sayeth Câ—rysostom For not only her sonnes had left theyr father but she also dyd leaue her husband to folow Christ. For he w tout her might liue but she without Christ could not be saued oules perchauÌ„ce a man wil say that betwene the time of the calling of these two Apostles the passion of Christ Zebedee her husband dyed so she beinge a lone woman aged folowed the steppê of Christ which is also moch to her praise and coÌ„mendation For feith neuer waxeth olde and deuotion feleth no werines She coÌ„meth therfore to Christ w t her two soÌ„nes They had herd Christe say a litle before that they which wold folow him in the new byrth whaÌ„ he shuld sit in y e seate of his maiestie shuld also sitte vpon xij seates iuging the xij tribes of Israel And that al they which had left house or brethren susters father or mother wife or children or their landes for his name sake shulde receyue an hundred times as moch shulde enioy euerlasting life They therfore being as yet imê‘fect hauinge litle vnderstandinge of the spirituall kingdom but thinking rather that Christes kingdom shulde be a worldly temporal reigne cam w t their mother beseching him that the one of them might sitte on the right hand of him in his kingdom and the other on the left meaning that they might be in some highe authoritie w t him For sith in a worldely kingdome they do seme to be in honour which sit w t the king it was no meruayle though a woman being led w t a womans simplicitie or ignoraunce thought that such thinges ought to be demauÌ„ded and her soÌ„nes also thinkinge yet nothinge highly vpon Christes kingdom ymagined such thinges of theÌ„ that shuld sitte with Christ. Then oure lord the knower of hyd thinges answered not to the wordes of the woman which was made peticioner but to the counsailes of her soÌ„ues which had set her to do this Surely our lord Iesus Christ oftentimes suffred hys disciples both to do speake thinke many thinges vnrightly to thintent that by their ouersight and blame he might finde occasion to expowne the rule of godlines knowing ful wel that theire errour hurted not so long as he was present with theÌ„ but the doctrine and instruction of the same was profitable both for that time present also for time comming He saith therfore vnto them ye wot not what ye aske as who shuld say I haue called you from the left side vnto the right ye by your counsayle wil ruÌ„ne to the left side againe And happily y â— thing was therfore done by a woman For the deuil gatt him to his wont armours of women that as Adam was spoyled by a woman so he might also separate destroy these by their mother But now destruction coulde not entre by a woman into saintes sithens froÌ„ a woman proceded the saluation of al men The auauncement of honour delited them but first it behoued them to exercise the way of labour And therfore he sayth vnto them Can ye drinke of y â— cuppe that I must drinke of As who shulde say if ye wil deserue the swete ye must also tast of y â— sowre If ye wil haue pleasure w t me in my kingdom ye must take ê‘te of my payne passion The crowne of rightuousnes is giuen not to al but to them that ruÌ„ne in the course and whiche do vse themselfes in such sort that they may obteine the maistrye If then he that proueth maistryes in worldly games kepeth himselfe sobre absteyneth froÌ„ al thinges â–ª to thinteÌ„t to get a crown y e perisheth what ought they be y â— seke for an euerlasting crowne Truly as sayth Chrysostom our Lorde knew â–ª that they coulde folowe his passion but he asketh them this to thintent all we might heare and know that none can reygne wyth Christe onles he folowe hys passioÌ„ For a preciouse thing is not gotten but with a preciouse price We call the passion of the Lorde not only the persecuting of the Hethen but also all violence whyche we suffre stryuyng agaynst synne This passion and crosse we be all bounde to abyde if we wyll be counted to be of Christes flocke Yea and when the glorie of Christ requireth we must also not refuse to suffre corporall deathe for hys sake Thus dyd the hooly Apostle saynte Iames whose memorie we do thys daye celebrate folowe hym for he was beheded of Herode for preaching and executynge of hys maisters commission And therfore it is no doubt of him but according to Christes owne promisse he hath receyued an hundered tymes as moch and doth now enioye the euerlasting life and that he is one of them that the kyngdom of heauen is prepared for Wherfore good people lette vs folowe thys blessed Apostle and as he dyd so let vs leue the loue of all worldly vanities and folow our Sauiour Christe to thintent we maye be heyres of god and ioynt heyres wyth Christe For if we suffre with him saith Paule we shal also be glorified with hym and reygne togither with hym If we dye with him we shal also liue with him and enioy the crown of euerlastinge blysse by him to whom wyth the father and holy ghoste be glorie and prayse for euer and euer Amen ¶ On the Natiuitie of our Lady The Gospell Mat. i. THe boke of the generation of Iesu Christe c. Ye shal finde this Gospell and the sermon vpon it before on the conception day of our Lady fol. v. ¶ On saynt Mathews daye The Gospell Math. ix AS Iesus passed by he sawe a man sittynge at the receite of custome Matheu by name and sayeth to him Folowe me And he rose and folowed him And it chauÌ„ced as he satte at meate in the house â—o many publicanes and synners cam satte downe with Iesus and hys disciples The pharisees seyng this sayd to his disciples Why eateth your maister with publicanes and synners When Iesus herde that he said to them The strong haue no nede of a phisician but they that be sicke Go and lerne what this meaneth Mercye wyll I and not sacrifice For I am not come to cal rightuous ê‘sons but sinners The sermon vpon this Gospel THe Gospell red thys daye in the churche good people sheweth vnto vs how the blessed Apostle saynte Matheu was called of oure Sauioure Christe from a customer to be his disciple Apostle and how ready he was at his callyng to folow him whiche readynes of mynde as it is hyghlye for hys prayse and coÌ„mendation so it is also set forth as an exemple for vs to folow Let vs then brefely coÌ„sider the maner of this thynge As our Sauiour Christe passed by the custome house he sawe thys Matheu whiche was otherwise called Leui the sonne of Alpheus sitte there for he was at that tyme one of the custome house whiche
with his haÌ„des For as the historie telleth Christe had appeared to the rest of hys felawes when he was awey and when they shewed him of it with one hole voice and consent yet he said he wold not beleue it tyl he had sene the prynte of the nayles in Christes handes and felte his woundes Uerely as saint Gregory saith this was not done by casualtie y e saynt Thomas the chosen disciple of Christ was not then present For the high clemencie of god wrought this thinge y e the doubtyng disciple whyle in his maister he gropeth the woundes of the fleshe might heale in vs the wouÌ„des of infidelitie For the infidelitie of saynte Thomas profyted more to the Christen feith then did the feith of the beleuing disciples For while he by gropyng is brought againe to the feith our mynde is all doubt set apart stablished in the feith Thre thynges then are here to be considered in thys historie First the hardnes of belefe in saynt Thomas whiche albeit he was one of the electe disciples of Christe and longe conuersant wyth hym and continually instructed of his risyng againe yet he doubteth Seconde the goodnes and tendre mercie of Christ which wolde not thus leaue him Thyrdly the constancie of thys blessed Apostle in the feith ouer after euen til his lifes ende It was doubtles a very grosse infidelitie and hardnes of be leue in saint Thomas that after so longe coÌ„paning with our Sauiour Christ and hearynge him oftentimes afore his passion say he shuld rise agayne yet he wolde not beleue his resurrection nâ— not wheÌ„ his felawes so coÌ„stantly had shewed hym how they saw him wyth their eyen what he said vnto them Hys felawes verily were grosse til they had receyued the holy ghost for they wold skant beleue his resurrection til they had seen him But saynt Thomas was grosser thaÌ„ they all For he said he wold not beleue y â— resurrectioÌ„ tyl he had seen the prynt of the nayles in Christes haÌ„des yet this was not ynough to make him beleue but he wolde also fele hys wouÌ„des with his owne handes And here we haue a lyuely image of the nature disposition of the fleshe For the flesh can not be brought to beleue but by sensible signes tokens Neither was thys carnalitie in Thomas only but it is in al meÌ„ for we be made of one mowld and god hath coÌ„cluded all meÌ„ vnder infidelitie that he might haue mercie of all Consider therfore the tender mercie of our lorde howe for one of his disciples sake he shewed himselfe hauing woundes he dyd it not forthwyth but after viii daies to the intent he being amoÌ„ges his felawes certified of theÌ„ might be kyndled vnto a greater desire and that he might be made the more feithfull in tyme coÌ„myng Our Sauiour Christe therfore eight daies after he had appeared to his felawes caÌ„ where as they were gathered togither Thomas with them He entred in vnto them the dores being shutte wyth hys accustomed salutation greteth them sayng Peace be amonges you And forthwyth turnyng hymselfe to Thomas whose infidelitie could not be hidde from him whiche bicause he ê‘ceiued proceded not of malice but of weaknes he vouch saued to heale He had him behold his haÌ„des and grope his side Thomas according as Christ had bidde him beheld the print of the nailes and thurst his hand into his side And forthwyth wyth an exclamation cryed my lorde my God Thus from a grosse and stubburne infidelitie was he brought to a fast and constant feith So Paule at the beginning was a very fierce persecutour of y â— church but afterward he becaÌ„ a right feithful Apostle and teacher of the people For these wonderful iugementes of god be for this cause described forth vnto vs that we shuld lerne to knowe the exceding goodnes of god which turneth euil into good My lord and my god sayth saint Thomas Uerily he y t confesseth god to be his god hath renouÌ„ ced al y e be his possessed those y e be gods The erth is the lordê al that is therin We be the lordes the lord is ours Wherfor al the goodes of god be ours through feyth in oure sauioure Iesu Christe This high confession of saint Thomas truly our sauiour commended but yet he suÌ„what towched him for his hardnes of beleue saing Thomas bicause thou hast seen me thou hast beleued blessed are they y â— haue not seen and yet haue beleued Saint Thomas saw one thing beleued an other he saw maÌ„ confessed god He saw Christ in flesh he felt him after his resurrection which was a great furtheraÌ„ce to his feith But blessed be they y t neuer saw Christ in flesh yet haue beleued on him Certainly this kynd of people be we Gentils as many of vs as reteyne Christ in mynde whoÌ„ we haue not seen in flesh as writeth saint Gregorie if so be yet that we folow prosecute our feith with good workes For that ê‘sone doth truly vnfeynedly beleue which practizeth in working y e thing that he beleueth Such a true ernest beleuer was this blessed man saynt Thomas Let vs then take exemple of him that we may haue the rewarde that he hath euerlastinge ioy by Christe oure lorde who be praysed for euer Amen ¶ On candelmas day otherwise called the purification of our Lady Gospell Luc. ii WHen the dayes of purification were come according the lawe of moyses they brought Iesus to Hierusalem to present him to the lord accordinge as it is wrytten in the lordes lawe that euery male opening matrice shal be called holy to the lord to giue in sacrifice according to that is said in the lordes law a payre of turtyl doues or two yong pygions And behold there was a man in Hierusalem named Simeon and this maÌ„ was iust deuout awayting for the comfort of Israell the holy goste was vpon him And he had receyued an answere of the holy ghoste that he shuld not se death before he saw the lordes Christ. And he cam by the holy gost into the temple And while the father mother were bringing in the childe Iesus that they shuld do accordinge to the vse of the lawe for him he also toke him in his armes blessed god and said Lord now lettest thou thy seruaÌ„t depart according to thy word in peace For myne eyen haue seen the sauiour sente from the whom thou haste prepared before the face of al peoples a light for the reuelation of y e Gentils and a glory of thy people Israel A sermon vpon this Gospell WHen the purification daye was comme good people that is to wite the. xlij daye from the birth of our sauiour Christ at which day y e old law of Moses coÌ„maunded y â— if it were a man chyld that was born it shuld be presented to the lorde
for the purifieng of the childwife and also of the childe suÌ„what shuld be offered the most pure virgine Mary wold fulfylle the lawe also in this poynt though in her child byrth she knew was nothing after the maner of other womens byrthes contaminate or spotted but al was ful of heuenly puritie and holynes For what spotte of vnclennes could she haue which by the worke of the holy ghoste conceyued wythout mans knowlege only by imbracement of the heuenly power She goeth therfore with Ioseph who as yet was thought to haue bene father to Iesus vnto Hierusalem bearing the childe with them that they might present him in y â— temple in the sight of the lord to whom he was consecrate not but that al be the lordes but that we shuld be taught by this mystical figure that those mindes be most acceptable to God whiche with a manly strength of spirite haue conquered the lustes of y e fleshe so do auauÌ„ce to thinges heuenly and euerlasting Moses law intending this had commaunded the Iues that euery male so sone as by the openinge of the mothers wombe it was brought to lyght shulde be taken as holy to the lord whether it were of mankynde or of brute beastes that herby also the first frutes might go to the prestes so yet that the first begotten of the mankinde shuld be redemed out of the prestes handes onles the childe were of y â— Leuitical tribe Now surely the selfe law openly deliuereth our Lady froÌ„ the bonde of it where it sayth in the leuiticall boke The wife whiche receiuing sede shal bringe forth a maÌ„child For the blessed virgine our Lady was neither mulier that is to say such woman as haue lyen with man neither receiued she mans sede And as towching the opening of y e matrice surely this heauenly child did in no maner violate the chastitie of of y e virgins wombe but rather preserued halowed it from al spot of vnclennes during her life He then was presented in y â— temple as subiect to y â— law which was lord of al thingê both heuenly erthly He was redemed with a smal price which cam to redeme the hole world w t the price of his bloude For y e law had appointed y e Iues to redeme their first begotteÌ„ son with a lambe of one yeare olde which was giuen in sacrifice And thaÌ„ shuld be added a doue or a turtyll for y â— purifienge of al spot or vncleÌ„nes which might happeÌ„ to be coÌ„mitted in y â— begetting of y â— child or after to thintent y â— that whiche shuld be offered to the lord might be throughly pure Howbeit if they were not of abilitie to giue a lambe the law suffred them to giue in stede therof a turtil doue or a pigeoÌ„ for y â— redemptioÌ„ of y e child The other bird was offered for the purging of the sinne Our Lady therfore and Ioseph offered the pore mens oblatioÌ„ and it is not to be doubted but they wold haue made a richer gift if theire pouertie hadde not letted them Allbeit they re minde was rich in godlynes and to giue vs an exeÌ„ple y e professioÌ„ of pouertie was more profitable But lo there was at this self time in HierusaleÌ„ one SimeoÌ„ a iuste maÌ„ such one as stode in awe of god surelye he might wel be called a iust maÌ„ for he sought not his own but y e peoples weale he awaited for him y t shuld redeme out of boÌ„dage not him only but al maÌ„kind And bicause he was endowed w t this iustice godlines the holy ghost was in him had inspired him that he shulde not dye till he had sene with his fleshely eyen him that he longe before had espyed wyth the eyen of feyth As Mary therfore and Ioseph were bringinge the child into the temple this Simeon also cam by the guiding of the holy gost into the temple toke Iesus in his armes And here sayth Origene an auncient doctour of the church if thou Christen person wi lt in like wise hold Iesus and imbrace him in thy handê thou must with al labour attempt that thou maist haue the holy ghost to thy guide and so come to y â— temple of god as this holy SimeoÌ„ did Thou must be a iust person a fearer of god religiouse deuout godly as he was But what did Simeon ha uing this most blessed child in his armes He blessed and praysed god sayeng Now o lorde thou dost licence thy seruaÌ„t to depart in peace out of this world according to thy worde For myne eyen haue nowe seen him by whoÌ„ it hath plesed the to saue maÌ„kind whom I say thou hast prepared and ordeined in the face of al peoples to be vnto y â— hetheÌ„ persons Panyms which hitherunto for defalt of true knowlege haue worshiped false godê a light for to lighteÌ„ them to disclose thy trouth vnto them againe to thyn own people y â— Israelites a cause of most high glorie This in effect spake Symeon in his maner Let vs therfore good people for our ê‘te also blesse praise god that wheras we y â— inhabitantes of this Realme were before y â— coÌ„ming of Christ wicked Panims ydolaters we now by y â— disclosing of his gospel â—ee his people Let vs labour to be iust and holy persons pore in spirite rich in godlines Let vs desire to be led w t the holy spirite of God So shall we at last depart this world in true peace by Christ our lorde To whom be prayse for euer Amen ¶ Saynt Mathias day the Apostle The Gospell Math. xi IN that tyme Iesus sayd I confesse vnto the O father lorde of heauen and of earth bicause thou haste hyd these thinges from wise and prudent persons and hast disclosed them to yonglinges Uerily father for so semed it good before the. Al thinges be deliuered vp vnto me of my father noman knoweth the sonne but the father neyther knoweth any man the father but the sonne he to whom the son wyll disclose Come to me all ye that laboure and be burthened and I shall quiet you Take my yoke vpon you and lerne of me for I am meke and lowly in harte and ye shall fynde quiet to youre soules For my yoke is pleasant and my burthen is lyght The sermon vpon this Gospel Bycause our sauiour Christ good people what tyme he was conuersant here in earth amonge the Iues hadde vpbrayded them for theire misbeleue declaring vnto them that the Hethen persones were redyer to receyue hym then they at which wordes some were offended therfore he aunswereth to theire thoughtes in thys wyse I confesse that is I do thanke prayse the O father bycause thou hast kept close this heauenly doctrine from the wise and prudent men in their owne opinions such as be the scribes and pharisees and haste opened the same to fooles and
themselfes be good of nature and theire office is to execute gods busynes and to take charge and cure of vs mortall men They defende and protect I say al good folke from the assaultes and violence of the deuyll they nourish concord peace vertues good studies artes sciencies polecie coÌ„mon welthes discipline shortly to speake mans helth and salfgard That these be the properties and offices of good angells appeareth very playnly by innumerable places of hooly writte wheare the good fathers were holpen and be nefited of them as in the olde testament were Abraham Iacob Loth Tobie the children of Israel being in the wildernes the three children whiche were cast into a hote furnaâ—e Eleas Elizeus and many others In the newe testament saynte Peter whiche was led out of prison by an angel also saint Paule whyche was certifyed of the shypwrake and of saluation and diuerse other But lette vs marke how great their power and vertue is One angell in one night strake all the firstbegotten of the countrie of Egipt One angel in one night strake down the hole armie of Sennacherib as appeareth in the fourthe boke of the kinges One angell in a plage of pestilence destroyed thousandes of men as appeareth in the seconde boke of kinges I let pas the visions of the prophetes Esaye Elie Elizeus Ezechiel Daniel and the rest where the Lorde by hys angells dyd speake and teach thinges whiche were to be done taught Also the reuelacions of saynt Ihon setforth in the boke of the Apocalipse Furthermore when so euer almighty god wold set out any singulare thing to mankind he shewed it afore by his angels as for exemple of Sampson of Iohn Baptist yea and of Christ himself to be borne The angels were present at Christes byrth at his death at hys resurrection and at sundry other tymes Ye shal morouer vnderstand that there be angels and also archaÌ„gels that is to saye chiefe or principall angels and they haue distincte officies and seueral functions wherby god almyghty exerciseth hys wonders The Apostell Paul therfore teacheth that there be powers dominatioÌ„s vertues And according to their officies and properties they haue names as saynte Michaell whose memorie the church doth this day celebrate as Gabriel as Raphael whiche for their high kind of ministration be called Archangels For lyke as a king hath vnder him princes dukes capitans lieutenantes coÌ„stables and other officers to defend men from iniuries to kepe the peace to brydell and punishe â–ª â—auenours and euil disposed persons euen so hath god who is king of kinges his angels vnder him of diuerse officies for mans sauegarde and defense against noysom spirites The angels I say of god whether they be sene or not â–ª sene be alweyes ready and assistent to good personnes and be theyr kepers which thing the ladder that Iacob saw reaching vp to heauen by whiche ladder the angels of god ascended descended doth manifestly declare But here peraduenture ye woll aske thys question why angels do not so often nowe appeare as they did in old tyme To this questioÌ„ the apostle maketh answere in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues where he sayeth that the lorde in times paste spake to y â— fathers by his angels but to vs he haue spoken by his only begotten sonne whom the father coÌ„maundeth vs to heare whose coÌ„maundementes and teachinges be set forth vnto vs by the foure Euangelistes Mathew Marke Luke Ihon. Howbeit an other cause also why the angels appeare not as often to vs as they did in olde time to the auncient fathers may be very wel forbicause the world is now set all in naughtines men be commonly nothinge so pure so bertuouse nor so deuout as they were in times passed Yet it is manifest playne by Christes own wordes in the gospel of this day that euery good person hath his angel whych beholdeth the face of god the father in heuen Such an angell no doubt had Paule whom he called his angell as appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles Such peculiare angels had the good auncient fathers and finally such angels haue al good men and women at this day appoynted vnto them of almyghty god Wherfore the more fuller and replenished a man be wyth feyth and godly awe the more often also the nerer be the angels to him for accordinge to the coÌ„mon prouerbe lyke delyteth in the lyke And on the contrary side know we for certaine they be offended with fylthynes wyth vnclennes wyth malice wickednes and for thys cause forthwyth they departe from the persons who soeuer they be which be spotted with the same If we be then pure good doubt we not but god hath giuen commaundement to his angels ouer vs that they shuld kepe vs in all oure wayes Herunto also do the auÌ„cient doctours of the church ful wel agree Saynt Hierom writing vpon the gospel of Matheu sayth The worthines surely of soules is great forasmoch as euery one hath his angel appointed vnto him for his keper euen from his byrth The noble clerke Drigen also sayth there is at hand to euery one of vs yea euen to the least of vs al which be in the church of god a good angell the lordes messanger to direct vs to rule vs to monish vs to gouerne vs which seeth daily the face of the heuenly father for the correcting of our doinges and obteyning of mercie for vs. Neither doth saint Gregorie disagre from this which writeth that euery one of vs haue a propre and peculiar angell appoynted to the keping of him and one euil angel to his exercise Also saynt Bernard exhorteth vs to be deuout â–ª louing and kynde to so worthy kepers Hithersito my frendes we haue spoken of the good angels Now wol we intreate sumwhat of the euyll angels to the intent we maye the bettre espye what great coÌ„modities and benefites our lord doth giue vnto vs by his good angels whan on the contrary side we shal behold the incommoditie and mischiefe that commeth of the badde angells For how can a man so well knowe what a good thinge peace is as when it is compared with batel which is the contra ry They be therfore called badde angells bycause they bring to pas nothing that is good they haue sundry names otherwhile in scripture they be called euill spirites Satan Deuiâ—les cacodemones and feendes Satan in the Hebrue betokeneth an aduer sarie bicause he is agaynst god against his worde and against our helth and â—aluatioÌ„ Diabolus that is to say deuil betokeneth a sklaunderer and an accusour forasmoch as he accuseth vs and doth euyil interprete al thinges be they done neuer so wel and godly Cacodemon signifieth a crafty knower and full of suttelcie and deceipt al set on mischief They be also called by a resemblanÌ„ce of properties roring lyons dragons
THE GOSpels with brief sermoÌ„s vpon them for al the holy dayes in y e yere ¶ On saynt Andrewes day The Gospel Mat. iiij IEsus walkinge by the See syde of Galilee saw two brethren Simon named Peter and Andrewe his brother castinge a nette into the See for they were fyshers saith vnto them folow me and I shal make you fishers of men And they forthwyth left theire nettes and folowed him And when he was gone forth froÌ„ thens he saw other two brethren Iames the soÌ„ue of Zebedee and Ihon his brother in the shyppe wyth Zebedee their father mendinge their nettes he called them And they forthwith left the shyppe and their father and folowed him The sermon vpon this Gospel THe Gospell of this daye deare frendes declareth that our sauiour Christ whan he was here conuersant amoÌ„ges vs for our redemption sake before he wold do or speake any notable thing as the holy doctour Chrysostom sayth called chase vnto him his Apostles to thintent nothing might be hid from them of Chrystes wordes and dedes but that they might afterward boldely affirme say We can not but speake the thinges whych we haue sene hard As Christ therfor walked by the see side he saw two brethren germanes the name of the one was SimoÌ„ whiche also was called Peter the name of the other was Andrew whose memorie we do this day solemnize But what were these two whom our Sauiour Christe chase to be his apostles Were they greate worldly Clerkes were they philosophers were they pharisees or scribes were they great rich persones or men of high power and authoritie no verily they were none of al these they were but pore vnlerned fishermen And why did he chose these Uerily saith saynt Austine if Christ had chosen great lerned meÌ„ or men of estimatioÌ„ they might peraduenture haue sayd that they had deserued to be chosen bycause of their lerning or wisdom But our lord Iesus Christ going about to breake the neckê of the prowd â—hase men of no lerning ne reputation which he dyd also for this purpose that the glorie of the gospel might not be diminished nor shadowed with worldely succours and helpes So here Christe doth manifestly declare vnto vs in what kinde of people he most delyteth euen in the humble and contempte persones of the world and in such as be simple and as it were babes in worldly wisdom as in an other place he al so testifieth sayng I confesse and giue thankes vnto the o father lord of heuen of erth bicause thou hast hyd these thinges from the wise prudent persones and haste diseloâ—ed them vnto babes Aâ—d ye shal marke that Christ calleth babes here theÌ„ which laying a syde al worldly wisdom receiue gods word without al deliberatioÌ„ and which preferre not their owne iugemeÌ„t afore gods word but submitte themselues vnto it in all thinges He called therfore two simple fyshers and when did he calle them Uerely euen when they were in the myddes of theyr worke meaning herby as Chrysostom saith that we ought to preferre the folowyng of Christ afore al other occupations in the world For they were casting their nettes into the See and this fishing was a shadow of the newe fishynge whereby they shulde not take wyth material nettes fishes for the fode of the bely but wherby they shulde with the nette of godê word catche men whiche be browned wyth earthly cares vnto the desyre of the heuenly life Wherfore where as they were busyed and toyling about their bodyly lyuing which neuertheles was then their vocation or callinge according to gods commaundement whyche byddeth vs that in the sweate of oure face we shulde eate our bread from this general calling I saye he plucked them to a special calling whyche was to preach his holy gospel And verely his word of callynge had in it a wonderfull vertue for it so wrought in theire hartes that they forthwyth lefte altogither folowed him Aâ—d here we haue a nota ble exemple of obedieÌ„ce in these apostles for vs to fo lowe Chryste had not so sone called them but anou they folowed For he that loueth father or mother wife or children more then he loueth the Sauioure Iesu Christ is no mete maÌ„ for Christ that is to say he maye wel cal himselfe a Christen man but Christ wol surely refuse hym for one of his men and disciples when the terrible daye of Dome shall comme what tyme he shall descende in Maiestie to iudge both the lyuynge and the deade Christe thaÌ„ called these two brethern Peter and Andrew and also the other two IhoÌ„ Iames to what purpose to folow him only by the heles whether so euer he shulde goe ydelly No truly But to teache instructe theÌ„ in such wyse as they might in tyme coÌ„myng be made hys apostles hys legates hys Oratours hys preachers He chase them beyng yonge rude simple vnlerned nothing but playne fishermen and therfore they were the more apte and mete to receiue his heauenly swete and pure doctrine bycause they were not as yet infected with the sower le ueÌ„ of the pharisees But ere they departed froÌ„ hym he replenished them wyth such wonderfull wysdom and wyth such diuine doctrine that they were hable to coÌ„fouÌ„de the great and witty clerkes of the world Of fishe catchers and bodily fyshers he made them men fyshers and catchers of sowles So God long before promysed by hys prophete Hieremye saynge I wyll sende you fyshers and they shall fyshe you Such a worthy fysher of men sowles was thys noble Apostle saint Andrew He spared for no persecution of tyrantes to execute and fulfyll hys maysters commission whiche was to preache the Gospell and glad tydynges of mans redemption by Christe He preached it purely and syncerely euen accordinge to hys commission Yea for the feithfull executynge and witnessing herof he shranke not to suffre a very cruel death Let vs therfore folow him in feith that we maye also folowe hym to euerlastynge blesse by Christ oure Lorde who be praysed worlde wythout ende Amen ¶ On the conception day of our Lady The Gospel Mat. i. THe boke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham Abraham begatte Isaac Isaac begat Iacob Iacob begat Iudas and his brethren Iudas begat Phares and Zaram of Thamar Phares begat Esrom Esrom begat Aram. Aram begat Aminadab Aminadab begat Naasson Naasson begat Salmon Salmon begat Boos of Rahab Boos begat Obed of Ruth Obed begat Iesse Iesse begatte Dauid the king Dauid the kinge begat Salomon of her that was the wife of Urie SalomoÌ„ begat Roboam Roboam begat Abia. Abia begat Asa. Asa begat Iosaphat Iosaphat begat Ioram Ioram begat Osias Osias begat Ioatham Ioatham begat Achas Achas begat Ezechias Ezechias begatte Manasses Manasses begat Amon. Amon begat Iosias Iosias begat Ieconias and his brethren in the transmigration of Babylon And after the transmigration of
Babylon Ieconias begat Salathiel Salathiel begat Zorobabel Zorobabel begat Abiud Abiud begat Eliachun Eliachim begat Azor. Azor begatte Sadoc Sadoc begat Achin Achin begatte Eliud Eliud begatte Eleazar Eleazar begatte Matthan Matthan begat Iacob Iacob begatte Ioseph the husbande of Mary of whoÌ„ was borne Iesus which is called Christe The sermon vpon this Gospel IN this gospel good people many thinges are to be considered First how that our sauiour Christ the sonne of god wold for the greate loue he bare to mankinde be borne the soÌ„ne of Dauid that is wold take maÌ„s nature vpon hym to succour and help vs which were in flesh condeÌ„ned to pourge our spotted and synful byrth And verily this is the final intent of Christê incarnatioÌ„ as it is wel declared in the epistle to the Hebrues where it is writen that forasmoch as the sonne of god vouchsaued to call godly persones his brethren sayng by the prophet Dauid I will declare thy name to my brethren and otherwhiles also he calleth them the children as in Esay Lo here am I the children whom god hath giuen me and bicause these children and these his brethreÌ„ be men made of fleshe and bloude it pleased hym to be parttaker of the same wyth theÌ„ that by his death he might wipe out him whiche had lordshippe ouer death that is to say the deuyl and deliuer theÌ„ which through feare of death were al their life time subdued vnto bondage For he toke not vpon him angels but the sede of Abraham Wherfore in al thinges it becam hym to be made like to hys brethren that he might be merciful a feithful high prest in thinges towchinge God to thintent to pourge the synnes of the people Now wheras Christ is called here the soÌ„ne of Dauid ye must vnderstand it that he desceÌ„deth lineally from Dauid according to the flesh as saint Paul declareth in the beginning of his epistle to the Romaines lest we ruÌ„ne into y â— errours of certaine heretikê which say that Christe was nothynge elles but a maÌ„ not the son of God but merely the soÌ„ne of Dauid Which errour Christ himself discussed where he propowned this question to the pharisees What thynke ye of Christe whose sonne is he â–ª And when they answered the soÌ„ne of Dauid he asked them why thaÌ„ did Dauid in spirite cal him lord sayng the lord said to my lord syt on my right haÌ„de Meaning hereby that Christe was aboue Dauid not only a man but also god So that ye muste vnderstand him to be the soÌ„ne or issue of Dauid according to the flesh and not accordinge to his godhed And ye shal also marke that he is called the soÌ„ne of Dauid after the maner of speaking of the Hebrues bycause he cam of the ryght line of Dauyd For the Hebrues do calle al lineal nephues nieces be they neuer so long of sonnes and daughters Uerely the hole petigrue of Christe is here so drawen and conueyed from his auncestours that they only be put which were ê‘ttakers of y â— promise which was made of Christ. Ye must therfore marke two maner lines of men whiche beinge well marked doth discerne of whom Christ wold be borne and was borne For albeit the promise of Chryste was made to Adam yet from Cain his soÌ„ne the petigrue of Christ is not coÌ„ueyed So that one line there is whyche deriueth Christê petigree from the meÌ„bres of the true church that is to wite froÌ„ the holy fathers which were parttakers of y e ê“mise And an other line there is which coÌ„teyneth the childreÌ„ that grew out of kinde not folowing their fathers steppes therfor no ê‘ttakers of the ê“mise which two lines if ye diligently marke through out the old testament ye shal se that Christ proceded of the feithful stocke not of that whiche grew out of kinde as Cain Esau and their ofspring were And verily it becam Christ the hed of y e church to come of the membres of the true churche Seconde ye shall vnderstande that oure Sauiour Christ wolde be borne accordinge to the fleshe of the royal bloude of kinges to declare that he shuld be a kynge no worldly kynge but a spirituall kynge for the rulyng and guyding of mens consciencies And forasmuch as kinges were also annointed after the maner of prestes therfore Christ also wold be borne of kinges to shew himselfe an annoynted king that is to say both a king and a prest a king to rule and defende a prest to make intercession and prayer for vs accordyng as saynt Paule sayth of him Which also maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs. And the prophet â—ieremie sayth He shall do the office of a kinge and capitayne But for the eschuing of errours ye muste know that Dauid whose sonne Christ is according to the fleshe administred here hys kyngdome in the erth and therfore it is not to be thought that after that Christ is nowe ascended vp to heuen he exerciseth nomore hys kyngly officies but that he sytteth ydelly in heuen leauyng behind him hys deputie or vicare in erth the bishop of Rome Uerily Christes kingdom is perpetuall and so is his presthode according to the sayng of the prophet Tu es sacerdoâ— inaeternum secuÌ„dum ordinem Melchisedec Thou art an euerlastinge prest accordynge to the order of Melchisedec Thirdly ye shall vnderstande that albeit Christe and also our Ladye hys mother whose memory we solemnize this day Ioseph her husband cam of the right blessed line or stocke and not of the croked cursed lyne as I haue aforedeclared yet many of the persons aswel men as womâ— of this blessed stocke were synners and therfore here in their genealogie is mencion made also of synfull personnes For who were so wicked as kynge Manasses and his sonne Amon whiche be here rekened in Christes petigree Iudas also coÌ„mitted fornication with Thamar Salmon maryed Raab an harlot What shall I speake of Bethsabea wyth whom king Dauid coÌ„mitted greuouse aduowtrie And yet of this Bethsabea whiche was the wyfe of Urie dyd king Dauid begette SalomoÌ„ So that if a maÌ„ wol throughly consider the thinge he shall fynde almost more euell men then good amoÌ„ges the auncestours of Christ and all the women whiche be here named be none of the holy women as saynt Hierom sayth but suche as the scripture disproueth What other thinge meaneth thys but that the holy ghost wolde signifie that like as Christ cam of synners so he also cam into this world for sinners He wold be borne sayeth thys noble clerc saynt Hierom of synners y t he myght wipe awey the synnes of all Yea Christ hymselfe sayeth that he cam not to calle the rightuouse but synners to repentauÌ„ce If then he cam for synners why shuldest thou o maÌ„ despaire for cause of thy synnes Nay rather take harte vnto the and repent For then shal the grace and fauour of Christ be powred more
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
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
man is not to be mesured by the fylling of the bely Whom doth Christ then in this kynd calle blessed Blessed sayth he be they which be huÌ„grye thursty after rightuousnes The thynges wherwith the body is fedde ought but lyghtly to be desired and yet in caring for them the people be moost vexed many times wheÌ„ they haue gotteÌ„ theÌ„ w t moch traueile they be most disquieted But the godly ê‘sons which be contented with litle seke not carefully for thinges lacke nothing God so ê“uideth for them which fedeth also the sparows the lylies Happy be they then which translate thys bodily hungre and thurst to the hungryng and thurstynge after the iustice of the Gospell where they shall euer fynde sumwhat to be hungrye and thursty of where is a blessed fyllynge and satisfyeng yea and it is a greate parte of the Christian mans blesse and felicitie is to hungre after that breade of the mynd wherof the eater shall lyue euerlastynglye and to thurst after that lyuely drinke of which the drinker shal haue in him a fouÌ„taigne of water springynge vp to euerlastyng lyfe Wherfore my deare frendes thys breade let vs specially hungre for and this drinke let vs thurst for The people also estemeth theÌ„ happy whych be promoted and holpeÌ„ by other mens liberalitie and they reioyse rather at them that be holpen then at them that helpe But I sayth Christ do pronounce them happy which be merciful and whiche of a Christian charitie do thinke an other mans miserye to be their miserye whiche be sorowfull for the hurtes of their neighbour which wepe for other mens myshappes whiche of their owne cost do fede the hungrie cloth the naked monish the straper teach the ignoraÌ„t pardon the offender and shortly to speake which do bestowe al the talentes and gyftes that God hath lent them vpon the soucouring and releuyng of others For they that thus do be no loosers but gayners for asmuch as who so euer is merciful and beneficial to hys neighbour shall fele god much more mercifull much more beneficial to him agayne Thou hast forgiueÌ„ thy neighbour a certayne light offense god shal forgiue the al thy synnes Thou hast released to thy brother a temporal punishement god shal release vnto the euerlasting peyne Thou hast releued wyth thy money thy brothers nede god shal reÌ„der vnto the his heuenly riches Amonges men the pitifull personnes perchaunce do waxe poore while by giuing to the nedy they waste their riches but w t God they waxe riche while by empting their cofers they fylle and garnyshe their sowle wyth the frutes of godlynes The coÌ„mon sorte of people do calle them vnhappy whiche be depriued of their eye syght and they that lacke thys mooste deare sense do counte themselfes halfe deade and to walke in darkenes So swete a thing it semeth with the eyen to se light and to contemplate thys moost goodly syghtes of the worlde Wherfore if it semeth a thyng so pleasauÌ„t to behold the Sunne with bodily eyen howe moch more blessed is it with the eyen of the mynde to beholde God the maker of the Sunne and of all thynges We se how ioyful they be whiche haue been in daunger of losing their sight and haue recouered it agayne we se how highly they reioyse eueÌ„ as though they were returned out of hel But moch more happy be they froÌ„ whom the blindnes of the mynde is taken awey and haue nowe the grace inwardly to se God welle of al ioye whom to se is moost highe welth and felicitie That thing that the SuÌ„ne is vnto pure eyen the same is god vnto pure myndes That matter or guÌ„me is to the eyen that is synne to the soule Blessed be they than whose hart is pure w tout wemme and spotte of al fylthynes For to these shal be grauÌ„ted the thing whiche surmounteth all worldly pleasures And what is that Uerily to se God But how be mens hartê made cleane verily by feith in Christ as holy scripture witnesseth Thys syghte therfore sayth saynt Austine is the rewarde of feith as it is writen in the Actes of the Apostles purifyeng the hartes by feith For it is not to be thought that god which is most cleane wol be seen but of cleane hratê as writeth saynt Hierom for the temple of god may not be polluted The worlde iugeth them happy which setting all their thynges in a stey accordynge to their mynde do liue in â—uyet and rest hauing noman to put them to trouble and busynes But them both Christe calle happy blessed whiche after they themselues haue ones compressed in their mynd the rebellion of all their lustes do apply themselfes to sette vnitie concorde and peace betwen their euenchristeÌ„ not only hauing no purpose to reuenge wheÌ„ any man dothe them displeasures but also of their owne swynge and mere motion sturring and exhortyng other men to peace of whom they haue susteyned displeasures If thys shall seme an hard thyng to any man let him heare the rewarde suche shal be called sayth our Sauiour Christ the soÌ„nes of god What is more honorable then thys coÌ„mendation Nay what is more blessed For it is no vayne tytle He that is the soÌ„ne of god must nedes be also heire But the vnlykenes of maners and conditions doth vtter and bewrey a bastarde chylde and on the contrary syde resemblaunce of manners and of conditions doth declare the true naturall sonne God frely pardonynge all our synnes doth allure vs all of whom he hath been offeded to peace and amitie Of hys owne bountie mere goodnes he sheweth hym selfe mercifull to all whiche do repent them Wherfore he wol knowlege none for his chyldreÌ„ but those that shewe themselfes suche to their brethern as he hath shewed himselfe towardes al uniuersally Carnall fathers do disherite suche chyldren as wyll not agre wyth the rest of their brethreÌ„ so in lykewise the heuenly father woll refuse for his chyldern suche as be haters of peace makers of debate And bycause the more parte of men and women be naughtyly disposed peace can not frame wyth all persoÌ„nes onles it be by suffrauÌ„ce of wroÌ„ges It is the parte of them that be good to apply themselfes by all the meanes they can possible that they haue variaunce wyth no maner personnes whether they be good or bad yea they must prouoke al as nere as they caÌ„ to loue and concorde by gentlenes by softnes by doyng good turnes and benefites But there be some so froward and so vngraciouse that with good turnes they be the more kyndled to mischief and whiche for pleasures do men displeasures agayne they rage vpon their well wyllers and count them for extreme enemyes whiche labour to saue them If peace can not here take holde on bothe sydes yet neuertheles they shal be blessed eueÌ„ for their desire and study of peace when the wycked do persecute and trouble
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
shal be blessed of gods holy hande they shal increase and multiplye they shal replenish the erth and haue it subiecte vnto them accordinge to the saynge of scripture If they feare the Lorde and walke togither in his wayes god shalle surely blesse them prosper and further them in al their doinges Wherfor thou maÌ„ which art hed of thy wife so loue maynteyne cherishe tender thy wyfe euen as Christe hath loued and moste tendrely imbrased his spouse the church If thou so do thou shalt eate the labours of thy haÌ„d as the prophet writeth thou shalt be happy and it shal be wel with the. Thy wife shal be as a plentifull vine tree vpon the walles of thy house Thy chyldren as oliue braunches rownd about thy table Loo sayth he thus shal the man be blessed whiche feareth the lorde This is gods institution of mariage these be the officies of maryed persons In these if ye walke like feithful and right christian persons though through the malice of the worlde ye suffre affliction here ye shal be sure after thys frayle lyfe perpetually to raygne wyth Christe oure lorde whyche wyth the father and holy goost thre per sons and one god is to be glorifyed and praised worlde without ende Amen ¶ At burienges The Gospel Ihon. xi MArtha sayd vnto Iesus Lorde if thou haddest bene here my brother had not dyed But nowe also I know y â— whatsoeuer thou askest of god god wol giue it the. Iesus sayde vnto her Thy brother shal rise againe Martha sayde vnto him I knowe y â— he shal rise at the resurrectioÌ„ in the last day Iesus sayd vnto her I am the resurrectioÌ„ and the life He that beleueth on me though he were dead yet shall he liue And euery one which liueth and beleueth in me shal neuer dye Beleuest thou this She sayeth vnto him Yea lorde I beleue that thou art Christe the sonne of god which cammest into the worlde The sermon vpon this Gospell WElbeloued people in our sauiour Christ this gospel is right comfortable to al feithful and true christian folke For in it is conteyned the glad and swere tydinges to al vnfeyned Christians that is to wit how Christ is our resurrectioÌ„ and our life if we beleue vnfeynedly vpon him and verely this is one of the chiefest articles of our religioÌ„ to beleue that though we dye here bodily for a tyme or rather slepe for so the scripture calleth it yet we shal rise againe and lyue euerlastingly wyth God in heauen through Christ in case we haue had stedfast feith in him and be founde cladde and adourned wyth the wedding garment at the day of the great Solempnitie that is to say at the generall resurrectioÌ„ of the chosen people of god when Christ the sonne of God shal be in full most perfite wise knitte conioyned in mariage to his louing espouse the church or congregation of the feithful persons But ye wol aske what thys weddynge garment is Ueryly after the minde of saint Gregorie it is charitie And that per sone entreth to the maryage but wythout the wedding garment whych being in the church hath feith but lacketh charitie Truly thys mans feith is not the true and liuely feith but it is a feyned feith and a deade feith as saint Iames calleth it bicause it is wythout workes For what auaileth it o my brethreÌ„ sayth thys holy Apostle Saynte Iames if a man wold say he had feith and hath no workes Trowe you that this feith shal saue him if your christeÌ„ brother or suster be naked and lacking dayly sustenaÌ„ce and one of you wolde say vnto them Go your way in peace warme your selues and fylle your belyes and yet neuertheles ye gyue them not the thynges necessarye for the body what wol this helpe So also feith if it hath not deades it is of it self dead By these wordes of saynt Iames we may lerne my freendes that it is not inough for a christeÌ„ man or womaÌ„ to say he beleue in Christ but he must also shew vs his feyth as saynt Iames sayeth by his dedes and workes Wherfore the weddinge wede that we must be cladde with is not bare fayth but it is charitie whyche is the frute of feyth or if ye wol nedes haue it feyth let it be that liuely fâ—yth which is garnished wyth this charitie that is to wit wyth suche zeale loue and affection whiche ye beare to god that for his sake ye freely aide releue your euen christeÌ„ accordinge to youre power And verely these be the workes that almyghty God requyreth of vs if we wol be counted his children and the inheritours of euerlasting blesse He commaundeth that our lyght shuld shyne afore men that they maye se our good workes and glorifye the father of heauen Finally the doers of these as hymselfe doth wytnes shal be called the blessed children of his father at the general resurrection and shal be â—ydden to come and entre into the vnspeakable ioyes of heuen which were prepared for theÌ„ sithens the beginning of the world Neither doth the most excellent clerke saint Hierom disagree from this interpretation saynge that the wedding garment may very wel be called the commaundementes of the lorde and the workes whiche be accomplyshed and fulfilled at the bidding of the law and gospell and he sayth that these workes do in a christen persone make the garment of the newe man whych garment verily who soeuer in the drad full day of iugement shal be found vnder a christen name not to haue shal be forthwith taken and caste into vtter â—arknes where according to the sentence of Christ shal be weping gnashing of teethe This by occasioÌ„ deare freeÌ„des haue I spoken of the weddyng garment wher w t must that sowle be cladde adourned which at y e general resurrectioÌ„ vprising again of al mankinde in flesh according to y â— article of our beleue shal by Christ liue euerlastingly But yet for the better more cleare vnderstaÌ„ding of this gospel I thinke it very expedieÌ„t to repete declare vnto you the very begynning of the historie whiche is red in this gospel accordyng as saynte Ihon the Euangelist doth report it in the begynninge of the xi chapter namely sith in it is conteined the most coÌ„fortable chefest article of the christen mans beleue The historie is this As our Sauiour Christ abode at Iordan it chaunced that in a towne named Bethania a certayne man called Lazarus laye sycke This towne was the natyue place countrey both of the sycke man and of his two susters Mary and Martha Uerely this Mary was she which wyth a notable record of loue towardes our sauiour Christ had annoynted hys hed as he sate at meate wyth a right preciouse oyntment with her heare had wyped hys feete whyche she had washed with the very teares that ranne downe from her eyen By reason wherof