chosen folowed vp wyth hym but so yet that the coÌ„mon sort of people were not forbyden to folowe yf any amonges them had so great affection and grace When he was come to the toppe of the hylle he satte him down not as wery but as goyng about to teache high seriouse thynges which wolde requyre diligent hearers Hys disciples therfore perceyuyng that beganne to drawe nerer vnto hym that nothynge of hys heuenly doctrine myght fall to grownde Begynnyng then to teache hys diuine and most holsom lernyng not out of the proud pulpit of the philosophers neyther out of the arrogaÌ„t chaire of y â— pharâ—sees but out of a seate of grasse he did cast his eyen vpon his disciples and opening hys moost holy mouth vttred the Euangelical doctrine coÌ„cerning the felicitie of maÌ„ as yet vnknowne to the worlde and altogither disagreing from the opinion of all them which thought themselfes moost wyse in the worlde Thys doctrine his disciples yea and al holy men and women imbrased and so obteined the eternall blysse and beatitude here promysed vnto them Let vs therfore heare also thys doctrine foâ— to vs also he spake that we also maye be made blessed All the synnes of the lyfe do sprynge of false opinions and persuasions Aboue all thinges therfore we must studye to plucke these out by the harde â—ootes if we woll be his true people Bicause the most poysoned noysom sicknes of the mynd is pride and arrogance which is a let to man that he can not receyue the true doctrine or rather it is the fountaigne of all hed vices our Sauiour first healeth this disease sayeng Blessed be the pore in spirite for the realme of heauens is theirs Assuredly the slender liuing the lownes of byrth the obscuritye of estate the aduersitye of fortune maketh many men abiecte lowly to set no stoore by themselues And veryly these be y â— nerer to the blesse that the gospel speaketh of if they folow in mynd thither as fortune hath called them But this lownes humilitie of spirite that is here commended staÌ„deth in the affection and not in outwarde thinges Ye woll say how can these men raigne which take nothinge vpon them which giue place to al which set nought by themselues which suffre themselues to be troden vnder fote finally whom noman setteth by but al men despice I answere that it is yet true that the selfe trouthe hath spoken the kyngdom perteyneth only to them the kingdoÌ„ I say of heuen For thinke ye y â— these wilde fyerse cruel personnes do raigne Nay they serue a seruitude they be very villaines bondmen they suffre many lordes tyrantes ouer them They be tormented crucifyed with couetise with ire with enuye wyth lust of vengeaunce wyth feare with hope They skant liue they raigne not But the holy person the saynt the godly deuoute man or woman steyng himself vpon his innocencie vpon god vpon the rewardâ— of the world to com is free voyd of all these cares troubles for wyth a quyet hart he despiseth the thinges of this world and foloweth the heueÌ„ly goodes Doth not I praye you this man obteyne a reigne or a kyngdom farre more goodly and more excellente then is the reygne of tyrantes He is not vnder the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and rule of the lust nor of couetise neither of none of the other moost noysom pestilencies of the mynde But this holy person being armed with feith as ofteÌ„ as the case requireth doth lay his coÌ„maundement vpoÌ„ diseases and they flee awey he coÌ„mauÌ„deth the sees and they be styll he coÌ„maundeth deuilles and they departe Of thys force and power is the kyngdome of that harte whiche is godly and setteth nought by it selfe distrusting al humane helpes and socours depending holly of God The wordly kyngdom is gotteÌ„ by violence defended by hygh courage But this kingdom is gotten by modestie stablished by humilitie The world iugeth none mete to a lorship or raigne but such as be of hault and high courage But god calleth those chiefly to his kingdom which do moost of al huÌ„ble and deiecte themselfes Iesus goeth forth and addeth a nother lessoÌ„ lyke to thys sayng Blessed be the meke for they shall inherite the earth Who be meke whiche inforce noman which beyng wronged do easely pardon the wrong whiche had rather loose a thynge then stryue for it which set more by coÌ„corde quietnes of mynd then great large possessioÌ„s whiche chouse rather a quiet pouertie then troublesom riches But this sort of meÌ„ be coÌ„monly for their pacience by one or other disturbed and wyped of that they haue Uerily it is trouth but this is a new maner of enlarging possessions The vnpitiful cruell lorde possesseth no not that which he hath wheras the mylde gentle person whiche had rather departe wyth hys right then coÌ„tende for it hath land in so many places as he findeth louers of the Gospell of Christe if he findeth none in thys world yet is he sure of the possession of the heueÌ„ly land out of which he caÌ„not be excluded The worlde bewaileth them as vnhappy whiche be briueÌ„ out of their couÌ„trey coÌ„pelled to liue in straÌ„ge places but Christ calleth them happy which be banished for the Gospels sake beyng made citizens of heuen They be driuen froÌ„ the frauÌ„chise of one citie expulsed out of one countrey but to true disciples of Christ the hole worlde is their countrey to such as be godly ê‘sons heueÌ„ is their home The death of frendes is miserable to the coÌ„mon sorte of people in so moch that some when they haue been depriued of their wifes fathers mothers husbandes chyldren haue kylled theÌ„selfes And for thys cause men come vnto them to aswage the bytternes of their sorowe wyth wordes of comfort But blessed be they which mourne for the loue of the Gospell whiche be also plucked awey from their affections whiche se their moost dearly beloued troubled for the iustice of the gospel which despising the pleasures of this world passe their life in weping watching fasting giuing almoise prayng visiting the poore in such like occupations For with such woll that heauenly spirite ve present secretly coÌ„fortyng rewardyng the short mournyng with in estimable ioye of mynde translatinge theÌ„ to euerlasting blesse Mans couÌ„fortyng ofteÌ„tymes increaseth the grefe while it laboureth to swage it But the holy ghost the true coÌ„forter so chereth the godly mynd that in moost bytter afflictioÌ„s of the bodie it reioyseth By the common opinion of al men hungre is a peynful thing and nedy pouertie is the thyng that euery man eschueth neyther is there any man but couÌ„teth them happy which haue augmented their liuyng so established their thynges as they may now liue in hygh welth and abundaunce But assuredly it is not the heapynge vp of goodes which satisfyeth the mynde nor the welth of
pleased god so to worke with her to set forth his owne glorie and power He sent to her therfore nowe in her old age this blessed child to take the reproche of barennes from her He prolonged for this intent her child bearing that the ioy herof might be the greater and she be made the more renowined and notoriouse For all her neighbours kynsfolke which before had knowne her ba rennes were nowe made witnesses of the heauenly grace wherw t God had endowed her For none that saw the child departed w t silence but blessed praysed god which vnloked for had seÌ„t this blessed child vnto her being of this age The eight day therfore they went to circumcise the child according to Moses lawe And bicause Zacharie his father was by gods prouision made duÌ„me and spechles they supposing that the father wold so haue bene best ctÌ„en â–ª ted named him Zacharie by his fathers name But Elizabeth his mother said he shuld not be so called but Ihon shulde be his name whiche name she had lerned not of her husbande whiche at this time was become spechles but by inspiratioÌ„ of the holy ghost signifieng that he that was born shuld be the bedel or messanger of the new law which shuld abrogate the old traditions turne the carnall worshyp into a spiritual grace For Zacharias betokeneth in Hebrue a remeÌ„brer of god Ihon is named the grace of God The iustice of the lawe stode in appoynted workes the iustice of the gospell standeth by faythe through grace fauour Howbeit the kinsfolk wold not be ruled by the mother to giue him this strauÌ„ge name bicause there was none in al their kindred so called but they wolde in any wyfe haue hym called Zacharie by his fathers name And yet at this day there be some better pleased w t the name of Zacharie then w t the name of Ihon these be they that can not yet suffre that the ceremonies of y â— old law shuld be abolished so that in effect they crye we wil none of this new name of Ihon but we wil haue stil the old Zacharie wherfore for asmoch as the childwife the cousins could not agree in the name it was necessarie that the authoritie of the father shuld come betwene to breake the strife But he had not as yet the vse of his tong where now neded speche Wyth signes therfore they signified vnto him what name wold pleace him that his child shulde haue He vnderstanding y â— mater required writing tables to declare that thinge by dombe letters whiche by liuely voice he could not bring forth The tables brought he wrote in this wise Ihon is his name Now cam the time that Moses law shuld speake which before had after a fashioÌ„ described w t figures the grace of the gospel The time now was com that the mouth which vnfeithfulnes had locked shuld now through feyth be opened He had not therfore so sone writen but y â— bond of his tong was loused Neyther did he beginne hys speach with any other thing than with the praysinge of God by whose goodnes so greate ioyes were heped vpon hym Let vs in like maner good people beleue as saynte Ambrose exhorteth vs to thintent our tonge which is bounde wyth the bandes of vnfeithfulnes may be loused And surely onles the Iuishe tonge be putte to silence whyche preacheth carnal obseruations the tong of the gospell can not speake whyche preacheth grace feythe and charitie Al these thingê of y â— olde childwife of the noueltie of the name of the son born by y â— promise of the angel of the father made first of a speaker dombe again of dombe a speaker were blown abrode not only in the neighbours cousins mouthê but also through out al the hylly countrey of Iewry so that they did not only wonder but also were astonyed agast at the strangnes of the thing sayeng w tin themselfes What maner of ê‘son shal this childe be None of al y â— prophetes was so woÌ„derfully born which thinges declare that this is done by gods power which is w t the child beiÌ„g ordeined for high purposes And they thought not thus w tout cause For in dede gods haÌ„d had vttred his heuenly vertue in the childe And to thintent al thinges might be ful of miracles reple nished w t ioy Zacharie also Ihons father being inspired w t the holy ghost brasted forth into this song Blessed be y â— lord god of Israell for he hath visitted redemed his people of Israell Doubtles god visited his people of Israel both wayes whether we vnderstande the material Israelites for he cam to the lost shepe of the house of Israel or the spiritual Israelites that is the feithful persons which were worthy of this visitation He visited theÌ„ which were now by long sicknes coÌ„sumed he redemed them being sold vnder sinne w t the bloud of his only begotten son He called them his people not bicause at his coÌ„ming he found them his but bicause by visitting he made them his Let vs then praise almighty god that he vouchsaued to make of vs whiche were not his people his people Let vs imbrace y â— iustice not of y â— Iuish law but of y â— gospel of Christ. Who be c. ¶ On saynt Peters and saynt Paules day The Gospell Mat. xxi IEsus came into the partes of Cesarea Philippi asked his disciples sayng WhoÌ„ saye men that I the sonne of maÌ„ am They sayd Some say thou art ThoÌ„ the baptist some Helias some Hieremye or one of the prophetes He sayth vnto them But whoÌ„ say you that I am Simon Peter answered and saide Thou arte Christe the son of the lyuinge God And Iesus answered sayd vnto him Happy arte thou Simon the son of Iona for fleshe and bloude haue not disclosed this vnto the but my father whiche is in heuen And I say vnto the that thou art Peter vppon thys rocke I wyll buylde my churche the gates of helle shall not preuayle agynste it And I will giue to the the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ and what soeuer thou byndest in erth shal be bound in heuen and what soeuer thou losest in erth shal be losed in heauen The sermon vpon this Gospell THis Gospell my frendes declareth how oure Sauiour Christ after he was com into y e parties of Cesarea Philippi wolde proue how moche his disciples had profeted by so many hys sermons and miracles whyche they had now herde and seen and whether they thought any higher thing of him then the comon people did He demaundeth therfore of them sayeng Whom say men that I am They answered Some saye thou arte Iohn the baptiste for so thoughte the Herodians other say thou arte the prophete Helias bicause he was rauished vp therfore they thought now that he appeared accordynge to the prophecie
them for none other cause but for the iustice sake of the Gospell whiche hurteth none and helpeth all For euen thys selfe thynge sturreth vp their hatred for which they oughte to haue shewed their loue neyther for any other cause do they rendre wronge then for the whiche they ought to haue giuen thankes Christe sayeth not blessed be they that suffre persecution of the Hethen people For thoughe a man suffre persecution as the holy Doctour ChrysostoÌ„ sayth of he retikes or of meÌ„ of power whiche seme and be called christians he is blessed w t saint ThoÌ„ Baptist with innumerable other holy martyres For yf it be true that the prophetes be martyrs which were stayne of their owne natioÌ„ w tout doubt he y t for gods cause suffreth any thing though he suffre of his owne nation hath the reward of martyrdoÌ„ And therfore the scripture hath not put the ê‘sons of y â— ê‘secuters but the cause only of the persecution that we shulde not loke who it is that psecuteth but for what cause But ye wol say who can loue such as for pleasures reÌ„ore agayne displeasures hatred and euel turnes It is an harde thinge I graunt but the rewarde is greate And what is the reward not a garlande of flowres or bay leaues not an oxe or a goote but the kyngdom of heuen Unto thys turnament we must prepare our selfes so many as woll be Christes disciples if we desire to wynne the crowne of the EuaÌ„gelicall felicitie Mans crueltie is nothyng y t ought to fraye vs from it Noman can hurte vs yf we cleaue to iustice The persecution of the euill shall not plucke awey oure innocencie but it shall rather increase our blesse Yea in the mydde stormes of the persecution we shal be blessed Let vs call to mynde my frendes the valiant martyrs and holy both meÌ„ women children which haue been before our time the memorie of all whom the church doth this daye solemnize how coÌ„stantly how paciently they suffred al vilanouse wordes al mockes skornes vnworthy punishementes yea and many of them death for the trouthes sake When men cursed them wyth bytter curses when men assawted them wyth all kynde of mischief when men falsely accused them and layd to their charge all the crymes they coulde bycause they were true folowers disciples of Christe they bewayled not theÌ„selfes as vnhappy and miserable but rather they reioysed and triumphed therin forasmuche as the more their enemies and ê‘secutours did rage agaynst them the more dyd their rewarde increase in heuen Their hurte God turned to their good The damage that they suffred of men he turned to their lucre The reproche he turned into euer lastynge and true glorie The crimes and vpbraydynges whych men brought falsly against them he turned into the titles and triumphes of true godlines mens cursinges he turned into prayses and reioysinges not only afore God whom to please they thought it ynough â–ª though they displeased the hole worlde besides forth but also afore men For of wicked and vngodly men to be dispraised for godlines is to be praysed and to be tormented of the haters of god is to be crowned Prayse and glory amoÌ„ges men they sought not for and yet neuertheles it folowed the true vertue of the owne accord Thus the holy prophetes whyche haue bene afore vs thus the blessed martyres the confessours the virgines the deuoute wydowes and brefely to speake all the halowes and godly personagies before oure tyme be rewarded crowned nowe with the crowne of immortalitie Let vs therfore dearly beloued frcendes folow them in liuing that we may also folow them thither where they now be in perpetual ioy with the father sonne and holy gost three persons and one god who be praysed foreuer Amen ¶ On the day of weddyng The Gospell Mat. xix THe pharisees cam to Iesus temptynge him and sayng Is it lawful for man to put awey his wife for all maner of causes He answered and sayde vnto them Haue ye not red that he that made man at the beginning made them man and woman and said for this cause shal man leaue father mother and cleaue to his wyfe they two shal be one fleshe Wherfore they be nomore two but one fleshe Lette not man then put a suÌ„dre that which god hath coupled togither The sermon vpon this Gospel Forasmoch as welbiloued audieÌ„ce in our Sauiour Iesu Christ we be assembled at this present tune for the solemnizatioÌ„ of matrimonie betwen these two persoÌ„s in the face of the churche accordinge to the laudable custome and rites of the same I inteÌ„d with your fauours first ere I expownd this gospel brefely to declare y â— first institutioÌ„ ordinauÌ„ce of matrimonie to thinteÌ„t not only these two ê‘soÌ„s here cou pled togither but also al other which be here gathered togither aswel maried as to be maried maye be admonished instructed of their office dutie herin First therfor ye shal vnderstand that almighty god what time he first made created man in paradice consydering of his botomles wisdom how necessary mete and conuenient it was to couple man and womaÌ„ togither in wedlok both for the comfort aide and helpe of one an other and for the multiplicatioÌ„ and meyntenaunce of mankinde in lawful successioÌ„ and also to thintent that therby generation of issue might after mans fall be continually from tyme to time maynteined vntyll the ende of the world without synne or offêse towardes god did not only euen than at the beginning and in paradice knytte Adam and Eue togyther in matrimonye and dyd ordeyne and blesse the same by his holy worde but also dyd declare and set forth the vertue and strength therof by the mouth of AdaÌ„ for he being inspired as saint Austine and other holy doctours say wyth the holy ghost when he was by almighty god whiche made him knytte and coupled in lawfull mariage wyth Eue his wife spake as a prophet these wordê folow yng Loo now these bones of Eue my wyfe be fourmed of my bones and this her flesh of my flesh She shal be called a woman bycause she is taken forth of the man And for this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and cleaue fast vnto his wyfe and they tweyne shal be one flesh By which wordes it is ment that by the strength and vertue of maryage ryghtly made the man and wyfe whiche before were two bodies be now made one bodye durynge their liues so that herafter the husbande as saynte Paule sayth hath not power ouer his owne bodye to vse it as him lusteth but it is hys wiues neyther hath the wyfe power of her owne bodye but her body is her husbandes body and wyth hym only may she vse the acte of matrimony And therfor they two so knytte conioyned by gods ordenaunce may in no wise â—e deuided for any affection either to father or mother or
for any earthly thynge in the worlde Secondly deare frendes ye shall vnderstande that god renewed his sayd ordinauÌ„ce of matrimony and sanctifyed it wyth hys holy worde immediatly after Noes floude At which tyme being al y â— people of the world destroyed with the said floude except Noe his childreÌ„ and their wifes god callyng them out of the arke said vnto them Crescite multiplicamini et replete terram that is th say Encrease be ye multiplied and fulfyll you the earth agayne And albeit this law and coÌ„maundement of matrimonie giuen agayne to Noe and to his chyldren was a sufficient instruction vnto them and to all their ofspring how to vse it in all clennes and puritie yet god ê‘ceiuing mans naturall inclination to synne and malice dyd afterwarde further stablish and declare the same by hys other lawes written more at large shewyng the degrees of coÌ„sanguinitie and of affinitie which nature abhorred to marie in as appeareth in the boke of Leuiticus the. xviij xx chapters Which lawes of prohibition al we christen men and womeÌ„ be vonden to obserue and kepe For who so euer marieth wythin the degrees there expressed and prohibited of God in the said boke be cursed by Gods mouth and their mariage is of no force ne strength neither afore God ne man but detestable abhominable deuelishe and damnable And on the contrary syde all mariages made betwene kynsfolke or alyes that be not wythin the degrees whiche be in that boke forbydden of God though the bishoppe of Rome hath neuer so moch forbiddeÌ„ them be without any dispeÌ„sation of man good holy godly and approued not only of God but also authorized by acte of parlimeÌ„t made in the .xxxij. yeare of the reigne of oure mooste drad Soueraigne lorde the kyng that now is Henry the eight Thyrdly ye shall vnderstand that this coniunction betwene maÌ„ and wife in matrimonie was ordeined that therby also myghte be represented vnto vs not only the perfecte indissoluble vnion of the nature of God with the nature of man whiche was fulfylled when the second person in trinâ—tie toke vpoÌ„ him the fourme and substaÌ„ce of oure nature but also the lyke coÌ„iunction in perfecte loue betwene Christ and his churche as the holy apostle Paule witnesseth in his epistle to the Ephesians where goyng about to proue that al womeÌ„ which be maried ought to loue and to be subiecte vnto their husbandes in all thynges euen as the churche is subiecte to Christ likewise that al husbaÌ„des be bound to loue their wiues euen as Christ loueth the church hys spouse he brin geth in the first ordinance of matrimonie as it was ordeyned by god in paradice and the wordes before rehersed wheruppon he inferreth sayth that thys coÌ„â—unction of man and woman in mariage wherby they are knitte and made one flesh and one bodye is the sacrament that is to saye the figure the significatioÌ„ the mysterye or the prophecieng before of that great and meruelouse coÌ„iunction which is betwene Christ and his churche For like as by the vertue of thys first ordinaunce of matrimonye the man and wife be made as one body wherof the maÌ„ is the hed euen so the excedinge loue of Christe towardes hys spouse the church knytteth and maketh Christe and hys church to be but one bodie wherof Christ is the hedde And lyke as the woman was fourmed of the rybbe of man so of Christe sprang forth the churche whiche is purified by water and bloude The rybbe is the harder part of the body the husbande is the strength of the wife euen so is Christ the strength of the churche Out of the rybbe and myddes of the bodye was the wife brought forth and eueÌ„ so Christ toke fleshe of our substaunce borne of the vndefiled virgine made like vnto vs in al thynges synne only excepted Wherfore we be called the membres of one bodie of hys flesh of hys bones meÌ„bres I say not accordyng to the nature of the euerlasting diuinitie but accordinge to that he vouchsaued to take mans nature vpon hym Howbeit thys coniuncton may not be takeÌ„ carnally but spiritually For albeit Christe toke our real fleshe yet we be hys spirituall membres For we be one bodie bicause we be partakers of one spirite And forasmuche as there is so great a coÌ„iunction betwene Christ and his churche we ought for his sake to leaue the dearest thingê we haue if they wold plucke vs awey froÌ„ Christ whose spouse we be For we muste cleaue to hym without seueraunce syth we be one bodye one fleshe wyth him And verely this is a greate sacrament mysterie and secrecie which if it be rightly poÌ„dered plucketh vp our mindes into moost highe and heauenly ioyes Hitherunto we haue brefely spokeÌ„ of the first ordinauÌ„ce of mariage now let vs come to the declaration of this present Gospell The pharisees which amoÌ„ngê y â— Iues were takeÌ„ for meÌ„ of great holynes and therfore ought best to haue magnified Christ and his doctrine were euer moost busye agaynst him inueÌ„ting al they could to trippe hym in his wordes that they myght haue some pretence to accuse hym put him downe For they had no litle enuie at him ê‘tly bicause he shadowed their estimation ê‘tly bicause he disclosed their hypocrisie They cam therfore on a time and craftely did set vpon him taking occasioÌ„ of the wordes he had spoken coÌ„cerning that a maÌ„ ought not to put awey his wife They propounde a suttil sophisme whether it were lawfull for euery cause for a man to put awey his wife For if he shulde answere it were lawful he shuld seme to be agaynst himselfe where he tawght dyuorses not be lawfull If he shulde denye it he shuld seme to be against Moses law which suffreth a man for any maner cause to gyue her a libel of diuorcement and to let her goe But Iesus so tempereth hys answere that neyther he diminisheth the authoritie of Moses neither recaÌ„teth his owne teachinge wyth the authoritie of the law he stoppeth the pharisees mouthes whyche were lawyers Haue ye not redde sayth Chryste that when God created the worlde he formed the man and women that by there coÌ„ioynyng mankynd shuld be coÌ„tynued And forthwith expressing the vnpartable couple of them added For thys loues sake shal man leaue father mother and stycke to hys wyfe And thys knotte is so straight y e of two be but one person So y e it is as moch agaynst nature that the one shuld be plucked froÌ„ the other as it is for one part of y e body to be seuered froÌ„ an othher Wherfor y e God hath thus coupled let not maÌ„ seuer Meaning herby y e it is both a gainst nature also y e law a maÌ„ to cast vp hys wife Here the pharisees thinking that they had now gotten a good quarell against oure sauiour Christ Iesus to snach him vp said
vnto him If it be thus as thou sayst that god wold haue wedlocke so inuiolabely kept why then dyd Moises make it lawfull to the husbande for any maner cause to put from him his wife so that he giue her a libel of diuorcement as who shuld say how durst Moses be so bold to licence that thing which god wold not haue done To this obiection our sauiour aunswered Moses dyd not permitte ne licence this thing vnto you bicause the thing of the owne nature was honest and rightfulle but forasmoch as he knew the stubbornenes hardnes of your hartes therfore he graunted vnto you the lesser lyghter inconuenience that ye shuld not committe the greuouser offence For assuredly Moses did not allow al kindê of diuorces in that he had leuer y â— the same were suffred or rather winked at then murder shuld ensue be coÌ„mitted Neither did the libel of diuorcement amoÌ„ges the croked Iues whyche Moses theire lawmaker inacted that it shuld be giuen to the womaÌ„ make the diuorce good and lawful but rather that same libel was a witnes and testimonie of the hard harte of the Iues which for euery light cause and triâ—le wold put away their wiues for this cause the law of moses gaue commaundement that such stubburne hard husbandê whyche wolde nedes for such light occasions put awey their wyues or els do worse committe further inconuenience to gyue them the sayde libelle of diuorcement for a certayne recorde witnesse that she is nowe free from his yoke and at her libertie But at the begynnyng sayth Christ to these pharisees when as yet the malice of mâ— was not growen into such an excesse nor as yet maÌ„s nature was not infected with so many vices for the hatred was not so feruent that either poysoning or murdering was feared there was no such licence of diuorces Wherfore neither now is the same licence to be suffred amonges christen men after that the doctrine of the gospell hath brought agayn the christen man to his former state and perfection of nature by regeneration or new byrth And no doubt my freendes Moses amonges the Iues wished in his hart the same perfecte loue and fast knot in wedlocke to be obserued and kept that our sauiour Christ hath tawght vs but as I haue declared the corrupt nawghty maners of the Iues whyche for euery lyght grefe were ready to coÌ„mitte murder and all mischief feared him that he durst not requyre that of them So that our sauiour Christ did not abrogate the auncient lawe of Moses but he made it more clere perfect declaring vnto the froward Iues that it was vnlawful both for them for al other and againste the minde of god and the wille of Moses their lawmaker that they shuld for euery lyght occasion put away their wiues whom they ought to loue to imbrace as their own bodies and their owne flesh For a thing that a man doth is not forthwith lawful for him to do bicause he is not punished in this worlde for the same For there be many thynges abominable and stinkyng afore the face of god which be not punished by mans lawes Hitherto haue we intreated the gospell of this day Now we woll sum what towche the officies aswell of the wife towardes her husband as of the husband towardes his wife and so make an end Ye wifes sayth saint Paule be ye subiect to your owne propre husbandes as vnto the Lorde For the man is hed of the wyfe euen as Christ is the hed of the churche and it is he whiche giueth helth to the body Wherfor like as the church is subiecte to Christe so let the wifes be subiecte to their husbandes in al thinges Likewise saint Peter in his first epistle coÌ„maundeth christen wiues to be in subiectioÌ„ to their husbandê to thintent that euen they which obey not gods worde maye without the worde be wonne by the conuersation of the wyues when they behold their chaste conuersation ioyned with reuerence Whose outward apparell he wolde not shuld be gorgeouse nor moch glysteringe to the eye but rather he wold haue them inwardly garnished in the hart being there ful of al cleÌ„nes w tout corruption in such sort as they may haue a gentle quyet spirite which spirite he sayth in gods eye is a thing most gorgeouse sumptuouse For after this maner in olde tyme sayeth this holy Apostle saynte Peter did the holy women which trusted in god attyre themselues and were obedient to their husbaÌ„dê euen as Sara obeyed Abraham her husbaÌ„d calling him lorde whose daughters al ye be as longe as ye do wel Saint Paule also sayth that the woman is the glory of the man For the â—naÌ„ cam not of the woman but the woman of the man Neyther was the man created for the womans sake but the woman for the mans sake WomeÌ„ therfore ought to imploy their diligence vpon the vertuouse bringinge vp of their children to loke wel to their housholde Yea they shal be sayth saynt Paule saued by bearing of children bringing them vp in feith loue of god in holines For this is their office thys is their fuÌ„ction calling wherin they ought to pleaee god to atteine euerlasting blesse They ought to be no taÌ„glers no disputers no teachers in coÌ„mon assembles but herers but lerners kepers of silence w t al subiection These be the officies duties of christen wiues The office of the husband as Paul saith is to loue his wife euen as Christ loued the church He is bounden to loue her as his owne body He that loueth sayth he his wife loueth himselfe For noman euer yet hated hys owne fleshe but nowrisheth and cherisâ—â—eth it euen as the lorde doth the churche He must dwel saith saint Peter w t his wife according to knowlege giuing honoure vnto her as vnto the weker vessel as vnto her which is heire also of the grace of lyfe He may not be bytter to hys wyfe but gentle courteouse and louing Yea finally he must so inâ—iâ—rly loue her y t god coÌ„maundeth him to leaue al other his affectioÌ„s yea euen his owne father and mother and cleaue to hys wyfe But let man and wife take hede that god couple them togither not the deuil Let them be coupled for procreatioÌ„ of children for auoyding of fornicatioÌ„ in al teÌ„perancie holines godly shamefastnes Let theÌ„ not ioyne either for ryches for bewtye for great aliauÌ„ce or which is more fylthy only for the lust of the body lest they be greuousâ—ly punyshed for their intemperauncie as it chauÌ„â—ed to y â— seuen husbaÌ„dê of Sara before she maried w t Thobie the yonger to innumerable other Wherfore my deare frendes let euery man and woman take hede they ioyne in holy wedlocke by gods coupling with al humble reuereÌ„ce and godly feare So doinge they