xiii to the Hebrewes Be ye obedient to them who haue the ouersighte of you and submitte youre selues to them for they doe diligentlye watche euen as they that muste gene accounte for your soules And in the. x. Chapyter of Luke oure our Chryste sayeth touchyng his apostles and 〈◊〉 successours Qui uos audit me audit qui uos spernit me spernit que 〈◊〉 me spernit 〈◊〉 quimisit me That is to say He that heareth you hearethe me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that dyspiseth me dispiseth him who sente me And moreouer Saynt Paule in his fyrste Epystle to the 〈◊〉 and the fyrste chapyter sayeth thus Rogamus nos fratres ut noueritis cos quilaborant inter uos et praesunt nobis in domino monent uos ut habeatis illos abundantius in haritate propter opus illorum et pacem habete cum cis That is to saye We do beseche you brethren that you woll knowe them that labour emongest you and are youre ouerseers in oure Lord and do monyshe you that you will haue them more habundantly in Charitie for their workes sake and haue you peace with them There are of spirituall diso bedience Terryble examples in the xvi 〈◊〉 of the boke called Numbers where it is wrytten howe the earth dyd sodenlye open and swallowe vppe Chore Dathan and 〈◊〉 with their 〈◊〉 and theyr substaunce for theyr disobedience and rebellyon agaynst Moises Aaron the highe preist And howe also fyre camme from God and dyd dystroye 350. men whyche were of that rebellion Further we doe rede in the 〈◊〉 booke of the kynges and the Seconde Chapyter thereof howe that two and fortye chyldren at one tyme were deuoured of beares sodenlye sent of God for that they did mocke Helyzeus the Prophette and mynyster of God And howe then can they thinke to escape the greate wrath indignation of god whiche of late mooste spitefullye not onelye in 〈◊〉 wordes but in dedes also most vnchristian lyke haue despised vnreuerentlye vsed and dishonored the mynysters of Chrystes Churche And as concernynge the Cyuyll magistrates the sayde Saint Paule in the. xiii of his epystle to the Romains sayeth thus Let euery soule be obediente to the higher or super or powers for ther is no power but of God And the powers whych be are ordeined of God therefore he that withstandethe the power doth tseist yeordinaunce of god And they who do resist or wtstande that do gette or purchase vnto them selues dānation for prin ces or rulers are not to be feared for good wor kes but for euill workes wilte thou in dede not feare the power do thou that whiche is good thou shalt haue prayse of the same power for he is the minister of God for good to that But if thou doo euyll doo thou then feare for he doth not without cause carye or beare the sworde for he is the minister of God auenger 〈◊〉 of them that doo euyll Therefore you muste of necessitie be obediente not onelye for wrathe sake but also for conscyence sake ther fore verelye doo you paye trybutes c. A not able example of the obedyence and duety that euery subiect oweth to his soueraygne we haue in the behauour of Dauyd towardes kynge Saul wryttē in the 2. 9. 2 chap. of the fyrste boke of kynges And S. Peter in his fyrst epistle ii cha spekyng of the obedience due to kynges magistrates wryteth thus Submyt your selues to euery creatur or ordinaunce of mā for our lordes sake whether it be to king as one that precelleth vnto or gouernouresor rulers as being sent of hym to the punishmēt of euil doers and the commēdation or praise of the good And in the foresayde xiii chapter to the Romaynes it is wrytten Geue you vnto al men that which is due vnto them to whō tribute belongeth tribute to whom custome custōe to whom feare feare to whō honor honour And as concernyng the duetie of the seruaunte to the mayster therof S. Paule speaketh Ephe. vi saing in thys maner Ye seruauutes be ye obediēt vnto your carnall maysters with feare tremblynge in singlenes or simplicitie of your hart as vnto Christ not seruing in the eye syghte or presence onely as men plesers but as the seruauntes of Chryste doyng the wyll of God from the harte wyth good wyl doing your seruice as vnto God our Lord and not vnto men The like herof he hath also in the thyrde cha to the Collossenses and in his seconde chapiter to Tite he doth say thus Teache seruauntes to be obedyent vnto theyr maysters pleasynge them in all thynges not contraryeng them not deceyuyng or defraudyng but in all thynges shewynge good faythe that they maye sette furthe the doctrine of God our sauioure in al thinges Agaynste thys commauudemente fyrste doo all they offende whyche thynke scorne of theyr naturall parentes for their pouertye syckenes aduersitie or any mysfortunes sake or doo denye vnto they re sayde parentes necessarye releyfe sustentation or succoure with foode clothe or harber in tyme of theyr necessitye yf that they be hable to helpe theyr sayd 〈◊〉 in thys case But most of all they do breake this commaundement whych doo curse theyr parentes strike thē backbyte them vse contumelyouse or opprobryouse wordes vnto them and hate them Secondly al they do breake thys commaundement who doo not loue reuerence obeye and duly honour theyr spirituall parentes and gouernours as prelates pastoures and all that haue cure and charge of soules nor payt vnto them theyr tythes and duetyes accordyngelye as they are bound Thyrdelye they doo offende and that greuously agaynst thys commaundement who make sedition agaynst theyr prince ruler or country And they also that doo rebell or cause other to rebell agaynste any of them they also that are false or negligent in doyng theyr commaundementes And whosoeuer wyll not loue reuerence obeye or serue them with his true and vnsayned seruyce but wyl thynke Imagyne or speake any vntruth lye or euyl agaynst them 〈◊〉 or consent vnto the same or beare ther with as the more it is to be lamented of late hathe 〈◊〉 vsed emongest vs to the great offence and displesure of almyghtye GOD and the dyshonour of thys hole realme they all do breake and transgresse thys commaundement Fourthlye all suche seruauntes are 〈◊〉 of thys commaundemente who doo not faythefullye obeye theyr maisters commaundemenees and fulfil them nor vse theyr maisters with due reuerence side litie diligence both to please them also in al theyr affayres wherein they are charged to be trustye and faythfull to the vttermost of theyr power And here is not to be omitted that reuerence and honor is due also vnto suche as are aunciente aged or as we commonlye doo call them fatherlye men Althoughe they haue none of the foresayde aucthorytyes ouer vs whyche cummelye and cyuyle reuerence and honer GOD by Moyses commaunded vs to obserue and kepe as appeareth in the nintene
¶ A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned thervnto set forth by the reuerend father in God Edmunde Byshop of London for the instruction and enformation of the people being within his diocesse of London of hys cure and charge Declina a malo fac bonum Presis vt profis The Preface of the Bishop of London to the reader WHere as in the time of the late outragious and pestiferous 〈◊〉 being here in thys Churche and realme of England al godlines good nes was dispised in maner banished and the catholyque trade doctrine of the church wyth a newe enuyouse and odyous terme called named papystry like also as deuout religion and honest be hauiour of men was accounted and taken for super stition and hipocrisye And therevpon by sundrye wayes and wiles pernicious and euyll doctryne was sowen planted and set forth sometimes by the procedyng preachers sermons sometymes by theyr prynted treatyse sugred all ouer with lose lybertye a thing in dede most delectable and pleasaunt vnto the fleshe and vnto al vnruly persones somtimes by readyng playing singynge and other lyke meanes and new deuises by reason wherof great insolency disordre contention and much inconuenience daily more and more did ensue to the greate dyshonor of God the lamentable hurte and destructyon of the subiectes and the notable reproch rebuke and slaunder of the hole realme The people wherof by sondri wycked persones were borne in hand that they had gotten God by the fote and that they were brought out of tiraÌ„ny darckenes and ignoraunce into liberti lyght and perfytte knowledge where in very dede they were broughte from the good to the bad And froÌ„ goddes blessyng as the prouerbe is in to a warme sonne infected with all errour noughtynes drouned in sensualytie and malyce and armed wyth vnshamfast boldnes presumption and arrogantye takyng vpon them to be guydes instructours and tea chers of other where they themselues were in very dede vtterly blind ignoraunt void of knowledge only bent to destroye al good rule and order I haue for these causes and other honeste consyderatyons thought consyderyng the cure and charge I haâ—e of all suche as are of my Dyocesse of London it to be mete conuenyent and necessary for my part earnestly to trauayle and laboure wyth my chapleines and frendes bothe that errours heresyes and noughtye opinions may cleane be weeded pourged and expelled out of my dyocese a greate helpe whervnto is geuen by dyuerse prouysions made by the Kynges and Queenes mooste excellence Maiestyes and especyallye by that godlye proclamatyon whyche of late was sente forthe by theyr graces concernynge the bryngynge in of certayne heretycall and noughtye bokes and also that a verye pure syncere and true doctryne of the fayth and relygion of Chryst in al necessarye poyntes of the same faythfullye playnelye and profytable be set furth wythin my sayd dyocesse to the good erudition and instructyon of all the people wythin the same And therefore haue at thys present for mine owne diocesse caused this present boke with homelies there vnto adioyned to be set furthe that the sayde people accordyng to the wyl and commaundement of the great king and prophet Dauid may declyne from euyl and do that thyng whych is good And the order of thys booke is thys Fyrste because wythoute fayth it is impossyble to please God there shal be in the begynning some thyng spoken of fayth to knowe what it is and how it is to be taken here in thys boke Secondly because the somme and pithe of our chrysten fayth is brefely collected and coÌ„prysed in effect in our commen Crede therefore the sayde Crede to teach vs what and howe to beleue shal be playnely and truly set forth and also declared Thyrdely because there are vii Sacramentes of Chrystes catholyque churche wherein God doeth ordynarily worke and participate vnto vs hys speciall gyftes and graces here in thys lyfe therefore in the thyrde place the sayd vii Sacramentes shal be set forthe and expounded Fourthlye because the. x. commaundementes are the hygh way ordeyned by God in whyche euery one in this life must walke yf he wyll come vnto the blysse of heauen therfore the sayd .x. commaundementes shal orderly be set furth and haue also their declaratyon Fyftely because we ourselues as of our selues are vnhable to doo good and therefore nede alwayes the assistance grace aid and helpe of almyghty God without whych we ne 〈◊〉 can continue in this life nether yet do any thing acceptable in the syght of God whereby to attayne the lyfe to come therefore in the 〈◊〉 place ther is a rowine for prayer as wherby to obtayne grace and helpe at Gods handes And that prayer is there set forth whiche Chryste hym selfe beynge here in this worlde did make and geue to his disciples that is to saye the Pater noster whiche conteyneth in it al thinges necessary for a christen man here in this life and thys Pater noster hath also his exposition Sixtelye because the Aue Maria is a prayer taken out of Scripture and conteineth in it a blessed mat ter and a ioyfull rehersall and magnifienge of God in the worke of Christes incarnation wroughte in the wombe of the blessed virgin Mary and she therby worthelye to be honoured and worshipped therfore the sayd Aue Maria with the declaration ther of is in ordre folowyng the sayd Pater noster Seuenthly because personnes vicars and curates are commaunded by the lawe to reade and declare vnto theyr paryshyoners the. vij deadely synnes the viij beatytudes and certayne other thinges therefore in the. vij and viij places there are set forth at length the sayd thynges with exposition and declaration of the same And albeit these thynges so sette forth beyng red and declared 〈◊〉 the people delyberately and playnely may seme sufficient and the people thereby bound of reason to be content therewithall as hauing all those thynges whych in 〈◊〉 wise are requisite and necessary for theyr soule helth yet to thintent they shall haue no cause to murmure or grudge for lacke of certayne bokes in the englishe tongue for theyr instruction or yet for lacke of preachynge vnto them they shall in the. ix place of thys boke thoughe they cannot rede haue certayne homelyes to be on the Sondayes aud holye dayes by theyr personnes vicars or curates redde vnto them in the Englyshe 〈◊〉 trustynge that the people thus ordered and taught wyll take thys my doyng in good parte and studye as well to profyt them selues therby as I and my chapleynes haue ben studious and carefull herein to doo them good And the Kyng of Kynges and Lord of Lordes geue vs also plentyfully of his grace that euerye one of vs in all partes maye do oure dueties and that we all maye lyue in rest and quietnes and specially in the vnytye of Christes catholique churche and his religion louynge and seruyng God with all our harte in holynes
and ryghteousnes all the dayes of this our lyfe so that finally we may attayn to the life that neuer shal fayle but continue for euer which graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye gooste preseruing our good kyng and queene in all ioye and felicitie longe to continue to theyr glory and oure comfortes Amen ¶ Concernynge fayth what it is and howe it is to be considered and taken here in this boke ACCOMPLISHINGE the promys made in my preface for as much as fayth is the fundation ground of all oure Christian religion I shal now intreate and speake thereof And knowe you that althoughe this worde fayth be diuersly taken both in prophane Aucthors and also in Scrypture sometymes signifying trust sometymes truth sometimes conscience sometymes 〈◊〉 sometimes credulitie sometymes credence sometimes promys sometymes profe sometymes helpe sometymes the gyfte or grace of God and such lyke yet here in this boke or processe there shall not be cheifely and principallye intreated or spoken of euery kynd of fayth as in eue ry way it maye be considered but onely of two kyndes or acceptions thereof And Fyrst do you vnderstand that fayth maye be considered by it selfe as it is a seuerall gift of god separate and distincte from hope and charitie and beinge so considered and taken it signifieth and importeth a perswasion and beleif wrought by god in mans harte whereby man assenteth graunteth and taketh for true not onely that God is which knowledge is taughte and declared by the maruaylous worke of the creation of the world as S. Paul saith in his epystle to the Romaynes but also that all the wordes and sayinges of God whych be releued and opened in the scrypture are of most certayne trueth and infallible veritie And not that these thyngs one ly are to be credyted and assented vnto but also that all thynges els which were taught by the Apostles and whych haue bene by a whole vnyuersall consent of the Churche of Chryste euer sythe that tyme contynually taught and taken alwayes for true ought to be receaued accepted taken and kepte as a true and perfecte doctryne apostolique This then is the fyrst acception of fayth whyche man hath of God and wherein man doth not leaue to hys owne naturall knowledge whych is by reason but he leauethe to the knowledge attayned by fayth wythout whych faith man is ignoraunte and blynde and cannot vnderstande accordynge as the prophete Esay affirmeth in hys vii Chapiter saying Nisi credideritis non intelligetis That is to saye onlesse ye beleue ye shal not vnderstand This faith is the beginnyng the entry and the introduction vnto all Christian relygion Godlynes For as S. Paule sayeth in his xi Chapiter of his Epystle to the 〈◊〉 He that cometh to God must beleue that he is and that he is a rewarde vnto them whyche do seke to please hym And thys fayth although it be such a begynnynge such an entrye and such an introduction verye necessarye for the begynnyng of all ryghtousnes yet yf it do procede no farther adioynyng with it hope and charitie it is called in Scrypture a deade faythe be cause it is voyde and destitute of lyfe aud wantethe the helpe and efficacie of charitie And this much for fayth as it is considered in the fyrst acception Faythe as it is considered in the seconde acception maye not be alone but muste nedes haue hope and charitie annexed and ioyned vnto it And faythe so taken doth signify not onely the beleif and perswa sion whych was before mencioned in the fyrst acception and taking of fayth but also it signifyeth a sure confydence and hope to attayne all whatsoeuer god hath promised for Christes sake and it signifieth and comprehendeth also a hartye loue to GOD and an obedience to his commaundementes And faythe thus considered is a lyuely faythe and worketh in man a ready submission of hys wyll to Goddes wyll And this is the effectual fayth whiche worketh by charitie and whyche as S. Paule testifiet vnto the Galathians is of value strēgthe in Chryst Iesu. By this fayth Abraham not knowyng whyther he shoulde go went out of his countrye and dwelte in the lande of beheste or promyse as in a straunge lande lokyng and trustyng for a cytye founded and buylded by almyghty God By this fayth also Abraham when he was tempted was ready to offer vp his onelye begotten sonne 〈◊〉 in whome he loked for the promyse nothynge doubting but that God who made the promise was able to rayse hym vp agayne from deathe And in thys sorte and wyse faythe is taken in the moost parte of the examples which be recyted of S Paule in the. xi chap of hys Epistle to the Hebrwes And thys faythe so consydered and taken euerye Chrysten man doth promyse professe and couenaunt to kepe when he dothe receaue the Sacramente of Baptysme And here is to be noted and considered that all the promyses of god made at any tyme to man after the fall of Adam for Christes sake are not absolutely and puerly made but vnder thys condytyon that is to saye that man should beleue in God and with the grace of God geuen for Chryste endeuer hym selfe to accomplyshe and kepe the commaundementes of God so that yf man do beleue in God and wythe the sayde grace do endeuer hym selfe to the best of his po wer to kepe and accomplyshe the sayd commaundementes man maye iustlie then chalenge the sayd pro mises so graciously made vnto hym on goddes part and if on the other side a man wil not beleue in God and with the sayde grace endeuer hym self to the best of his power to kepe and accomplysh the sayde commaundementes then man can not iustly chalenge in any wyse the sayde promyses or the benefyte thereof in asmuche as he hath not fulfylled and kepte on hys parte the sayde commaundementes whyche were parte of the promyse and conuenante made no other wyse by God vnto man but vnder condytion as the Prophete Dauyd playnely declareth in the. lxxx and lxxxviii Psalmes aud Chryst in the. xix of Mathe w. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mandata That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylt enter into lyfe kepe the commaundementes The Churche the refore according vnto the same intendynge that manne shoulde alwayes haue thys in good mynde that is to saye that the promises of god to man be made but vpon condycion and that with out kepyng of the condytyon no man is partaker of Goddes promyses hath taughte and ordeyned that men before they do receaue baptysme shall promyse and conuenaunt to fulfyll the sayd condytion and to forsake the Deuyll and the worlde and to serue only GOD. Of which promyse and specyall conuenaunte whereby man thus byndeth himselfe to God man is called in Latyn infidelis that is to saye Faythful And on the other syde yf he neuer made the promise or con uenaunt or after that he hath made it he doth renoūce and refuse it then that man in
weyghtes or measures or deceytefull wares or sell theyr owne wares at an vnreasonable pryce farre aboue the iust value And they also that do ingrosse and by anye kynde of wares whollye into theyr owne handes to the 〈◊〉 that they maye make a scarcenes thereof in other mennes handes And sell it agayne as they lyste And generally also all couetous men who by anye meanes vnlawfully doo gette or vnmercyfullye doo kepe theyr goodes frō them that haue nede be transgressours of thys commaundement And here not to omit oure accustomed maner in alledginge scripture for the confyrmatyon of assertyons made in thys booke ye shall haue fyrste some testymonyes of holy scrypture speakynge of thefte in generall and afterwarde some other speakynge of certayne partyculer and speciall kyndes of theftes and as concernynge thefte in generall ye shall fynde thus wrytten in the fyrst chapiter of Ecclesyastycus Super 〈◊〉 est confusio That is to saye Confusyon or 〈◊〉 doeth fall vpon the thefe and in the fyfte of Zacharye there is thus wrytten God sayde to me what dost thou see and I sayde beholde I see a booke flienge the lēgth of it xx cubits and the breadeth of it x. cubytes and he sayde vnto me this is the malediction or curse whiche goeth furthe vpon the face of the whole earth for euerye thefe as it is there wrytten shal be iudged And in the second chapter of Thoby we do reade howe that Thoby being blynde and hea rynge the voyce of a kydde cryinge within hys house whyche kydde hys wyfe had erned wyth her labour and he knowynge that he had no kydde of hys owne before dyd saye Lake hede leaste perchaunce this be a stolne kide restore hym to the 〈◊〉 owners for it is not laweful for vs to eate or touche any thing of theft Moreouer S. Paule in hys fyrst epystle to the Corynthyans the vi chapter doth amōgest other thynges saye thus Nother theues nor pollers nor couetouse men shall possesse the kyngedome of God And as concernynge certayne specyall kyndes of theft we do reade in the. x of Esaye Woo be to thē who do make 〈◊〉 or vnryghteous lawes and wrytyng do wryte vniustice to oppresse in iudgemente the poore and doo violence vnto the cause of the humble amongeste my people that the wydowes myght be theyr praye what wyll ye doo in the tyme of visitation and destruction which shall come from farre To whom wylyou runne for helpe or where wyll you leaue your honour that ye be not made stope vnder the bonde and fall with them that are slayne And in the viii chapter of Amos we do find this terrible sayinge The ende is come vppon my people of Israel I wyl no more geue my mind to come amongest thē and the hingles of the temple doores shall make a krykynge sayth the lorde God many shall die and in euery place shal be cast furth secretly Heare this Oye who do opresse the poore do destroye the nedye on the lande sayinge whan wyll this month 〈◊〉 past that we maye sel our wares the Sabbote that we maye hyde oure corne that we maye make the busshell lesse and maye make the sicle greater and that we may set vp false weyghts or balances to get the pore vnder vs wyth money and the nedy also for 〈◊〉 and maye 〈◊〉 the chaf of the corne And accordyng here vnto Salomō in the. xi chap. of hys prouerbes doth say He that doth hide vp his corne shal be accursed amongest the people but blessynge shal be vpon the heade of them that doo sell. And of another specyall kynde of thefte we doo reade in the viii of Iosue a terrible example howe one Achan whyche had contrarye to the commaundement of almyghtye God conueyed certayne thynges awaye at the destruction of 〈◊〉 was stoned to deathe and wyth al that euer he had burnt God commaundyng it so to be Further in the. xxiii of Exodus we reade of such as receyue brybes therby commyt theft in thys maner And thou shalte take nore wardes for they doo blynde euen the wise and subuerte the wordes or iudgementes of the iust And in the xvi chapter of Deuteronomye the lyke is wrytten There is an other greuous kynde of thefte and that the more is the pitie cōmonly vsed whych is called Symonye takyng name of Symon Magus who fyrst attempted with mony to purchase spirituall offyce or function which eyther to sel or bye is dampnable and was moste bitterlye reproued and accursed of the holye apostle S. Peter who sayde vnto hym Pecunia tua tecum fit in perditionem quoniam donum dei existimasti pecunia possidere non est tibi pars neque sors in sermone isto That is to say Thy monye be with the vnto perdition because thou didest thynke that the gyfte of God maye be obteyned wyth money Thou hast no parte or fellow 〈◊〉 in this worde Nowe emongest other 〈◊〉 kyndes of thefe none was euer more drede fullye punished in scripture than sacriledge which is thefte spoile and robberye committed in suche thynges as are dedicated or geuen to the honor of GOD specyallye as are all churches and all the ornaments plate treasure landes and goodes to the same belongynge as appeareth in the. v. of Danyell by the example of kynge Balthasar and in the seconde booke of the Machabees and the thyrde chapiter of Helyodorus whoe goynge aboute the spoyle of the temple of Hierusalem for the threasores sake of the same soodenlye was throwne downe to the grouude and beynge sore stricken wyth blyndenes was caryed spech les also oute of the temple halfe deade Whych kynde of punyshment yf it hadde bene vsed in Englande so ofte as sacrylege hath bene commytted what a number shoulde there haue bene of them that should haue bene punyshed But the thyng beyng of that sorte that it hath bene and we not able to amend it we wil yet here admonishe al men from henceforth to make kepe theyr handes pure from al sacrilege And thus we make an ende of the declaration of thys commaundemente 〈◊〉 Thexposition or declaration of the nynthe commaundement which is Thou shalt not vtter or beare false wytnesse against thy neighboure BEsydes the foresayde iniuryes whiche often tymes be done to 〈◊〉 neigh boures thys commaundement being the. vi of the seconde table doth admo nyshe vs to auoyd and eschewe tbe do ynge of an other greate and greuous iniurye towardes our neyghboure whiche is in bearynge false wytnes agaynst our sayd neighbour And in this matter there is here in kept a very good ordre for not onelye we are bounden to forbeare the huttyng or endamage of our neighbours bodye the mysusynge of hys wyfe and wrongefull takynge awaye of hys goodes but also by the wyll pleasure and com maundemente of almyghtye GOD we are boundē not once to open our mouth to dyffame or misreporte our neyghboure or to beare vntrue wytnes or falsely to depose in anye matter agaynst oure
agaynste theyr enemyes dyd ernestlye solicite and moue Ozais theyr chiefe ruler to render vppe the towne to the Assyrians who than beseyged them And that the sayde Ozias dyd exhorte then the people to be quiet and patiente and to abyde the mercye of GOD duringe the space of 〈◊〉 dayes promising them that after fyue dayes yf God dyd not succoure or ayde them againste theyr enemyes he then woulde accordynge to theyr desyres render vppe the towne vpon whych aunswere of Ozias the Godly wydówe Judyth mislikyng greatly the same dyd rebuke Ozias sharpelye for that he would and dyd presume to ap poynte God anye tyme in whyche he shoulde deliuer them from the daunger that they were in and howe also she sayde to Ozias and to other that were wyth hym in thys maner Quod est hoc 〈◊〉 in quo consensit Ozias ut tradat ciuitatem Assyris si intra 〈◊〉 dies non 〈◊〉 uobis 〈◊〉 Et qui estis uos 〈◊〉 tentatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onest iste sermo quimisericordiam prouoces sed potiut 〈◊〉 iram exitet et 〈◊〉 accendat Posuistis uos tempus miserationis domini in orbitrium uestrum diem constitu istis ei That is to saye What thynge is thys wherevnto Ozias hath consented that he woulde delyuer the cytye to the assyrians yf wythin fyue dayes there come no succour or ayde vnto you And who are you that tempt our Lord God thys speache or sayinge is not suche as may prouoke the mercy of GOD but rather such as maye styrre vp hys anger and kyndle hys fury haue you putte or sette a time of the miseration or merci of our Lord and haue apointed or prescribed vnto hym a daye after youre wyll or pleasure Nowe concernynge Charytie whyche is the thyrd thynge requyred in prayer you shall vnderstand that wythout it no prayer 〈◊〉 be in anye wyse acceptable before the face of GOD. And therefore oure Sauyoure Chryste sayeth in the 〈◊〉 of Mathewe in thys wyse Yf thou offer thy gyfte at the aultar and there dooeste remember that thy brother hathe anye thynge agaynste the leaue thy gyfte ther before the Aulter and goo and be fyrste reconciled to thy brother and than come and offer thy gyfte Thus you see howe that yf you wyl haue your prayer harde and accepted of almyghtye God you muste of necessitie be fyrst prepared thervnto by faythe hope and charytie More ouer in the scryptures lefte for oure instruction and edifienge there are sondrye examples teachynge vs that prayer accumpanyed wyth fastynge and almes dedes is made therby a greate deale the more acceptable in the syghte of almyghtye God as apearethe in the twelue chapiter of the boke called Thoby wher the Aungell of God dothe saye vnto Thoby thelder as foloweth Bona est oratio cum ieiunio 〈◊〉 magis q̄ thesaurus 〈◊〉 That is to say Prayer with fastinge and almes dedes is good rather then to heape vp threasures of Golde Other examples also there are 〈◊〉 as of Kynge Iosaphat and the Iewes in the. ix 〈◊〉 of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon of Iudeth and the chyldren of Israell in the iiii chapyter of Iudythe of the Niniuites in the thyrd chapiter yf the prophet Ionas of Cornelius the conturiō in the x. chapyter of the actes of the Apostles but these are sufficiente And to procede further Concernynge 〈◊〉 ye shall note that when when we do praye our intent and the hole desyre of oure harte ought to be ioyned alwaye with the praier of oure mouth elles that reprochs wrytten by the pro phete Esaye in his xxix Chapyter recyted also in the. xv chapyter of Mathew may wel be verified on vs whyche is Populus hic lahijs me honorat cor autem corum longe esta me That is to saye Thys people honourethe me with theyr lyppes but theyr harte is farre from me And to drawe nere to oure purpose and speciallye to speake of oure Lordes prayer called the Pater noster you shall vnderstande that amongeste all the prayers whyche a Chrysten man maye make to God there is none soo worthy and so excellent a pray er as it is For it was not made and taughte vs by anye earthlye creature no nor by anye aungell of hea uen but by the very sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Chryste who is the eternal wysedome of God the father And the prayer is soo compendions and shorte that it maye easelye be learned and borne in mynd of all men so that excuse of ignoraunce or of not knowynge of it or of omyttynge the frequente vse and sayynge of it is cleane taken awaye from all personnes hauinge the vse of reason And thoughe thys prayer be shorte in wordes yet it is excedynge longe and pro founde in sence For in vii petytions comprysed in it it dothe conteyne all thynges that we canne desyre of God whether it be for the welthe of oure soule or of oure bodye or otherwyse and not onelye concerning thys lyfe but also concernynge the lyfe to come And it dothe kepe the selfe same order whyche we oughte to kepe in alloure desyres and petytyons For fyrste and aboue all other thinges we shoulde desyre that God be knowen honoured gloryfyed and magnyfyed bothe of vs and also the people of the worlde And that is it whych we do desyre of GOD in the fyrste petition sayinge Hallowed be thy name Secondlye we shoulde desyre at Goddes handes all thynges that are good and that doo we in the three petitions nexte folowynge for in the fyrste of the thre whyche is Let thy kyngdome come we doo aske eternall good thynges in the seconde whiche is Let thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen We doo aske spiritual good thynges And in the thyrde whyche is Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade We doo aske temporal good thynges appertaynynge to our bodely sustentation Thyrdelye as we oughte to desyre God to delyuer vs from al euyll soo doo we in the three last petitions for in the fyrste of them whyche is Forgeue vs oure trespaces as we doo forgyue thē that trespace agaynste vs. we doo desyre God to deliuer vs from synne and eternall deathe whyche is the rewarde of synne And in the seconde whyche is And leade vs not into temptation We do desyre to be deliuered from our spirituall enemyes and in the laste whyche is But deliuer vs from euyll We doo desyre be sydes other thynges that we may be delyuered from euyles temporall Breifely thys prayer of our Lord is so profound soo aboundaunt and so plenteous that there is no prayer whether it be wryttrn in the olde testament or in the newe but the summe and effecte thereof is conteyned in some of these seuen petytyons Wherefore we exhorte all people to saye thys prayet ofte distinctlye and 〈◊〉 and well to note the particuler declaration thereof which here foloweth ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fyrste petition of the Pater noster whyche is Oure father
auncient and famous doctours of the churche and partly and moost especially in consyderation of the cōsent of the hole catholike church herin nothing to dout in thys matter but that that holy Apostle S. Pe ter was Christes vicar on earthe and had hygher and more authoritie generall then anye one of the Apostles els and that the special purpose why that Christ would haue such authoritie to be in one mā was is for thepreseruatiō of vnitie in his church whych church is but one and thus much for this time shal now suffice you In the next homely you shal here further of thys matter Io. Harpesfelde sacrae theologiae professoris et Archidiaconi London An other Homelye of the Prymacye IT is wrytten in the. viii chapiter of the actes howe Si mon Magus dyd offer vnto Saynte Peter mony togiue him power that on whome soeuer he shoulde laye hys handes the same parson myght therby receiue the holy Ghost But being for this his most wycked request greuously reproued and fearyng withal to contynue any lōger in those parties that is to say in Sa maria so nighe thappostles he the sayde Symon Magus fled to Rome and there by hys enchaūte mentes dyd greatlye delude the people as Iustynus the martyr a verye auncient writer in hys second Apologie directed or sent to the Emperoure Antonius doth playnely testifye Ireneus also in his fyrst boke Contrahereses doth recorde the same And the said Simon Magus did so delude blind the people that they did esteme him for a God and dyd set vp his image in the Citye with this inscrip tion Simoni de sdncto That is to say To Simon the holy God But it was not longe after those 〈◊〉 played by Simon Magus thus seducing that 〈◊〉 ther but God sent his great 〈◊〉 saynct Peter thyther that is to say to Rome who both did confounde the sayd Simou Magus and dyd also conuert a great number of the people there vnto the fayth of Chryste as is at large set fourthe in the. xiiii chapiter and second booke of Eusebius 〈◊〉 historye Nowe this Apostle sayncte 〈◊〉 by the wyll and prouidence of God beynge brought to Rome did there continue bishop of that Sea xxv yeares and ther also did suffer a glorious martyrdome in the last yeare of the reygne of cruel Nero Themperoure whyche thynges Saynte Hierome in the verye begynnynge of hys worke De 〈◊〉 scriptoribus doth wytnes in thys maner Simon Peter the sonne of Ioannis of the prouince of Galile and of the towne of Beth saida the brother of Andrewe the Apostle af ter his byshopricke in 〈◊〉 and after his preching in Pōtus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asia and Bethinia to the Iewes which were dyspersed abrode in sondry contries came to Rome to ouer throwe Simon Magus and ther did kepe his sea fyue and twenty yeres until the last yere it is to wyt the xiiii yere of the reigne of Nero by whom he was crucified and so crowned with a crowne of martirdome his heade being turned downe to the grounde and his feete vpwarde bycause he sayde or accompted hym selfe vnworthy to be eruci fyed in such forme and maner as hys mayster Chryst was S. Ambrose in his lxr sermō speakyng of that matyrdome of saynt Peter and saynt Paule at Rome sai eth thus I thinke it not done without a gret cause that in one day in one place vnder on 〈◊〉 they bothe dyd suffer In one daye for that they should come to Christ together In one place that neither of them both shoulde be destitute of Rome and vnder one persecutoure that like crueltie shuld slaye them both The day was for their merite the place for theyr glory the persecutor for theyr vertue And in what place I praye you dyd they suffer martyrdome Euen in Rome which is the heade and cheyfe citye of the worlde to the intente that where the heade of superstition was ther shuld rest the head of holynes and where the prynces of the heathen did dwel ther the princes of the churche shoulde lye Thus sayeth saynt Ambrose whervnto agreeth Egesippus an auncient wryter in his thyrd booke of the distruction of Hierusalem and like wyse Dionisius the byshop of Corinth and Caius also which lyued in the daies of Zepherius the Bishop of Rome as more at large appeareth in the xxv Chapyter of the fore sayde seconde boke of Eusebius Ecclesiasticall hystory Now that we haue in the homely going next before this declared that our sauyour dyd appointe Sayncte Peter to a greater and hygher offyce then he dyd any other of his Apostles and haue in this homely intreated of the abode of saynct Peter and martyrdome at Rome we wyll consequentlye proue that the Byshoppes of Rome haue alwayes in the catholyke church bene estemed iudged and taken for saynt Peters successours euen in that his speciall and hyghest offyce and that to him and thē by the wyll of God doeth appertayne the gouernement of Chyst es hole stocke on earth And fyrst I wyll begyne wyth the 〈◊〉 Authoure 〈◊〉 who in the thyrde Chapiter of his thirde booke agaynst heresyes doeth say that the church of Rome is the greatest the eldest and the best knowen of al churches and that it was foūded by the most gloryous Apostles Peter and Paule that through the succession of the byshops of Rome frō samct Pe ter vntyll hys tyme the truth was deryued from hande to hande that it myght ther easely be foūd and had And herevpon he sayeth further these 〈◊〉 des 〈◊〉 hane enimecclesiam propter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necesse est omnem conuenire ecclesiam hocest eos qui sunt ubique 〈◊〉 That is to say For vnto this church meaninge and poynting the sea of Rome for the more mighty principalty of it al that hole church of Christ that is to saye all the faythful wheresoeuer they be muste assemble or repayre vnto And saynt Augustyne agreably herevnto doth in his 192. Epystle saye that in the church of Rome the primacy of the Apostolyke Sea did euer florish And the same sainct Augustyne wrytyng agaynst one Petilianus whyche dyd blaspheme the sea of Rome as heretykes doo now a dayes doeth more ouer wrytte in thys maner 〈◊〉 al the byshops of the worlde were such men as thou dooest moost falsely report them to be what hath the sea of Rome hurted the where Peter did syt and nowe Anastasius syttethe or what hath the sea of Hierusalem hurted the 〈◊〉 Iames did sit and now at this presēt Ioan nes dothe sit wyth whome we are in the ca tholyke vnitie ioyned and from whome ye haue deuyded your selues in youre wycked rage or fury why doest thou call the Aposto like sea the sea of pestilence If thou do it for the mēs sake whō thou thinkest to preache the lawe and not to fulfil the lawe did our sauiour I praye the any such iniurye to the sea or