place that the flesh in suche thynges as perteine to iustification can do no good onles the holy gost beyng communitate by the word be receiued and had For as the prophete Ieremy recordeth they shalbe taught of God and not of themselues Thyrdly Christe doth preuent his apostles when he espyed them not to atteine his wordes and that they wold aske him the meanyng of the same sayeng vnto them in thys wise Of thys ye do question amonges your selues that I sayd a litle and ye shall not see me and agayne a lytle and ye shall se me Uerely verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lamente but the worlde shal reioyce Ye shal sorow but your sorowe shalbe turned into ioye Lo how Christ tendereth his apostles he shaketh them not of for their rudenes and ignoraunce but moste gentlye instructeth them shewinge them howe his format wordes ought to be vnderstand sayenge vnto them in thys wise Ye shall wepe and be sory but why bycause ye shall see youre Lorde and mayster apprehended and takeÌ„ nayled vpon the crosse and put to death Then shall calamitie and sorow begynne and principally this shall trouble you that the world shal reioyce at your aduersitie and your maysters aduersitie And euen as Christ had spoken so it came to passe concer â—yng both hys owne crosse affliction and heuines also his apostles For do ye thynke yt a lytle crosse vnto hym when y t he was reuiled and vpbrayded of the Iues â—ayeng vnto hym let God delyuer hym if he woll haue hym I omytte and passe ouer with silence the thing that he himself complayneth of wher he sayeth by his prophet Dauid I am a worme and not a man a laughing stocke or an obprobrie of men and the refuse of the people As many as behold me mocke me they shake their hedes at me What is thys but to cast Christ into trouble and heuynesse not only hym but also hys apostles and louyng freÌ„des whyche kept hym company And albeit Christe dothe specially in this place speake of the tyme of his owne crosse whych shulde be the occasion of weping and mournyng to his apostles yet hys mynde was hereby to shewe what state and fortune is to be loked for in thys world vnto all true christiaÌ„s True christians no doubt can not but suffer in this world moch displeasures and persecution wheras the wic ked persons and such as care neither for God nor deuell make good chere and lyue according to their hartes ease Hereunto agreeth Salomon in his pro uerbes sayeng Cast not awaye the chastisement of the lord Loye se how Christ instructeth his apostles and arineth them with paâ—ience to abyde and suffer thobprobriouse wordes scornes and persecutions of the wicked persons and Antichristes And that he willeth the apostles to do the same he commauÌ„deth and speaketh euen vnto vs so many as wolbe hys disciples and folowers Fourthly foraâ—â—noche as Christe hath tolde hys apostles of the sorowe and heuines of the persecutions that shuld happen vnto them for hys sake he nowe agayne doth comforte them declaringe vnto them what shall happen after such stormes of affliction Your heuines sayth he shalbe chaunged into ioye as who shulde saye the worlde as sone as they shal haue kylled me woll thynke they haue won thâ— spurres that they haue put me downe but it shall not be so for y e thyrde daye after shall I ryse agayne from death maugre theyr heades I shall comforte you and in your heuynes pacifie you make you gladde And albeit after that tyme also ye must styll suffre moch wronge and reproche for my name and for the gospel sake yet your affliction crosse shall not laste longe but eternall ioye shall anone ensue folowe An exemple of thys thynge I wol ye take in a woman that traueleth with chyide A woman whaÌ„ she traueleth ye know is in heuynes payn for her houre is at hande But assone as she hath brought forth into the worlde a chylde is delyuered she remembreth no more her payne and greife for the ioye she hath of the chylde that is borne into the worlde In semblable wise ye be nowe sadde and heuy for my departure but I shal come see you agayne and thaÌ„ your hartes shal leape for ioye no man shalbe hable with all the displeasure he can do you to take awaye this your ioye from you Assuredly my frendes thys similitude whych is here brought forth of Christ is excedingly comfortable For fyrst of all yt sheweth that persecution trouble and crosse must as surely folowe the confession of the gospell as it is sure that a trauelyng woman cannot brynge forth her chyld without sorow and grefe but in the meane season the Christen man thorough the word of God muste nedes afterwarde haue greate comforte and ioye Furthermore this trouble crosse affliction and persecution of the true christians shall not be continuall and euerlastinge but it shall endure but for a season And on the contrary parte the worlde shall ioye for a season But their ioye shal not longe laste as Christe himself in an other place witnesseth wher he sayth wo be to you which laughhere for ye shal wepe and lamente Albeit in very dede the christian man shall not be cleane voyde of ioye in this worlde but what ioye is thys I woll sayeth Christ see you agayne and your haries shal ioye and no man shal take your ioye from you Undoubtedly the ioye that Christe here speaketh of is the gladnes and peace of conscience that the true christians shall haue in asmoche as they knowe that God shalbe merciful vnto them throughe Christ and shal kepe and preserue them into euerlasting liefe whych was prepared for them before the worlde was made as Christ hymself witnesseth by the father of heuen To whome wyth the sonne and holye ghost be thankes c. The Epistle on the. iiij sonday after Ester daye The. i. chapter of Iames. Thargument ☞ Saynt Iames sheweth that Gods worde is an heuenly gyfte and howe it ought to be receyued Most derely beloued brethren euery good gyft and euery perfect gyft is from aboue and coÌ„ methe downe frome the father of lyghtes wythe whome is no variablenes neyther is he chaunged vnto darkenes Of his owne will begate he vs wyth the word of trouth that we shulde be the first frutes of his creatures Wherfore deare brethren let euery man be swyfte to heare slow to speake slow to wrath For the wrath of man worketh not that whych is ryghteous before God Wherfore laye a parte all fylthynes and superfluitie of malyciousnes and receaue with mekenes the word that is graf ted in you whych is hable to saue your soules The holy Apostle saynt Iames good christian brethren and systres in the epistle of this daye doth fyrste open and declare vnto vs the causes of gods worde frome whence it commeth and then he commendeth and
setteth oute the authoritie of the same as a meane or instrument whereby throughe new birth or regeneration we be the chyldren of god and as saynt Iames here speaketh the firste frutes of gods creatures As towching the causes of gods worde ye shall vnderstande that the gospell or word of God is no humaine thinge it is the word neither of Emperour Kinge Prince Duke nor other tempo rall ruler neither is it any meritorious word whych caÌ„ chauÌ„ce vnto vs for our own deseruinges or merites neyther yet is it an vnpythy weake or vnperfect word whych eyther of it selfe is not stronge ynough or nedeth any other worde to the perfection and accomplyshement therof but it is a diuine or heuenly worde a good gyft of God and perfecte that is to saye whyche hath almyghty god for authour of yt whych god gyueth of his mere grace and fauour whych is stronge and full of efficacie and power according to saynt Paule whych sayth it is the power of god to the helth and sauetye of all such as beleue the same It is perfecte forasmoche as it neither nedeth any other word neyther yet can it suffre any other to be matched with it Nowe al thys tendeth to this purpose and intent that saynt Iames woll coÌ„mende and set forth vnto vs the authoritie of gods worde lest by errynge and strayeng out of the waye we myght happen to deceiue our selues thynkyng it ynough sufficient to heare the worde of god wyth out any maner of regeneracion and newe lyefe For the worde is a farre greater thyng it is euen an heuenly diuine good and perfecte gyfte whych coÌ„meth from aboue euen from the father of lyghtnes wyth whome is no transmutation of lyght and of darkenes neither can he suffer that we shuld mengle our dreames and darknes with his lyghtsome worde I meane our owne inueÌ„tioÌ„s our blindnes our careles maners our carnal lybertie our euel liefe so forth We be also here admonished and taught of the final vse of gods worde wherfore it serueth Yt serueth doubtles that by it we shulde be regenerate and be made the fyrste frutes of the creature of god whych cometh not of oure owne deseruynges but it is the worke of god the father whych doth renewe and regendre vs wythe y e worde of trouth that we maye be the first frutes of hys creature Saynt Iames therfore in thys place wylleth vs to sette asyde and laye downe all securitie and slauthfulnes towardes the worde of god and that we shulde praye god that he woll vouchesaue to open disclose vnto vs the vnderstandynge of hys worde and that he wolle gyue vs also encrease in the same that we maye heare the worde wyth frute â—nderstandynge if and beynge regenerate therby might be made the fyrst frutes of y e creature of god Do not then erre my dere brethreÌ„ as thoughe it were inoughe only to heare the worde of god and not to vnderstande it wyth the harte not to catche holde of it by faythe not to worke well outwardlye Euery good and perfyte gyfte is from aboue that is to saye the worde of god is perfyte it nedeth none other worde to stey it to make it perfyte Yea thou caÌ„â—est neither take it nor vnderstaÌ„de it perfytly onles it be gyuen the of god Yt is of it selfe moste perfyte and it is it also whych onlye can make vs perfyte Yt procedeth frome the father of lyghtes that is to wytte from god whych is y e only cause of all lyght in such sorte that y e thynge whych we se in vnderstandynge the worde is of god Yt is also the gyfte of god that hys worde dothe lyghten for the father is of hymselfe lyght Wyth whom is no variablenes nor chaunge into darkenes that is to saye he can not abyde nor suffer that the lyght darknes shuld be confounded or myngled togither For he is the father of lyght only and not of darkenes Neither can he suffer that we shulde glorye and bragge of his worde as of a gyfte and in the meane season do the workes of darkenes And by this the apostle saynt Iames doth moue vs from euyl workes by thexemple of god whyche is intransmutable and inconuertible that is to say he is not now light now darkenes And therfore ought not we to folow both lyght and darknes togither For wyllyngly be gatte he vs wyth the worde of his trouth that we shulde be the first frutes of his creature As though saynt Iames wold saye Bicause god hath regenerate vs by the word of trouth that we might be now his â—irst frutes then seing we be his first frutes iâ— de commeth vs not to folow the darkenes it becoÌ„meth vs no more to leade oure lyefe in vyce and naughtines but it behoueth vs to be doers not only hearers of the word In that he sayth voluntarily or of his owne will he excludeth merite It is called the word of trouth aswel because of it selfe of the own nature it is true as bicause it maketh other true Secondly Ye shal diligently note and marke good people that thappostle Iames in the latter parte of this epistle doth sturre vs to newe liefe and to such workes as the worde of god and regeneration wold aske For it is euen due and annexed to newe byrth that a man shulde do good workes as also Paule testifieth sayenge What shall we then saye shall we abyde in synne y t grace myght abouÌ„d God forbyd We that be deade to synne howe shall we hereafter lyue in the same Also to the Ephesians he sayeth We be gods haÌ„d worke created in Christ to do good workes whyche god hathe prepared that we shulde walke in them And to the Colossians Wherfore if ye haue risen wythe Christe seke ye the thynges aboue regard heuenly thinges not erthly thinges wherfore deare brethren sayeth saynt Iames let euery man be swyfte to heare slowe to speake By whych wordes he forbyddeth chefely moch talkyng and pratlynge wherby in saynte Iames tyme many dyd bragge as they do at this daye of the gospell without chaunging of their former liefe and wythout lyuinge after the gospell Such persons sainte Iames wolde haue swyft to heare slow to speake tyl tyme they rightly vnderstande the worde and do dedes worthy for the same He willeth vs also to be slowe to wrath but he wol we shuld be meke and pacieÌ„t For the wrath of maÌ„ worketh not that whych is rightouse before god that is to saye Ire or wrath the effectes therof can not do the thynges whych be iust before god or whyche god requireth of vs. And saynt Iames calleth here the iustice of god not that where by we be iustifyed before God but that whych god requireth of vs beyng alredy iustified to the declaration of that iustice whyche iustifieth and whych is gotten by fayth Wherfore casting awaye all vncâ—enlynes and superfluitie of maliciousnes se
shall testifye of hym to the worlde and shall make meÌ„ mete and apte to receceyue his gospel and shall teach none other thynge than that whyche he hymselfe hath taught But these tryflers bable that the holy goost ought to teach some thynge of more excellencye than that whych is comprysed in y e holy gospell Surely I wolde thynke it moost conueuient that we shulde obey and beleue hym to whom the father of heauen bare wytnes sayenge Thys is my welbeloued soÌ„ne in whom I am right wel pleased heare ye hym But they that can not be satisfied wyth Christes doctrine to whome not only thapostles but also the holy goost hath borne wytnesse let them at theyr parell chose them other doctrines Certes I wyll not counsayle you lyke owles to waÌ„der in darkenes but rather to fyxe stedfastlye youre fete in the â—yght Last of all ye shall consyder and note good chri sten brethren and systers in thys gospell y t the word and institution of Christ of whych the spirite the apostles do testifye can in no wyse b gratefull and acceptable to the worlde For those that wol admyt thys worde the worlde wolle caste them out of al ho nest mens company as they call honeste men they woll as heretykes dryue them out of theyr churches and assembles they woll excommunicate them they woll curse them wyth boke bell and candell Yea yf they may wyth all kynde of punyshment and death persecute the true Apostles and messeÌ„gers of Christ they wyll thynke to do a hygh seruice to God that theyr zeale hath hyghly serued gods wyl But what sayeth Christ in the meane season Therfore I wyll be wyth you They shal so handle themselues towar des you bycause they knowe nother me nor my father Here ye se wyth what successe and fortune in thys wycked world the moost precious worde of the gospell wyth the imbrasers therof be commonly receyued For thou mayst not loke to lyue a swete an ydle and a delicate lyfe yf thou wolte confesse Christ for he that woll lyue after a godlye sorte as sayeth saynt Paule must nedes suffer persecution And in an other place he sayeth Yf I wolde please men I shulde not be the seruaunt of Christ. Wherfore yf persecution shall inuade vs for coÌ„fessynge of Christ it is good that we be armed wyth goddes worde that we maye knowe how persecutioÌ„ hangeth ouer our heades by the proper wyl of God to thyntent our fayth myght thus by such persecution be clarifyed tryed and purged For yf we be ful certifyed hereof we can not easely be offended wyth temptation but wyth a pacient mynde we shall suffer all the wronge that the world for Christes cause woll put vs to And surely thys shalbe a comforte vnto vs that oure persecuters for all theyr proude bragges and vauntes neyther know Christ nor his father Fynally we be ryght well assured that y e trouble and affliction of thys tyme as Paule sayth can in no wyse be coÌ„pared wyth the glorye to come that shalbe disclosed vnto vs. Wyth thys our knowlege comfortynge our selues we shall remayne quyet in our conscience styll awaytynge wyth stedfaste hope for the immortall crowne of the sayd glorye whyche the father of heauen hath prepaâ—ed for vs. To whom wyth the soÌ„ne holy goost be al glorye and prayse for euer and euer AMEN The Epistle on wytsondaye The. ij chapter of the actes of the Apostles ☞ The holy goost is here gyuen accordynge to Christes promyse before WHan the fyftye dayes were come to an ende they were all wyth one accorde together in one place And sodenly ther came a sounde froÌ„ hea uen as it had bene the coÌ„mynge of a myghty wind and it fylled al the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them cloueÌ„ tonges lyke as they had ben of fyre and it sat vpon ech one of them and they were all fylled wyth the holy goost and begaÌ„ to speake wyth other tonges euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce There were dwellynge at Ierusalem Iues deuoute men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When thys was noysed aboute the multitude came together and were astonnyed bycuase that euery man herde theÌ„ speake wyth hys owne langage They wondered al and marueled saynge amonge themselues behold are not al these whych speake of Galile And how heare we euery man hys owne tonge wherein we were borne Parthians and Medes and Elamytes and the inhabyters of Mesopotamia and of Iury and of Capadocia of Ponthus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia of Egypte and of the parties of Ly bia whych is besyde Syren and straungers of Rome Iues and Proselytes Grekes and Arabians we haue herde them speake in oure owne tonges the great workes of God CHrist had oftentymes good people promysed vnto hys disciples the holy goost to confirme them in the true doctrine For wythout y e holy goost noman can tyghtly eyther vnderstande or certainly beleue the worde of God neyther can stycke by it costantly wythout staggerynge or shrynkyng from it It is the holy goost doubtles that teacheth al thynges and that putteth men in mynde of gods wyll And therfore Christ sayeth in the .x. Chapter of Mathew It is not you that be the speakers but it is y e spirite of your father whych speaketh in you Wher fore thys often promysâ— of sendynge the holy goost which was made to the disciples Christ now in this daye of Pentecost perfouâ—neth But bycause it helpeth lytle to know that the disciples receyued the ho ly goost oules we draw thys receyuyng also to our profyte auanntage therfore it were good to know the causes why the holy goost was sent Ye shall therfore vnderstande good people that the holy gost was not sent to thapostles nor at this daye is sent as some men do dreame to teache a dyuerse or straunge doctrine frome Christes doctrine whych Christ either taught not before or had forgot ten to teache But he was sente and is sente for thre causes The fyrst is that he shâ—â—de teache and put in mynde expouÌ„de all such thynges as Christ taught And of thys fynal cause and offyce of the holy goost our Sauiour Iesus Christ in the xiiiâ— and .xv. chap ters of Ihon very coâ—iously and at length speketh The seconde cause that the holy goost is sente is to confirme strengthen and as it were to sease vs to make vs full assured and certayne of the veritie of gods worde Of thys office the epistle of thys day maketh mencâ—â—iâ— whyle it declareth that the holy goost sat vpoÌ„ euery of them and fylled them whych thynge betokeneth nothynge els but that the holy goost confirined and certifyed the myndes of the Apostles vpon the veritie of gods word and therfore he is called of Paule the gage and the ernest The thyde cause that the holy goost is sente is that in temptation he myght comforte vs and preserue
saued by the lawe but we be all saued by fayth Neyther doth saynt Augustine disagre from thys saynge Our fayth that is to say the catholyke faythe discerneth the ryghtuouse froÌ„ the vnryghtuouse not by the lawe of workes but by the selfe lawe of fayth But what go I aboute to allege a fewe doctours All the prophetes as Peter here sayeth Christe hymselfe all the Apostles yea all the holy scripture throughe out all the aun cient and ecclesiasticall doctours and holy expositours of scripture do gyue wytnesse to Christe that through hys name whosoeuer beleueth in hym shal receyue forgyuenesse and pardon of theyr synnes It foloweth in the texte Whyle Peter yet spake these wordes the holy goost fell on all them whych herde the preachyng And they of the circumcision whych beleued were astonnyed c. Brethren ye shall note that Christ was peculiarly promysed to the Iues as he hymselfe also sayeth in the. xv Chapter of Mathew I am not sent but to y e lost shepe of the house of Israel Howbeit the callynge of the Gentyls was longe before prophecyed of by the prophetes and here also it was opened to saynt Peter by a vision of a shete sente downe from aboue vnto hym And therfore he began hys sermoÌ„ on thys wyse Of a trouth I perceyue that there is no respecte of persons wyth God but in all people he that feareth hym and worketh ryghtuousnes is accepted wyth hym Now so many as beleued of the circumcision that is to wyt the Iues not knowyng hereof but beynge ignoraunt that the Gentyls also were to be admytted to the felowship of the Gospell wondered whan they sawe that on the Gentyls also was shed out the gyfte of the holy goost and herde them speke wyth tonges magnifyed God Here ye shal also marke y t thys gyft of tonges wherwyth at the sendynge downe of y e holy goost y e Apostles and other were so indowed y t they were vnderstanded of the people of al nacions is now ceased but in y e mea ne season the prayse of gods name ceaseth not nor ought not to cease It foloweth in the texte Then answered Peter can any man forbyd water that these shulde not be baptised whych haue receyued the holy goost as well as we Here ye se manyfestly good people that y e Gentyls by Peters preachynge of gods worde were replenyshed wyth the holy goost before they were out wardly baptysed wyth the water for wyth the spirit it is playne that they were baptised Saynt Peter therfore to confirme them and as it were to seale them wyth an outwarde sygne commaundeth them to be baptised wyth water in the name of the Lorde for baptisme is not only a sygne of mortificacion and of remission of synnes but it is also a badge or knowlege that we be receyued into the noÌ„bâ—r of the chyldren of God Wherfore as al holy doctous and expositours do agre there be two maner of baptismes Now as also saynt Ierome affirmeth maÌ„ only gyueth the water but God gyueth the holy goost wherby the fylthe is washed awaye and the synnes of bloude purgeb The same Ierome also wrytyng vpon the Epistle to the Galathians sayeth in thys wyse Yf then they that be baptised in Christe haue done on Christ it is manyfest that they whych haue not put on Christ be not baptised in Christe For it was sayd to them whych were counted faythfull whych were supposed to haue had the baptisme of Christ Put ye on the Lorde Iesus Christ. Yf a maÌ„ taketh only thys corporall washyng of water whiâ—h is sene wyth the eyes of the flesh he is not clad with the Lorde Iesus Christ. For albeit SimoÌ„ Magus in the actes of the Apostles had receyued y e washing of water yet bycause he had not the holy gooste he was not baptised in Christ. Wherfore as I declared vnto you on the AsceÌ„sioÌ„ day baptisme wythout fayth is as who shulde saye a paper sealed wythout any wrytynge in it But ye shall alwayes vnderstaÌ„d that I excepte and speake not of the baptisme of infauntes or babes For they as saint Austine and the other expositours of scripture do full well declare be saued yf after baptisme they chaunce in theyr infauncy to dye by the fayth of the catholyke church And furthermore we saye agaynst the wycked Ana baptistes that the baptisme of children is not vayne but necessarye to saluacion For no doubte the promyse of saluacion perteyneth also to chyldren or infauntes But it pertayneth not to them that be oute of the church where is neyther the worde nor the sacramentes And here vpon do all lerned men agre Now therfore good christen people syth your bap tisme woll not serue you wythout faythe no nor all the workes ye can do I ernestly exhorte you that accordynge to saynt Peters declaracion here for the obteynynge of remission of yourâ— synnes ye woll fastlye beleue in Christ. So doyng no doubt the holy goost shal enter into your hartes make you euen of loue without compulsion of lawe to worke wel to the glorye of God and helth of your soules eternally Amen The gospell on the seconde daye of Pentecost The. iij. chapter of Ihon. Thargument ☞ The moost comfortable glad tydynges of Christ is here wonderfully well described IEsus spake vnto a ruler amonge the pharises God so loued the worlde that he gaue hys only he gotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shulde not perysh but haue euerlastynge lyfe For God sente not hys sonne into the worlde to condempne the worlde but that the worlde through hym myght be saued He that beleueth on hym is not condempned But he that beleueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleued in the name of the only begotten sonne of God And thys is the condempnacion that light is come into the worlde and meÌ„ loued darkenes more thaÌ„ lyght bycause theyr dedes were euell For euery one that euell doeth hateth the lyght neyther commeth to the lyght lest hys dedes shuld be reproued But he that doth trouth commeth to the lyght that hys dedes may be knowen how that they are wrought in God THe Gospell of thys daye good people is in very dede an Euangell or gospell that is to saye a glad tydinges For in fewe wordes it declareth vn to vs the summe of the Christen mans religion Fyrst therfore it sheweth the cause that moued God to sende downe hys sonne to the earth The wordes here spoken be Christes wordes vnto Nicodemus Thus he sayeth God so loued the worlde that he gaue hys only begotten sonne that who soeuer beleueth in hym shulde not perysh but haue euerlasting lyfe Here ye se that the cause whych moued God to sende Christe to redeme vs was loue and not mans meryte as also saynt Austine noteth And surely the dede selfe declared gods excedynge loue towardes vs in that he sent hys only sonne to delyuer vs out of bondage For true
Now as touchynge the fyrste parte of Iohels prophecie concernynge the sendynge downe of y t ho ly goost after such a plentyful sorte the scripture tea cheth vs that it was fulfylled aboute thys tyme of Pentecost as in our sermons before we haue fully at large declared vnto you And as for the rest of the prophecie concernynge the great calamitie and terrible tokens that shall come agaynste domes daye there is no doubte but it shall come to passe as oute sauiour Christ hath also certifyed vs. But my frendes let vs be nothynge dismayed nor troubled wyth the remembraunce of thys dradfull tyme whych no doubt yet approcheth nere and shall steale vpon vs or euer we be ware we knowe not how sone Onely let vs do as the prophete teacheth vs here we shal not nede to feare Let vs cal on the name of y t Lorde and we shalbe saued Let vs thaÌ„ in al our aduersitie woo and trouble yea and also in our welth prosperitic and felicitie remember God loue God prayse God call on God with fayth But let it be such faith as shall worke by charitie Let it be a lyuely fayth no deade fayth that maye brynge forth good workes Yf we thus do we shall not nede to feare these terrible tokens but we shalbe sure to be translated from thys myserye vnto immortall ioye wyth God To whome c. The Gospell on the .iiij. daye of Pentecost The. vi chapter of S. Ihon. Thargument ☞ Christ teacheth vs here y t onles we be renewed by the holy goost we can not come vnto him IEsus sayd to hys disciples and to the company of the Iewes No man can come to me excepte the father whych hath sent me drawe hym And I wyll rayse hym vp at the last daye It is wrytten in the prophetes and they shalbe all taught of god Euery man therfore that hath herde and hath learned of the father coÌ„meth vnto me Not that any man hath sene the father saue he whych is of god the same hath sene the father Verely verely I saye vnto you he that putteth hys trust in me hath euerlastynge lyfe I am that bread of lyfe Your fathers dyd eate Mana in the wyldernes and are dead This is that breade whych coÌ„meth downe froÌ„ heauen that a man maye eate therof and not dye I am that lyuynge breade whych came downe from heauen Yf any maÌ„ eate of thys bread he shal lyue for euer And the breade that I wyll gyue is my flesh which I wyll gyue for the lyfe of the worlde IN thys Gospell good people our sauiour Christ makynge answer to the murmourynge of y t people agaynst hym bycause he sayd he was the breade of lyfe and declarynge that theyr thoughtes coulde not be hyd from hym expouneth and also fortifyeth the worde y t he spake sayenge vnto them y t they had no cause to murmoure amonges themselues of the thynge y t he spake For therfore hys worde dyd not synke into theyr myndes bycause of theyr mysoeleue Seynge they saw not and hearyng they herde not beynge present they were absent Whosoeuer com meth to Christ shall attayne euerlastynge lyfe But there is no waye to come vnto hym but by fayth Thys fayth is not lyghtly had but coÌ„meth by the in spiracion of the father who lyke as by y t soÌ„ne he draweth mens myndes vnto hym so w t secrete inspiracions of fayth he draweth them to the sonne He bestoweth not so great a gyfte but to suche as be wyllynge gredy Whosoeuer then shall meryte by hys prompte wyl deuoute mynde to be drawen of y e father the same shall attayne by Christ to euerlasting lyfe For our sauiour Christ shall also rayse yeâ— deade to lyfe agayne in y e last daye A great thynge taketh he that beleueth Christ but without the helpe of the heueÌ„ly father he can not do it Yet neuertheles they are not excused bycause they be not drawen For the father as much as in hym is coueteth to drawe all He y t is not draweÌ„ is in fault himselfe bycause he w t draweth hymselfe froÌ„ hym y t wolde drawe hym Humane thynges be lerned w t humane studye but this heauently lernynge is not perceyued onles y e secrete inspiracion of the father maketh hym an apte teachable harte And this is it y t longe sythens was pro phecied of the prophetes to come to passe And they all shalbe taught of God But the desyre of thys worlde do make many vnapt I say it is the gyft of god but the indeuoure must be ours A maÌ„ heareth w t hys bodely eyen Christes wordes in vayne onles he heare w tin fyrst y e secrete voyce of y e father whych breatheth the mynde w t an insensible grace of fayth For god is a spirite is neyther herde nor sene but of spiritual persons Many haue sene herd Christ to theyr damnation And albeit the Iues boasted y t god was both sene herde of Moses of y t prophetes yet no mortall maÌ„ euer sawe or herde god as he is For thys is only grauÌ„ted to the sonne of maÌ„ ours sauiour Christ. Let vs then shake of the care of this lyfe and not so moch seke for the bread whereby our bodyes be fedde as thys breade whych giueth euerlastynge lyfe We counte the olde fathers happye whych dyd eate Manna yet thys Manna preserued them not from death and why Not bycause Manna was euyll sayeth saynte Austine but because of theyr euyll eatyng Christe is the breade whych descendeth from heauen whyche is signified by Manna He that eateth of thys breade shal lyue for euer But ye wol aske who thys is Saynt Austine answereth in thys wyse He that is in y e vnitie of Christes bodye that is to wytte in the felowshipe of the christen meÌ„bres the sacrameÌ„te of whych body all fayth full persones be wonte to receyue when they coÌ„municate at the altare come to gods borde doth truly eate the bodye of Christe and drynke the bloude of Christe Nowe therfore let vs by all indeuours we caÌ„ make ourselues mete and apte to receyue y e holye spirite of god wherby we maye be drawen to Christ. Let vs also take parte of hys passions and folowe the coÌ„uersation whych he had in hys fleshe Whyche thynge as S. Austine others expoune thys place is to eate hys fleshe and drynke hys bloude To whome wyth the father and holy goost be all glorye AMEN ¶ Imprinted at London by Richarde Bankes and are to be solde in Fletestrete at the sygne of the whyte Harte Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Matâ— IX Xâ—â— Luk. Matâ— xxvi i. cor xv psa lxxi Iu. xxiiij Math. xxviij Ioh. xx i. cor xv lu xxiiij Ioh. xxi i. cor xv Actu i. Iu. xxiiij i. cor xv i. cor xv Iu. xiiij i. Reg. xvij Ion. ij Col. ij i. Pet. i. Ephe. ij Psalm lxxxiiij Eph. iiij
the beginnyng of the world by the father of heuen to whome with the sonne and holy goost be glorye and prayse eternally The Gospell on the thyrde sondaye after Ester The. xvi chapter of Ihon. Thargument ☞ Of the spiritual raigne kyngdom of Christ. IEsus sayd to â—is disciples After a whylâ— ye shal not se me and agayne after a whyle ye 〈…〉 me â—or I go to the father Then sayd some of hys disciples betwene themselues what is thys that he sayeth vnto vs after whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a whyle ye shall se me and that I go to the father They sayd therfore what is this that he sayeth after a whyle we can not tell what he sayeth Iesus perceaued that they wolde aske hym and sayd vnto them Ye enquyre of thys betwene youre selues because I sayd after a whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a whyle ye shall se me Verely verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and la ment but contrary wyse the worlde shall reioyse Ye shall sorowe but your sorowe shalbe turned to ioye A woman whan she trauayleth hath sorowe because her houre is come But as sone as she is de lyuered of the chylde she remeÌ„breth nomore the anguysh for ioy that a maÌ„ is borne into the world And ye now therfore haue sorow but I wyl se you agayne and your hertes shal reioyse and your ioye shall no man take from you IN the Gospell of thys present daye good christeÌ„ people it is fyrst to be consydered marked how Christ sheweth hys louynge disciples of hys crosse and passion that he shulde suffre for the redemption of the worlde and also of hys moost glorious vprysynge agayne from death to lyfe And furthermore how and in what wyse by hys vprysyng or resurrection he shulde coÌ„mence hys raigne and haue accesse to hys father And assuredly the preachyng and fore shewynge hereof was ryght necessary to the Apostles of Christ to be often made and dryuen into theyr heades For the flesh as Christe sayeth hymselfe is weake and agayne the articles of oure religion be suche that they surmount the sklender capacitie of mans wyt neyther can they easely be perceyued Thys is the cause why Christ lyke a faythful mayster neuer ceaseth to dryue into hys disciples heades the suÌ„me coÌ„tent of our fayth to thintent he myght fully execute thoffice that he came for Now thys is hys sentence and mynde whych he declareth to hys disciples Wythin a lytle whyle O you my louynge scholers and disciples I shalbe betrayed vnto the Iues as I haue often tymes heretofore shewed vn to you that I shulde be condemned scourged bobbed and at last nayled to the crosse And for asmuch as euen lyke as Ionas was in the whales bely thre dayes and thre nyghtes I must in lykewyse be buryed in the grounde for the space of thre dayes and thre nyghtes Therfore for a lytle whyle in dede ye shall not se me But agayne after a lytle whyle that is to wyt the thyrde daye after whan I shall ryse agayne ye shall verely se me how be it that shall not be longe for I must awaye to my father and begyn w t hym my spirituall raygne Lo my deare frendes w t such wordes Christe teacheth hys apostles what maner thyng his kyngdoÌ„ shuld be how y e coÌ„myng is to y e same Assuredly y e kingdoÌ„ or raigne of Christ is none other thynge thaÌ„ that Christ hath coÌ„quered the world syn death sataÌ„ hell furthermore hath taken of his father all power both in heuen and in erth in such sort as hensforth he is to be y e most puissaunt and mighty kinge ouer the mount Sion leading and gouernyng his subiectes with the holy spi rite of comforte Into this his kingdom it behoued hym to entre by the crosse by sheding of his mooste precious bloude and by death euen as the prophete Dauid longe before had prophecied of him sayeng he shall drynke of the floude in the waye and therefore he shall lyft vp his heade Now this spirituall kingdome was not moche knowne to his apostles For they thought rather that the kingdom of Christ shulde haue ben a worldly and an outwarde kyngdome whych thinge they styl loked for vntyl the spirite was gyuen them whych taught them the knowlege herof and how they ought to come vnto it and to gette it and how to perseuer and continue in the same If we therfore good brethren and systers be lykewise mynded to entre into thys kingdome and by Christ to vanquysh synne death Satan and hel we must nedes acknowledge and take Christ for oure Lorde and sauiour for our kinge and hyghe bishop fastelye beleuing that we be reconciled and made at one agayne with the father of heuen by his bloude and in suffering and doinge the thinges that Paule speaketh where he sayth If we shall suffer togither with him we shall also reigne with him Seconde we haue here good people an exemple of oure ignoraunce and blyndnesse and that in thapostles For loke how lytle they attayned the mystery of the gospell wythout the holy goost so lytle can we also attayne by oure owne powers to iustice or soule health But harkeÌ„ your selues out of the very texte the rudenes or ignoraunce of the appostles Christ had shewed them that after a litle whyle they shulde not se hun agayhe after a lytle whyle they shulde se him agayne for he muste go to hys father This must nedes be vnderstande of his death and resurrection and of his spiritual kyngdome For assuredly to go to his father is nothinge elles but to fulfyll all thynges as it is declared in the. v. chapi to the Ephesians and by hys holye gooste to exalte gloryfie saue mankynde or to speake the wordes of y e prophete dona dare hominibus to gyue gyftes to men But I praye you how do thapostles vnderstande thys They talke and conferre w t themselues what meaneth that he sayeth after a whyle ye shall nâ—â— se me and agayn after a whyle ye shal se me we knowe not saye they what he speketh Lo my frendes the apostles do here confesse theyr ignoraunce and that they atteyne not to y e wordes that he spake albert he had spokeÌ„ often tymes before of hys crosse deathe and resurrection vnto them Wherfore I do not a lytle wonder what these men meane whyche fyghte so strongly for the defence of theyr owne naturall and caâ—â—tall power syth they se here so manyfestly y e the apostles themselues whyche had Christe so moâ—h conuersaunt anionges them coulde not by theyr owne mere power before the holy gooste came vnto them vnderstande the spirituall kyngdome of Christe So that it manifestly appeareth that while they woll be doctours and teachers of other they be them selues full of all blyndenes and ignoraunce Thys therfore is the suâ—â—ine and effecte of thys
take any thynge vpon vs rashely and temerariously but that we shuld rather walke in an humble mynd and spirite confessinge and knowledginge continually that we be bothe miserable and ignoraunte persons in such thynges as concerne Christes glorye forasmoche as without the spirite of god we canne neuer vnderstande the mystery of the gospel For assuredly the wysdome of the fleshe is foly before god and the more knowledge it boasteth pretendith in spiritual and diuine thynges so moch the more is the foly of it declared and vttered Let vs then my good brethren and sisters in all oure necessities and troubles pray accordynge to the wordes of this gospel but to whom To the father of heuen In whose name In Christes And what shall we praye for that our ioye may be perfyte full What is thys to saye that by Christ our sinne beynge taken away our conscience maye be quyet and sure of euerlastinge lyfe whyche is a ryght perfecte ioye Let vs praye that we maye be taught openly and playnly wythout prouerbes or parables that is y t we maye receyue the holy spirite of cōforte into our soules whych in gods worde maye instructe vs of all trouth Whych graunt vs God the father of heuen Qui viuit et regnat in secu la seculorum Amen A sermon in the Rogation weke or a briefe instruc tion for the weake in the faithe what they ought to do in these dayes of Rogation GOod people thys weke is called the Rogation weke bicause in thys weke we be wōte to make solemne and general supplycatiōs or prayers which in Greke be called Lytanyes Nowe therfore I exhorte you and in the Lordes name I require you that in al your Litanies or supplications ye wol so do that the thynge maye agre to the name and that this oure Litanye thys our supplication and rogation may be made wythe such true and ernest fayth that we may admonishe god and put him in mynde of hys fatherly promises He that wyll not endeuour hymselfe to do this let hym tarye styll at home let him kepe hun and absteyne from thys holy processiō lest he happen to iritate and to angre god more then other men shalbe hable to pacifie and styll hym Albeit alacke for pitie these solemne accustomable processions and supplications whyche we vse commonly as in this weke to make be now growen into a ryght foule and detestable abuse so that the moost parte of men and women in these solemne dayes of supplication do come forth rather to set out shewe themselues and to passe the tyme wyth vayne vnprofytable tales and mery fables than to make general supplications and prayers to god for theyr necessities I let passe the other enormities and vices whych on these dayes be customably perpetrate and done I wyll not speake of the rage and furour of these vplandysh processions and gangynges about whych be spente in ryottynge and in bely chere Furthermore the banners and badges of the crosse be so vnreuerently handled and abused that I maruayle greatly God destroye vs not all in one yeare What shall I say Surely they are now growen into such abuse that there be farre greter causes to take them awaye and vtterly to abrogate them wyth the other holydayes than ther were in tymes past to institute and ordeyne them And assuredly it is the parte of byshops of parsons of vycares and curates yea also of y e prophane Magistrates to se that those vnchristen and vngodly abuses bē auoyded and taken awaye or yf the thynge be past remedy vtterly to abolish and abrogate these letanies and supplicaciōs thus abused For assuredly it were much better and more christian lyke that christian men and women were gathered and assembled together in the church there to make theyr supplications prayers to god than after such an hethē vnruly fashion to mocke God and his holy sygnes And no doubt such as be curates and herdmen of Christes churche shall rendre a sharpe rekenynge and accomptes to God for wynkynge at these abuses Now in these Rogation dayes two thynges are to be asked of God and prayed for The fyrst is that God of hys goodnes and clemēcy woll defende and saue y e corne in the felde and that he woll purge the ayer to thintent that not only the lappe of the earth may be replenished wyth seasonable rayne and that the ayer maye be tempered to the vtilitie and furthe raunce of the corne but also that it be not infected that by the eatynge and drynkynge therof neyther we nor our bestes do catche any pestilence poxe feuers or other diseases For as testifyeth saynt Paul in hys fyrst epistle to Timothie gods creatures as meate drynke corne and such other thynges be sanctifyed by the worde of God and by prayer For frō whence come pestilencies the other kindes of disea ses and of syckenesses than that the noysome spirites do infecte the aier And by reason herof cōmonly our corne and grayne be peryshed infected and blasted and so we God permyttynge the same by eatynge and drynkynge our owne grayne do gette vs death and greuouse affections of the body For this cause be certayne gospels redde in the wyde felde amōges the corne and grasse that by the vertue and efficacie of gods worde the power of the wycked spi rites whych kepe in the ayer may be broken and the ayer made pure cleane to thintent the corne maye remayne vntouched not infected of the sayd hurtfull spirites but serue vs for our vse and bodely sustenaunce Wherfore my deare brethren we oughte to make these solemne processions wyth ernest myndes and wyth all reucrence in especiall we oughte to handle and to heare the worde of God wyth deuoute and religiouse myndes Thus doynge doute we nothynge but that gods worde wol vtter and ex ecute hys vertue vpon the corne and ayer that those noysome spirites of the ayer shall do no hurte at all to our corne Seconde thys is also moost of all to be desyred humbly to be prayed for in these rogation dayes that God woll vouchsaue to blesse hys creatures not only as before is sayd for the cōmoditie of oure bodyes but also for our soules helth lest our misera ble soules do herby catche vnto themselues pestiferous infection and damnable contagion I meane as thus The poyson and infection of the soule is synne Now whan God poureth vpon vs plentyful croppes and increase of all thynges forthwyth we beynge moost ingrate and vnkynde persons do vylaynously gyue oure selues to dayly bankettes and feastynges and to moost beastly fyllynge of our pāchies herof by by ensueth ydelnes of it sprynge whordomes adulteries blasphemies cursynges per iuries murders warres and all myschiefe so that it were much better for vs yf our corne and cattel dyd not so happely and plenteously prosper and take So the thynge that we demaunded in our processions and supplications