mē that they maye se your good workes But why is thys see of glasse lykened to Crystall Surely bycause Crystall is a water whych by continuaunce of tyme is tourned into the hardenes of a stone suche ones ought they that be baptised to be brought vnto that is to saye stronge and harde in faythe By the .iiii. beastes full of eyes before and behynde some do vnderstande the .iiii. Euangelistes other whose iugemente better agreeth to the scripture as it semeth do vnderstande those heauenly and ministratoriouse spirites or angels whych be appoynted to stande at the foure quarters of heauen by whych the kyngdome of Christ that is Heb. ij the church is spred to execute the thynges that be determined by the vnserchable and eternall counsayle of God to be done in mens thynges These be full of eyes before and behynde that is to say they be replenyshed wyth the science and knowlege of thinges passed and thinges to come And the fyrst beast was lyke a Lyon the seconde lyke a Calfe the thyrd had a face like a Man and the fourth was lyke a flyenge Egle. Brethren ye shall vnderstande that in a lyon is courage and strength in a calfe laboure and diligence in the face of a man prudence and ryght iudgement in an egle swyftnes and also facilitie in doynge theyr ministeries al whych vertues they haue nede of ☜ whych wol administre well and prosperously any kyngdome And for thys cause in the psalmes the Lorde is said to syt and ryde vpon Cherubim bycause that by them he executeth hys iudgementes couragiously diligētly prudently and wyth great swyftnes To thys interpretaciō doth the scripture agre For the prophete Ezechiel in the .x. chapter doth vnderstande by the .iiii. beastes the Cherubim and he maketh also the foure beastes one hauynge yet foure faces or formes for the forsayde vertues wherwyth those ministrynge spirites whose seruice Christ vseth in the administracion of hys kyngdome were indowed In that they haue syxe wynges a pece is betokened theyr swyftnes of obedience to execute the thynges that they be appoynted vnto Esa vi In lyke maner doth Esay describe Seraphim These āgels or yf ye lyst these foure Euangelistes whych also be angels that is to say messangers by whome Christ the greate conquerour of the aduerse powers is caryed throughe out the hole worlde as it were in a triumphall charette haue no rest neyther day nor nyght but crye without ceasing Holy ☞ holy holy that is to saye holy father holy sonne and holy spirite comforter one Lorde God almyghty Math. xxviij in whose name all we that beleue be baptised And whan those beastes gaue glorye honoure and thankes to hym that sate on the seate whych lyueth for euer and euer the .xxiiii. elders of whom mēcion is made before fel also downe before him which sate on the trone and worshypped hym that lyueth for euer Now therfore good christen people syth those holy spirites or angels and the hole quere and church triumphant in heauen do wythout ceasynge laude prayse and magnifye the hygh maiestye of the Godheade let not vs whych be the churche or congregacion militant here in erth be behynde wyth our prayses cōmendacions and thankesgyuynge The holy angels do crye before let vs answere in the same note saye Holy father holy sonne holy goost cōforter Let vs I saye accordynge to the exemple of the .xxiiii. elders cast oure crownes before the trone that is to saye confesse the crownes and rewardes whyche we that be iustifyed persōs haue come of Christes mere goodnes and no parte of our owne deseruynge and saye Thou arte worthy o Lorde our God to receiue glorye and honoure and power For thou hast created all thynges and for thy wyll they be c. The gospell on Trinitie sondaye The .iij. chapter of Ihon. Th argument ☞ A conflicte betwene the iustice of the flesh and the iustice of the spirite THere was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Iewes The same came to Iesus by nyght and sayd vnto hym Rabbi we knowe that thou arte a teacher come from God for no man coulde do such myracles as thou doest excepte God were wyth hym Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym Verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a mā be borne from aboue he can not se the kyngdome of God Nicodemus sayeth vnto hym how can a man be borne whan he is olde can he enter into hys mothers wombe and be borne againe Iesus answered verely verely I saye vnto the excepte a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kyngdome of God That whych is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirite Maruayle not thou that I sayd to the ye must be borne from aboue The wynde bloweth where it lysteth and thou hearest the sounde therof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whether it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Nicodemus answered and sayd vnto him how can these thynges be Iesus answered and sayd vnto hym arte thou a mayster in Israel and knowest not these thynges Verelye verelye I saye vnto the we speake that we do knowe and testifye that we haue sene and ye receyue not our wytnes Yf I haue tolde you earthly thinges and ye beleue not how shall ye beleue yf I tell you of heauenly thynges And no man ascendeth vp to heauen but he that came downe from heuen euen the sonne of man whych is in heauen And as Moses lyfte vp the serpent in the wyldernes euen so muste the sonne of man be lyfte vp that who so euer beleueth in hym perysh not but haue eternall lyfe IN thys Gospell good people is conteyned a sore disputacion vpon the iustyce of the spirtye and the iustice of the fleshe Christ teacheth and defēdeth the spirituall iustice Nicodemus thother but so yet that he suffreth himselfe to be taught and instructed of Christ Fyrst therfore we shall consyder the person of Nicodemus as the Gospell describeth hym and howe folyshly he speaketh of the new byrth The description of Nicodemus For hereby we shall espye what we also can do of oure owne power in godly and spirituall maters Now the Euangelyst certifyeth vs that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Iues meanynge herby that for the outwarde conuersacion he was fautles in lyuynge and floryshed in such apparaunce of honesty and holynes that he was nombred of the Iues euen amongest the chefest fyrst Lo here thou hast the descripcion of Nicodemus person which before the worlde is both prudent and ryghtuouse And yet neuertheles this worldly wyse and holy man is not so hardy nor so stronge that he dare openlye come to Christe or speake vnto hym albeit he iudgeth Christ a teacher sente from God and can not denye hys sygnes and myracles I praye you why doth not reason here come forth openly to
the fourth sondaye after Trinitie the vi chapter of Luke fol. xcv The Epistle on the fyfth sonday after Trinitie the .i. epistle of S. Peter the .iii. cha fol. xcviii The Gospell on the fyfth sondaye after Trinitie the v. chapter of Luke fol. xcix The Epistle on the syxte sonday after Trinitie the .v. chapter to the Romaines fol. ci The Gospel on the syxte sonday after Trinitie the .v. chapter of Marke fol. cvi The Epistle on the seuenth sonday after Trinitie the vi chapter to the Romaines fol. cix The Gospel on the seuenth sonday after Trinitie the viii chapter of Marke fol. cx The Epistle on the eight soÌ„day after Trinitie the .viii. chapter to the Romaines fol. cxii The Gospell on the eight sondaye after Trinitie the vii chapter of Marke fol. cxiiii The Epistle on the .ix. sonday after Trinitie the fyrst epistle to the Corin. the .x. chap. fol. cxvi The Gospell on the .ix. sonday after Trinitie the .xvi. chapter of Luke fol. cxviii The Epistle on the .x. sondaye after Trinitie the fyrst epistle to the Corin. the .xii. chap. fol. cxxviii The Gospell on the .x. sonday after Trinitie the .xix. chapter of Luke fol. cxxx The epistle on the .xi. sonday after Trinitie the fyrste epistle to the Corin. xvi chap. fol. cxxxii The Gospel on the .xi. sonday after Trinitie the .viii. chapter of Luke fol. cxxxiiii The epistle on the .xii. soÌ„day after trinitie the seconde epistle to the corin the .iii. chap. fol. cxxxv The Gospell on .xii. sonday after trinitie the seuenth chapter of Marke fol. cxxxix The Epistle on the .xiii. sondaye after trinitie the .iii. chapter to the Galathians fol. cxlii The Gospill on the .xiii. sondaye after trinitie the .x. chapter of Luke fol. cxliii The epistle on the .xiiii. sondaye after trinitie the .v. chapter to the Galathians fol. cxlviii The Gospel on the .xiiii. soÌ„day after trinitie the .xvii. chapter of Luke fol. cl The Epistle on the .xv. sonday after trinitie the .v. vi chapter to the Galathians fol. cli The Gospel on the .xv. sonday after trinitie the syxte chapter of Matheu fol. cliii The Epistle on the .xvi. sonday after trinitie the .iii. chapter to the Ephesians fol. clvi The Gospell on the .xvi. sonday after trinitie the .vii. chapter of Luke fol. clviii The Epistle on the .xvii. sonday after trinitie the .iiii chapter to the Ephesians fol. clix The Gospel on the .xvi. sonday after trinitie the .xiiii chapter of Luke fol. clx The epistle on the .xviii. sondaye after Trinitie the .i. epistle to the Corin. the .i. chapter fol. clxii The Gospell on the .xviii. sondaye after Trinitie the xxii chapter of Matheu fol. clxiii The epistle on the .xix. sondaye after Trinitie the .iiii. chapter to the Ephesians fol. clxv The Gospell on the .xix. sonday after Trinitie the .ix. chapter of Matheu fol. clxvi The epistle on the .xx. sonday after Trinitie the fyfth chapter to the Ephesians fol. clxviii The Gospel on the .xx. sonday after Trinitie the .xxii. chapter of Matheu fol. clxix The epistle on the .xxi. sondaye after Trinitie the .vi. chapter to the Ephesians fol. clxxii The Gospel on the .xxi. sonday after Trinitie the .iiii. chapter of Iohn fol. clxxcii The epistle on the .xxii. soÌ„day after Trinitie the fyrste chapter to the Philippians fol. clxxiiii The Gospell on the .xxii. sondaye after Trinitie the xviii chapter of Matheu fol. clxxvi The epistle on the .xxiii. sonday after trinitie the .iii. chapter to the Philippians fol. clxxvii The gospell on the .xxiii. soÌ„day after trinitie the .xxii chapiter of Mathewe fol. clxxviii The epistle on the .xxiiii sonday after trinite the .i. chapiter to the Colossians fol. clxxx The gospel on the .xxiiii. sondaye after trinitie the .ix chapiter of Mathewe fol. clxxxi The epistle on the .xxv. sonday after trinitie the xxxiii chapiter of Ieremias fol. clxxxiii The gospell on the .xxv. sonday after trinitie the .vi. chapiter of Iohn fol. clxxxv POSTILLES OR HOMILIES VPON THE EPISTLES AND GOSPELS FROM ESTER vntyll TRINITIE sondaye wyth certayne other frutefull and godly SERMONS drawen forth by dyuerse lerned men for the syngular edificacion and commoditie of al good CHRISTEN parsons and in especiall of prestes and CVRATES Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M.D.XL THE COPY OF THE KYNGES graciouse priuilege HENRY the eight by the grace of god kynge of Englande and of FrauÌ„ce defensour of the fayth Lorde of Ireland and in earth supreme head immediatly vnder Christe of the church of EnglaÌ„d To all prynters of bokes wythin thys oure Realme and to all other our officers ministers and subiectes these our letters hearyng or seynge Gretynge We let you wit that of our grace especial we haue gyuen priuilege vnto our welbeloued subiecte Richarde Bankes that no maner person wythin thys our Realme shal prynte any maner of bokes what so euer our sayd subiecte shall prynte fyrste wythin the space of seuen yeares next ensuyng the printynge of euery suche boke so by hym prynted vpon payne of forfetynge the same Wherefore we woll and coÌ„maunde you that ye nor none of you do presume to prynte any of the sayde bokes durynge the tyme aforesayd as ye tender oure pleasure and woll auoyde the contrarye ⧠A SERMON OF THE RESVRRECTION CHRISTVS traditê° fuit ê“pter peccata nostra resurrexit propter iustificationem nostri Roma iiij ☞ Christ was delyuered for our synnes and rose agayne for the iustification of vs. Rom. iiij YF euer the greatnes or excellency of any matter hath styred vp youre myndes to gyue diligent eare at any tyme good christen people welbeloued in our Lorde and Sauiour Christe I doubt not but that I shall haue you now moost diligent and redy hearers of that matter whyche I haue at thys tyme to open vnto you For I am come to declare that great and moost comfortable article of our fayth the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus So great is thys article and of so great weyght and importaunce that it was thought worthy to kepe our said Sauiour styl on earth after he was rysen from death to lyfe to the confirmation therof in the hartes of hys disciples So that as Luke testifyeth in the fyrste chapter of the actes he was conuersant wyth hys disciples by the space of fourty dayes continually together to enstructe them the truth therof before he wold ascende vp to hys father in heauen to receyue the glorye of hys conquest and victory So comfortable is thys article to our coÌ„sciences that it is the locke and keye of all our fayth Yf it were not true sayeth S. Paule that Christe arose agayne oure preachynge were in vayne i. cor xv your fayth were but voyde ye were yet in the daunger of your synnes Yf Christe be not rysen agayne sayeth the Apostle than are they vtterly peryshed that be entred theey slepe in Christ than are we moost myserable of al meÌ„ yf we haue our hope fixed in Christ yf he were vnder the power
AMEN ¶ Imprinted at London by Richarde Bankes and are to be solde in Fletestrete at the sygne of the whyte Harte Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ⧠THE EPIstles and Gospelles with a brief Postyll vpon the same from Trinitie sonday tyll Aduent drawen forth by dyuerse learned men for the singuler cōmoditie of al good christians and namely of prestes and Curates Christus Mat. iiij Poenitentiam agite appropinquauit enim regnum coelorum Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M.D.XL THE COPY OF THE KINGES GRACIOVS PRIVILEGE HEnry the eyght by the grace of God kynge of England and of Fraūce defensour of the faith lord of Irelande and in earth supreme hed immediatly vnder Christ of the church of Englande To al Printers of bokes wythin thys our Realme and to all other our officers ministers and subiectes these oure letters hearyng or seynge greatyng We let you wete that we of our grace especiall haue gyuen priuilege vnto oure welbiloued subiecte Richarde Bankes that no maner parson wythin thys oure Realme shal prynte any maner of bokes what so euer our sayde subiecte shall prynte first wythin the space of seuen yeares nexte ensuyng the prynting of euery suche boke so by hym printed vpon payne of forfeture the same Wherfore we wol and commaunde you that ye nor none of you do presume to prynte any of the sayde bokes duryng the tyme afore sayde as ye tendre oure pleasure and woll auoyde the contrary The Epistle on Corpus Christi day The fyrste epistle to the Corinthyans the .xi. chapter Th argument ☞ The institution of the most blessed sacrament of the Aulter is here by S. Paule described vnto vs. BRethren that which I deliuered vnto you I receyued of the lorde For the Lorde Iesus the same nyght in whych he was betrayed toke breade and when he had gyuen thākes he brake it and said Take ye and eate this is my body whych is broken for you Thys do ye in the remembraunce of me After the same maner also he toke the cup whē supper was done sayenge Thys cup is the newe Testament in my bloude This do as oft as ye drynke it in remembraunce of me For as oft as ye shal eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shal shewe the lordes death tyl he come Wherfore whosoeuer shall eate of thys breade and drynke of this cup vnworthyly shal be gylty of the body and bloude of the lorde But let a man examyne him selfe and so let him eate of the breade and dryncke of the cup. For he that eateth and drynketh vnworthely eateth and drynketh hys owne damnation because he maketh no difference of the lordes body ☞ The exhortacion vpon this epistle ye shall fynd immediatly before the Epistle on Easter daye The Gospell on Corpus Christi daye The .vi chapiter of Iohn̄ Th argument ☞ Christ is the true breade of lyfe IEsus sayde vnto his disciples and vnto the company of the Iues. My fleshe is meate in dede and my bloud is drinke in dede He that eateth my flesh and drynketh my blod dwelleth in me I in hym As the lyuing father hath sent me and I lyue for the father Euen so he that eateth me shall lyue by the meanes of me Thys is that breade whiche came downe from heauen not as your fathers dyd eate Manna and are deade He that eateth of this bread shall lyue euer IN this present Gospel good people our sauiour Christ which is the true shepherd and feder of our soules goeth about to shake of frō oure myndes the fylthy cares of thys corporall life willyng vs rather to apply our selfes and to labour wyth the gredy desire of the heuenly and gostly ryches to obteyne euerlasting life He biddeth vs caste out of our myndes the worldy breade wherwith our bodyes be fedde and couet that heuenly brede which giueth and conferreth vnto vs euerlastinge and immortall lyfe of the soule Thys breade is taken by faythe and fayth is to be obteyned and gotten of almyghty god For it is vndoubtedly hys gyfte Whosoeuer therfore beleueth in Christe he alredy hathe euerlastyng lyfe inasmuche as he hath the foūtayne of immortalitie I am sayeth Christe the breade of lyfe As who shulde say I am that same fode whiche gyueth lyfe not only corporall but rather the lyfe of the soule and eternall The Iues amonges whom Christ was conuersaūt and vnto whom he had this cōmunicacion bosted muche in the Manna that was sente downe from heauen vnto theyr auncestours But what sayeth Christe vnto them Your fathers dyd eate Manna in the wyldernes and dyed Austin Your fathers sayeth S. Austine bicause you be lyke them murmuryng fathers of murmuryng chyldren For assuredly this people in nothyng offended god more then in grutchyng and murmuryng agaynste God Now they therfore dyed bicause they beleued sayeth S. Austin the thynge that they sawe ☜ but the thyng they sawe not they beleued not nor yet vnderstode O sacramentum pietatis o signum vnitatis The wordes of saynte Austine o vinculum charitatis Qui vult viuere habet vnde viuat accedat credat incorporetur vt viuificet O wonderfull sacrament of godlynes o wonderfull token of vnitie o wonderfull bond of charitie He that wyl lyue he hath wherof he may lyue let him drawe nigh let him beleue let him be incorporated that he may be quickened Let him not departe for the frame of the membres let him not be a rotten mēbre worthy to be cut of nor yet croked whereof he may be ashamed Let him be a fayre mēbre open sounde cleauing to the body Let him lyue to god Let him nowe labour in earthe that he maye afterwarde lyue in heauen The sacramēt of this thing saith this holy doctour that is to saye of the vnitie of the body and bloude of Christe is taken at gods bourde of some men to their saluatiō and of some to their damnation ☜ The thynge it selfe is ordeined to the saluation of al men and to the destruction of none For my fleshe sayeth Christe is very meate and my blode very dryncke Thys breade cam downe from heuen and hath an heuenly power of workynge gyuen it of god that who so euer worthely do eate it shall lyue eternally and neuer dye Wherfore good christen people we haue no nede to demaunde from heuen any Manna sythe we haue the very heuenly breade in dede that is to say the body of our sauiour Christe ready vnto vs to gyue vs euerlasting lyfe if so be we wol take it worthely with fayth For vndoubtedly Christ is that heuenly breade whiche gyueth immortalitie to our soules whych for oure sakes was betrayed and crucifyed He is the worde of god in whom who so euer stedfastly woll beleue shall haue euerlasting lyfe Who so euer shall conuey thys heuenly breade into the bowels of his soule shal be nourished and growe vp to euerlastinge lyfe For assuredly thys is the lyuely