to saie, the remission, pardon, and forgeuenesse of his synnes and trespasses, in suche thynges as he hath offended. And this iustificacion or righteousnesse, whiche we so receiue by Gods mercie, & Christes merites, embraced by faithe, is taken, accepted, and allowed of God, for our perfect and full iustificacion. For the more ful vnderstandyng hereof, it is our partes and duetie, euer to remembre the greate mercie of God, how that (al the worlde beyng wrapped in synne, by breakyng of the lawe) God sent his onely sonne, our sauior Chrste into this worlde, to fulfill the lawe for vs: and by shedyng of his moste precious bloud, to make a sacrifice and satisfaccion or (as it maie bee called) amendes, to his father for our synnes: to asswage his wrathe and indignacion conceiued against vs, The efficacie of [...] and [...]. for thesame. In so much that infantes, beyng baptised, and diyng in their infancie▪ are by this sacrifice, wasshed from their synnes, brought to Gods fauor, and made his children, and inheritors of his kyngdome of heauen. And thei [Page] whiche actually do synne after their baptisme, whē thei conuerte and turne again to God vnfainedly, thei are likewise washed by this sacrifice from their synnes, in suche sorte, that there remaineth not any spotte of synne, that shalbe imputed to their dampnacion. This is that iustificacion, or righteousnes, whiche sainct Paule speaketh of, when he saieth: Roma▪ iii▪ no man is iustified, by the workes of the law, but frely by faith in Iesus Christ. And again he saieth: we beleue in Christ Iesu, that we be iustified frely, Roma. viii. by the faith of Christe, & not by the workes of the lawe, because that no man shalbe iustified by the workes of the law. And although this iustificaciō, be fre vnto vs, yet it commeth not so frely vnto vs, that there is no raunsome paied therfore at all. Obiection. But here maie mannes reason be astonied, reasonyng after this fashion: if a raunsome bee paied for our redempcion, then is it not geuen vs freely: For a prisoner that paieth his raunsome, is not let go frely, for if he go frely, then he goeth without raunsome: for what is it els to go freely, then to bee set at libertie, without paiment of raunsome.
This reason is satisfied by the greate wisedome of God, in this mistery of our redempciō, An answere▪ who hath so tempered his iustice and mercie together, that he would neither, by his iustice condempne vs, vnto the perpetuall captiuitie of the deuill, and his prison of hel, remediles for euer, without mercie: nor by his mercy, deliuer vs clerely, without iustice, or paiment of a iust raunsome: but with his endlesse mercie, he ioyned his moste vpright and equall iustice. His greate mercy he shewed vnto vs, in deliueryng [Page] vs from our former captiuitie, without requiryng of any raunsom to be paied, or amēdes to be made, vpon our partes: whiche thyng, by vs had been impossible to bee doen. And where as it laie not in vs, that to do, he prouided a raunsome for vs, that was the moste precious body & bloud of his awne moste dere and best beloued sonne Iesu Christe: who besides his raunsom, fulfilled the lawe for vs perfectly. And so the iustice of God, & his mercie did embrace together, and fulfilled the mistery of our redempcion. And of this iustice and mercie of God knit together, speaketh saincte Paule, in the .iii. Chapiter to the Romans: [...] iii. al haue offended, and haue nede of the glory of God, iustified frely by his grace, by redempcion, whiche is in Iesu Christ, whom God hath set furth to vs, for a reconciler, & peace maker, through faith in his bloud, to shewe his righteousnesse. And in the .x. Chapiter: [...] Christ is the ende of the law, vnto righteousnes, to euery man that beleueth. And in the .viii. Chapi: [...]. viii. that whiche was impossible by the lawe, in asmuche as it was weake by the flesh, God sendyng his awne sonne, in the similitude of synfull fleshe, by synne dampned synne in the fleshe, that the righteousnesse of the lawe, might be fulfilled in vs, which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirite.
Three thynges muste go tog [...]ther ī our [...]stificacion.In these foresaied places, the Apostle toucheth specially three thynges, whiche muste concurre and go together, in our iustificacion. Upon Gods part, his greate mercie and grace: vpon Christes parte, iustice, that is, the satisfaccion of gods iustice, or the price of our redempcion, by the offryng of his body and shedyng of his bloud, with fulfillyng of y e law, [Page] perfectly & throughly: and vpon our part, true and liuely faithe in the merites of Iesu Christe, whiche yet is not oures, but by Gods workyng in vs. So that in our iustificacion, is not onely Gods mercie and grace, but also his iustice, whiche the Apostle calleth the iustice of God, and it cōsisteth in paiyng our raunsome, and fulfillyng of the lawe: and so the grace of God, doth not exclude y e iustice of God, in oure iustificacion, but onely excludeth the iustice of man, that is to saie, the iustice of our woorkes, as to be merites of deseruyng our iustificaciō. And therefore sainct Paule declareth here nothyng, vpon the behalf of man, concernyng his iustificaciō, but onely a true and liuely faith, whiche neuertheles is the gift of God, and not mannes onely worke without God. And yet that faithe, Howe it is to be vnderstand that faith iustifieth, without woorkes dooth not exclude repentaunce, hope, loue, dread, and the feare of God, to be ioyned with faithe, in euery mā that is iustified: but it excludeth thē frō the office of iustifiyng. So that although thei be all present together in hym that is iustified, yet thei iustifie not all together. Nor that faithe also, doth not exclude the iustice of oure good workes, necessarily to bee doen afterward of duetie, towardes God (for wee are moste bounden to serue God, in doyng good deedes, commaunded by hym in his holy scripture, all the daies of oure life): But it excludeth theim, so that we maie not doo theim, to this intent, to be made good by doyng of them. For all the good workes that we can do, bee vnperfecte, and therfore not able to deserue our iustificaciō: but our iustificacion dooth come frely, by the mere mer [...]ie of GOD, and of so greate and free mercie, that [Page] whereas all the worlde was not able of their selfes, to paye any parte towardes their raunsome, it pleased our heauenly father, of his infinite mercie, without any our deserte, or deseruyng, to prepare for vs the mooste precious iewelles of Christes body and bloud, wherby our raunsome might be fully paied, the lawe fulfilled, and his iustice fully satisfied. So that Christe is nowe the righteousnesse of all them, that truely doo beleue in hym. He for theim paied their raunsome, by his death. He for theim, fulfilled the lawe in his life. So that nowe, in hym, and by hym, euery true Christian man maie be called a fulfiller of the lawe, forasmuche as that, whiche their infirmitie lacketh, Christes iustice hath supplied,
Before was declared at large, that no manne can be iustified by his awne good workes, because that no manne fulfilleth the lawe, accordyng to the full request of the lawe. And saincte Paule, in his Epistle to the Galathiās, Galath. [...]ii. proueth thesame, saiyng thus If there had been any lawe geuen, whiche coulde haue iustified, verely, righteousnesse should haue been by the lawe. And again he saieth: if righteousnesse bee by the lawe, then Christe died in vain. And again he saieth: you that are iustified by the lawe, are fallen awaie from grace. And furthermore, he writeth to the Ephesians, Ephes ii. on this wise: by grace are ye saued through faithe, and that not of your selfes: for it is the gift of God, and not of workes, lest any man should glorie. And to bee shorte, the summe of all Paules disputacion, is this: that if iustice come of woorkes, then it commeth not of grace: And if it come of grace, then it commeth not of woorkes. [Page] And to this ende, Actes. x. tēdeth al the Prophetes as saincte Peter saieth, in the tenthe of the Actes: Of Christe, all the Prophetes (saieth saincte Peter) do witnes, that through his name, al they that beleue in him, shal receiue the remission of synnes. Faithe onely iustifieth, is the doctrine of old doctors. And after this wyse to be iustifyed, onely by this true and liuely faithe in Christ, speaketh all the olde and auncient aucthors, bothe Grekes & Latyns. Of whom I will specially reherse thre: Hillary, Basill, & Ambrose. Sainct Hillary sayeth these wordes plainly, in the ninth Canon, vpon Matthewe: Faithe onely iustifyeth. And saincte Basill, a Greke aucthor writeth thus: This is a perfect and a whole reioysyng in God, when a man auaunteth not hymselfe, for hys awne righteousnes, but knowledgeth hymself, to lacke true iustice and righteousnes, and to be iustifyed by the onely faithe in Christ: And Paul (saieth he) doeth glory in the contempte of hys awne righteousnes, Philip. iii. and that he loketh for his righteousnes of God, by faythe.
These be the verye woordes of sainct Basill. And sainct Ambrose, a Latyn aucthor, sayeth these wordes: This is the ordinaunce of God, that he, whiche beleueth in Christ, should be saued, without workes, by faithe onely, freely receiuyng remission of his synnes. Consyder diligently these woordes: without woorkes, by faythe onely, freely, we receyue remissyon of oure synnes. What can be spoken more plainlye, then to saye: that freely, withoute woorkes, by fayth onely, we obteyne remission of oure synnes? These and other lyke sentences, that we be iustifyed by fayth onelye, frelye, and without [Page] workes, we do reade oftymes in the moste best and aūcient writers. As beside Hillarye, Basill, & sainct Ambrose, before rehersed: we read thesame in Origene, saincte Chrisostome, saincte Cypriane, saincte Augustine, Prosper, Oecomenius, Phocius, Bernardus, Anselme, and many other aucthors, Greke and Latine. Neuertheles, this sentence: that we be iustified by fayth onely: is not so meāt of them, that the sayed iustifiyng fayth is alone in man, without true repentaunce, hope, charitie, dread and feare of God, at any tyme or ceason. Nor when they say: that we be iustified frely: Faithe alone [...] it is to [...] [...]nderstande. they meane not, that we should or might afterwarde be idle, & that nothyng should be required on oure partes afterward. Neither thei meane not so to be iustified without our good workes, that we shoulde do no good workes at all, lyke as shalbe more expressed at large hereafter. But this proposicion, that we be iustifyed, by faith onely, frely, and without workes: is spoken, for to take away clerely all merite of oure workes, as beyng insufficient, to deserue our iustificacion at Gods handes, and thereby moste plainly to expresse the weakenes of man, and the goodnes of God, the great infirmitie of oure selfes, and the myght and power of God, the imperfectnes of oure awne workes, and the moste aboundaunt grace of our sauior Christe. And thereby whoey to ascribe the meryte and deseruing of our iustificaciō, vnto Christe onely, and his moste precious bludshedyng. This faythe the holy scripture teacheth: this is the strong rocke & foundacion of Christian religion: this doctryne all olde and auncient aucthors of Christes churche do approue: [Page] this doctrine, The profit of the doctrine of faithe onely iustifieth. What thei be that impugne the doctrine of faith only iustifieth. aduaūceth & setteth furthe the true glory of Christ, and suppresseth the vayne glory of man: This, whosoeuer denieth, is not to be reputed for a true christian man, not for a setter furth of Christes glory, but for an aduersarye of Christe and his Gospell, & for a setter furth of mēnes vainglory. And although this doctrine be neuer so true, (as it is most true in dede) that we be iustified freely, A declaracion of this doctryne: faythe without workes iustifieth without al merite of our awne good workes (as S. Paule doth expresse it) and freely, by this liuely and perfect fayth in Christe onely, as the auncient aucthors vse to speke it: yet this true doctrine must be also truely vnderstande, and moste plainly declared, lest carnall men should take vniustly occasyon thereby, to lyue carnally after the appetite and will of the world, the flesh, and the deuil. And because no man should erre, by mistakyng of this doctrine, I shall plainely & shortely so declare the right vnderstandyng of the same, that no man shall iustly thinke, that he maye therby take any occasion of carnall libertie, to folowe y e desires of the flesh, or that therby, any kind of synne shalbe committed, or any vngodly liuyng the more vsed.
First, you shall vnderstande, that in our iustificacion by Christ, it is not all one thinge, the office of God vnto man, and the office of man vnto God. Iustificacion is not the offyce of man, but of God: For man cannot iustifye himselfe by his awne workes, neither in parte nor in the whole, for that were the greatest arrogancie & presumpciō of man, that Antechrist could erect agaynst God, to affirme, that a man might, by his awne workes, take awaye and [Page] purge his awne synnes, and so iustifie himself. But iustificacion, Iustificaciō is the office of G [...]d onely. is the office of God onely, and is not a thyng, whiche we rendre vnto hym, but whiche we receiue of him, not whiche we geue to him, but whiche we take of him, by his free mercie, & by the onely merites, of his moste derely beloued sonne, our onely redemer, sauiour, and iustifier, Iesus Christ. So that the true vnderstandyng of this doctrine: We be iustified freely by faith, without workes: or that we be iustified by faithe in Christ onely, is not, that this our awne acte to beleue in Christe, or this oure faithe in Christe, which is within vs, dooth iustifie vs, and merite oure iustificacion vnto vs (for that were to cōpte our selfes, to be iustified by some acte or vertue, that is within oure selfes): But the true vnderstandynge and meanynge thereof is, that although we heare Gods woorde, and beleue it: although we haue faith, hope, charitie, repentaunce, dread, and feare of God within vs, and do neuer so many good woorkes thereunto: yet we must renounce the mertte of all our saied vertues, of faith, hope, charitie, and all our other vertues, and good dedes, which we either haue doen, shal do, or can do, as thynges that be farre to weake, and insufficient and vnperfecte, to deserue remission of our synnes, and oure iustification, and therefore we must trust, onely in Gods mercie, and in that sacrifyce, whiche our high prieste, and sauior Christ Iesus, the sonne of God, once offered for vs vpon the crosse, to obtein therby Gods grace, and remission, aswel of our originall synne in baptisme, as of all actuall synne, cōmitted by vs after oure baptisme, if we truely repente [Page] and conuerte vnfainedly to hym agayn. So that as sainct Ihon Baptiste, although he were neuer so vertuous and Godly a man, yet in this matter of forgeuyng of synne, he did put the people frō hym, and appoynted them vnto Christ, saiyng thus vnto them: Behold, yonder is the lambe of GOD, Ihon. i. whiche taketh awaye the synnes of the world: Euen so, as greate and as Godly a vertue as the liuely fayth is, yet it putteth vs from it self, & remitteth or appointeth vs vnto Christ, for to haue only by him remission of oure synnes, or iustification. So that our fayth in Christ (as it were) saieth vnto vs thus: It is not I, that take awaye your synnes, but it is Christ onely, and to him onely, I send your for that purpose, renoūcyng therein all your good vertues, woordes, thoughtes, and woorkes, and onely puttyng your trust in Christe.
Thus you do se, that the very true sense of thys proposicion: We be iustifyed by faythe in Christe onely: (accordyng to the meanyng of the old auncient aucthors) is this: we put oure faithe in Christe, that we be iustifyed by hym onely, that we be iustified by Gods free mercie, and the merites of our sauior Christe onely, and by no vertue or good worke of our awne, that is in vs, or that we can be able to haue or to do, for to deserue thesame, Christ hymself onely, beyng the cause meritorious thereof.
Here you perceiue many woordes to be vsed, to auoyd cōtencion in wordes with them, that delighte to braule aboute woordes, and also to shewe the true meaning, to auoyde euill talking & misunderstandyng: And yet peraduenture all wyll not serue [Page] with theim, that be contencious: but cōtenders will euer forge matter of contencion, euen when thei haue none occasiō thereto. Notwithstandyng, such be the lesse to be passed vpon, so that the rest maye profite, which wil be more desirous to know the truth, then (when it is playn enough) to contende aboute it, and with cōtencious, and capcious cauillacions, to obscure and darkē it. Truthe it is, that out awne woorkes, doo not iustifye vs, to speake properly of our iustificacion (that is to saie) our workes do not merite or deserue remissiō of our synnes, and make vs of vniust, iuste before God: But God of his mere mercie, through the onely merites and deseruynges of his sonne Iesus Christ, doth iustifie vs. Neuerthelesse, because fayth doth directely sende vs to Christe for remission of our synnes, & that by faithe geuen vs of God, we embrace the promise of Gods mercie, and of the remission of oure synnes, (whiche thyng, none other of oure vertues or woorkes properly doth) therfore scripture vseth to say, that faith without workes doth iustifie. And for asmuch, that it is al one sentēce in effecte to saye: Faithe without woorkes, & onely fayth doth iustifie vs, therfore the olde auncient fathers of the Churche, from tyme to tyme, haue vttered our iustificacion with this speache: Onelye faythe iustifieth vs: meanyng none other thing, then sainct Paule meant, whē he sayd: faith without workes iustifieth vs. And because, al this is brought to passe, through the onely merites and deseruinges of our sauior christ, & not through our merites, or through the merite of any vertue, y t we haue within vs, or of any worke that cōmeth frō [Page] vs: therfore, in that respecte of merite & deseruyng, we renoūce (as it wer) altogether agayn, faith, workes, and all other vertues. For our awne imperfeccion, is so greate through the corrupciō of original synne, that al is imperfect, that is within vs: faithe, charitie, hope, dreade, thoughtes, wordes & workes, and therefore, not apte to meryte and deserue, any parte of our iustificacion for vs: And this forme of speakyng we vse, in the humblyng of oure selfes to God, and to geue all the glory to our sauior Christ, whiche is best worthy to haue it.
Here you haue heard the office of God in oure iustificacion, and how we receyue it of him, frely, by his mercie, without our desertes, through true and lyuely faythe. Now you shall heare the offyce and duetie of a christian man vnto God, what we ought on oure parte, to rendre vnto God agayne, for his greate mercye and goodnes. Oure offyce is, Thei that preache, faith onelye iustyfieth, doo not teache carnall libertie, or y t we should do no good workes. not to passe the tyme of his present lyfe vnfruictfully and idlely, after that we are baptised or iustified, not caryng howe fewe good workes we do, to the glory of God, and proffite of our neighbors: much lesse it is oure office, after that we be once made Christes mē bres, to lyue cōtrary to thesame, makyng our selfes membres of the deuil, walking after his inticementes, and after the suggestions of the world and the fleshe, wherby we know, that we do serue the world, and the deuill, and not God. For that faythe, which bryngeth furth, (without repentaunce) either euyll workes, or no good workes, is not a right, pure, and liuely faithe, but a ded, Deuilishe, counterfeit, and feyned fayth, as sainct Paul, & sainct Iames cal it. [Page] For euen the deuilles know and beleue, The deuils haue fayth, but not the true faithe. that Christ was borne of a virgyn, that he fasted forty dayes, & fortye nightes, without meate and drynke, that he wrought all kynde of myracles, declaryng hymself very God: They beleue also, that Christe for oure sakes, suffered moste paynfull death, to redeme vs from eternal death, & that he rose agayn from death the thyrde daye: They beleue, that he ascended into heauen, and that he sitteth on the right hand of the father, and at the laste ende of this world, shal come agayne, and iudge bothe the quicke and the deade. These articles of our faith, the deuilles beleue, and so they beleue all thinges that be writtē, in the new and old Testamēt to be true, & yet for all this faith, they be but deuilles, remainyng styll in their dampnable estate, lackyng the very true christian fayth. For the right and true christiā faith is, [...] not onely to beleue that holy scripture, & all the forsaied articles of our fayth are true, but also to haue a sure trust & confidence in Gods mercifull promises, to be saued from euerlastynge dampnacion by Christe: [...] that [...] in [...] haue not true faith wherof doeth folowe a louyng harte, to obey his cōmaundementes. And this true Christian faythe, neyther any deuyll hath, nor yet any man, which, in the outwarde profession of his mouth, and in his outward receiuyng of the Sacramentes, in commyng to the churche, and in all other outward apparaunces, semeth to be a Christian man, & yet in his liuyng and deedes, sheweth the cōtrary. For how can a man haue this true faith, this sure truste and confidence in God: That by the merites of Christe, his synnes be remitted, and he reconciled to the fauor of God, and [Page] to be partaker of the kyngdom of heauen by Christ when he liueth vngodly, and denieth Christe in his dedes. Surely, no suche vngodly man, can haue this faith & trust in God. For as they know Christe to bee the onely sauior of the worlde, so they knowe also, that wicked men, shall not possesse the kyngdō of God. Thei know, Psalm v. y t God hateth vnrighteousnes that he will destroye all those, that speake vntruly, that those that haue doen good workes (whiche can not be doen without a liuely faythe in Christe) shall come forth into the resurrection of lyfe, & those that haue doen euill, shall come vnto resurrectiō of iudgement: and very well they know also, that to them that be contencious, & to them that will not be obedient vnto the truth, but wil obey vnrighteousnes, shall come indignacion, wrathe, and affliccion. &c. Therfore, to conclude, considerynge the infinite benefites of God, shewed and exhibited vnto vs, mercifully withoute oure desertes, who hath not onely created vs of nothyng, & from a pece of vile clay, of his infinite goodnes hath exalted vs (as touchyng our soule) vnto hys awne similitude and lykenesse: but also, wheras we were cōdempned to hel, & death eternall, hath geuen his awne natural sonne, beyng God eternall, immortall, and equal vnto himselfe, in power & glory, to bee incarnated, and to take our mortall nature vpō oim, with the infirmities of the same: and in the same nature▪ to suffre moste shamefull and paynful death, for our offences, to thintent to iustifye vs, & to restore vs to lyfe euerlastyng, so makyng vs also his dere beloued chyldrē, brethren vnto his only sonne, our sauior Christ, & inheritors [Page] for euer with him, of his eternall kyngdō of heauē.
These greate and mercifull benefites of God (if they be well considered) do neither minister vnto vs occasiō to be idle, & to liue without doyng any good workes, neither yet stirreth vs▪ by any meanes to do euill thinges▪ but contrarywise, if we be not desperate persones, and oure hartes harder then stones, they moue vs to rendre our selfes vnto God wholy, with all our wil▪ hartes▪ might and power, to serue him in all good dedes, obeyng his commaundementes, during our lifes: to seke in al thinges, his glory and honor, not our sensuall pleasures & vaynglory, euermore dreadynge, willingly to offende suche a merciful God & louyng redemer, in worde, thought, or dede. And the sayde benefites of God depely considered, do moue vs, for his sake also, to be euer redy to geue our selfes to our neighbors, and asmuch as lyeth in vs▪ to study with all oure indeuour, to doo good to euery man. These be the fruites of the true faythe, to do good (asmuche as lieth in vs) to euery man. And aboue all thynges, and in all thinges, to auaunce the glory of God; of whom only we haue our sanctificacion, iustificacion, saluacion, and redempcion▪ To whome be euer glory, prayse, and honor▪ worlde without ende. AMEN.
¶A short declaration of the true liuely, and Christian Faithe.
THE firste entrie vnto God, Faithe. (good christian people) is through faith: whereby, (as it is declared in the laste Sermon) we be iustifyed before God. And least any mā should be deceyued, for lacke of right vnderstanding thereof, it is diligently to be noted, that faythe is taken in the scripture, two manes of wayes. There is one fayth, A deed faith. whiche in scripture is called a dead faythe, whiche bryngeth furth no good workes, but is idle, barrain, and vnfruitefull. And this faith, by the holy Apostle sainct Iames, is compared to the fayth of deuilles, Iames. ii. which beleue, God to be true, and iuste, and tremble for feare, yet they do nothynge well, but al euill. And suche a maner of fayth, haue the wicked and naughtie thristian people, whiche confesse God (as saincte Paule sayeth) in their mouthe, Tit [...]. but denye hym in their deedes, beynge abhominable, and withoute the righte fayth, and to all good workes reproueable. And this faith is a persuasiō and belief in mā nes harte, wherby he knoweth that there is a God, and assenteth vnto all trueth of Gods moste holye worde, conteyned in holy scripture. So that it consisteth onely, in beleuing of the woorde of God, that it is true. And thys is not properlye called faythe: But as he, that readeth Cesars Commentaries, beleuyng thesame to be true, hath thereby a knowledge of Cesars lyfe, and noble actes, because he [Page] beleueth the history of Cesar: yet it is not properly saied, that he beleueth in Cesar, of whome he loketh for no helpe, nor benefite: Euen so, he that beleueth, that all that is spoken of God in the Bible, is true, and yet liueth so vngodly, that he cānot loke to enioy the promises and benefites of God: although it maye be saide, that such a man hath a faith & belief to y e wordes of God, yet it is not properly saied, that he beleueth in God, or hath suche a fayth & truste in God, wherby he may surely loke for grace, mercy, & eternall lyfe at Gods hand, but rather for indignacion & punishment, according to the merites of hys wicked life. For as it is written in a boke, entituled to be of Didimus Alexādrinus: forasmuch as faith without workes is ded, it is not now faith: as a ded man, is not a man. This ded faith therfore, is not y t sure and substancial faith, which saueth synners.
A liuely faith.Another fayth there is in scripture, whiche is not (as the foresayde faith) idle, vnfruitfull, and dead, but worketh by charitie (as S. Paule declareth.) Gal. v. Galat v. Whiche, as the other vayn faith, is called a ded faithe, so maye thys be called a quicke or liuely faith. And this is not onely the cōmon belefe of the Articles of our faith, but it is also a sure truste and confidence of the mercy of God, through our lorde Iesus Christ, and a stedfast hope of all good thynges to be receiued at Gods hande: & that although we, through infirmitie, or temptaciō of our ghostly enemie, do fall from him by synne, yet if we returne agayn vnto hym, by true repentaunce, that he wyll forgeue & forget oure offences, for hys sonnes sake our sauior Iesus Christ, & will make vs inheritors [Page] with him, of his euerlastyng kyngdom, and that in the meane tyme, vntyll that kyngdom come, he will [...]e our protector and defendor in all perils & daungers, whatsoeuer do chaunce: and that, though somtyme he doth sende vs sharpe aduersitie, yet y t euermore he wilbe a louyng father vnto vs, correctyng vs for our synne, but not withdrawyng hys mercy finally from vs, if we trust in hym, and commit our selfes wholy vnto hym, hang onely vpon hym, and call vpon hym, ready to obey and serue hym. Thys is the true, liuely, and vnfayned christian faith, and is not in the mouthe and outward profession onely: but it liueth, and stirreth inwardly in the hart. And this faythe, is not without hope and truste in God, nor without the loue of God and of our neyghbors nor without the feare of God, nor without y e desyre to heare Gods worde, and to folowe thesame, in eschewyng euill, and doyng gladly all good workes.
Thys faith, Hebre. xi. (as sainct Paule describeth it) is the sure ground and foundaciō of the benefites, whiche we ought to loke for, and trust to receyue of God: a certificat & sure expectacion of them, although they yet sensiblie appere not vnto vs. And after he saith: he that cōmeth to God, must beleue, both that he is, & that he is a mercifull rewarder of wel doers. And nothyng cōmendeth good men vnto God so muche as this assured faith, & trust in him. Of this faithe, iij. thinges are specially to be noted. First, Thre thynges are to bee noted of faith that this faithe, doth not lye ded in the hart, but is liuely and fruitful in bringing furth good workes. Second, y • without it, cā no good workes be doen, y t shalbe acceptable, & pleasaūt to God. Thirde, what maner of [Page] good workes thei be, y t this faith doth bryng furth.
Faithe is full of good workes.For the first, as the light cannot be hid, but will shewe furthe it self, at one place or other: So a true faith cannot be kept secret, but when occasion is offered, it will breake out, & shew it self by good workes. And as the liuyng body of a mā euer exerciseth suche thinges, as belongeth to a naturall & liuyng body, for nourishement & preseruacion of thesame, as it hath nede, opportunitie and occasion: euen so the soule, that hath a liuely faith in it, wyl be doyng alwaye some good worke, whiche shall declare that it is liuyng, and will not be vnoccupied. Therfore, when men heare in the scriptures, so high cōmendacions of faythe, that it maketh vs to please God, to liue with God, and to be the children of God: if then they phantasie▪ that thei be set at libertie, frō doyng all good workes, and may liue as thei liste, thei trifle with God, & deceyue themselfes. And it is a manifest token that thei be farre from hauing the true and liuely faith, & also farre from knowledge, what true faith meaneth. For the very sure & liuelye christian faith is, not only to beleue al thinges of God, whiche are conteyned in holy scripture: but also, is an earnest trust, and cōfidence in God, that he doth regarde vs, and hath cure of vs, as the father of the child, whom he doth loue, and that he will be mercifull vnto vs, for his onely sonnes sake: and that we haue our sauior Christ, oure perpetuall aduocate & priest, in whose onely merites, oblacion, & sufferyng we do trust, that oure offences be continually wasshed and purged, whensoeuer we, (repentyng truly) do returne to hym, with our whole harte, stedfastly [Page] determinyng with our selfes, through his grace, to obey and serue him, in kepyng his commaundemē tes, and neuer to turne backe again to synne. Such is the true faythe, that the scripture doeth somuche cōmende, the whiche, when it seeth and considereth, what God hath doen for vs, is also moued through continual assistence of the spirite of God, to serue & please hym, to kepe hys fauor, to feare hys displeasure, to continue his obedient childrē, shewing thā kefulnes agayn, by obseruyng his cōmaundementes, and that frely, for true loue chiefly, and not for dread of punishement, or loue of temporall reward: cōsideryng how clerely, without our deseruynges, we haue receyued his mercy and pardon frely.
Thys true faythe will shewe furthe it selfe, Abac. ii. and cannot longe be idle. For as it is written: The iuste man doth liue by his fayth. He neither sleapeth, nor is idle, when he should wake and be well occupyed. And God by his prophete Hieremie sayeth: Hiere. xvii. that he is a happy and blessed man, whiche hath fayth and confidence in God. For he is lyke a tree, sette by the water syde, that spreedeth hys rootes abroode towarde the moysture, and feareth not heate when it commeth: his leafe will be grene, and will not cease, to brynge furth his fruite: Euen so faithefull men, (puttyng awaye all feare of aduersitie) wyll shewe furthe the fruite of their good workes, as occasion is offered to do them.
The Wisemā saieth: he that beleueth in God, Eccl. xxxii. wil harken vnto his commaundementes. For if we doo not shewe our selfes faithfull in oure conuersacion, the faith which we pretend to haue, is but a fayned [Page] faith: because the true Christian faith, is manifestly shewed by good liuyng, and not by woordes onely as sainct Augustine saith, Lib [...]o, de fide et operibus. Capit. ii. Sermo. de lege et fide. good liuyng cānot be separated frō true faith: which worketh by loue. And S. Chrisostome saith, faith of it self, is full of good workes, as sone as a mā doth beleue, he shalbe garnished with thē. How plētifull this faith is of good workes, and how it maketh the woorke of one man, more acceptable to God then of another, S. Paule teacheth at large in the .xj. chap. to the Hebr. saiyng: Hebre xi that faith made the oblacion of Abell better, then y e oblaciō of Cain. Gene. iiii. Gene. vi. Eccle. xliii. Gene. xi. This made Noe to buyld y e arcke. This made Abraham to forsake his countrey, and all his frendes, and to go vnto a far countrey, there to dwel emong straungers. So did also Isaac and Iacob, dependyng onely of the helpe and trust, that they had in God. And when they came to the countrey, which God promysed them, they would buylde no cities, townes, nor houses, but liued like straungers in tentes, that might euery daye be remoued. Their trust was so muche in God, that they set but litle by any worldly thyng, for that god had prepared for them, better dwelling places in heauē, of hys awne foundacion and buylding. This faithe made Abraham ready at Gods commaundement, Gene. xii. Eccle. xiiii. to offre hys awne sonne and heire Isaac, whom he loued so well, & by whom he was promysed to haue innumerable issue, emong the whiche, one shoulde be borne, in whom all nacions should be blessed: trustynge so muche in God, that though he were slain, yet y e God was able by his omnipotent power, to raise him frō death, & perfourme his promyse. He mistrusted not [Page] the promise of god, although vnto hys reason euery thyng semed contrary. He beleued verely, that God woulde not forsake hym in dearthe, and famyne, y t was in the countrey. And in al other daungers that he was brought vnto, he trusted euer y t God would be hys God, and his protector, whatsoeuer he sawe to the contrary. Exod. ii. Thys faithe wrought so in the hart of Moses, that he refused to be takē for Kyng Pharao hys daughters sonne, and to haue great inheritaunce in Egypt, thinkyng it better with the people of God, to haue affliction, and sorowe, then with naughtie men, in synne to lyue pleasauntly for a tyme. By faith, he cared not for the threatenynge of kyng Pharao: for his trust was so in God, that he passed not of the felicitie of this worlde, but loked for the rewarde, to come in heauen, settyng hys hart vpon the inuisible God, as if he had seen hym euer present before hys eyes. Exod. xiiii. Iosue. vi. By faith the children of Israel passed through the redde sea. By fayth, the walles of Hiericho, fell doune without stroke, and many other wonderfull miracles haue been wrought. In al good men, that heretofore haue been, faithe hath brought furth their good woorkes, and obteyned the promises of God.
Faith, hath stopped the Lions mouthes: Daniel. vi. Daniel. iii. faithe hath quenched the force of fire: faith hath escaped the swordes edges: faithe hath geuen weake men strength, victorie in battaill, ouerthrowen the armies of infidels, raised y e dedde to lyfe: faith hath made good men to take aduersitie, in good parte: some haue been mocked and whipped, bounde and caste in prison: some haue loste all their goodes and [Page] liued in great pouertye: some haue wādered in moū taines, hilles and wildernesse: some haue been racked, some slayn, some stoned, some sawē, some rent in peces, some hedded, some brent without mercy, and would not be deliuered, because they loked to rise agayne, to a better state.
All these fathers, martyrs, and other holy men, (whom sainct Paul spake of) had theyr fayth surely fired in God, when all the worlde was agaynst thē. They did not onely knowe God to be the Lord, maker and gouernor of all men in the worlde: but also they had a special confidence and trust, that he was, and would be their God, their comfortor, aider, helper, mainteyner, and defendor. This is the Christiā faythe, whiche these holy men had, and we also ought to haue. And although thei were not named christian mē, yet was it a christian faithe that they had, for they looked for all benefites of God the father, throughe the merites of hys sonne Iesu Christe, as we now do. This difference is betwene thē and vs, for they looked, when Christ should come, and we be in the tyme: when he is come. Therfore saieth sainct Augustyne: In Iho. [...]ra. [...]lv. ii. Cor. iiii. the tyme is altered, but not the faythe. For we haue both one fayth in one Christ. Thesame holy Ghost also, that we haue, had they, saieth sainct Paule. For as the holy Ghoste doeth teache vs to trust in God, and to call vpon hym as our father: so did he teache them to saye, Esaie. xliii. (as it is wrytten): Thou Lord; arte our father and redemer, and thy name is without beginnyng and euerlastyng. God gaue thē then grace to be hys chyldren, as he doeth vs now. But now by the cōming of our sauior Christ, we haue [Page] receyued more abūdātly the spirite of god in our hartes, wherby we maye cōceyue a greater faithe, & a surer truste, then many of them had. But in effect they & we be al one: we haue thesame faith, that they had in God, & thei thesame, y t we haue. And .s. Paul so muche extolleth their faith, because we should no lesse, but rather more, geue oure selfes wholy vnto Christ, both in profession & liuing now, when Christ is come, then y e olde fathers did before his cōmyng. And by all the declaraciō of .s. Paule, it is euident, that the true, liuely, and christian fayth, is no dead, vain, or vnfruictfull thyng, but a thyng of perfecte vertue, of wonderful operacion and strength, bryngyng furth all good mocions & good workes.
All holye scripture agreably beareth witnesse, that a true liuely faith in Christ, doeth bryng furth good workes, and therfore euery mā must examine himself diligētly, to know, whether he haue thesame true liuely faythe in hys harte vnfaynedly or not, whiche he shall know by the fruictes therof. Many that professed the faith of Christ, were in this error, that they thoughte they knewe God and beleued in hym, when in their lyfe they declared the contrarye: whiche error, i. Ihon. ii. sainct Ihon in his first Epistle confutynge, writeth in this wyse: Hereby we are certified, that we know god, if we obserue his cōmaundemē tes: he that saieth, he knoweth god, & obserueth not his cōmaundemētes, is a liar, & the trueth is not in him. And again he saieth, whosoeuer synneth, i. Ihon. iii. doeth not se God, nor knowe him: let no man deceiue you welbeloued childrē. And moreouer he saieth: i. Ihon. iii▪ hereby we know y t we be of the truth, & so we shal perswade [Page] our hartes before hym: For if our awne hartes reproue vs, i. Ihon. iii. God is aboue our hartes, and knoweth al thinges. Welbeloued, if our hartes reproue vs not, the [...] haue we confidence in God, and shall haue of hym whatsoeuer we aske, because we kepe hys commaundementes, and do those thynges, that please hym. i. Ihon. v And yet further he saieth: euery man that beleueth that Iesus is Christe, is borne of God: & we knowe, that whosoeuer is borne of God, doeth not synne: but the generacion of God, purgeth him, and the deuill doth not touche hym. And finally he concludeth: & shewing the cause, why he wrote this epistle sayth: i. Ihon. v. For this cause haue I thus written vnto you, that you maye knowe, that you haue euerlastyng lyfe, whiche do beleue in the sonne of God. And in hys thirde Epistle, [...]ii Ihon. i. he confirmeth the whole matter of faith and workes, in fewe wordes, saiyng: he that doth well, is of God, and he that doeth euill, knoweth not God. And as s. Ihō saieth: that as the liuely knowledge, and faith of God, bryngeth furth good workes: so saieth he likewise of hope & Charitie, i. Ihon. iii. that they cannot stande with euill liuynge. Of hope, he writeth thus: we knowe that when God shall appere, we shalbe lyke vnto hym, for we shall se hym, euen as he is. And who soeuer hath this hope in hym, doth purifie himself, like as God is pure. And of charitie he saieth these woordes: He that doeth kepe Gods woorde, or commaundemente, in hym is truely the perfecte loue of God, i. Ihon. ii. And agayne he saieth: i. Ihon. v. this is the loue of God, that we should kepe hys commaundementes. And s. Ihon wrote not this, as a subtile proposicion, deuised of hys awne [Page] phantasie, but as a moste certain & necessarie truth, taught vnto him by Christ himself, the eternall & in fallible veritie, who in many places doth moste clerely affirme, that fayth, hope, & charitie, cannot consist without good & godly workes. Of faith, he saith He that beleueth in the sonne, hath euerlastyng life, Ihon iii. i. Ihon v. but he that beleueth not in the sōne, shal not se that life, but the wrath of God remayneth vpō him. And thesame he confirmeth with a double othe, saiyng: Ihon. vi. Forsothe & forsothe, I saye vnto you, he y t beleueth in me, hath euerlastyng lyfe▪ Now, for asmuch as he that beleueth in Christ, hath euerlastīg lyfe, it must nedes consequently folow, that he y t hath this faith, must haue also good workes, & be studious to obserue Gods cōmaundemetes obediently. For to thē that haue euill workes, & leade their lyfe in disobedience, & transgression of Gods commaundemētes, without repentaūce, perteineth not euerlasting life, but euerlastyng death, as Christ himself saieth: Matth. xv. they that do wel, shal go into life eternal, but thei that do euill, shal go into y e eternal fire. And again he saith, I am the first lettre & the last, Apoc. xxi. the beginnyng & the endyng: to him y t is a thirste, I wil geue of the welle of the water of lyfe frely: He that hath the victorye, shal haue all thynges, & I will be his God, and he shalbe my sonne: But thei y t be fearfull, mistrusting God, & lacking faith, thei y t be cursed people & murderers, & fornicators, & sorserers, & Idolaters, Charitie bringeth furth good woorkes. Ihon. xiiii. & all liars, shall haue their porciō in y e lake, that burneth with fire & brimstone, which is the secōd death. And as Christe vndoubtedly affirmeth, that true faythe bringeth furth good workes: so doth he say likewyse [Page] of charitie. Ihon. xiiii. Whosoeuer hath my cōmaūdementes & kepeth thē, y t is he, y t loueth me. And after he saieth: he that loueth me, will kepe my worde, & he y t loueth me not, kepeth not my woordes. And as the loue of God is tried by good workes, so is the feare of God also, as the Wisemā saieth: y e dread of God putteth awaye synne. And also he saieth: he that feareth god wil do good workes. Eccle. i. Ecc [...]e. xv. A man may sone deceiue hym self, & thinke in hys awne phātasie, that he by fayth knoweth God, loueth him, feareth him, & belongeth to him, whē in very dede he doth nothyng lesse. For the triall of all these thinges, is a very godly & christian lyfe. He that feleth hys harte set to seke Gods honor & studieth to know the wil & cōmaundemētes of God, & to cōforme himself therunto, & leadeth not hys life after the desire of hys awne fleshe, to serue y e deuill by synne, but setteth hys minde to serue God, for gods awn sake, & for his sake also to loue al hys neighbors, whether they be frēdes or aduersaryes, doyng good to euery mā (as opportunitie serueth) & willingly hurtyng no mā: Such a mā maye wel reioyce in God, perceiuinge by the trade of his life, y t he vnfamedly hath y e right knowledge of God, a liuely fayth, a constant hope, a true, & vnfeined loue & feare of god▪ But he y t casteth awaie y e yoke of gods cōmaundemētes frō hys necke, & geueth hymself to liue without true repētaūce, after hys awne sensual mynde & pleasure, not regardynge to knowe Gods worde, & much lesse to liue according therunto: such a man clerely deceiueth himself, & seeth not hys awn harte, if he thinketh, y t he either knoweth god, loueth him, feareth him, or trusteth in him. Some peraduē ture [Page] phātasie in themselfes, y t thei belōg to God, althouh they lyue in synne, & so they come to y e Church & shewe thēselfes as Gods dere childrē. i. Ihon. i. But .s. Ihō sayth plaīly: if we saie, y t we haue any company with God, and walke in darkenesse, we do lye. Other doo vainly thīke, that thei know & loue God, although they passe not of his cōmaundementes. i. Ihon. ii▪ But s. Ihon saieth clerely: he y t saieth I know God, & kepeth not hys cōmaūdementes, he is a liar. Some falsly perswade thēselfes, y t thei loue God, whē they hate their neighbors. But s. Ihon saieth manifestly: if any mā say, I loue god, & yet hateth his brother, he is a liar. i. Ihon. iiii. i. Ihon. ii. He that saieth, y t he is in the light, & hateth his brother, he is stil ī darkenesse. He y t loueth his brother, dwelleth in the light, but he y t hateth hys brother, is in darkenesse, & walketh in darkenesse, and knoweth not whether he goeth: for darkenesse hath blynded hys eyes. And moreouer he saieth: hereby we manifestly knowe the childrē of God, i. Ihon. iii. from the children of the deuill: He that doeth not righteously, is not the childe of God, nor he that hateth hys brother.
Deceiue not your selfes therfore, thinkynge that you haue faith in God, or that you loue God, or do truste in hym, or do feare hym, when you lyue in sinne: for then your vngodly & sinfull life, declareth y e contrary, whatsoeuer ye saye or thinke. It perteineth to a christian man, to haue this true christian fayth, and to trye himself, whether he hath it or no, & to knowe what belongeth to it, & how it doeth worke in hym. It is not the worlde, that we can trust to▪ the world, and all that is therin, is but vanitie. It is God that muste be oure defence and protection, [Page] against all tēptacion of wickednesse, & sinne, errors, supersticiō, ydolatrie, & al euill. If al the world were on our side, & God agaīst vs, what could y • worlde auaile vs? Therfore let vs set our whole fayth, and trust in God, & neither the worlde, the deuil, nor al y e power of thē, shal preuayle agaynst vs. Let vs therfore, (good christiā people) trie & examyne our faith what it is: let vs not flatter our selfes, but loke vpō our woorkes, and so iudge of our fayth, what it is. Christe hīself speaketh of this matter, & saieth: The tree is knowen by the fruicte. [...]. Therefore let vs doo good workes, & therby declare our faythe, to be y e liuely christian faith. Let vs by suche vertues as ought to spryng out of fayth, shew our elecciō to be sure & stable, i P [...]er. [...]. as s. Peter teacheth. Endeuor your selfs to make your calling & electiō certain by good workes. And also he saieth: minister or declare in youre faith, vertue, in vertue, knowledge, in knowledge, tē peraunce, in tēperaunce, paciēce, again in pacience, Godlinesse, in Godlinesse, brotherly charitie, in brotherly charitie, loue. So shall we shew in dede, y t we haue y e very liuely christiā faith: & may so both certefie our cōscience the better, that we be in the righte faith, & also by these meanes cōfirme other men. If these fruictes do not folowe, we do but mocke with God, deceiue our selfes, & also other mē. Wel maye we beare y e name of Christiā mē, but we do lacke the true faith, that doeth belonge thereunto. For true faithe doeth euer brynge furthe good workes, as s. Iames saieth: Iames. ii. shewe me thy faythe by thy deedes. Thy deedes & workes, must be an opē testimonial of thy fayth: otherwise, thy fayth beyng without good [Page] workes, is but the deuils faith, y e faith of y e wicked, a phantasy of faith, & not a true christian faith. And like as the deuils & euil people, be nothyng the better for their counterfet faith, but it is vnto them the more cause of dāpnacion: so thei y t be christened, and haue receiued knowledge of God, & of Christes merites, and yet of a set purpose do liue idlely, without good workes, thinkyng y e name of a naked faith, to be either sufficiēt for thē, or els settyng their mindes vpō vain pleasures of this world, do liue in syn w t out repentaūce, not vtteryng the fruites, y t do belōg to suche an high profession, vpon suche presūpteous persōs, & wilful synners, must nedes remain y e great vengeaunce of God, & eternal punishmēt in hel prepared for y e deuil & wicked liuers. Therfore, as you professe y e name of Christ, (good christian people) let no suche phantasy and imaginacion of faith, at any time beguile you, but be sure of your faith, trie it by your liuyng, loke vpon the fruites y t commeth of it, marke the increase of loue & charitie by it, towades God and your neighbor, & so shal you perceiue it to be a true liuely faith. If you fele & perceiue suche a faith in you, reioyce in it, & be diligēt to maintein it, and kepe it stil in you: let it be daily increasing, and more & more, by wel workyng, & so shal ye be sure, y t you shal pleace god by this faith: & at the length (as other faithful mē haue doen before) so shal you (whē his wil is) come to him, & receiue thēde and final reward of your faith (as s. Peter nameth it) the saluacion of your soules: the which, God graunt vs, i. Peter. i. that hath promised thesame vnto his faithfull. To whō, be al honor and glory, worlde without ende. Amen.
¶An Homelie, or sermon, of good woorkes annexed vnto faithe.
IN the last Sermon was declared vnto you, what the liuely and true faithe of a christiā man is: that it causeth not a man to be idle, but to be occupied in bringyng furthe good workes, as occasion serueth.
No good worke can bee dooen withoute faithe.Now by Gods grace shalbe declared the seconde thyng, that before was noted of faith, that without it can no good worke be doen, acceptable and pleasaunt vnto God. For as a braunche cannot beare fruit of it self (saith our sauior Christ) except it abide in the vine, so cannot you, except you abide in me: I am the vine, Ihon. xv. and you be the braunches: he that abydeth in me, and I in hym, he bringeth furthe muche fruit: for without me, you can do nothyng. And S. Paule proueth, that Enoche had faithe, because he pleased God. Hebre. xi. For without faithe (saieth he) it is not possible to please God. Roma xiiii. And again to the Romay. he saith: whatsoeuer worke is doen without faith, it is sinne. Faith geueth life to the soule, and thei bee asmuche ded to God that lacke faith, as thei be to the world, whose bodies lacke soules. Without faith al that is doen of vs, is but ded before God, although the woorke seme neuer so gaie and glorious before man. Euen as the picture grauen or painted, is but a ded representacion of the thyng it self, and is with out life, or any maner of mouyng: so be the workes of all vnfaithfull persones before God. Thei do appere to be liuely workes, & in deede thei be but ded▪ [Page] not auailyng to the eternall life. Thei bee but shadowes and shewes of liuely and good thynges, and not good and liuely thynges in dede. For true faith doth geue life to the workes, and out of suche faith come good woorkes, that be very good woorkes in dede, and without it, no worke is good before God: as saieth saincte Augustine: In prefati. Psalme. xxxi. wee muste set not good workes before faithe, nor thynke that before faithe, a man maie do any good worke: for suche workes, although thei seme vnto men, to bee praise worthy, yet in deede thei bee but vain, and not allowed before God. Thei bee as the course of a horse, that rū neth out of the waie, whiche taketh great labor, but to no purpose. Let no man therefore (saieth he) reckē vpon his good workes before his faithe. Whereas faithe was not, good woorkes were not: the intent (saieth he) maketh the good workes, but faith must guide and order thintent of man. And Christ saith: Matth. vi. if thine iye be naught, thy whole body is ful of darkenesse. The iye doth signifie the intent (saith sainct Augustine) wherwith a man doth a thyng. In prefati. Psalme. xxxi. So that he, whiche doth not his good workes with a Godly intent and a true faithe, that woorketh by loue, the whole body beside, (that is to saie) all the whole nū bre of his workes) is darke, and there is no light in it. For good deedes bee not measured by the factes theimselfes, and so disseuered from vices, but by the endes and intentes, for the whiche thei bee doen. If a Heathen man clothe the naked, fede the hongerie, and do suche other like workes: yet because he doth theim not in faithe, for the honor and loue of God, thei [...]e but ded, vain and fruitles workes to hym.
[Page]Faithe is it, that dooth commende the woorke to god: (for as s. Augustine saith) whether thou wilt or no, that worke that cōmeth not of faithe, is naught: where the faith of Christ is not the foūdacion, there is no good worke, what buildyng soeuer we make. There is one worke, in y t which be al good workes, that is, faithe, whiche worketh by charitie: If thou haue it, thou hast the ground of all good woorkes. For the vertues of strength, wisedom, temperaunce, & iustice, be al referred vnto this same faith. Without this faith, we haue not thē, but onely the names and shadowes of them, (as s. Augustine saieth.) All the life of them that lacke the true faithe, is syn: and nothyng is good without hym, that is the aucthor of goodnes: where he is not, there is but feined vertue, although it be in the best workes. And s. Augu. declaryng this verse of the psalme: the Turtle hath found a nest where she may kepe her young birdes: saith, that Iewes, heretiques, and pagans, do good workes: thei clothe the naked, fede the poore, and do other workes of mercy, but because thei be not doen in the true faithe, therfore the birdes be loste. But if thei remain in faith, then faith is the nest and sauegard of their birdes, that is to say, safegard of their good workes, that the reward of them be not vtterly lost. De vocati Gentium. Lib. i. capi. iii. And this matter (whiche s. Augustin at large in many bokes disputeth) s. Ambrose concludeth in fewe wordes, saiyng: he that by nature would withstand vice, either by naturall will or reason, he doth in vain garnishe the tyme of this life, and atteineth not the very true vertues: for without the worshippyng of the true God, that whiche semeth to be vertue, [Page] is vice. And yet moste plainly to this purpose, writeth s. Ihon Chriso. in this wise: you shall finde many, which haue not the true faith, In sermons de fide, lege & spiritu sctō ▪ and be not of y e flocke of Christ, and yet (as it appereth) thei florishe in good workes of mercy. You shall finde them full of pitie, compassion, and geuen to iustice, and yet for all that, thei haue no fruite of their workes, because the chief worke lacketh. For when the Iewes asked of Christ, Ihon. vi. what thei should do to worke good workes, he aunswered: this is y e worke of God, to beleue in hym whom he sente. So that he called faithe the worke of god. And assone as a mā hath faith, anone he shall florish in good workes: for faith of it self is full of good workes, and nothyng is good without faith. And for a similitude, he saith, that thei whiche glister and shine in good workes, without faithe in God, be like dead men, whiche haue goodly & precious tōbes, and yet it auaileth them nothyng. Faith may not be naked without good workes: for then it is no true faith: and when it is adioyned to workes yet is it aboue the workes. For as men that be very men in dede, first haue life, and after be norished: so must our faithe in Christe go before, & after be norished with good woorkes. And life maie be without norishment, but norishment cannot be without life. A man must nedes be norished by good workes, but first he must haue faithe: he that doth good deedes, yet without faith, he hath no life. I can shew a man that by faith without workes liued, & cam to heauē but without faithe, neuer man had life. The thiefe that was hanged when Christe suffered, did beleue onely, and the moste mercifull God did iustify hym. [Page] And because no manne shall obiecte, that he lacked tyme to doo good woorkes, for els he would haue doen them: truthe it is, and I will not contend therin: but this I will surely affirme, that faithe onely saued hym. If he had liued, and not regarded faith, and the workes thereof, he should haue lost his saluacion again. But this the effecte that I saie, that faithe by it self saued hym, but workes by theim selfes neuer iustified any man. Here ye haue heard the minde of sainct Chrisostome, wherby you maie perceiue, that neither faith is without workes (hauyng opportunitie therto) nor workes can auaile to eternall life without faithe.
What workes thei are that sprīg of faith▪Now to procede to the third parte (whiche in the former Sermon was noted of faithe) that is to say, what maner of workes thei be, whiche spring out of true faithe, and leade faithfull menne vnto eternall life: this cannot bee knowen so well, as by our sauior Christe hymself, Matthe xix. who was asked of a certain greate man thesame question. What woorkes shall I do (said a Prince) to come to euerlastyng life? To whom Iesus aunswered: Matth. xix. If thou wilte come to the eternall life, kepe the commaundementes. But the Prince not satisfied herewith, asked farther, whiche commaundementes? The Scribes and Phariseis had made so many of their awne lawes and tradicions, to bryng men to heauen, besides Gods cōmaū dementes, that this man was in doubte, whether he should come to heauen by those lawes & tradicions or by the lawes of God: & therfore he asked Christe, whiche commaundementes he meante? Whereunto Christe made hym a plain aunswere, rehersyng the [Page] commaundementes of GOD, saiyng: Matth. xix. Thou shalte not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steale, thou shalte not beare false witnesse, honor thy father and mother, The workes y t leade to heauē, be the workes of Gods commaundementes. and loue thy neighboure as thy self. By whiche woordes, Christe declared, that the lawes of GOD, bee the very waie that do lead to eternall life, and not the tradicions, and lawes of men. Man frō his firste fallyng from Godes commaundementes, hath euer been redy to do the like, and to deuise workes of his awne phantasye to please God withall. So that this is to bee taked for a moste true lessō taught by Christes awne mouth, that the workes of the moral commaundementes of God, be the very true workes of faithe, whiche leade to the blessed life to come. But the blyndenesse and malice of man, euen from the beginnyng, hath euer been redy to fal from Gods commaundementes. As Adam the firste man, hauyng but one commaundement, that he should not eate of the fruite forbidden, notwithstandyng Gods commaundement, he gaue credite vnto the woman, seduced by the subtile perswasion of the Serpent, and so folowed his awne will, and lefte Gods commaundement. And euer synce that tyme, al his succession hath been so blinded through original sinne, that thei haue been euer ready to decline from God and his lawe, and to inuent a newe waie vnto saluaciō, by workes of their awne deuise: so muche, that almoste all the worlde forsakyng the true honor of the onely eternall, liuyng God, wandered aboute their awne phantasies, worshippyng some the Sunne, the Moone, the sterres: some Iupiter, Iuno, Diana, Saturnus, Apollo, The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles. Neptunus Ceres, Bacchus, and other dedde men and women: Some therewith not satisfied, worshipped diuerse kyndes of beastes, birdes, fishe, foule, and serpentes [Page] euery Region, toune, and house, in maner beyng diuided, and settyng vp Images of suche thynges as thei liked, and worshippyng thesame. Suche was the rudenes of y e people, after thei fell to their awne phantasies, and left the eternall liuyng GOD and his commaundementes, that thei deuised innumerable Images, & Gods. In whiche error and blindnes thei did reamain, vntill suche time as almighty GOD, pitiyng the blindnesse of man, sent his true prophet Moses into the worlde, to reprehende this extreme madnes, and to teache the people to knowe the onely liuyng God, and his true honor and worshippe. But the corrupt inclinacion of man, was so muche geuen to folowe his awne phātasies, and (as you would saie) to fauoure his awne birde, that he brought vp hymself, that al the admonicions, exhortacions, benefites, and threatnynges of God, could not kepe hym from suche his inuencions. For notwithstandyng al the benefites of God, The deuises & Idolatrye of the Gentiles. shewed vnto the people of Israell, yet when Moses went vp into the mountain, to speake with almighty God: he had taried there but a few daies, when the people began to inuent new gods. And as it cam in their heddes, thei made a calfe of golde, Exod xxxii. and kneled doune & worshipped it. And after that, thei folowed the Moabites, & worshipped Beelphegor the Moabites God. Read the boke of Iudges, the bokes of the Kynges and the Prophetes, and there shal you find, how inconstant the people wer, how ful of inuencions, and more ready to runne after their awne phantasies, then Gods moste holy cōmaundementes. Ther shal you reade of Baall, Moloche, Chamos, Mechom, [Page] Baalpeor, Astaroth, Beel the dragon, Priapus, the brasen serpente, the twelue signes, and many other: vnto whose images, the people with greate deuocion, inuented Pilgrimages, preciously deckyng and censyng them, kneling doune and offering to them, thinking that, an high merite before God, and to be estemed aboue the preceptes and commaundementes of god. And where at that tyme, god commaunded no sacrifyce to be made, but in Ierusalem onely, they did cleane cōtrary, makyng aulters and sacrifyces euery where, in hylles, in wooddes, and in houses, not regardyng Gods cōmaundemētes, but estemynge theyr awne phantasyes and deuocion, to be better then theim. And the error hereof was so spred abrode, that not onely the vnlearned people, but also the priestes & teachers of the people, partly by glory and auarice were corrupted, and partly by ignoraunce blindly seduced wyth thesame abhominacions: So muche, that Kyng Achab, hauyng but onely Helyas a true teacher & minister of god, there were eight hundred and fiftie priestes, that perswaded hym to honor Baal, and to do sacrifyce in the woddes or groues. And so continued that horrible error, vntyll the three noble Kynges, as Iosaphat, Ezechias & Iosias, Gods elect ministers, destroyed the same clerely, and reduced the people from suche theyr fayned inuencions, vnto the very commaundementes of GOD: for the whiche thyng, their immortall rewarde and glory, doeth and shall remayn with GOD for euer.
And beside the foresayed inuencions, Religiōs and sectes emong the Iewes. the inclinacion of man to haue hys awne holy deuocions, [Page] deuised newe sectes and religiōs, called Phariseis, Sadduces, and Scribes, with many holy & godly tradicions and ordinaūces (as it feined, by the outward apparaūce and goodly glisteryng of the workes,) but in very deede, all tendynge to Idolatrye, Supersticion and Hipocrisye: theyr hartes within, beynge full of malice, pride, coueteousnesse, and all iniquitie. Against which sectes, and their pretensed holynes, Christe cryed out more vehemently, then he did against any other persones, saiyng and often repetyng these wordes: Matth. xxiii. Wo be to you Scribes and Phariseis, ye Hypocrites, for you make cleane the vessell without, but within you be ful of rauyn and fylthinesse: thou blynd Pharisei, & Hypocrite, firste make the inwarde parte cleane. For notwithstanding all the goodly tradiciōs, and outward shewes of good workes, deuised of their awne imaginaciō, whereby they appered to the world, moste religious and holy of all men: yet Christ, (who sawe their hartes) knewe that they were inwardly in the sight of GOD, moste vnholy, moste abhominable, and farthest from God of all men. Therefore sayed he vnto theim: Matth xv. Esai. xxix. Hypocrites, the Prophete Esaie spake full truely of you, when he sayed: This people honor me with their lippes, but their harte is farre from me: they worshyppe me in vayne, that teache doctrines and commaundementes of men: For you leaue the commaundementes of God, to kepe your awne tradicions.
Mans lawes must be obserued and kept, but not as Gods lawes.And though Christe sayed, they worshypped GOD in vain, that teache doctrines and cōmaundementes of men: yet he meant not therby to ouerthrowe [Page] all mennes cōmaundementes, for he himself was euer obedient to the Princes and their lawes, made for good ordre and gouernaunce of the people: but he reproued the lawes and tradicions, made by the Scribes and Phariseis, whiche were not made onely for good ordre of the people (as the Ciuil lawes were) but they wer so highly extolled, that they were made to be a ryght and syncere worshippinge of God, as they had been equall with Gods lawes or aboue thē: for many of Gods lawes could not be kept, but were fayn to geue place vnto them. This arrogancie God detested, that man shoulde so aduaunce his lawes, to make theim equall with Gods lawes, wherein the true honoryng and ryght worshippyng of God standeth, and to make his lawes for theim to be omitted. God hath appoynted his lawes, whereby hys pleasure is to be honored. His pleasure is also, that all mannes lawes, beyng not contrary to his lawes, shalbe obeied, and kepte, as good as necessarye for euery common weale, but not as thynges, wherein principally his honor resteth. And all Ciuil and mannes lawes, either be, or shulde be made, to induce men the better to obserue Gods lawes, that consequently, God shoulde be the better honored by them. Howbeit, the Scribes and Phariseis were not content, that theyr lawes should be no higher estemed, then other positiue & ciuil lawes, nor would not haue them called by the name of other temporall lawes, but called them holy & godly tradicions, Holy tradicions wer estemed as Gods lawes. and would haue them estemed, not onely for a right and true worshippyng of God (as Gods lawes be in deede) but also to be the [Page] moste high honoryng of God, to the which, the commaundementes of God should geue place. Luke xvi [...]oly tradicions [...]. [...] of [...] is commonly occasion that GOD [...] offended. And for this cause, did Christ so vehemently speake against them, saiyng: your tradicions, which men esteme so highe, be abhominacion before God. For cōmonly, of suche tradicions foloweth the transgression of Gods cōmaundemētes, and a more deuocion in the obseruyng of suche thynges, and a greater conscience in breakyng of them, then of the commaundementes of God. As the Scribes and Phariseis so supersticiously, and scrupulously kepte the Sabboth, that they were offended with Christe, because he healed sicke men: Matth xii. and with his Apostles, because they beyng sore hungery, gathered the eares of corne to eate, vpō that daye. And because his disciples wasshed not their handes so often as the tradicions requyred, y e Scribes and Phariseis quereled with Christ, Matth. xv. saiyng: why do thy disciples breake the tradiciōs of the seniours? But Christ obiected against them, that they for to obserue their awne tradiciōs, did teache men to breake the verye cōmaundementes of God. For thei taught the people such a deuocion, that they offered their goodes into the treasure house of the temple, vnder the pretense of Gods honor, leauing their fathers and mothers (to whom they were chiefly bounde) vnholpē: and so they brake the commaundementes of GOD, to kepe theyr awne tradicions. They estemed more an othe, made by the golde or oblacion in the temple, then an othe made in the name of God hymselfe, or of the temple. Thei wer more studious to pay their tithes of smal thynges, then to do the greater thynges commaunded [Page] of God, as workes of mercye, or to do iustice, or to deale syncerely, vprightly, and faythefully, with God and man (these saieth Christ ought to be doen, Math. xxiii. and the other not omitted). And to be shorte, they were of so blynd iudgement, that they stombled at a strawe and leped ouer a blocke. They would, (as it were) nicely take a flye out of their cuppe, & drynke doune a whole Camell. And therfore Christe called them blynde guydes, warnynge his disciples from tyme to tyme, to eschewe their doctrine. For althoughe they semed to y e worlde, to be moste perfect men, bothe in liuyng and teaching: yet was their life but Hypocrisie, and their doctrine but [...]ower leuē, mixte with supersticion, Idolatry, and preposterous iudgement: setting vp the tradicions & ordinaunces of man, in the stede of Gods cōmaundementes.
Thus haue you heard, how muche the worlde frō the beginnyng vntil Christes tyme, was euer ready to fall from the commaundementes of God, and to seke other meanes to honor and serue hym, after a deuocion imagined of their awne heades: and how they extolled their awne tradicions, as high or aboue Gods cōmaundementes, whiche hath happened also in our tymes (the more it is to be lamented) no lesse then it did emonge the Iewes, and that by the corrupcion, or at the least, by the negligēce of them, that chiefly ought to haue preferred Gods cōmaundementes, & to haue preserued the syncere and heauenly doctrine left by Christe. What man hauyng any iudgement or learnyng, ioyned with a true zeale vnto GOD, doeth not se, and lament, to haue entred into Christes religiō, suche false doctrine, Supersticion, [Page] Idolatrie, Hipocrisy, and other enormities and abuses, so as by lytle and lytle through the [...]ower leuen thereof, the swete bread of Gods holye worde hath been muche hindered and layed aparte. Neuer had the Iewes in their moste blyndnesse, so many Pilgrimages vnto Images, nor vsed so muche knelyng, kissyng, and censyng of them, as hath been vsed in oure tyme.
Sectes & Religions emōg christian menSectes & feined religions were neither the forty parte so many emonge the Iewes, nor more supersticiously and vngodly abused, then of late dayes they haue been emonge vs. Whiche sectes and religions, had so many Hypocriticall woorkes in their state of religion (as they arrogantly named it) that their lampes (as they sayd) rāne alwayes ouer, able to satisfye, not onely for their awne synnes, but also for all other their benefactors, brothers, & sisters of their religion, as moste vngodly and craftelye they had perswaded the multitude of ignoraunt people: keping in diuerse places (as it were) martes or markettes of merites, beyng ful of their holy reliques, Images, shrines, and workes of supererogaciō, redy to be solde. And all thinges which they had, were called holy, holy Coules, holy Girdels, holy Pardoned Beades, holy Shooes, holy Rules, and all full of holynesse. And what thyng can be more foolishe, more Supersticious, or vngodly, then that men, women and chyldren, shoulde weare a Friers coote, to deliuer theim from agues or pestilence, or when they dye, or when they be buried, cause it to be caste vpon them in hope therby to be saued. Which supersticion, although (thankes be to God) it hath [Page] been lytle vsed in this realme: yet in diuerse other realmes, it hath been, and yet is vsed, both emonge many, bothe learned and vnlearned. But to passe ouer the innumerable supersticiousnesse, that hath been in straunge apparell, in silence, in dormitorie, in cloyster, in chapter, in choyse of meates & in drinkes, and in suche like thinges: let vs consider, what enormities and abuses haue been, in the thre chiefe principal poyntes, whiche they called the thre essencialles of religion, that is to saye, obedience, chastitie, and wilfull pouertye.
Fyrst, The .iii. chief vowes of religion. vnder pretense of obedience to their father in religion (whiche obedience they made them selfes) they were exempted by their rules and canons, from the obedience of their natural father and mother, and from the obediēce of Emperor and Kyng, and all temporall power, whom of verye duetye by Godes lawes, they were bound to obeye. And so the profession of their obediēce not due, was a renūciacion of their due obediēce. And how their profession of chastitie was obserued, it is more honesty to passe ouer in silence, & let the world iudge of that, whiche is well knowen, then with vnchaste woordes, by expressynge of their vnchast lyfe, to offende chast and Godly eares. And as for theyr wylfull pouertye, it was such, then when in possessiōs, iewels, plate and riches, thei were equal, or aboue merchaūtes, Gentlemen, Barons, Erles, & Dukes: yet by this subtile sophistical terme, Propriū in cōmuni, they deluded the worlde, perswadyng, that notwitstandyng all their possessions & riches, yet they obserued their vowe, & were in wilful pouertie. But for al their riches, thei [Page] might neither healpe father nor mother, nor other y t were in deede very nedye and poore, without the licence of their father Abbot, Prior, or warden. And yet they might take of euery mā, but thei might not geue ought to any man, no, not to theim, whom the lawes of God bound them to helpe. And so through their tradicions and rules, the lawes of God could beare no rule with theim. And therefore of theim might be moste truely sayed that, which Christ spake vnto the Pharises: you breake the commaundementes of God by your tradicions: Matth. xv. you honor God with youre lippes, but you hartes be farre frō him. And the longer praiers thei vsed by day & by night, vnder pretense of suche holynes, to get the fauor of Widowes & other simple folkes, y t they might syng Trentals and seruyce for theyr husbādes and frendes, & admitte them into their suffrages, the more truely is verefyed of theim the saying of Christ: wo be to you Scribes and Phariseis, [...] Hypocrites, for you deuoure Widowes houses, vnder coloure of long praiers: therfore your dampnacion shalbe the greater. Wo be to you Scribes & Phariseis, Hipocrites, for you go about by sea and by land, to make mo Nouices and newe brethren, and when they be admitted of your secte, you make them the chyldren of helle, worse then your selfes be. Honor be to God, who did put light in the harte of his faithful & true minister of moste famous memory, Kynge Henry the .viij. and gaue hym the knowledge of hys worde, and an earnest affection to seke his glory, and to put awaye all suche Supersticious and Pharisaicall sectes by Antichrist inuēted, and set vp agaynst [Page] the true worde of God, and glory of hys moste blessed name, as he gaue the lyke spirite vnto the moste noble and famous Prynces, Iosaphat, Iosias, and Ezechyas. God graunte all vs, the Kynges hyghnesse faythfull & true subiectes, to fede of the swete and sauorie breade of Gods awne woorde, and (as Christ commaunded) to eschewe all oure Pharisaicall and Papistical leuen of mans feyned religion. Whiche, although it were before God, moste abhominable and contrary to Gods cōmaundementes, and Christes pure religiō, yet it was extolled, to be a moste Godly lyfe, & highest state of perfection. As though a man might be more Godly and more perfecte by kepyng the rules, tradicions and professiōs of men, then by kepynge the holy commaundementes of God. And briefly to passe ouer the vngodly & counterfet religions: let vs reherse some other kyndes of Papisticall supersticions and abuses, as of Beades, of Lady Psalters & Rosaries, of .xv. Oos, Other deuised and supersticions. of sainct Bernardes Uerses, of sainct Agathes letters, of Purgatory, of Masses satisfactory, of Stacions and Iubilies, of feyned Reliques, of halowed Beades, Belles, Breade, Water, palmes, Candelles, Fyre and suche other: of Supersticious fastynges, of Fraternities, of Pardons, with suche lyke merchaundyse: whiche were so estemed and abused to the great preiudice of Gods glory and commaū demētes, that they were made moste high and moste holy thynges, whereby to atteyn to the eternall lyfe, or remission of sinne. Yea also, vayne inuēcions, vnfruictfull Ceremonies and vngodly Lawes. Decrees and Decretalles Decrees and Counsayles of Rome, were in suche wyse [Page] aduaūced, that nothyng was thought comparable in aucthoritie, wisedom, learnynge, and Godlynes, vnto them. So y t the lawes of Rome, (as thei sayed) were to be receyued of all men, as the foure Euāgelistes: to the which all lawes of Princes must geue place. And y e lawes of God also p [...]rily were omitted and lesse estemed, that the sayde lawes, decrees and Counsayles, with theyr tradiciōs and Ceremonies, myght be more duely obserued & had in greater reuerence. Thus was the people, through ignoraūce so blynded, with the goodly shewe and apparaunce of those thynges, that they thought y e obseruyng of them to be a more holynesse, a more perfecte seruice and honoryng of God, and more pleasyng to God, then the kepyng of Gods cōmaundementes. Such hath been the corrupt inclinaciō of man, euer supersticiously geuen to make new honorynge of God, of hys awn hedde, and then to haue more affection and deuocion to obserue that, then to searche out Gods holy cōmaundementes and to kepe them. And furthermore, to take Gods cōmaundementes, for mennes cōmaundemētes, and mennes cōmaundementes for Gods cōmaundementes, yea, and for the highest, and moste perfect and holy of all Gods commaundemētes. And so was all confused, that scant well learned men, and but a small numbre of them, knewe, or at the least would knowe, and durst affirme the truth, to separate Gods commaundementes from the commaundemētes of men: wherupon dyd growe muche error, Supersticion, Idolatry, vayne religion, preposterous iudgement, greate contencion, with all vngodly liuyng.
[Page]Wherfore, An exhortaciō to the kepyng of Gods commaundementes. as you haue any zeale to the right and pure honoryng of God: as you haue any regard to your awn soules, & to the life that is to come, which is both without payn, and without end, applie your selfes chiefly aboue all thyng, to reade and to heare Gods worde: marke diligētly therin, what hys wyll is you shall do, and with all youre endeuor, applye your selfes to folowe thesame. A brief rehersall of Godes commaundementes. First you must haue an assured faythe in God, & geue youre selfes wholy vnto hym, loue hym in prosperite & aduersitie, and dread to offende hym euermore. Then, for hys sake, loue all men, frendes and fooes, because they be his creaciō and Image, & redemed by Christ, as ye are. Caste in your mindes, how you maye do good vnto all men, vnto your powers, & hurt no man. Obey al your superiors and gouernors, serue youre masters faithfully and diligently, aswell in theyr absence, as in theyr presence, not for dread of punishment onely, but for cōscience sake, knowyng that you are bound so to do by Gods commaundementes. Disobey not your fathers & mothers, but honor thē, helpe thē, & please thē to your power. Oppresse not, kil not, beat not, neyther slaunder nor hate any mā: But loue all men, speake well of al men, helpe & succor euery mā, as you maye, yea, euen your enemies that hate you, that speake euil of you, and that do hurt you. Take no mās goodes, nor couete your neyghbors goodes wrongfully, but cōtent your selfes with y t, which ye get truely, & also bestowe your awne goodes charitably, as nede & case requyreth. Flee all Idolatrye, Withcraft, & periury: cōmit no maner of adultery, fornicaciō, nor other vnchastnesse, in wil nor in dede, [Page] with any other mannes wyfe, wydowe, mayde, or other wyse. And trauailynge continually, durynge your lyfe, thus in the obseruynge the commaundementes of God, (wherein consisteth the pure principal, and direct honour of God, and which, wrought in faythe, God hath ordeyned to be the righte trade and pathe waye vnto heauen:) you shall not fayle, as Christe hath promised, to come to that blessed and eternall lyfe, where you shall liue in glory and ioye with GOD for euer. To whome be laude, honor, and imperie, for euer & euer. AMEN.
¶An Homelie of Christian Loue and Charitie.
OF all thynges that be good to bee taught vnto christian people, there is nothynge more necessarye to bee spokē of, and dayely called vpon, then charitie: aswell, for that all maner of woorkes of righteousnes be cōteyned in it, as also, that the decay therof, is the ruyne of the worlde, the banishmēt of vertue, and the cause of all vice. And for so muche as almoste euery mā, maketh and frameth to hymself charitie after hys awne appetite, & howe detestable soeuer his lyfe be, both vnto God & man, yet he perswadeth hymself stil that he hath charitie: therfore you shall heare now a true & playn descripcion of Charitie, not of mennes imaginaciō, but of the very woordes and example of our sauior Iesus Christ. In which descripcion, euery mā, (as it were in a glasse) maye considre himself & se plainly without error, whether he be in the true Charitie or not. What Charitie is.
Charitie is to loue God with al our harte, al our lyfe, and all our powers and strength: With all our harte, that is to say, that our hartes, The loue of GOD. mynd and studye, be set to beleue his worde, to trust in him, and to loue hym aboue al other thynges that we loue best, in heauen or in yearth: With al your lyfe, that is to saye, that our chief ioye & delight be set vpon him, & his honor, & our whole lyfe geuē vnto the seruice of hym aboue all thynges, with hym to lyue & dye, and to forsake all other thynges, rather then hym. For [Page] he that loueth hys father or mother, sonne or daughter, Math. x. house or lāde, more then me (sayeth Christ) is not worthy to haue me: With all our powers, that is to saye, that with our handes & fete, with our eyes and eares, our mouthes & tongues, and with all other partes & powers, both of body & soule, we should be geuen to the kepyng & fulfillyng of his cōmaundementes. This is the fyrste & principall parte of charitie, The loue of thy neighbor. but it is not the whole: for charitie is also, to loue euery man, good & euil, frende & foo, and whatsoeuer cause be geuē to the cōtrary, yet neuertheles to beare good wil and harte vnto euery man, to vse our selfes wel vnto them, aswell in woordes & countenaunce, as in all our outwarde actes and deedes: For so Christ himself taught, & so also he performed in dede. Of the loue of God, he taught in thys wyse, vnto a doctor of the law, that asked hym, which was the great and chiefe commaundemente in the lawe? Loue thy Lord God (saied Christ) with all thy hart, Matt. xxii. with all thy lyfe, and with al thy mynde. And of the loue that we ought to haue emōg our selfes eche to other, he teacheth vs thus: you haue heard it taught in tymes paste, thou shalt loue thy frende, and hate thy foe, Math. v. but I tell you, loue youre enemyes, speake wel of them that diffame you, & speake euill of you, do well to theim that hate you, praye for them that vexe and persetute you, that you maye be the chyldren of your father that is in heauē. For he maketh hys sunne to ryse both vpon the euyl and good, and sendeth rayne to iuste and vniuste. Math. v For yf you loue them that loue you, what rewarde shall you haue? Do not the Publicans likewyse? And if you speake [Page] well onely of them, that be your brethren and derebeloued frendes, what great matter is that? Do not the Heathen thesame also? These be the very woordes of our sauior Christ himself, touchyng the loue of our neighbor. And for asmuche as the Phariseis (with their moste pestilente tradicions, false interpretacions & gloses) had corrupted, and almost clerely stopped vp, this pure wel of Gods liuely worde, teachyng, that this loue and charitie perteyned onely to a mannes frendes, & that it was sufficiente for a man to loue them, which do loue hym, & to hate his fooes: therfore Christ opened thys welle agayn, pourged it, & scoured it, by geuyng vnto his Godly lawe of charitie, a true & clere interpretacion, which is this: that we ought to loue euery mā, both frende and fooe, addyng thereto, what commoditie we shal haue thereby, and what incōmoditie by doynge the contrary. What thyng can we wishe so good for vs, as the eternall heauenly father to repute & take vs for hys chyldren? And this shal we be sure of (sayeth Christe) if we loue euery man withoute exception. And if we doo otherwyse (saieth he) we be no better then the Phariseis, Publicans, & Heathen, and shal haue our rewarde with them, that is, to be excluded from the number of Gods electe chyldren, and from hys euerlastynge inheritaunce in heauen.
Thus of true Charitie, Christ taught, that euery man is bounde to loue God aboue all thynges, and to loue euery man, frend & fooe. And thus likewyse he did vse hymselfe, exhortynge hys aduersaries, rebukynge the faultes of hys aduersaryes, and when he coulde not amende them, yet he prayed for them. [Page] Firste he loued God hys father abouee all thinges: so muche that he soughte not hys awne glory & wil, but the glory and wyl of hys father. Ihon. v. I seke not (said he) myne awne wyl, but the wyl of hym that sent me. Nor he refused not to dye, to satisfie his fathers wil saiyng: Mat. xxvi. if it maye be, let this cuppe of death go frō me, if not, thy wyll be doen, and not myne. He loued not onely hys frendes, but also hys enemyes, which (in their hartes) bare exceeding great hatred agaīst hym, & in their tongues spake all euill of hym, and in their actes and dedes pursued hym, with all their might and power, euen vnto death. Yet al this notwithstandynge, he withdrewe not hys fauor from them, but styll loued them, preached vnto theim, of loue, rebuked theyr false doctryne, theyr wycked liuyng, and did good vnto them, paciently accepting whatsoeuer they spake, or did agaynst hym. When they gaue hym euill woordes, he gaue none euyll agayn: when they did stryke hym, he did not smyte agayne: & when he suffered death, he dyd not sle them, nor threaten them, but prayed for them, and referred all thinges to hys fathers wyl. And as a shepe that is led vnto the shambles to be slayn, Esai. iiii. Acte [...]. viii and as a lambe y t is shorne of hys fleese, make no noyse nor resistēce: euē so wente he vnto his death, without any repugnaunce, or openynge of his mouth, to saye any euil.
Thus haue I described vnto you, what charitie is, aswel by y e doctryne, as by the exāple of Christ himself. Wherby also euery man maye, without error, know hymself, what state and condiciō he standeth in, whether he be in Charitie, (& so the chyld of the father in heauen) or not. For, althoughe almoste [Page] euery man perswadeth hymself to be in charitie, yet let hym examine none other man, but his awne hart his life & conuersacion, and he shal not be deceiued, but truly decerne & iudge, whether he be in perfecte charitie or not. For he that foloweth not hys awne appetite & wil, but geueth hymself earnestly to God to do al his wil & cōmaundementes, he may be sure that he loueth God aboue all thinges, & els surely he loueth him not, whatsoeuer he pretend: as Christ said, if ye loue me, kepe my cōmaundemētes. For he that knoweth my commaundementes, Ihon. xliii. & kepeth thē he it is (said Christ) y t loueth me. And again he saith, he that loueth me, will kepe my worde, & my father will loue him, & we will both come to him, and dwel with hym. And he that loueth me not, will not kepe my wordes. And likewise, he that beareth good hart and mynde, & vseth wel his tōgue & dedes vnto euery man, frend & foo, he may knowe therby, y t he hath charitie. And then he is sure also, y t almightie God taketh hym for hys dere beloued sonne, as s. Ihon saith: i. Ihon. iiii. hereby manifestly are knowen the children of God, from the chyldren of the deuill: for whosoeuer doth not loue hys brother, belongeth not vnto god.
But the peruerse nature of man, corrupt with sin, and destitute of Gods worde & grace, Againste carnall men, that will not forg [...]ue their enemies. thinketh it against al reason, that a man should loue his enemy, and hath many perswasions, whiche induce hym to the contrary. Agaynst all whiche reasons, we ought aswel to set the teachyng, as the liuyng of our sauior Christ, who louing vs (whē we wer his enemies) doth teache vs to loue our enemies. He did pacientely take for vs, many reproches, suffered beatyng, [Page] and most cruell death. Therfore we be no membres of hym, if we will not folowe hym. Christe (sayeth s. Peter) suffered for vs, [...]. Pet. ii. leauyng an example, that we should folowe hym.
Furthermore, we muste consider, that to loue our frendes, is no more but that, whiche thiefes, adulterers, homicides, & al wicked persons do: in so much that Iewes, Turkes, Infidels, & all brute beastes, do loue them that be their frendes, of whō thei haue their liuyng, or any other benefites. But to loue enemies, is the proper condicion onely of thē, that be the chyldren of God, the disciples and folowers of Christe. Notwithstandyng, mannes froward & corrupt nature, weigheth ouer depely many tymes, the offence and displeasure doen vnto hym by enemies, and thinketh it a burden intollerable, to be bounde to loue them, that hate hym. But the burden should be easy enough, if (on the otherside) euery mā would consider, what displeasure he hath doen to hys enemye agayn, & what pleasure he hath receiued of his enemy. And if we find no equal recōpense, neither in receiuing pleasures of our enemy, nor in renderyng displeasures vnto hym agayn: then let vs pōdre the displeasures, whiche we haue doen against almightye God, how often, and how greuously we haue offended hym. Wherof, if we will haue of God forgeuenesse, there is none other remedye, but to forgeue the offences doen vnto vs, whiche be very small in comparison of our offences doen against God.
And if we considre, that he, whiche hath offended vs, deserueth not to be forgeuen of vs, let vs consider again, that we muche lesse deserue to be forgeuē [Page] of God. And although our enemy deserue not to be forgeuen for his awne sake, yet we ought to forgeue hym for Gods loue, consideryng how great & many benefites we haue receiued of hym, w tout our desertes, & that Christ hath deserued of vs▪ y t for his sake we should forgeue thē their trespasses cōmitted against vs. A question. But here may ryse a necessary questiō to be dissolued: if charitie require to thynke, speake, & do well vnto euery man, bothe good and euill: how can magistrates execute iustice vpon malefactors with charitie? How can they cast euill men in prison, take away their gooddes, and somtyme their lifes, accordyng to lawes, if charitie wil not suffre thē so to do.
Hereunto is a plain & a breif aunswere: An aunswere that plagues and punishmentes be not euill of them selfes, if they be wel taken of innocētes. And to an euil mā thei are bothe good & necessary, & maye be executed, accordyng to charitie, Charity hath two offices. & with charitie should be executed. For declaracion wherof, you shal vnderstād, y e charitie hath .ii. offices: thone cōtrary to y e other, & yet both necessary to be vsed vpō mē of cōtrary sort, & disposiciō. The one office of charitie is, to cherish good & innocēt mē, not to oppresse thē with false accusaciōs, but to encorage thē w t rewardes to do wel and to perseuer in wel doyng, defendyng them with the swourd from their aduersaries. And the office of Bishops & Pastors, is to prayse good men for well doynge, that they maye perseuer therein, and to rebuke and correct by the worde of God, the offences and crimes of all euill disposed persones. For the other office of charitie is, to rebuke, correct, & punish vice, without acceptacion of persones, and thys to [Page] be vsed against thē onely, that be euil men and malefactors. And that it is aswell the office of charitie, to rebuke, punysh, and correct them that be euill, as it is, to cherishe and reward them that be good and innocent: S. Paule declareth, (writyng to the Ro.) saiyng: Roma. xiii. that the hygh powers are ordeyned of God, not to be dreadful to them that do wel, but vnto malefactors, to draw the swourd, to take vengeaūce of him that committeth the sinne. And S. Paule biddeth Timothe, [...] ▪ Timo. v. cōstantly and vehemētly, to rebuke synne, by the woorde of God. So that bothe offices should be diligētly executed, to impugne the kyngdom of the deuill: the preacher with the worde, and the gouernor with y e swourde: Els they loue neither God, nor thē whom thei gouerne, if (for lacke of correccion) thei wilfully suffre God to be offended, and thē whom thei gouerne, to perishe. For as euery louyng father correcteth hys naturall sonne, when he doth amisse, or els he loueth hym not: so all gouernors of realmes, coūtreis, townes, & houses, should louingly correcte theim, whiche be offendors vnder their gouernaunce, & cherish them, which liue innocently, if they haue any respect, either vnto God and their office, or loue vnto them, of whō thei haue gouernaunce. And suche rebukes & punishementes of them that offend, must be doen in due tyme, least by delay, the offendors fal hedlynges into al maner of mischief, and not onely be euill themselfes, but also do hurt vnto many mē, drawyng other by their euil example, to sinne & outrage after them. As one thief may both robbe many men, & also make many thefes, & one sedicious person may allure many, & noye [Page] a whole towne or countrey. And suche euil persons that be so great offendors of God, & the cōmō weale charitie requireth to be cut of frō the body of the cō mō weale, lest thei corrupt other good & honest persōs: like as a good surgiō cutteth away a putrified, and festered membre, for loue he hath to the whoole body, least it infect other membres adioyning to it. Thus it is declared vnto you, what true charitie or christiā loue is, so plainly y t no mā nede to be deceiued. Which loue, whosoeuer kepeth, not only towardes God (whō he is boūd to loue aboue al thinges) but also towardes his neighbor, aswel frēd as foe, it shal surely kepe him frō al offence of God, & iust offēce of mā. Therfore beare well awai this one short lessō, y t by true christiā charitie, God ought to be loued aboue all thinges, & all men ought to be loued, good & euill, frend and foo, & to all suche, we ought (as we maye) to do good: those that be good, of loue to encourage and cherish, because they be good, and those that be euill, of loue, to procure their correctiō and due punishment, that thei may therby, either be brought to goodnes, or at the leaste, y t God and the common wealth may be the lesse hurt and offended. And if we thus direct our life, by christian loue and charitie, then Christ doth promise, & assure vs, that he loueth vs, that we be the children of our heauenly father, reconciled to hys fauor, very membres of Christ, and that after this short time of this present and mortall life, we shal haue with hym eternal lyfe in his euerlastynge kyngdom of heauen: therfore to hym with the father and the holy ghost, be al honor and glory, now and euer. Amen.
¶Against swearyng and periury.
ALmightie God to the intēt his moste holy name should be had in honor, & euermore be magnified of the people, commaundeth that no man shoulde take hys name vainly in his mouth, threatenyng punishmente vnto hym that vnreuerently abuseth it, by swearyng, forswearyng, and blasphemy. To the intent therfore, that thys commaundemente maye be the better knowen and kepte: it shalbe declared vnto you, bothe howe it is lawfull for christian people to sweare, and also what perill and daunger it is, vainly to sweare, or to be forsworne. Firste, whē Iudges require othes of the people, Howe and in what causes it is lawefull▪ to sweare for declaracion of the truth, or for execucion of iustice, thys maner of swearynge is lawfull. Also when men make faythfull promises with attestacion of the name of God, to obserue couenaū tes, honest promises, statutes, lawes, and good customes: as Christian princes do in their conclusiōs of peace, for conseruacion of common wealthes: & priuate persones, promyse their fidelitie in Matrimonie, or one to another in honeste and true frendshippe: and al men, when they do sweare to kepe cō mon lawes, or locall statutes and good customes, for due ordre to be had and contynued emōg men: when subiectes do sweare to be true and faythefull to their Kynge and souereygne Lorde: and when Iudges, Magistrates, and officers sweare, truely to execute their offices: and when a man woulde affirme the trueth, to the settynge furthe of Gods glory (for the saluacion of the people) in open preachynge [Page] of the Gospell, or in geuyng of good counsayll, priuately for their soules health. All these maner of swearynges, for causes necessary and honest, be lawfull. But when men do sweare of custome, in reasonynge, biyng, and sellynge, or other daily communicacion (as many be common and greate swearers) suche kynde of swearyng is vngodly, vnlawefull, and prohibited by the cōmaundement of God. For suche swearyng is nothyng els, but takynge of Gods holy name in vayn. And here is to be noted, that lawfull swearynge is not forbidden, but commaunded of almightie God. For we haue examples of Christ, and Godly men in holy scripture, that did sweare themselfes, and required othes of other likewise. And Gods commaundement is: Deuter. vi. Thou shalte dreade thy Lorde God, and shalt sweare by hys name. Psal. lxii. And almighty God by his prophet Dauid sayeth: all men shalbe praysed, that sweare by hym.
Thus did oure sauior Christe sweare diuerse tymes, saiyng: verely verely. Ihon. iii. ii. Cor. i. Gene. xxiii [...]. And S. Paule sweareth thus: I call God to witnesse. And Abraham (waxyng olde) required an othe of hys seruaunt, that he shoulde procure a wyfe for his sonne Isaac, whiche should come of his awne kyndred: and the seruaunt did sweare that he would perfourme hys Masters will. Abraham also beynge required, Gene. xxi. dyd sweare vnto Abimelech, the king of Geraris, that he should not hurte hym, nor his posteritie. And so likewyse did Abimelech sweare vnto Abraham. And Dauid did sweare, to be, and continue a faithfull frende to Ionathas: and Ionathas did sweare to become a faithfull frende vnto Dauid.
[Page]Also, God once commaunded, that if a thynge were laied to pledge to any man, or left with him to kepe, if thesame thing wer stolne, or lost, that the keper therof, should be sworne before Iudges, that he did not cōuey it away, nor vsed any deceipt, in causyng thesame to be conueyed away, by hys cōsent or knowledge. Hebre. vi. And s. Paule saieth: that in al matters of controuersy betwene two persones, whereas one saieth yea, and the other nay, so as no due profe can be had of the truthe, the ende of euery suche controuersy muste be an othe ministered by a Iudge. And moreouer, Hier. iiii. God by the prophet Ieremy saieth: thou shalt sweare the Lord liueth, in truth, in iudgemēt, in righteousnesse. So that whosoeuer sweareth whē he is required of a Iudge, let hym be sure in his cō science, that hys othe haue these thre condicions, & he shall neuer nede to be afraied of periurie.
What cōdicions a lawful oth ought to haue. The [...]irste.First he that sweareth, must sweare truly, that is, he muste (secludynge all fauor and affeccion to the parties) haue the truthe onely before hys eyes, and for loue thereof, saye and speake that, which he knoweth to be truth, The seconde and no further. The seconde is: he that taketh an othe, must do it with iudgemente, not rasshely and vnaduisedly, but soberly, considerynge what an othe is, The thirde The thyrde is: he that sweareth, muste sweare in righteousnesse, that is, for the very zeale and loue, which he beareth to the defence of innocency, to the maintenaunce of the truth, and to y e righteousnes of the matter or cause: all profite, disprofite, all loue and fauor vnto the persone, for frendship or kyndred, layed a parte. Thus an othe (if it haue with it these thre condicions) is a parte [Page] of Gods glory, Why wee bee willed ī scripture to sweare by the name of God. whiche we are bounde by his commaundement, to geue vnto hym. For he willeth that we shall sweare onely by his name: not that he hath pleasure in oure othes, but like as he commaunded the Iewes to offre sacrifices vnto hym, not for any delight that he had in theim, but to kepe the Iewes from committyng of Idolatrie: so he commaūdyng vs to sweare by his holy name, doth not teache vs, that he delighteth in swearyng, but he thereby forbiddeth all men to geue his glory to any creature in heauen, yearth, or water. Hetherto you se, Esaie. xlii. Psalme. [...]l. that othes lawfull, are commaunded of God, vsed of Patriarches and Prophetes, of Christe hymself, and of his Apostle Paule. Cōmodities had by laweful othes made & obserued. Therefore Christian people muste thinke lawful othes, bothe godly and necessary. For lawfull promises and couenauntes confirmed by by othes, Princes and their countreys are confirmed in common tranquillitie and peace. By holy promises, with attestacion of Gods name, wee bee made liuely mēbres of Christ, when we professe his Religion, receiuyng the sacrament of baptisme. By like holy promise, the sacramēt of matrimony, knitteth man and wife, in perpetuall loue, that thei desire not to be seperated, for any displeasure or aduersitie, that shall after happen.
By lawfull othes, which Kynges, Princes, Iudges, and Magistrates doo sweare, common lawes are kept inuiolate, Iustice is indifferently ministered, innocent persones, orphanes, widdowes, and poore men, are defended, from murtherers, oppressors, and thiefes, that thei suffre no wrong, nor take any harme. By lawfull othes, mutuall societie, amitie, [Page] and good ordre, is kepte continually in all commonalties, as boroughes, citees, tounes, and villages. And by lawful othes, malefactors are searched out, wrong doers are punished, and thei whiche sustein wrong, are restored to their righte. Therefore, lawfull swearyng cannot be euill, whiche bryngeth vnto vs, so many Godly, good, and necessarie commodities. Uain swearyng is forbidden. Wherfore, when Christe so earnestly forbad swearyng, it maie not so bee vnderstanded, as though he did forbid all maner of othes: but he forbiddeth all vain swearyng, and forswearyng, bothe by god, and by his creatures, as the common vse of swearyng, in biyng, sellyng, and in our daily communicacion, to the intent euery Christian mannes worde, should be aswell regarded in suche matters, as if he should confirme his communicacion with an othe. For euery Christian mannes worde (saieth sainct Hierome) should be so true, that it should bee regarded as an othe. And Chrisostome witnessyng thesame, saieth: It is not conuenient to sweare, for what nedeth vs to sweare, when it is not lawfull for one of vs, An obieccion. to make a lye vnto another. Peraduenture some will saie: I am compelled to sweare, for els men that do common with me, or do bye and sell with me, An answere. wil not beleue me. To this aunswereth. S Chrisostome, that he that thus saieth, sheweth hymself to be an vniust, and a deceiptfull persone: for if he wer a trustie man, and his deedes taken to agree with his wordes, he should not nede to sweare at al. For he that vseth truthe and plainnesse in his bargainyng and communicacion, he shal haue no nede by such vain swearyng, to bryng hymself in credēce [Page] with his neighbours, nor his neighbours will not mistruste his saiynges. And if his credence bee so muche loste in deede, that he thynketh no man will beleue hym, without he sweare, then he maie well thynke, his credence is cleane gone, For truthe it is (as Theophilactus writeth) that no manne is lesse trusted, then he, that vseth muche to sweare. And almightie God, by the wiseman saieth: Eccle. xxxiii. that man whiche sweareth muche, shalbee full of synne, and the scourge of God, shall not depart from his house.
But here some menne will saie, Another obieccion. for excusyng of their many othes in their daily talke, why should I not sweare, when I sweare truely▪ An aunswere To suche men it maie be saied: that though thei sweare truely, yet in swearyng often, vnaduisedly, for trifles, without necessitie, and when thei should not sweare, thei be not without faulte, but do take Gods moste holy name in vain. Muche more vngodly and vnwise men, are thei, that abuse Gods moste holy name, not onely in biyng and sellyng of small thynges daily in al places, but also eatyng, drinkyng, plaiyng, cōmonyng, and reasonyng. As if none of these thynges mighte bee dooen, excepte in doyng of theim, the moste holy name of God be commonly vsed, and abused vainly, and vnreuerentely talked of, sworne by and forsworne, to the breakyng of Gods commaundement and procurement of his indignacion. And aswell thei vse the name of GOD in vain, that by an othe make lawfull promises of good and honeste thynges, and performe thē not, as thei, which do promise euill and vnlawfull thynges, and do performe thesame. Of such men that regard not their godly promises [Page] confirmed by an othe, Lawful othes and promises would be better regarded. Iosue. ix. but wittyngly and wilfully breaketh theim, wee do reade in holy scripture twoo notable punishementes. Firste, Iosue and the people of Israell made a league, and faithfull promise of perpetuall amitie and frendshippe with the Gabaonites: notwithstādyng, afterward in the dayes of wicked Saule, many of these Gabaonites wer murdered, contrary to thesaid faithfull promise made. Wherewith, almightie God was so sore displeased, that he sent an vniuersall famyne, vpon the whole countrey, whiche continued by the space of three yeres. And GOD would not withdrawe his punishement, vntill thesaied offence was reuenged, by the death of vii. sonnes, or next kinsmen, of kyng Saule. [...]. Regum. xi. Also, whereas Sedechias, kyng of Ierusalem, had promised fidelitie, to the kyng of Chaldea: afterwarde, when Sedechias, contrary to his othe and allegeaunce, did rebell against kyng Nabugodonosor: this Heathen Kyng, by Gods permission, inuadyng the land of Iewry, and besiegyng the citee of Ierusalem, compelled thesaied kyng Sedechias to flee, and in fleyng, toke hym prisoner, slewe his sonnes before his face, and putte out bothe his iyes, and bindyng hym with cheines, led hym prisoner miserably into Babilon.
Thus doth GOD shewe plainly, how muche he abhorreth breakers of honeste promises, Unlawful othes and promises are not to bee kept. confirmed by an othe made in his name. And of thē that make wicked promises by an othe, and wil perfourme the same: wee haue example in the scripture, chiefly of Herode, of the wicked Iewes, and of Iephthah. Herode promised by an othe vnto the dam [...]sel, Matth. xiiii. whiche [Page] daunsed before hym, to geue vnto her, whatsoeuer she should aske, when she was instucted before, of her wicked mother, to aske the hedde of sainct Ihō Baptist. Herod, as he toke a wicked oth, so he more wickedly performed thesame, and cruelly slewe the mooste holy Prophete. Likewise did the malicious Iewes make an othe, cursyng themselfes, if thei did either eate or drinke, vntill thei had slain .s. Paule. Actes. xxiii. Iudicum. xi. And Iephthah, when God had geuen to him victory, of the children of Ammon, promised of a foolishe deuocion vnto GOD, to offre for a sacrifice vnto hym, that persone, whiche of his awne house should firste meete with hym, after his returne home. By force of whiche fonde and vnaduised othe, he did sle his awne and onely doughter, whiche came out of his house, with mirthe & ioy, to welcome hym home. Thus the promise, whiche he made moste foolishly to God, against Gods eternall will, and the lawe of nature, moste cruelly he performed, so committyng against God, double offence. Therefore, whosoeuer maketh any promise, bindyng hymself thereunto by an othe, let him forese, that the thyng whiche he promiseth, bee good, honest, and not against the commaundement of GOD, and that it be in his awne power, to performe it iustely. And suche good promises muste all men kepe, euermore assuredly. But if a man at any tyme shall, either of ignoraunce, or of malice, promise and sweare, to do any thing, whiche is either against the lawe of almightie God, or not in his power to performe: let hym take it, for an vnlawfull and vngodly othe.
Now some thyng to speake of periurie, Againste periurie. to the intent [Page] into the house of the false man, and into the house of the periured man, and it shal remain in the middest of his house, and consume hym, the timber, and stones of his house. Thus you se, how much God doth hate periury, and what punishement God hath prepared for false swearers, and periured persones.
Thus you haue heard, how, and in what causes, it is lawfull for a Christian man to sweare: ye haue heard, what properties, and condicions, a lawfull othe muste haue, and also how suche lawfull othes are bothe Godly, and necessarie to bee obserued: ye haue heard, that it is not lawfull to sweare vainly, (that is) other waies, then in suche causes, and after suche sort, as is declared: and finally, ye haue heard how dāpnable a thyng it is, either to forsweare our selfes, or to kepe an vnlawfull & an vnaduised oth. Wherefore, lette vs earnestly call for grace, that all vain swearyng and periurie set apart, we maie onely vse suche othes, as bee lawfull and godly, and that we may truly, without al fraude, obserue thesame, accordyng to Gods will and pleasure. To whō with the sōne and holy Ghoste, bee all honor and glory. AMEN.
¶A Sermon, how daungerous a thynge it is, to declyne from God.
OF our goyng from God, the Wyseman sayeth, Eccle. x. that pryde was the first beginning: for by it mās harte was turned frō god hys maker. For pryde (saieth he) is the foūtain of all synne, he y t hath it, shalbe ful of cursynges, & at the ende, it shall ouerthrow hym. And, as by Pride & sinne, we go frō God, so shall God & al goodnes with hym, go from vs. And the prophet Ozee doeth plainlye affirme: Ozee. v that they which go awaye still frō God, by vicious liuyng, & yet would go about to pacifye him otherwise, by sacrifice, & enterteigne him thereby, they laboure in vayn. For, notwithstandyng al their sacrifice, yet he goeth styll away from them. For so much (saieth y e Prophete) as they do no applye their myndes, to returne to god, although thei go about with whole flockes and herdes, to seke the Lord: yet they shall not fynde hym, for he is gone away from thē. But as touchyng our turnyng to god, or from god: you shall vnderstande, that it maye be doen diuerse wayes. Some tymes directly by Idolatrye, as Israel and Iuda then dyd: some tymes men go from God, by lacke of fayth, & mistrustyng of God, wherof Esaie speaketh in this wyse: Wo to them that go doune into Egypt, to seke for healp, Esaie. xxxi. trustyng in horses, and hauyng confidence in the numbre of chariottes, and puissaunce of horsemē. They haue no cō fidence in the holy God of Israell, nor seeke for the [Page] Lorde: But what foloweth? The Lorde shall let his hande fall vpon them, and doune shall come, bothe the healper, and he that is holpen. They shalbe destroyed altogether.
Some tyme men go frō God, by the neglectyng of hys commaundementes, concerning their neighbours, whiche cōmaundeth them to expresse hartye loue towardes euery man, Zacha. vii. as Zachary sayde vnto the people in gods behalfe: Geue true iudgement, shewe mercye and compassion euery one to hys brother: Ymagen to deceipt towardes widowes, or children fatherles & motherles, towardes straunger or the poore: let no mā forge euill in hys harte, against his brother. But these thinges they passed not of, thei turned their backes, and went their waie, thei stopped their eares, that they might not heare, they hardened their hartes, as an Adamant stone, y t they might not lysten, to the lawe and the woordes, that the Lorde had sent through his holy spirite, by hys auncient Prophetes. Wherfore the Lorde shewed his great indignacion vpon them: It came to passe (sayeth the Prophet) euen as I tolde them: Hier. vii. as they woulde not heare, so when they cryed, they were not heard, but wer dispersed into all kingdomes, which they neuer knewe: & their lande was made desolate. And to be short, all they, that may not abyde y e word of God, but folowyng the perswasiōs, and stubbernes of their awne hattes, go backewarde, & not forward (as it is sayd in Ieremy) they go & turne away frō God. Hiere. vii. Orige. super Exodi. homi. xii. In so muche that Origene saieth: He that with mynde, with study, with dedes, with thought & care, applieth himself to Gods worde, and thinketh [Page] vpon his lawes, day & night, geueth himself wholy to God, and in hys preceptes and cōmaundementes is exercised: this is he, that is turned to God. And on the other part (he saith): Whosoeuer is occupied with fables & tales, when y e word of god is rehersed: he is turned frō God. Whosoeuer in time of readīg Gods worde, is careful in his mynd, of worldly busines, of money, or of lucre: he is turned from God. Whosoeuer is entāgled with y e cares of possessiōs, filled with coueteousnes of ryches: whosoeuer studieth, for the glory & honor of this worlde, he is turned from God. So that after hys mynd, whosoeuer hath not a speciall mynde to that thynge that is cō maunded, or taught of God: he that doth not listen vnto it, embrace & print it in hys hart, to the intent, that he may duely fashion hys lyfe thereafter, he is plainly turned from god, although he do other thī ges of hys awne deuocion and mynde, which to him seme better, & more to gods honor. Whiche thyng to be true, we be taught and admonyshed in y e holye scripture, by y e example of Kyng Saul, who beyng cōmaunded of god by Samuel, i. Regum. xv. that he should kyll all the Amalechites, and destroye them clerely with their goodes, & cattals: Yet, he beynge moued, partely with pitie, and partely (as be thought) with deuocion vnto god, saued Agag their Kyng, & all the cheif of their cattail, therwith to make sacrifice vnto god. Wherwithal god beynge displeased highly, sayd vnto the prophete Samuel: I repente, that euer I made Saul a kyng, for he hath forsaken me, and not folowed my wordes: and so he cōmaunded Samuel to shewe hym. And when Samuel asked, [Page] wherfore (contrary to Gods woorde) he had saued the cattail: he excused the matter, partely by feare, saiynge he durst do none other, for that the people would haue it so: partely, for that they were goodly beastes, he thought God would be content, seynge it was done of a good intent and deuocion, to honor God, with the sacrifice of them.
But Samuel, reprouyng all suche intentes and deuocions (seme they neuer so muche to Gods honor, if they stande not with his woorde, whereby we maye be assured of hys pleasure) sayde in this wyse: Would God haue sacrifices and offeringes? or rather that hys word should be obeyed? To obey him, is better then offerynges, & to listen to hym, is better then to offre the fatte of Rammes: Yea, to repine agaynst hys voice, is as euil as the sinne of diuinacion, and not to agre to it, is like abhominable ydolatry. And now, forasmuche as thou hast cast awaye the worde of the Lorde, he hath cast awaye the, that thou shouldest not be Kynge.
By all these examples of holy scripture, we maye knowe, that as we forsake God: so shall he euer forsake vs. The turnyng of God from man. And what miserable state doth cōsequently and necessariely folow therupon, a man maye easely consider, by the terrible threatenynges of God. And although, he considre not al the sayde miserie, to the vttermost, beyng so great, that it passeth any mans capacitie, in this lyfe sufficiētly to cōsydre thesame: yet he shal soone perceyue somuch therof, that if his hart be not more then stony, or harder then the Adamant, he shall feare, tremble and quake, to call thesame to hys remembraunce.
[Page]Fyrste the displeasure of God towardes vs, is commonly expressed in the scripture, by these twoo thinges: by shewynge hys fearefull countenaunce vpon vs, and by turnyng his face, or hiding it from vs. By shewyng his dreadful countenaunce, is signifyed his great wrath, but by turnynge hys face or hidinge therof, is many tymes more signified, that is to saye: that he clerely forsaketh vs, & geueth vs ouer. The whiche significacions be taken of y e properties of mens maners: For men towardes them, whome they fauour, commōly beare, a good, a chearefull, and a louing countenaūce: so that by the face or countenaūce of a man, it doth commonly appere, what wyl or minde he beareth towardes other. So, when God doeth shew hys dreadfull countenaunce towardes vs; that is to say, doeth send dreadful plagues, of sword, famyne, or pestilence vpon vs, it appereth; that he is greatly wroth with vs. But when he withdraweth from vs hys woorde, the righte doctryne of Christe, hys gracious assistence and ayde, (which is euer ioyned to hys worde) and leaueth vs to our awne wit, our awne wyll and strength: he declareth then, that he beginneth to forsake vs. For where as God hath shewed to all them, that truely beleue his Gospel, his face of mercy in Iesus christ, whiche doeth so lighten theyr hartes, that they (if they beholde it, as they ought to do) be transformed to hys Image, bee made partakers of the heauenly light, and of hys holy spirite, and bee fashioned to him, in all goodnes, requisite to the childrē of God: so, if they after do neglecte thesame, if they bee vnthankefull vnto hym, if they ordre not their lyfes, [Page] accordynge to hys example and doctryne, and to the settyng furth of hys glory, he wyll take awaye from them hys kyngdō, his holy word, wherby he should reigne in thē, because they bryng not furth the fruit therof, that he loketh for. Neuertheles, he is so mercifull, & of so long sufferaūce, that he doth not shewe vpon vs, that great wrathe sodainly. But when we beginne to shrinke from his worde, not beleuing it, or not expressing it in oure liuinges: firste he doeth send hys messengers, y e true preachers of his worde, to admonish vs of our dutie, that as he for hys part for y e great loue he bare vnto vs, deliuered his awn sonne to suffre death, that we, by hys death, myghte be deliuered frō death, & be restored to the lyfe eternall, euermore to dwel with hym, & to be partakers, and inheritors with hym, of hys euerlastyng glory, and kingdome of heauen: so agayn, that we for our partes, shoulde walke in a godly lyfe, as becōmeth hys chyldrē to do. And if thys wyl not serue, but stil we remayne disobedient to hys worde and wyll, not knowyng him, not louing him, not fearing him, not puttyng our whole trust & confidēce in him: and on the otherside, to our neighbors behauing vs vncharitably, by disdayne, enuye, malice, or by cōmittyng murther, robbery, adultry, gluttony, deceipt, liyng, swearyng, or other like detestable workes, & vngodly behauioure: then he threateneth vs by terryble cōminacions, Hebre iiii. Psal. xcv. swearynge in great angree, that whosoeuer doeth these workes, shall neuer entre into his reste, whiche is the kyngdome of heauen.
Now, if this gentle monicion and comminacion together, do not serue, then god will shewe his terrible [Page] countenaūce vpō vs, he will powre intollerable plagues vpon our hedes, & after, he wyll take away frō vs, all hys ayde & assistence, wherwith before he did defend vs, from all such maner of calamitie. As the Euāgelical prophet Esaye, Esaie. v. agreyng with Christes parable, doth teache vs, saiyng: Matth. xxi. That God had made a goodly vineyarde, for hys beloued children: he hedged it, he walled it rounde about, he plāted it with chosen vynes, & made a Turret in the myddes therof, & therein also a wine presse. And when he loked, that it should bryng hym furth good grapes, it brought furth wylde grapes: and after it foloweth: Now shall I shew you, (saieth God) what I will do with my vyneyarde. I wil pluck doune the hedges, that it may perysh: I will breake downe the walles, that it may be trodē vnder fote: I wil let it lie wast, it shall not be cutte, it shall not be didged, but briers and thornes shall ouergrowe it, & I shall cōmaunde the cloudes, that they shall no more rayne vpon it.
By these threatenynges we ar monyshed, y t if we, whiche are the chosen vyneyarde of God, bryng not furth good grapes, y t is to say, good workes, y t may be delectable, & pleasaūt in hys sight, whē he loketh for thē, when he sendeth his messengers, to cal vpon vs for thē, but rather bring furth wyld grapes, y t is to say, sower workes, vnswete, vnsauery & vnfruictfull: thē wil he plucke away all defence, & suffre greuous plagues of famyne, & battaile, dearth & death, to light vpō vs. Finally, if these do not yet serue, he wil let vs lie wast, he wil geue vs ouer, he wyl turne away frō vs, he will dygge & delue no more aboute vs, he wil let vs alone, & suffre vs to brynge furthe, [Page] euen such fruite as we wyl, to bryng furth, brābles, bryers, and thornes, all naughtynes, all vice, & that so abundantlye, that they shal cleane ouergrow vs, suffocate, strangle, & vtterly destroye vs. But they, that in thys worlde, lyue not after god (but after theyr awne carnal libertie) perceyue not thys greate wrath of god towardes them, that he wyll not dygge, nor delue any more about them, that he doeth let them alone euen to them selfes. But they take thys for a great benefite of god, to haue all theyr awne libertye: & so they liue, as carnall libertye were the true libertye of the Gospel. But god forbidde (good people) that euer we should desyre such libertie. For although, god suffre sometymes y e wicked, to haue their pleasure in thys world: yet the end of vngodly liuyng, is at length eternall destruction.
Nume. x [...].The murmuryng Israelites, had that they longed for: they had quayles enough, yea, til they were wery of thē. But what was y e end therof: their swete meate had soure sauce: euē whiles the meat was in theyr mouthes, y e plague of God lighted vpō thē, & sodainely they died. So, if we liue vngodly, & God suffreth vs to folowe our awne wylles, to haue our awne delightes & pleasures, & correcteth vs not w t some plague, it is no doubt, but he is almost vtterly displeased w t vs. And although it be long or he strike, yet many tymes, whē he striketh such persons, he striketh thē at once, for euer. So, y t when he doth not stryke vs, when he ceaseth to afflict vs, to punysh or beate vs, & suffreth vs to rūne hedlinges into al vngodlines, & pleasures of thys world, y t we delight in w tout punyshmēt & aduersitie, it is a dreadfull tokē [Page] loueth vs no lēger, that he careth no lenger for vs, but hath geuen vs ouer, to our awne selfes.
As long as a man doeth proyne his vines, doeth digge at the rootes, and doeh laye freashe yearth to theim, he hath a mynde to theim, he perceiueth some tokē of fruitfulnes that may be recouered in them: but when he wil bestowe no more suche cost and labor aboute them, then it is a signe that he thinketh, they will neuer bee good. And the father, as lōg as he loueth his chyld, he loketh angrely, he correcteth hym when he doeth amisse: but when that serueth not, and vpon that he ceaseth frō correction of hym and suffereth hym to do what he liste himself, it is a signe, that he intendeth to disinherite hym, & to cast him away for euer. So surely, nothyng should perce our hart so sore, & put vs in suche horrible feare, as when we knowe in our conscience, that wee haue greuously offended God, and do so continue, & that yet he striketh not, but quietely suffereth vs in the naughtines that we haue delight in. Then specially it is tyme to crye, and to crye agayne, as Dauid did: Caste me not awaie from thy face, and take not away thy holy spirit frō me. Psal. i. Psal. xxvi. Lorde turne not away thy face from me, cast not thy seruaunt away in displeasure. Hide not thy face from me, least I be lyke vnto them, that go doune to hel. Psal. cxlii. The whiche lamē table praiers of him, as they do certify vs, what horrible daūger thei be in, frō whom God turneth his face, (for that time, & as lōg as he so doth) so should thei moue vs, to crye vpon God, with all our harte, that we maie not be brought into that state, whiche doubtles, is so sorowful, so miserable, & so dreadfull [Page] as no toungue can sufficiently expresse or any hart can thynke.
For what deadly greif may a mā suppose it is, to be vnder the wrath of God, to be forsakē of hym, to haue his holy spirit, the aucthor of all goodnesse, to be taken from hym, to be brought to so vile a condicion, that he shalbe left mete for no better purpose, then to be for euer, condempned to hel. For not onely such places of Dauid do shewe, that vpon y e turnyng of Gods face frō any persons, thei shalbe left bare from al goodnesse, & far from hope of remedy: but also the place, recited last before of Esaie, doeth meane thesame, which sheweth, that God at length doth so forsake his vnfruitful vineyard, that he wil not only suffre it, to bryng furth wedes, breirs, and thornes, but also, further to punish the vnfruitfulnesse of it, he saith: he wil not cut it, he wil not delue it, and he will cōmaunde the cloudes, that they shal not rain vpon it, wherby is signified, the teachyng of his holy worde: whiche sainct Paule, after a like maner, expresseth by plantyng and wateryng, meanyng, that he will take that awaye from theim. So that thei shalbe no lenger of his kyngdō, they shalbe no lenger gouerned by his holy spirite: thei shalbe frustrated of the grace & benefites, that thei had, and euer might haue enioyed through Christ. Thei shalbe depriued of the heauenly light, and life, whiche they had in Christe, whiles they abode in hym. They shalbe, i. Reg. xv. (as thei wer once) as mē without God in this worlde, or rather in worse takyng. And to be short, they shalbe geuen into the power of the deuil, which beareth the rule in al them, that be cast awaie [Page] from God, as he did in Saule and Iudas, and generally, in all suche, as worke after their awne willes, the children of diffidence and infidelitie.
Let vs beware therfore (good christian people) least that we, reiecting Gods worde, (by the whiche we obteyn and retin, true faith in GOD) be not at length cast of so farre, that we become as y e children of infidelitie, whiche be of two sortes, farre diuerse, yea, almoste cleane contrary, and yet bothe bee very far, frō returnyng to God. The one sort, onely waiyng their sinful, & detestable liuyng, with the right iudgemēt and strayghtnes of Gods ryghteousnes, be so destitute of counsail, and be so comfortles, (as all they must nedes be, frō whom the spirit of counsaill and comfort is gone) that they will not be perswaded in theyr hartes, but that either God cannot, or els that he will not take them again to his fauor and mercy. The other, hearyng the louynge & large promises of Gods mercye, and so not conceiuyng a right faith therof, make those promises larger, then euer God did: trusting, that although thei continue in their synful and detestable liuyng neuer so long, yet that God at the ende of their life, will shewe his mercie vpon theim, and that then, they wil returne. And bothe these two sortes of men, be in a dampnable state: & yet neuerthelesse, God, Eze. xviii. And .xxxiii. (who willeth not the death of y e wicked) hath shewed meanes, wherby both thesame (if thei take hede in ceasō) may escape. The first, Against desperacion. as they do dread gods rightfull iustice in punishing sinners, (wherby they should be dismaid and should dispaire in dede, as touchyng any hope that may be in themselfes) so if thei would cōstantly [Page] beleue, that Gods mercie is the remedy appoynted against such dispaire & distrust, not onely for them, but generally for all that bee sory and truely repē taunt, and will therewithall sticke to Gods mercie, they maie be sure thei shal obtein mercie, and entre into the porte or hauen of sauegarde, into the whiche, whosoeuer doth come, be thei before tyme neuer so wicked, thei shalbe out of daūger of euerlastyng dampnacion, Eze. xxxiii. as God by Ezechiel saieth: what tyme soeuer the wicked doeth returne, & take earnest and true repentaunce, I will forget all his wickednesse.
Against presumpcion.The other, as they be redy to beleue Gods promises, so they should be as redy to beleue the threatenynges of god: aswel thei should beleue the lawe as the Gospel: aswel that there is an hell and euerlastyng fyre, as that there is an heauen, and euerlasting ioye: aswel they should beleue dampnacion, to be threatened to the wicked and euyll doers, as saluacion to be promised to the faithfull in worde and workes: aswel they should beleue, God to bee true, in the one, as in the other. And the synners, that cō tinue in their wycked [...]iuyng, ought to thynke, that the promises of Gods mercie and the Gospell, perteyn not vnto theim, beynge in that state, but onely the lawe, and those scriptures, whiche conteyne the wrathe, and indignacion of God, and his threatenynges, which should certifye them, that as thei do ouer boldely presume of gods mercy, and liue dissolutely, so doeth God still more and more withdrawe his mercie from theim, and he is so prouoked thereby to wrathe at lenght, that he destroyeth suche presumers many tymes sodainly. For of suche, saincte [Page] Paule sayed thus: when they shall saye, it is peace, i. Thessa. v. there is no daunger, then shall sodayn destruction come vpon theim. Let vs beware therfore, of suche naughtie boldenesse to synne: for God, whiche hath promised his mercie to them, that bee truely repentaunte, (although it bee at the latter ende) hath not promised to the presumpteous synner, either that he shall haue long life, or that he shal haue true repentaunce at the laste ende. But for that purpose, hath he made euery mannes deathe vncertayne, that he should not put his hope in thend, and in the meane season (to Gods highe displeasure) lyue vngodly. Wherfore, let vs folowe the counsaill of the Wisemā: let vs make no tariyng, to turne vnto the lord: let vs not put of, from daie to day, for sodainly shal his wrath come, and in tyme of vengeaunce, he shal destroye the wycked. Let vs therefore turne betymes, and when we turne, let vs praye to GOD, as Ozee teacheth, saiyng: Forgeue vs all oure synnes, Ozee. xiiii. receyue vs graciously. And if we turne to him, with an humble and a very penitent harte, he wil receiue vs to his fauor and grace, for his holy names sake, for his promise sake, for his truthe and mercies sake, promysed to all faithefull beleuers in Iesus Christ, his onely naturall sonne. To whō the onely sauiour of the world, with the father and the holy ghost, bee all honor, glory, and power, world without end. Amen.
¶ An exhortation agaynst the feare of Death.
IT is not to be marueyled, that worldly men do feare to dye: For death depriueth them of all worldly honors, riches, and possessions: in the fruition whereof, the worldely man compteth hymself happie, so long as he maye enioye theim at hys awne pleasure: and other wyse, if he be dispossessed of thesame, without hope of recouery, then he can none other thinke of himself, but that he is vnhappie, because he hath loste hys worldely ioye and pleasure. Alas thinketh this carnall man, shall I now depart for euer, frō all my honors, all my treasures, from my countrey, frendes, riches, possessiōs, and worldly pleasures, whiche are my ioy and hartes delight? Alas that euer that daie shal come, whē all these I muste bid farewell at once, and neuer to enioye any of thē after. Wherfore, it is not without greate cause spoken of the wiseman: Eccle▪ xli. O death, how bitter and sower is the remembraunce of thee, to a man that liueth in peace, and prosperitie in his substaunce, to a man liuyng at ease, leading his life after his awne mind, without trouble, & is therwithal well pampered and fed? There be other men, whom this world doth not so greatly laugh vpon, but rather vexe and oppresse with pouertye, sickenesse, or some other aduersitie: Yet thei do fear death, partly because the fleashe abhorreth naturally his awne sorowful dissolucion, whiche death doth threaten vnto theim, and partely, by reason of sickenesses, and [Page] paynfull diseases, whiche be moste strong pangues and agonies in the fleshe, and vse commōly to come to sicke men, before death, or at the leaste, accompany death, whensoeuer it commeth.
Although these twoo causes s [...]me great & weightie to a worldly man, wherupō he is moued to feare death, yet there is another cause much greater then any of these afore rehersed, for whiche in dede, he hath iuste cause to feare death: and that is, the state and cōdicion, wherunto at the last ende, death bryngeth all them that haue their hartes fixed vpō this world, without repentaunce and amendemēt. This state & condicion, is called the second death, whiche, vnto all suche, shall insue after this bodily deathe. And this is that death, whiche in deede ought to be dread & feared: for it is an euerlasting losse without remedy, of the grace & fauor of God, and of euerlastyng ioy, pleasure, and felicitie. And it is not onely the losse for euer of all these eternall pleasures, but also it is the condempnacion, both of body & soule, (without either appellaciō, or hope of redempcion) vnto euerlastynge paynes in hell. Unto this state death sent the vnmercyfull and vngodly richeman, Luke. xvi, (that Luke speaketh of, in his Gospell) who liuyng in all wealthe and pleasure in this worlde, and cherishyng himself daily with daintie fare, and gorgeous apparel, despiced poore Lazarus, that lay pitifully at his gate, miserably plagued, and full of sores, and also greuously pined with hunger.
Bothe these twoo, were arrested of deathe, whiche sent Lazarus the poore miserable man by aungels anone vnto Abrahams bosome: a place of rest, [Page] pleasure and consolacion. But the vnmerciful richman, descended doune into hel, and beyng in tormē tes, he cried for comforte, complainyng of the intollerable payn that he suffered in that flamme of fire, but it was to late. So vnto this place, bodily death sendeth all them, that in this world, haue their ioye and felicite: all them, that in this world, be vnfaithfull vnto God, and vncharitable vnto their neighbors, so diyng without repentaūce, & hope of Gods mercie. Wherfore it is no maruaile, that the worldly man feareth death, for he hath muche more cause so to do, then he himself doeth considre.
The firste.Thus we se thre causes, why worldly men feare death. One, because thei shal lose therby, their worldely honors, riches, possessions, and all their hartes desires: The seconde Another, because of the painfull diseases, & bitter pangues, which commonly men suffre, either before, or at the tyme of death: but the chiefe cause, aboue al other, The thirde is the dread of the miserable state, of eternall dampnacion bothe of body and soule, whiche they feare, shal folow, after their departyng out of the worldly pleasures of this present life.
For these causes, be all mortall men, (whiche be geuē to the loue of this world) both in feare, & state of death, Hebre. ii. through syn (as y e holy apostle saith) so lōg as thei liue here in this world. But (euerlasting thā kes be to almighty God for euer) there is neuer one of al these causes, no, nor yet thei altogether, that cā make a true Christian man afraied to dye, (whiche is the very membre of Christe, i. Corin. iii. the temple of the holy Ghoste, the sonne of God▪ and the very inheritor of the euerlastyng kyngdom of heauen) but plainly [Page] contrary, he conceiueth great and many causes, vndoubtedly grounded vpon the infallyble and euerlastynge truth of the woorde of God, whiche moue hym, not onely to put away the feare of bodiely death, but also for the manifolde benefites and singuler commodities, whiche ensue vnto euery faithfull person, by reason of thesame, to wish, desire, & longe hartely for it. For death shall be to hym no death at all, but a very deliueraunce from death, frō all paynes, cares, and sorowes, miseries, and wretchednes of this world, and the very entry into rest, and a beginnyng of euerlastyng ioye, a tastyng of heauenly pleasures, so great, that neither toungue is able to expresse, neither eye to se, nor eare to heare them, no, nor for anye earthly mans hart to conceyue them. So excedinge greate benefites thei be, whiche God our heauenly father by his mere mercye, and for the loue of his sonne Iesus Christe, hathe layed vp in store, and prepared for theim, that humbly submitte themselfes to Gods wil, and euermore vnfainedly, loue him, from the botome of their hartes. And we oughte to beleue, that death beyng slayne by Christe, cannot kepe any man, that stedfastly trusteth in Christ, vnder his perpetuall tirāny and subiection, but that he shall ryse from death agayne vnto glory, at the last daye, appoynted by almighty God, lyke as Christ oure head, did ryse agayne, accordinge to Gods appoyntement, the thyrde daye. For sainct Augustine saieth: The head goynge before, the mē bres trust to folowe, & come after. And sainct Paule saieth: if Christe be rysen from the dead, we shall ryse also from thesame. And to comforte all Christen [Page] persons herein, holye scripture calleth this bodiely death a slepe, wherin mās senses be (as it were) takē, from hym, for a ceason, and yet when he awaketh, he is more freash, then he was when he went to bed. So, althoughe we haue our soules seperated from our bodyes for a ceason, yet at the general resurreccion, we shalbe more freash, beautifull and perfite, then we be now. For now we be mortall, then we shal be immortall, now infect with diuers infirmities, then clerely voyde of all mortall infirmities: now we be subiect to all carnall desyres, then we shalbe al spirituall, desiryng nothynge but Gods glory, & thinges eternal. Thus is this bodiely death, a doore, or entrynge vnto lyfe, and therfore not so muche dreadfull, (if it be rightly considered) as it is comfortable, not a mischief, but a remedy of all mischief, no enemy, but a frende, not a cruel tyraūt, but a gētle guide, leadyng vs, not to mortalitie, but to immortalitie, not to sorow and payne, but to ioye and pleasure, and that to endure for euer, if it be thankefully taken and accepted, as Gods messenger, and paciently borne of vs, for Christes loue, that suffered most paynfull death, for oure loue, to redeme vs from death eternall. Roma. viii. Accordynge hereunto, saincte Paule saieth: our lyfe is hidde with Christ in God, but when our lyfe shall appere, then shall we also appere with hym in glorye. Why then shall we feare to dye? consideryng the manifolde, and comfortable promises of the Gospell, and of holy scriptures? God the father hath geuen vs euerlastynge lyfe, (saieth S. Ihon) & thys lyfe in is hys sonne: Ihon. v [...]. he that hath the sonne, hath lyfe, & he that hath not y e sonne, [Page] hath not lyfe. Ihon. vi. And this I wrote (saieth S. Ihon) to you, that beleue in y e name of the sonne of God, that you maye knowe, that you haue euerlastynge lyfe, and that you do beleue vpō the name of the sonne of God. And our sauior Christ sayeth: Ihon. vi▪ he that beleueth in me, hath lyfe euerlastynge, and I wyll rayse him frō death to lyfe, at the last day. i. Corin. [...]. Sainct Paule also sayeth: that Christe is ordeyned and made of God, oure righteousnes, our holynes and redemption, to the entent that he, which wyll glory, should glory in the Lorde. Sainct Paule did contemne, and set litle by all other thynges, estemynge them as dunge, whiche before he had in very greate pryce, that he might be found in Christ, to haue euerlasting lyfe, true holynes, righteousnes and redēpcion. Finally, Collos. iii. S. Paule maketh a playne argument in this wise: If our heauenly father woulde not spare his awne naturall sonne, but dyd geue hym to death for vs, how can it be, that with him he shoulde not geue vs all thynges? Therfore, if we haue Christ, then haue we with him, and by him, all good thinges, whatsoeuer we can in our hartes wish or desire: as victorie ouer death, sinne and hel: we haue the fauor of God, peace wyth hym, holynes, wysedome, iustice, power, lyfe, and redempcion: we haue by hym, perpetuall health, wealth, ioye, and blysse euerlastynge.
All those therefore, haue great cause to be full of ioye, that be ioyned to Christ with true faythe, stedfast hope, and perfyt charitie, and not to feare death nor euerlastynge dampnacion. For deathe cānot depriue them of Iesu Christ, nor any sinne can cōdempne them, y t are graffed surely in him, which is their [Page] onely ioy, treasure, and lyfe. Let vs repent our synnes, amend our lyfes, trust in hys mercy and satisfaction, and death can neyther take hym from vs, nor vs from hym. For then, (as s. Paul saieth) whether we lyue or dye, Roma. xiiii. we be the Lordes awne. And agayne he sayeth: Christ did dye, and rose agayne, because he should be Lord, both of the dead & quicke. Then if we be the Lordes awne, when we be dead, it must nedes folowe, that suche temporall deathe, not onely cānot harme vs, but also, that it shall muche be to our profit, and ioyne vs vnto God, more perfectly: And thereof the christian hart may surely be certified by the infallible truth of holye scripture. It is God (sayeth sainct Paule) which hath prepared vs vnto immortalitie, and thesame is he, which hath geuen vs an earnest of the spirite. Therfore let vs be alwaies of good comforte, for we knowe, that so longe as we be in the body, we be (as it were) farre from God in a straunge countrey, subiect to many perils, walkyng without perfite sighte, and knowledge of almighty God, onely seynge hym by faythe, in holy scriptures. But we haue a courage & desire, rather to be at home with God and oure sauior Christe, farre from the body, where we maye behold hys Godhead, as he is, face to face, to oure euerlastyng comfort. These be saincte Paules wordes in effecte, wherby we may perceyue, that the lyfe in this world, is resembled to a pilgrimage, in a straunge countrie far frome God: Hebre. xiii. and that death, deliuerynge vs from our bodyes, doth sende vs straight home, into our awne countrey, and maketh vs to dwell presently with God for euer, in perpetuall [Page] rest and quietnesse. So that to dye is no losse, but profite and winnynge to all true christē people.
What lost the thefe, that hanged on the crosse with Christ by hys bodiely death? Yea, how much dyd he gayne by it? Luke. xxiii. Did not our sauiour say vnto hym, thys daye thou shalt be with me in Paradyse? And Lazarus, that pitifull person, Luke. xvi. that lay before y e richemans gate, payned with sores, and pined with hungre, did not death highlye profite and promote hym? Which by the ministery of Aungels, sent hym vnto Abrahās bosome, a place of rest, ioye and heauenly consolacion? Let vs thinke none other, (good christen people) but Christ hath prepared thesame ioye, and felicitie for vs, that he prepared for Lazarus & the thefe. Wherfore, let vs sticke vnto his saluacion, and gracious redempcion: and beleue hys worde, serue hym frō our hartes, loue & obeye hym, and whatsoeuer we haue done heretofore contrarye to hys moste holy wyll, now let vs repent in tyme, and hereafter study to correct our lyfe, & doubt not, but we shall finde hym as mercifull vnto vs, as he was either to Lazarus, or to y e thefe: whose exāples are written in holy scripture, for the comfort of thē, that be sinners, and subiecte to sorowes, miseries, & calamities in this worlde, that thei shoulde not despayre in Gods mercy, but euer truste, therby to haue forgiuenesse of their synnes, & lyfe euerlastinge, as Lazarus and the thefe had. Thus I trust euery christen man, perceyueth by the infallible woorde of God, that bodiely death cannot harme nor hinder theim, that truly beleue in Christ, but contrary shal profit & promote the christen soules, whiche beynge [Page] truly penitēt for their offences, departe hēce in perfect charitie, and in sure truste, that God is mercifull to thē, forgiuinge theyr synnes, for the merites of Iesus Christe, hys onely naturall sonne.
The seconde cause, why some do feare death.The seconde cause, why some do feare death, is sore sickenesse, and greuous paynes, whiche partly, come before death, and partely, accompayneth deathe, whensoeuer it cometh. This feare, is the feare of the frayle fleashe, and a naturall passion, belonginge vnto the nature of a mortall man. But true fayth, in Gods promyses, and regarde of the paynes and pangues, whiche Christe vpon the crosse suffered for vs miserable synners, with consideracion of the ioye, and euerlastyng lyfe to come in heauen, wil mitigate those paynes, and moderate thys feare, y t it shall neuer be able to ouerthrowe the hartie desire, and gladnesse, that the christian soule hath to be seperated from thys corrupt body, that it maye come to the gracious presence, of our sauiour Iesus Christ. If we beleue stedfastly the woorde of god, we shal perceyue, that suche bodiely sickenesse, pangues of death, or whatsoeuer dolorous paynes we suffre, either before or with death, be nothynge els in Christē mē, but the rodde of our heauenly and louynge father, wherwith he mercifully correcteth vs, either to trie and declare the faythe of hys pacient chyldren, that they maye be founde laudable, glorious, and honorable in hys sight, when Iesus Christ shalbe openly shewed, to be the Iudge of al the worlde: or els to chastise, and amende in them, whatsoeuer offendeth hys fatherly and gracious goodnesse, lest they shoulde peryshe [Page] euerlastingly. And this hys correctynge rodde, is common to all them, that be truly hys. Therfore let vs caste away the burden of synne, that lyeth so heuye in our neckes, and returne vnto God, by true penaunce, and amendemente of our lyfes. Let vs with paciēce runne thys course that is appoynted, sufferyng (for hys sake that dyed for our saluacion) al sorowes and pangues of death, and death it selfe ioyfully, when God sendeth it to vs, hauynge our eyes fixed euer vpon the heade, and capitayn of our fayth, Iesus Christe: Who (considerynge the ioye, that he shoulde come vnto) cared neyther for the shame, nor payne of deathe, but willingly, conformyng hys wyll to hys fathers wyll, moste paciently suffered the moste shamefull and paynefull deathe of the crosse, beyng innocent. Philip. ii▪ And now therfore, he is exalted in heauen, and euerlastingly sitteth on the rigtht hande of the throne of God the father. Let vs call to our remembraunce therfore, the lyfe and ioyes of heauen, that are kepte for al them, that paciently doo suffre here with Christe: and cō sider, that Christe suffered all hys paynfull passion, by synners, and for synners, and then we shall with pacience, and the more easyly, suffre suche sorowes and paynes, when they come. Let vs not set at light, the chastisinge of the Lorde, nor grudge at hym, nor fall from hym, when of hym we be corrected: for the Lorde loueth them, whom he doth correcte, and beateth euery one, whom he taketh to be hys chylde. What chylde is that, (saieth saincte Paule) whome the father loueth, Hebre. xii. and doth not chastice? If ye be without Gods correctiō (which al hys [Page] welbeloued and true children haue) then be you but bastardes, finally regarded of God, & not hys true chyldren.
Therfore, seynge that whē we haue in earth our carnall fathers to be our correctors, we do feare them, and reuerently take their correction, shall we not much more be in subieccion to God our spirituall father, by whome we shall haue eternal lyfe? And our carnall fathers some tyme correct vs, euen as pleaseth thē, without cause: but this father, iustely correcteth vs, either for our synne, to the intēt we should amende, or for our commoditie & wealthe, to make vs therby partakers of his holynesse. Furthermore, all correction, whiche God sendeth vs in thys present tyme, semeth to haue no ioye and comforte, but sorowe and payne: Yet it bringeth with it a taste of Gods mercye and goodnes towardes thē, that be so corrected, & a sure hope of Godes euerlastyng consolacion in heauē. If then these sorowes, diseases, and sickenesses, and also death it selfe, be nothyng els, but our heauenly fathers rod, wherby he certifieth vs of hys loue & gracious fauor, wherby he trieth and purifieth vs, wherby he geueth vnto vs holynesse, & certifieth vs, that we be hys children, and he our mercifull father: shall not we then, with all humilitie, as obedyent & louyng chyldren, ioyfully kysse our heauenly fathers rod, and euer saye in oure harte, with oure sauior Iesus Christe: Father, if this āguishe and sorowe wich I fele, and death, Mat. xxvi. which I se approche, maye not passe, but that thy wyll is, that I muste suffre them, thy wyll be done.
[Page]Now the thirde and speciall cause, The thyrde cause why death is to be feared. why death in deede is too be feared, is the miserable state of the worldly and vngodly people, after their death: But this is no cause at all, why the godly and faytheful people should feare death, but rather contrariwise, their godly conuersacion in thys lyfe, and beliefe in Christ, cleauing continually to hys merites, should make them to longe sore after that lyfe, that remayneth for them vndoubtedly after this bodely death. Of this immortall state, after thys transitory lyfe, where we shal liue euermore, in the presence of god, in ioye and reste, after victory ouer all sickenes, sorowes, sinne, and death: there be many, bothe playn places of holy scripture, which confirme the weake conscience agaynst the feare of al suche dolours, sickenesses, synne and death corporal, to asswage such trembling and vngodly feare, and to encourage vs with comforte and hope, of a blessed state after thys life. Sainct Paule wissheth vnto the Ephesians, Ephe. i. y t God the father of glory, woulde geue vnto theim, y e spirite of wisedome and reuelacion, that the eyes of their hartes might haue light to knowe him, and to perceyue, how great thinges he had called thē vnto, and how riche inheritaunce, he hath prepared after this life, for thē that perteyne vnto hym. Phil. i. And sainct Paul himself, declareth the desire of his hart, which was to be dissolued and losed frō hys body, and to be with Christ, which (as he sayde) was much better for him, althoughe to them, it was more necessary, y t he should liue, which he refused not, for their sakes. Euen like as sainct Martyn sayde: good Lorde, if I be necessary for thy people to do good vnto them [Page] I will refuse no labor, but els for myne awne selfe, I beseche the to take my soule.
Now, the holy fathers of the olde lawe, and all faythful and righteous men, which departed before our sauior Christes ascencion into heauen, dyd by death, departe from troubles vnto rest, frō the handes of theyr enemies into y e hādes of God, frō sorowes & sickenesses vnto ioyful refreashing into Abrahās bosome, a place of al cōfort & cōsolaciō, as scriptures do plainly by manifest wordes testifie. The boke of Wisedō saith: Sapien. iii. y t the righteous mens soules be in the hand of God, & no torment shal touche thē. They semed to the eyes of folishe men to dye, and their death was cōpted miserable, and theyr departing out of this worlde, wretched, but thei be in rest. And another place saieth: that the righteous shall liue for euer, and their rewarde is with the Lorde, & their myndes be with God, who is aboue al. Therfore they shall receyue a glorious kyngdome, and a beautifull croune, at the Lordes hand. And in another place, Sapien. iiii. thesame boke saieth: y e righteous, though he be preuented with sodain death, neuerthelesse he shalbe there, where he shalbe refreshed. Of Abrahās bosome, Christes wordes be so playne, that a christē man nedeth no more profe of it. Now then, if thys were y e state of y e holy fathers & righteous mē, before the cōminge of our sauior, and before he was glorified, how much more then, oughte all wee to haue a stedfast faith, & a sure hope of this blessed state & cō dicion, after our death? Seynge that oure sauior, now hath perfourmed the whole worke of oure redempcion, and is gloriously ascended into heauen, [Page] to prepare oure dwellinge places with hym, & saied vnto hys father: Father, I will that where I am, Ihon. xvii. my seruauntes shalbe with me. And we knowe, that whatsoeuer Christe wyll, hys father will the same: wherfore it cannot be, but if we be his faythfull seruauntes, our soules shalbe with hym, after oure departynge out of this present life. Sainct Stephin, Actes. vii. when he was stoned to death, euen in the middest of hys tormentes, what was hys mynde moste vpon? When he was full of the holy Ghoste, (sayeth holye scripture) hauynge hys eyes lifted vp into heauen, he sawe the glory of God, and Iesus standinge on the righte hande of God. The which truth, after he had confessed boldely before the enemies of Christ, they drewe hym oute of the citie, and there they stoned hym, who cried vnto God saiynge: Lorde Iesu Christe, take my spirite. And doeth not oure sauior saye playnely in saincte Ihons Gospel? Uerely, Ihon▪ v▪ verely, I saye vnto you, he that heareth my woorde & beleueth on hym y t sente me, hath euerlastynge lyfe, and commeth not into iudgemēt, but shall passe frō death to lyfe. Shall we not then thinke that death to be precious, by the whiche we passe vnto lyfe? Therfore it is a true saiynge of the Prophete: Psalm. [...]xvi. the death of the holy and righteous mē, is precious in the Lordes sighte. Holy Simeon, after that he had hys hartes desire, in seynge oure sauior that he euer longed for all hys lyfe, he embraced hym in his armes, and sayde: Now Lord, let me departe in peace, Luke. ii. for myne eyes haue beholdē that sauior, which thou haste prepared for all nacions.
It is truthe therefore, that the death of the righteous, [Page] is called peace, and the benefite of the Lord, as the Church saieth in y e name of the righteousnes departed out of this world: Psalm. cxiiii. My soule turne the to thy rest, for the Lorde hath bene good to the, and rewarded the. And we se by holy scripture, and other auncient Histories of Martyrs, that the holy faithfull, and righteous, euer syns Christes ascencion, in their death did not doubte, but that they went to be with Christe in spirite, whiche is oure lyfe, healthe, wealth and saluacion. Apoc. xiiii. Ihon in his holy Reuelaciō, saw a .C.xl. and .iiij.M. virgins and innocentes, of whome he saide: These folow the Lābe Iesu Christ wheresoeuer he goeth. And shortly after, in thesame place he saieth: I heard a voyce frō heauen, saiyng vnto me: Write, happye and blessed are the dead, whiche dye in the Lorde: from hencefurthe (surelye saieth the syirite) they shall reste from theyr paynes and labours, for their woorkes do folow them. So that then they shall reape with ioye and comforte that, whiche they sowed with labors and paynes. They that sowe in the spirit, of the spirit shall reape euerlastynge lyfe. Let vs therefore neuer be wery of well doynge, for when the tyme of reapynge, or reward commeth, we shal reape without any werines, euerlastynge ioye. Therfore, whyle we haue time (as saincte Paule exhorteth vs) let vs doo good to all men, Galat vi. Matth. vi. & not lay vp our treasurers in earth, where ruste and mothes corrupt it, whiche ruste (as sainct Iames saieth) shall beare witnes against vs, Iames. v. at the great daye, condempne vs, and shal (like most brennynge fyre) tormente oure fleashe. Let vs beware therefore, (as we tendre oure awne wealthe) that we [Page] be not in the numbre of those miserable coueteous men, whiche, sainct Iames biddeth mourne and lament, for their gredy gatherynge, and vngodly kepynge of goodes. Let vs be wise in time, and learne to folowe the wise example of the wicked Stuarde. Let vs so prudently dispose oure goodes and possessions, committed vnto vs here by God for a ceason, that we maye truely heare and obeye this commaundement of oure sauior Christes: I saye vnto you, (sayeth he) make you frendes of the wicked Mammon, that they maye receiue you, into euerlastynge tabernacles. Ryches, he calleth wicked, Luke. xvi. because the worlde abuseth them vnto all wickednes, which are otherwise the good gifte of God, and the instrumentes, whereby Gods seruauntes do truely serue hym, in vsynge of thesame. He commaunded them not, to make them ryche frendes, to get hyghe dignities, and worldly possessiōs, to geue great giftes to ryche men, that haue no neede thereof, but to make theim frendes of poore and miserable men: vnto whome, whatsoeuer they geue, Christe accepteth it, as geuen to hymselfe. And to these frendes, Christe in the Gospell geueth so greate honor and preeminence, that he sayeth: they shall receyue theyr benefactors, into euerlastynge houses: Not that men shalbe oure rewarders, for our well doyng, but that Christ will rewarde vs, and take it to be done vnto hymselfe, whatsoeuer is doone to suche frendes.
Thus makynge poore wretches oure frendes, we make oure sauioure Christe oure frende, whose membres they are, whose miserie, as he taketh for [Page] hys awne misery, so theyr reliefe, succour and helpe, he taketh for hys succoure, reliefe, and helpe, and will asmuche thanke vs and rewarde vs for oure goodnes shewed to them, as if he him selfe had receyued lyke benefite at oure handes, as he witnesseth in the Gospell, saiynge: Whatsoeuer ye haue done to any of these symple persones, Matth. xxv. whiche do beleue in me, that haue ye doen to my selfe. Therfore let vs diligently forese, that our fayth and hope, whiche we haue conceyued in almightie God, and in oure sauioure Christe, waxe not faynte, nor that the loue whiche we pretende to beare to hym, waxe not coulde: but let vs studye dayly and diligently to shewe oure selfes to be the true honorers and louers of God, by kepynge of his commaundemētes, by doyng of good dedes vnto our nedy neighbors, releuynge by all meanes that we can, their pouertye with our abundaunce, their ignoraunce with oure wisedome and learnynge, and comforte their weakenesse, with oure strength and aucthoritie: calling all men backe from euill doynge, by Godly counsayll and good example, perseuerynge styll in well doynge so longe as we lyue. So shall we not nede to feare death, for any of those three causes afore mencioned, nor yet for any other cause that can be imagined. But contrary, consideryng the manifold sickenesses, troubles & sorowes of this present lyfe, the daungers of this perilous pilgrimage, and the greate encombraunce, whiche oure spirite hath by thys synful fleshe and frayle body subiect to death: considerynge also the manifolde sorowes and daū gerous deceiptes of this world on euery side, the intollerable [Page] pride, coueteousnes, and lechery in tyme of prosperitie, the impacient murmurynge of them that be worldly in tyme of aduersitie, whiche cease not to withdrawe and plucke vs from God oure sauioure Christe, from oure life, wealth, or eternal ioy and saluacion: considerynge also the innumerable assaultes, of oure Ghostly enemy the deuill, with al his fiery dartes of ambicion, pryde, lechery, vainglory, enuie, malice, detractiō, with other hys innumerable deceiptes, engines and snares, whereby he goeth busely aboute to catche al men vnder his dominion, euer lyke a roreynge Lyon, i. Pet. v. by all meanes searchynge whome he maye deuoure: the faythfull Christian man, which considereth al these miseries, perilles and incommodities, (whereunto he is subiecte, so longe as he here liueth vpon earthe) and on the other part, considereth that blessed and comfortable state of the heauēly lyfe to come, and the swete condicion of them, that departe in the Lorde, howe they are deliuered from the continuall encombraū ces of their mortall and synfull bodye, from all the malice, craftes and deceiptes of this world, from al the assaultes of their ghostly enemy the deuil, to liue in peace, reste and perpetuall quietnes, to liue in the felowship of innumerable Aungelles, and with the congregacion of perfecte iuste mē, as Patriarches, Prophetes, Martyrs and Confessors: and finally, vnto the presence of almighty God, and oure sauior Iesus Christe. He that doeth consider all these thinges, and beleueth theim assuredly, as they are to be beleued, euen from the botome of his harte, beynge established in God, in thys true faythe, hauynge a [Page] quiete conscience in Christe, a firme hope, and assured trust in Gods mercy, through the merites of Iesu Christe, to obteyne thys quietnes, reste and eternall ioye: shal not onely be without feare of bodiely deathe, when it commeth, but certainlye (as saincte Paule did) so shall he gladly (accordynge to Gods will, Phil. i. and when it pleaseth God to call hym oute of thys lyfe) greately desyre in hys harte, that he maye be rid from al these occasions of euil, and liue euer to Gods pleasure, in perfecte obedience of hys will, with our sauior Iesus Christe: to whose gracious presence, the Lorde of hys infinitie mercye and grace, brynge vs to reigne with hym, in lyfe euerlastynge. To whome, with oure heauenly father, and the holy Ghoste, be glorye in worldes without ende. AMEN.
¶An exhortacion, concernyng good ordre and obedience, to rulers and magistrates.
ALmightie God hath created & appointed all thinges, in heauē, yearth, and waters, in a moste excellent and perfect ordre. In heauē, he hath appoynted distinct orders and states of Archangelles and Angels. In yearth he hath assigned kynges, princes, with other gouernors vnder them, all in good & necessary ordre. The water aboue is kept and raineth doune in due time and ceason. The sunne, mone, sterres, rainbow, thū der, lightning, cloudes, and al birdes of the aire, do kepe their ordre. The yearth, trees, seedes, plantes, herbes, corne, grasse, and all maner of beastes, kepe thē in their ordre. All the partes of y e whole yeare, as winter, somer, monethes, nightes & dayes, continue in their ordre. All kyndes of fishes in the sea, riuers and waters, with all fountaynes, sprynges, yea, the seas themselfes, kepe their comely course and ordre. And mā hymself also, hath al his partes, both within & without: as soule, harte, mynd, memory, vnderstandyng, reason, speache, withall and singuler corporall mēbres of his body, in a profitable, necessary and pleasaunt ordre. Euery degre of people, in their vocacion, callyng, & office, hath appoynted to them, their duetie & ordre. Some are in high degre, some in lowe, some kynges & princes, some inferiors and subiectes, priestes, and laimen, masters & seruauntes, fathers & chyldren husbandes and wifes, riche and poore, and euery one haue nede of other: so that in all thinged, is to be laudes & praysed the goodly ordre of God, without the whiche, no house, no citie, [Page] no cōmon wealth, can continue & endure. For where there is no right ordre, there reigneth all abuse, carnall libertie, enormitie, syn, & babilonicall cōfusion. Take awaye kynges, princes, rulers, magistrates, iudges, and such states of Gods ordre, no man shal ride or go by the high waie vnrobbed, no man shall slepe in his awne house or bed vnkilled, no mā shall kepe his wife, children, & possessions in quietne: sall thynges shal be cōmon, and there must nedes folow all mischief and vtter destructiō, both of soules, bodies, goodes and common wealthes. But blessed be God, that we in this realme of England fele not the horrible calamities, miseries & wretchednes, which al thei vndoubtedly fele & suffre, y t lacke this godly ordre. And praised be God, that we knowe the great excellēt benefite of god, shewed towards vs in this behalfe. God hath sente vs his high gifte, our most dere souereigne lord king Edward y e sixt, with godly wise, and honorable coūsail, with other superiors and inferiors in a beautifull ordre. Wherefore, let vs subiectes do our bounden duties, geuing hartie thankes to God, and praiyng for the preseruaciō of this Godly ordre. Let vs al obey euen from the botome of our hartes, al their Godly procedynges, lawes, statutes, proclamacions, and iniunctiōs, with al other Godly orders. Let vs considre the scriptures of the holy ghost, whiche perswade & cōmaunde vs all obediently to be subiect: First & chiefly, to the kynges maiestie, supreme had ouer all, & next, to his honorable counsail, and to all other noble men, magistrates and officers, which by Gods goodnes be placed and ordered: for almightie God, is the onely [Page] aucthor and prouider of thys forenamed state and ordre, as it is written of God, in the boke of the prouerbes: through me, kynges do reigne: Prouer. viii▪ through me counsailors make iust lawes, through me, doo princes beare rule, and all iudges of the yearth execute iudgement: I am louyng to them, that loue me.
Here let vs marke wel, & remembre, that the high power & aucthoritie of kynges, with theyr makyng of lawes, iudgemētes, & officers, are the ordinaunces, not of man, but of God: & therfore is this word (through me) so many tymes repeted. Here is also well to be cōsidered and remembred, that this good ordre is appoynted of Gods wisedom, fauor, & loue, specially for them that loue god, & therfore he saith: I loue them, y t loue me. Also, Sapien. vi. in the boke of wisedom we may euidently learne, that a kynges power, aucthoritie, & strength, is a greate benefite of God, geuen of his great mercy, to the comfort of our greate misery. For thus wee rede there spoken to kynges. Sapien. vi. Heare o ye kynges & vnderstand: learne ye y t be iudges of thendes of the yearth: geue eare ye, that rule the multitudes: for y e power is geuen you of y e lord, and the strength frō the highest. Let vs learne also here by the infallible word of God, that kinges and other supreme & higher officers, are ordeined of god who is most highest, & therfore they are here diligē tely taught, to apply thēselfes, to knowledge & wisedom, necessary for the orderynge of Gods people, to their gouernaūce committed. And they be here also taught by almighty God, that thei should reknowledge themselfes, to haue al their power & strength, not frō Rome, but immediatly of god most highest.
[Page] Deu. xxxii.We rede in the boke of Deuteronomy, y t al punishemēt perteineth to God, by this sentēce: vengeaū ce is mine, and I will reward. But this sentence we must vnderstād, to pertein also vnto y e magistrates, which do exercise Gods roume in iudgement & punishing, by good & godly lawes, here in yearth. And the places of scripture whiche seme to remoue from emong al christian men, iudgement, punishment, or kyllyng, ought to be vnderstand, that no mā (of his awne priuate aucthoritie) may be iudge ouer other may punish, or may kil. But we must refer al iudgemēt to god, to kynges & rulers, & iudges vnder thē, which be gods officers, to execute iustice, & by plain wordes of scripture, haue their aucthoritie & vse of y e swourd, graūted frō god, as we are taught by S. Paule the dere & elect Apostle of our sauior Christ, whō we ought diligētly to obeye, euen as we would obey our sauior Christ, yf he wer present. Thus. S. Paule writeth to the Roma. Roma. xiii. Let euery soule submit hymself, vnto the aucthoritie of the higher powers, for there is no power, but of God, the powers that be, be ordeined of God, whosoeuer therfore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinaunce of God, but they that resist, shal receiue to thēselfes dampnacion: for rulers are not fearful to thē that do good, but to thē that do euill. Wilt thou be without feare of the power? Do well then, & so shalt thou be praysed of the same: for he is the minister of God, for thy wealthe. But & if thou do that, whiche is euill, then feare, for he beareth not the swourde for naught, for he is the minister of God, to make vengeaunce on hym, that doth euill. Wherfore ye must nedes obey, not onely [Page] for feare of vengeaūce, but also, because of conscience, and euē for this cause paie ye tribute, for they are Gods ministers, seruyng for the same purpose.
Here let vs al learne of S. Paule, the elect vessel of God, y t all persones hauing soules, (he excepteth none, nor exempteth none, neither priest, apostle, nor prophet, saieth. s. Chriso.) do owe of boundē duetie, and euen in conscience, obedience, submission & subiection, to the hygh powers, which be constituted in aucthoritie by god, forasmuch as thei be gods liuetenauntes, Gods presidentes, Gods officers, Gods cōmissioners, Gods iudges, ordeyned of God hymself, of whom onely thei haue al their power, and all their aucthoritie. And thesame. s. Paule threateneth no lesse pain, then euerlasting dāpnacion to al disobediēt persons, to al resisters, against this generall and cōmon aucthoritie, forasmuch as they resist not man, but God, not mānes deuise and inuencion, but Gods wisedō, Gods ordre, power, and aucthoritie. And here (good people) let vs all marke diligently, that it is not lawfull for inferiors and subiectes, in any case to resist the superior powers: for. s. Paules wordes be playn, that whosoeuer resisteth, shall get to thēselfes dāpnacion: for whosoeuer resisteth, resisteth the ordinaūce of God. Our sauior Christe him self & his apostles, receiued many & diuerse iniuries of the vnfaithfull & wicked men in aucthoritie: yet we neuer rede, that thei, or any of thē, caused any sedicion or rebelliō agaynst aucthoritie. We rede oft, that they paciently suffered al troubles, vexacions, slaunders, pangues, & paines, and death it self obediently, without tumulte or resistence. They cōmitted [Page] their cause to him, that iudgeth righteously, and prayed for their enemyes hartely & earnestly. They knew that y e aucthoritie of y e powers, was Gods ordinaunce, & therfore bothe in their wordes & dedes, they taught euer obedience to it, and neuer taught, nor did the contrary. The wicked iudge Pilat sayd to Christe: Ihon▪ xix. knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifye the, and haue power also to lose the? Iesus aunswered: Thou couldest haue no power at all against me, except it were geuē the frō aboue. Wherby Christe taught vs plainly, that euen the wicked rulers haue their power and aucthoritie from God. And therfore it is not lawfull for their subiectes, by force to resyst thē, although they abuse their power; muche lesse then it is lawfull for subiectes to resiste their godly & christian princes, whiche do not abuse their aucthoritie, but vse thesame to Gods glory, & to the profyte and cōmoditie of Gods people. The holy apostle S. Peter cōmaundeth seruaūtes to be obedient to their masters, i. Peter. ii. not onely, if they be good and gentle, but also, if they be euil and froward: affirmyng, that the vocation & callyng of Gods people, is to bee pacient, and of the sufferyng syde. And there he bringeth in, y e pacience of our sauior Christ to perswade obedience to gouernors, yea, although they be wycked and wrong dooers. But let vs now heare S. Peter himself speake, for his awn wordes certifye best our conscience. i. Peter. ii. Thus he vttereth them in his firste Epistle: Seruauntes obeye your Masters with feare, not onely, if they be good and gentle, but also, if they bee frowarde: For it is thanke worthy, if a man for conscience towarde God, suffereth [Page] grief, and suffreth wrōge vndeserued: for what praise is it, when ye be beaten for your faultes, if ye take it paciently, but whē ye do wel, if you then suffre wrong, & take it paciently, then is there cause to haue thāke of God: for hereunto verely were ye called. For so did Christ suffre for vs, i. Peter. ii. leauyng vs an exāple, that we should folow his steppes. Al these be the very wordes of .s. Peter .s. Dauid also teacheth vs a good lesson in this behalfe, i. Reg. xiii.xix. and .xx▪ who was many tymes most cruelly & wrongfullye persecuted of kyng Saule, and many tymes also put in ieoperdy and daūger of his life, by kyng Saule & his people: yet he neuer resysted, neither vsed any force or violence against kyng Saule, his mortall enemy, but did euer to his liege Lorde & master kyng Saule, moste true, most diligent, and most faithfull seruice. In so muche, y t when the lord God had geuē kyng Saule into Dauides hādes in his awn caue, he would not hurt him, when he myght without all bodily perill, easly haue slain hym: no, he would not suffre any of his seruaūtes, once to lay their handes vpon kyng Saule, but praied to god in this wise: lord, kepe me from doyng that thyng vnto my master, the lordes anoynted: kepe me that I laye not my hande vpon him, seyng, he is y e anoynted of the lorde: for as truly as the lorde liueth, (except the lorde smyte him, or except his day come, or that he go doune to warre, & in battaill perishe) the Lorde be mercifull vnto me, that I lay not my hand vpon the lordes anoynted. And y t Dauid mighte haue killed his enemye kyng Saule, it is euidētly proued, in the first boke of the kynges, i. Reg. xxiiii. both by y e cuttyng of y e lap of Saules garment, [Page] & also by the playn cōfession of kyng Saule. Also another time (as it is mēcioned in the same boke) whē the most vnmercifull, & most vnkynd kyng Saule did persecute poore Dauid, God did agayn geue kyng Saule into Dauides hādes, by castyng of kyng Saul & his whole army, into a dead slepe: so that Dauid and one Abisai with him, came in the night into Saules hoste, wher Saule lay slepyng, and his speare stacke in the groūd at his hed. Then said Abisai vnto Dauid: God hath deliuered thyne enemy into thy hādes, at this tyme, now therfore let me smyte him once with my spear to the yearth, and I will not smyte him agayn the seconde tyme: meanyng thereby to haue kylled hym with one stroke, & to haue made him sure for euer. And Dauid answered, & sayd to Abisai, destroy him not: for who cā lay his hādes on the lordes anoynted & be giltles? And Dauid said furthermore: as sure as the lord liueth, the lord shal smite him, or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battaill, & there perish. The lord kepe me frō laiyng my handes vpon the lordes anoynted. But take thou now the speare y t is at his head, & the cruse of water, & let vs go: and so he did.
Here is euidently proued, that we may not resyst, nor in any wayes hurt, an anoynted kyng, which is Gods liuetenaūt, vecegerent, and highest minister in that countrey, Obiection. where he is kyng. But peraduenture, some here would saye, that Dauid in his awne defence, might haue killed kyng Saule lawfully, & with a safe conscience. Answere. But holy Dauid did knowe, that he might in no wise resist, hurt, or kyl, his souereigne lorde & kyng: he dyd knowe, that he was but [Page] king Saules subiect, though he wer in great fauor with God, & his enemy king Saule out of gods fauor. Therfore, though he wer neuer so much prouoked, yet he refused vtterly to hurt the lordes anoynted. He durst not, for offending God, & his awne cō science, (althought he had occasion & opportunitie) once lay his handes vpō Gods high officer y e king, whō he did know to be a person reserued (for his office sake) onely to Gods punishmēt and iudgemēt. Therfore he prayeth so ofte, & so earnestly, y t he laye not his handes vpon the Lordes anoynted. And by these .ii. exāples s. Dauid (beyng named in scripture a man after Gods awne hart) geueth a general rule and lesson, to all subiectes in the world, Psalm. lxxx. and .viii. not to resist their liege lord & king, not to take a sweard by their priuate aucthoritie, against their king, gods anointed, who onely beareth the sweard, by gods aucthoritie, for the maintenaūce of the good, & for the punishmēt of y e euil: who onely by Gods law, hath the vse of the swearde at his cōmaundemēt, & also hath all power, iurisdiction, regiment, & coercion, as supreme gouernor of all his realmes & dominiōs, and that, euen by the aucthoritie of god, & by gods ordinaunces. Yet another notable story & doctrine, is in the second boke of the kynges, that maketh also for this purpose. Whē an Amalechite, by king Saules awn cōsent & cōmaūdemēt, had kylled kyng Saul, ii. Reg. i. he wēt to Dauid, supposing to haue had great thā ke for his message, that he had killed Dauids mortall enemy, and therfore he made great hast, to tel to Dauid the chaūce: bringyng with him kyng Saules croune, that was vpon his hed and his bracelet [Page] that was vpon his arme, to perswade his tidynges to be true. But godly Dauid was so farr frō reioysyng at these newes, that immediatly he rēt his clothes of his backe, he mourned & wepte, and sayde to the messenger: how is it, that thou wast not afraied, to laie thy hādes on the lordes anoynted, to destroy him? And by & by, Dauid made one of his seruauntes to kil y e messenger, saiyng: thy bloud be on thine awne hed, for thy awn mouth hath testified against the, grauntyng y t thou hast slain the Lordes anoynted. These examples being so manifest & euident, it is an intollerable ignoraūce, madnesse, and wickednesse for subiectes, to make any murmuryng, rebellion, resistence, commocion or insurrection, agaynst their moste dere & most dread souereigne lorde and kyng, ordeined and appoynted of Gods goodnesse, for their cōmoditie, peace, and quietnes. Yet let vs beleue vndoubtedly, (good christiā people) that we may not obey Kynges, Magistrates, or any other, (though thei be our awne fathers) if thei would cō maunde vs to do any thyng, contrary to Gods cō maundemētes. In such a case, we ought to say with the Apostles: [...]. v. we must rather obeye God, then man. But neuertheles in y e case, we maye not in any wyse resist violētly, or rebell against rulers, or make any insurrection, sediciō, or tumultes, either by force of armes, (or otherwaies) against the anoynted of the Lord, or any of his appointed officers. But we must in suche case, paciently suffre all wronges and iniuries, referryng the iudgement of oure cause onely to God. Let vs feare y e terrible punishmēt of almightie God, against traitors, or rebellious persones, by [Page] the example of Chore, Dathan, and Abiron, whiche repined and grudged against Gods Magistrates, and officers, and therfore the earth opened, & swallowed them vp a liue. Other for their wicked murmuryng, & rebelliō, Nume. xi. wer by a sodain fire sent of God vtterly consumed. Other for their froward behauiour to their rulers, & gouernors, Gods ministers, were sodainly stricken, with a foule leprosy. Nume. xii. Other wer stinged to death, Nume. xxi. with wonderful straunge firy serpentes. Other wer sore plagued, so that ther was killed in one day, Nume xvi. the numbre of fourtene thousand and seuen hundred, for rebellion agaynst them, whō God had appoynted to be in aucthoritie. ii. Re. xv [...]ii Absalon also, rebelling against his father king Dauid, was punished with a straunge and notable death.
And lette no man thynke, that he can escape vnpunished, that cōmitteth treason, conspiracy, or rebellion, agaynste his souereigne Lorde the Kynge, though he commit thesame neuer so secretly, either in thought, woorde, or dede: neuer so priuely, in hys priuie chambre, by hymselfe, or openly communicatyng, and consultyng with other: For treason will not be hid: treason will out at the length. God will haue that moste detestable vice, bothe opened and punished, for that it is so directly against hys ordinaunce, and agaynste hys hygh principall iudge, and anoynted in yearth. The violence and iniury, that is committed against aucthoritie, is cōmitted agaynste God, the common weale, and the whole realme, whiche God wyll haue knowen, and condignely punished, one way or other. For it is notably wrytten of the Wiseman in Scripture, in the boke [Page] called Ecclesiastes: Eccle. x. wishe the Kyng no euyll, in thy thought, or speake no hurt of hym in thy priuy chā bre: for a byrde of the aire shall betraye thy voyce, and with her fethers, shall she bewraye thy wordes. These lessons & exāples are writē for our learnyng.
Let vs al therfore feare the moste detestable vice of rebelliō, euer knowyng and remembring, that he that resisteth commō aucthoritie, resisteth God and his ordinaunce, as it may be proued by many other mo places of holy Scripture. And here let vs take hede, that we vnderstād not these, or suche other like places (whiche so streightly commaunde obedience to superiors, and so streightly punisheth rebellion, and disobedience to thesame) to be meant in any cō diciō of the pretensed power of the bishop of Rome. For truely the scripture of God alloweth no suche vsurped power, full of enormities, abusions & blasphemies. But the true meanyng of these, and suche places, be to extol and set furthe, Gods true ordinaunce, and y e aucthoritie of Gods anointed kynges, and of their officers appoynted vnder them.
And concernyng the vsurped power of the bishop of Rome, which he most wrongfully chalengeth, as the successor of Christe, & Peter: we maye easely perceiue, how false, feined, and forged it is, not onely in that, it hath no sufficient grounde in holy scripture, out also by the fruites and doctrine therof. For our sauior Christ, & s. Peter teacheth most earnestly and agreably obedience to kynges, as to the chief, & supreme rulers in this world, next vnder God: but the bishop of Rome teacheth immunities, priuiledges, exempciōs, and disobedience, moste clearly agaynst [Page] Christes doctrine and s. Peters, He ought therefore rather to be called Antichriste, & the succcssor of the Scribes & Phariseis, then Christes vicar, or s. Peters successor: seyng, that not only in this poynt, but also in other weightie matters of Christian religiō, in matters of remission of synnes, & of saluacion, he teacheth so directly agaynst, both s. Peter & against our sauior Christe: Who not onely taught obediēce to kynges, but also practised obedience, in their cō uersaciō & liuyng. For we rede, that they both paied tribute to the kyng. And also we rede, Matth. xvii. that the holye virgyn Mary, mother to our sauior Christ, Luke. ii. and Ioseph, who was taken for his father, at the emperors cōmaundemente, went to the citie of Dauid, named Bethleem, to be taxed emōg other, & to declare their obedience, to the magistrates, for Gods ordinaunces sake. And here let vs not forget y e blessed virgin Maries obedience: for although, she was highly in Gods fauor, and Christes naturall mother, & was also great with chylde that same time, & so nigh her trauaile, that she was deliuered in her iourney: yet, she gladly without any excuse or grudgyng (for cō science sake) did take that cold & foule winter iourney, beyng in the meane ceason so poore, that she lay in the stable, and there she was deliuered of Christ. And according to thesame, lo, how s. Peter agreeth, writing by expresse wordes, in his first Epistle: i Pet. ii. submit your selfes, (saieth he) vnto kinges, as vnto the chief heddes, or vnto rulers, as vnto them, that are sent of hym, for the punishment of euill doers, & for laude of thē that do well, for so is the wil of God. I [...]ede not to expoūd these wordes, they be so plain of [Page] thēselfes. S. Peter doth not say: submit your selfes vnto me, as supreme hed of the Churche, neither he saith, submit your selfes frō time to time, to my successors in Rome: but he saith, submit your sels vnto your kyng, your supreme head, and vnto those, that he appoynteth in aucthoritie vnder hym. For that ye shal so shew your obedience, it is the wil of God. God will that you be in subiection to your hed and king. That is Gods ordinaunce, Gods cōmaundement, & Gods holy will, that the whole body of euery realme, and al the membres & partes of thesame, shalbe subiect to their hed, their kynge, and that (as S. Peter writeth) for the Lordes sake: and (as S. Paule writeth) for consciēce sake, i. Pet. ii. Roma. xiii. and not for feare onely. Thus we learne by the worde of God, to yeld to oure kyng, that is dewe to oure kyng, that is, honor, obedience, paimentes of dewe taxes, customes, tributes, subsidies, loue and feare. Thus we knowe partly our bounden dueties to commō aucthoritie: Matth. xxii. Roma. xiii. nowe let vs learne to accomplishe thesame. And let vs moste instauntly and hartely praye to God, the onely aucthor of all aucthoritie, for all them that be in aucthoritie, according as S. Paule willeth, writyng thus to Timothe, i. Timo. ii. in his first Epistle: I exhort therfore, that aboue all thynges, prayers, supplicacions, intercessions, and geuing of thankes be doen for all men, for kynges, and for all that bee in aucthoritie, that we maye liue a quiete and a peaceable life, with al godlines and honestie: for that is good, and accepted in the sight of God our sauior. Here s. Paule maketh an earnest and an especiall exhortacion, concernyng geuyng of thankes, and praier for [Page] kynges and rulers, saiyng: aboue al thynges, as he might say, in any wise principally & chiefly, let prayer be made for kynges. Let vs hartely thāke God for his greate and excellent benefite and prouidēce, cōcernyng the state of kynges. Let vs pray for thē, that they may haue Gods fauor, and Gods proteccion. Let vs pray, that they may euer in al thinges haue God before their eyes. Let vs pray, that they may haue wisedom, strength, iustice, clemēcie, zeale to Gods glory, to Gods veritie, to christian soules, and to the common wealth. Let vs praye, that they maye rightly vse their swourde and aucthoritie, for the maintenaunce & defence of the catholique faith, conteined in holy scripture, and of their good and honest subiectes, and for the feare and punishement of the euill, and vicious people. Let vs praye, that they may faithfully folowe the moste faithfull kynges and capitaines in the Bible, Dauid, Ezechias, Iosias, & Moses, with such other. Iudith. v▪ And let vs praye for our selfes, that we maye liue Godly, in holy and christiā cōuersaciō: so we shal haue God of our side. And then let vs not feare, what man can do against vs: so we shall liue in true obedience, bothe to oure moste mercifull kynge in heauen, and to oure moste Christian kynge in earthe: so shall we please God, and haue the excedynge benefite, peace of consciēce, reste and quietnesse here in this worde, & after thys lyfe, we shall enioye a better lyfe, rest, peace, and the eternal blisse of heauē: whiche he graunt vs all, that was obedient for vs al, euē to the death of the crosse Iesus Christ: to whom with the father, and the holy ghost, be al honor & glory, bothe now & euer. Amen.
¶An Homelie of whoredome and vnclennesse.
ALthough, there want not (good christian people) great swarmes of vices, worthi to be rebuked, (vnto such decai is true godlynes & verteous liuinge now come) yet aboue other vices the outragious seas of adultery, whoredome, fornicacion, and vnclennesse, haue not onelye braste in, but also ouerflowed, almoste the whoole worlde, vnto the greate dishonor of God, the excedyng infamie of the name of Christ, the notable decay of true religion and the vtter destruction of the publique wealthe: and that so abundātly, that through the customable vse thereof, thys vice is growē into suche an height, that in a maner emong many, it is compted no sin at all, but rather a pastyme, a dalliaunce, and but a touche of youthe, not rebuked but winked at, not punyshed, but laughed at: wherfore it is necessarye at this presente, to entreat of the syn of whoredom, and fornicacion, declaringe vnto you, the greatnes of this syn, and how odious, hatefull, and abhominable it is, and hath alwaye been reputed, before God and al good men, and how greuously it hath been punished, bothe by the lawe of God, and the lawes of diuerse princes. Again, to shewe you certayne remedies, whereby ye maye, (through the grace of God) eschew this moste detestable synne of whoredom and fornicacion, and lead youre lyfes, in all honestie and cleannesse. And that ye maye perceiue, that fornicacion, and whoredome [Page] are (in the sight of God) moste abhominable synnes, ye shall call to remembraunce this commaundemēt of GOD: thou shalte not commit adultery: by the whiche woorde adultery, Exode. xx. although it bee properly vnderstande, of the vnlawful commixcion of a maryed manne with any woman beside his wife, or of a wife, with any man beside her husbande: yet therby is signified also, all vnlawfull vse of those partes, whiche bee ordeined for generacion. And this one commaundement (forbiddyng adultery) dooth sufficiently painte, and sette out before our iyes, the greatnesse of this synne of whoredome, and manifestly declareth, how greatly it ought to bee abhorred of all honest and faithfull persones. And that none of vs all, shall thynke hymselfe excepted from this commaundement, whether we be old, or young, maried, or vnmaried, man, or woman, heare what God the father saieth, by his mooste excellent Prophete Moses: there shalbee no whore, emong the daughters of Israell, nor no whoremongers, Deute. xxiii. emong the sonnes of Israell.
Here is whoredome, fornicacion, and all vnclennesse forbidden, to all kyndes of people, all degrees, and all ages, without excepcion. And that wee shall not doubt, but that this precept perteineth to vs in deede: heare what Christe (the perfecte teacher of all truthe) saieth in the newe Testament: Matth. v. ye haue heard (saieth Christe) that it was saied to theim of the old tyme: thou shalte not commit adultery: but I saie vnto you, whosoeuer seeth a womā to haue his lust of her, hath committed adultery with her all ready in his harte. Here our sauior Christe, doth not onely [Page] confirme and stablishe the lawe agaynste adultery, geuen in the olde Testament of God the father, by his seruaunt Moses, and make it of full strength, continually to remain emong the professors of his name in the newe lawe: But he also (condempnyng the grosse interpretacion of the Scribes and Phariseis, whiche taught, that the aforesaied commaundement onely required to abstein from the outward adultery, and not from the filthie desires and vnpure lustes) teacheth vs an exacte and full perfeccion of puritie and clennesse of life, bothe to kepe our bodies vndefiled, and our hartes pure and fre, from all euill thoughtes, carnall desires, and fleshly consentes. Howe can wee then bee free from this commaundement, where so greate charge is laied vpon vs? Maie a seruaunt do what he will in any thyng, hauyng a commaundement of his master to the cō trary? Is not Christe our Master? Are not wee his seruauntes? Howe then maie wee neglecte our Masters will, and pleasure, and folowe oure awne will and phantasie? Ihon. xv. Ye are my frendes (saieth Christe) if you kepe those thynges, that I commaunde you. Nowe hath Christe our Master commaunded vs, that we should forsake all vnclennesse, and lecherie, bothe in body and spirite: this therfore must we do, if we loke to please GOD. In the Gospell of sainct Matthewe, we reade that the Scribes and Phariseis, Matth. xv. were greuously offended with Christe, because his disciples did not kepe the tradicions of the fore fathers: for thei washed not their handes, when thei went to diner or supper, Matth. xv. and emong other thynges, Christ aunswered, and saied: heare and vnderstand: [Page] not that thyng, Matthe. xv. whiche entereth into the mouthe defileth the man, but that, whiche commeth out of the mouthe, defileth the man. For those thinges, whiche procede out of the mouthe, come furth from the hart and thei defile the man. For out of the hart, procede euill thoughtes, murders, breakyng of wedlocke, whoredome, theftes, false witnes, blasphemies: these are the thynges, whiche defile a man. Here maie we se, that not onely murder, thefte, false witnes, & blasphemie, defile men: but also euill thoughtes, breakyng of wedlocke, fornicacion, and whoredome.
Who is nowe of so litle witte, Ihon. xiiii. Titus. i. that he will esteme whoredome, and fornicacion, to bee thynges of smal importaunce, and of no waight before God? Christe (whiche is the truthe and cannot lye) saieth, that euill thoughtes, breakyng of wedlocke, whoredome, and fornicacion, defile a manne, that is to saie, corrupte bothe the body and soule of manne, and make theim, of the Temples of the holy Ghoste, the filthy dunghill, or dungeon of all vncleane spirites, of the Mansion of GOD, the dwellyng place of Sathan. Agayne, in the Gospell of saincte Ihon, Ihon. viii. when the woman taken in adultery, was broughte vnto Christe, saied not he vnto her: Go thy waie and synne no more? Dooth not he here call whoredome synne? And what is the rewarde of synne, but euerlastyng deathe? If whoredome bee synne, Roma. vi. then is it not lawful for vs to commit it. For. S. Ihon saith: i. Ihon. iii. he that cōmitteth synne, is of the deuill. Ihon. viii Roma. vi. And our sauior saith, euery one that committeth syn, is the seruaunt of syn. If whoredom had not been syn, surely S. Ihon Baptist, would neuer haue rebuked kyng [Page] Herode, for takyng his brothers wife: but he tolde him plainly, that it was not lawfull for him, to take his brothers wife. He wynked not at the whoredom of Herode, although he wer a kyng of greate power but boldely reproued hym, for his wicked and abhominable liuyng, although for thesame he lost his hedde. But he would rather suffre deathe (then see GOD so dishonored, by the breakyng of his holy precept) then to suffre whoredome to be vnrebuked, euen in a Kyng. If whoredome had been but a pastyme, a daliaunce, and a thyng not to bee passed of (as many coumpt it now a daies) truely, Ihon had been more then twyse madde, if he would haue had the displeasure of a king, if he would haue been cast into prison, and lost his hedde for a trifle. But Ihō knewe right well, how filthy, stynkyng, and abhominable, the synne of whoredome is, in the sight of GOD, therefore would not he leaue it vnrebuked, no, not in a kyng. If whoredome bee not lawfull in a kyng, neither is it lawfull in a subiect. If whoredome bee not lawfull in a publique officer, neither is it lawfull in a priuate persone. If it bee not lawfull, neither in kyng, nor subiecte, neither in commō officer, nor priuate persone, truely, then is it lawfull in no man, nor woman, of whatsoeuer degree, or age thei bee. Actes. xv. Furthermore, in the Actes of the Apostles, we reade, that when the Apostles and Elders, with the whole congregacion, were gathered together to pacifie the hartes of the faithfull dwellyng at Antioche, (whiche were disquieted through the false doctryne, of certain Iewishe preachers) thei sente worde to the brethren, that it semed good to the holy [Page] ghost, and to them, to charge them with no more, then with necessary thynges: emōg other, thei willed them to abstein from Idolatry, and fornicacion, frō which (said thei) if ye kepe your selfes, ye shal do wel
Note here, how these holy and blessed fathers of Christes Churche, would charge the congregacion with no mo thynges, then wer necessary. Marke also, how emong those thynges, from the whiche thei commaunded the brethren of Antioche to abstein, fornicacion and whoredom is numbred. It is therfore necessary, by the determinacion and consent of the holy ghost, and the apostles and elders, with the whole congregacion, that, as from Idolatry and supersticion: so likewise we must abstein from fornicaciō and whoredom. Is it necessary vnto saluaciō to abstein from Idolatry? So is it, to abstein from whoredom. Is there any nigher waie, to leade vnto dampnacion, then to bee an Idolater? No, euen so, neither is there a nerer waie to dampnacion, then to be a fornicator, and an whoremonger.
Now, where are those people, whiche so lightly esteme breakyng of wedlocke, whoredom, fornicaciō and adultery? It is necessary, saieth the holy ghost, the blessed Apostles, the elders, with the whole congregacion of Christ: it is necessary to saluacion (saiethe) to abstein from whoredō. If it bee necessary vnto saluacion, then wo be to them, whiche neglectyng their saluacion, geue their myndes to so filthye, and stinkyng sinne, to so wicked vice, to suche detestable abhominacion. But lette vs heare, what the blessed Apostle sainct Paule saith to this matter. Writyng to the Romaynes, he hath these wordes: Rom [...] ▪ xii▪ Let vs cast [Page] awaie the woorkes of darkenes, and put on the armours of light. Roma. xiii. Let vs walke honestly as it wer in the daie tyme, not in eatyng and drynkyng, neither in chambrynges and wantonnesse, neither in striefe and enuiyng, but put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ, and make not prouision for the fleshe, to fulfill the lustes of it. Here the holy Apostle exhorteth vs to caste awaie the workes of darkenesse, whiche (emōg other) he calleth gluttonous eatyng, drinkyng, chā beryng and wantonnesse, whiche all are ministeries vnto that vice, and preparacions to induce & bring in, the filthy synne of the fleshe. He calleth theim the deedes and woorkes of darkenes, not onely because thei are customably dooen in darkenesse, or in the night tyme, Ihon. iii. (for euery one that doth euill, hateth the light, neither commeth he to the light, least his workes should be reproued) but that thei lead the right waie vnto that vtter darkenesse, Matth. xiii. where wepyng and gnashyng of teethe shalbee. And he saieth in another place of thesame Epistle: Thei that are in the fleshe, cannot please GOD. We are debtors to the fleshe, not that wee should liue after the fleshe, for if ye liue after the fleshe, Roma. viii. ye shall dye. Agayn he saieth, flye from whoredome, for euery synne that a manne committeth, is without his bodye, but whosoeuer committeth whoredome, synneth against his awne body. i. Corin. vi. Dooe ye not knowe, that youre membres are the Temple of the holy Ghoste, whiche is in you, whom also ye haue of GOD, and ye are not youre awne? For ye are derely bought: glorifie GOD in your bodies. &c. And a litle before, he saieth: Dooe ye not knowe, that your bodies are the membres of [Page] Christe? Shall I then take the membres of Christ, and make them the membres of an whore? God forbid. Do ye not knowe that he, whiche cleueth to an whore, is made one body with her? There shalbee two in one fleshe (saith he): but he that cleueth to the lorde, is one spirite. What Godly reasons doth the blessed apostle s. Paule bryng furth here, to disswade vs from whoredom, and al vnclennesse? Your members (saieth he) are the Temple of the holy Ghoste: whiche, whosoeuer doth defile, God wil destroy him as (saieth s. Paule. If we be the Temple of the holy Ghoste, how vnsittyng then is it, to driue that holy spirite frō vs, through whoredome, and in his place to set the wicked spirites of vnclennesse and fornicacion, and to be ioyned, and do seruice to theim? Ye are derely bought (saieth he) therefore glorifie God in your bodies. Christ that innocent lambe of God, i. Corin. vi. i. Peter. i. hath bought vs, from the seruitude of the deuil, not with corruptible gold and siluer, but with his most precious and dere harte bloudde. To what intente? That wee should fall again vnto our olde vnclennesse, and abhominable liuyng? Naie verely: Luke. i. Esay. xxxviii. But that wee should serue hym, all the daies of our life, in holinesse, and righteousnesse: that we should glorifie hym in our bodies, by puritie and clennesse of life. He declareth also, that our bodies are the members of Christe. How vnsemely a thyng is it then, to cease to bee incorporate and one with Christe, and through whoredome to be ioyned, and made all one with an whore? What greater dishonor, or iniurie can we do to Christ, then to take awaie from hym, y e members of his body, and to ioyne them to whores, [Page] deuils, and wicked spirites? And what more dishonoure can we do to our selfes, then through vnclennesse, to lose so excellent a dignitie and fredome, and to become bonde slaues, and miserable captiues, to the spirites of darkenesse? Lette vs therefore considre, first the glory of Christe, and then our state, our dignitie and fredome, wherein God hath set vs, by geuyng vs his holy spirite, and lette vs valeauntly defende thesame, against Sathan, and all his craftie assautes, that Christ maie bee honored, and that we loose not our libertie, but still remain in one spirite with hym.
Ephe. v.Moreouer, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, the blessed Apostle willeth vs, to bee so pure, and free, from adultery, fornicacion, and all vnclennesse, that we not once name them emong vs (as it becommeth sainctes) nor filthinesse, nor foolishe talkyng, nor iestyng, whiche are not commely, but rather geuyng of thankes. Galath. v. i. Corin. vi. For this ye knowe (saieth he) that no whoremonger, either vncleane person, or coueteous persone, (whiche is an Idolater) hath any inheritaunce in the kyngdome of Christe, and God. And that we should remembre to bee holy, pure, and free frō all vnclennesse: the holy Apostle calleth vs sainctes, because we are sanctified, and made holy in the bloud of Christe, through the holy ghoste.
Now, if we bee sainctes, what haue we to do with the maners of the Heathen? i. Peter. i. Saincte Peter saieth: as he, whiche called you, is holy, euen so, bee ye holy also, in all your conuersacion, because it is written: Be ye holy, Leui. xi. [...] xix. for I am holy. Hetherto haue we heard how greuous a synne, fornicacion, and whoredome [Page] is, and howe greatly God doth abhorre it, throughout the whole scripture. Howe can it any otherwyse be, then a synne of moste abhominacion, seyng it once may not be named emonge the christians, muche lesse, it may in any poynt be committed. And surely, if we would weyghe the greatnes of this synne, and consydre it in the right kynde, we shoulde fynde the synne of whoredom, to be that most fylthy lake, foule puddle, and stynkyng synke, wherinto all kyndes of synnes, and euils flow, wher also, they haue their restynge place, and abydinge.
For hath not the adulterer a pryde in hys whoredome? as the Wisemā sayeth: They are glad when they haue done euyl, and reioyse in thinges that are starke naught. Is not the adulterer also ydle, and delighteth in no godly exercise, but onely in that his most filthy, and beastly pleasure? Is not his minde abstracte, and vtterlye drawen awaye, from all vertous studyes, and fruicteful labours, and onely gyuen to carnall imaginacions? Doth not the whoremonger geue his mynde to glottonye, that he maye be the more apte, to serue hys lustes, & carnall pleasures? Doeth not the adulterer geue hys mynde to couetuousnes, and to pollyng and pillyng of other, that he maye be the moreable to mainteyne his harlottes and whores, and to contynue in hys filthye, and vnlawfull loue? Swelleth he not also with enuye, agaynst other, fearynge that his preye shoulde be allured, and taken awaye from hym? Agayne, is he not yrefull, and replenished with wrath and displeasure, euen agaynste his beste beloued, if at any tyme, his beastly and deuyllishe requeste be letted▪ [Page] what synne or kynde of synne is it, that is not ioyned with fornicacion and whoredome? Is it a monstre of manye heades: It receyueth all kyndes of vices, and refuseth all kyndes of vertues. If one seuerall synne bryngeth dampnacion, what is to be thought of that synne, which is accompanyed with all euyls, and hath waytynge on it, whatsoeuer is hatefull to God, dampnable to man, and pleasunt to Sathan?
Great is the dampnacion, that hangeth ouer the heades of fornicatours, and adulterers. What shal I speake of other incommodities, which issue, and flowe out of this stinkynge puddell of whoredome? Is not that treasure, which before all other, is most regarded of honest persons, the good fame and name of man and woman, loste through whoredome? What patrimony, what substaunce, what goodes, what riches, doth whoredome shortly consume and brynge to naughte? What valiauntes and strengthe, is many times made weake, and destroyed with whoredome? What wyt is so fyne, that is not doted and defaced throughe whoredome? What beautye (althoughe it were neuer so excellent) is not obscured through whoredome?
Is not whoredome an enemye to the pleasaunte flour of youth? and bringeth it not gray heares and olde age, before the tyme? What gyft of nature (although it were neuer so precious) is not corrupted with whoredom? Come not the Frēche pockes, with other diuerse diseases of whoredome? From whence come so many bastardes and misbegotten children, to the hyghe displeasure of God, and dishonoure of [Page] holy wedlocke, but of whoredome? How many consume all their substaunce and goodes, and at the laste falle into suche extreme pouerty, that afterward they steale, and so are hanged through whoredome? What contencion and manslaughter commeth of whoredom? How many maydens be deflowred, how many wyfes corrupted, howe many wydowes defyled, through whoredom? How much is the publique weale impoueryshed, and troubled through whoredom? How muche is Gods worde contempned and depraued by whoredome & whoremongers? Of this vice, commeth a great parte of the diuorces, whiche (now a dayes) be so cōmonly accustomed and vsed, by mēs priuate aucthoritie, to the great displeasure of God, and the breache of the most holy knotte and bonde of matrimonye. For when this most detestable sinne is once crept into the breaste of the adulterer, so that he is entangled with vnlawfull, and vnchaste loue, streyghtwayes, hys true and lawfull wyfe is despyced, her presence is abhorred, her companye stynketh, and is lothsome, whatsoeuer she doth, is de [...]prap [...]ed, there is no quietnes in the house, so longe as she is in sighte: Therefore to make shorte tale, muste she awaye, for her husbande can brooke her no lenger. Thus through whoredome, is the honest and innocent wyfe put awaye, and an harlot receiued in her stede: and in lyke sorte, it happeneth many tymes in the wyfe, towardes her husbande. O abhominacion? Christ oure sauiour, very God and man, commynge to restore the lawe of hys heauenly father, vnto the righte sense, vnderstandinge, & meanynge, (emong other thinges) refourmed [Page] the abuse of this law of God. Math. xix. For where as the Iewes vsed, of a long sufferaūce, by custome, to put away their wyfes at their pleasure, for euery cause: Christ correctyng that euyl custome, did teache that if any man put awaye his wyfe, & marieth an other, for any cause, except onely for adultery, (which then was death by the law) he was an adulterer, and forced also hys wyfe so diuorced, to cōmitte adulterye, if she were ioyned to any other man: & the man also, so ioyned with her, to cōmitte adultery.
In what case then are those adulterers, which for the loue of an whore, put awaye their true and lawfull wyfe, againste all lawe, ryght, reason, and conscience? O, dampnable is the state wherin thei stande. Swifte destruction shall fall on them, if they repent not, and amende not: for God wyll not euer suffer holy wedlocke, thus to be dishonoured, hated and despyced. He will once punishe this carnal and licencious maner of liuing, and cause, that his holy ordinaunce shalbe had in reuerence, and honoure. For surely, Hebre. iii. wedlocke (as the Apostle saieth) is honorable emonge all men, and the bed vndefyled: But whoremongers and fornicatours, Hebre. iii. God wyll iudge, [...] is to saye, punishe and cōdempne. But to what purpose is this labour taken, to describe, and set furth the greatnes of the synne of whoredome, and the incommodities that issue and flowe out of it, seynge that breath and toungue shall soner fayle any man, then he shall, or maye be able to set it out, according to the abhominacion and haynousnes therof? Notwithstandynge thys is spoken to the entent, that all men shoulde flee whoredome, and lyue [Page] in the feare of God. God graunt, that it maye not be spoken in vayne. Now wyll I declare vnto you in ordre, with what greuous punishmentes, God in tymes passe, plagued adulterye: and howe certayne worldly Princes also, dyd punishe it, that ye maye perceaue, that whoredom and fornicaciō be synnes, no lesse detestable in the sight of God, & of all good men, then I haue hytherto vttered. Gene. vi. In the fyrst boke of Moyses we reade, that when mankynd began to be multiplyed vpon the yearth, the men and women gaue their myndes so greatlye to carnall delectacion, and fylthy pleasure, that they lyued without all feare of God. God seynge this their beastlye and abhominable liuynge, and perceyuynge that they amended not, but rather encreased dayly more and more, in their synfull and vncleane maners, repented that he euer had made man: and to shewe how greatly he abhorred adultery, whoredome, fornicacion, and all vnclennes, he made all the fountaynes of the depe yearth, to burste out, and the [...]uces of heauen to be opened, so that the rayne came downe vpon the yearth, by the space of forty dayes, and forty nyghtes, and by thys meanes, destroyed the whole world, and all mankynde, eighte persons onely excepted, that is to saye, Noe, the preacher of righteousnes (as Sainct Peter calleth hym) and his wyfe, his three sonnes, and their wyfes. O what a greuous plague, dyd God cast here vpon all lyuyng creatures, for the synne of whordome? For the which, God toke vengeaunce, not onely of man, but also of beastes, foules, and all lyuynge creatures. Manslaughter was committed before, Gene. iiii. yet was not [Page] the worlde destroyed for that, but for whoredome, all the worlde (fewe onely excepte) was ouerflowed with waters, and so peryshed: An example worthye to be remembred, that ye maye learne to feare GOD.
Gene. xix.We reade agayne, that for the fylthye synne of vncleannes, Sodome and Gomorre, and the other cytyes nyghe vnto them, were destroyed, with fyre and brymstone from heauen, so that there was neither man, woman, chylde, nor beaste, nor yet anye thynge that grewe vpon the yearth, there lefte vndestroyed. Whose harte trembleth not at the hearynge of this hystorie? Who is so drowned in whoredome and vncleannes, that wil not nowe for euer after, leaue this abhominable liuynge, seynge that God so greuously punysheth vncleannes, to rayne fyre and brymstone from heauen, to destroye whole cyties, to kyll man, womā, and chylde, and all other liuynge creatures there abydyng, to consume wyth fyre, all that euer grewe? what can be more manyfest tokens of Gods wrathe and vengeaūce against vncleannes, and impuritie of lyfe? Marke this hystorye, (good people) and feare the vengeaunce of God. Gene. xiii. Do we not reade also, that GOD dyd smyte Pharao, and his house, with great plagues, because that he vngodly desyred Sara, the wyfe of Abraham? Gene. xx. Lykewyse reade we of Abimelech, Kynge of Gerar, although he touched her not by carnal knowledge. These plagues and punyshmētes, did God caste vpon fylthye and vncleane persones, before the law was geuen, (the lawe of nature onely reignynge in the hartes of men) to declare, howe greate [Page] loue he had to matrimonye: and agayne, howe muche he abhorred adulterye, fornicacion, and all vncleannes. And when the lawe that forbad whoredome, was geuen by Moyses to the Iewes, dyd not God commaunde, that the transgressours thereof, shoulde be put to death? The wordes of the lawe be these: Leuit. xx. Who so cōmitteth adulterye with anye mans wyfe, shal dye the death, bothe the man and the woman, because he hath broken wedlocke wyth hys neighbours wyfe. In the lawe also it was cōmaunded, that a damosell and a man taken together in whoredome, should be both stooned to death. In an other place we also reade, that God commaunded Moyses, to take all the heade rulers, Num. xxv. and princes of the people, & to to hang them vpon gybbets openly, that euery man might see them, because they eyther committed, or dyd not punishe whoredom. Agayne, dyd not God sende suche a plague emonge the people, for fornication and vncleannes, that they dyed in one daye, three and twenty thousande? I passe ouer for lacke of tyme, many other historyes of the holy Byble, which declare the greuous vengeaunce, and heauy displeasure of God, agaynste whoremongers, and adulterers. Certes, this extreme punyshment appoynted of God, sheweth euidently, how greatly God hateth whoredom. And let vs not doubte, but that God at thys present, abhorreth all maner of vncleannes, no lesse then he did in the olde lawe: and wyll vndoubtedly punishe it, both in this worlde, and in the worlde to come. For he is a God, Psalm. v. that can abyde no wyckednes: therefore oughte it to be eschewed of all, that tendre the glorye of God, [Page] and the saluacion of theyr awne soules.
i. Corin. x.Sainct Paule saieth: all these thynges are written for oure example, and to teache vs the feare of God, and the obedience to his holy lawe. For if God spared not the naturall braunches, neither wyll he spare vs, that be but graftes, if we commit lyke offence. If God destroyed many thousandes of people, many cyties, yea the whole worlde, for whoredome, let vs not flatter oure selfes, and thinke we shal eschape free, and without punishment. For he hath promised in hys holy lawe, to sende moste greuous plagues vpon them, that transgresse his holy commaundementes. Thus haue we hearde, howe God punisheth the synne of adulterye: let vs nowe heare certayn lawes, which the cyuile Magistrates deuised, in dyuers countrays, for the punishmēt therof: that we maye learne, how vnclennes hath euer bene detested in all well ordered cyties and cōmon wealthes, L [...]wes deuysed for punis [...]nt of whoredome. and emonge all honeste persons. The lawe emong the Lepre [...]ans was thys, that when any were taken in adultery, they were bound and caried three daies through the cytie, and afterward, as longe as they lyued, were they despiced, and with shame and confusyon reputed, as persones desolate of all honestye. Emonge the Locreusyans, the adulterers had bothe theyr eyes thrust oute. The Romayns in tymes paste, punyshed whoredome, sometyme by fyre, sometyme by swourde. If a man emonge the Egyptians had bene taken in adulterye, the lawe was, that he shoulde openly in the presence of all the people, be scourged naked with whippes, vnto the numbre of a thousande strypes. The woman [Page] that was takē with hym, had her nose cut of, whereby she was knowen euen after, to be an whore, and therfore to be abhorred of all men. Emong the Arabians, they that were taken in adulterye, had theyr heades striken from their bodyes. The Athenians punyshed whoredome by death in lyke maner. So lykewyse dyd the Barbarous Cartarians. Emong the turkes euen at thys day, they that bee taken in adultery, bothe man & woman, are stoned streightewayes to death, without mercy. Thus se we, what godly actes were deuised in tymes paste of the high powers, for the puttyng awaye of whoredome, & for the mainteynyng of holy matrimony, & pure cōuersaciō. And the aucthors of these actes, were no christians, but Heathen: Yet were they so enflāmed with the loue of honestye, and purenes of lyfe, that for the maintenaūce & conseruaciō of that, they made godly statutes. suffering neyther fornicaciō, nor adultery, to reigne in their realmes, vnpunished. Christ sayde to the people: The Niniuites shall ryse at the iudgement, with thys naciō, Luke. xi (meanyng the vnfaythful Iewes) and shal condempne them. For they repēted at the preachyng of Ionas, but beholde (sayeth he) a greater thē Ionas is here, (meanynge hymselfe), & yet they repent not. Shall not (thynke you) likewise the Locreusians, Arabians, Athenians, with suche other, ryse vp at the iudgement, and condempne vs, for asmuche as they ceased from whoredome, at the commaundement of man, and we haue the law and manifest preceptes of God, and yet forsake we not our filthy conuersacion? Truly, truly, it shalbe easier at the daye of iudgement, to these Heathen, then [Page] to vs, except we repent and amende. For althoughe death of body, semeth to vs a greuous punyshment in this worlde for whoredome: yet is that payn nothynge, in comparison of the greuous tormentes, whiche adulterers, fornicatours, and all vncleane persons, shall suffer after thys lyfe. For all suche shalbe excluded, & shut out of the kingdome of heauen, as s. Paule saieth: Be not deceiued, for neyther whoremongers, i. Coun. vi. Galath. v Ephe. v nor worshippers of Images, nor adultrers, nor softelinges, nor Sodomites, nor thefes, nor couetous persons, nor dronkards, nor cursed speakers, nor pyllers, shall inherite the kyngdō of God. Apo. xxi. And S. Ihon in hys reuelacion saieth: that whoremongers shall haue their parte, with murderers, sorcerers, enchaunters, liars, ydolaters, & such other, in the lake whiche burneth with fyre & brimstone, which is the seconde death. The punyshmēte of the bodye, although it be death, hath an ende, but the punishment of the soule, which s. Ihon calleth y e secōd death, is euerlasting: there shalbe fyre & brimstone: Math. xiii. there shall be wepinge and gnashing of tethe: the worme, that shall there gnawe the conscience of the dampned, Luce iii. shall neeur dye. O whose hart distilleth not euen droppes of bloud, to heare, and consydre these thinges? If we tremble and shake at the, hearyng and naming of these paynes, oh, what shal they do, that shall feele them, that shall suffer theim yea, and euer shal suffer, worldes without ende: god haue mercy vpon vs. Who is now so drowned in synne & past all godlynes, that he wyll set more by a fylthy and stynkyng pleasure, (whiche sone passeth away) then by the losse of euerlasting glory. Againe [Page] who will so geue himselfe to the lustes of the fleshe, that he feareth nothynge at all the paynes of hell fyre? But let vs heare howe we maye eschewe the synne of whoredome and adultery, that we maye walke in the feare of God, and bee free from those moste greuous, and intollerable tormentes, Remedies whereby to auoyde fornicacion & adulterye. whiche abyde all vncleane persons. To auoyde fornicaciō, adultery, and all vnclennes, let vs prouide, that aboue all thynges, we maye kepe oure hartes pure and cleane, from all euill thoughtes, and carnal lustes. For if that be once infected and corrupte, we fall hedlonge into all kynde of vngodlynes. Thys shal we easly do, if, when we fele inwardly, that Sathan oure olde enemy tempteth vs vnto whoredō, we, by no meanes consente to hys craftye suggestions, but valiauntly resiste, and withstande hym, by stronge fayth in the woorde of God, obiectinge agaynst hym alwayes in oure harte, this commaundemente of God: Scriptum est, non moechaberis. It is written, thou shalt not commit whoredome. It shall be good also for vs, euer to lyue in the feare of God, and to set before oure eyes, the greuous threateninges of God, agaynste all vngodly synners, and to consider in oure mynde, howe fylthye, beastly, and shorte, that pleasure is, wherunto Sathan moueth vs: And agayn, how the payne appoynted for that sinne, is intollerable, and euerlasting. Moreouer, to vse a temperaūce & sobrietie in eatyng & drynkyng, to eschewe vncleane cōmunicaciō, to auoyde al fylthy company, to flee ydlenes, to delight in readynge holy scripture, to watche in godly prayers, & vertuouse meditacions: and at all tymes, to exercise some [Page] godly trauayles, shall helpe greatly vnto the eschewynge of whoredome.
And here are all degrees to be monyshed, whether they be maryed, or vnmaryed, to loue chastitie, and clennes of lyfe. For the maryed are bounde by the lawe of God, so purely to loue one an other, that neyther of them seke any straunge loue. The man muste onely cleue to hys wyfe, and the wyfe agayne onely to her husband: they muste so delighte one in an others companye, that none of them couit any other. And as they are bounde, thus to lyue together in al godlines and honesty, so likewyse is their duetye, vertuously to brynge vp their chyldren: and to prouide, that they fall not into Sathans snare, nor into any vnclennes, but that they come pure and honeste vnto holy wedlocke, when tyme requyreth. So likewyse ought all masters and rulers to prouide, that no whoredome, nor any poynte of vnclennes, be vsed emonge their seruauntes. And agayne, they that are single, and feele in theim selfes, that they cannot liue without the company of a woman, let them get wifes of theyr awne, and so lyue Godly together. For it is better to mary, then to burne. And to auoyde fornicacion, saieth the Apostle, lette euery man haue hys awne wyfe, i. Corin. vii, and euerye woman her awne husbande. Finally, all suche as feele in themselfes, a sufficiency and habilitie (throughe the operacion of Gods spirite) to leede a sole and contynent lyfe, let them prayse God for his gifte, and seke all meanes possible, to maynteyne thesame: As by readyng of holy scriptures, by godly meditations, by continuall prayers, and suche other vertuous [Page] exercises. If we all on this wyse wyll endeuour our selfes, to eschewe fornicacion, adultery, and all vnclennes, and leade oure lyfes in all Godlynes, and honestye, seruynge God with a pure and cleane harte, and glorifiynge hym in oure bodies, by leadynge an innocente lyfe, we maye be sure, to bee in the numbre of those, of whome oure sauioure Christe speaketh in the Gospell, on this maner: Blessed are the pure in harte, Math. v for they shall see God: to whome alone, be all glory, honour, rule, and power, worldes withoute ende. AMEN.
¶An Homelie agaynst contencion and braulynge.
THys daye (good christen people) shalbe declared vnto you, the vnprofitablenes, and shamfull vnhonesty of contencion, stryfe and debate: to the entente, that when you shall se (as it were in a table paynted before your eyes) the euilfauorednes, and deformitie of this most detestable vice, your stomackes maye be moued, to ryse agaynst it, and to detest & abhorre that synne, which is so much to be hated, and so pernicious and hurtful to al mē. But emong all kyndes of contencion, none is more hurtfull, then is contencion in matters of religion. Eschewe (saieth sainct Paul) foolish and vnlearned questions, i. Timo. i i. Timo. ii knowyng, that they breed strife. It becō meth not the seruaunt of God, to fighte or stryue, but to be meke towarde all men. This contencion & strife was in saincte Paules tyme, emonge the Corinthians, and is at this time, emonge vs Englishe men. For to many there be, which vpon the Alebenches or other places, delight to propounde certayne questions, not so muche perteyning to edificacion, as to vainglory and ostentacion: and so vnsoberly to reason and dispute, that when neyther partye wil geue place to other, they fall to chydynge and contē cion, and somtyme from hote wordes, to further inconueniēce. Sainct Paul could not abyde to heare emong the Corinthians, these wordes of discorde or dissencion: I holde of Paule, I of Cephas, and I of Apollo. i. Corin. iii. What would he then say, if he hearde these [Page] woordes of contencion: (whiche be now almoste in euery mās mouth) he is a Pharisei, he is a gospeler, he is of the new sorte, he is of the olde faythe, he is a new broched brother, he is a good catholique father he is a papist, he is an heretique. Oh how y e churche is diuided. Oh how the cyties be cutte & mangled. Oh how y e coote of Christ, that was without seame, is all to rent & torne. Oh body misticall of Christe: where is that holy & happy vnitie, out of the which, whosoeuer is, he is not in Christ? If one membre be pulled from another, where is the body? If the body be drawē frō the head, where is the lyfe of the body? We cannot be ioynted to Christ our head, except we be glued with cōcord & charitie, one to another. For he that is not in this vnitie, is not of the churche of Christ, whiche is a congregaciō or vnitie together, & not a diuision. Sainct Paul saieth: i. Cor iii. that as long as emulacion, contencion, and factions, be emonge vs, we be carnal, and walke according to the fleshly man. And sainct Iames saieth: Iames. iii If you haue bitter emulacion & contenciō in your hartes, glory not of it: for where as contencion is, there is incōstancy, & al euill deades. And why do we not heare .s. Paule, which prayeth vs, where as he might cōmaund vs, saiyng: I beseche you, in y e name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that you wil speake al one thinge, i. Cor. i & y t there be no dissencion emong you, but that you wil be one whole body, of one mynd, & of one opiniō in y e truth. If his desire be reasonable & honest, why do we not graūt it? if his request be for our profit, why do we refuse it? And if we list not to heare hys peticion of praier, yet let vs heare his exhortaciō, wher he saith▪ [Page] I exhorte you, that you walke, as it becommeth the vocacion, Ephe. iiii. in the whiche you be called, with all submission and mekenes, with lenitie and softenes of mynde, bearynge one another by charitye, studiyng to kepe the vnitie of the spirit, by the bond of peace: For there is one body, one spirit, one fayth, one baptisme. There is (he saieth) but one body, of y e whiche he can be no liuely membre, that is at variaunce w t the other membres. There is one spirit, whiche ioyneth and knitteth all thynges in one. And how can this one spirit reigne in vs, when we emonge oure selfes be diuided? There is but one fayth, and howe can we then saye, he is of the olde fayth, and he is of the new faythe? There is but one baptisme, and thē shall not all they, whiche be baptised, be one? Contencion causeth diuision, wherfore it oughte not to be emong christiās, whome one faith and baptisme, ioyneth in an vnitie. But if we contempne saincte Paules requeste and exhortaciō, yet at the least, let vs regarde hys obtestacion, in the whithe he doeth very earnestly charge vs, and (as I may so speake) coniure vs in thys fourme and maner: If there be any consolacion in Christe, Philip. ii. if there be any comforte of loue, if you haue any communion of the spirite, if you haue any bowelles of pitie and compassiō, fulfyll my ioye, beyng all like affected, hauynge one charitie, beinge of one mynd, of one opiniō, that nothyng be done by contencion, or vainglory. Who is he, that hath any bowelles of pitie, that wyll not be moued with these wordes so pithy? whose hart is so stony, but that y e sworde of these wordes (whiche bee more sharpe then any two edged swoorde) maye not [Page] cutte and breake a sondre? Wherfore, let vs endeuour our selfes to fulfil s. Paules ioye, here in thys place, whiche shalbe at length to our greate ioye in another place. Let vs so reade the scripture, that by readynge therof, we maye be made the better liuers, Howe we shoulde reade the scripture. rather then the more contencious disputers. If any thyng is necessary to be taught, reasoned, or disputed, let vs do it with all mekenes, softnes, & lenitie. If any thyng shall chaunce to be spoken vncomly, let one beare anothers frailtie. He that is faulty, let hym rather amende, then defend that, which he hath spoken amisse, lest he falle by contenciō, from a foolish errour, into an obstinate heresie: for it is better, to geue place mekely, then to winne y e victory, with the breach of charitie: which chaūceth, where euery man will defende hys opinion obstinately If we be christen men, why do we not folowe Christe, whiche saieth: learne of me, Matth. xi. for I am meeke and lowely in hart. A disciple muste learne the lesson of his scholemaster, and a seruaunt must obey the commaundement of hys master. He that is wise & learned (saieth s. Iames) let hym shewe hys goodnes by hys good conuersacion, and sobernes of hys wysedome. Iames. iii. For where there is enuy and contencion, that wysedome commeth not from God, but is worldly wysedome, mans wysedome, and deuilishe wysedome. For the wysedome that commeth from aboue, from the spirit of God, is chast and pure, corrupted with no euil affeccions, it is quiet, meke and peaceable, abhorringe all desyre of contenciō: it is tractable, obediēt, not grudgyng to learne, and to geue place to them, that teache better for their reformacion. For there [Page] shall neuer be an ende of striuinge and contencion, if we contende, who in contencion shalbe master, & haue the ouerhande: if we shall heape erroure vpon errour, if we continue to defend y t obstinately, which was spokē vnaduisedly. For truth it is, that stifnes in mainteyning an opiniō, bredeth contenciō, braulyng and chiding, whiche is a vice emong all other, most pernicious and pestilent to cōmon peace and quietnes. And as it standeth betwixt two persons & parties, (for no man commonly doth chide with him self) so it comprehendeth two most detestable vices: the one is picking of querelles, with sharpe and cō tencious wordes: the other standeth in froward answering, and multipliyng euil wordes againe. The first is so abhominable, that saincte Paule saieth: if any y t is called a brother, i. Cor. v. be a worshipper of ydols, a brauler, or piker of querels, a thefe or an extorcioner, with hym that is suche a mā, se that ye eate not. Now here considre that saincte Paule numbreth a scolder, Agaynst querell pickinge. a brauler, or a picker of querels, emōg thiefes and ydolaters: and many tymes commeth lesse hurt of a thief, then of a raylyng tongue: for the one taketh away a mannes good name, the other taketh but hys richesse, which is of muh lesse value & estimacion, then is hys good name. And a thief hurteth but him, from whom he stealeth: but he that hath an euill tongue, troubleth al the towne where he dwelleth, & sometyme the whole coūtrey. And a raylynge tongue is a pestilence so full of contagiō, that sainct Paule willeth christian men to forbeare the cōpany of suche, i Cor. vi and neyther to eate nor drynke with theim. And where as he will not, that a Christian woman [Page] shoulde forsake her husband, although he be an infidele, nor that a christian seruaunt should departe, from hys master, whiche is an infidele and Heathē, and so suffre a christian man to kepe company with an infidel: yet he forbiddeth vs to eat or drink with a scolder, or a querel picker. i Cor. vi. And also in y e .vi. chapi. to the Cor. he saieth thus: Be not deceyued, for neither fornicators, neither worshippers of ydols, neyther thiefes nor dronkards, neither cursed speakers shall dwell in the kyngdom of heauē. It must nedes be a great fault, that doeeh moue & cause the father, to disherite hys natural sonne. And how cā it otherwise be, but that this cursed speakynge, must nedes be a most dampnable synne, the whiche doeth cause God, our moste merciful & louing father, to depriue vs of hys moste blessed kyngdō of heauē. Agaynst froward answeryng. Matth. v. Agaynst the other synne, that standeth in requiting taunt for taunte, speaketh Christe himselfe: I saye vnto you (saieth oure sauior Christe) resiste not euill, but loue your enemies, and saye well by them, that saye euill by you, do well vnto theim, that do euill to you, and praye for them, that do hurte and pursue you, that you maye be the chyldren of youre father, whiche is in heauen, whoo suffereth hys sunne to ryse, bothe vpon good and euill, and sendeth hys rayn both to the iuste and vniuste. To thys doctryne of Christe, agreeth very well the teaching of sainct Paul, that electe vessell of God, Roma. xii. who ceaseth not to exhorte and call vpon vs, saiynge: blesse them that curse you, blesse (I saye) and curse not, recompense to no man euill for euill, if it be possible (asmuche as lieth in you) lyue peaceablye with all men.
[Page]Dearely beloued auenge not youre selfes, but rather geue place vnto wrath, for it is written: vengeaunce is myne, Deu. xxxii. I will reuenge saieth the Lorde. Therfore, if thyne enemye honger, fede hym, if he thirst, geue hym drinke, be not ouercome with euill, but ouercome euil with goodnes. All these be the woordes of s. Paule. An obiec [...]ion. But they that be so full of stomacke, and sette so muche by them selfes, that they may not abyde so muche as one euill woorde to bee spoken of them, peraduenture wyll saye: if I be euil reuiled, shal I stād stil like a goose, or a foole, with my finger in my mouth? Shall I be such an ydiot & diserde, to suffre euery mā to speake vpō me, what thei list, to rayle what they liste, to spewe out al their venyme agaynst me, at their pleasures? Is it not cō uenient, that he that speaketh euill, shoulde be aunswered accordingly? If I shall vse this lenitie and softnes, I shal both encrease mine enemies frowardnesse, and prouoke other to do lyke. Suche reasons make they, An aunswere that can suffre nothynge, for the defence of their impacience. And yet, if by froward aunsweryng to a froward persone, there were hope to remedy his frowardnesse, he should lesse offende, y t should so aunswer, doyng thesame not of yre, or malice, but onely of that intent, that he that is soo frowarde or malicious, may be refourmed. But he that can not amende another mans faulte, or cannot amende it without hys awn faulte, better it were y e one should perishe, then two. Then if he cānot quiete hym with gentle woordes, at the least let hym not folowe him, in wicked & vncharitable wordes. If he can pacifie him with suffering, let him suffre: & if not, it is better [Page] to suffre euil, then to do euil, to saye wel, then to say euill: For to speake well agaynst euill, commeth of the spirite of God, but to rendre euill for euill, commeth of the contrary spirite. And he that cannot tē per ne rule hys awn yre, is but weake and feble, and rather more lyke a woman or a child, then a stronge man. For the true strength and mālines, is to ouercome wrath, and to despice iniury, and other mēnes folishnes. And besides this, he that shall despice the wronge dooen vnto hym by his enemye, euery man shall perceyue, that it was spoken or doen withoute cause, where as contrary, he that doeth fume & chafe at it, shall help the cause of hys aduersary, geuynge suspicion that the thing is true. And so in goynge about to reuenge euil, we shew our selfes to be euil, and while we will punysh and reuenge another mā nes foly, we double and augment our awne foly. But many pretenses fynd they, that be wilful, to colour theyr impaciēce. Myne enemy (saye they) is not worthy to haue gentle wordes or deedes, beynge so ful of malice, or frowardnes. The lesse he is worthy, the more arte thou allowed of God, the more arte thou commended of Christe, for whose sake thou shoulde render good for euyll, because he hath commaunded the, & also deserued that thou shouldest so do. Thyne neighbor hath peraduēture with a worde offended the: call thou to thy remēbraūce, with howe many wordes & dedes, how greuously thou hast offended thy lord God. What was man, when Christe dyed for hym? Was he not hys enemye, and vnworthy to haue hys fauor and mercye? Euen so, with what gentlenes & pacience doeth he forbeare, & tollerate [Page] the, although he is dayly offended by the? Forgeue therfore a lighte tresspace to thy neighbor, that Christ maye forgeue the, many thousandes of trespasses, which arte euery daye an offendor. For if thou forgeue thy brother, beynge to the a trespasser, then hast thou a sure signe and token, that God wyll forgeue the, to whom all men be debtors or trespassers. How wouldest thou haue God merciful to the, if thou wilt be cruell vnto thy brother? Canste thou not find in thyne hart to do that towardes an other, that is thy felowe, which God hath done to the, that arte but hys seruaunt? Ought not one sinner to forgeue another, seyng that Christ which was no synner, did praye to hys father for theim, that withoute mercy and dispitfully put hym to death? Who, whē he was reuiled, i. Peter. ii. did not vse reuilyng wordes again, and when he suffred wrongfully, he did not threatē, but gaue all vengeaunce, to the iudgemente of hys father, whiche iudgeth rightefully. And what crakest thou of thy hed? If thou labor not to be in the body, thou canste be no membre of Christ: if thou folow not the steppes of Christ, Esai. iiii. who (as the Prophete saieth) was led to death like a lambe, not openynge hys mouth to reuilyng, but openyng hys mouth to praiynge for them that crucified hym, saiynge: Father, Luke. xxiii. forgeue them, for they cannot tel what they do. The whiche exāple, anone after Christ, sainct Stephin did folow, Actes. vii. i. Cor. iiii. and after sainct Paule: We be euill spoken of (saieth he) and speake well, we suffre persecucion & take it paciētly: Men curse vs, & we gently entreate. Thus s. Paul taught that he did, & he dyd that he taughte: Blesse you (sayeth he) them y t persecute [Page] you, blesse you, & curse not. Is it a great thyng to speake wel to of & thyne aduersary, to whō Christ doth cōmaūd the to do wel? Dauid whē Semei dyd call him al to naught, did not chide agayn, but saide paciently: suffre hym to speake euil, it perchaūce the Lorde will haue mercy on me. Hystories be full of examples of Heathen men, that toke very mekely, bothe opprobrious wordes, & iniurious dedes. And shall those Heathen men, excel in pacience, vs y t professe Christ, the teacher & example of all paciēce? Lisander when one did rage agaynst him, in reuilinge of him, he was nothing moued, but said: go to, go to, speke agaynst me asmuch, & as oft as thou wilt, and leaue out nothynge, if perchaunce by thys meanes thou maiest discharge the of those naughtie thynges, with the which it semeth, that thou arte full laden. Many men speake euill of all men, because thei can speake wel of no man. After this sorte, thys wyse man auoyded from hym, the iniurious wordes spoken vnto hym: imputyng and laiyng them to the naturall sickenes of hys aduersary.
Perycles, when a certain scolder, or a raylyng felowe dyd reuile him, he aūswered not a word again, but went into a galery, and after toward night, whē he wente home, thys scolder folowed hym, ragyng still more and more, because he sawe the other to set nothyng by hym. And after that he came to hys gate, (beyng darke night) Perycles commaunded one of hys seruaū [...]es to light a torche, & to bryng y e scolder home to his awn house. He did not only w t quietnes suffre thys brawler paciētly, but also recōpēsed an euil turne with a good turne, & y t to hys enemye. [Page] Is it not a shame for vs that professe Christe, to be worse then Heathen people, in a thynge chiefly perteyning to Christes religion? Shall Philosophie perswade them more, then Gods woorde shall perswade vs? Shal natural reason preuaile more with them, then religion shall do with vs? Shall mans wisedome leade them to that thyng, whereunto the heauenly doctryne cannot leade vs? What blyndenesse, wilfulnesse, or rather madnesse is this? Perycles beyng prouoked to angre with many contumelious wordes, aunswered not a worde. But we stirred but with one litle woorde, what tragedies do we moue? How do we fume, rage, stampe, and stare like madde men? Many men of euery trifle, will make a great matter, and of the sparke of a litle worde, wyll kindle a great fyre, takyng all thinges in the worste parte. But how muche better is it, and more lyke to the example and doctryne of Christe, to make rather of a great faulte in our neighbour, a smal fault, reasoning with our selfes after this sort. He spake these wordes, but it was in a sodaine heate, or the drinke spake them, & not he, or he spake thē at the mocion of some other, or he spake them, beyng ignoraūt of the truth: Reasons to moue mē frō querel pickīg he spake them not agaynste me, but agaynste hym whome he thoughte me to be. But as touching euill speakyng, he y t is ready to speake euyl against other men: fyrste lette hym examyne himself, whether he be faultlesse and cleare of the faulte, whiche he fyndeth in an other. For it is a shame, when he y t blameth an other for any faulte, is giltye hymselfe either in thesame faulte, eyther in a greater. It is a shame for hym that is blynde, to call an other mā [Page] man blynde: and it is more shame for hym that is whole blynde, to call hym blinkerd, that is but pore blynd. For this is to se a strawe in another mannes iye, whē a man hath a blocke in his awne iye. Then let hym considre, that he that vseth to speake euill, shal commonly be euil spoken of again. And he that speaketh what he will for his pleasure, shalbe compelled to hear that he would not, to his displeasure. Moreouer, lette hym remembre that saiyng, that we shall geue an accompte for euery idle woorde. Matth. xii. How muche more then shall we make a reconyng for our sharpe, bitter, braulyng, & chidyng woordes, whiche prouoke our brother to be angery, & so to the breach of his charitie. And as touchyng euill aunsweryng, although we be neuer so muche prouoked by other mennes euill speakyng, yet we shall not folow their frowardnes by euill aunsweryng, if we cōsidre, that anger is a kynde of madnesse, and that he whiche is angery, is (as it wer for y e tyme) in a phenesy. Reasons to moue mēne frō froward answeryng. Wherfore, let hym beware, least in his fury he speake any thyng▪ whereof afterward he maie haue iuste cause to be sory. And he that will defende, that anger is no fury, but that he hath reason, euen when he is moste angery, then let hym reason thus with himself, when he is angery. Now I am so moued and chafed, that within a litle while after, I shalbe otherwaies minded: wherfore then should I now speake any thyng in mine anger, whiche hereafter, when I would fainest, cannot be chaunged? Wherfore shall I do any thyng now, beyng (as it wer) out of my witte, for the whiche, whē I shall come to my self again, I shalbe very sadde? Why doth not reason? Why dooth not [Page] godlinesse? Yea, why doth not Christ obtein y e thyng now of me, which hereafter, tyme shall obtein of me? If a man be called an adulterer, vsurer, drunkarde, or by any other contumelious name, let hym consider earnestly, whether he be so called truly or falsly: if truly, let hym amende his fault, that his aduersarie maie not after, worthely charge hym with suche offences: if these thynges be laid against him falsly, yet let hym consider, whether he hath geuen any occasion, to be suspected of suche thynges, & so he maie bothe cut of that suspicion, wherof this slaunder did arise, and in other thynges shall liue more warely. And thus vsyng our selfes, wee maie take no hurte, but rather muche good, by the rebukes & slaunders of our enemie. For the reproche of an enemy, may be to many men a quicker spurr to the amendement of their life, then the gentle monicion of a frend. Phillippus the Kyng of Macedony, when he was euill spoken of by the chiefe rulers of the citee of Athens, he did thāke them hartely, because by theim, he was made better, bothe in his woordes and deedes: for I studse (saied he) bothe by my saiynges and doynges to proue theim liars. This is the best waie, to refell a mannes aduersary, so to liue, that all, whiche shall knowe his honestie, maie beare witnesse, that he is slaundered vnworthely. If the faulte whereof he is slaūdered, be suche, that for the defence of his honestie, he must nedes make aunswere, yet let hym aunswere quietly and softely, on this fashion, that those faultes be laid against hym falsly. For it is truth y t the wiseman saith: Prouerb. xv. a soft aunswer asswageth anger, and a hard and sharpe aunswer doth stirre vp rage [Page] & fury. The sharpe aunswer of Nabal, i. Regum. x [...]v did prouoke Dauid to cruel vengeaunce, but the gentle wordes of Abigaill, quenched the fire again, that was all in a flamme. And a speciall remedy, against malicious tongues, is to arme our selfes with pacience, mekenes, and silēce, least with multipliyng wordes with the enemy, we bee made as euill as he. An obieccion. But thei that cannot beare one euil worde, peraduenture for their awne excusacion, wil alledge that, whiche is writtē: he that despiceth his good, name is cruell. Also wee read: aunswere a foole, accordyng to his folishnesse. Prouer xxvi. Ihon. xix. And our Lorde Iesus did hold his peace, at certain euil saiynges, but to some, he aunswered diligently. He heard men call him a Samaritain, a carpenters sonne, a wine drinkar, and he helde his peace: But when he heard theim saie, thou haste a deuill within thee, he aunswered to that earnestly. An aunswer [...] Truthe it is in deede, that there is a tyme, when it is conuenient to aunswere a foole accordyng to his folishenesse, least he should seme in his awne conceipt to be wise. And sometyme it is not profitable to aunswer a foole, accordyng to his foolishnesse, least the wise manne bee made like to y e foole. When oure infamie is ioyned with the perill of many, then is it necessarie, in aunsweryng, to be quicke and ready. For we reade that many holy men of good zeales, haue sharpely and fiercely, both spoken and aunswered tyrauntes and euil men: whiche sharp wordes, proceded not of anger, rancor, or malice, or appetite of vengeaūce, but of a feruēt desire to bryng thē to the true knowledge of GOD, and from vngodly liuyng, by an earnest and sharpe obiurgacion and chidyng. In this zeale [Page] sainct Ihon Baptiste called the Phariseis, Matth. iii. Adders broode, Galathi. iii. and s. Paule called the Galathians fooles, and the men of Crete, Titus. i. Philip. iii. he called liars, euill beastes, & sloggishe bellies, & the false Apostles, he called dogges and craftie workemen. And this zeale is godly, and to be allowed, as it is plainly proued by the example of Christ, who although he wer the fountain and spryng of all mekenesse, gentilnes and softnesse: ye he calleth the obstinate Scribes and Phariseis, Matth. xxiii. blynd guydes, fooles, painted graues, Hypocrites, serpētes, adders brode, a corrupte and wicked generaciō. Matth. xvi. Also he rebuketh Peter egerly, saiyng: go behind me sathan. Likewise S. Paule reproueth Elimas, Actes. xiii. saiyng: O thou full of all craft, and guile, enemie to al iustice, thou ceasest not to destroy the right waies of God: and now lo, the hande of the lorde is vpon thee, and thou shalt be blynde, and not se for a tyme. Actes. v. And s. Peter reprehēdeth Ananias very sharpely, saiyng: Ananias, how is it that sathā hath filled thy harte, that thou shouldest lye vnto the holy ghost? This zeale hath been so feruēt in many good men, that it hath stirred thē not onely to speake bitter and eger wordes: but also to do thynges, whiche might seme to some, to be cruell, but in deede, thei be very iuste, charitable, and Godly, because thei were not doen of ire, malice or contencious mynde, but of a feruent mynd to the glory of God, and the correccion of synne, executed by men, called to that office. For in this zeale, Ihon. ii. our Lorde Iesus Christ did driue with a whippe, the biars and sellers out of the temple. Exod. xxxii. In this zeale, Moses brake the two tables, whiche he had receiued at Gods hand, when he sawe the [Page] Israelites daunsyng aboute a calfe, and caused to be killed .xxiii.M. of his awne people. Nume. xxv. In this zeale Phinees the sonne of Eleasar, did thruste throughe with his sword, zambry and Cozby, But these exā ples are not to be folowed of euery body but as men be called to office and set in aucthoritie. Iames. iiii. whom he found together ioyned in the act of lechery. Wherfore now to returne again to contencious wordes, and specially in matters of religion, and Gods worde (which would be vsed with all modestie, sobernesse and charitie) the wordes of s. Iames ought to be well marked, and borne in memory, where he saith: that of cō tencion riseth al euill. Prouer. xx. And the wise kyng Salomon saieth: honor is due to a manne that kepeth hymself frō contencion, and all that mingle themselfes therwith, bee fooles. And because this vice is so muche hurtefull to the societie of a common wealthe, in all well ordred cities, these common braulers and skolders, bee punished with a notable kynde of pain: as to bee sette on the cokyngstole, pillery, or suche like. And thei be vnworthy to liue in a common wealthe, the whiche do asmuche as lieth in theim, with braulyng and skoldyng, to disturbe the quietnes & peace of thesame. And whereof commeth this contencion, strief, and variaunce, but of pride & vain glory? Let vs therefore humble oure selfes vnder the mightie hande of God, i. Peter. v. Luke. i. whiche hath promised to reste vpon them, that bee humble and lowe in spirite. If we bee good and quiete Christian men, let it appere in our speache and tongues. If we haue forsaken the deuil let vs vse no more deuillish toungues. He that hath been a railyng skolder, now let him be a sober counsailoure. He that hath been a malicious slaunderor, nowe let hym bee a louyng comforter. He that hath [Page] been a vain railer, now let him be a ghostly teacher. He that hath abused his tongue in cursyng, now let him vse it in blessyng. He that hath abused his tong in euill speakyng, now lette hym vse it in speakyng well. All bitternesse, anger, railyng, & blasphemy, let it be auoyded frō you. If you may, & it bee possible, in nowise be angery. But if you maie not bee cleane voyde of this passion, then yet so temper and bridle it, that it stirre you to contencion and braulyng. If you be prouoked with euil speaking, arme your self with pacience, lenitie, and silence, either speakyng nothyng, or els beyng very soft, meke and gentle in aunsweryng. Ouercome thine aduersaries with benefites and gentlenes. And aboue all thynges, kepe peace and vnitie, bee no peace breakers, but peace makers. And then there is no doubt, but that God, the aucthor of comforte and peace, will graunte vs peace of conscience, and suche concord and agremēt, that with one mouthe and mynde, wee maie glorifie God, the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe: to whom bee all glory now and euer. Amen.
HEreafter shal folow Homelies, of fastyng Praiyng, Almose dedes: of the Natiuitie, Passion, Resurreccion, & Ascencion of our sauior Christ: of the due receiuyng of his blessed body and bloud, vnder the forme of bread & wine: against Idlenesse, against Gluttony and drū kennesse, against Coueteousnesse, against Enuy, Ire and malice▪ with many other matters, aswell fruitefull as necessarie, to the edifiyng of Christian people, and the increase of Godly liuyng. Amen.
GOD SAVE THE KYNG.