And she stowped downe to him mockynge Anthiochus the Kinge and saide My sonne haue mercie on me that bare thee nyne monethes within my bodie and gaue thee milke of my brestes three yeres space and mirced thee and brought thee vnto the age that thou arte of I desire of thee my sonne that thou do loke on heauen and earthe and all thinges that be in them and do vnderstande that God made them all of nought and so it maye come to passe that thou shalt not fear this butcherly hangman but shalte be made worthy to haue such brothers as be gone afore thee Take thi death and such part as they haue done that in the time of gods mercy I may receiue thee againe with thy brothers While she was thus saiyng the yong man boldly cald vpon the tormentors saiyng that he wold not obey the coÌ„maundement of the kinge but he wold obey the coÌ„maundement of gods law geueÌ„ them by Moyses And after a sharpe lesson coÌ„mination geuen to the king the king was inflamed with anger was woode against him more then against al the other brothers so the good yong maÌ„ departed trusting on god in all points at the last the mother after her sons was speÌ„t put to death Of like fortitude maÌ„lines boldnes we read in the new testameÌ„t of s Steuen saint Iames other in the actes of the apostles we read also of saint Peter s Andrew Bartholomew Laurence Uincent many other whose passioÌ„s be red in Christes church of which al of others like thapostle Heb. xi saith Alii distenti suÌ„t non suscipientes redemptioneÌ„ vt meliorem inuenireÌ„t resurrectionem alii ludibria verbera experti c. Some were racked drawen in pieces not loking for any raunsome that so they might find a better resurrectioÌ„ some suffred mocks stripes more ouer fetters prisones were stoned to death some were cutte in pieces In al these and such other timiditie cowardnes was far away this gift of the holye gost fortitude manlines strong hert lacked not by which thei were so coÌ„stant in suffryng aduersitie for Christes sake in hope of reward euerlastyng Amen ¶ The fourth sermon treatyng of the fift gift of the holy gost called the spirite of Science THe fifte of these giftes of the holy gost is the spirite of science or the gifte of science or cunninge for whiche you shall vnderstaÌ„d the science is not so precisely taken here as y e logitions speaking of science callyng it the knowledge of a conclusion proued by demonstration but science as we nowe speake of it descendeth and commeth alowe and is properlye the iudgement in the articles of our faythe and in such other Godly verities as extendeth them selues to creatures and to mannes actes and doinges accordynge to saint Paules saiyng Faith worketh by loue And so doth all the whole holy scripture more consistyng in practise and exercise then in speculation This gift of science or cunnyng as we nowe speake of it extendeth also to hande craftes and occupations as I shall declare hereafter And it presupposeth the gift of counsaile that I spoke of lately by whiche we may with studie deliberacion and aduisement attayne to the knowledge of mans actes and to the knowlege of creatures But because that many times mennes wittes in their study and in their singuler or priuate counsailes be ready to inuent or imagine of mennes actes and of other creatures laiynge a parte the gifte of counsaile and good iudgement so commeth many times to mannes minde deception errour lolaâ—dye heresie contrary to true science and cunnyng geloâ—ie suspicion sclaunder and infamye contrarye to quietnesse of liuinge Example we haue of the people of Israell whiche hadde inbibed so muche of Moyses lawe and wedded their wittes so obstinately to that learnyng and leaned so carnally to the same that notwithstaÌ„dyng all Christes doctrine and all the preachinge of the Apostles thought no way to saluation but by obseruynge and fulfillyng the workes of the lawe of Moyses as except men were circuÌ„cised they thought menne coulde not be saued And after a manne had touched anye deade thinge or anye vncleane thinge excepte he should sequester him selfe .vii. dayes from the company of cleane people and except he were washed the thirde daye and the .vii. daye with a certayne water made for the same purpose he should dye with many such ceremonies and vsages which were then commaunded to be vsed and were no more but shadowes and figures of our sauioure Christe and of the time of grace that nowe is and they shoulde nowe cease when the veritye signifyed by theim is exhibited and perfourmed like as nighte ceaseth when the day commeth and darkenesse vanisheth awaye by the presence of lighte Thys they woulde not vnderstande nor learne for any mannes exhortacion but rather persecuted to death all them that instructed theÌ„ in this veritie In this case was sainte Paule firste before his conuersion and many of his contrey menne and kinsfolkes the Iewes of whiche he saith Testimonium perhibeo illis quod emulationem dei habent sed non secundum scientiam Roma .x. I beare them witnes that they haue a zeale and loue to folowe the learnyng that God hath geuen them by Moyses but they lacke science and cunnyng they folow not good vnderstandynge in that in whiche they thinke them selues cunnyng for the saide ceremonies were no more but Iustitiae carnis vsque ad tempus correctionis imposite Certaine obseruances laide on their neckes carnallye to be obserued and kept to occupy them and holde theÌ„ vnder obedience and to keepe theim from the rites and vsages that the gentyles vsed in theyr ydolatrye tyll the tyme of correction the tyme of reformacion whiche is the tyme of Christes commyng at whiche time they should surceasse and be vsed no more Such a zeale and loue to learnynge hathe manye nowe adayes And of their learnynge and knoweledge whiche they thinke they haue they wyll make as great glory and boast as did the Iewes of their learning And yet their zeale and learnynge shall be without that science that is this gift of the holy gost In this case be they that so arrogantly glorieth in their learnyng had by study in the englysh bible and in these sedicious Englisshe bokes that haue bene sent ouer froÌ„ our englyssh runagates nowe abidynge wyth Luther in Saxonie Of their studie you maie iudge by the effect When menne and women haue all studied and counte them selues best learned of their learnyng men ê‘ceiue litle els but enuie disdainyng at others mockynge and despisynge all goodnes raylynge at fastynge and at abstinence froÌ„ certaine meats one daie afore an other by custome or commaundemente of the churche at Masse and mattens and at all blessed ceremonies of Christes church ordeyned and vsed for the auancemente and settinge forthe of Goddes glorye not without profounde and greate misteries and causes reasonable By this effecte
such after him haue a certain feare in them and worketh rather of a tendernesse or nashnes of hart then of fortitude or manlinesse Contrary to this we rede of Iudas Machabeus the valiant captaine that whē Lisias protectour of that huge part of Asia betwixt the riuer of Euphrates and the ryuer of Nilus in the absence of Anthiocus the king had send by the commaundement of the sayde kyng into the land of Iuda .xl. M. footemen and .vii. M. horsemen to inuade that land and to destroy it handsmothe so that there should remayne no memorie of the Iewes in all that lande Then this noble captain Iudas Machabeus gathered his people together and after fasting that daye with feruent and deuout prayer to God made a solempne exhortacion to hys people where he saide to my purpose Melius est nos mori in bello quam videre mala gentis nostrae et sanctorū .i. Mach. iii. It is better for vs to dye in battail then to se the trouble paines of our nacion of holy mē Wher he preferred death temporal to experience of misery chosed rather to dye then to sustaine the calamitie wretchednes shame that they should come to if their enemies shoulde haue the ouerhand ouer them yet the true fortitude manlines in Iudas Machabeus passed the mālines of al the paignim cōquerours that Aristotle could recite Aristotle saith also fortis quanto est virtuosior felicior tanto fit in morte tristior ▪ A manly man the more that he hath of that vertue the more felicitie that he hathe the more heuy sorowful he is at his death because that by death he is depriued disapointed of y e greatest felicitie benefit goodnes that may com to man which felicitie after him maye be gotten in this world For though they put an immortalitie of the soule yet of the state of soules after this present life they litle determine but leaue it so ragged that a man can not tell what to make of it But where the Philosopher saith for a conclusion fortis quanto est c. his faithe was no better but we by our faith know that the life to come is much more excellent then this presēt life full of misery and wretchednes euer mutable and vnconstant Notwythstandyng for the naturall amitie betwixt the soule and the body they be ful lothe to departe asundre naturally feareth such departure therefore in the ouercōming of this feare in the contempt of this life in ieopardinge on great perils for equitie and iustice sake for the faith of Christ and for the life to come standeth principally our fortitude this gift of the holy gost by which the holy goste moueth our soules setteth vs furth to obtain come to the end of euery good worke that we begin and maketh vs to escape passe al perils that maye let our good purpose And where the paines of death or the fear of death many times ouerthroweth turneth the fraile minde of mā that mā of him selfe can not ouercome the perils of this world come to y e reward of his labors but gyueth ouer hys good purpose afore it be parfite and perfourmed Here the holie goste helpeth mans minde giuyng a certain boldnes and trust to come to rewarde euerlasting in heauen as to the most parfite ende of all good woorkes and the very escape of all perils To this end the true fortitude this gift of the holy gost hath hys principall eye and respect This excellent gifte of fortitude or manlynesse rested in our Sauiour Christ as Esay speaketh and made him to put away and shake of the passions of our fraile mortalitie which made him to feare death and to be pensyfull and heauye when he sweat water and blood in his agonie remembring the death that he should to But anone he cōsidered hys fathers pleasure by fortitude went fourth to mete thē that were sent to take hym and consequentlye suffred his painfull passion on the crosse as he was determined for to doe Wherefore God the father exalted him and gaue him a name aboue all names and that is had in reuerence of al creatures Many we rede of in the olde testament and in the new that boldlye contempned deathe for iustice sake whyche had euer their principall respect and eye to reward euerlasting As Esaye which wyth a sawe was deuided in two partes Ieremye the Prophet was stoned to deathe for preaching to the people the word of God And .ii. Mach vii is writtē a marueilous story of a mother her .vii. sōnes in which this gift of the holy gost the gift of fortitude or mālines appereth excellently When she with her .vii. sonnes were conuented afore the kinge and the iudges they were required to eate certaine meates that were prohibited and forbidden by the lawe and to fal to the rites of gentilitie which they refused constantlye and therfore were condemned to dye were brought to execution the eldeste sonne had first his tonge cut out of his heade then the heere and skinne of his head striped of together his fingers and toes cutte of and when he was almost spent yet he was cast into a great vessell like a friynge panne and fire put vnder there he was broyled and fryed vntill he was deade His mother his brothers lokynge on him and one comfortynge another manfullye to dye in Gods quarell and for the kepynge of his lawes saiynge Deus aspiciet veritatem consolabitur in nobis God will loke vppon the truthe and will haue comforte among vs. The second was likewise serued sauinge that his tonge was not cut out and at his laste ende saide to the kynge Tu quidem scelestissime c. O thou moste mischeuous manne thou destroyest vs in this presente life but the king of all the worlde will raise vs vp againe in the resurrection of life euerlastyng that dyeth for his lawes The thirde shewed furth his handes and his tonge and said I haue the possession and vse of these thinges from heauen aboue but now I despise them for the lawe of God because I hope and trust to receiue them of him againe And euen so all the brothers were arayed vntil they came to the seuenth And that marueilous mother comforted them euerye one saiynge I can not tell howe you did appeare within my bodye for I gaue you not spirite and lyfe and I did not ioyne together the limmes of euerye one of you but the creatoure and maker of the worlde that fourmed and fashioned mannes natiuitie and that founde the originall beginnynge of all thinges wyll restore vnto you agayne with hys mercy both spirite lyfe euen as you now despyse your selues for hys lawes sake Antiochus the kinge thinkinge him selfe to be dispised and set at nought counsayled the mother that she shold entreate geue good counsail to the youngest sonne and to saue his life if it might be
faciant non gementes hoc enim non expedit vobis Obey theim that be set in auctoritye ouer you and submit and lowelye subdue your selues vnto theim for they watche and take paine to ouersee you as menne that should yelde and make accompte for your Soules them you muste obey so gentlye that they maye haue ioye and be gladde to take paynes for you and not to grone or mourne in their solicitude and pains takynge for that is not profitable for you Obey theim that Preache and teache you the worde of GOD speciallye takinge hede to their doctrine howsoeuer their liuynge be If their coÌ„dicions be noughtie then as Christe teacheth vs. Que dicunt seruate facite secundum opera eorum nolite facere Math. xxiii What they saie take hede and do it but after their doynge dooe not you When they saye and liue not or do not accordynge to their saiynge Vt cum gaudâ—o hoc faciant That they maie be glad of their labours taking among you like as an husbandmaÌ„ which is glad to do his work when he seeth the trees of his setting graffing proue well bear fruites When he seeth the fieldes of his tillynge beare plentifullye suche Corne or grayne as hee hathe sene then he perceiueth that he hath not laboured in vayne bende his backe and galled hys handes in vayne and that he hath not without some cause suffered and borne the heate of Somer and the colde of Winter he is gladde of his paines taking this shal make him glad and merie so to do an other time And euen so shall the elders be glad when they see their yonge men or subiectes whether it be in thynges perteining to God or els to the worlde profite and go forwarde by their informations and labours taken amonge them and will be sorie and soore agreued of the contrarie And this will do you no profite but rather hurte It shall do theim good to be sorye for your euill doinge or for your not profitinge but it shall dooe you no good but rather hurte in as muche as beside youre euill doinge you vexe your Heades Ouerseers and rulers and so aggrauate your owne vyces and leudenesse Therfore saieth saint Peter Adolescentes subditi estote senioribus Where you shall vnderstand that there be two maners of yongelinges Some be yonge for lacke of many yeres as the worde is commonly taken others be worthy to be counted yongelinges because they haue younge lyghte leude and childishe condicions more like children then like sadde menne or women of naturall and rype grauitye and discretion Such a distinction of younge persones vseth the Philosopher in the beginninge of hys firste booke of the Ethikes declarynge who and what maner of menne be meete and profitable hearers of Morall philosophy or of matters of Policye where he hathe this conclusion That younglinges be not moste meete hearers or scholers of Morall philosophye whiche he proueth thus The proper and conueniente Hearer or learner of anye science or facultye must be suche as can surelye and euidentlye or plainely knowe the principles and conclusions of that Science when they hear them and that can of them geue right iudgement whether they be wel to be done or contrarye But younglynges can not so doe therfore they be not meete hearers of that facultie That they can not so do he proueth for the principles and conclusions of all Moral philosophye and of all worldlye policye be of mannes actes and doinges whiche be not well knowen but onelye by experience and of them the yongmen haue none experience and therfore of them they haue no perfite iudgemente no more then a Prentice â–ª newe bounde to the Drapers crafte can by his hande or by his eye geue true iudgement whether the clothes in his masters shoppe be truelye and surelye wrought and coloured or not or the Grocers prentice whether the spices and other wares in his masters shoppe be quicke or tainted or whether they maie be solde to losse or to gaynes They muste haue longe experience afore they can come to suche knoweledge Euen so muste they haue experience of mens doinges that shall be good morall Philosophers or politike persons and suche be not these yongelings that take noo heede to grauitie and sadnesse And thys is true sayeth the Philosopher whether they be younge in yeares or younge secundum morem in maners and conditions as be these younge ruffians and lustye bloudes They be to obstinately and stifelye bended and set to folow their owne passions and appetites thinkynge the waye that they bee noseiled in brought vp and vsed to to be best They wyll not bee persuaded nor counsailed but euen as they haue bene vsed and brought vp that wyll they vse and so will they continue by their good will who so euer faie naye Teache them how to vse theim selues temperatelye in their dietes in eatinge and drinkinge to auoide ingurgitations and riotynge by nighte and by daye it helpeth not how to vse theim selues chastelie according to to the Lawes of righte reason or patientlie agaynste fumes or passions and anger moderate liberalitie againste prodigalitye and waiste they bee so wilfull they be so wanton they bee wedded to folowe their owne passions to folowe their olde trade as they were wonte to dooe more lyke childrene then like menne that it boteth not to exhorte theim to the contrarye The holye Scripture speaketh of suche youngelynges .iii. Regum xii where it is writte that after the deathe of Salomon the kynge succeaded hym Roboam his sonne And when the power of the whole Realme came to crowne him and make him kynge and to professe their obedience to him firste they desiered one petition of him saiynge after this maner your father laied on vs a verye harde and heauie burthen therefore our desire is that nowe you shall diminishe and bate a little of youre fathers harde and soore commaundemente and of that verye heauye yoke that he layde vppon vs and we shall dooe you seruyce This heauye yooke and burden was no vyle seruyce that Salomon putte theim to for it is written Capite ix that Salomon sette or put none of the people of Israell to anye Seruile woorke or drudgerie but these soore coactions were certayne money graine and vitailes whiche they payed euerye moneth towarde the furniture of the charges of Salomons house and familye whiche were verie greate in dede as appeareth .iii. Regum iiii And for thys purpose there were twelue rulers or maister purueyours assigned by the Kinge ouer euerye trybe one beside their vndertakers and gatherers and some purloyners by suche the people were greuouslye oppressed as appeareth by their humble Supplication here made Well the younge kinge somewhat amased at their request badde the people departe till the thirde Daye after and then they shoulde haue an aunswere what hee wolde doe In that tyme hee consulted firste wyth the aunciente Fathers and graue Counseylours that were of counsaile with Salomon the Kinge his father whiche
to saue them selues that they should not lose their place and the people Ioh. xi Lest if the Romaines should heare of such a man to be in their couÌ„trey that had so great a retinew of disciples as Christ had they might peraduenture surmise a conspiracie consequently some coÌ„mocion rebellion against the Emperours power which might be occasioÌ„ that he should send an army into the couÌ„trey destroy the countrey and take them all 〈…〉 captiuitie This was a far cast 〈…〉 was not the gift of counseâ—â— coÌ„ming of the holy gost therefore it proued not with theÌ„ but went all against theym for the feare that they feared fortuned to theÌ„ cleane coÌ„trary to their miscoÌ„triued counsell For in deede the Romaiâ—s came at length and destroyed the couÌ„trey toke the â—ople into miserable captiuitie because none that had to do in thys matter should scape vnpunished the vengeaunce began at the great men that were taken for chief Iudges in the condempnation of Christ. For Herodâ— was depriued of his kyngdome by Caius the emperour and was banished perpetually to Lions in Fraunce and with him Herodias his incestious concubine by whose meanes blessed S. Iohn baptist was beheaded As Iosephus antiquitatum lib. xviii ca. xiiii writeth And Pilate after he had ruled in Iewrye ten yeares was dryuen home to Rome by Vittellius general gouernour of Siria to answer to such iniuries and tirannye as he had done in the countrey As Iosephus writeth Antiquitatum lib. eodem cap. vii And at Rome because he was an vniust Iudge against Christ he was vexed and put to so much trouble sorowe and mischiefe that desperatlye he beat hym selfe to death with his owne handes as Eusebius wryteth in the ecclesiasticall storye the second boke and .vii. chapter And the citie of Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes for their iniquitie against Christ were by the Emperour Vespasian and Titus hys sonne subdued and destroyed euen in the time of theyr Pâ—schâ—l feast at which time they had done their malice â—gainst Christe because the tyme of vengeaunce might answer agree to the time of the muse of the same At the paschal time they sâ—ed the most innocent blood of Christ euen then the vengeance for his bloud fel vpoÌ„ them vpoÌ„ their childreÌ„ and issue according to their own desire saying Sanguis eius super nos super filios nostros Let the vengeaunce for his bloud sayd they lye vpon vs and vpon our children And so it did for euen at the same time of the yere .xlii. yeres after the Emperoure Vespasian and his sonne Titus after they had destroyed the chiefe Townes and strongest fortalicies and holdes of the Realme came to besiege that citie and in the whole tyme of that battaile toke prisoners lxxxxvii thousaÌ„d And at the same siege were slaine and that dyed by famine and moreyne commyng chiefely of the stinche of the dead corpses liyng vnburied to the number of a .xi. C. thousand as Iosephus writeth in the seuenth boke of the Iewes battayle and .xvii. Chapter Therfore it foloweth in the psalme rehersed Qui habitat in coelis irridebit eos Almightye God that dwelleth in heauen wyll laugh theÌ„ to scorne as he did in dede wheÌ„ he rose froÌ„ death to life againe notwithstandyng y â— they thought him sure inough being once dead notwithstandyng al the kepers that were set to kepe his body froÌ„ stealyng Et duÌ„s subsannabit eos Our Lorde will wring the nose at theÌ„ which wordes importeth a greater indignation anger then derision dothe and was put in execution at thys moste horrible strage and destruction of that citie and at the takyng away of the saide prisoners whiche they feared when they said that if they let Christ scape their handes the Romayns would come and take their citie and carye away the people Here you may see what it is to take couÌ„saile against god The wise maÌ„ saith Pro. xxi Non est sapientia non est prudentia non est consiliuÌ„ contra dominum There is no sapieÌ„ce there is no wittines there is no counsayle against our lord God Sapience is the cognition and iudgement of diuine and high causes which is not amonge heretiks that soweth cocle yl sedes among the corne settyng forth sectes and diuisions Suche wisdome how well learned so euer it semeth to be is not the true sapience because it is againste our lord God which is the god of peace and not of dissention Also be thy capacite neuer so quicke to perceiue and vnderstande the lessons of holye scripture Yet if thou haue amaruÌ„ zelum a bitter affectioÌ„ trustyng by thy learning to checke rebuke other men or to allure other to thy sect factioÌ„ or opinion as some meÌ„ haue done reasoning agaynst Purgatory because they would by that destroye prayers for the dead and so coÌ„sequently put downe abbeys chauntries whiche were founded for such praiers or if thou glory to much in thy learnyng al this maketh contra dominum against God and is not the true vnderstandyng or wittines that is the gifte of the holye goste And likewise of the thirde gyfte of whiche wee nowe entreate Donum cosilii As longe as thy caste leaneth ouer muche to mannes imagination and setteth not God afore but rather worketh agaynste God as ye hearde of these that compassed and counsayled for the deathe of Christe so to saue theim selues it is not the counsaile that is the gyfte of the holye Gooste for it is agaynste our Lorde GOD. It leaueth to muche to worldlinesse and to mannes caste grounded on malyce and euyll will therefore it coulde not holde Accordynge the faiynge of Gamaliell that honourable learned manne among the Iewes wheÌ„ the chiefe rulers among theÌ„ laied their heads together toke theyr counsayle how to put y e apostles to death for preching the fayth of Christ Up stode this Gamaliell and gaue theÌ„ better counsayle aduertisyng theÌ„ to beware how they ordred these men meanyng the apostles of Christe not sodainly to precipitate their iudgmeÌ„t against theÌ„ for this precipitacion of sentence sodaynelye wythout mature deliberation or aduisement is the contrary to the gyft of counsayle that we now speake of that is the thirde gyfte of the holye gost Thys he persuaded by two examples firste of one Theudas whyche after Iosephus vsynge superstitious craftes toke vpon hym to be a great Prophet and so deluded the people that he made manye of theim to sell their goodes and care for nothynge but to folowe hym And so brought a greate multitude after hym to the water side of Iordane to the noumber of foure hundred disciples where he promised them wythin thre dayes nexte folowynge to deuide the water and to go ouer with them drye shodde as Iosue did wyth hys companye But whyle they were tariynge for thys myracle came on them the Capitayne of the countrey wyth hys Armye and strooke of Theudas heade and destroyed and
be so prone and headstronge to all actuall Synnes as to pride couetuousnesse anger enuye and such other whyche all make agaynste saluation and worketh to dampnation euerlastynge All these miseries and wretchednes considered it is playne that mankynde hath nede of greate mercy and manifolde and abundant mercy to releue hym And therfore Saynt Peter sayde that almightye God by his greate mercye regenerate vs and gote vs again to life agaynst al these mortal deadly miseries The regeneration new begettyng is by the water of baptisme wyth y e words the cooperation and working of the holy spirit without whiche no man maye see the kyngdome and glorye of God By this the dutye or debt of originall iustice is washed away so that GOD will require it no more of vs but he geueth vs in the stede of the sayde originall Iustice an other gyfte equiualent and as good to helpe vs to heauen as it was whiche is the grace that maketh vs in the fauoure of God againe and acceptable to hym This gifte God sendeth into our soules with fayth at our Baptisme and will still at all tymes require it of vs lyke as afore he required the saide originall iustice so that the former debt and dutye of originall Iustice is chaunged into this latter debte and dutie to conserue and kepe the grace geuen vs at our baptisme And yet the mercy of God is so great toward miserable mā that if it mischaunce vs to lose the same baptismall grace by sinne he hath prouided vs an other helpe the seconde table a seconde remedy by penaunce to washe awaye our sinnes and to make vs cleane againe that we may recouer his grace and fauour So that like as originall iustice after it was lost was recompensed by the grace of baptisme so the grace of baptisme after it is lost by actuall sinne is recompensed by grace geuen vs with remission of our sinne bi penance And so loke how necessary baptisme is to wash vs frō the deformitie of originall sinne and to restore vs to grace so necessary is penāce to clense vs frō the deformitie of actual sinne cōmitted after baptisme to restore vs to grace fauour of god And euē like as God requireth originall iustice of al men that be not baptised as of Turkes Saracens Paignims and Infidels which all receiued it in Adam and as for lacke of it they remayne the children of anger of damnation so of al that be christened he requireth the said grace geuē with baptisme they that haue lost it by deadly sinne remaine the children of damnation except thei be healed by penaunce whiche shal geue them grace equiualent to the baptismal grace like as I said that baptisme geueth grace equiualent to originall iustice Al be it the disobedience and rebellion of the powers of our soules for lacke of the foresayde originall iustice dothe remayne in vs as a payne for Adams synne and as a nours◠and a breader of actuall synne and because almightye GOD while he dothe scourge vs doth not forgette to be mercifull he leaueth the sayde disobedience and rebellion of the powers of our soules as a matter of vertue if we will labour and striue against it to ouercome all vices that it woulde incline vs to By this regeneration also all actuall synnes mortall and veniall be cleane forgeuen when anye manne or woman dothe worthelye receiue it He hathe begotten vs againe sayeth saynt Peter into a liuelye hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christe By whiche the Apostle meaneth that lyke as there be two maner of fayethes a deade fayth and a liuelye fayeth so there be two maners of hope a deade hope and a lyuelye hope Hope is the expectation and lokynge for euerlastyng beatitude and ioye throughe grace and our merites Then the hope of hym that will hope and loke to come to heauen and wyll doe no good thynge to brynge him thither is a deade hope and a presumption rather then hope Thys considered the blessed manne Iob whose hope on God was so firme and sure that he sayde Etiam si occiderit me in ipso sperabo Iob. xiii Althoughe he wyll kyll mee yet I wyll hope and truste vppon hym Yet he sayeth there Veruntamen vias meas in conspectu eius arguam ipse erit saluator meus Non enim veniet in conspectu eius omnis ypocrita I wyll discusse my lyfe accuse myne offences afore hys face And then he wyll be my Sauioure For there is no Hypocrite none that wyll shewe oute warde more hope deuotion or holinesse then they haue in deede that shall come in hys sight Therfore lyke as wee haue powred into vs at our regeneration or Baptisme a liuelye fayeth so wee haue a liuynge or liuelye Hoope that lyke as Christe rysse from deathe to a lyfe immortall so shall wee dooe for the father of heauen so disposed and ordeyned for vs that hys sonne shoulde dye for vs that when hee hadde destroyed deathe by hys resurrection he myghte geue vs good example and lyuelye Hope that wee shoulde lykewyse ryse agayne from death to lyfe For lyke as he dyed for to shewe and geue vs Example not to feare Deathe so he roose agayne because wee shoulde surelye hope lykewyse to ryse agayne Into an inheritance that is vncorruptible vndefowled and neuer fadynge conserued and kepte in store in heauen The inheritaunce of Heauen as the Apostle saythe here hathe three excellente properties whyche wee maye ymagine by three contrarye properties whiche no purchaser wyll haue in anye Patrimonie manour or Lordshippe that he shoulde bye or purchase for him selfe to inhabite or dwell in Firste if it bee a rotten grounde where all thynge anone moulleth the tenauntes and mortises of tymber buyldynge rotteth oute and loseth their pynnes The walles or rouffes gathereth a mosse or a wylde Fearne that rotteth out the Lyme and Morter from the stones And where the Sea or freshe water weareth out the ground so that all thinges that there is in shorte space commeth to nought Hee is not wyse that wyll bestowe hym selfe or hys money on suche a grounde Second if there bee in the Lande or House any infectyue or pestylente Ayre disposynge menne to manye infirmityes and genderynge adders snakes or todes or these stingyng scowts or gnats that will not suffre men to slepe a man shoulde haue litle ioye to dwel in such a manour Third if it be suche a grounde where all thinge withereth and dryeth awaye for lacke of moysture where hearbes proueth not and trees groweth not to theyr naturall quantitie where the leues waxeth yelowe and falleth at Lammas tyde where men soweth a busshel and reapeth a peck and for redde wheate reapeth like rye or otes that is bestowed on suche a purchase is but cast awaye The inheritaunce of this transitorye worlde hath all these noughty properties rehersed and manye worse townes and towres castels and manours decayeth continuallye and where noble men haue dwelled nowe
so they saye it was at the consuÌ„mation ending of the teÌ„ple that Salamon builded And of this reuelation they say y e prophet had occasioÌ„ to say LapideÌ„ queÌ„ reprobauerunt edificantes hic factus est in caput an guli But because this narratioÌ„ hath no euideÌ„ce of scripture it is not best to grounde anye scripture vpon it and specially this scripture that is so oft in mouth with our sauiour Christ with the euangelistes and in the Apostolical epistles But we must take the said wordes of the psalme Lapidem quem repro c. spoken originally and to the lettre of our Sauiour Christ selfe and so he alledgeth the same wordes Mat. xxi as spokeÌ„ by him selfe after the parable of the good man that made a vineyard and set it to labourers to dresse it and kepe it and when time came to gather the fruytes he sent his seruauÌ„tes to gather the fruites fyrst one coÌ„pany and after an other company and these rude felowes the labourers in the vyneyarde toke some of them that were sent to them and beate them and â—lewe some of them so that at the last the good man was fayne to sende his owne sonne thinkinge that the vnkynde churles yet woulde be afrayde to medle with him yet notwithstandinge him they caste out of the vyneyarde or garden and killed hym also as they had done others that were sente amonge them afore Now sayth Christ what wyl the sayd goodman the owner of the vyneyarde do to these fermers and labourers in the vineyarde that haue done this mischiefe They answered The yl and noughty wretches he muste destroy put them to death must set forth his vineyarde to other tenauntes And then because they shuld ê‘ceiue vnderstaÌ„d more by this soÌ„ne that y e goodmaÌ„ sent among theÌ„ he allegeth this of the psalme makinge for his purpose sayinge dyd you neuer reade The stone whiche the builders reproued and caste by was made the heade stone for the corner of the buyldinge meaninge that the goodmannes sonne that was caste out of the vineyarde to be slayne and the stone that the buylders reproued and caste by for noughte was all one He was the onely and derest sonne of the father of heauen whome the vnkind Iewes cast oute of the citie of Ierusalem and led him to the mount of Caluary the place of execution without the citie and there killed him and euen he was the stone that the buylders cast by and despised for a thinge of noughte and yet afterwarde the same stone ioyned the two walles together as one wall the Iewes and the Gentyles in the vnitie of one churche The buylders that be here spoken of were the scribes and the phariseis and learned men amonge the Iewes whiche knewe by the Scriptures that they had redde that Christ was the verye anoynted that was so longe afore promised of almightie God by the mouthes of his holy Prophetes for they sawe all thinges that were spoken of afore to be performed in the anointed that they loked for performed in Christ in very dede They saw the time that Iacob in y e blessing of his soÌ„ne Iudas apointed also Daniel the prophet spoke of to agre theÌ„ put in effect come in dede that wheÌ„ y t holy one of al holy ones shuld come ther shuld be no more kinges anointed of y e linage of Iude. For y t time y t christ came Herode was their king an alien an Idumey desceÌ„ding of Esau not of They sawe also his wonderous workes and miracles aboue the power of anye pure man to do Their learnynge and the experience that they had of Christes Godlye power and of hys wisedome shoulde haue moued them to edify the people in the fayth of Christe they should haue beleued on hym them selfe and should haue perswaded the people likewise to beleue vpon hym and to take hym for the true Messias but they did cleane contrarye peruertynge and misexpoundyng the scriptures that speake of him and swadynge the people that he was but a dissembler and that he was a tauerne hunter a wyne drinker a quaffer a companion wyth the Publicans wyth whores naughty liuers Like as a builder gathereth and ioyneth together stones and other matter or stuffe to make a house euen so shoulde they haue gathered and layed in frame together the textes of Moyses and of the Prophetes and suche other Scriptures of the olde Testament appliynge them to Christ of whom and by whome they were intended and spoken that they so doyng myght haue buylded the people as spiritual houses on Christ as on the firme and sure rocke or stone Whiche they did not but rather dissipate and scattered abroade the buildynge deuidynge the people into scismes and diuers opinions of hym and rather not to be stablisshed on hym but to be cleane shaken awaye from hym The blessed apostles Euangelistes and holye doctours gathered together the texts and saiynges of the holy scriptures as stones or timber or stuffe to make vp their audience and buylde theim as spirituall houses on Christe And so dothe Sainte Peter in this his letter that we haue now in hande by the aucthoritie of Dauid and Esay declarynge Christe to be the precious and best beloued stone that GOD had chosen althoughe men hadde reproued him and set little by hym whiche yet notwythstandynge he shoulde be the hedstone to ioyne together the Iewes and Gentyles in one churche And not onelye then he was reproued of the builders of that tyme the Scribes and Phariseis and their audiences and Scholers the carnall Iewes but as well nowe adayes he is reiecte and dispised of manye Buylders and Preachers blasphemynge and missaiynge hys godlye and myghtye power in manye pointes as farre foorthe as they dare for feare of the Kinges lawes And of this it commeth that so manye miscreauntes and misbeleuers so little regarde the blessed and mooste reuerende Sacramente of the Aultare and also the Sacramentall confession of synnes vnto a Prieste as thoughe Christe were not able by his Godlye power to make of breade and wine his owne fleshe and bloude and to geue power to a priest by his wordes to dooe the same likewise Or as thoughe GOD were not able by his officer to deliuer men from the prison and boÌ„dage of their synnes They that by their preachynge readinge or teachinge sowe suche heresies among the people they be naughtye builders they cast away the bindinge stone our Sauiour Christe that he maie not ioyne together all people in the vnitie of one faieth they scatter the stones the aucthorities of the scriptures by their misunderstandinge and false interpretation more then gathereth theim to edifie and builde their audience on the liuelye and liuynge stone oure Sauiour Christ. To all theÌ„ that beleue not well theÌ„ selues on God In quo positi sunt in whome wee liue and moue and be as Sainte Paule speaketh God hath made vs and set vs and ordeyned vs to