the flesh but these men these priests be the aucthors and doers of that byrth which we haue of God and of that blessed regeneration and trew liberty by which we be made the children of God by adoption and speciall grace The Iewes priestes of Moyses law had power not to pourge clense the bodie from leprie of them that were infecte with the same disease but rather to discerne iudge whether men were purged or not purged from that disease and yet was their priesthod in hie estimacion and ambitiously desired as appered bi Chore Dathan and Abyron which for their obstinate and greedie desyre sanke into Hell the earth opened and swalowed them vp with all theyr confederacie Then coÌ„sider how the priesthod of the new Testament is amplified made of more sanctimonie by reason of the most holie misteries and sacramentes with whiche it is exercised then euer was the priesthod of Moyses law For Christes priestes doth not only declare and iudge whether men be purged fro the lepres of the soule or not but rather doeth purge them in deede by the power that Christ hath geuen to them Therfore after Chrisostom looke howe great difference there is betwixt vehement loue and desire of a thing and the contempt or despising of a thing so greatly thei that despiseth the holy priesthod of Christes ministers be more detestable to be reproued then euer were Chore and Dathan and their confederacy which with so ardent and feruente desyre aspired to the priesthod of Moyses time The one sanke downe into the gapinge earth which swalowed theÌ„ downe into Hell then let not the other thinke to escape without more shame and vengeauÌ„ce Moreouer yet further to compare the priestes to our naturall parentes Almighty God hath geueÌ„ to priestes more power vpon vs then to our naturall parentes For our parentes begetteth vs into this present temporall lyfe but the priestes getteth vs into euerlasting life Our carnall parentes can nother saue vs from temporall sickenes nor froÌ„ temporal death but the priestes not only when they regenerate vs by water and with the holy spirite or when by their holy doctrine they recouer vs from vice to vertu but also when we be bodyly sicke also sicke in our soule they cure and heale vs obtayning by the succour and help of their prayers bothe health of body and soule witnesseth S. Iames Iaco. vlt. Infirmatur inter vos aliquis accersat presbiteros ecclesie orent super euÌ„ vngeÌ„tes euÌ„ oleo in nomine dnÌ„i oratio fidei saluabit infirmuÌ„ et alleuiabit euÌ„ dominus et si in peccatis sic remittentur ei WheÌ„ any maÌ„ amoÌ„ge you is sicke let him sende for the priests of the church let them pray ouer him anoynt him with oyle in y e name of our Lord the praiers of faythfull persoÌ„s shal saue y e sick our lord shal set him vp agayn And if he be in sinnes they shalbe forgiueÌ„ him Natural pareÌ„ts cannot help theyr children if they offende against princes or kinges in anye poynt of treason or greuous offence where priestes many times obteineth grace mercy and fauour for theyr spirituall children not of mortall princes but of almighty God wheÌ„ he is offended with them Well thys excellencie of priesthod coÌ„sidered which I haue now at large declared euer presupposing their excellency power and auctority to be principallye vpon the soule of man in such things and doinges as be toward God to whom be all honour glory for euer Amen ¶ The .xix. treatise or sermon WOrshipful frendes I truste you remember that in my laste sermon that I made in this place I entred on the fift chapter of Saynt Peters first epistle In which I declared vnto you how Saynte Peter like as he had giuen good and godly lessons to all kynde maners of men and women maryed and single masters and seruauntes bondmen and freemen so because the ministers of the church shuld not lak learning he instructeth prelates and priests and informeth theÌ„ of theyr dutie alluring al priestes to giue credence to his doctrine by that he professeth him selfe to be a priest and one of such experience of the affayres of our Sauiour Christe that had sene as well the glory of Christes glorified body at his transfiguration as also the vexacion that he suffred in the whole processe of his painful passion and that he was partaker of the same And then consequentlye I descended to speake of the order of priesthode and of the dignity of the same which I declared at large bi the scriptures and by the auncient writers holye fathers And I had litle thanks for my labour specially of them that beinge priestes be ashamed of that name and of likelyhood would faine de discharged of theyr order if they could tell howe most agreued they were with me because I said nothing in the defence of theyr shameful and incestious bawdry which they would couer wyth the name of matrimony so by them sclaundring that holy sacrament Then I declared many properties of a good priest which to exchew prolixitie I will now not rehearse againe for I trust you haue not al forgotten them These properties of a good priest or prelate thus declared let vs see what Saint Peter now here in the letter willeth them to do Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei Feede the flocke of God that is vnder your hand Because that now lateli this matter of the diuersitie of shepeheards and pastours was very well and aboundantly handled and declared I wil passe ouer it presupposing these good properties afore rehersed of him that shal be a good shepheard or pastour We must take heede to our charge Act. xx Atten dite vobis vniuerso gregi in quo vos spuÌ„s sâ—tuÌ„s posuit episcopos regere ecclesiaÌ„ dei quaÌ„ acquisiuit sanguine suo Take hede to your selfe sayth S. Paule to the priestes prelates of Ephesus and to all the whole flocke in whiche the holy goost hath set you bysshops Lo here he calleth them byshops they were not then all in such preminence or so set in aucthoritie or superioritie aboue others as bishops were then sone after and be now but he meaneth priestes afore he called them maiores natu ecclesie the elders of the church or congregation Now he calleth the same byshops these S. Paule biddeth take hede to their flocke Saynt Peter byddeth them feede their flocke as Christe had commaunded Peter to feede his lammes and to feede his sheepe his people whiche should be lyke laÌ„mes full of simplicitie tractablenes and geÌ„tlenes which Christ willeth all them that wilbe saued by him to vse So Saynt Peter descendeth as by an ordinate Iherarchie and giueth like charge to such as he had constitute and ordeyned to be curates after him willing them to feede the flocke prouidentes non coacte prouiding for theÌ„ without coaction They must wyth discrete solicitude and studie prouide such
hath no felowe in substaunce Kinges were annoynted and so were preistes and also prophetes euery one of them for diuers offices and with materiall oyle but Christ was oynted with spirituall oyntment of the holy gooste and also not onely for anye one of those three offices but for them all thre for he was and is kinge and preist and a prophete Therefore the prophet sayde full well pre consortibus tuis aboue al other men whiche was perfitly declared perfourmed and fulfylled when he was baptised in Iordan water the holy gost descended lyke a doue and lyght vpon him and abode in him Ioh. i. Now I must according to my promise declare vnto whome S. Peter wrote his letter or epistle He wrote it to the straūgers dispersed in Pontus Galatia Cappadotia Asia and Bithinia chosen by the prescience and foreknowledge of God the father Aduenae straungers were called among the Iewes suche as were gentils or paignims borne for deuotion to one God were conuerted to the rites and lawes of the Iewes were circūcised and kept their ceremonies as the Iewes did and these by the Greke worde were called proseliti Manye suche there were in olde time euen in Christes tyme of whiche verye many were conuerted to Christes faith by the preaching of the Apostles and by the wonderous miracles that they sawe wrought euerye daye by the power of Christes name like as an infinite number of the Iewes were conuerted to Christes fayth anone after the commyng of the holy Gost vpon the apostles by whose grace and comfort they preached boldly and Christe euer wrought with them confirmynge their preachynge with signes and miracles aboue mannes power to do Notwithstanding assone as s Stephā was slain for Christes faythes sake there rose such a persecution amōg these newe christen people that they fled were scattered dispersed abrode into diuers coūtreis all except the apostles And the same apostles after thei had made s Iames the lesse the sonne of Alphei bishop of Ierusalē they thought it necessary to go abrode among other naciōs to publish the faith of christ at which time there is no dout but s Peter went abrode among the gentils as wel as other for it was he that had first reuelation so to do by the vision that appered to hym in Ioppe vpon which he went to Cornelius captain in Cesaria to him and to his family company preached Christ as it is plaine Act. x. And many sure auncient auctours write that after thordination of s Iames bishop of Hierusalem S. Peter came to Antioche one of the chefe cities of Syria and there taried a while preachynge Christ and proceaded further into the countreys that be here spoken of in the Salutation at the begynnynge of thys Epistle pontus Galatiae Capadotia ▪ and other and occupied the tyme amonge them by the space of fyue yeares after some bi the space of .vii yeres after other and thē came backe to Antioche there cōtinued bishoppe and chefe instructour of Christes flock for the space of seuen yeres more and from thēce chased awaye Simon Magus and detected his errours And afterwarde hearde that the sayde Simon magus was come to Rome and had there diuine honours done to hym as to a GOD and had Images erected in his honour and that he made all the Citye to dote vpon hym like madde mē for this occasiō he came to Rome as Eusebius saieth Li. ii ecclesiastice historie ca. xiiii and there within a while quenched the blindnes of Simon Magus and of that deuillysh womanne that he had in his companye by whose disceitfull forcerye he allured manye to geue credence to hym And that Saint Peter beinge at Rome wrote this Epistle and sent it from Rome as well to such straungers as were dispersed and scattered abroade in the countreys of Pontus Galatia capadotia c. by occasion of persecution as to all others inhabitantes of the same coūtreys among whiche he had preached in his longe and paynefull progresse and had conuerted thē to Christes fayeth whiche all he counted as straungers to the worlde And so in the seconde chapter of this epistle he prayeth them to take them selues sayinge Obsecro vos tanquam aduenas peregrinos Euen like as we haue in the actes of the apostles xv That saint Paul after he had planted Christes Gospel in the countreys where he hadde laboured preachynge he vsed to take an oportunitie and conuenient tyme to go throughe agayne from place to place to visite them and to se whether they persisted and stode as firme and fast in fayeth as he had left them In like case Saynte Peter hauynge so busie a piece of worke and so great a charge on his hande as to teache al that huge and great citie of Rome then being lordes and rulers of the worlde in whiche then was in maner a confusion of all vices and synnes of all opinions of all supersticions and errours by cōcourse of all nacions resortynge thither for decisions of causes which doubtles brought wyth thē the supersticions and the vices ▪ and noughty liuynges of their countreys as wee se by experience where little cōcourse of straungers is there is playne maner of liuyng and after one maner but in port townes they be of an other sort The Germayns and Sarons brynge in their opinions The Frenchmen their new fashions Other coūtreis geuē to lechery runne to the open bars or stues And for such cōfusiō of the inhabitātes Saint Peter in the ende of this his first epistle calleth Rome by the name of Babilō as you shal heare by Goddes helpe when wee shall come to that place For this exceadyng charge that s. Peter had take vpon him he might not intende to go amonge them agayne to confirme theim and to make them more stedfaste in fayeth but sent to them this excellent and noble epistle ful of fatherly counsayle whiche they myght euery day read to make them remember their maister and to liue accordynge to hys doctryne that he hadde geuen theim But nowe riseth a doubt of no smal importaunce Saint Paule in his epistle to the Galatheis in the firste Chapiter saythe that after his conuersion he toke his iourney into Arabye and after he had laboured a season in that countrey he retourned agayne and came to Damascus the chiefe citye of Siria Esay vii Caput Syrie Damascus And then after three yeres of his cōuersion he came to Hierusalē to see Peter taryed there with him xv dayes there he sawe none other of the apostles at that tyme but onely saynt Peter and Iames the lesse called Christes brother whiche then was made bishop and ouerseer of Christes churche in Hierusalem For all the residue of the apostles were then dispersed abrode to preache the worde of GOD. After this Saynt Paule as he sayeth went abrode into the coastes of Siria and Celicia where he was brought vp in youth For he saieth of him self Act .xxii.
call hym their Emperoure or as if the Deacones shoulde chose one amonge theim selues whome they knew to be circumspect wise and diligente and woulde call hym an Archedeacon or chiefedeacon for what thinge is it that the Bishoppe but a prieste dothe the same excepte it be geuyng of orders confirming of children and some other consecrations and blessinges which by common consent of the churche were geuen to the bishops office Saint Augustine in an epistle that he writeth to saint Ierom agreeth to the same saiyng Quanquam secundum honorum vocabula que iam ecclesie vsus obtinuit Episcopatus presbiterio maior sit tamen in multis rebus Augustinus Iheronimo minor est Although bi the termes of honour which now the vse of the church hath goten a bishop is greater then a priest yet notwithstandyng in many thinges Augustine is lesse of reputation then Ierome albeit Augustine were a bishop and Ierome but a priest Wel then we must take it indifferently as well of a bishop as of a priest yea and also of a deacoÌ„ .i. Ti. iii. y t they must be w tout crime euen as it besemeth gods stuard of his spirituall treasure which requireth a more trusty minister theÌ„ any worldly treasure doth A priest also must not be proud for a proud man thinking that his prefermeÌ„t to y e dignite of a priest is more because of his excellencye and deseruynge and because he thynketh hym selfe so necessary for the churche that the congregation hathe neade of hym and can not be wythout hym and so falleth to contempne and despyse others that be as good and better then hee and by that falleth into the snares of the Deuyll As Saynte Paule sayeth De neophitis i. Timo. iii. Where he woulde not haue hym promoted to be a Bishoppe or a Prieste that is a newe conuerse As who should saye yesterdaye at the Carte or in the barne among his corne and his threshers or in the common market and to daye at the altare to entrete the sacrament yesterday at the open sises sessioÌ„s lawe dayes or the courtes to day to minister in the church yesterdaye at dice and cardes and all vnthriftye games and to daye to turne and reade the holy bokes of the scriptures or the holy masse boke yesterdaye to dauncyng and daliing and to daie to consecrate priestes wydowes or virgyns Such sodayn chauÌ„ges s. Paul liketh not for fear lest they that be so newly promoted wold sone forget theÌ„ selues their callinge Non Iracundum a prieste muste not be a fumishe or passionate maÌ„ anone in a rage for euery turning of a straw or for a triful for he that is as a iudge amonge the people as priestes be muste weighe all â–ª matters afore they take theim to harte leste in their anger they shal not see the ryght but rather saye or do otherwise then reason woulde Iratus is he that for some cause is kindled or moued and prouoked to anger Iracundus is hee that for lyghte occasion or small cause is moued to auger Saincte Paule woulde not haue a Prieste to be sone on fire or angrye but rather wyth Patience longaâ—imitye and longe sufferaunce to beare with his neighboure Non vinolentum no greate drinkers of wyne they must bee that be promoted to holye orders speciallye aboue all menne because that wee be sette in the steade and place of the Apostles therefore wee muste obserue not onely their wordes preachyng but also there abstinence Nolite inebriari vino in quo est luxuriâ— sayeth Sainte Paule The filthinesse of Lechcrye and carnall luste commeth principallye of takynge to much wyne and hoate or stronge drinkes and with ouermuch feadynge for it is true that Terence sayde Sine Cere Baccho friget Venus â–ª Esay sayeth Capi. v. Ve quiÌ„ potentes estis ad bibendum vinum fortes ad miscendam ebrietatem Woe be vnto you eternall payne shall come to you that bee stronge to drinke Wine and to mengle dronkennesse not onelye to be dronke youre selues but also to make others dronken Lette vs therefore aboue all other menne remember the wyse mannes decree and sentence Cogitaui a vino carnem meam abstinere vt animam meam transferam ad Sapientiam Ecclesiastes ii I haue thoughte decreed and determyned my selfe too abstayne my Bodye frome Wyne that soo I myghte tourne my Soule and wytte to Wisedome And wee reade of Dauyell and his fellowes Dany ii That they refused the meates of the Kynges reward and from hys boarde and toke pulse and hearbes of the Gardeyn to eate and water to drynke and so they became wyser then all their companions excellently learned in all bokes in al sciences For in very dede abstineÌ„ce wyth study breadeth science and learning which is most besemyng and necessarye for all prelates and priestes Non percussorem they muste not be lyght fingered or readye to stryke or to hurte anie manne As they be commonly that wyll not refrayn their passion or anger and also they that be dronken wyth wyne whiche the Apostle excludeth here immediately afore And some men deuoutlye vnderstande that Non percussorem that he muste not by wordes in preachyng rappe at anye man strikynge his conscience wyth peruerse and false doctrine and with sedicious opinions And Sainte Peter sayeth here Pascite qui in vobis est gregem dei prouidentes non coacte sed spontanee secundum deum neque turpis lucrigratiased voluntarie Prelates and Priestes muste not be to desierous or gredye of vnhonest lucre gaynes or wynnynge You muste vnderstande that the occupiyng that well besemeth som man is vnsitting and euil besemyng some other man And that is honeste to one man is filthye vnhonest and euyll besemynge to an other manne A Draper a Mercer a Shomaker and a hardwareman maye stande in the open Market and sel hys ware to the most aduauntage and gaine thereby sufficientlye to sustayne hym selfe and hys familye or housholde A Knyght a squyre or a well landed manne maye not so do wyth hys honestye It were filthye shame and dishonestye for hym so to dooe and hys winnyng shoulde not bee but fylthye wynnynge horrye shyfte and shamefull gaynes So a priest that hath refused worldly trouble toyling and giuen him selfe onelye to the seruice of God may not with his honesty yea but with his shame giue him selfe to worldly cheuesance marchandise chopping and chaÌ„ging byeng good chepe selling deare That occupying or gaynes that is tollerable and somwhat honest in other is turpe lucrum shameful gaines in him But yet there is a more filthy gaines that some prelates and priestes laboreth for to the great infamie of the churche and that is the gredie appetite that they haue to get winning at dise and cardes and suche vnlawfull games and myspendinge theyr good houres at the same This is vere turpe lucruÌ„ filthy or vnhonest gaines The Philosopher .iiij. Ethi saithe that turpe lucrum est quuÌ„ aliquis parui lucri gratia
Sermons very fruitfull godly and learned preached and sette foorth by Maister Roger Edgeworth doctoure of diuinitie Canon of the Cathedrall churches of Sarisburie Welles and Bristow residentiary in the Cathedrall churche of Welles and Chauncellour of the same churche With a repertorie or table directinge to many notable matters expressed in the same sermons ¶ Excusum Londini in aedibus Roberti Caly Tipographi Mense Septemb. Anno. 1557. Eccles. v. Esto mansuetus ad audiendum verbum dei vt intelligas cum sapientia proferes responsum verum The preface of the aucthor to them that shal rede these sermons folowinge IT is honourable and worthye praise to confesse and declare the woorkes of almightie GOD as the blessed Angell sayd vnto holye Thoby And therfore they that sawe the miracle done by our sauioure Christ vpon the man that was both deafe and dōme and was restored vnto his sight and also to his speach although they were bidde to make no wordes thereof yet they consideringe the excellencie of the miracle and perceiuinge the humilitie of the doer of the same as intendinge more the occultation of his facte for the auoidinge of worldlie praise to geue vs example of like humilitie then to hide his gratious cure as thinkinge they shoulde not haue done well to let suche a marueilous worke vanish to obliuion were the busier to diuulge and publishe not onelie that miracle but others withall sayinge Bene omnia fecit surdus fecit audire mutos loqui This man hath done all thinges wel he hath made the deafe to heare and the dōme to speake So I cōsidering that it hath pleased almightie God of his plentuous mercie and goodnes to open my mouth and to make me occupied in preachinge his holie worde nowe by the space of fortie yeares and more I thoughte it not good to permitte such matters as I haue throughe Goddes helpe set forth in my sermons vtterly to rotte and perishe and lest as the morall Poete saieth Deferar in uicum uendentē thus arhoma I haue therfore perusing yea rather superficiallie runninge ouer suche sermons as I haue preached in times past founde much good matter in them right worthie to be had in memorie and so compact and set together that nowe in my olde age I reioyce in God that gaue me his gratious gift so to trauayle in suche studie while I was yonge and lustie These my longe labours hath be in the mooste troubleous time and moste cumbarde with errours and heresies chaunge of mindes and scismes that euer was in this realme for so longe time together that any man can rede of VVhile I was a yonge student in diuinitie Luthers heresies rose and were scattered here in this realme whiche in lesse space then a man woulde thinke had so sore infected the christen flocke first the youth and consequentlie the elders where the children coulde sette the fathers to scole that the kinges maiestie and all the catholike clerkes in the realme had muche a do to extinguishe them which yet they could not so perfitlie quenche but that euer still when they might haue any maintenaunce by men or women of greate power they burste out a freshe euen like fire hidde vnder chaffe whiche sometimes amonge will flame oute and do hurt if it be not loked to Against such errours with their appēdeceis I haue inuehied ernestlie and oft in my sermons in disputations and reasoninge with the protestauntes vntill I haue be put to silence either by general prohibitions to preache or by name or by captiuitie and imprisonment of all whiche I thanke God I haue had my parte And yet euer whē I might haue any clere time I haue retourned to the same exercise more vehementlie then afore and so will do while I may haue strength to speake And because these sermons were made in Englishe and toucheth sometimes amonge suche heresies as hath troubled English folke I thought it best to set them forth in suche language as might presentlie best edifie the multitude Moreouer pleaseth you to be aduertised that when I shoulde preache in any solēpne and learned audience I euer fearinge the labilitie of my remembraunce vsed to pen my sermons muche like as I entended to vtter them to the audience others I scribled vp not so perfitlie yet sufficientlie for me to perceiue my matter and my processe And of these two sortes I haue kept as grace was a greate multitude whiche nowe helpeth me in this my enterprise of imprintinge a boke of my saide exhortations Moreouer I haue made innumerable exhortations at my cures and in other places where I haue dwelled and in the countreis there aboute and in my iourneis where it hath chaunced me to be on sondaies or other holie daies of whiche I haue no signes remaininge in writinge althoughe I thinke verelie some of them were as fruitfull as others in whiche I toke more labours I praye God they maye be written and registred in the boke of life euerlastinge And when I shoulde preache oftentimes in one place I vsed not to take euery day a distinct epistle or gospell or other text but to take some proces of scripture and to prosecute the same part one day and parte another daye and so you shall perceiue by my declaration of the .vii. giftes of the holy Gooste whiche I preached at Redcliffe crosse in the good and worshipfull citie of Bristow in sundry sermons although I was interrupted many yeares by the confederacie of Hughe Lathamer then aspiringe to a bisshopriche and after beinge bishop of worceter and ordinary of the greatest part of the sayd Bristow and infecting the whole And so by the exposition of the first epistle of S. Peter whiche I preached also in manye sermons at the cathedrall Churche there where I am one of the Canons in this also I was manie times and longe discōtinued by the odious scisme that was nowe lately and by the doers of the same And in like maner in the Cathedrall Churche of welles on the first and second sondaies of Aduent on Axe wednisdaye and others and there I lacked no trouble by bishop Barlowe and his officers of which suche as be not perfourmed I intend if it shall please God to perfourme and finishe hereafter Of all my saied sermons you shall now receiue in this boke as hereafter foloweth A Declaration of the seuen giftes of the holy gost in syxe sermons An homilie of the articles of our Christen faith An homilie of Ceremonies and of mans lawes A parfite exposition of S. Peters fyrst epistle in twentie treatises or sermons I haue besyde these many sermons made in verie solempne audiences on the dominicall epistles and gospelles some in the vniuersitie of Oxforde some at Paules crosse in London some in the courte afore my mooste honourable Lorde and Maister kinge Henry the eighte some in the cathedrall churche of welles where hath ben euer sith I knew it a solempne and a well learned audience whiche
Ego suÌ„ vir Iudeus natus in Tharso Ciliciae I am a Iew by kinred born in Tharsus a city in Cilicia which is a couÌ„trey in mayne Asia For y e Iewes wer not al born in Iury but as their pareÌ„ts wer disâ—abper sed into al couÌ„treis so thei had their children in diuers countreys And theÌ„ after .xiiii yeres s. Paul came againe to Ierusalem to confer the gospel that he preached with the apostles y t were the pillers of the Church Peter Iames and Iohn whiche he founde then at Hierusalem Nowe good frendes take hede Heare we haue of saynt Paule whiche in the place alledged swore toke god to witnes that he lyed not we may wel beleue hym must nedes so do the holy gost spoke in him Here I saie we haue firste iii. yeres next after Paules conuersion afore his coÌ„mynge to Hierusalem when he taryed there wyth Peter fiftene dayes And then we haue fouretene yeares more afore he came to Hierusalem to conferre hys preachynge wyth the other Apostles and at bothe tymes he founde Sayncte Peter at Hierusalem So that by this wee haue that Saynte PETER was at Hierusalem seuentene yeares and more after Christes ascention for s Paul was coÌ„uerted in the first yere after Christes ascentioÌ„ in February next after as the church represeÌ„teth at that tyme kepyng the feast of the conuersion of S. Paule Nowe I praye you when went sainte Peter abroade amonge them that were dispersed in Pontus Galatia Capadocia c And when was he bishoppe of Anthiochia To this I saye that as for the three firste yeares that Saynte Paule spoke of Saynte Peter taried verye much at IerusaleÌ„ wyth Iames there to order the Primatyue first churche of Christe in all the worlde Their presence because they were of hyghe reputation was verye necessarye for that purpose so that in all that tyme I thynke he went verye little amonge the Gentyles excepte it were by some chaunce or by reuelation as he came to Cornelius at Caesaria His most laboure was aboute the conuersion of Iewes to conuerte them to Christe Then afterwarde in the .xiiii. yere that s Paule speaketh of the churche of Hierusalem beynge reasonablye well stablished there is no doubte but saint Peter went abrode into all countreys preachynge Christe chieflye to the Iewes that were dispersed into many couÌ„treys there liuyng like straungers after the persecution that roose after the martirdome of saint Stephan and for many such troubles as fel vpon them exhorting them to pacience and declarynge that throughe many troubles wee muste come into the kyngedome of God And in this time he sticked for no labours but came to the couÌ„treys of Pontus Galatiae c. CouÌ„treys of mayne Asia of which some of them be almost as farre north east from Hierusalem as we be northwest and to them preached Christes fayth and returnyng backe came againe to Antiochia where he taried and ruled Christes flocke as bishoppe there by the space of seuen yeres or more Saint Hierome sayth Super Gal. ii Primum episcopum Antiochene ecclesiae Petrum fuisse accepimus Romam exinde translatum From Antiochia he wente to Rome to conuince Simon Magus as I saide afore And from Rome came backe agayne vnto Hierusalem to a counsail in the eyghtenth yere after Christes ascention at which time s Paule was warned by reuelation to ascende also to Hierusalem to conferre his Gospell wyth the other Apostles and there met with Peter Iames and Iohn as he sayth in the seconde chapiter to the Galathians And then saynt Peter toke his leaue and returned to Rome againe where he continued and in the countreys thereabout to his liues ende And from thence he wrote this Epistle as I sayde Now if I shall perfourme the exposition of this epistle as I haue taken vpon me I must somewhat speake of these countreys that saint Peter rehearseth here in the salutation of his letter for here they be written as you haue heard Pontus Galatia Capadocia and so furth Therfore if they shall not be somewhat set furthe and declared whereto be they written here If they shall not be described vnto theim that heare or reade this epistle let them be striken out of the boke whye should thei cumber any more paper To heare of them shall be pleasant to al men that deliteth in naturall histories of Geography or Cosmographye and to all mariners and marchauntes that haue trauersed the seas And to them that wold haue their soules edified in vertue it shall not be vnprofitable by reason of some morall learnyng that may concurre amonge For this you muste first vnderstande that Mare mediterraneum the middely earth sea whiche our marchauntes calleth the Leuant commeth out of the maine occean sea runnyng into the lande at a verye narrowe entrye called the straightes betwixt two mountaines or rocks one called Calpe in Granado on the south parte of Spaine and the other called Abila in Mauritania where y t Mores inhabite And the saide mountayne called Calpe our marcauntes calleth Calis addynge to it for the euyll and daungerous passage by the same Malis yll after the language of the countrey there Calys Malys Ill Calys because of a great multitude of ragged rockes liynge in the thresholde or bottom of the saide gate so that when any ship shall passe in or out at the saide streicte the mariners must be sure of an high water and a measurable winde els they shall finde it an yll passage and perilous The said two rockes cleues or promoÌ„tories bee called Gades and Columne Hercules Hercules postes and standeth one on the one side of the sayde entre and the other on the other side and maketh lyke a gate into the Leuaunt And as Pliny writeth In prohemio tercâ—i naturalis historiae It is but fyue myles broade where it is strayghtest and passeth not tenne myles ouer where it is broadest pomponius Mela agreeth saiynge Libro primo Non amplius decem milibus passimum patens A wonderous worke of GOD by so narrowe a passage to brynge into the mayne Lande so great a Sea as it maketh runnynge furthe Eastwarde and leauing Affrique on the ryght hande and Europe on the lifte hande tyll it come as farre as Celiciae in maygne Asya and there stayeth in a certayn bay called Sinus issicus the baye where the riuer of Issus openeth into the same sea and it goeth no further Eastward enuironnyng and conteinyng within it self a great multitude of the most fertiysles that we can read of and specially the excellent Isle of Cyprus Notwythstandynge afore the said Leuaunt become so farre Eastwarde it turneth Northwarde longe and many a myle Fyrst it runneth together and entreth into a narow streict called Hellespontus muche narower then the said yate out of the Oceane into the Leuaunt that I nowe spake of for this streicte passeth not much thre quarters of a myle ouer and whan it is past that streicte it spreadeth abrode agayne like a sea and
womans sacrifices that wyll shewe them selues to be of Christes faith and beliefe and these be made acceptable to God by the merites of our sauiour Iesus Christe on whom we beleue By this you may iudge how far wide from this generall laye presthoode and from the sinceritie of theyr Christendome they be that wil neither sacrifice to God iustice or rightuous dealing but vseth al oppression extorcion theft and bribery neither will giue to God the sacrifice of laude praise and thankes but rather blasphemy to Gods reproche and to his dispite and wil not vse prayers in the church nor in other places but rather with their babling in the church and mocking of diuine seruice letteth and hindreth other men from theyr praiers and from attending and hearing gods seruice They giue not theyr bodies as a holy sacrifice to God but rather as a stincking sacrifice to the fleshe to the diuel not liuely but sinfull and deadly not pleasant but as an instrument of mischiefe displeasant to God and man There is an other priesthode whiche is one of the seuen sacrameÌ„tes called the order of presthode farre aboue the foresayd lay priesthoode in dignitie and in authoritie This order and dignitie of priesthode our sauiour Christe gaue to hys disciples after his last supper wheÌ„ he toke breade in his handes and conuerted it into his bodye by these words saying This is my body And taking the cuppe with wine in his handes he sayd This is my blood And consequently he sayd to his disciples Hoc facite in meam comme morationem do you this that I haue done and so doing remember me where he gaue theim authoritie to consecrate bread and wine into his blessed bodye and bloode as he had done And in this he gaue them power on him selfe and on his owne verye bodye and bloode in which consisteth the chief office of a prieste and giuing theym power to consecrate that most reuerend sacrameÌ„t of the alter he made them priestes and wyth all in so doinge he instâ—tuted and ordeyned the sacrament of order And after hys gloryous resurrection 〈◊〉 gaue vnto the sayde Apostles power and iurisdiction vpon hys misticall body that is the churche or multitude of Christen people When he came in amonge the Apostles the doores of the chaumber beyng fast shutâ—â— and sayde vnto them Pax vobiâ— peace be amonge you and then he breathed vpon them and sayde Take you the holye Gost whose synnes you forgiue shall bee forgiuen and whose synnes you retayne and not forgiue shall be retayned and not forgyuen And as the Apostles tooke theyr order of priesthoode at Christes handes giuing them the holy gost by which they had authoritie on his own body and also on his misticall body which is the church and the multitude of Christen people so the Apostles by imposicion and layinge their handes on suche as they chose for to be priestes or bishops made theym priests geuing theÌ„ authoritie to consecrate Christes bodye and bloode and to minister the sacrament of penaunce forgiuyng sinnes and retayâ—ing sinnes as they see it necessary and likewise to minister all other duties of a priest The holye Goste spoke to the ministers of the churche that were in Antiochia Segregate mihi Saulum et Barâ—â—â—am in opus ad quod assumpsi eos Act. xiii And it foloweth tunt ieiunantes orantes imponentes â–ª que eis manus dimiserunt eos With fasting praying and leyng theyr holy hands on Saule afterward called Paule and on Barnabas they ordred theym priestes and sent them furthe to execute priestes offices Saint Paule writeth vnto his scoler Timothe Noli negligere gratiam que in te est que data est tibi per propheciam cum impositione manuum presbiterij i Timo. iiii Be not neglygent in the grace that is gyuen thee by prophecye wyth leynge the Priestes handes vpon thee Prophecye he called here after Saynt Ambrose the election by whyche he was chosen as one that shoulde bee a meete Minister and teacher in Christes Churche And suche prophecye is vsed or shoulde bee vsed to thys daye in makynge of Pryestes where the Byshoppe or his sufficient depute sitteth vpon opposicions of them that shall be made priests wher he ought to haue mature and discrete examinacion aswell of his maners and conuersation as of his leaâ—ning oportet autem illum testimonium habere bonum ab hijs qui foris sunt i. Timo. iii. He ought to haue good report of the infidels saythe Saynte Paule then much more he ought to haue good reporte of the layfe that be neither priestes nor ministers of the church vpon which examinaâ—ion if the bishop and his officeâ—s thinke him meete to be a priest they set him furth to the bishops handes to take orders This allowing of his lyuing and of his learning with hope that he will so continue and increace in goodnes is it that S. Paul in this place calleth prophecie Imposition of the bishops handes hath with it concurring certeine holy wordes by which wordes he as I sayde afore is confirmed made strong and able to exercise that he was chosen to takinge authoritie by which he may be bolde to offer sacrifices to God in Christes steede And because of the perill that is in making vnworthy priestes S. Paule warneth Timothe .i. Tim. v. Manus cito nemini imposueris neque coÌ„municaueris peccatis alienis Wher s. Paule with a contestacion as Timothe shuld answer afore God and our sauiour Christ and hys elect Angels of heauen coÌ„maundeth him that he be not to easy and light to set his holy handes on any man to promote him to that ecclesiastical dignitie of priesthode because he will nothing to be done in giuing orders without a foresight and a fore iudgement lest peraduenture if he be found reproueable and vicious the bishop that promoted him may repent his dede and also least he be contaminate partaker of the vices of hym that he hath ordered because he hath suffered hym so lightly to passe his handes without sufficieÌ„t trial of his liuing Manye other authorities of scripture and specially of S. Paule I could reherse in which it doth euidently appeare howe prescise he is in the sayd order of priesthoode and howe it doth surmount the other common anointing by which all they be anoynted that be christened as I sayde for thoughe all they that be anoynted at theyr baptisme be enbrued with the holye goste yet by imposition of the bishops handes on hym that is ordered with the holy wordes concurrent with the same the holy goste is giuen to a prieste for to giue him authoritie an higher office that euery maÌ„ may not attain to As for to consecrate the body and bloud of our sauiour Christe in the most reuerend sacrament of the aulter to minister other sacramentes and specially the sacrament of penance which in this holy time all well disposed good christen people run to as to the necessary remedy to saue
angell of heauen or all the diuels in Hell should neuer haue peruerted you from the sure affiaunce and fast faith that you had towarde the blessed Sacramentes of the churche But after that there came amonge you a great multitude of pleasaunt preachers preaching libertie and so pleasures folowing of such lewde libertie how soone you haue ben ouerthrowne turned another way iudge you and all for lacke of strength in faythe Therfore I shal most hartlie pray you that wilbe saued by your faith adorned and decked with charitie that you wyll be stronge in fayth and not to folowe euerie puffe or blaste of new doctrine that so you maye receyue finem fidei vestrae salutem animarum vestrarum Cap. i. The ende and rewarde of your fayth that is the health of your soules that shal neuer fade nor fayle as he sayde afore in the fyrst chapter of this epistle And like as in the beginninge of this present chapter he parswaded by exāple of him self the pastors prelates priestes euen so now he exhorteth them that he write to by example of the brotherhed or other faithful people to the sufferance perseueraunce in persecutiō saying Scientes eandem passionem ei que in mūdo est vestre fraternitati fieri Knowing that you haue the same passion and suffering in you that hath be layde on your brotherhed Here S. Peter induceth a strōge parswasion to this purpose that we should stronglie resist all temptacion knowinge that the same payne and passion that you haue also haue your brotherhead that is abrode in the worlde your brothers in Christ faythful people men and women suffer like tempation by the Diuell our goostly enemie as you doo they suffer like persecution of infidelles and Heretikes as you do yet they persist and stande stronglie in the fast fayth in which they haue been instructe by true faythful people and by trew preachers Therfore consideringe that they stande stedfastly it were shame for you that you should lyghtlie be ouerthrowen And because that euen from the beginninge of the worlde good men haue ben sauted persecuted and tempted and yet haue not ben ouerthrowen Therefore you should be ashamed yf you onely should be worse then al men and the very refuse and dogboltes of all your brothers not able to suffer anie thinge And because such sufferaunce with perseueraunce in the same hath neede of helpe to succor mans weakenes Therefore the blessed Apostle Saynt Peter hath recurse and runneth to Goddes helpe and assistaunce sayinge Deus autem omnis gratie qui vocauit nos in eternam gloriam suam in Christo Iesu modicum passos ipse perficiet confirmabit solidabitque Almyghtie GOD the gyuer of all grace which hath called vs by our Sauiour CHRIST into hys eternall glorie whiche he would vs to receyue finally after thys present lyfe Modicum passos althoughe we haue suffred but litle for all that we canne suffer is verye lytell and almost nothing in comparison of the euerlasting glorie that is prepared for vs. He shall make you perfecte in that you be vnhable of your selfe addinge and puttinge to more vertues to them that ye haue alredy he shall confirme and make sure your weaknes for of our selues we be but weake and redy to be ouerthrowē by euery suggestion or temptacion Of him and by him we be stronge and able to suffre tribulacion and trouble Solidabit And where we haue now but as loose limmes or members shaken with feare and with errours and scarce agreinge euery man within our selues in our opiniōs and in matters of our fayth but as it were one while of one mynde and a none of a nother mynde and verie waueringe and vnsure And this is the verie property of Heresies thei be euer vnstedfast and not agreinge amonge theim selues but some take one waie and some an other and that pleaseth at one time displeaseth at an other tyme for example how manie manners and dyuerse wayes of ministringe the Communion haue we had amonge vs I haue knowen one whyle the Priest to take the breade vpon the patten of the Chales and turned his backe to the Aulter and his face downe to the people and sayd the wordes of consecration ouer the breade then layde it vpon the Aulter and afterwarde donne lyke wise with the Chales the wine Then because there seemed to muche reuerence to be giuen to the Sacrament by this waie the people were al driuen out of the chauncell except the ministers that the Communion should not be commonlye sene nor worshipped And anone that way semed not best and therfore there was veils or curtens drawen yea and in some churches the very Lent cloth or veile hāged vp though it were with Alleluya in the Easter time to hide it that no man should see what the prieste did nor heare what he saide Then this waye pleased not and the aulters were pulled downe and the tables set vp all the obseruaunce saide in Englyshe and that openlye that all men might heare and see what was done and the breade commaunded to bee common vsed breade leuende with salte barme and such other And then sone after were all corporaces taken awaye to extenuate the honoure of the sacrament it laied down on y e prophane borde clothe And at the saide tables the Prieste one while turned his face Eastwarde an other while turned his backe eastwarde and his face towarde the West as the Iewes vseth to worshippe And anone by commaundement tourned his back Southward and his face to the north and finally after the last boke that was set forth he turned his face to the South And this boke made swepestake of the blessed sacrament declaring there to be nothing els but bare bread and wine This pulling downe of aulters settynge vp of bords was vsed by the heritikes that were of Arrius sect as saint Basil rehearseth in diuers places speciallye Epistola lxxii speaking of one Eustathius a disciple of Arrius which was made Bishoppe in minor Armenia As he came through Paphlagonia a countrey in maigne Asia Basilidis Paphlagonici altaria cū Paphlagoniā transiret subuertit Eustathius propriis mensis liturgiā obiuit This Basilides not y e heritike but Basilides y e better bishop of Paphlagonia a familier acquaintance of Basilius vsed aulters as they had bene vsed euer stil sith y e beginnyng of Christes church The said Eustathius cōming through his countrey or dioces pulled downe the alters said his masses after his fashion vpō bordes or tables as we did lately And after in y e next epistle he saith Quāobrē cū Dardania redirēt heretici altaria Basilidis in agro Gāgrenorū subuerterūt mēsasque suas substituerūt When certain heritiks came back again frō the coūtrey called Dardania they ouerthrew the aulters of Basilides the bishop in y e coūtrey of the Gangrens and set vp in steede of thē their owne bordes or tables All such wauerynge and incōstancy