wyll forgeue hym and wil not impute his offence to hym and to wyshe to hym the same grace and glorye that we desyre vnto our selues and also our selfe when occasion shall comme to helpe hym as we be bound to help our chrysten brother And here we thynke it expedient that lyke as in the former parte of thys petition we haue declared the parte and duety of hym whyche should for charityes sake forgeue so to declare the part and duetye of them to whom forgeuenes shoulde be made leaste euyll doers and noughtye mynded people myght by the former declaration take occasyon styll to perseuer in theyr noughtye myndes an d doynges and yet clayme for geuenes of theyr neyghbour Wherfore ye shal vnderstande that forgeuenes afore spoken of is not so mente in scrypture that by it iustice or lawes of prynces shoulde be broken condempned or not executed For although our Sauyour Chryst in thys petition doth teache vs to remytte and forgeue al iniuryes and trespasses done agaynst vs yet he which hathe done the iniurye or trespasse is neuerthelesse bounde to acknowledge hys faulte to aske forgeuenes therefore not onelye of God but of hym also whom he hath offended and to intende to doo no more so And furthermore to recompence and to make amendes vnto the parties agaynst whō he hath trespassed accordynge to hys habilytye and power and as the greuousenes and greatnes of the offence requyreth And in case he whiche hathe commytted the offence or trespasse be obstynate and wyl not doo these thynges before rehearsed whyche he is bounde to doo by the lawe of God than maye the partye whyche fyndeth hym selfe greued not wythstandynge any thynge that is sayd before in this petition lawefully and wythout offence of Goddes commaundementes aske and seke recompense of suche iniuryes as be doone to hym accordynge to the order and prouysion of the lawes of the Realme made in that behalfe so that he alwaye haue an eye and respecte vnto charitye and doo 〈◊〉 for rancor or malyce or for sinister affection neyther beare anye hatred in hys harte towardes hym whome he sueth but onelye vppon a zeale and loue of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 correction of vyce and reformation of the partye that hath offended remembrynge alwayes that he excede not or goo beyonde the lymyttes and bondes of thys generall rule taughte by oure Sanioure Chryste in the gospell Mathewe vii As ye would that other men 〈◊〉 doo vnto you euen so doo you vnto them for thys is the lawe and the prophetes And thus we christen folke wayinge forgeuenes on the one partye and the dewtye of hym that is forgeuen on the other partye as here nowe we be taught 〈◊〉 the better knowe how to endeuour oure selues to obserue both wayes in such sorte as we are bounden to obserue and folowe ✚ The exposition or declaration of the syxte petition which is And let vs not be led into tentation FOr the better vnderstandynge of this petition youe shall note fyrste that there be two maner of tentatyons whereof one commethe and is sene to vs by GOD who sufferethe those that be his to be temted by one meanes or other for there probation or tryall albeit he so assystethe and aydeth them in all suche temptations that he turneth all at the ende vnto theyr benefyte and profytte For as the wise man saieth Eccl. xxviii Lyke as the ouen trieth the pottets vessell so doth tentation of trouble trie the righteous man And with this maner of tentation God tempted sundry wise oure holye father Abraham he tented also Iob with extreme pouertie horrible sickenes and sodayne death of his children and daylye he tenteth and proueth all such as he loueth The other tentation commeth cheifly of the deuyll whyche lyke a furiouse and a woode lyon rageth and runneth aboute perpetually sekynge how he maye deuour vs. And it commeth also of our owne concupyscence which continuallye inclineth and styrrethe vs to 〈◊〉 as Saynt Iames sayeth Iacob i. Euery man is tented drawen and 〈◊〉 ' by hys owne concupyscence Of whyche concupyscence albeit we haue somewhat spoken before yet here in no wyse we maye omytte to speake of it agayne And therefore knowe ye that thys 〈◊〉 is an inclination and pronitie of our inordinate nature to synne whiche imperfection man hathe by the fall of Adam so that althoughe originall synne is taken awaye by baptysme and the displeasure appeased betwixte God and man yet there remayneth a dysorder and debate betwene the soule and the fleshe which shal not be extincte but onely by bodely death For there is no man so mortifyed so sequestred from the worlde and so rauyshed in spiryte in deuotyon or in contemplation but that somme concupyscence is in hym howe be it by goddes grace and mercye it reygneth not nor is of God accounted for synne nor is hurtefull but onelye to them that by consente yelde vnto it It wyll neuer cease but one waye or other it wyll euer assaulte vs and yf we do not fyght with it and resiste it continuallye it wyll ouercome vs and brynge vs vnto bondage so that by this oure concupiscence and our consent all vyce and synnes be ingendred accordynge to the sayinge of saynte Iames Iacob i. Concupiscence 〈◊〉 she doth conceiue she bringeth forth sinne and that of all sortes that is to sai first actes and dedes contrary to the lawes of God and after that vse and custome of the same deedes and at the length she bringeth furth blindnes and contempte For so the wyse man sayeth Prouer. xviii The wicked man when he commeth to the bottome of sinne setteth nought thereby But blynded with euyll custome eyther thynke the synne that he vsethe to be no synne or ells yf he take it for synne yet he careth not for it but eyther vpon 〈◊〉 trust of the mercye of GOD which is in dede no ryght truste but a very presumption he wyll continue stil in purpose to sinne or ells vpon vayne hope of longe lyfe he wyll prolonge dyffer and delaye to doo penaunce for the same vntill the last ende of his lyfe And often times preuented with sodayne deathe he dieth without repentance Wherefore considerynge howe daungerouse it is to fall into synne and howe harde it is to aryse the cheif and the best waye is to resiste wyth Gods helpe the first suggestion vnto synne and not to suffer it to preuayle with vs but assone as maye be to put it oute of our myndes For yf we suffer it to tarye any while in our 〈◊〉 it is a greate peryll lest that consente and dede wyll folowe shortly after Secondly ye shall note that our sauioure Iesus Chryste doth not teache vs in this sixt petitiō to pray vnto God our father that we shoulde be clerely wyth out all tentation but that he wyll not suffer vs to be ledde into tentation that is to saye that whan we be tented he wyll geue vs grace to with stande it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs
sonne-Chryst Iesu our Lorde to whome with the father and the holy ghoste be all honoure and glorye for euer Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologie professor Arch. London ¶ An Homelye of the redemption of man IT was declared vnto you good christen people in the last homelye howe oure fyrste parentes Adā and Eue were by the synguler goodnes and especiall fauoure of almyghtye God created ryghte worthye creatures and in the estate of parfytte innocencye It was also shewed howe thorought disobedience to theyr creator they broughte them selues and al mankind into the estate of euerlastynge damnation Now shall you consequentlye heare of the delyueraunce of man out of that dampnable estate that is of oure redemption For the vnderstandynge whereof you must perfytlye beare in mynde that the whole nature of man both in bodye and soule was thorough orygynall sinne greatelye defiled For the soule whych is the cheyf part of mā loste thereby the especiall gyftes of grace wyth whyche it was indued in the creation and besydes that it was also 〈◊〉 in the gyftes of nature as in memorye intelligence wyll and other lyke And the body whych is the inferior parte it also was by the meanes of orygynall synne brought to the necessarye estate of mortalitie so that it muste nedes die and was throughe that synne of our sayde fyrste parentes made weke and brought to be subiecte to 〈◊〉 drye kindes of infirmities and syckenes and nother coulde God of his iustice receaue man againe to fauor and state of eternall lyfe beynge thus in body and soule by his owne defaulte desyled vules he were first made pure and cleane againe nether man was able to helpe hym selfe herein no nor yet anye angell at al. Wherefore almyghty God whose mercy excedeth all hys workes pytienge the wretched case that mankinde was in dyd appoynt euen from the begynnynge his onely sonne the seconde person in trinitie to be the sauiour of the worlde and to restore mā agayne to perfit clennes both in body and soule and that by the way of very iustice in making a sull amendes and payinge a sufficiente raunsome for synne And thys sonne of God accordinge to the wyll of his father dyd take vpon hym the nature of man ioynynge to hys euerlastynge Godheade the whole and 〈◊〉 nature of manhode not making that nature of man which he toke a new of nothing as he dyd heauen and earth nor yet makynge it of a clod of earth as he dyd that body of Adam but he 〈◊〉 the nature of man of the very substaunce of the vyrgyn Mary his mother that like as Adam and Eue brought them selues all theyr posteritie through synne into the estate of eternal dampnatiō so Christ takinge vpon him the very selfe same nature beyng descended from Adam and Eue vnto the 〈◊〉 Mary and of her beynge taken and ioyned in hym to the 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 of person should by his in nocency through death wyllingly suffered in that his most innocent bodye not only hym self become immort 〈◊〉 haue glory euerlasting but make so many also partakers of lyke blessednes as shulde en ioye the merites of his passion Wherefore it is a very pernicious errour to thynke that chryst toke not his fleshe of the verye fleshe of the blessed Uyrgyne Mary his mother How coulde his death haue done me good yf it were not of the same nature that I am of therefore S. Paule in hys seconde chapyter of his Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth Qui sanctificat et qui sanctificantur ex vno omnes that is He that santyfyeth and they whych are sanctifyed are all of one and within a lytle after he sayeth farther Debuit per omnia fratribus assimulari vt misericors fieret fidelis 〈◊〉 ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repropitiaret delicta populi that is Christe muste in al poyntes become like to his brethern that he myght be a mercifull fruithfull Bysshop to God ward to procure merci for the sinnes of the people If Chryst toke not the flesh of that Uirgin Marye howe is that promyse fulfylled which God made immediately after the falle of our first parētes when he thrust them out of paradise at which tyme he said vnto the serpente as it is written in the thyrde chapiter Genesis I wyll set 〈◊〉 betwixt the and the womans sede and it shall treade downe thy hedde Lo how mercifully God dealeth wyth mankynde He promysed that one shoulde be borne of the sede and stocke of Eue which should banquyshe our ghostly enemy the diuell Nowe in that he calleth hym the sede of the woman he moste playnely declareth that he must nedes haue in hym the selfe same nature that the woman had Agayne God makyng the second promyse of the same sede to come of the stocke of Abraham the patriarke said vnto Abraham as is wytnessed in the. xxii of Genesys In thy sede shall all the nations of the world be blessed many hūdred yeres after that he promyssed lyke wyse to 〈◊〉 Dauyd that the sede should come of hym to Which promyses of al myghty God were not to be verified in Chryst if he toke not that substaūce of his fleshe of the Uirgin Mary his mother But here it may seme straūge to some that almighty god seing he intēded from the beginninge to sēd hys sonne into that world to be incarnate for mans redēption did defer the sendinge of hym soo longe that is the space of foure thousande yeares or theraboute To whome it is to be aunswered that the long taryinge of Chryste before he was incarnate came not of lacke of good wyl in god towardes vs but of vnredines and lacke of good disposytion to 〈◊〉 hym on oure partes For if Chryste shoulde haue commen in the begynnyng of the worlde men would haue thought that if God had suffered them to vse theyr owne natural powers thei would haue attayned 〈◊〉 wel inough wythout any other helpe on Godes parte Agayne thoughe after longe experience and trauayle of man folowing the onelye lyghte of nature it was euydente that he ne ded a specyall ayde from God to the attaynynge of euerlastynge lyfe yet the worlde myghte haue demed that in case God of hys goodnes had geuen vnto manne some speciall lyghte and knowledge of hys wyll and pleasure that then vndoughtedlye wythout farther helpe he folowynge suche specyall lyght and knowledge myght be able well inoughe to attayne to euerlastynge lyfe Therefore to take all suche excuses a waye and that we should plainelye vnderstande that after we once fell into synne neyther the light of nature in vs neyther the knowledge of the wyll of God by speciall reuelation opened vnto vs was able to helpe vs god suffred mankynde to trauel fyrst by the light of nature secondly by the lawe of Moyses and yet man ranne styll farther and farther into damnation Whereby it appereth that thoughe knowledge of the truth be necessa ry to the attayning of 〈◊〉 lyfe yet suche knowledge be it
that case is amonges the Chrysten people called in Latyn Infidelis That is to saye Unfaythfull or Heathen And because God as before is declared hath made promyse and conuenaunt wyth man and is euer in hys wordes pro myses moost true moost iust moost constante and wyll as we must moost assuredly beleue and thynke performe and accomplyshe the same soo farre forthe as he hath promysed in any wise therefore God is cal led as he is in very dede Fidelis et verax that is to say Faythful and true obseruyng and kepyng his fayth that is to saye hys promyse to man requyryng that man shoulde lyke wyse kepe hys faythe and promyse towardes hym Nowe of these thynges that are before spoken it is manyfest that fayth as it is taken in the seconde accep is the perfecte faythe of a true chrystian man conteynynge the obedience to the hole doctryne and religion of Chryste And after thys sorte is faythe taken of S. Paule in his epystle to the Romaynes and in other places of Scrypture where it is sayde that we be iustifyed by fayth In whych places man may not thinke that we be iustifyed by fayth as fayth is a seuerall vertue seperated from hope and charytie from feare of God from repentaunce but by fayth there is ment not the late inuented and deuised faith that is to say onely faythe or fayth alone but faythe with the foresayde vertues coupled and ioyned to gether conteinyng as is aforesaide the obedience to the hole doctryne and religion of Chryst. And here by the way is to be noted that euerye man that doth offend God doth not vtterlye lose his fayth therby for both they that do synne by frailtie soden motions from which euen the iust men ar not holly free and be taught therefore of Chryste to saye with other Forgyue vs our trespaces c And the other also whych aduysedly fall into deadely synne as they that do committe murder adulterye and other abhominations albeit they be fallen from the liuelye and perfecte fayth for that they are disobediente to the doctrine and religion of Chryste whyche they dyd knowe yet there doth remayne in them so offēdyng the certeine and assured knowledge of God and his doctrine whiche is the faythe after the fyrste sorte and acception of fayth And that these ii thynges it is to wytte knowlege and obedience are sometime seperated and a 〈◊〉 Chryste in the. xii chapiter of Saint Lukes Gospell doth playnely declare it speakyng of a seruaunt that knoweth the wyl of his maister and doth it not And lykewyse S. James in his epystle sayeth that fayth may remayne wythout charitie Wherefore the truth being thus a transgressoure of the lawe of Almyghty God after baptysme dothe kepe a remorse of conscience the light of knowledg by fayth whereby he seeth the remedyes howe to at tayne the remyssion of synne and by a speciall gyfte of further grace is moued to vse the same remedyes and soo by faythe walketh the wayes ordeyned to at tayne remyssion of synne as in the Sacramēte of pe naunce shal be more perfytlye hereafter declared Thus haue you harde the. ii acceptions or takynges of fayth that the fayth of knowledge may remayne in hym that hath fallen frō the perfect faith of a Chrystian man But whether there be any specyall particuler knowledge whych man by fayth hath certaynely of hymselfe whereby he maye testyfye to hymselfe that he is of the predestynates whiche shall perseuer to the ende in their callyng there is not spoken as yet of nor 〈◊〉 can by the Scryptures or Dectoures be proued that any such fayth can or ought to be preached 〈◊〉 taught Truthe it is that in the Sacramentes 〈◊〉 by Chryste and vsed in his Catholique Churche here in earth we may constantly and assuredlye beleue the workes of god in them and the applycation of his grace and fauour therein to oure presente comforte with assuraunce also that he wyll not faile vs yf we fall not from hym And therfore we so contynewyng in the state of grace wyth hym haue warrante and may beleue vndoutedly that we shal be saued BVT FORASMVCH as our frayltye noughtines ought euer to be feared in vs it is therfore expedient for vs to lyue in contyuuall watche and in contynuall fight with our enemyes the deuyll the fleshe and the worlde and not to 〈◊〉 to muche of our perseueraunce and contynuaunce in the state of grace whych on our behalfe is vncertayne vnstable but dilygently and ofte to remembre the godly and wyse lesson of S. Paule in the. x. chapiter of his first epistle to the Corinthyans where he sayeth Qui se existimat 〈◊〉 Videat ne 〈◊〉 that is to saye he that thynketh or iudgeth him selfe to stande let him take hede that he fall not For all thoughe GODDES promysses made in CHRIST be immutable yet as it hath bene sayde afore he doth not make them to vs but with conditiō So that hys promyse standyng we maye yet fayle of the effect of the promyse hicause we kepe not our promis And therfore yf we assuredly do recken vpō the state of our 〈◊〉 as grounded vpon Goddes promisses and do not remember therwyth that no man shal be 〈◊〉 onlesse he lawfully fighte we shal tri umphe before the victori and so loke in vaine for that whych is not other wyse promysed but vnder a 〈◊〉 and after this sorte euery chrysten man muste and ought assuredly beleue ¶ Here foloweth the crede or the. xii Articles of the Christian fayth i. I beleue in God the father Almyghty maker of heauen and earth ii And in 〈◊〉 Christ his onely sonne oure Lorde iii. Which was conceyued by the holy gost borne of the 〈◊〉 Mary iiii Suffred vnder Ponce Pilate was crucifted dead and buryed descended into hel v. And the third day he rose agayne from death vi He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty vii From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade viii I beleue in the holy Ghost ix The holy Catholike churche x. The 〈◊〉 of saintes The forgiuenes of sinnes xi The resurrection of the body xii And the life euerlastinge Amen Here foloweth thexposition and declaratiō of this crede AS concernyng this crede there are v. points generally to be marked and obserued first that al chrysten people ought and must constantly beleue mayntayne and defende al those thinges to be true whych be comprehended in this crede in the other two credes whereo◠the one is vsed to be sayde at Masse beyng approued and establyshed by auncient generall counsayles and the other was made by the greate clerke holy man Athanasius And likewise we must also constantly beleue mainteyne and defende al other thynges whych are comprehended in the whole body and canon of the Byble Secondely that all thinges conteyned in thys crede or in any of the other ii credes or
falselye accused as a subuerter of the lawes of god and as a person that seduced the people and that moued sedition amongest them aud as a traytoure agaynst Themperour of Rome vpō whych accusaci ons our sayd Sauyour and redemer Jesus Chryst was greuously scourged by the commaundement of the sayde Pylate and hadde a crowne of thorne put vpon his head by the souldyours of the garyson and was by them not onely moost spitefully mocked and scorned but also moost cruelly tormented and afflicted and after thys he was at the last in publike and open iudgement by sentence of the sayd Pylate con dempned to die as the. iiij Enangelistes wholy and S. Luke partely in the actes do playnely testify and declare ¶ And as concernynge the. iij. poynt in thys article whych is of the crucifieng of Chryst a thyng which was pronounced in the condempnaty on and iudgement of Pylate you shal vnderstand that this kynd of death was euer amongest the Jewes most abhorred and detested as accompted and taken for the most cursed and shamefull of other And the con demnation iudgement thus geuen past the souldiers of the garyson dyd take Chryst and dyd nayle hym throughe the handes and fete vnto the Crosse And also dyd hange with hym vpon ij other crosses two theues on a certayne hyll called Caluerye and this to be true is testified by the sayd Euangelystes And that Chryst dyd dye which is the. iiii point in thys article it is euident also by the sayde Euangelist for S Mathew in the. xxvii of his Gospell speaking of this matter sayth Iesus autem iterum clamans uoce 〈◊〉 emisit spiritum That is to say Jesus cryenge agayne with a greate voyce dyd geue vp the Ghost The lyke doth S. Marke in the xvi chapyter of his gospell and S Luke in the. xxiii and S. Jhon in the. xix Moreouer concerning the burieng of our blessed Sauiour Christ whych is the fyfte poynte in thys article ye shall know that the Euangeliste S. Mathewe in the xxvii of his gospell S. Marke in the xv chapyter S. Luke in the xxiii and S. Jhon in the xix do tell this storye in effecte after this maner it is to wytte that after Chryst was thus deade one Joseph of Aramathia beyng oue of Christes dyscyples 〈◊〉 lycence of Pylate to take downe the blessed Body of our Sauiour Jesu Chryst from the Crosse and that done he and an other of Chrystes Dysciples called Nichodemus wrapped and folded the same body in a cleane syndon or fine linnin cloth and so layed and buryed it in a newe graue or Sepulchre which the sayde Joseph hade made of stone and wherein there was neuer anye buryed before by this is proued this article to be true And fynally concernynge the discense or goynge downe of Chryst into hell whiche is the last poynte of this article ye shall knowe that thoughe to some men vpon some theyr vayne and folyshe groundes ymaginations and deuyses it maye seme an absurdi tie and a thyng vnsemely that Christ being vertue it selfe and of all perfection and power shoulde descende into hell which is a place of wycked persons and of punishmente for them and a place finally frō whence there is no regresse nor yet redemptyon in as who sayth yf Chryst descended into hell he shulde both there suffer punyshment and also not retourne from thence nor redeme there yet if these men wold consyder how diuersely in scripture hel is taken and withall woulde consyder the wyl and omnipotency of Chryst who is God and man and who can do all thynges in heauen earth and hel that pleaseth him to doo nothynge to hym beynge impossible and fynallye woulde consyder withall what the catholike Churche euer from the begynnyng hath in thys behalfe beleued and taughte takynge her beleyfe of Chryst and his doctryne generally and specially set forth in scrypture this thing shoulde not appeare to them so straunge or so incredible as percase it doth And therefore let vs with the scrypture and the Catholique Churche firmely and stedfastly beleue 〈◊〉 our sauiour Chryst after that he was crucifyed and deade vpon the crosse dyd descende in soule knytte with the deitie into hell his bodye remainyng and lyeng iy the graue and dyd lose the paynes or sorowes thereof in whyche it was not possyble that he should be holden ne yet to se corruption at al and he dyd also 〈◊〉 and oppresse both the Deuell and hell and also Death it selfe where vnto all mankind was condempned by the fal of oure forefather Adam into synne A profe whereof is taken out of Zachary the. ix Oze the. xiii Luke the. i. Math. the. xii Luke in the Actes the. ii Of Paule to the Ephesians the iiii and in other diuerse places of scrypture Nowe the processe of the lyfe of our blessed sauyoure Iesu Chryste thus declared with his passyon death buriall and descence to hell it is specially to be noted and to be beleued for a certaine truth that our sauiour in all the tyme of his moost bytter and greuous passion and in sufferyng his most payneful and cruell death not onely dyd most pacyently without resistence and lyke an innocent lambe endure and su stayne for oure redemption all the paynes and iniuries and all the opprobries and ignominies whych were done to hym but also that he dyd wyllynglye 〈◊〉 gladely suffer thys crosse and thys kynde of death for our example that we shoulde folowe the steppes of hym in pacyence and humilitie and that we shoulde beare our owne crosse as he dyd beare hys and that we shoulde also hate and abhorre all synne knowing for suerty that whosoeuer doth not in his harte hate and abhorre sinne but rather accompteth the breach and violation of goddes commaundemente but as a lyght matter and of small weight and impartaunce he estemethe not the pryce and value of the passyon and death of Chryste accordynge to the dignitie and worthynes thereof ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fyfte article of the Crede whych is And the thirde daye he rose agayne from death IN thys article two thynges are specially to be cō sidered the fyrste is touchynge the tyme in whyche oure Sauioure Chryste dyd ryse that is the thyrd daye The seconde is touchynge the rysynge of Chryste with declaration that that rysynge was from death Concernyng the fyrste S. Mathew in the. xii chapiter of his Gospell comparyng the beyng or lyyng of Ionas in the whales belly Ionas ii with the being or lyinge of Chryste in his sepulchre or graue sayth thus Sicut enim fuit Ionas in 〈◊〉 ceti tribus 〈◊〉 et tris bus noctibus sic erit filius hominis in corde terre tribus diebus tribus 〈◊〉 That is to say As Ionas was in the belly os the whale three dayes and three nyghtes so shall the sonne of man be in the harte of the grounde three dayes and three nyghtes Accordyng wherevnto Saynt Paule in his
euen so it cannot holde vs whiche are by a chrysten fayth the very members body of Chryst but that we shall ryse from deathe and lyue agayne in glorye with hym euerlastynglye yf we order and conforme our wyll in thys worlde to hys preceptes And the onely hope here of shoulde make vs not to feare the aduersities in this world bicause we 〈◊〉 as afore be assured to haue a better and more gloryouse lyfe after this as S. Paule writeth to the Corynthyans the. xv sayenge If we chrysten men had no hope of other lyfe than thys that is present than were we the most miserable of all men But nowe Chryste is rysen agayne from deathe Whereby is declared that there is a lyfe after thys lyfe which all Chrysten men hope to come vnto Accordyng where unto saynt Augustyne sayth All the hope of our fayth stādeth in thys poynt that we shall ryse agayne This made the faythfull and good men of whome S. Paule the. xi to the He brues speaketh to refuse to be preserued from bodyly deathe bycause they looked assuredly for a better resurrection Whych Resurrectyon as it was by many and sondrye apparytions and other infallyble argumentes declared and prouede vnto the Appostles so they being besydes other names perteynyng to their offyce specially called the witnesses of Christes resur rection dyd in all places and at all tymes open and inculcate the same as a special and a cheife artycle of Chrystes doctryne wherin shoulde depend and rest the greate comfort and solace of all trewe and fayth full beleuers in Chryste Fynallye by this article is not onely confirmed vnto vs howe the naturall bodye of man shall after the corporall death and departyng 〈◊〉 of thys presente lyfe rise againe as is before expressed but also by this resurrectiō of our sauyoure 〈◊〉 we be admonyshed that as Christ after his death rose againe so we dyeng from synne should ryse 〈◊〉 and walke in a newe lyfe of spyryt and grace ¶ Thexposition or declaration concernynge the syxt article of the Crede whych is He ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryght hand of God the father almighty IN thys vi article ii thinges are to be considered the fyrst is that Christ ascended into heauen the second that he sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty Concernyng the fyrst ye shal note that as we by dayly experience do see when an embassadoure is sente from some greate prynce to ac cheue any greate affayre or busynes as for example to conclude and make a peace or any other such lyke thing thys embassadoure hauyng fynyshed hys busynes according to his commission comenli with glad nes and ioye do the returne agayne vnto hym from whome he was sent lyke wyse passyngers by water or by land yea and souldiers to being sent fourthe in warrefare so sone as there busynes is spedde they do returne commonly into there countrye or vnto those that dyd send them fourth Soo lykewyse oure blessed Sauyour Iesus Chryste beynge sente ambassadoure from God his father into thys world vpon an hygh aud notable worthy message that is to saye to take fleshe of the glory ouse vyrgyn S. Marye and by hys passion and death to ouercome the Prynce of thys world and Hell and to remoue and take away all other impedymentes and lettes and fynally to re deme also mankynde who by disobedience and sinne had lost the ioyous possession of Paradyse dyd dylygently and faythfullye trauayle to accomplyshe hys embassade and message and when he had done it he with great tryumphe and ioye dydde ascend 〈◊〉 retourne agayne to God hys father hauyng ouercome the olde enemy by humilitie pacience and obedience Of whom and hys sayd embassade the greate kyng and Prophet Dauyd in hys xviii Psalme thus doth saye Exultauit ad Gigas ad currendam viam That is to saye He meanyng Chryst hath reioysed or benne glade as a gyaunt to runne his course or way And immediately in the same Psalme the sayd Prophet doth farther saye A summo coeloegressio cius occursus cius usque ad sum mum cius That is to saye The goynge furth of hym is from the hyghest heauen and the recourse of hym is to the hyghest of it Accordyng wherevnto verye laudably and iustlye it is vttered in the diuine seruice of the Churche Egressus 〈◊〉 a patre regressus 〈◊〉 adi patrem 〈◊〉 usque ad inferos recure susad sedem Dei That is to saye The goynge furthe of him is from the father the retourne of him is to the father the excourse of hym is euen to the helles and the recourse of him is vnto the seate of God Beyng then conuenient as is aforesayd that Chryst should ascend into heauen as also by this artycle it appeareth he did wel it shal be to declare how and in what forte that ascension was For knowlege whereof you shal vnderstand that our sauiour christ after his resurrection and before he dyd ascende into heauen dyd eate with his Disciples aswell to shewe therein a very sygne and token of harty loue whiche frendes departyng from frendes are accustomed to do as also for to declare vnto them the veritie of hys fleshe after his resurrection which was a thing then very necessarye to be done aswell for that he woulde not afterwarde gyue vnto them any further sygne or token of his resurrection as also for that some of the Disciples not withstandyng that they had sene and felte hym woulde not yet beleue that he was so rysen And therefore s. Gregory in an Homelye made herevpon sayth Christus comedit ascendit ut per effectum commestio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnis That is to say Chryste dydde eate and ascende that by the effecte of eating the veritie of his fleshe myght be manyfested And moreouer after the sayde resurrectiō and before thys sayd ascension our sauiour Chryste dyd rebuke and blame his disciples of theyr incredulitie and 〈◊〉 nes or hardenes of beleuyng the sayde resurrectyon whiche thinge he dydde as 〈◊〉 Gregorye sayeth Vt 〈◊〉 que recidens diceret in corde audientium arctius impressa remanerent That is to saye To thintent that the wor des which he departinge would say myghte remayne in the hart of the hearers more depely imprynted Besides this our sauiour Christ hauing opened theyr wytte or sense to vnderstand the scryptures and hauinge inioyned vnto them the offyce of preachynge the Gospell throughoute the hole worlde to all creatures he went fourth wyth them into Bethany vnto mount Olyuete and lyfting vp his handes he dyd blesse them whiche blessing was well fygured by the Patriarche Iacob who when he shold dye and leaue this worlde did blesse hys chyldre as appeareth Genelis xlix And likewise was it fygured by Moyses who before his death dyd blesse the chyldren of Israell as appeareth Deute xxxiii And thys beynge dooue Chryste in the 〈◊〉 syghte was lyfted vp and a cloude takyng or receyuing him from their eyes
written in the. xvi of Mathewe Tibi dabo claues regni celorum quodcunque ligaueris super terram crit ligatum et in celis et quodcumque solueris super terram erit solutum et in celis That is to saye Unto thee will I geue the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou doest bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest vpon earth shall also be loosed in heauen Which 〈◊〉 all Chrysten men shoulde to theyr great comforte moste gladly imbrace and by al meanes be most carefull and wary to the vttermost of theyr power to kepe them selues in such state that they may styll enioye the fruit of this soo comfortable a priueledge Wherefore good people accordyng to the exhortation of the Prophete Ezechiell in the eyghtenth chapter Tourne and doe penaunce for all youre iniquities and youre iniquitye shall not be your destruction But youe shall vndoutedly accordyng to thys article be vnburdened of your synnes and made partakers of the communion of saynctes bothe in thys worlde and in the worlde to come Amen ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the eleuēth artycle of the Crede whiche is The resurrection of the Bodye Coucernynge thys eleuenth article for asmuche as it may seme itraunge to some men why thys word Body is here placed in the Englishe seyng the Latin is Carnis resurrcctionem That is to sai The resur rection of the fleshe 〈◊〉 shal knowe that in 〈◊〉 ture many tymes thys worde fleshe doeth signyfye the hole man as for example where it is wrytten in the fyrst of S. Jhon Verbum caro factum est that is to saye The worde was made fleshe the meanynge is that the sonne of god toke vpon hym the hole nature of man Agayne 〈◊〉 the fyrste chapiter of saynt Paules fyrste epystle to the Corynthians it is wrytten in thys maner Vt non glorietur omnis caro that is to say That no fleshe should glorye the meanynge is that no man should glorye Lykewyse where in the thyrde of S. Luke it is wrytten Videbit omnis caro salutare dei That is All fleshe shall se the sauiour sent of God The meanynge is that al men shall see the sauiour sent of god And manye tymes also thys sayde worde Fleshe doeth in scrypture signifye onely the bodye of man without any respect of the soule thereof as in the fyrst Chapyter of Genesis where Adam speakyng of hys wyfe Eue sayth in this maner Caro de carne 〈◊〉 that is Fleshe of my fleshe meanynge that her body was made of hys bodye Lykewyse in the. xxi of Job where Job sayeth Concutit carnem 〈◊〉 tremor That is Tremblyng dothe shake my fleshe meanyng there by hys fleshe hys bodye And accordynge to thys seconde acception thys Latyne worde Carnis Which is to saye Of the fleshe is taken here in thys article of the Latyn Crede and by cause the body and the fleshe here in this article doe signifye and meane one thing we maye both say the resurrection of the body and also the resurrection of the fleshe And therby we doe vnderstand that at the day of the generall dome or Judgemente when Chryste shall come as in the. vii article of thys Crede is contayned and sitte to iudge the quicke and the deade almighty God shall styrre and rayse vppe againe the very fleshe and bodies of all men women and Chyldrē both good and bad christened and heathen that euer lyued here in this world from the begynnynge of the same and died before that day And althoughe the sayde fleshe and bodyes were deade and buryed yea and consumed or by anye meanes destroyed yet God shall of his infinite power make them all at that day wholl and perfecte agayne And soo euerye man generally shall resume and take agayne the very selfe same bodie and flesh in substaūce which he had whi les he liued here on earth and so shall rise from death and liue agayne in the very selfe same bodie and soule which he had before 〈◊〉 whych tyme man thus beyng made perfect in coniunction of body and soule shall at that daye appeare before the hygh iudge our sauiour Jesu Chryst and there shall make an accompte of his workes and hys dedes such as he did good or euil while he liued here in thys worlde And for profe that the contentes of this article are true these authorities and testimonies both of the olde and the newe testamente shal be sufficient for this presente that is to witte the. xix of Job Esay xxvi Ezechi xxxvii Daniel xii Mathew xxii John v. Rom xiiii i. Cor. xv ii Cor. v i Thes iii. and. iiii Philip. iii. and the ii to Timoth. ii ¶ The exposition or declaration of the twelft Article of the Crede whiche is And the lyfe euerlastynge Amen In these fewe wordes is the moost comfortable and ioyous knyttynge vppe of this Crede that maye be For two excellent thinges are here sette fourth to be beleued the fyrst is Lyfe whiche all thynges do desyre the second is the Eternitie and continuall lastyng of it which is a thyng that maketh it most pleasaunte and most swete and most profitable And when I do saye that ther is a lyfe and also an euerlastyng lyfe I doo meane both concernyng the body and also concernynge the soule for vnto them bothe this euerlastyng lyfe shal without any endynge contynue and abyde B V T H E R E muste ye marke that lyke as the good shall enioye for euer thys mooste 〈◊〉 estate of euerlastyng lyfe to theyr vnspeakeable comforte and gladnes so also the noughtye and wycked shall bothe in bodye and also in soule receaue for euer punyshmente and tormente incessantly accordynge whervnto our Sauiour Chryst in the. xxv of saynte Mathewe sayeth Et ibunt hi in supplicium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 em in uitam eternam That is to saye And they meanynge the noughtye and wycked shall goe into euerlastinge punyshment but the iuste shall goo into lyfe euerlasting And herevpon maye be 〈◊〉 that though the noughtye and wycked shall continue for euer and haue immortalitie yet forasmuch they so contynuing shall neuer haue ioye but euerlastyng torment of body and soule without hope of forgyuenes and wythoute anye ende Therefore theyr contynuaunce and immortalitie is rather to be called euerlastynge deathe then euerlastynge lyfe or lyfe at all accordynge whervnto S. Paule in the. vi chapiter of his epystle to the Romaynes doth saye Stipendia enim peccatimors gratia autem dei uita 〈◊〉 in CHRISTO IESV domino nostro That is to saye The rewarde in dede of synne is death but eternall lyfe is the gyfte of God through Jesu Chryst our lorde So that such as haue led theyr lyues in obedience obseruation of Goddes commaundementes and die in true fayth and charitie shall then be perfectly 〈◊〉 tified puryfyed and delyuered frome all contagion of synne and from all corruptible and mortalitie of the 〈◊〉 and shal be perpetuallye glorified and
word of God be styrred moued to detest theyr synne to lamēt theyr noughty 〈◊〉 thervpon to entre into a new lyfe to vse godlye conuersatiō and honest be hauiour in al their doīges And albeit this wai before descrybed be the ordinary way meanes for sinners to obteyne remissiō of sin to be recōciled to the fauour of almyghty GOD yet in case there do lacke a preyste to make this confession vnto and so to obteine ofhim being Goddes minister the sayd absolution or that the synner by extreme necessitie cannot do and fulfyll as of duety he ought gladly he should the said workes of Penaunce in confession so enioyned vnto him thē in that case hauing thys good wyll and beinge otherwise truely with all his harte repentāt of his hole former noughty lyfe not wanting therw t a harti mynde vn fayned purpose through Gods grace to do the same whē such necessitie shal cease good occasion or oportunitie shal be gyuē the sayd sinner vndoutedlye shall haue at Godes handes pardō forgyuenes of all hys sayd sinnes misdoinge for as S. Cipryan doth say in his first boke contra 〈◊〉 euen in the houre of death whē the soule is ready to departe out of the body the great mercyfull goodnes of God doth not dyspise Pe naūce so that neither the greatnes of synne nor the shortnes of tyme nor yet the enormitie of lyfe do exclude that sinner from the mercy of God if so be ther be true contrition vnfained change of the harte frō 〈◊〉 conuersatiō An example wherof we haue of the thefe that did hang vpon the crosse who askyng mercy with a cōtrite harte was in that case forthw t made a cetezen of Paradise where as he deserued cōdempnation punyshment this his contrite hart did chaung his payne into martirdom and his bloude into baptisme yet thys not withstandyng no man ought vpon hope of Gods mercye styll to contynue in synfull lyuing like as no man woulde be sycke in hys bodye vpon hope to recouer healthe for such as wyl not forsake theyr wyckednes and yet do thynke that GOD wyl forgeue them are full many tymes and commonlye so preuented wyth the iuste plage of GOD that neyther they haue tyme to conuerte nor yet grace to receyue the benefitte of forgeuenes For consideration of whych daunger scripture Eccle. 5. doth say thus Non tardes conuerti ad dominū et ne 〈◊〉 de die in diem subito enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illius ct in 〈◊〉 uindicte disperdet te That is to say Thou must not slacke to conuerte or tourne to God and thou must not differ or lynger from daye to daye for in dede hys anger wyl come sodenly and in the tyme of vengeaunce he will destroie the. Wherefore embrasynge the mercye of God on th one syde and fearyng the iustice of God on thother syde let vs at no tyme neyther dispayre of forgeuenes of our synnes nor yet presumptuouslye remayne 〈◊〉 in oure synnes knowynge that the iustice of God wyll straytlye exacte and require the dettes of all men which be not forgeuen or pardoned by hys clemency Here in thys matter amongest many other thynges two poyntes are specially to be noted and considered The fyrst is that althoughe the death of Christe be a satisfaction deseruyng and merytynge the remissyon of our synnes and not onelye oure synnes but of the synnes of the hole worlde as Saynct John sayeth 1. John 2. Etipse e st propitiatio pro peccatis nostris et non pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantum sed etiam pro totius mundi Wherby euerlastynge death is sufficicientlye of Christes parte abolished yet on oure behalfe it taketh not alwayes effecte by reason that we endeuor not our selues that it may be dulye applied vnto vs. For such is the mercy of CHRIST that he woulde haue all to be sauede and therefore when he approched nigh vnto the citie of Hierusalem and sawe the great enormities and wickednes therof he wepte vpon it and sayde Si cognouisses et tu et quid 〈◊〉 in hac dei tud quae ad pacem tibi nunc autem abscondita sunt ab 〈◊〉 Luce 19 That is to saye And thou yf thou hadest knowen and that in thys thy daye those thinges which belonge vnto thy peace but nowe are hid from thine eyes Luke the xix For which cause also Chryst lyke wyse in the reproche of Hierusalem cryed vnto it saying Mathei 23. Hierusalem hierusalem qui occidis prophetas et lapidas cos qui at te missi sunt quoties volui congregare filios tuos quemadmodum 〈◊〉 congregat pullos suos sub alas suas et noluisti That is to say O Hierusalem Hierusalem which dothe kyll the Prophetes and doest stone them whiche are sente vnto the howe often wolde I haue gathered thy chyldren together as the henne gathereth her chyckenes vnder her wynges but thou wouldest not Mathewe xxiii According wherevnto Christ also sayde vnto his Disciples Mathei 16. Si quis uult post me uenire aboget semetipsum et to 〈◊〉 lat crucem suam et sequatur me That is to saye 〈◊〉 anye man will come after me let hym denye hymselfe and take his Crosse and folowe me And immediately there doth folowe Qui enim uoluerit animam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saluam 〈◊〉 perdet cam Qui autem perdiderit animam suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say For in dede he that wyll saue his soule shall lease it and he that wyll lose his soule for my sake shall fynde it Agreable where vnto S. Paule not contentyd to haue sayd that no dampnation is to them that are in corpate to CHRIST and whych do not walke after the flesh but after the spirite nor beyng contented to haue called them the children of GOD the heyres of GOD and coheyres of CHRIST dothe in the. viii chapiter to the Romaynes knitte vppe al those thynges together and concludeth all the same to take effect cōditionally saying Sitamen compatimur vt et 〈◊〉 That is to say 〈◊〉 yet we do suffer with himthat with hym also we maye be gloryfyed And thys to be true it well appeared for that that at the day of Judgment when the sonne of mā shall come in his glorye and all hys holye Angelles wyth hym and on the one syde of hym there shal stand the shipe on the other the goates it shal not be sufficient or inoughe to say to Chryst Syr you haue sufficiently redemed vs by your passiō we nede not for our parte to do any thing at all sauing to beleue you soo to haue done For Chryst then shal saye otherwyse vn to them for vnto the blessed chyldren of hys father he shall saye Venite benedicti patris mei 〈◊〉 paratum nobis regnum a constitutione mundi suriui et dedistis mihi māducare c. That is to saye Come you the blessed of my father doo you possesse the kyngdome prepared for you
Lucerna corporis tui est oculus tuus Sioculus tuus fuerit simplex totum corpus tuum lucidum erit Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequam totum corpus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nebrosum erit That is to saye The light of thy body is thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thine eie be simple or 〈◊〉 then all thy body wil be bright or cleare but yf thine eie be euill or nought all thy bodye wil be full of darkenes Heare by the eye is vnderstanded the intente the regarde or purpose of mans hart and by the bodye is ment the wordes actes and 〈◊〉 of man procedynge from the harte and by that intente directed and ordered Therefore Saynt Paule agreing herevnto doth exhorte vs in his first Epistle to the Corynthyans and in the. x. chapiter saying thus Siue manducatis siue bibitis siue aliud quid facitis omnia in gloriam dei facite That is to saye Whether ye do eat whether ye do drink or whether ye do any other thinge ells do ye all thinges vnto the glory of GOD Nowe the thyrd way whereby we must obserue the commaundementes of GOD is with constancye and perseueraunce to contynue in the doyng of thē For as our Sauiour Chryst sayeth in the. x. of Mathewe Qui perseuer auerit usque in finem hic saluus erit That is to saye He that doth perseuer or continue vntill the very ende shall be saued And in dede so constantlye we shoulde kepe Goddes commaundementes that no temporall payne threatened or put vnto vs in this worlde shoulde moue vs to breake any of them Such a constant seruaunt to God was Susanna of whome we reade in the. xiii chapiter of Danyell that when she was prouoked to the synne of adultery by two olde iudges vnder no lesse paine then to be accused in open iudgement whiche was death by the lawe she woulde not graunte to that synnefull dede but sayde these wordes Angustie sunt mihi undique sienim hoc egero mors mihiest siautem non egero non effugiam manus 〈◊〉 Sed melius est mihi absque opere incidere in manus hominum 〈◊〉 peccare in conspectu domini That is to saye Alas I am in trouble on euery side for yf I committe this dede it is death to me and if I doo it not I cannot escape your handes Well it is better for me to fall in to the hands of mē than to synne in the syghte of GOD. We wyll passe ouer the honorable auncyent father Eleazar mencyoned of in the seconde boke and the. vi chapiter of the Machabees We wyl not stay vpon the. vii brethern and theyr mother spoken of in the. ii boke and seuenth chapiter of the Machabees of whiche one of the chyldren sayde Parati sumus magis mori quam patrias deileges preuaricari That is to saye We are redy rather to die then to breake or transgresse the lawes of God which oure fathers kepte But of late dayes in the tyme of oure pestiferous scisme the new broched brethern rather woulde tumble to hel headelonge then they would doo as the catholyke Churche from Chrystes tyme hetherto hath done concernynge the lawes of GOD and the rytes of the sayde catholyke churche And yet forsoth they wyll chaleng martyrdome but those seuen innocentes doo condempne them in this case And thys nowe haue ye heard howe ye should kepe the commaundementes of GOD to his pleasure firste in kepyng them all and euery of them and not in kepyng some and to offende in the other Secōdly in kepyng them with a ryght intention whyche is for the loue of God and eternall rewarde whych is God hymselfe And thyrdly in obseruyng the same with constancye and perseueraunce to the 〈◊〉 of our lyfe In which doinge ye kepe 〈◊〉 to the pleasure of God and to your eternall 〈◊〉 withoute kepyng of them ye neyther can please him nor haue lyfe euerlastyng accordyng to Chrystes owne sentence and iudgement when he sayd Si uis ad 〈◊〉 ingrediserua 〈◊〉 That is to saye 〈◊〉 thou wylte entre to lyfe kepe the commaundementes Nowe to come to speake of the thyrde parte or poynte of our diuision made in the begynnynge of thys preface it is to wytte of the greuous paynes punishmentes and afflictions that God in scrypture doth threaten and menace to be inflicted vpon such as breake hys commaundementes ye shall vnderstand first that the trangressours of Goddes law commaundementes are generally accursed of gods owne mouth as the Prophette Dauyd in the. 118. Psalme declarethe sayinge Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis That is to saye Cursed be they which doo declyne or 〈◊〉 from thy commaundementes And of the particuler sharpe and dredfull scourges punyshmentes and plages whiche do lyght vpon the trangressours of these commaundementes ye may rede in the. 〈◊〉 chapiter of Leuiticus and in the. xxvii and. xxviii chapiters of Deuteronomy And howe that to the terrible example of other almyghtye God hath from tyme to tyme executed his Justyce vpon aswell pryuate men women as also vpon myghty rulers prynces kynges and emperours besydes thē vpon Townes Cities ye hole countryes and kyngedoms in scourgyng 〈◊〉 afflyetynge and plagynge them for breaking trangressing of his lawes commaūdementes the scryptures most habundantly do testify As that some were of the earth swalowed vp quicke euen vnto hell and euerlastynge payne and that other some yea fyne hole Cities with fyre brymestone poured downe from heauen were quyte brent vp and consumed and ferther that a greate number of chyldren by beares sent by God sodenly were deuoured for theyr lewde and wycked behauioure with very many other such lyke terrible examples in the Scryptures at large sufficientlye expressed which were to longe particulerlye here to rehearse and are easye there to be founde Wherefore to conclude thys thyrd parte we aduyse all men to haue contynually before theyr eyes that dreadeful saying of S. Paule in the. vi to the Romaynes Stipendia pecca timors That is to saye The stipend or rewarde of synne is death Meanyng thereby not onelye here in thys worlde temporall death of the body but also after thys lyfe death eternal payne in hell fyre And as concernynge the fowerth and last part of our first proposed diuision it is to wytte of the great rewarde and blessynges which shall come to them that in such sorte as before we haue expounded kepe the lawes and commaundementes of allmightye God fyrst ye shall note those comfortable words of almyghty God in the twentyth chapiter of Exodus where he sayth of hymselfe thus Faciens misericordiam in millia 〈◊〉 qui diligunt me 〈◊〉 custodiunt precepta mea That is to saye Doynge mercy vnto thousands to thē that loue me kepe my commaūdements And agayne in the. xxvi of Leuiticus he sayth Si in prae ceptis meis ambulaueritis mandatamea custodieritis feceritis 〈◊〉 dabo uobis pluuias temporibus suis terragignet germen suum pomis Arbores
agaynste theyr enemyes dyd ernestlye solicite and moue Ozais theyr chiefe ruler to render vppe the towne to the Assyrians who than beseyged them And that the sayde Ozias dyd exhorte then the people to be quiet and patiente and to abyde the mercye of GOD duringe the space of 〈◊〉 dayes promising them that after fyue dayes yf God dyd not succoure or ayde them againste theyr enemyes he then woulde accordynge to theyr desyres render vppe the towne vpon whych aunswere of Ozias the Godly wydówe Judyth mislikyng greatly the same dyd rebuke Ozias sharpelye for that he would and dyd presume to ap poynte God anye tyme in whyche he shoulde deliuer them from the daunger that they were in and howe also she sayde to Ozias and to other that were wyth hym in thys maner Quod est hoc 〈◊〉 in quo consensit Ozias ut tradat ciuitatem Assyris si intra 〈◊〉 dies non 〈◊〉 uobis 〈◊〉 Et qui estis uos 〈◊〉 tentatis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onest iste sermo quimisericordiam prouoces sed potiut 〈◊〉 iram exitet et 〈◊〉 accendat Posuistis uos tempus miserationis domini in orbitrium uestrum diem constitu istis ei That is to saye What thynge is thys wherevnto Ozias hath consented that he woulde delyuer the cytye to the assyrians yf wythin fyue dayes there come no succour or ayde vnto you And who are you that tempt our Lord God thys speache or sayinge is not suche as may prouoke the mercy of GOD but rather such as maye styrre vp hys anger and kyndle hys fury haue you putte or sette a time of the miseration or merci of our Lord and haue apointed or prescribed vnto hym a daye after youre wyll or pleasure Nowe concernynge Charytie whyche is the thyrd thynge requyred in prayer you shall vnderstand that wythout it no prayer 〈◊〉 be in anye wyse acceptable before the face of GOD. And therefore oure Sauyoure Chryste sayeth in the 〈◊〉 of Mathewe in thys wyse Yf thou offer thy gyfte at the aultar and there dooeste remember that thy brother hathe anye thynge agaynste the leaue thy gyfte ther before the Aulter and goo and be fyrste reconciled to thy brother and than come and offer thy gyfte Thus you see howe that yf you wyl haue your prayer harde and accepted of almyghtye God you muste of necessitie be fyrst prepared thervnto by faythe hope and charytie More ouer in the scryptures lefte for oure instruction and edifienge there are sondrye examples teachynge vs that prayer accumpanyed wyth fastynge and almes dedes is made therby a greate deale the more acceptable in the syghte of almyghtye God as apearethe in the twelue chapiter of the boke called Thoby wher the Aungell of God dothe saye vnto Thoby thelder as foloweth Bona est oratio cum ieiunio 〈◊〉 magis q̄ thesaurus 〈◊〉 That is to say Prayer with fastinge and almes dedes is good rather then to heape vp threasures of Golde Other examples also there are 〈◊〉 as of Kynge Iosaphat and the Iewes in the. ix 〈◊〉 of the seconde boke of Paralipomenon of Iudeth and the chyldren of Israell in the iiii chapyter of Iudythe of the Niniuites in the thyrd chapiter yf the prophet Ionas of Cornelius the conturiō in the x. chapyter of the actes of the Apostles but these are sufficiente And to procede further Concernynge 〈◊〉 ye shall note that when when we do praye our intent and the hole desyre of oure harte ought to be ioyned alwaye with the praier of oure mouth elles that reprochs wrytten by the pro phete Esaye in his xxix Chapyter recyted also in the. xv chapyter of Mathew may wel be verified on vs whyche is Populus hic lahijs me honorat cor autem corum longe esta me That is to saye Thys people honourethe me with theyr lyppes but theyr harte is farre from me And to drawe nere to oure purpose and speciallye to speake of oure Lordes prayer called the Pater noster you shall vnderstande that amongeste all the prayers whyche a Chrysten man maye make to God there is none soo worthy and so excellent a pray er as it is For it was not made and taughte vs by anye earthlye creature no nor by anye aungell of hea uen but by the very sonne of God our sauioure Iesus Chryste who is the eternal wysedome of God the father And the prayer is soo compendions and shorte that it maye easelye be learned and borne in mynd of all men so that excuse of ignoraunce or of not knowynge of it or of omyttynge the frequente vse and sayynge of it is cleane taken awaye from all personnes hauinge the vse of reason And thoughe thys prayer be shorte in wordes yet it is excedynge longe and pro founde in sence For in vii petytions comprysed in it it dothe conteyne all thynges that we canne desyre of God whether it be for the welthe of oure soule or of oure bodye or otherwyse and not onelye concerning thys lyfe but also concernynge the lyfe to come And it dothe kepe the selfe same order whyche we oughte to kepe in alloure desyres and petytyons For fyrste and aboue all other thinges we shoulde desyre that God be knowen honoured gloryfyed and magnyfyed bothe of vs and also the people of the worlde And that is it whych we do desyre of GOD in the fyrste petition sayinge Hallowed be thy name Secondlye we shoulde desyre at Goddes handes all thynges that are good and that doo we in the three petitions nexte folowynge for in the fyrste of the thre whyche is Let thy kyngdome come we doo aske eternall good thynges in the seconde whiche is Let thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen We doo aske spiritual good thynges And in the thyrde whyche is Gyue vs this day oure dayly breade We doo aske temporal good thynges appertaynynge to our bodely sustentation Thyrdelye as we oughte to desyre God to delyuer vs from al euyll soo doo we in the three last petitions for in the fyrste of them whyche is Forgeue vs oure trespaces as we doo forgyue thē that trespace agaynste vs. we doo desyre God to deliuer vs from synne and eternall deathe whyche is the rewarde of synne And in the seconde whyche is And leade vs not into temptation We do desyre to be deliuered from our spirituall enemyes and in the laste whyche is But deliuer vs from euyll We doo desyre be sydes other thynges that we may be delyuered from euyles temporall Breifely thys prayer of our Lord is so profound soo aboundaunt and so plenteous that there is no prayer whether it be wryttrn in the olde testament or in the newe but the summe and effecte thereof is conteyned in some of these seuen petytyons Wherefore we exhorte all people to saye thys prayet ofte distinctlye and 〈◊〉 and well to note the particuler declaration thereof which here foloweth ¶ The exposition or declaration of the fyrste petition of the Pater noster whyche is Oure father
to be ouercome therewith accordyng where vnto Saynt Paule sayth i. Corin. x. God is true and faythfull and will not suffer vs to be teneed aboue that we maye beare but he wyll so moderate the tentation that we maye susteine and ouercome it And S. Iames sayeth Iacob i. Thynke that you haue a greate cause to ioye when you be troubled with diuers tentations For the triynge of your faythe bringeth pacience and pacyence maketh perfect workes so that you maye be perfecte and sounde lackynge in nothynge And almyghtye God also exhorteth vs and callethe vpon vs to fyghte agaynst tentatiōs saying Apo. ii He that getteth the victorye agaynst them I shall geue hym to eate of the tree of lyfe And agayne he sayeth He that ouercommeth them shall not be hurte with the seconde deathe And Saint Paule sayeth ii Timothy ii No 〈◊〉 shal be crowned excepte he fyght lawefullye That is to saye Excepte he defende hym selfe and resyste hys enemyes at al poyntes to hys power oure sauiour geueth vs a good courage to fyghte in thys battayle where he sayeth Ioan. xix Be of good comforte for I haue ouercome the worlde that is to saye I haue hadde the victorye of all synnes aud tentations and soo shall you haue yf the faulte be not in youre selues For ye fyghte wyth an aduersarye whyche is alredye vanquyshed and ouercome ✚ The exposition or declaration of the seuenth and last petition of the Pater noster whyche is But delyuer vs from euyll Amen WOncerning thys vii petition ye shall note that lyke as in the. vi petytyon Chryste taught vs to desyre and praye our heauenlye father that he woulde preserue vs from the daungerous tentations of the fleshe the worlde the deuyll and not to be ouercome wyth them euen so nowe in thys seuenth and laste petityon he dothe teache vs to praye that yf by oure fraylenes and corrupte nature we through tentation doo fall into the thraldome of the Deuyll by synne yet that he wyll sone delyner vs from it not to lette vs contynue in it not to lette it take roote in vs not to suffer synne to reigne vpon vs but to delyuer vs and make vs free from it Synne is the excedyng euyll from the whyche in this petition we desyre to be deliuered and though in thys petition be also comprehended ail euylles in the worlde as syckenes pouertye deathe wyth other lyke aduersitie yet cheifely it is to be vnderstanded of synne whych onelye of it selfe is euyll oughte euer withoute condition to be eschued And as for other aduersities neyther we canne ne oughte to refuse when god shall sende them neyther we oughte to praye for the eschuinge of thē otherwyse then with this condition if gods pleasure so be Many thynges we suffer in this worlde take them for euyl but they be not euyll of them selfe All afflictions diseases punyshementes and tormentes of the bodye all the troubles of thys worlde and all aduersytyes be good and necessarye instrumentes of God for oure saluation For God hymselfe who canne not saye other then trueth sayeth Apocalip iii. Those that I loue I chastyse And agayne the apostle Hebre. xii sayeth He receyueth none but whom he scorgeth Thys is a tyme of scourgynge and the tyme to come is the tyme of rest ease and blysse And surelye it is a greate token that we be in the fauoure of God when he doeth scourge vs and tryeth fyneth vs lyke golde in the fyre whiles we be in thys world As contrarye it is a greate tooken of hys indignatyon towardes vs to suffer vs lyuynge euyll to contynue in prosperitye and to haue all thynges after our wyl and pleasure and neuer to trouble or punyshe vs wyth aduersitye Therefore oure sauyoure Chryste Iesus who knoweth what is beste for vs teacheth vs to praye and to desyre to be delyuered not cheyfely from worldely afflyctions trouble and aduersytye whyche GOD sendeth habundantlye euen to them whome he beste loueth and wyth whome he is beste pleased But the euyll whych we most chieflye should pray to be delyuered from is 〈◊〉 whyche of it selfe is so euil that in no wise god can be pleased ther with And because oure auncient enemy the deuyll who is the well and sprynge of iniquitye and is not onlye hymselfe an homicide a lyer and hater of the trueth from the begynnyng but also is the verye roote and occasion of all synne the cōmon prouoker styrrer of man to the same yea and the letter or 〈◊〉 of all vertue and goodnes because thys enemye neuer cesseth but continuallye serchethe by all craftes and wyles to enduce vs to sinne and soo to 〈◊〉 vs and to bring vs thereby to euerlastynge damnation Therefore lyke as we desyre here to be delyuered from synne soo also we desyre that oure heauenly father wyl saue vs and defende vs from this euyll the causer of synne that is to saye the Deuyll and from hys powre tyrannye so that he shall not by his malyce and gyles entyce and drawe vs into synne whereby we maye finallye be broughte vnto euerlastynge dampnation from the whyche also we praye here to be delyuered And fynallye touchynge thys woorde Amen ye shall note that it is here added vnto the ende of thys most excellent prayer to teache vs thereby that yf we doo come soo as we oughte to be prepared for to make this prayer whych due preparation we before haue declared in the preface of this Pater noster that then vndoutedlye we shall receiue of our Lorde those thinges nedefull for vs whiche in thys prayer of the pater noster we doo aske whyche that we maye doe graunt vnto vs the father the sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde wythout ende Amen ¶ Here folowethe the Salutation of the archaungell Gabryell made to the blessed Uyrgyn Mary taken out of the fyrst chapter of Saint Luke commonlye called the Aue Maria with the exposition or declaration thereof Hayle Marye full of grace oure Lorde is with the blessed art thou amongeste all women And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe IT is not without greate and weyghtye considerations that oure forefathers throughoute the vniuersall or catholyke Churche haue nexte after the Pater noster set fourthe and commended the Salutation of the Archaungell Gabryell where wyth he saluted the blessed vyrgyn Marye mother of our sauiour Iesus Chryst called the Aue maria the same to be frequented deuoutely vsed and sayde of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For seynge that the hygh messenger of almyghtye God and heauenly spirite Gabriel did moste ioyfullye wyth thys salutation greete the Uyrgyn Marye beynge then a mortall woman liuinge on the earthe and not hauynge then conceyued in her 〈◊〉 and chaste wombe our sauiour Chryst howe much more oughte we mortall earthlye and synnesull creatures with all promptnesse and 〈◊〉 to salute with the self same woordes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nowe when as not onely
she hathe brought forth our sauyour 〈◊〉 Chryst but also she herselfe is exalted in heauē aboue all aungelles and archaungelles Besydes thys also the matter it selfe conteyned in thys Salutation is of such worthynes comforte and spirytuall fruyte to the faythfull rememberer and deuoute frequenter of the same that all goode men haue alwayes founde them selues by meditation hereof greately edysyed And thys thinge to no man can seme straunge that wyll duely marcke the pythe effecte and weyghtye sense in the same salutation conteyned whyche 〈◊〉 wyll here 〈◊〉 declare vnto you And fyrste you shall vnderstand how that it was decreed of the hole 〈◊〉 that after the fall of 〈◊〉 fyrste father Adam by whiche mankynde was exiled out of heauen the second person in Trinitye shoulde take vpon hym the perfecte Nature of man to redeme mankynde from the power of the Deuyll and to reconcyle the same agayne vnto hys Lorde God And for thys purpose as S. Luke in hys fyrste Chapyter declareth the aungell Gabryell was sente from God to the Uyrgin Mari with the highest message that euer was which was to treate and conclude a leage of peace betwene God and manne And when thys aungell came vnto thys blessed Uirgin he sayde these wordes Hayleful of grace oure lorde is with the blessed arte thou amongest women And truelye thys worde Hayle or be ioyfull is a worde moste mete and conuenyent for the aungell commynge on a message to begynne hys Salutation wythall For neuer was there Creature that hadde soo greate and Iuste cause to reioyse for anye Benefytte receyued at godes handes as had the blessed byrgyn Marye for that it pleased almyghtye God to chuse specyallye and appoynte her to that moste excellente and incomparable dignytye that of her should be con ceyued and borne Chryste beynge both god and man the sauioure and redemer of all mankynde And not onelye for this cause or purpose the aungell beganne with this worde of highe comforte but also for that he perceyued the virgyn beyng alone would be much abashed and astonyed at hys marueylous and sodayne comminge vnto her And therefore thoughte it expedient fyrste of all to vtter thys worde of Ioye and comforte whyche myghte also put away al feare from the blessed Uyrgynne And by these woordes Our lorde is wyth the is signifyed that GOD was in the vyrgyn Mary not onelye by essence power and presence as he is in all creatures nor onely with his speciall grace as he is in all holye men and women but he was also in her by receyuynge of oure nature and fleshe of her substaunce yea the hole Trinitie was with her by a singuler and specyall sorte for the sonne of god was with her in that she conceyued bare him The holye gost was with her for that she by hys power and vertue dyd conceyne God the father was wyth her because she in tyme conceyued hys sonne being of him begottē by eternall generation before all tyme. And by these woordes blessed arte thou amongeste all women was mente that there neuer was nor shall be woman soo blessed as she was And truelye she maye well be called most blessed 〈◊〉 gest all women for that she had greate and hygh prerogatiues whyche neuer other woman euer hadde hath or shall haue Is not this a hygh prerogatyue that of all women she was chosen to be a mother to the sonne of God And what excellent honor was she put to whan not withstandyng the decree was made of Chrystes natyuitie by the holye Trinitie yet the thynge was not done and accomplyshed wythoute or before her consent was graunted for the whyche so solempne a messenger was sente and also howe hygh grace was thys that after the defaulte made throughe the perswasion of the fyrst woman Eue by whome Adam was brought into disobedyence and thereby all mankynde to state of dampnation thys blessed Uyrgyn was electe to be the instrumente of oure reparation in that she was chosen to beare the Sauiour and redemer of the worlde And is not thys a wonderfull prerogatiue to see a Uyrgyn to be a mother and conceyue her chylde wythout synne the archaungell myghte therefore worthely saye that she the sayde Mary was the most blessed of all other women And wyth these wordes the aungell Gabryell made an ende of this salutation But yet yee shall note that the wordes folowynge whyche are And blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Be not the wordes of the aungell but of S. Elyzabeth mother of Ihon Baptist for whan after the departinge of the angel Gabriel the virgyn Marye beynge cōceiued 〈◊〉 Christ came to salute her cosē Elizabeth she the sayde Elyzabethe beynge inspyred wyth the holy Ghost thereby knowyng that the vyrgyn Mary was conceyued wyth Chryste spake the aforesayde wordes of the fruyte being in the vyrgyns wombe it is to wytte of our sauiour 〈◊〉 And here is also an other wonderfull thynge to be noted for as it appeareth in the fyrst chapyter of Saynte Luke the chylde in S. Elizabethes wombe that is to saye Saynt Ihon Baptiste whiche yet had scant lyfe gaue testimonye to thys frute that it shoulde saue hym and all the worlde and as a prophette he dyd lepe for ioye in his mothers wombe and althoughe he coulde not than speake yet neuerthelesse he declared by such signes and tokens as he coulde that blessed was the fruyte of that wombe And worthe ly the thyng is called the fruyte of her wombe in that the substaunce of the nature of man whych our sauiour Chryste toke vpon hym was taken of the nature of the moste blessed vyrgyn and of her wombe And so therefore it is called the fruyte of her wombe And he maye well be called the blessed fruyte for that he hath saued vs and gyuen vs lyte contrarye to the cursed fruyte whych Eue gaue to Adam by whiche we were dystroyed and broughte to deathe But blessed is the fruyte of thys wombe whyche is the fruyte of lyfe euerlastyng And it is here to be noted that althoughe thys falutatyon be not a prayer of petition supplication or request or suyte Yet neuerthelesse the Churche hath vsed to adioyne it to the ende of the Pater noster as an hymne or prayer of laude and prayse partely of our lorde and sauyoure Iesus Chryst for oure redemptyon and partelye of the blessed virgin for her humble consent gyuen and expressed to the auugell at hys salutation In dede laudes prayses thankes are in thys 〈◊〉 Maria pryncypally gyuen and yelded to our Lord as to thauetor of our redemption but yet here wythall the vyrgyn lackethe not her laudes prayse and thankes for her excellent and synguler vertues and chyefiye for that she beleued and humbly consented accordynge to the 〈◊〉 of the holye Matrone S. Elizabethe whan she sayd to thys vyrgyn Luce. i. Bessed arte thou that dyddest geue truste and credence to the aungelles wordes for all thynges that haue ben spoken vnto the shal be 〈◊〉
and lykenesses by thys is signyfyed the vnitie also of one nature and substaunce But to procede further concernyng the creation of man ye shall vnderstand that the second chapter of Moyses boke called 〈◊〉 in speciall maner doth recorde the seuerall making as well of the bodye of man by it selfe as also of the soule by it selfe And as touching the body scrypture doth there say that God fourmed or shaped it of the earthe Noting therby the excellēcy of mans body aboue the bodyes of other liuynge creatures For we rede not of anye other lyuyng creature that god shaped or fourmed the body of it but onely that he made it and that at the cō maundement of almighty god the earth brought fourth foure foted beastes the water in like maner brought fourth fysshes foules Only of that body of mā scripture wituesseth that God shaped it And as cōcerning the soule of mā it is written of it in the sayd second chapter of genesis howe that god bre thed it into the body which ii circumstaunces as they import a marueylous excellency of man aboue other bodely creatures so they most clerely declare thexcedyng great goodnes of God towardes man Now when god had in such a singuler fashion creted man he gaue hym souereigntie ouer all the fysshes of the sea ouer the foules of the ayer and ouer the beastes of the lande yea and made him a Kyng and Emperour on the earth And yet not satisfyed with al this he placed man in Paradyse that is in a most pleasaunt garden where he had planted all kynd of frute beautifull to beholde and delicious to eate for man to fede vpon onely one kynde of fruyte he charged hym on payne of death and that not of the body alone but of the soule also vtterlye to refrayne from which was the fruyte of the tree called in scrypture the tre of knowledge of good and euyl And lyke as in a most maruelous sorte he made Adam the fyrsteman so in as marueylous straunge a sort he made Eue the first woman euen of a rybbe taken out of Adams lefte syde and her he made parfytte and furnyshed her with like gyftes as he had done Adame the first man What canne we then thinke or deuyse that God might haue don more for vs in our creation then herein he dyd He made the soule immortall that is such as shulde continue for euer without ende He furnished it with moste singuler gyftes both of nature and of special grace also The body of man in the estate of originall innocencie had in it helth strength 〈◊〉 and other like qualities in the highest degre of perfection it had in it selfe then no fond lust or concupiscens no pronitie or inclination to euyl no 〈◊〉 in doing good no infirmitie or wekenesse no lacke or want of any qualitie fyt and decent for it The body of man was then obediente to the soule the soule altogether obedient to God So that on Gods parte oure maker and creator there is nothyng towardes vs but all perfection all great kyndnes al fatherly loue fauour Holy scrypture most euydently affyrmeth that al creatures were made good in their creation saying Vidit deus 〈◊〉 fecerat et erant ualde bona 〈◊〉 That is God sawe al things which he had made and they were very good Which thyng as it is generally true in all creatures concerning their creation so is it in a certen degre of excellencye to be verified in man touchyng the estate of his originall innocency Thus we may perceaue that in the creation of man al was excellent parfytte whiche oughte greatly to inflame vs the more to loue and serue almighty God our most louynge creator But for asmuche as that blessed estate is lost mankynd by that losse thereof fell into extreme miserie and wretchednes it is consequently to be well considered of our part by what meanes man was brought from soo good and blessed a case to so euyll and miserable an estate whiche poynte well wayed is a sufficiente grounde to cause vs on the other syde vtterly to detest abhorre al synne For that greuous fal of man came of synne Synne it was for which God thrust man oute of paradyse synne it was that caused the fleshe to striue agaynste the spirite and the spirite agaynst the fleshe synne it was that broughte vnto mankynde necessitie of bodyly death and all the infirmities and diseases which man in thys transitory lyfe sustayneth synne fynally it was that cau sed all the posteritie of Adam and Eue to be borne in state of dampnation But some perchaunce are desyrous fardar to knowe by what meanes man was fyrst brought to commytte synne For the vnderstandyng whereof lette vs haue recourse to the iii. chap. of Genesis where it is wrytten how that that wyly serpent the deuyll came vnto Eue and sayde vnto her Why hath God gyuen you commaundement not to eate of euery tree in paradyse where vnto the woman answered and sayde of the fruyte which is in paradise we eate but of the frute of that tree that groweth in the myddest of paradyse GOD hath charged vs not to eate or touche it leste per chaunce we dye Then sayde the serpente to the woman Naye you shall not dye For God knowethe that whatsoeuer daye you shall eate thereof youre eyes shal be opened and you shal be like Gods knowynge good and euyll The woman therefore saw that the tree was good to eate of and beautifull to the eye and pleasaunte to beholde and she tooke of the fruite thereof and d d eate and gaue part to her husbāde who also did 〈◊〉 Thus through the prouocation of the deuyll man first fell into synne Wherefore as we must alwayes abhorre synne and forbeare it because of the greate misery it brought vs vnto so shold we no les 〈◊〉 and to the vttermost of our power fly the 〈◊〉 and all his suggestions knowing that thereby we 〈◊〉 fyrst induced to commytte synne For as thys oure aduersary was busy at the 〈◊〉 wyth oure fyrst parentes so is he no les but rather more busye with vs at thys present as 〈◊〉 Saynt Peter in the v. chapiter of his fyrst 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deuyl as a roryng lion goeth about seking whom he may deuour Thys aduersary of mankynde disdaynynge at the greate 〈◊〉 that Adam and Eue were in neuer ceasyd questyonynge and craftyug with the woman being the weker and frayler vessell vntyll he 〈◊〉 made them disobey gods commauudement by whych their doynge they lost the oryginal great innocency which they had at there creation which being lost nether the body woulde be obedient to the soule nor the soule to god but al was in man turned vpsidoune yea therby they fell also into necessitie of temporall death of body and which is worst of all into the estate of eternall damnation and euerlasting death both of body and soule But now because
it maye paraduenture seme in some mans iudgement that seyng the thing that Adam and Eue did was but the eatyuge of an appell therefore their faut was not great nor deserued so greuous punish ment 〈◊〉 vs consyder the cyrcumstaunces and we shall sone perceyue the offence not lyght but verye sore and heynous Fyrst the thyng whych god commaunded man to forbeare was a thyng moste easye for hym to forbeare and so much was hys faute the greater Besides this whan a man is tolde before of great peryll and daunger that shall lyght vpon hym if he doo thys or that in case after suche warnyng he offende therein hys fault is thereby made the 〈◊〉 Thyrdly the lesse inclynatyou a man hath to any synne the more he synneth yfhe doo the same Nowe Adam and Eue had in them no inclynation at al nother to one vice nor to other Fourthly whē a man hath late receyued great benefites at hys soueraygns handes if he incontmently breake his expresse wyll the contempt and dysobedience is made therby the greater The thyng that Adam and Eue dyd eate was in dede but an appell yet the eatyng thereof in that case was an high disobediēce against god and the corrupting of al mankynd for as much as they two were the verye route whereof all men muste ryse and the route being once naughte howe can the tree or braunches cummynge of that route be good Therefore S. 〈◊〉 in his Epystle to the Ro maines in the. v. chapyter therof sayeth By the of fence of one man synne came vpon all men to condempnation and in the same chapiter 〈◊〉 after he sayeth to iyke 〈◊〉 through the disobedience of one man manye became synners And within a lytle after he saieth Sinne came into this world by one mā through synne came death so death passed to al mē Thus haue you hard fyrste the 〈◊〉 kyndnes of God to man in that he created hym in so worthye a maner nexte ye haue harde the myschefe that commeth to mankynd by synne and thirdly what an extreme enemy 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 is vnto vs. In an other homily hereafter ye 〈◊〉 heare of the exceding great mercy of god in 〈◊〉 mākind by a meruelous maner out of the estat of this dampnatiō Wherfore to conclude for thys presente tyme this shal be to exhorte you that you fayle not daylye and howtelye to geue most harty thankes to almyghty God for that he of his mere goodnes created you created you not without sense as the stones not without reason as the brute beastes but hathe gyuen you all notable qualities and powers that other corporal creatures haue and besides hathe perticularlye planted in you reason and vnderstāding and 〈◊〉 goodly qualities of body and soule seuerall to the nature of man only and not common to mā and other erthly creatures Thys is furthermore also to exhorte you that remembryng what miserye came to mankinde by synne and by such a synne as in some mēs iudgement might 〈◊〉 to be but very smale it is to wytte by eatynge of an appel you wyl be circumspecte in a uoiding of al kynde of sume and disobedience be the thynge in his owne nature neuer so smale a 〈◊〉 whyche is by God hym selfe or by suche as we owe obedience vnto commaunded Fynallye and laste of al thys is to exhorte you to consyder dilygently that we haue a deadly cnnemy which is that deuil who de fyreth oure destruction and doth moost craftely and busely trauayle by all meanes with vs to worke the same of whose mooste subtyl and wilye traynes we muste principally take hede of whiche graunt vnto vs all the blessed trinitie the father the Sonne and the holye ghoste to whome be all honoure and glorye worlde withoute ende Amen Io. Harpesfeld sacrae theologiae Professor Arch. London ¶ An homely of the miserie of all mankinde and of hys condempnation to euerlastynge deathe by hys owne synne THe holye ghoste in wrytyng the holy scripture is in nothyng more diligēt then to pull downe mannes vayne glori and pryde which of all vices is moost vniuersally graffed in mankynde euen from the fyrste infec tion of our fyrste father Adam And therefore we reade in may places of scripture manye notable lessons agaynst thys old rooted vyce to teache vs the moost cōmēdable vertue of humilitie howe to know our selues to remēber what we be of our selues In the booke of Genesis almyghty God geueth vs all a tytle name in oure great graunde father Adam which ought to admonishe vs al to consyder what we be where of we be from whence we came whyther we shall sayenge thus In sudore 〈◊〉 tui vesceris pane tuo donee reuertaris in terram de qua sūptuses quia puluis es 〈◊〉 in puluerem reuertcris That is to saye In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate thy breade vntyll thou retournest into the earth oute of whych thou waste taken for dust thou art into dust thou shalt retourne Here as it were in a glasse we may learne to know our selues that we be but grounde earthe and dust and that to ground earthe and duste we shall returne agayne whiche name and title of earthe and duste appoynted and assigned by God to all mankynde the holye Patriarche Abraham dyd well remember and therefore he calleth hym selfe by that name when he maketh his earnest prayer for Sodome and Gomorre saying in the. xviii of 〈◊〉 Cum sim puluis et cuius that is to saye seyng I am dust and ashes And we reade that Iudith Hester Iob Hieremie with other holy men and women in the olde testament did vse sacke clothe and dyd cast duste and asshes vpon theyr heades when they bewayled theyr synnefull lyuynge They called and cryed to 〈◊〉 for helpe and mercy with suche a ceremony of sacke clothe duste and asshes that thereby they myght declare to the hole world what an hum ble and lowlye estimation they had of theim selues and howe well they remember theyr name tytle aforesayde theyr vyle corrupte fraile nature duste earth and asshes The booke of wysedome also willynge to pull downe oure proude stomakes moueth vs diligently to remember our mortall and earthly generation which we haue al of him that was first made and that all men aswel kynges as subiectes doo come into this worlde and doo goo oute of the same in lyke sorte that is as of oure selues ful myserable as we maye dayly see And almyghtye God commaūded his Prophet Esay to make a proclama tion and to crye to the 〈◊〉 worlde that all 〈◊〉 is grasse and that al the glorye of man is as the flower of that feilde the grasse is withered and the flower doth fal away for the winde of our Lorde bloweth vpon it The people sure ly is grasse whiche dryeth vp and the flower fadeth away but the woorde of our Lord abideth for euer Accordynge wherevnto the holye prophet Iob
neuer so great beyng in a man cor rupted with sinne is to feble and to weake to purge hym of sinne For purgation clensing of sinne commeth by some other meanes besides that knowledge of the truth aud therfore S. Paule in the fyrste chapiter of his epystle to the Romaines most plainly 〈◊〉 meth that in the time of that law of nature men knew inough of God but yet not withstanding theyr kno ledge they fell into abhominable idolatry The wordes of S. Paule in that place are these So much as may be knowen of god is manifest in thē that is to saye in those whyche liued vnder the law of nature from Adam vnto Moyses For his inui sible thynges euen his eternal power godhed were sene of thē being vnderstanded by the works of the 〈◊〉 of the world so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God they gloryfyed hym not as god nether were thankeful but becam ful of vanitie in their imaginacions And as that lyght whiche men had by the lawes of nature was not of force to kepe them from synne so nether the lawe of Moyses beyng opened from god hym selfe by special reuelatiō could suffice to ryde mā from sinne as S. Paule in the second chapiter of hys foresayde epistle testifieth saying Behold thou art a Jew and thou doest rest in the law and doest glory in god and doest know hys wyl and plea sure being instructed in the lawe thou doest allowe that is best and doest truste that thou art a guyde of the blinde a light to thē which art in darkenes an instructour of the foly she a mayster of the ignorante and that thou knowest by the lawe the fourine of sciens truth but yet thou that teachest other teachest not thy selfe thou the prechest against aduoutri art an aduoutrer thy self thou that dooest defye Idoles commyttest 〈◊〉 thy selfe thou that doest glorye in the lawe through transgressing of the lawe doest dyshonor God for the name of God throughe you is blasphemed amongest the gentyles Thus it is 〈◊〉 by the doctryne of Saynte Paule that nother by the common lawe of nature nether by the special knowledge of the law of Moises man was able to auoyde eternal dāpnation but that he neded besides such kōwledge of some other helpe that is of amendes to be made for hys sinnes and thereby to be reduced into the fauour of god againe and to haue aboundaunce of grace 〈◊〉 vnto hym by whych grace he should both in hys know ledge be that better established be able also according to knowledge of the truth to walke in the truth For thys amendes to be made the second person in trinitie being god immortal became mortal mā was made in all partes lyke vnto one of vs sinne only ex cepted 〈◊〉 he did vnite vnto his godhead the body and soule of man in vnitie of person in such a merue lous sort that as in vs the body being of 〈◊〉 nature and the soule being of an other nature doo make yet but one person so in hym the nature of God and the whole perfect nature of man doo make but one person Of this 〈◊〉 vnion of that godhed manhed in Christ S. Iohn speaketh in the fyrst cha piter of his gospell saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum est ethabitauit in nobis the worde that is the sonne of God was made fleshe that is man dwelt amōgest vs. he dwelt here on the earth as scripture declareth aboue xxxiii yeares and when he had fulfylled al thynges accordyng to the sayinges of the holye prophetes whyche were to be fulfylled of hym before hys passion then he suffred death willingly yea the death of the crosse by suche payne wrongefully procured of the deuil agayne him to raunsome man kynde oute of captiuitie whiche it sustayned vnder the deuyll moost iustly and that thys ran̄some shold be perfyt he suffred sondry sortes of mooste spytefui wronges and intollerable paynes tormentes in his most pure and innocent body as buffeting bindinge scourgyng plattynge on his head a crowne of thorne hanginge on the crosse pearcynge of his handes and fete with nayles openynge of hys syde with a speare and shedynge of his mooste precyous bloude whiche passion of his as it is a moost parfyt myrrour and glasse for vs there in to beholde the excedyng great loue of god towarde vs whiche spared not hys onelye sonne but for vs all gaue hym to dye so it is a sufficient occasion to brynge al men in extreme hatred of the deuyll and synne from daunger of whome mankynde coulde not be rydde but onely by so playnefull a death of the sonne of God What can we loke for at gods handes yf we synne from hence forth but wrath and vengeaunce seyng he hath once delyuered vs from synne by so merciful a meanes All that our sauyoure Christe suffered he wyllingely suffered for our synnes hym selfe hauing neuer deserued anye whyt of payne as who neuer synned And yet hys passion though it be in it selfe a sufficiente raunsome for the synnes of the whole worlde yet it taketh not place in all men not for insufficiencie in it selfe but for defaulte in them that shoulde condignely receaue the merites therof For this you must know that God requyreth in vs certayne thinges to be accomplished by our owne wiland consent without the which we can not ve saued no more than yf Christ had neuer dyed for vs. What thinges these are shal be hereafter declared vnto you In the meane season lyft vp your hartes and open them awyde to receaue in vnto them a great loue towardes God who so nobylye created vs and when we through our owne default were fallen into the estate of endles miseri and wretchednes so mercyfully redemed vs by the passion and death of his onelye sonne our sauiour Christ. Remēber that synne and nought els brought vs first out of Gods fauour and that to take awaye synne the sonne of God was incarnate and suffered mooste paynefull death on the crosse and therefore hereafter flee you all kynde of synne and fight incellātly agaynst your ghostly enemye the deuyl who being vāquished by Christ is not able now to ouerthrow vs if we in the right faith of Christ valiantly with stand hym which to do graunte vnto vs the blessed 〈◊〉 the father the sonne and the holy ghost to whome be all honoure and glory world without ende Amen Io. Harpesfelde theologiae professor Arch. London ¶ An Homely declaring how the redempti on in Chryste is apliable to vs ALthough the death passion of our sauiour christ be in va lu a sufficient raunsome for the sinnes 〈◊〉 the whole world yet i effect it taketh not place in the whole world For neither Turke Jew nor infidel wāting beleif in Christe can take good by the death and passion of christ the scripture most manifestly affyrming in the. xvi chapiter of s. Marke that Whosoeuer dothnot beleue shal be dāpned Agayne
sayd to thē Ecce ego vobiseū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad cōsummationē seculi That is Behold I am with you at al tymes euen to the ende of the worlde Wherefore we maye playnly see that the holy ghoste beyng promised to the Apostles to abide for euer and to the very ende of the world was promised and giuen to them and to their successours in the churche where he doth and shal abide for euer Now forasmuche as the holye ghoste is the gouernour and ruler of the catholyke churche we ought there onely and in no other corner to searche the true vnderstandynge and discernynge of the scryptures And for thys cause the aūcient fathers were they neuer so godly so well learned yet woulde they neuer presume vpon theyr owne iudgements but euer referred them selues to the vnderstandyng and interpretation of the catho lykechurche before them Therfore the godly lerned and ancient father 〈◊〉 wrytyng agaynst schismaticall here syes sayeth thus Quid enim si qui de aliqua modica questione disceptatio esset nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias c. that is to saye but what and yf there were contention concerning some smal que stion were it not necessarye to returne to the mooste auncient churches and immediatly after he sayeth Quid autem sineque apostoli quidem scripturas relis quissent nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordinem sequitraditionis quam tradiderunt hijs quibus committebant Ecclesias what sayeth thys holye father yf the Apostles had lefte to vs no scripture at all had it not bene necessarye to folowe the order of that tradytion whyche they delyuered to those to whome they dyd bequethe the churche Alas good people how farre are many in these dayes gone from thys olde and aunciēt rule this blessed martir here exhorteth or rather commaundeth that yf any smal dyscorde thoughe it be in a matter of lytle importaunce doo chaunce that we woulde not accordyng to our 〈◊〉 iudge therein but though we haue no scripture for the same yet saieth he we ought to folowe kepe and obserue the tradition of the auncient churches Where as in these late dayes the impudent 〈◊〉 baue taught the zely people that euery man should and maye be a iudge of controuersyes and that we oughte to obserue no tradition nor ceremo nye other than we fynde in the holye scripture Of such the same holy Ireneus dooeth speake thus after many other notable lessons to the same purpose Omnes autem hij decidunt a veritate et 〈◊〉 quidem alienum 〈◊〉 afferentes ad altare dei idest altenas doctrinas a celesti igne conburentur c. All these sayeth he doo fal from the trueth and the heretykes truelye bryngynge straung fyre to the aulter of God that is to saye straung doctrine 〈◊〉 brent with the heuenly fyre With such lyke thrratnynges in the same place to those that disobey the 〈◊〉 of the churche Lykewyse saynct Augustyne speakyng of the baptysine of chyldren and now that sacrament can profyt them seyng many die before they know the effecte of the same affyrmeth that the faythe of those that brynge the chylde to christenynge shall profyte the chylde that is brought but for his proba cion he bryngeth thus Hoc commendat ecclesie saluberrima 〈◊〉 thoritas This thing the mooste holsome aucthoritie of the churche doethe commende And euen wyth lyke reuerence the same saint Augustyne dooth many tymes submytte all hys iudgments and workes to the catholyke churche And fynally to declare hys iudgemene concernynge the aucthoritie of the catholyke church He sayeth hus Ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 nisi me catholicae Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye Truly I would not beleue the Gospel onles that the aucthoritye of the catholyke churche did moue me thereto And we ought here to consider that after the ascension of our sauiour Christe for the space of certayne yeares there was no gospell at all wrytten but all thynges concernyng the faythfull christians were 〈◊〉 and gouerned by the disciples of Christ being than the heades of the church Afterward we rede that dyuers of the dysciples of Chryste dyd wryght Gospelles as sainct Bartylmew Nicodemus and an other Gospel was called Euangelium Nazarcorum̄ But the aucthoritie of the church did onely admite those 〈◊〉 euangelistes which now the whole churche dooth retayne Whyche thing myght wel seme mar uelouse seynge that bothe sayncte Bartylmew and Nicodemus were present and dyd see the woorkes of Chryst and also dyd here hys doctryne where as sainct Luke dyd learne hys gospel of saincte Paule and other and so kewyse dyd S. Marke but hereby it doeth moost playnly appere that the catholike 〈◊〉 onely hath thys hye aucthorite to 〈◊〉 scriptures and that scriptures allowed by that church should not be refused of any particulare persons Nowe therfore seynge that the catholyke churche bothe hath delyuered to vs the scrypture and in all ages and times hath bene taken of al Godly lerned men for the true iudge therof I exhort and beseche all you good christen people that in all doutes 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 ye would resort to that 〈◊〉 churche and there learne what the 〈◊〉 church hath beleued aud taught 〈◊〉 time 〈◊〉 time concerninge doutes or controuersies and 〈◊〉 wyth lowly and meke hartes ye wyll so doo surely the ho ly ghoste wyll instructe you he wyll comforte you and he wyll leade you into al trueth But yf in such case ye will fly from the catholyke church ask coū sell of your selues or of any that doth swarue from the sayde churche than for so much as the holy gost is not your gyde you shall fall from ignoraunce to errour and from doutyng and dysputing to plaine herely and so from one to another to the vtter con fusion of both body and soule Yet besides this gret authoritie of the churche whereof you haue hearde there is an other gyuen by God of moost hye excellencye that is power to forgiue and pardon the pe nitent synner and to punyshe and correct the obsti nate or fro warde synner which power and auctho ritie as it was fygured in the preesthode of the olde lawe as in Iudgyng of leprose persones and in punyshyng to death those that did not obey the preeste euē so is it giuen by our sauiour Christ in very dede in the 〈◊〉 to his Apostles and to all theyr succes soures For after that oure sauiour had rysen from death he came amonges hys Apostles and brethed vpon them and sayde Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum dimi seritis 〈◊〉 dimittuntur eis et quorum retinueritis 〈◊〉 sunt That is take you the holy ghost whose sinnes you shall forgyue they are forgyuen to them and whose synnes you doo retayne they are retayned Whyche authorite by 〈◊〉 woordes gyuen by Christ though some hath or doo contemne and set at noughte yet sainct Cyrill byddeth them cease to