the sondaye dyuerse other holy dayes also aswell in the specyall honour of Chryste hym selfe as of hys holye saynctes and martyres but because the selfe same obiection of late tyme not by supposyng to be obiected as s. Nierome 〈◊〉 but in dede hath by deuely she persones for abrogatyon of ho ly dayes bene alledged therefore we thy nke it good besydes referynge the learned amongest you to the sayd place ofs Nierome where they maye fynde thys obiection aunswered and dysproued at large by two manec of aunsweres breifly to aunswere the same ob iection in thys maner That is to saye that we christē men should not thynke oure selues in conscience boūd to the ceremonyalles of 〈◊〉 lawe as the Galathians dydde thynke to whome sayncte Paule dyd wryte the sayde wordes before rehearsed And in dede to consyder a daye in no other respecte then as it doeth conteyne a tyme so no man oughte to obserue in religyon more one daye then another 〈◊〉 to consyder a daye in respecte of a thynge done in the daye by God in chrysten relygion soo we maye and ought to obserue and kepe dayes And so doe we obserue and kepe the Sondaye for the resurection sake done in it and likewyse Christmas daye for the birth sake of Chryst beyng borne on 〈◊〉 dai so of the other dayes aswell of Chryst as of hys blessed martyres saynctes And to conclude in thys matter whosoeuer lyst to reade the workes of Cypryan Saynte Bafyll Chysostome and saynte Augustyne shall finde moste godly sermons of theyrs made by thē in the Churche to the people vpon the festyuall dayes bothe of oure Sauioure Chryst the blessed Uyrgyn Marye and of the rest of holy martyes and Saynctes And agaynst thys commaundemente do they mooste greuously offende which in theyr hartes hate that diuine seruyce done in the churche or the cath olyke preachyng of the worde of God and by reason of suche hatrede doo absente them selues from theyr paryshe Churche in tyme of mattens masse euensonge and sermones or other diuyne seruyce vsed in the churche of whych sort there hath of late bene in thys realme a greate number and yf anye yet be lefte God gyue thē grace hereby to knowe there 〈◊〉 offence and therevpon spedely to conuerte them from suche theyr wycked trade and soo to auoyde the wrathe of God and eternali dampnation Secondly agaynste thys commaundemente they also doo offende who thoughe they doo not hate the sayde diuine seruyce yet for gayne and lucres sake they do worke on the holye daye not giuing thē selus holye to godly contemplatyon and dyuyne seruice as they ought to do Fynally al they doo transgresse this commaundemente of God who in tyme of common prayer or preachynge not onely doo not them selues geue dilygent eare and good attendaunce therevnto but also by walkynge talkyng and other euyl demeanour doo lette other that woulde vse them selues deuoutlye and Godlye ¶ Thexposition or declaration of the fyfte commaundement which is Honour thy father and thy mother IN the foure commaundemēts which are declared in the former processe being the cōmaūdemētes of the firste ta ble you haue hard that duty whych we do ow vnto almyghty god In al these other folowyng which are the cōmaū demētes of the ii table you shal be instructed of that duty whych we do owe to oure neyghbour in thoughte word dede And in the first of thē we are instructed how we shall doo our duty to oure parentes fathers and mothers and elders here in this world to whom next after God and aboue al other neyghbors we do owe honour and obedience For the better vnderstandyng of thys cōmaundement you shall note that vnder the names of father mother are here sygnifyed not onelye oure naturall parentes but dyuers other also as fyrst they whyche haue cure and charge of oure soules who by theyr offyce doe begette vs to the faythe of Chryste and doo nouryshe and brynge vs vppe in the same after whyche sorte and maner Saynt Paule calleth hym selfe father of the Corynthyans in the fowerth chapyter of his fyrste epystle to the sayde Corynthians And secondly we vnderstand by those names father and mother all cyuyll or publyke magystrates and thyrdely al other who haue in any wyse power auctoritie or gouernement ouer vs as the mayster ouer the seruaunte c. To all these foresayde sortes beynge comprehended in thys commaundemente vnder the names of father and mother we are bounden to geue due honour whiche standeth specially in thre pointes it is to wyt in loue in obedience and in reuerence Aud herein as touchynge our naturall parentes oure sauyour Chryst in the seuenth of Marke doth say thus Honor thy father and thy mother He that doeth curse father or mother shall dye the death And Chryste hymselfe gaue herein vnto vs example both of oure subiection and also of obedyence to be geuen and done vnto our naturall parentes as appeareth in the seconde of Luke where it is wrytten thus And he that is to saye Chryste dyd goo downe wyth them and came to Nazerethe and was subiecte or obedient vnto them and that all 〈◊〉 do owe vnto theyr naturall parentes obedyence and honoure Saynt Paule wytnesseth in the vi chapiter to the Ephesians saying Chyldren be you obediente to your parentes in our Lorde for that is iuste or ryght Honoure thy father and thy mother which is the fyrst commaundement in promyse that it may be well with the and thou mayst be longe lyued on the earth The 〈◊〉 whereof S Paule also dothe wryte in hys thyrde chapyter to the Collossians And moreouer it is wrytten in the thyrde chapter of Ecclesiasticus after thys maner Sonne receaue with reuerence the olde age of thy father and make not hym sad in his lyfe c. And in the same chapter shortlye after dothe folowe thys saying Of howe euyll fame or name is he that forsa keth his father and cursed is he of God that 〈◊〉 or angreth his mother And in the xix of the Prouerbes it is 〈◊〉 He that dothe afflicte his father and doth flye from his mo ther shal be infamous and wretched And in the. xx of the sayde Prouerbes Salomon sayth thus He that curseth hys father and mother his light shal be put oute of the myddeste of darkenes In the ix of Genesis C ham the sōne of Noe brought the curfe of God or maledictyon to hym selfe and his posteritye for that he dyd dyshonoure and deryde hys father in the xxxv and xlix chapyters of the same booke appeareth of the dyshonour whyche Ruben the fyrste begotten sonne of Iacob dyd to hys father and howe he therefore was accursed And in the seconde booke of the kynges and the. xviii chapyter we reade howe Absolon who intended to haue thrust hys father out of his kingdome was by a notable and mooste myserable deathe plaged Aud of the duetye that we doe owe vnto oure spirituall fathers we doo reade in the.
and be all subiecte vnto hys power and cannot resyste or let the same And here with farther is to be learned that althoughe God be omnipotent and of infinyte power yet he is not the aucthor or worker of any synne for whensoeuer any synne is done by anye creature the same is wrought by the malyce of the deuil or fre wil of man or by both God onelye sufferyng and permyttynge the same to be done and not by his power and worke styrryng vp fertheryng or assystyng the malyce or the euyll thought or dede in that behalfe Fynallye concernynge those laste wordes of thys Artycle it is to wytte Maker of heauen and earth we are taughte and instructed thereby to be leue that God the father Almyghtye dyd at the begynnyng create fourme and make of noughte Heauen and Earth and al thynges visible and inuisible and that he dyd gyue vnto them al theyr power and myght and that he so from time to tyme continually doth preserue gouerne susteine and maynetaine the whole worlde and all the creatures therein by hys onely goodnes and hyghe prouydence that without his continuall workyng nothyng is or can be able in any wyse to endure ¶ The exposition or declaration cōcerninge the seconde Article of the Crede whyche is And in Iesu Christ his onelye sonne oure Lorde IN this article iiii thinges ar specially to be noted Fyrst that the second person in Trinitie is verye Iesus the second that he is Christ. The third that he is an onely Sonne and the fourth that he is our lord For the better vnderstandyng of which foure poyntes ye shall know that Iesus is asmuche to saye as a Sauiour S. Mathewe bearynge witnes therevnto in the fyrste Chapiter of his Gospell where the Aungell of God appearynge to Ioseph in a vision or dreame and speakyng to him of the blessed 〈◊〉 Marye and of the notable byrthe that she shoulde be beutified withal doth saye Pariet autem filium uocabis normen eius 〈◊〉 ipse enim saluum faciet populum suum a 〈◊〉 corun That is to saye She shall bringe forth a sonne and thou shalt call the name of hym Iesus for he shall make his people safe from theyr synnes Accordyng wherevnto S. Luke in the first chapiter of his Gospel sayeth that the Aungel of god 〈◊〉 vnto the sayd Uyrgin these wordes Ne time as Maria 〈◊〉 enim gratiam apud deum ecce 〈◊〉 in utero et paries 〈◊〉 et uocabis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say Feare thou not Mary for thou hast founde grace before God Lo or beholde thou shalte conceaue in thy wombe and bryng forth a sonne and thou shalt cal the name of him Iesus And agreable herevnto S. Luke in the second chap. of hys sayd Gospel sayeth 〈◊〉 postquā 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dies octo ut circūcideret 〈◊〉 puer uocatum est nomen cius Iesus quod 〈◊〉 est ab angelo priusquam in utero conciperetur That is to saye And after that eyght dayes were perfited or ended that the chylde should be circumcised the name of hym was called Iesus which was called or named of the Aungell before that he the saide child was conceiued in his mothers wombe Nowe forasmuche as the second person in Trinite was eternally preordeyned and appoynted by the decre of the whole Trinitie to be our redemer and Sa uiour therefore in this seconde Article here he is called Iesus And as concernynge this other name Chryst wherewith also the sayde seconde person in Trynyte is called and named ye shall know that Chryst is asmuche to saye as annoynted And by cause that God hath annoynted Chryst as the great Prophete Dauyd in his xliiii Psalme doth testyfye with the oyle of gladnes aboue his partakers or felowes and hath both anoynted him kinge and preist therefore the sayd second person in Trinytye is and ought to be called Christe And where the sayde second person is called also here in thys article an one ly sonne ye shall for the better vnderstandyng here of know that although almyghty God the father be the father of al people by creation and general grace yea and the father of all christen people by creation adoption and also speciall grace yet concernyng the godhed of our Sauiour Christe and the eternall generation of him wherof mention is made amonges other places Psalme 2. Psalme Cvi and Ioh. i god the father in that respecte is the father of Chryst only by dyuyne nature begettynge hym of his godly na ture and substaunce eternally Chryst beyng therein very God and of the same substaunce with God the father and with God the holy ghoste vnto whome he is equall in all thinges of the Godhed Where as cōcernyng the humanitie of Chryste God the father is greater then Chryste accordyng to chrystes owne sai yng testified in the. xiiii Chapiter of S. Johns gospell Patermaior me est That is to saye The father is greater then I. meaning his own humanite And in this respecte God the father is the father of Chryste by creation also adoption and grace And where moreouer the sayd seconde person is called here in this Article Our Lorde as in dede he is ye shall nothing there at maruayle at al conside ryng that by the sayd decree of the whole Trynytye it was also eternally preordeyned and appoynted that the sayd seconde person shoulde be oure Lorde redemynge and bryngynge vs frome the thraldome of the Deuyll and synne vnto his kyngdome Lordshype and gouernaunce worthely therefore to be called a kyng a pryest and a Lorde as hauynge done and fulfylled for all mankynde the verye offyce of a preist of a kynge and of a Lorde Of a preiste for that he offered vnto Almyghtye God a sacrifice euen hys verye bodye and Bloude which he beyng a preist after the ordre of Melchisedech dyd at hys maundye which was the nyght before he suffred death offer vnder the visible fourmes of breade and wyne institutynge there the Sacrament of his Body and Bloud commonly called the Sacramente of the Aultare and commaundynge his bodye and bloude in the sayde Sacramente to be offered vnto the worldes ende fulfyllyng thereby the sayinge of God the father spoken to Chryste the sonne Tues Sacerdos in et ernum secundum ordinem Melchisedech psal 106. That is to saye Thou art a preist for euer af ter the order of Melchisedech And Chryste dyd also fulfyll the offyce of a preist in that he vpon good Fryday which was the day next folowing did offer the same Bodye and bloude vpon the Crosse in the visible fourmes of fleshe and Bloude sufferynge hys naturall body there to be slayne and his bloude 〈◊〉 visibly to be shed for the remission of sin nodifference at all being in the substance of the thynges so diuerse ly offered at the maundy and vpon the Crosse but the difference standynge in the maner forme and outewarde doyng therof And as for the offyce of a kynge and Lord that he dyd fulfyll
oration made to the prynces Israelities of the Sinagoge being at Antiochia Pisidie and amongest other thin ges speakyng of the inhabitauntes of Ierusalem the prynces thereof who put Chryst to death and of Chryste hymselfe sayethe as S. Luke in the. xiii of the Actes doth testify thus Cunque consummassent omnia que 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deponentes cum de ligno posuerunt cum in 〈◊〉 deus autem sustitauit cū a mortuis 〈◊〉 die qui uisus est per dies multos his qui simulascenderant cum co de Galileo in Iherusalem qui usque nune sunt testes eius ad plebam That is to say And when they hadde fulfylled or perfected all thinges that were wrytten of hym they takynge hym doune from the tree did put him in a Sepul chre and God dyd rayse hym vp agayne the thyrde daye from the deade and he was sene many dayes to them which came vppetoge ther with hym from Galilee to Ierusalem who euen tyll nowe be wytnesses of him to the people Lyke wyse the sayde S. Paule writing to the Corinthians and earnestly mindyng to proue the resurrection of the deade doth in his first epistle written vnto them and in the xv Chapyter therof say as foloweth Tradidi enim Vobis in primis quod et accepi quoniam Christus mortuus est propeccatis nostris secundum Scripturas quia sepultus est et quia resurrexit tertia die 〈◊〉 Scripturas c That is to say I haue delyuered vnto you speciallye that whiche I receaued howe that Chryst died for our synnes according to scrip tures and that he was buryed that he rose agayne the thyrde daye accordynge to the Scripturs c. And s. Augustine concerning this matter hath in hys cxxiij sermon thys confortable sayinge Site 〈◊〉 luano 〈◊〉 sepultura conturbet gloriosa resurrectio confirmet quicquid enim infirmitatis audis in Christo nostrae 〈◊〉 necessit 〈◊〉 t is nostre redemptionis est causa quicquid gloric cius est proprie potesta 〈◊〉 quiid co mortuus est ut uos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurrexit ut uos ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resuscitaret eternam That is to say Of the three dayes buryall or lyinge in graue of our Lord doo trouble the let his gloriouse resurreccion con fyrme the. In dede whatsoeuer weakenes or infirmitie thou doest heare in Chryst that is for cause of our necessitie the is for cause of oure redemption whatsoeuer glory thou hearest of him that is of his proper or owne power who therfore was deade that he myghte reuyue vs and therefore dyd ryse agayne that he might resuscitate vs vnto life euerlasting Lykewyse S. Augustyne agayne in his cxxxi sermon speakyng o. this matter sayth after this ma ner Triduane sepulture mora euidēter ostēdit quod dūcorpus isepulchro iacuit anima illa de infernis triūphauit That is to saye The ta rying or abydynge of the three dayes in the graue doth euydently declare or shew that the whyle that the Body of Chryst dyd lye in the sepulcher or graue that soule of hys dyd Tryumphe ouer the Helles And that Chryste dyd ryse agayne from deathe whiche is the seconde parte of this Article is most manyfest aswel by such testimonyes as are all ready here in the former part of this article alleged as also by these speciall testymonyes folowinge Fyrste Actuum ii S. Peter as S. Luke there testifieth Doth say as foloweth Hunc Iesum resuscitauit deus cuius nos omnes testes sumus That is to sai This Jesus hath God raysed vppe agayne wherof we all are wytnesses Secondlye actuum iii. S. Peter there hath these wordes Quem deus 〈◊〉 a mortuis cuius nos testes sumus That is to say Chryst whome God hathe raysed from the deade of the whych we be wytnesses Thyrdely actuum iiii S. Peter there hath bothe these wordes Quem deus suscitauit a mortuis beynge Englyshed as before as also these wordes Et Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli testimoniū resurrectionis 〈◊〉 Christo domini nostri That is to saye The Apostles with great power dyd gyue wytnes of the resurrection of Jesu Chryst our Lorde Fourthly actuum v. S Peter and the Apostles haue these wordes Deus patrum nostrorum suscitauit Iesum 〈◊〉 uos interemistis suspendentis in ligno That is to say The God of our fathers hath raysed vppe Je sus whome ye the Jewes dyd kyll hangyng him vpon the tree Fyftelye Actuum xvii S Paule preachynge in the Synagoge of the Jewes at Tessalonyca hathe these wordes Quia oportuit Christum pati et resurgere a mortuis That is to say That Chryst muste nedes haue dyed and to ryse agayne from the deade Syxtely S. Paule in vys fyrst Epystle to the 〈◊〉 rinthyans in the. xv Chapter therof hath amōgest other these wordes Si Autem Christus non resurrexit inanis est predicatio nostra inanis est 〈◊〉 vestra c. That is to saye If Chryst hath not rysen agayne then is our preachyng vayne and youre faythe is also in vayne c. And hereof also he speakethe Ad Romanos fourthe et ii ad Timotheum ii and in manye other places But what nede is it to heape any mo testimo nyes hereof seyng all the Euangelistes doo clerelye testifye the matter Mathewe the. xxviii Marke the xvi Luke the. xxiiii and Jhon the. xx By thys then it appeareth howe that our Sauyour Jesus Chryst after he had conquered and spoyled the Deuyll and hell he retourned agayne from thense lyke a mooste myghty Kynge and Conqueroure in tryumphe and glorye and so reassumed and toke agayne hys blessed naturall Body the third day after hys sayd deathe And so doyng rose out of the Sepulture in his natu rall and parfect manhode That is to say in his soule and in the selfe same body whych was borne of the Uyrgyn Mary and dyd hange vpon the Crosse. After whyche resurrection he was conuersaunte in the worlde by the space of forty dayes and dyd eate and drynke with hys Apostles and his disciples and prea ched vnto them and aucthorised them to goo fourthe into the worlde to manifest and declare that he was the very Chryst the very Messias and the very God and man whych was promised in scrypture to come to saue and to redeme al those that beleuing in hym ordered themselues in obeying and folowynge hys preceptes and commaundementes accordyngly In thys artycle of Resurrectiō it is to be noted that there is nothyng that can in all aduersirye trouble be more ioyefull and comfortable vnto vs than the 〈◊〉 of this artycle That Chryste rose agayne from corporall death to lyfe and that we shall also do the same The fayth and belefe of this if we continue in lyuinge well is our vyctorye and tryumph ouer the Deuyll hell and death and a specyall remedy to put away the horroure and feare of them Forasmuch as hereby we be assured that as death coulde not holde Chryste
where it appeareth that whan Cayn hadde murdered hys brother Abell almyghtye GOD sayd vnto hym in thys maner 〈◊〉 voyce of thy brothers bloude doeth crye vnto me frome the earth wherefore thou shalte be accursed vpon the earth who hath opened her mouth and receyued thy brothers bloude of thy hande when thou shalte laboure or tyll the earthe it shall not geue to the her fruytes Thou shalte be a wanderer and vagabunde vppon the earth And in the. ix also of Genesis it is thus writtē Whosoeuer shal shed the bloude of man vpon the earth his bloude shal be shedde for man is made to the symilitude of God and in the xxi of Exodus almyghtye God doth saye He that shall strike a man willinge to 〈◊〉 him shall dye the death Moreouer in the thyrde booke of the kynges and the. xxi Chapyter it is wrytten howe that when kynge Achab by the deuelyshe counsayle of his wyfe Iefabel had procured the death of Naboth for couetousnes of hys vyneyarde god sent the prophet Elias vnto hym and bad hym saye these wordes Thys doth the Lorde say Thou hast killed yea and moreouer thou haste taken possessyon And shortly after foloweth howe God bad hym saye In this place in the whiche the dogges haue lycked the bloude of Naboth they shall lycke thy bloude and shortly after there foloweth Thus sayth the Lorde I wyll brynge vpon the euyll or miserye and will cutte downe they posteritie aud wyll destroy of Achabes euery one that pysseth against the wall c. And touchynge wycked Iesabell hys wyfe it there foloweth Dogges shall eate Iesabell vnder the walles of Iesraell And of Achab likewise is there sayde If Achab die in the citie the dogges shall eate him and yf he die in the fielde the fowles of the aire shall deuoure him Moreouer in the seconde booke of the kynges and the. xii chapyter almyghtye God sayde vnto kynge Dauyd by the Prophete Nathan in thys maner Thou hast stricken with the sworde or killed Urias the Ethyte and hast taken his wyfe to be thy wyfe and hast slayne him with the sworde of the chyldren of Ammon wherefore the sworde shall not departe from thy house for euer These terrible threatnynges and punyshmentes ought to moue all men to be delygente and warye in obseruation of thys cōmaundement and in no wyse eyther in thought worde or dede to commytte anye kyude of murder beyng assured that althoughe they may chaunce to escape the due ciuyll punyshement of magystrates yet in no wyse shall they escape the greuous punishement at Goddes handes for suche theyr murder yea they shal be most well assured that vnlesse they by due meanes doo repente and be reconcyled to God they shall haue after thys lyfe for theyr trangression euerlastyng dampnation ¶ Therposition or declaration of the seuenth Commaundement whyche is Thou shalt not committe adulterye AS the greatest iniurye whyche a man can do to hys neyghboure is murder whereby he takethe awaye hys lyfe from him so the next iniury or wronge is to vyolate or to defyle hys neygheboures wyfe whyche is become one fleshe wyth hym throughe the sacramente of Matrimonye And therefore in good order doeth here nowe folowe thys commaundemente Thou shalte not commytte adultery And thys commaundemēte our sauyoure Chryst hym selfe doth in dede expounde in the Gospell as he dydde the syxte teachynge vs in the fyfte of Mathew that this commaundement not onely forbyddeth all outwarde adultery commytted in dede but also all inwarde occasyons of adulterye as lecherous thoughtes desyres lustes of concupyscence consentyuge in heart and al other meanes enducynge therevnto And here ye shal note that although thys worde adultery doth sygnifie properly the vn lawfull comixion of a maryed man with anye other woman than wyth his owne wife or els of a maried woman wyth anye other mā then her owne 〈◊〉 yet in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not taken onely for that but also for all maner vnlawefull copulation betwene man and woman maried and vnmaried and all maner of vnlawefull 〈◊〉 of those partes whiche be ordeyned for generation whether it be by adulterye fornication in crest or any other meanes And a man maye euen in lawefull matrymony with hys owne wyfe breake thys commaundemente and lyue vnchaste yf ye doo vnmeasurably or inordinatelye serue hys or her fleshly appetite or luste And vpon such persones the deuyll hath power as the aungell Raphael sayd vnto Thoby Thoby ix They that marye in such wise that they exclude GOD out of their hartes and doo geue themselues vnto their owne carnall lustes as it were an horse or a mule whyche haue no reason vpon suche personnes the deuyl hath power Also all chrysten people ought hyghlye to regarde the obseruation of thys commaundement consyderynge howe much God is displeased and what vengeance he hath alwayes taken and euer wyll take for the transgression of the same For confyrmatyon whereof you shall vnderstande that God in the tyme of Moyses lawe commaunded that whosoeuer 〈◊〉 adultery should be stoned to death And that almygh ty God after the chyldren of Israell had commytted adultery wyth the women of Moab and Madyan commaunded fyrste that the heades and rulers of the people shoulde be hanged for that they suffered the people so to offende God And afterwarde commaunded also euery man to sle hys neighboure that had so offended In so much that there was slayne of that people the number of xxiiii M. and 〈◊〉 moo shoulde haue bene slayne had not Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the hygh preist turned the indignation of God from the chyldren of Israell For thys Phinees whan he sawe Zamry cheife of the tribe of Simeon in the presence of Moyses and all the people goe vnto Cosby a notable mans doughter of the Madyanities to committe fornication wyth her he arose from emongest all the multytude and takynge a sworde in hys hande went into the house wher they were and thruste them bothe thoroughe the bellyes whose feruente mynde and zeale God dyd so muche allowe that he dyd therfore bothe cease from the farther punishment of the Israelites and also graunted to Phinees and hys successours for euer the dignitie of the highest preisthod Also the trybe and stocke of Beniamin was soo punyshed for the mayntenaunce of certayne persones of the Citie of Gaba which had contrarye to thys commaundement shamfullye abused a certayne mannes wyfe that of xxv M. and. vii C. men of armes there remayned on lyue but. vi C. Moreouer almyghtye God for the transgression of thys commaundement caused brimstone and fyre to rayne downe from heauen vpon all the 〈◊〉 of Sodome and Gomor and so distroyed the hole region both menne women and beastes and all that grewe vpon the earth reseruyng onelye Loth hys two doughters These terrible examples many other lyke almighty GOD dyd shewe in tymes paste to the intente we should haue thē in oure contynual remēbraunce and shulde euer stande in awe feare so
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